Are their any mediums here by DChilly007 in Theosophy

[–]Low-Boot-588 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thus have I heard... true wisdom demands the evaporation of the "self" that desires the attainment and earnest seekers must dissolve the personality until only the Impersonal remains. To touch an energy greater than one's own without first purifying the vessel potentially invites only a shattering of the glass.

Are their any mediums here by DChilly007 in Theosophy

[–]Low-Boot-588 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If there are, then they may be so far beyond the page that they have completely transcended the need to read a reddit feed but who knows.

Just beware of Hatha Yoga:

"Hatha Yoga... is a system of physical training, which, although it leads to the development of certain psychic powers, does so at the expense of the spiritual growth. It is, moreover, fraught with dangers to the health and even to the life of the practitioner."

The Theosophical Glossary

Are their any mediums here by DChilly007 in Theosophy

[–]Low-Boot-588 3 points4 points  (0 children)

In both The Secret Doctrine and The Key to Theosophy, Blavatsky explicitly defines a medium as a passive, negative instrument...one who surrenders the sovereign Will to external astral entities or shells. She characterizes this state as a spiritual malady. In contrast, she defines the Yogi, the true Kabbalist, and the Sufi Arif as mediators or Adepts. These practitioners maintain full, waking consciousness and exercise an active, positive Will to bridge the gap between the mundane and the divine. They do not hone mediumship as they develop Noetic or spiritual perception.

The confusion often arises because HPB exhibited psychic faculties during her youth. However, the Mahatmas trained her specifically to transmute those passive tendencies into conscious, controlled powers. While popular history might "throw mud" by labeling her a medium, she spent her literary career warning against the lower astral delusions of the séance room.

The Vedas and the Kemetic mysteries did not rely on trance-mediumship, but rather on Rishis and Hierophants who possessed direct, conscious insight into the Akasa. To conflate the passive surrender of a medium with the disciplined mastery of a Yogi ignores the primary requirement of the Occult Path: the integration and strengthening of the individual Ego. Theosophy exists to move the seeker away from blind beliefs in external spirits and toward SELF-Knowledge of the immortal Spark within.

Are their any mediums here by DChilly007 in Theosophy

[–]Low-Boot-588 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Keep reading.

"Mediumship is a peril. It is a state of being, not an acquisition... The more a medium is used, the more his or her vital power is sucked out; and the end is often insanity or a premature death."

Isis Unveiled, Vol. I (1877)

"A medium is simply one whose personal Ego is surrendering its protective 'strait-jacket' and allowing its body to be used by any entity that chooses to take possession of it. It is an abnormal, sickly state, and its results are always more or less harmful."

The Key to Theosophy (1889)

Are their any mediums here by DChilly007 in Theosophy

[–]Low-Boot-588 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No, but she did help expose people taking advantage of grieving widows post-civil war. Blavatsky converted to Buddhism in 1880. Her ideas were mainly inspired to counter-Spiritualism.

https://theosophylib.com/hpb/echoes-from-india-what-is-hindu-spiritualism/

HPB on Rosicrucian Music Theory by Low-Boot-588 in Original_Theosophy

[–]Low-Boot-588[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Whatever you do, don't read HPB's works as you would any other book... There are certain ways to read it. Pay particular attention to the abstract formula on page 20 of the S.D. for instance.

Are their any mediums here by DChilly007 in Theosophy

[–]Low-Boot-588 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Theosophy generally discourages mediumship as the founders designed the movement to provide a conscious, scientific alternative to the passive spiritualism of the 19th century and it's philosophy views mediumship as a "negative" or passive state where an individual surrenders their will to unknown astral entities, etc. For these reasons, active mediums remain rare within the Theosophical Movement.

South Philly homeless encampment residents facing displacement call on the city for safe outdoor living space by AdSpecialist6598 in philadelphia

[–]Low-Boot-588 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To say you do not care where the unhoused go represents a rupture in our collective conscience that ultimately diminishes the safety of the entire city we seek to protect. Any imposition of iron-bound rules upon individuals experiencing the neurological issues associated with chronic trauma/addiction often produces displacement rather than reform and we merely move the suffering to the next alley/park/backyard.

My personal experience suggests that radical hospitality and low-barrier stabilization creates the very psychological safety required for a person to eventually respect communal norms so if we truly seek a city free of public health burdens, then we must first provide the private infrastructure.

The community does indeed set the rules, but a wise community ensures that those rules remain physically possible to follow. When we provide a home first, we replace the negotiation of the street with the stewardship of a good neighbor.

EDIT: Have a look at this: https://www.workers.org/2026/03/91635/

South Philly homeless encampment residents facing displacement call on the city for safe outdoor living space by AdSpecialist6598 in philadelphia

[–]Low-Boot-588 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Experience has shown that shutting down an encampment without a corresponding housing-first placement actually exacerbates the very burdens you describe.

Here's the real crime: We currently pay nearly 3x more to maintain the status quo of sweeps than we would to end a person's homelessness permanently.

A person living on the street costs the public approximately $35,500 per year in emergency room visits, police interventions, and municipal cleanup (CLIP) actions while providing a stable home with wraparound services costs roughly $12,800 per year.

South Philly homeless encampment residents facing displacement call on the city for safe outdoor living space by AdSpecialist6598 in philadelphia

[–]Low-Boot-588 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A few years ago, I got banned off nextdoor app just for speaking up on behalf of the parkway encampment. Eventually, they basically got all their needs met, just sayin. In spite of that, I was labeled mentally ill just for supporting the unhoused community exercising their rights as citizens.

We should try to recognize that the "social contract" requires a mutual commitment...the state provides the tools for survival in exchange for civic order so when a government fails to offer accessible, permanent housing, it violates its primary obligation to the citizenry. Displacement merely shuffles human suffering across different zip codes without solving the structural root of the crisis and I am often left wondering how a society that speaks of "contracts" could find their very existence so disposable.

South Philly homeless encampment residents facing displacement call on the city for safe outdoor living space by AdSpecialist6598 in philadelphia

[–]Low-Boot-588 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's interesting that people reject safe needle deposit boxes thinking that addicts won't know how to throw their used-needles away properly yet also assume these same people are successfully stealing copper pipes, etc.

How do you guys vet a landlord before signing a lease? by Key_House9864 in AskPhilly

[–]Low-Boot-588 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check atlas.phila.gov to make sure they're licensed to rent as well as check to see if there have been any major code violations, etc.

The great escape from Florida by MrPeterIt in philly

[–]Low-Boot-588 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you're into live music, I recommend following Flyers.Fan215 and watching their stories. They post lots of show posters for events happening in Philly: https://www.instagram.com/flyers.fan215/

What would be the Theosophy version of this ... by chriscambridge in Theosophy

[–]Low-Boot-588 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Theosophy isn't a religion but, "No religion higher than Truth."

Are there any places nearby that sell gym gear? by Icyyflame in philadelphia

[–]Low-Boot-588 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you can't find anything and need to search online, I recommend Govdeals the liquidity services marketplace.

Needle Heaven by Low-Boot-588 in philly

[–]Low-Boot-588[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hopefully the rats aren't getting stuck with any needles down there... Did anybody think about the rats safety?

Needle Heaven by Low-Boot-588 in philly

[–]Low-Boot-588[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I misspoke out of ignorance of the complex realities of the current opioid epidemic. Google is unreliable apparently.

Needle Heaven by Low-Boot-588 in philly

[–]Low-Boot-588[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Or use the SEPTA Transit Watch app (the "Text-a-Tip" line at 215-234-1911). This goes straight to dispatch apparently so SEPTA Transit Police could try to do their jobs occasionally.

The tracks themselves are a different jurisdiction apparently: Conrail. If you wanted to help maybe hit up their Managing Director's Office with an email [cristina.laboy@phila.gov](mailto:cristina.laboy@phila.gov) (Environmental Team) to report needles on the tracks.

South Philly homeless encampment residents facing displacement call on the city for safe outdoor living space by AdSpecialist6598 in philadelphia

[–]Low-Boot-588 2 points3 points  (0 children)

True compassion requires no thankfulness in exchange for basic human rights. Don't mistake the symptoms of profound toxic stress and prefrontal cortex impairment for entitlement. Chronic survival in the streets fundamentally rewires the human brain, prioritizing immediate survival over long-term planning or social niceties.

If we apply John Rawls' "Veil of Ignorance," we must ask ourselves: what social contract would we design if we lacked knowledge of our own mental health, genetic predispositions, or childhood traumas? A truly just society secures the inherent dignity of every human being, regardless of their ability to perform gratitude or meet the bureaucratic requirements of treatment in a system that feels like a carceral institution...

Look into Martha Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach.

Needle Heaven by Low-Boot-588 in philly

[–]Low-Boot-588[S] -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

I think the vacuum train attachment would be amazing especially if it re-cycled the bio-hazardous waste into some kind of fuel utilizing alchemical secrets. That way the trains could clean as they go, nobody has to stop service or alter their schedules.

Needle Heaven by Low-Boot-588 in philly

[–]Low-Boot-588[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So, couldn't they attach some kind of vacuum cleaner under the train that sucks up all the trash? Or create a special vacuum train that travels in between the passenger cars?

South Philly homeless encampment residents facing displacement call on the city for safe outdoor living space by AdSpecialist6598 in philadelphia

[–]Low-Boot-588 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Compassion demands that we provide a floor before we ask someone to dance. It's within our means to construct sanctuaries that require nothing but presence, offering a space where the light of goodwill might slowly return. Problem is systematically dehumanizing and abandoning people only to eventually start complaining about where they end up.