#bahaifaith

Happy belated day of Saint Mary Magdalene. July 22.

I got this necklace years ago (I really like the look of it and it says: a loyal and courageous heart) which is when I discovered Mary Magdalene. She is one of my favorite saints, one close to my heart. She can be controversial as a saint since many frown upon her and her actions, but what always stuck to me was her loving heart, her loyalty (July 22 is also the start of Leo season which I see correlate). She was forgiven because of the love in her heart.

So I remind myself to be gentle with myself when I am in despair, a pit of guilt. Things I have done or regret now, when I feel like the enemy or just useless; I have love in my heart and everyone deserves to be tender with that, with themselves. You are not your past. You are not your mistakes. You are what you make of them and how you look upon them, and you let those chains go. You're forgiven because at the heart and soul of you, you're a good and loving creature among everyone else you forgive too.

Mary Magdalene loved with a relentless, unmoving love. Jesus said: "Many sins are forgiven her, because she has loved very much." In Luke 7:47, it is said "But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love."

Background context on the Bahá’í Faith, as remembered by a single Bahá’í who does not have the emotional energy to go source hunting right now: the Bahá’í Faith, founded in 1844 (originally called the Báb’í Faith, the name changed after April 1863 when Bahá’u’lláh stepped into the role the Báb left for Him), is the newest world religion (yes, even counting Mormonism/the LDS as a separate religion from Christianity), and was founded in Persia. Shiraz and Tehran specifically. A woman I have heard called “The first Feminist of Iran” Tahireh or Tahereh depending on transliteration was an early Báb’í, and she entered a meeting of other early Báb’ís without her hijab to argue that they were, in fact, a new religion and not a sect.

Today, Bahá’ís in Iran are arrested on trumped up charges like “spying for Israel” because that’s where the legislative body of the world wide community is situated, or say, not wearing their hijab correctly, and so on. My personal friends have told me stories of their narrow and in some cases literally deadly escapes from their beloved motherland, and I had a houseguest for a while who completed most of his degree through the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education, an underground university that was put together because Bahá’ís in Iran are banned from higher education. One child even got thrown out of a private school at age ten or twelve (I believe I read that on IranPressWatch.org in… 2016? 2017?). Graveyards are destroyed. In August of this year, if my sense of time hasn’t completely abandoned me again, the New York Times ran a story about the Iranian government destroying a northern farming village in which most of the year round residents are Bahá’ís—of course, there’s constant denial of the religious motivation—and I can’t go a single Holy Day without hearing about how a friend’s relative or a well known Iranian Bahá’í got arrested for taking the day off from work.

So, yes, protest for the right to choose to cover or not, but remember that it’s not just Muslim woman being forced to wear hijab. Remember that this is targeted.

If you’re ready to cry, check out IranPressWatch.org, which specifically documents the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran. Other resources included the Baha’i World Newsservice, and BIC.org (Baha’i International Community). Jîna Mahsa Amini may not have been a Bahá’í (though personal connections have now on october 1st revealed her cousin whom she was visiting is), but I have no doubt that the Bahá’í community will rally for her justice—as much as we can. It’s not safe for known Bahá’ís, especially Persian Bahá’ís to actively protest Iran, as the government is looking for any reason to strike any Bahá’ís who have remained. If a Persian Bahá’í is identified as protesting, any family they have in Iran is then specifically targeted on charges of sedition/spying.

Bahá’u’lláh says there is a sign (from God) in every phenomenon: the sign of the intellect is contemplation and the sign of contemplation is silence, because it is impossible for a man to do two things at one time—he cannot both speak and meditate.

It is an axiomatic fact that while you meditate you are speaking with your own spirit. In that state of mind you put certain questions to your spirit and the spirit answers: the light breaks forth and the reality is revealed.

You cannot apply the name “man” to any being void of this faculty of meditation; without it he would be a mere animal, lower than the beasts.

Through the faculty of meditation man attains to eternal life; through it he receives the breath of the Holy Spirit—the bestowal of the Spirit is given in reflection and meditation.

The spirit of man is itself informed and strengthened during meditation; through it affairs of which man knew nothing are unfolded before his view. Through it he receives Divine inspiration, through it he receives heavenly food.

Meditation is the key for opening the doors of mysteries. In that state man abstracts himself: in that state man withdraws himself from all outside objects; in that subjective mood he is immersed in the ocean of spiritual life and can unfold the secrets of things-in-themselves. To illustrate this, think of man as endowed with two kinds of sight; when the power of insight is being used the outward power of vision does not see.

This faculty of meditation frees man from the animal nature, discerns the reality of things, puts man in touch with God.

I don't say this as you don't owe it to people to explain your practices and beliefs(which you don't but thats another matter). I mean you don't owe anyone else your practices, especially people who share your religion.

Religion shouldn't be a performance. I wholeheartedly think it should be something you choose, or choose to continue, because of your own decision and beliefs.

You shouldn't feel guilty for not memorizing obligatory prayers, or memorizing many at all. If you don't fast because of previous food/eating problems or just because you don't want to or feel it won't benefit you, than that's your decision. If you've skipped feasts or meetings for whatever reason, don't beat yourself up over it.

I feel religion should be a tool to help you feel closer to yourself, the people and community around you, a god or gods if that's what you believe in, and to help you be kind and understanding to the world. And if you feel a structured religion, or any at all, isn't something you think will make you happier? Then don't!

I choose to practice because I love the community (i am also a very social person who likes questioning the world around me,,, so perhaps it makes sense) But I am by no means what someone would think of as a studious practicer(and getting into that is a entirely separate can of worms).

These are just some of my sigils. I’ll post more once I have an image of them.