The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - A review: JRRT's Osanwe-Kenta [ missing bit of The Silm.]

**lindil** · 09-12-2002, 02:36 PM

I would say that if by mysticism you mean something like 'opening your self to God's grace and will'.

Then Osanwe, while a higher function [ for most of us] is about human to human [ or in the real world I would add angel to human or human to angel]communication.

One can gain a level of being or energy and skill [ or be born w/ it I imagine]to use Osanwe and have no spiritual aspirations or contacts at all.

Although i am risking a huge sieline discussion, I would say that the Osanwe faculties by and large belong to the soul and mysticism to the spirit [ the individual human spirit that is].

I use these terms as defined by St.Theophan the Recluse [+c.1904]in his abosolutely essential The Spiritual Life<st. herman press> and also by a reader of St. theophan ; GI Gurjieff [ see esp In Search of the Miraculous* and Views from the Real World * by PD Ouspensky

St. Theophan's [ and the orthodox Church in general's views are] that the human spirit'[s original function was to receive God's divine Energiasi.e. grace and transmit it to our souls [ and thence to other people in prayer and conversation] and also to our bodies and thence to the earth.

THis link was disrupted by the fall of Adam and Eve and our souls [read ego's] have in general tried to usurpe the function of the spirit which is to guide us toward and by God.

This is why someone like Morgoth or Sauron can extend their minds [ and powers] gerat distances [or black and 'white' magicians and wiccans and all such shamanistic workers]to communicate their will to their servants. I bring up the more specifically dark beings and users to illustrate the non-spiritual nature of osanwe.It is a function of our soul, not a state of grace given by God. Now of course someone like Aragorn [ or Arwen] in the Legendarium or the saints in our world will do their utmost to use such powers as they may have in a way that is in harmony w/ God [ or Eru], but as Sauron and Morgoth show it is not inextricably bound.

btw I have long thought that the palntir and the mirror of galadriel were to my mind 'crystalizations' of this Osanwe and Osanwe related abilities.

09-12-2002, 02:36 PM	#34
lindil Seeker of the Straight Path Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: a hidden fastness in Big Valley nor cal Posts: 1,680	I would say that if by mysticism you mean something like 'opening your self to God's grace and will'. Then Osanwe, while a higher function [ for most of us] is about human to human [ or in the real world I would add angel to human or human to angel]communication. One can gain a level of being or energy and skill [ or be born w/ it I imagine]to use Osanwe and have no spiritual aspirations or contacts at all. Although i am risking a huge sieline discussion, I would say that the Osanwe faculties by and large belong to the soul and mysticism to the spirit [ the individual human spirit that is]. I use these terms as defined by St.Theophan the Recluse [+c.1904]in his abosolutely essential The Spiritual Life<st. herman press> and also by a reader of St. theophan ; GI Gurjieff [ see esp *In Search of the Miraculous and Views from the Real World** * by PD Ouspensky St. Theophan's [ and the orthodox Church in general's views are] that the human spirit'[s original function was to receive God's divine Energiasi.e. grace and transmit it to our souls [ and thence to other people in prayer and conversation] and also to our bodies and thence to the earth. THis link was disrupted by the fall of Adam and Eve and our souls [read ego's] have in general tried to usurpe the function of the spirit which is to guide us toward and by God. This is why someone like Morgoth or Sauron can extend their minds [ and powers] gerat distances [or black and 'white' magicians and wiccans and all such shamanistic workers]to communicate their will to their servants. I bring up the more specifically dark beings and users to illustrate the non-spiritual nature of osanwe.It is a function of our soul, not a state of grace given by God. Now of course someone like Aragorn [ or Arwen] in the Legendarium or the saints in our world will do their utmost to use such powers as they may have in a way that is in harmony w/ God [ or Eru], but as Sauron and Morgoth show it is not inextricably bound. btw I have long thought that the palntir and the mirror of galadriel were to my mind 'crystalizations' of this Osanwe and Osanwe related abilities. __________________ The dwindling Men of the West would often sit up late into the night exchanging lore & wisdom such as they still possessed that they should not fall back into the mean estate of those who never knew or indeed rebelled against the Light.