Posted by Bill Coffman on October 04, 1997 at 17:54:23:
Aloha to all!
As an old pagan (70 something), I was born pagan into a
family where Native American Shamanism and some Celtic
discipline of The Witches Craft was practiced everyday.
I thought it was the best of two worlds Just Lucky I Guess!
During WW-ll, I met a couple of shipmates, from Hawaii.
After the war I was back in Pearl Harbor and the three
of us met again. At this time I was introduced to some
of the ancient practices. Enough to realize that there
was a certain similarity between what I was hearing
and what I was taught by my maternal Grandfather the
Blackfoot Indian and my paternal Grandmother the Witch.
Then came "The Secret Sciences Behind Miracles" by Max
Freedom Long, as well as a sojourne into Christianity.
I don't know if Max was some kind of a Christian, but
he came-off as being what I called a "spiritual
person", he spoke kindly towards all pathways. His book
along with what I was learning in Christian teachings
impressed upon me that the Christian teachings, while
quite literal, was in many ways, more "pagan" than I
was raised. But something was missing in Christianity,
they just couldn't make their "magic" work... you
couldn't count on it. Aside from pumping themselves up
in psychological highs... there just wasn't any "magic"
that worked for them... that I could ever find. I
think MFL may have felt much the same way.
I attended a seminary in Kentucky, being older than
most of the students, I got on familiar speaking terms
with three of the faculty members, Ph.D's in something
very divine... and learned that they were about as
confused as I was about the "magic" not working! As we
got better acquainted, I believe to this day, they were
more interested in my "magic" than I was in theirs.
Over the years I practiced, as best I had learned how,
the Huna that MFL taught in his "TSSBM". But it didn't
all come together for me until I finally caught up
with Huna Research, Inc. in Cape Girardeau, Mo. You've
read some of the several posts by James Vinson Wingo,
Director of Office management for HRI. (I don't know
what Vince calls himself, really) I know him and his
father through correspondence, never meeting them in
person, but they are both gentlemen, and teachers, in
my experience with them.
I still think of myself as a pagan, part Shamanistic
part Witch, but mostly I am HUNA. MFL, in his extensive
body of works, and preserved by MRI, Clarified so many
things for me over the years that I now recognize all
metaphysical disciplines as having various degrees of
comonality. I doubt that any certain one will ever have
it all. It's not a matter of good or bad; right or
wrong... it's just a matter of being different. I don't
choose to dwell on the differences because there are so
many profound similarities that I can't find the time
to argue. To me, if your "magic" works for you, Good!
If it doesn't... why not? I know, beyond the shadow of
doubt, that mine works for me and I truly hope that
your's works for you.
In The Spirit of Aloha... Bill Coffman