I just joined this group only because it's the only one I've come across in a long time with an intelligent basis. I just turned 75 on May 1 and cannot quite wrap my brain about that figure to begin with. Yikes! three quarters of a century - no way. What I am wondering about is whether there is anything or anywhere on the Internet where someone like myself can go and just be among other like minded guys like myself. Being gay is incidental to my interests in life but an important link if you will. I have been a student of metaphysics and mysticism since my mid 20's. Following that path really isolates one from the rest of the flock by the very nature of the subject. Most folks just aren't interested in it unless they get themselves into some real trouble. The gay friends I did associate early on have dropped away from lack of interest - more on my part then theirs. I have some very intelligent, caring friends where I live now and none of them are remotely interested in the things I am interested in. Oh, I have a number of hobbies which bring us together but as for the thrust of my being today - nothing - no one, so there is a perceivable lack which I am addressing here. There just has to be gay men out there who are interested in this subject - but where they are is the mystery and the question. So, when I ran across this forum I thought I would throw my question out there and see what happens - I'm not holding my breath for an answer. That big sign at the top of the page STOP AND READ THIS is a little confusing. I may be asking for information that is not allowed - I am not certain . . .???
Hmm I have really no idea, but my very limited knowledge of metaphysics and mysticism makes me think they would be open-minded and welcoming to "our kind"? Does it have to be a "gay mystics" forum/online community? Some of the members do get quite philosophical from time to time in their posts so you may find kindred spirits here. Welcome to EC and happy birthday, btw .
awesomeyodais . . Thanks for your post - sexual orientation to folks who have studied metaphysics and mysticism is no longer an issue once they understand 'why' there is such a phenomenon. What constantly amazes me is that this understanding is not more widespread. If it were there wouldn't be all the nonsense that one reads in the news. What complicates the matter for those folks that are so critical of others regarding their orientation is that they are simply building a Karmic debt which they must pay sooner or later. And in a lot of cases they incarnate in another life experience and are in fact a lesbian or gay person - they learn the hard way but they learn and that is important. And no, it does not have to be a gay mystic forum. In fact I would be highly suspect if it were based upon what I wrote above - it simply does not matter for the student of either. It was good of you to comment - and I do appreciate it. As a matter of fact I did have a happy birthday - my neighbor, who is a 5 star cook, made Egg Foo Yung for me which is one of my favorites and a standing request for each birthday. He makes a killer gravy. :icon_bigg
Oh believe me, we have a few intelligent and and passionate members who are knee-deep in similar interests, either as a hobby or a formal area of study. By the way, it's nice to see someone else sixty here. To my knowledge, the oldest posters were 68, but you've just raised the bar!
Happy belated Birthday! I'm a May baby too. I don't know of any groups like you're describing, I'm more into Astrology than metaphysics & mysticism...though both subjects fascinate me a little, when I learn little bits of things having to do with them. Also: Don't worry about that big warning banner that sits at the top of your screen for the first few weeks; all it really means is: Don't post any link or way that another person can directly get into contact with you (a personal web address, your email address, your Facebook profile page, personal YouTube account, etc., etc.) in any area on EC that can be viewed publically. The only place that is not public is a Private Message (I think), and Private Messages are disabled until you apply for & are upgraded to a Full Member (vs. a 'Regular' Member). But it is okay to post links to other general websites & references and such. So long as it doesn't directly point to you or a personal page/space on the web that is yours, you're good, I believe. Good luck in finding your study buddies! (Or hobby buddies, whatever you prefer to think of it as.) I wish you well.
gravechild - I'm happy to learn I've raised the bar - now I need someone to hold it up. LOL I must admit that I need to take a few short naps each day just to keep going. all paths - thanks for the belated birthday greetings and other information. I appreciate both of your responses - I'm beginning to feel part of the community.
That's great! And I hope you'll stay. We need more population in the elder end of the age pool, here! So your presence and sagacity are more than welcome here! (And if you're not sage at 75 years of life...well then: What exactly have you been doing with your life, anyway???)
Welcome from another Later in Life guy. Sounds like you and I may have some common interests, though I'm unaware of a forum specific to what you describe. But there's a great and varied group of people here, and I've seen a good amount of wisdom as well. Hope you enjoy your stay!
Hi Corwin - Wisconsin - reminds me of my youth. Had an uncle who owned a farm just blocks away from Lake Delaven where I would spend part of my summer vacations. And the keyboard you have pictured reminds me that I need to get cracking on replacing the circuit board on my Yamaha. I lost five keys right in the middle for some reason. Thanks for taking the time to post.
Welcome to EC. Interesting profile name, by the way. I've been a member of this forum for about three months and I've noticed how diverse the users are. Yes, we are all members of the wider GLBT community, but our personal views, tastes and interests differ so much and I wouldn't mind betting that a few members will share your interests in metaphysics and mysticism. You might need to make a few postings on different boards to get their attention though. It's great to see people from different age groups on here - makes it more of a community. We can learn so much from each other.
Hi Linco - Thanks for the post. FYI I posted WHY AM I GAY on the General Support and Advice forum and was surprised at the immediate and varied responses. Take a look when you have a moment. If nothing else it keeps folks talking and thinking whether they agree or not.
Hi IamthatIam, I am an interested student of the esoteric. I have read pretty widely in this topic incl. Vedantic, Neoplatonic, Gnostic and Taoist texts. I tend to stay away from the Western Tradition as it were Crowley, Steiner etc. My main interest currently is in the Taoist martial arts and also the neoplatonists (Plotinus) but this is a vast area and I'm only recently making headway. I have only recently come to accept myself as gay, I am curious as to how you relate being gay into this framework. For me in some ways a gay person could be considered a representation of the nondual a kind of composite between masculine and feminine principles. If you have been involved in this sphere for 50 years you must have an excellent background, what are your interests? Have you read anything by Edward Carpenter?
Funny, I was just starting to get interested in Gnosticism and more in depth on the Vedic texts when a few more pressing questions arose.
Aloha lookingforsome. . . That's an interesting name tag - it arouses all sorts of images - hey I have a vivid imagination and a weird sense of humor . . . Be that as it may - you live in Ireland so you are probably Irish, 29 years old, a red head probably? - so I'm going to take a wild guess and assume you are of the catholic persuasion. Being gay and catholic is probably one of the toughest nuts to crack. I am not for or against any religion but I know what it can do to the head of a gay person. I was raised Lutheran and started questioning everything early one. When it was time for catechism class in the 8th grade I drove poor Rev. Stephen nuts with my questions. He never quite answered all my questions to my satisfaction. I also got the feeling he didn't always understand my questions. The one answer he used very seldom and was one of my favorites was, "Well, son, it's a mystery. And he wasn't trying to be funny either. In fact I don't believe he had any sense of humor at all. I've noted all of our reading interests so I am certain they have helped you get your head on straight regarding the phenomenon of being gay. My extensive studies in metaphysics and mysticism has made being gay a non issue. By the way, I posted WHY AM I GAY in the General Support and Advice forum - it may or may not provide a better understanding of why you are what you are. It's a long essay which will also give you a little insight as to where I am coming from. Staying away from the Western Tradition as you put it is not a bad idea. However, there are a couple I would highly recommend, i.e. Joel S. Goldsmith, Emmet Fox to mention just two. I consider Goldsmith to be my mentor though I have read widely other authors. He moves from metaphysics into mysticism through his writings and has answered all my questions before I even thought of them. There is a website that has most of his books posted in PDF form and are free to download - no membership required. If interested, I'll pass on the URL for your perusal. I don't believe in proselytizing so I'll say no more. We all have an inner teacher who guides us into the right path. No, I have not read anything by Edward Carpenter but you obviously have so tell me some of the good things you have garnered from such a read. My main interest now is monitoring a Yahoo Group of individual Truth seekers. The object is to keep bits of Truth in front of busy people to assist them to stay on the path they have chosen. There are only 51 participants but they are from all over the globe. The Internet is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I press a button and it sends out 51 emails in all directions - amazing. Next to that are the animals in my life, I raise love birds and canaries. There is also a parakeet named Cleopatra who has begun to talk and whistle. And lastly, there are three beautiful dogs, Max, Bailey, and Charlie - all animal rescues. I'd have more but the cottage won't hold any morel. There are also 6 new baby Rhode Island Chicks and a number of older Silkie Chickens running around free ranging. I also have a floor loom and do a lot of weaving. Just finished a run on Christmas Pot Holders which I give away right around Thanks giving. I've also produced rugs on the loom one of which may be of interest to you. It's 7 foot runner and will have a scene of Buddha on his water buffalo walking along a craggie cliff with an old gnarly pine tree. On a more personal level, I live alone - well not exactly - not with all the dogs and birds flying around. I live in the rain forests of Puna on the Big Island of Hawaii - have no gay friends but lots of straight friends but our interest are limited so I tend to stay to myself. Obviously I have a penchant for writing - can't believe how long this post is. Are you still awake?
I am actually of Anglican background but wasn't raised religious (thankfully), no red hair either. Edward Carpenter is an interesting gay poet, an English Walt Whitman. His poetry resonates with me. Try Toward Democracy if you're interested, here are some extracts. He also wrote some interesting books on gay people including descriptions of gay warriors and shamans in traditional societies. He also got a mention in cosmic consciousness by Burke interesting how many gay people are listed in that book. Yeah I wanted lookingforsomeadvice but it cut short.. probably should change it You seem to live a good life, chickens, dogs, nice weather etc. sounds nice. I've not heard of Goldsmith, I prefer to buy books rather than read pdfs tho! I read the essay you posted, I've read a similar narrative before and I do believe in reincarnation and karma. Makes it easy if everyone gets what's coming to them in this life or the next Maybe I'll make a better go of it the next time around. The mailing list sounds interesting... not sure what the rules are around here regarding urls etc.
Welcome to EC! I have some similar interest in metaphysics. I'm not an active student at this time, but the longest church connection of my life was a Unity church in the 1980s, and a part of me would consider New Thought to be my spiritual home, no matter how far I may wonder. I certainly recognize the name of Emmet Fox, and have read some of his books. Indeed, I am thinking of copying something he wrote to take to a discussion group that is mostly solid Lutherans one of these days... (They are pretty liberal Lutherans, and there is one other person in that group who has radical moments and yet is still embraced.) Incidentally, someone at a Center for Spiritual Living minister swore that Emmet Fox was gay... I have never had that confirmed nor denied. It could well be wild speculation, and I think that person who told me was a little too "gay minded" at times...
Wow, small world... One of my best friends lived in Delavan for several years - I used to go out there a lot to visit. Some years later, I lived in Whitewater, which was not so far from there. My piano (in my avatar) is also a Yamaha. It's my most prized possession. Oh, and I have a couple of cockatiels. Birds are sweet.
Hi Iam, Quack Quack to you, and welcome to our little portion of the world! Yes, we have all kinds of interests here...I don't think you'll lack for people to talk to about any particular thing. And my own perspective and experience on your question says that the best is yet to come if and only if you are open to the arrival of better. Best wishes, -- Annika
BMC77 - - As for outing Emmet Fox, I would be highly suspect of anyone who would even bother commenting. Whether it be true or not is so irrelevant it is not even worth mentioning. The fact that he was able to communicate with the Divine and produce all those wonderful books is of paramount importance. Without them we would all be lesser off. Unity is indeed a wonderful and worthy organization. ---------- Post added 11th May 2014 at 05:20 PM ---------- BMC77 - - As for outing Emmet Fox, I would be highly suspect of anyone who would even bother commenting on such a thing. Whether it be true or not is so irrelevant it is not even worth mentioning. The fact that he was able to communicate with the Divine and produce all those wonderful books is of paramount importance. Without them we would all be lesser for it. Unity is indeed a wonderful and worthy organization. My journey has been a solo one, the principles that Goldsmith put forth in The Infinite Way are the mainstay and guide for that journey. He was opposed to anyone organizing it in any way shape or form and I can now see why. However, I have no objection to other organizations such as Unity because they provide a worthy service. When the individual has reached 'that point' where he can go it alone, the inner guide will let him know. Thank you for the post.
