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Time of India
24-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Is Seeing 666 a Bad Thing? 5 Signs of Things to Come
For centuries, the number 666 has sparked fear, intrigue, and countless interpretations. Often labelled as the "Number of the Beast" from the Christian Bible's Book of Revelation, it's long been associated with evil, destruction, or spiritual danger. But what if that interpretation isn't the whole story? What if seeing 666 is less about a cursed symbol and more about a sacred message—a call for awareness, reflection, and personal growth? Across cultures, numbers are not just math. They are energy. They carry vibrations, symbolism, and spiritual significance. In numerology, astrology, and even Eastern philosophies, recurring number patterns are often considered divine signals. And in the modern world, where synchronicities (meaningful coincidences) often come through digital clocks, receipts, license plates, or dreams, numbers like 111, 444, and 666 are seen not as superstition, but as communication from the universe. So when you repeatedly encounter 666, pause. It may be less about fear and more about focus. Let's explore five signs that seeing 666 may be trying to tell you—and how you can respond in a meaningful, empowered way. 1. You Are Over-Identifying with the Material World In both Christian theology and spiritual traditions like Hinduism and Buddhism, the material world is seen as temporary. When we cling too tightly to wealth, status, appearance, or possessions, we risk forgetting our true nature. In the Bible, the number 6 is symbolic of imperfection. Humanity was created on the sixth day. But unlike the number 7—which represents divine completeness—6 is considered a symbol of incompleteness, of man without God. When repeated thrice (666), it may suggest being "trapped" in the material or ego-driven world. Sign of things to come: You may experience a growing dissatisfaction with things you once valued. Material goals feel hollow. Achievements lose their lustre. This isn't a punishment—it's an awakening. It's your soul prompting you to seek something deeper. What you can do: Simplify your life. Spend less time chasing and more time being. Return to nature. Meditate on impermanence. Reconnect with your spiritual centre. 2. You Are Being Asked to Balance Your Life In numerology, 6 is also the number of balance, particularly between the spiritual and physical, self and others, home and work. Seeing 666 could mean you're leaning too far in one direction. Are you overworking and ignoring rest? Giving too much and not receiving? Living in your head and forgetting your heart? The pattern 666 could be your subconscious calling attention to this imbalance. Sign of things to come: Burnout. Emotional outbursts. Relationship friction. These are not signs of failure—they are feedback. Your inner compass is correcting course. What you can do: Reflect on where you feel out of sync. Practice saying no. Recalibrate your schedule to include joy, rest, and connection. Remember, balance isn't something you find; it's something you create. 3. You Are Facing an Ego Crossroads The ego isn't bad—it's a necessary part of the human experience. But when it drives all your choices, blocks your intuition, or resists vulnerability, it can become a barrier to growth. Seeing 666 repeatedly could be a spiritual nudge to check your pride, your defensiveness, or your need to control everything. The "Beast" in Revelation isn't just an external enemy—it's often interpreted as the inner tyrant: the voice of fear, greed, or insecurity that separates us from others and from Source. Sign of things to come: You might be put in situations that challenge your self-image. Failures may humble you. Conflicts may expose blind spots. Again, this is not punishment, but purification. What you can do: Adopt a beginner's mind. Practice humility. Apologise when needed. Learn to see discomfort as a sacred teacher. Let your heart lead more than your head. 4. You Are on the Verge of Spiritual Growth Sometimes, right before we awaken spiritually, we are tested. Old beliefs get shaken. Shadows rise to the surface. Patterns that no longer serve us become unbearable. Seeing 666 can mean you're standing at a threshold: the final stretch before transformation. Just as a lotus blooms from mud, your breakthrough might arise from your breakdown. The fear around 666 can be a veil that hides a much deeper truth: you are not being cursed, you are being called. Sign of things to come: You might feel emotionally raw. You may question everything—faith, purpose, identity. You might lose old friends or find yourself drawn to new communities or books. What you can do: Surrender the need to have all the answers. Sit in the unknown. Read sacred texts, regardless of tradition. Keep a dream journal. Watch what shows up in your quiet moments. 5. You Are Being Invited to Rewrite Your Narrative 666 might appear when it's time to change your story. The one that says you're not enough. The one that says the world is out to get you. The one that says healing isn't possible. This number may signal that the old scripts—based on fear, trauma, or societal conditioning—are expiring. A new path is opening, but you must first let go of the old maps. What got you here won't get you there. Sign of things to come: You may feel a pull to change careers, leave a relationship, move cities, or simply think differently. It may feel like everything is shifting beneath your feet. That's okay. What you can do: Practice self-compassion. Use affirmations to create new mental blueprints. Speak your truth. Remember, every soul has a unique path—you don't need permission to walk yours. So... Is Seeing 666 a Bad Thing? Only if we ignore it. Rather than fearing the number 666, we can view it as sacred feedback—a message from the deeper self, from the universe, or from God, asking us to pause, reflect, and realign. Just as warning lights on a car dashboard help prevent breakdowns, spiritual symbols help prevent deeper disconnection. Remember, signs and symbols have power only if we are willing to listen. The number 666 may show up during times of stress or transition, not because you are cursed, but because you are being guided. You are not alone in this journey. Every soul goes through seasons of forgetting and remembering. If 666 keeps appearing in your life, take it as a loving whisper from the cosmos: "Come back. Choose the higher road. You are more than this moment." Discover everything about astrology at Times of India , including daily horoscopes for Aries , Taurus , Gemini , Cancer , Leo , Virgo , Libra , Scorpio , Sagittarius , Capricorn , Aquarius , and Pisces . Read your detailed Horoscope Today and Horoscope Tomorrow here.
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Evening Standard
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
First Night of the Proms review: 'who thought this was a good idea?'
The text is mostly from the Book of Revelation and the ethos is highly spiritual. I'm not sure how much of the detail could have been picked up by audience members without programmes. But the rarefied sense of it was well transmitted by the singers and the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sakari Oramo's empathetic baton. Gerald Finley was the expressive baritone soloist. But the show was stolen by the tenor Caspar Singh materialising next to the organ console for the briefest of solos right at the end. 'Behold I come quickly', he sang, and very beautifully. He went quickly too: after forty seconds by my count. Nice work if you can get it. I just hope, for his sake, his fee wasn't pro rata.
Boston Globe
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
New documentary ‘Apocalypse in the Tropics' tries to understand the era of Jair Bolsonaro
Costa doesn't use the word 'Apocalypse' figuratively, as if to say things are really bad in Brazil (though she clearly thinks they are). The apocalypse of the title is instead a reference to the event foretold in the Book of Revelation, the only apocalyptic book in the New Testament canon — an event a growing breed of Brazilian fundamentalist politicos and pastors eagerly await. Advertisement An image from "Apocalypse in the Tropics." Courtesy of Netflix Advertisement The impatient anticipation has created common ground for fearmongers and powermongers, from megachurches to halls of Congress. None of that liberation theology, with its focus on compassion and liberation of the oppressed, for this bunch. Just bring on the fire and brimstone already. In Brazil, right-wing brawn and dominion theology — which seeks to institute a nation governed by Christians based on their interpretation of biblical law — have hitched to each other's wagons; both parties have proven eager to join up and break stuff in the name of Jesus. This state of affairs alarms Costa, but she responds with qualities that seem to be in short supply these days: vision and restraint. Her camera slowly glides over paintings by Bosch and Bruegel, who rendered elaborate (and still terrifying) apocalyptic visions on their canvases. Sitting down throughout the film with the fundamentalist TV preacher Silas Malafaia, who threw his considerable influence and dominion preaching behind Bolsonaro during his victorious 2019 presidential campaign, she asks polite questions in a steady voice. Malafaia responds with frightening frankness; you get the feeling he believes he's talking to an ally as he speaks of the good ol' end times. Other Bolsonaro supporters, filmed at rallies and meetings, are just as vitriolic in their scorn for the secular state. There are times when you might want 'Apocalypse in the Tropics' to dig deeper into the cold hard facts and brutality of Bolsonaro's electioneering and, er, dominion. But this isn't really that kind of documentary. Costa conjures an eerie, in-the-moment feel, lingering on images until they sear into the subconscious. The aftermath of the 2023 post-election riots, in which pro-Bolsonaro forces stormed the Supreme Court, Congress, and presidential office, is captured with lyrically ominous shots of broken glass, trashed buildings, and other remnants of destruction. In other moments, extreme overhead shots provide a sort of God's eye perspective that mirrors those often used by Bruegel. Advertisement Costa provides just enough historical context to the rising theocratic fervor. As the film explains, there was a time when the country did embrace a charitable form of Catholicism, along the lines of liberation theology. But during the Cold War, this was seen as too close to Communism by the U.S., which supported a 1964 military coup. Billy Graham helped spread Evangelical ardor when he brought one of his 'crusades' to Rio de Janeiro in 1974. Brazil was ripe for a rightward Great Awakening. As Costa says in her narration, 'Brazil became a laboratory for a brutal form of capitalism and vertiginous social inequality, where millions of people began to seek the help they needed in the Evangelical faith.' She also readily admits that she was caught off-guard by what she was witnessing when she began filming in 2016: 'My secular upbringing wasn't helping me decipher the signals around me. I knew what the Russian Revolution was, and the formula for oxygen, but nothing about the Apostle Paul, John of Patmos, or the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.' She adds that 'It was as if we shared the same land, but spoke completely different languages' – a sentiment that many Americans surely share. APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS Directed by Petra Costa. On Netflix starting Monday. 110 minutes. PG-13 (profanity, violence). Advertisement
Boston Globe
26-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
A Salem church leads charge to wean downtown off fossil fuels and lower electricity bills. Needed: cash to build.
The abrupt price hike thrust the church's ambition to wean itself from fossil fuels into overdrive. Now the church is looking into an ambitious renewable energy project to bake in long-term cost savings, but at an upfront cost in the tens of millions. As he described the project in his church's office, the gregarious parish priest constantly fielded calls, responded to texts, and greeted visitors. Ives switched seamlessly between English and Spanish as discussions ranged from a recent meeting on reparations, to preparations for Sunday services, to the new project called 'Heaven and Earth,' a proposed solar and geothermal network that would provide heating and cooling for much of downtown Salem. The solar — or 'heaven' — portion of the project would retrofit the 19th-century church with solar panels and batteries, transforming the building into a climate resilience hub. Advertisement The 'earth' part of the proposal calls for a roughly mile-and-a-quarter geothermal loop connecting 21 buildings, including public housing, museums, condos, commercial space, Salem's City Hall, and the church, which was founded on land donated by a wealthy merchant accused of witchcraft during the hysteria that consumed Salem in the late 1600s. Advertisement Ally Rzesa/Paul Horn, Inside Climate News Today, the congregation includes many low-income residents from a largely Latino neighborhood known as For Ana Nuncio, a member of the vestry, or parish council, and a founder of the Latino Leadership Coalition of Salem, the proposed solar and geothermal project has a strong biblical connection. ''I saw a new heaven and a new earth,'' she said, quoting the Book of Revelation. Nuncio said the project is an extension of work the church already does, writing checks to members of the congregation who are least able to pay the soaring costs of winter heating bills. 'What we're trying to do at St. Peter's is to bring relief,' she said, but also 'show that there can be a different way.' Last year the church received a $50,000 'Kickstart' grant, funded by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and administered by the Boston-based nonprofit HEET, to begin developing the geothermal portion of its proposal. The grant was Salem's geothermal loop would circulate water mixed with antifreeze beneath city streets and connect to 450 boreholes drilled beneath Salem Common, a historic 9-acre park in the city center. Each borehole would be approximately 500 feet deep, tapping into subsurface thermal energy where temperatures are a steady 56 degrees year round. The pipes would harness this thermal energy for heating in winter and cooling in summer. The proposal was outlined in Advertisement Eight of the 21 buildings included in the report belong to the Peabody Essex Museum, one of the oldest art museums in the country. The museum had previously looked at installing its own geothermal system, but the high relative cost of a smaller system led officials to decide against it. 'We thought geothermal was a little out of reach for us in our initial assessments,' said Kurt Steinberg, the museum's chief operating officer. But he said that a communitywide project, and the economy of scale that comes with it, helps bring down the cost for everyone. 'And then it's not just you,' he said. 'You're all in it together.' The goal of the project goes beyond saving money. Salem has a goal of zeroing out 'We need to be thinking about projects like this to come anywhere close to reaching those goals, rather than one building at a time,' said Neal Duffy the city's director of sustainability and resiliency. Tina Jordan, executive director of the Salem Witch Museum, was one of more than a dozen community and business leaders who contributed to the report by sharing energy usage information. 'We want to hear, is this something that would be good for the neighborhood, the environment, and the community, and is it something we can afford?' Jordan said. The project would cost $56 million for the bore field and geothermal loop, according to the feasibility report. The figure does not include heat pumps, ductwork, or other modifications that may be required for individual buildings. Advertisement Federal tax credits could cut out-of-pocket costs by as much as half. However, a federal budget reconciliation bill making its way through Congress could end most Biden-era clean energy tax credits. The House version, passed in May, wouldn't immediately eliminate credits for commercial-scale geothermal projects but would end them three years earlier than planned. Projects would need to begin construction before Jan. 1, 2032. A draft of the Senate bill would preserve the existing Jan. 1, 2035, deadline for large scale geothermal heating and cooling projects. The clock is ticking to get the project started and address the big question: How would the community come up with all that extra money? Figuring out how to finance all of this, who will pay, or whether they need to scale back ambitions, are the next steps that project proponents are grappling with. In other communities, the city has contributed funds for large-scale energy projects, but Salem's mayor was noncommittal on that idea. Eric Bosworth oversaw the Framingham geothermal project when he worked for Eversource. Now running the consultancy Thermal Energy Insights, he praised the initial feasibility assessment for Salem but questioned some of the projected costs. He thinks the work could be done for less money. Lawrence Lessard, president of the New England Geothermal Professional Association and the director of Achieve Renewable Energy, which co-prepared the report, said the cost figures were preliminary, conservative, and based on the best available information. National Grid, the gas utility for Salem, is not currently involved in the Salem project but is supportive of it, said Christine Milligan, a spokeswoman for the company. Advertisement Meanwhile, Ives continues to pursue outside funding opportunities. He also systematically dials down thermostats and layers up during the winter. Reverend Nathan W. Ives in front of St. Peter's-San Pedro Episcopal Church in Salem. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff A self-described 'sweater guy,' he raves about Icelandic sweaters and their triple-spun wool, which he says are 'wicked warm.' For the next few months, staying warm won't be a challenge. However, he dreads the fall, when he'll have to restart the church's aging steam boiler, a time when the heating system is most prone to failing. The church spent $10,000 on boiler repairs this past year alone, Ives said. 'We have to do something quickly, or as quickly as we can,' he said. This story is published in partnership with , a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy, and the environment.
Watani
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Watani
Coptic Synod in June 2025 assembly
On 5 June 2025, the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church held its general assembly session at the conclusion of its regular convention for the year 2025. The general assembly is traditionally held every year around the date of the Feast of the Pentecost, in a nod to the ministry and service of the Apostles which started following their acceptance of the Holy Spirit on the day of the Pentecost, and extends through the Church to this day. Pope Tawadros II presided over the session which was attended by 112 Synod members out of a total of 139. The session began with Pope Tawadros reading a passage from the Book of Revelation (2:1–7), focusing on five phrases from the text: 'I know your works' (v. 2): This refers to the works directed toward souls, which we perform as shepherds with a pure heart and good conscience—acts of love and mercy. 'Nevertheless I have this against you' (v. 4): A call for self-examination and conscience searching, delivered to us gently by God so we may become alerted to ourselves. 'To him who overcomes' (v. 7): An invitation to spiritual struggle against inner inclinations. Our life on earth is a time of testing in which we must overcome. 'He who has an ear, let him hear' (v. 7): Refers to the ear of the heart, by which we hear and obey. Blessed is he who obeys the commandments of the Holy Bible. 'What the Spirit says to the churches' (v. 7): This refers to spiritual leadership. The Synod committee rapporteurs presented the Synod with the recommendations of each committee. These recommendations were discussed thoroughly, and after the discussion of each committee's report, the final content of the recommendation was agreed upon by consensus. The Synodal Committee for Public Relations recommended developing curricula for all Church services to alert all members of the congregation to the importance and necessity of active participation in national community service and volunteer work, with a view to consolidating the spirit of citizenship while highlighting the societal role of the Copts. The Synodal Committee for Media and Information recommended the formation of a mini-committee to develop a vision for spreading sound ecclesiastical thought on the Internet, and increasing the familiarity of the congregation and Church servants with Internet technology and artificial intelligence AI. This should be invested in preparing interesting and attractive sermons and Sunday School lessons. The Synodal Committee for Ecumenical Relations recommended that the Coptic Orthodox Church should seek to address the dispute between the Syriac-Indian Orthodox Church and the Indian Orthodox Church. With this in sight, a meeting is scheduled to be held in Cairo where Pope Tawadros will urge discussion of the differences in order to preserve the unity of the Oriental Orthodox Churches family. The Coptic Orthodox Church is following with concern the predicament of the Monastery of St Catherine in Sinai and appreciates the Egyptian State's position in not harming the monastery or the monastic life in there. The Synodal Committee for [Social] Care and Service recommended running a development programme for innovators and athletes from among persons with disabilities, with an exchange of experiences between dioceses. it also recommended necessarily running meetings for the families of prisoners, and helping released prisoners in all dioceses find jobs. It was also recommended that welfare and development offices should be formed and activated in each diocese, and that coordination should be encouraged between them and the Development Partners Committee of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The necessity of raising awareness of the dangers of illegal migration was stressed, as was the setting up of programmes for building gender identity among children, with a focus on training priests, parents and Church servants on prevention and sound psychological and physical education on that score. The committee also recommended that the computers and modern technology should be made mainstream in Coptic hospitals, for the benefit the hospitals and patients. Preparations are underway, the Committee stressed, for the project of the General Secretariat of Coptic Hospitals in Cairo, similar to that of the Coptic hospitals in Alexandria. The Synodal Committee for the family recommended that the 'Groom and bride's pledge' should be carefully read before the marriage ceremony, and that the recently enacted law of the rights of the elderly should be studied to make maximum benefit of it. The Synodal Committee for Faith and Teaching recommended that work on the catechism of the Coptic Orthodox Church should continue. The Synodal Committee for Rituals recommended that a feast of Zacchaeus the tax collector who is commemorated on 3 Hathor, 13 November, should be added to the Church feasts and his story should be included in the Coptic Synaxarium on that date. The Synodal Committee for Diocese Affairs recommended that a meeting should be held among the clerical councils for family affairs and Fr Sergius Serguis, deputy-general of the patriarchate in Cairo, to discuss engagement and marriage contacts. The Synodal Committee for Monasticism and Monasteries recommended that monks should be encouraged to conduct serious academic studies on theology and doctrine. It also recommended issuing a non-periodical publication that would present research papers and articles, and that it would be edited by the various Coptic monasteries in turn. The Synodal Committee for Diaspora Affairs recommended to continue encouraging trips by service organisations in the Diaspora to the Mother Church in Egypt, with a view to providing services and development projects to dioceses and churches in Egypt. It also recommended holding regular on-line meetings between the Pope and Coptic Orthodox dioceses in North America and Europe which should be divided into sectors according to the number of churches; these meetings are to be held at the level of priests, Church servants, youth and, if possible families. Church servants and young people should be familiarised with the use of AI wisely and perceptively, and cautioned against providing inaccurate theological or doctrinal content. The Holy Synod concluded with approving the revival of monastic life, and officially recognised the monastery of the Archangel Michael in the Eastern Mountain of Girga, Sohag some 500km south of Cairo, as a thriving functioning monastery. The Synod also decided to add the event of a joint liturgy held by the Patriarchs of the three Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East—commemorating the 17th centenary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea—to the Synaxarium on the 10 Bashans, 19 May. Finally, the Synod issued a welcoming statement regarding the Coptic Orthodox Church's hosting of the Sixth International Conference of the World Council of Churches, marking the 17th centenary of the Council of Nicaea. The Synod elected Anba Yu'annis, Bishop of Assiut, as the new Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Additionally, three of bishops were elected as Assistant Secretaries: Anba Stephanous, Bishop of Biba and al-Fashn; Anna Markos, Bishop of Damietta, Kafr El-Sheikh, and al-Barari, and Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Demiana in al-Barari; and Anba Marc, Bishop of Paris and Northern France. The elections were conducted by secret ballot; Anna Yu'annis and the Assistant Secretaries, won by overwhelming majority. Pope Tawadros and the Synod members extended their heartfelt thanks to Anba Danial, Metropolitan of Maadi, and his Assistant Secretaries, whose term of service concluded according to the Synod's laws. Comments comments Tags: Coptic Orthodox Holy Synod June 2025Nader Shukry
