Once upon a time, there were three young Wise Men,…well, three young men who wanted to be Wise. One of these men was me. The other two were my close friends and peers, Minister Ryan Ruland and Minister Frederick Detrow. By the time we met, around 1992, we were each insatiable students of Religion, Philosophy, and History. We had discovered the Hidden Traditions that can be found in every Culture and Religion and studied them as thoroughly as we could. All three of us had become aware of the connectedness we share with everything around us, had felt the stirring within us of something Sacred and Divine. Each of us had undergone deep and meaningful Spiritual experiences that left us with no doubt that the Universe is a Conscious Entity and can be observed as Force acting upon Form Purposefully.

That discussion went on for almost 30 years, and for my part, it was one of the best and most defining parts of my life. We learned so much from each other. We accomplished things that we thought might be beyond us, but because we worked together, nothing was beyond us. I still believe that and I still study and meditate every day because I still want to be Wise.

Ryan was primarily walking the Path of Seax-Wicca. Freddy was deep into the study of Norse Religion and Venerated Odin and his pantheon. I had been studying Christianity, which led me to understand that Jesus was Gnostic and that the world’s controlling “priesthoods” were against everything the Christ ever said or taught. I began reading the lost and “Forbidden” Books of the Bible and studying the Western Esoteric Tradition. Everything we learned, we shared with each other. What was of interest to one of us was of interest to all of us.

We spent long hours reading the historical accounts of the Druids in Britain and Gaul, referencing sources such as Tacitus’ Annals and the works of the Greek Historian Diodorus Siculus (First Century AD), the written reports from Julius Caesar (59 BC). It was invaluable in helping us to reconstruct the Druidic and other Nature Religions that flourished across Europe, this study of eye-witness accounts recorded in history. We examined any Path that we came across that claimed to lead to Enlightenment and the Sacred. It was through this study of the most Ancient and Primal Religions, along with our own experimentation, that each of us came to Know that the Earth is a singularly unique Planet, one that is Alive and Conscious. It displays every single characteristic necessary to fit the definition of Life.

Without knowing it, we had been establishing the Cornerstone upon which our Ministry would be built. We had created a Worldview that was inclusive of all Religions, Philosophies, and Sciences, because we understood that all of them rested upon the Force that permeates the Form in our Universe and our world, giving us Consciousness in the first place. The Primum Mobile.

In 2005, I met Tonia Osborn and her daughter, Taylor. Tonia is an incredibly talented artist and the most Powerful Natural Celtic Witch that I have ever encountered. I have seen her perform acts of healing with such compassion and confidence that it could easily bring me to tears. I returned to my oil painting and to my work with stained glass and became somewhat of a fixture at Tonia’s Gallery. I learned much from Tonia and was careful never to try and “teach” her anything…the quickest way to confuse and irritate a Natural Witch! I merely listened and had the opportunity to hear parts of an oral tradition that reaches far back into time and has been kept alive by her line. I could not wait to introduce Tonia to Ryan and Freddy, especially Ryan! The two of them instinctively recognized each other as kindred and became close friends. Of course we all loved Taylor and secretly wanted to adopt her! Ryan often played his guitar in the Gallery or at Art League functions, which helped to promote local artists and gave us all great pleasure. Freddy managed to visit occasionally but was very busy with work during that period of time and he was missed, though often mentioned.

Our little like-minded group was Blessed again when a Wise young girl walked through the Gallery door, …well, a girl who wanted to be Wise! She was a youth of 22, just freshly graduated from University with a degree in Studio Art. Her name is Tara Severance and she wanted to know if she could Intern at the Gallery. Serious and businesslike, yet unable to hide how tremendously nervous she was, she managed to present herself and her case well and Tonia and I agreed to her Internship. It wasn’t long before her presence among so many free-thinking artists and so many students of Religion, Philosophy, and the Sciences had drawn her into her own studies, which have always been Eclectic and Balanced. After a few years, it became clear that she was there to stay. I accepted her as a full-time student and she is now Minister Tara.

2010 came, however, and after barely making it through the housing crash and economic chaos of 2008, the Gallery was finally forced to shut its doors.

We stayed in touch, vowing to get together soon, but we were all busy just getting by. It was 2015 before Freddy, Tara and I started actively meeting again and regularly revisiting our old dreams. We tried to get Ryan involved, but he seemed tired and not himself. It worried all three of us. We knew we could only hope that it was a temporary thing and that Ryan would soon rejoin us. Meanwhile , we continued to talk and planned the formation of this non-denominational Ministry, knowing that many were already in great need and aware that things were likely to worsen. Stimulus checks were like grains of sand, too quickly slipping through our fingers while helping the Power Seekers who rule us by furthering the illusion that we are dependent on Big Government. We aren’t. As long as neighbors help neighbors, there is no need for a large, invasive, and often wrong Federal Government. It’s something our US Constitution warned us against strongly.

Ryan embraced a beautiful Truth when he chose to Venerate the Spirits of Earth and Nature and it gave him the peace he sought. Ryan moved on from this Plane of existence on February 18, 2021. He was born March 11, 1971 and I miss him every day, though I still feel him with me, can still hear his razor-sharp wit in my mind, or I recall his Wisdom when I need it most. He was the best Dungeon Master in the World, bar none.

After we lost Ryan, Freddy, Tara and I were much closer, more serious about maintaining regular contact, no matter how casual or “unnecessary”. Together, the three of us spent a lot of time at Freddy’s, where he lived with his woman, Dee-Dee, and his pups. Oftentimes his daughter, Adianna, would come to visit and she was always intelligent, like Freddy, and always had something to contribute. She was Freddy’s Pride and Joy. There was always an air of strength and hope there in his home. He was always making something delicious on the grill and he always preferred to have the place filled with his grandchildren. Dee-Dee was always happy to see us all together and she made us feel welcome, tolerating our lengthy discussions. She remains a good friend today. It was Dee-Dee who made Freddy’s house a home and she helped him see the more Merciful side of things. Her love for Freddy will forever be a bond between us. She is an advisor to Universal Divinity.

On September 17, 2022, Freddy, too, abandoned this Plane for Valhalla. He died while smiling at Dee-Dee and, no doubt, with joy in his heart. She was his Valkyrie. It almost was too much and it nearly broke me. When my nephew, Cole Lee, also departed this World on September 18, 2022, the very next day, it did. I retreated to a very dark place and had no focus to work. I lost my faith and direction. It was a long time before I realized that these are the evils we encounter when we seek to Serve the Light. The greater the aspiration for good, the more deeply does evil cut. These events leave us frozen, broken, unable to perform Divine Work. They are stumbling blocks for the enlightened to overcome. I can still see Cole laying on my couch with his ornery grin, and I smile. Freddy is as much with me now as ever. His energy surrounds me, and I hear his voice when I need to the most.

And his laugh. I can still hear that totally honest, infectious laugh.

Tara and I wept at his passing and we gazed upon a World grown Darker, a World that was descending more and more deeply into Chaos. Long, loud alarm bells were ringing in our heads. We watched as vandals attacked statues, monuments and history, having no love for the Truth.

We listened as people argued over whether a life is more valuable because of its race, an inherently racist question that only a racist would ask.

We watched Dominion say they erased the votes. They robbed us of the Truth with the push of a button, whatever that Truth was.

We watched a coward order brave American troops to abandon Bagram like thieves in the night, compromising US allies and assets as well as humiliating America on the World Stage, a thing that has never happened before.

We watched 13 US soldiers die because they had lost support from Bagram. We watched our foreign allies be intentionally and maliciously left behind to face slaughter at the hands of the terrorists our leaders have befriended.

We watched an obviously man-made virus spread around the world and asked ourselves why our leaders would lie about it? We asked ourselves why it is so important that EVERYONE receive a vaccine, what happened to Free Will, and why the now weaponized FBI is said to be tracking the unvaccinated RIGHT NOW.

We watched as angry Americans made a Pilgrimage of Patriotism to the Capital, seeking a resolution to what they believed to be Election Fraud and the theft of the Presidency. They received no answers, but were instead punished for entering a House that belongs to them. To us! The so-called January 6th Panel had NO legal authority or jurisdiction in the matter, but were slobbering for the political points and press, which came at a cost of $3,317,373.81, in American tax dollars, according to Yahoo Finance.

All of this we watched until we decided that watching isn’t enough, that it would be better to ACT. We reaffirmed our belief in our Spark of Divinity™ and acknowledged that, as Divine beings, we are compelled to ACT. We began the process of forming a non-denominational Ministry devoted to Awakening others to their own Divinity and to the Divinity of a Conscious, Living Earth. We are determined to educate people about themselves, but also to examine Alternative Energy, Sustainable living, Conservation, and Climate Issues, because the Earth needs us to reclaim it from the Exploiters and Power Seekers and SAVE ITS LIFE!!! Ryan, Freddy, Tara and I were all committed to this Path and preparing, making contacts, and planning on becoming a Global Religion. We were going to make a difference, be a catalyst for evolution. And we still will!

Nothing in the Spiritual World is easy or free. There is always a cost and sometimes it will seem like more than one can bear. It is an attack on the Spirit by Dark Forces intent on driving you from your Path. It is Life. It can make you strong, Ignite your Spark of Divinity™, or it can break you. I choose Divinity.

In the Names of co-founders, Minister Ryan Ruland and Minister Frederick Detrow, Minister Tara Severance and I will carry on with the work we had all planned together. It is work that this world needs. To counsel, to feed and clothe, to lend aid, and to improve the welfare of Earth is a mission we gladly undertake.

We do this for the Earth and its inhabitants and in Eternal remembrance of those Divine Sparks, Ryan and Freddy and Cole.

-Minister Spencer C. Hoeflich IV

Executive Director, Universal Divinity