Suilad

I would like to help if I can. I need to be more involved with the group, maybe this will help me feel like actually involving myself. Greetings to all! I look forward to this thing.

Namarie,
Melfaroth

About my thoughts..

Well, I have said this before and I will say it again, I don't really have memories, so there isn't very much I can share in that region. Though I do have an interest and love for the elves, I'm not really quite sure that I can include myself among them. I would love to and all, but that wouldn't really be telling the truth, now would it? Though it very well could be truth, it may not be, so I will have to leave it at that. I have never been into meditation (to tell you the truth I do not even really know how to meditate in the first place, so you can probably see how this complicates things), and I am certainly not very in touch with spirits or the plane that those spirits exist on. I just know that we cannot possibly be on the same plane because not everyone can sense, see, or feel them. Me, I can do nothing but sense they are there, but at least there is that much I can tell.
For years, I have had passions. Some are very new, and some are very, very old. Some new ones are my passion for lanquages and their lands of origin, travel (which I have not been able to do much of in my life, mind you. Grrrr!), and growth in understanding others in the area of purpose when it comes to what goes on the heads of others. And believe me, it truly helps when you can help comprehend what is going on in someone elses mind, I can tell you that right now. The latter passion came a few years before the other two (the other two coming to me at about the same time within less than 1 to 2 years, give or take). The passion I have, which has stuck with me for as long as I can remember, is the love and well-being of others that I hold deep within my heart. That includes protection and maintaining the strength and purity of hearts within my fellow brothers and sisters who carry the light Iluvatar within. It mostly pertains to those that are close family to me, but a few years ago, I had obtained a love within myself that would have caused me to shut, just about, no person out (leaving out the enemy of course).
I believe that the enemy of all beings is truly evil. Yes, you have to have a host for evil to make itself affect anything, but evil is what corrupts the mind, the heart, and the soul. Evil is what corrupted Melkor in the beginning when he wished for power and to be Lord over all of Arda, as is told in the Ainulindale of the Silmarillian. At that time, I believe that Melkor saw a beauty in Arda as did the others, but when he could not be Lord, for obvious reasons that Eru foresaw, he grew bitter, and what he saw once as beautiful, he grew greatly bitter towards. That, my friends, is why I believe he made corruptions of all the designs and hard work of both Eru, and, the Ainur, who descended to Ea and later became known as the Valar. Thus, resulting in, the birth of Morgoth, the bitter enemy of the firstborn. He very quickly grew jealous of elves and began to hate them with a bitter and frightening wrath, and that is exactly why Morgoth will ever be an enemy of mine.
Now, let us move on to happier thoughts... ^_^
Me personally, I've felt a deep connection with Iluvatar ever since he was introduced to me at the age of nine. Before that time, I really had no faith or knowledge of any religion, but I will say that it was the non-denominational Christians (that is what they called themselves) that got to me before any other people of another particular religion could. Since that day that I was introduced to 'God' (I now like to call him Eru) I had ever been afraid of straying away from the idea that away from God, I was defenseless. I chose never to doubt that because as anyone else, I didn't want to go to an unfriendly prison we, most of us, refer to as 'Hell' after my days on this earth were ended. For years I had been afraid of that in particular, as anyone else would. It wasn't until I myself started to question my own faith (Eru have mercy on anyone else that ever did) that I began to discover that my allegiance to Iluvatar was out of fear and not out of love hardly at all. When I discovered this, I stopped myself and said, "Wait a minute. This isn't right. God doesn't want me to 'love' him out of fear, he wants me to truly love him out of just that. Love." I knew that Eru would be sad at the meer thought of my 'loving' him out of fear, so I decided to shape up in my attitude. Since that day, I have ever loved Iluvatar, and I will never fear him again. Obtaining this knowledge, I have come to realize that no one, not even evil itself can harm my soul as long as I do not give in to fear of it. For it is truth, "the only thing to fear is fear itself." I learned this lesson from Kura.
Lastly, I would like to speak about the Valar and the Maiar. Ever since I had first read of them in the Silmarillion, something had clicked within me that told me clearly, "the 'gods' which so many have talked about in Greek, Roman, and Egyptian myths, etc., were clearly these of the Ainur who descended to Ea to watch over and live among their 'little brothers and sisters', the first born and second, upon Arda. When I discovered this, my knowledge and interests in the mythology of Greece made a little more sense to me. Of course, putting aside how humorous and degrading, and of course being insulted in this way, that the Greeks made them out to be. Ever since I discovered that these Ainur were in fact the 'angels' of Eru, I became very comforted and happy. Especially since I had realized that there are those who have been watching over us upon Arda since the beginning of Ea. I now know that the Valar had forsaken Middle-Earth, until the time comes again when they will be gathered again by Iluvatar, and thus they had also forsaken us, the children of the first and second born of Eru's children. I will also add that I believe Eru has made a place for his adopted children, the dwarrows, when time comes to the end of our ages. I have ever been the friends of Aule's dwarves. I would like to add that I am ever grateful to Ulmo, for he has ever returned to our shores and aided the children of Iluvatar when they were in most dire need of his help. I believe he has also been here to speak with us. I find comfort in speaking to his waters, for I believe that he listens, and that in itself gives me great strength in the heart. I feel wearied most of the time, but when I return once again to the fair shores of our Earth, I feel once again rejuvenated by its strength.

Namarie Mellyn,
Melfaroth

I'd say that it is probable, Ireland being the closest to the Gray Havens. Ireland is beautifully lush and green and the mists definitely point to being of Lindon most definitely. You know, a couple of years ago, I was looking at maps of Europe compared to maps of Middle-Earth and I realized that if Europe, in truth, was Middle-Earth (what else could be, right?) then it appeared that the western side of the Misty Mountains have all gone down under the water...
This had interested me, and I will also add that maps tend to get me going. I tend to have a liking for maps. Anyways, enough babbling for now. lol

Namarie Mellyn,
Melfaroth