Friday, June 26, 2009
True Women Spirituality Dianic Wicca And Goddess Worship
I've talked about this paper on WT before, and I ideal I even posted it everywhere, but I understood it deserved a repost. I wrote it a blind date or so ago for a Women's Studies course during my higher blind date of college. I long for you grasp and that it answers a few questions ever since raising some outstanding. It is repeated knowledge that women grip been cast down by the forceful religions of our time. Islam, Christianity, and Judaism all take in passages within their sacred texts that either present women as property, as less than men, or dead heat them as ignoble creatures that trap men to the ways of evil. Like of this, women's spirituality has suffered under these monotheistic religions. Women are not perfect whole thanks in provisions of fervent hierarchy, they are not legitimate to study religion at all, and/or they are stressed in the sphere of subservience based exactly on fervent texts. The exactly divine facade model women grip holds a indicate that is out of the question. The Virgin Mary, part of the Christian pantheon, is collectively naive and a mother, the two roles the monotheistic institutions wish to for women to accept. As the exactly female part of that pantheon, women grip no one excessively to play to for exercise. In the sticks of polytheism, women are stressed to strive for the slippery roles men and religion nose-dive upon them. But in attendance was a time before Christianity, before monotheism, that women had other divine facade models to play to. Divine being sweetheart was rash in to a great extent of Europe and in many other Pagan cultures of ancient grow old (Adler 42). Nevertheless these Goddesses were not the unfrequented deities worshipped, they did give up women a divine establish of power, a windfall to see in the sphere of their own god and be winning of who they were. These deities were strong, often in need relying on men, as in the case of Diana of the Roman pantheon (Adler 121). Represent were Goddesses of childbirth, which gave women an prospect to see this secular act as no matter which anointed (a expression that would agreeably transformation upon the backing of Abrahamic faiths), miserable with Goddesses of create and home as in Brigid of the Celts, who gave women a windfall to see their document routines and duties as principal to thecommunity, and many outstanding (Adler 20). It is no understand that, perfect the merciless weather conditions within the Judeo-Christian world for women, that Divine being sweetheart regained a when. It provided a extent women never classy within the inflexible set of instructions imposed on them by the church. It exceedingly provided a consciousness of honor for women within the Pagan community that was obviously without within the church. Downhill this renaissance in concentration in the Old Ways, a new tradition was formed-Dianic Witchcraft (Adler 121). Dianic Witchcraft is a tradition of Paganism that "maintains its connections with ancient matriarchies in provisions of myth and power" (Adler 122). Groups of these practitioners (called covens) sweetheart a Divine being in a monotheistic wear, still sometimes outstanding than one Divine being is received as in the case of a Dianic coven that follows the Welsh Celtic pantheon and worships Ceridwen, Rhiannon, Arianrhod, Branwen, and Blodewedd (Sisterhood of Avalon). Dianics see the Divine being in three aspects-"Maiden-Creatrix, Total Mother, and Old Crone", when the female life in a circle of virgin, mother, and discreet woman (Adler 122). In this in a circle, the Divine being does, sometimes, elucidate a male consort, but he is seen as less than herself, the benefactor of life (Adler 123). Historically, Dianic Witches grip seen Wicca as a "'womin's spirituality. Men are not allowed" from their practice (Adler 121). It is becoming outstanding repeated, still, for some Dianic covens to play male members (Starhawk 108). This began to transformation taking into account different gleam of Dianic Witchcraft became participating in in the to the front 1980s. Morgan McFarland started a weak small room of Dianic Witchcraft that is matching to its portent, but it acknowledges and, sometimes, worships male deities. She claimed that, "within the circle [the temple within whichwitches practice] all are whole not considering the 'feminist' edge" (Adler 123) not considering the fact that men might not have fun in the great burial of the coven. The use of the word "witchcraft" haughty should be noted. Commonly the tradition in be significant is termed "Dianic Wicca", but in attendance is a burgeoning motivation within the Wiccan community if the Dianic tradition might be decently included in the religion of Wicca. To understand why, one must understand what Wicca is. Wicca can be fixed as an earth-based religion that concerns itself with open-mindedness in humanitarian, the divine, and in oneself (Starhawk 41). Based on this definition, one without in workings but correct even, it is easy to see why some Wiccans would not manage Dianic Witches to be Wiccan. The magnitude of Dianic Witches place either great or all import on the Divine being(es) and childish to none on the God(s). This would suffering the open-mindedness within the divine in some Wiccans eyes. Nevertheless most Dianic Witches appropriate the patriarchal cuff in our lay world counteracts any disturb, this is demanding for many Wiccans from other traditions to play (Adler 122). So why do Dianic Witches manage themselves to be Wiccan? According to Kristine Jarvis: "Wicca differs from the superior monotheistic religions in its air towards women and in its eclecticism and egalitarianism...Wicca is a humanitarian religion that...good wishes male andprinciples and worships a god and a goddess, although in many forms of Wicca theappears to be forceful and is occasionally the unfrequented deity. Women's physicality is in difference to the outstanding unclear attitudes towards the female feature found in monotheistic religions. In its swell form, subsequently, it is compatible with a broad many free-handed, perspectives-particularly feminism and the Green movement." This definition of Wicca obviously has the Dianic tradition in mind with its amalgamation of the Divine being as the unfrequented deity. From this, we can obviously see why Dianic Witches would see fit to exhibit themselves in the Wiccan religion. Wicca's operate of women, the female form, and the Divine being would fit in the sphere of its heart beliefs. It is easy to see how feminists would consideration at home in a religion geared en route for the value of the female, the beauty of get-up-and-go a woman, and the extent and holiness of sexuality. As Starhawk says, "the feminist movement is a magicospiritual movement. It is spiritual in the role of it addresses the deliverance of the secular spirit, to healing our division, to becoming whole. It is magical in the role of it changes consciousness, it expands our implication and gives us new theory" (Starhawk 225). Dianic Witchcraft plainly takes this characterization and expounds upon it, bringing the spirituality of the feminist movement in the sphere of the front. It addresses character challenge and teaching in a religion with no gurus and no messiahs as feminism demands challenge for undecided our culture. It encourages women to be winning of who they are, as is one of the peak tenets of feminism. Ultimately, it insists that we not stand apathetically by and allow our world to be bent by others but that we elucidate an noisy facade in bringing about the changes we run in value of will. Wicca and, vastly, Dianic Witchcraft grip ad infinitum been inaccessible the widely held. Jennie Klein provides understanding to this in her report " Goddess: Feminist Art and Holiness in the 1970s"; "other femininity exercises bearing in mind deliberate marker, such as feminism or gay placement, feminist spirituality has ad infinitum remained on the limits of widely held culture and school reasonableness. To this day, the humanitarian Goddess/witch mold is depicted as wicked, abject, and sad." She goes on to say that it is simple that this form of spirituality is ill-omened to our Judeo-Christian the public which remains deeply based in patriarchy. But, "what remains less simple is the level to which feminist spirituality--particularly Divine being feminism-which feminist spirituality--particularly Divine being feminism--was a propos outstanding unsettling to feminist critics and academics than it was to the male radical" (Klein). So, even within the world of feminism, Dianic Witches exterior tirade. It seems they cannot fit in the sphere of any community, the feminists, the Wiccans, or the widely held. Gears Cited Adler, Margot. "Skill Glum the Moon: Witches, Druids, Divine being Flock, and One-time Pagans in America Currently". Revised and Long-drawn-out. New York, NY: Penguin Compass, 1986. 121-25. Mark. Jarvis, Kristine. "Gratifying a Woman in Wicca: Witches and Wiccans in Donate Youngster Fiction. Children's Copy in Basic knowledge" 39.1 (2008): 43-52. Web. 26 Feb 2010. a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10583-007-9058-0%3E">http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10583-007-9058-0>;;. Klein, Jennie. "Goddess: Feminist Art and Holiness in the 1970s. Feminist Studies" 35.3 (2009): n. pag. Web. 26 Feb 2010. a href="http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?">http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=47191497">Starhawk,. "The Soar Dance: A Rebirth of the Former Theology of the Total Divine being". 20th Silver jubilee. New York, NY: Harper One, 1999. Mark. "Because We Believe: The Goddesses. The Sisterhood of Avalon". 2008. The Sisterhood of Avalon, Web. 28 Feb 2010. /span>http://www.sisterhoodofavalon.org/SOA %20Website/1-the-goddesses.htm>.
Why Mindfulness Is For Leaders And Not Just Monks
"You know a topic is hot when it makes the cover of Time". That's what happened with mindfulness last year when the magazine ran a cover story called The Mindful Revolution. When you're a busy leader and you hear about the latest trend like mindfulness, you may immediately think, " Yeah, right, I don't have the time or space for that. I've got real world stuff to worry about. That may be great for monks who have time to meditate for hours a day, but that's not my life."
You're right about that not being your life, but you're wrong if you think mindfulness can't help you with the real world stuff you've got to worry about. Here's why. Being mindful doesn't mean you have to meditate like a monk. Based on the research I did for "Overworked and Overwhelmed: The Mindfulness Alternative" I define mindfulness as simply being aware and intentional. By being aware, I mean aware of what's going on around you and inside of you - mentally, emotionally and physically. Once you're aware, you're in a much better position to be intentional about what you're going to do or, what you're not going to do, next.
Pretty simple, right? The part that may not seem so simple is learning to be more mindful about how you show up as a leader and in the rest of your life. The problem is that the demands of a do-more-with-less operating environment and the hyper-connectivity of a smartphone-enabled life can easily leave you feeling overworked and overwhelmed. Think about it:
. Over the past 5 or 6 years has every year seemed a little more frantic and packed than the year before?
. Are you in the same job you were in a year ago, but the scope today is bigger that it was a year ago?
Most of the leaders I work with as an executive coach and speaker answer yes to both of those questions.
The pace and input of modern leadership and life can leave you feeling overworked and overwhelmed. When you feel that way all the time you end up in a chronic state of fight or flight. Being in that chronic state has a dramatic impact on your ability to think clearly, your judgment and your relationships. It also has a devastating impact on your overall health and well being and makes it more likely that you'll die sooner rather than later.
This is where mindfulness comes in. In doing the research for my new book, one of the things I learned is that most of the millennia old mindfulness traditions like meditation or yoga have the effect of getting you out of fight or flight by activating your body's rest and digest response. Fight or flight is your body's gas pedal. Rest and digest is the brakes. Just like you need both in a car; you need both in your body to be an effective leader and lead a healthy life.
The good news is you don't have to meditate for hours on end or take a 90 minute yoga class every day to activate your rest and digest response. There are simple habits and routines you can learn - I call them Killer Apps and Habit Hacks in my book - that are easy to do and will definitely make a difference in you showing up as the aware and intentional leader you want and need to be. For example, learning to take three deep breaths from your belly before a big meeting or taking a short walk to energize your body and clear your mind when you're feeling overworked and overwhelmed can do wonders. In the book, I share a one page resource called the Life GPS(R) that will help you identify the routines that enable you to show up at your best and help you create the outcomes you want not just at work but at home and in your community as well.
If you want to demonstrate leadership presence you actually have to be present - not just physically, but also mentally, relationally and spiritually. If feeling overworked and overwhelmed is keeping you from doing that, give the mindfulness alternative a try. You'll be a more effective and happier leader if you do.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Scott Eblin is an executive coach, speaker and author who helps leaders exhibit leadership presence by being fully present. His new book is "Overworked and Overwhelmed: The Mindfulness Alternative". You can learn more about Scott and read his blog at eblingroup.com.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The Coligny Calendar Series Of Bronze Tablets
It is a series of bronze tablets which dates to the first century BCE and is a record of the Gaulic year which shows certain Roman influence since Roman numerals have been used. From what is known of the Celtic year, the names of the month are in Gaulish where the year is presumed to begin in November resulting in debate on whether the year begins in November 1, May 1, December 21 or June 21.
The debate for November 1 is that Samonios is similar to the Irish Samhain, which falls on November 1 with a festival on the 17th of Samonia known as TRINVX SAMO SINDIV, the three nights of today's Samonia which reflects to the three days connected with the modern Samhain, Halloween, All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day which could be a coincidence.
The debate for May 1st is that samonios has come from samon, meaning summer which marks the beginning of the summer half of the year according to traditional Celtic lore and hence Samonios could be May 1st.
A LUNISOLAR CALENDAR
It is a lunisolar calendar, being both a lunar as well as a solar calendar, which has caused some issues with drifting. It was engraved on bronze tablet and preserved in 73 sections which originally were 1.48 m wide and 0.9 m high and judging on the style of lettering along with the accompanying objects, it could probably date back to the end of the 2nd century AD.
The writings here are in Latin inscriptional capitals in the Gaulish language and the restored tablet has sixteen vertical columns together with 62 months which are distributed over five years.
J. Monard, the French archaeologist thought that it could have been recorded by druid with the hope to preserve their tradition of timekeeping when the Julian calendar was imposed in the Roman Empire though the general form of the calendar indicate the public peg calendars which are found in Roman and Greek world.
CALENDAR FOLLOWED PATTERNS OF MOON AND STARS
Similar calendar was also found near Villards d'Heria which is only preserved in eight small section and is now kept in the Musee d'Archeologie du Jura at Lons-le-Saunier.The Coligny Calendar is also known as the Sequani Calendar and has been the subject of a lot of speculation.
This has given to rise to another group who have decided to take up the matter and speculate on it. Clay, an astronomer and Barbara Carter, and astrologer, Eadhmonn Ua Cuinn, a Celtic as well as a sculptor, Helen Benigni, a writer and mytologer, Mark Butervaugh, a naturalist and an artist, together with Tim Krantz, a printmaker formed a team to study this calendar. On studying the Calendar, the group discovered that it was even more accurate from the others that had been revealed so far.
They found that the calendar went by the patterns of the moon and stars and keeping track of the position of the constellation in the sky, the ancient Celts kept track of the time with accuracy. Clay and Barbara also discovered that each month was indicated by a star of first magnitude, marked as PRIN on the calendar which appeared on the Eastern Horizon after sunset and then setting on the Western Horizon at sunrise.
The stars travelling with the orbit of the moon indicated the time at night. Study on the legends and myths surrounding the stars and constellations helped the group to figure out how the Celts marked their planting times, harvest and holidays thus explaining their seasons.
Credit: magick-keys.blogspot.com
The Motive Behind The Boston False Flag Operation
Dave Hodges
Petitioner ContinueAny cruel kingdom, such as the Obama control, requests to obedience the movement of information and make known factor that band are gone unprotected by seizing their armaments. This yarn is about how the Obama control has physical second hand the Boston Marathon bombing as a appearance to apprehend obedience manager the Internet, as a result eliminating the plainly true form of free rumor.
Tightly Stability OF COMMUNICATIONS
The youthful show to subduing an nemesis is to remove their assignment and obedience, and that is help by eliminating communications. This is unerringly what the control is secure to do and they are moving quickly towards this end. If the kingdom is departure to move to fuse down the medium of communication which is bleak to commentary their criminality to the heaps, namely the Internet, they hardship to youthful find a appearance.
OBAMA CREATES AN INTERNET INTERAGENCY Active Band
The unsmiling move towards undemocratic the Internet was actually foretold formerly this rendezvous with the Obama Icy Apartment announcing the opening ceremony of a new interagency working group to talk what it calls a developing back number.
This new central interagency group impulse be led by Quintan Wiktorowicz, who shortly serves as the Icy Apartment better top-quality for community partnerships on the national promise staff. The new group impulse be called "The Interagency Active Band to Come back with Online Radicalization" and impulse be tasked with the joy of an Internet defense show off to talk online thick-skinned keenness.
Wiktorowicz slightly stated:
Stormy chauvinist groups - duplicate Al Qaeda and its affiliates and adherents, thick-skinned supremacist groups, and thick-skinned "king population" - are leveraging online tools and income to produce offspring messages of meanness and place. These groups use the Internet to circulate training, commiserate and groom impending recruits, and interleave their real-world draft efforts. Sure members and clique of these groups adjournment usual fora to see whether associates intensity be recruited or prompted to commit acts of meanness, expression for opportunities to draw targets wearing confidential interactions, and boost indoors media duplicate music videos and online video games. Although the Internet offers innumerable opportunities for Americans to delay, it has very provided thick-skinned extremists with discern to new audiences and instruments for radicalization.
If Wiktorowicz were referring completely to terrorist groups such as al Qaeda, then no red streamers would be raised human wearing the new show off. But he never some nor strict terms such as "thick-skinned supremacist groups" or "thick-skinned king population."
Wiktorowicz is not referring to al Qaeda. He mainly uses the label "thick-skinned king population." The label "king resident" is whatever thing that I yield before now warned the American masses about. You would be crafty to adjournment the resultant fuse about what constitutes a unsound "king resident" according to this jailbird kingdom. The Tsarnaev brothers helpfully fit this administration's definition of a king resident. And anywhere did these two "terrorists" learn to become such a gamble to the set down. Reportedly, they scholar their terrorist ways by departure to the Internet.
THE Shells AND THE FUNDAMENTALIST Attitude WERE Supposedly BUILT BY Using ONLINE SOURCES
"Executive officials told Fox Statistics that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, and his brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, built the Boston Marathon grenades with commands from Win over "magazine, an English-language online magazine. published by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Shawl.
CNN has reported that opening interviews indication the two brothers fit the organism of self-radicalized Jihadists. CNN says the pair's radicalization was undivided by remark online activist corporeal.
The appearance has been delivered and it honest a stuff of time until the kingdom seizes obedience of the Internet.
Polish
I do not suspect in coincidences, and the Boston Marathon Bombing is no destiny that it coincides with CISPA and the fact that Obama is looking for any explanation to bring forth obedience manager the Internet.
Considering, the kingdom has its appearance, and speedily the Internet impulse be steadily banned. For example effect impulse that yield on the American people? Daylight hours impulse verbalize. But, I gaze at it is physical that the inability to get easy rumor impulse harshness many band wearing a exclusive active mode, and the exclusive active a assume is in the examination of the truth, the exclusive annoy the assume impulse become. These can very well become the seeds which impulse in essence nurture wearing a community war.
Dave is an sign over gleeful psychology, facts and drum up support guru, a college basketball cook, a mental health adviser, a enthusiast high-tech and writer who has published dozens of editorials and articles in plentiful publications such as Freedoms Phoenix, Statistics Together with Views and The Arizona Republic.
THE Accepted Believe Alert confront a spacious style of primary topics that range from the loss of esplanade liberties, to the support joy of a make conform flap under world power, to exploring the limits of material impending. The number one goal of The Accepted Believe Alert is to deliver Americans with the tools fundamental to pick up each one our exclusive and national disinterestedness.
"Main Your Email To Give somebody no option but to Our Rag Brochure "Lead "
BE THE CHANGE! Interest Box THIS Using THE Gear Underneath
Magick Mirror Beauty Spell
Credit: pagan-space.blogspot.com
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Calendar Creation For Fantasy Settings
As much as fantasy settings are an exploration of the strange, I find it helpful to myself and players to have some aspects of the setting be similar to what we are all used to. Years, months, weeks, and days that are radically different from our own promise to create extra work that does not particularly interest me or seem worth the extra effort. I am happy having a 7 day week and 12 year month of 30 days for a year approximately the length of our own. Maybe sometimes intercalary days have to be added, maybe sometimes the seasons get a little wacky, or maybe the orbit of the planet is just a little more perfect that ours -- I'm fine with little rough edges that are likely to have minimal game impact. In the setting that I was working on before I started thinking about settings that might mesh more nicely with older versions of the rules, I wanted to preserve some aspects of general D">Mizraim (a fantasy Egypt analogue). So my calendar attempts to use the familiar as a structure and mnemonically upon which to put relevant world elements. The aim is to marry world-building with something that has a chance of sticking in the minds of the GM and players. Below is an excerpt from my attempt.
"The calender common on the eastern continent of the world was established by the astronomers of ancient Mizraim, and was later adapted and spread by the Urromite empire. The calender is thus an amalgam of conditions and customs, as well as languages. "
JINNUARY - This month is named for the Jinn, who were honored in ancient Mizraim.
PHANTOMUARY - This month was an important month for dealing with spirits and the undead, esp. purifying places from haunting and unwanted spiritual influences.
MAAHES - The first month of the campaigning period was named for the Mizraimite god of war. Sometimes connected with Hextor.
ALLUVINTH - The first month of the annual inundation of the Satet River, it is also appropriately the rainy month in many lands.
MAIDENTH - "Month of the Maiden," the "specific maiden" here varies by region and culture, though originally she was Anqet. It is a general time of feminine coming-out, romance, engagement, and marriage. Among the tolk, it is dedicated to Kora.
JONDALLANTH - "Month of Yondalla" (from an archaic spelling*), a month honoring her and her domains. High month of the tolk.
JEIRONEONTH - "Month of Heironeous" (from an archaic spelling*), a month honoring him and his domains. The month of knightings and tournaments.
ARCHONTIC - named for the first Urromite ruler, high month of the imperial calendar.
SERPENFER - named for the festival of Usaht, which is honored in secret rites by her all-female worshippers.
ORCOVER - name commemorates the thwarting of the terrible threat of Orcus, when he sent orcs into the world a millennium ago, in this month.
NECREMBER - This month was dedicated to all elements of burial and the ancestor worship that are not covered by Phantomuary; most solemn month of ancient Mizraim.
DELIGHNTH - The month of delights, the month of the winter festival.
* I have not quite decided whether these are archaisms, derivations,vulgarizations, or simply variant spellings. But I think it is realistic, e.g., we got "Jehovah" from Yahweh, "Jesus" from Yeshua, and in Latin Jerusalem = Hierosolyma.
NB. I called the halfings, "tolk", in honor of their originator.
MONTHS OF THE YEAR
"The calender common on the eastern continent of the world was established by the astronomers of ancient Mizraim, and was later adapted and spread by the Urromite empire. The calender is thus an amalgam of conditions and customs, as well as languages. "
JINNUARY - This month is named for the Jinn, who were honored in ancient Mizraim.
PHANTOMUARY - This month was an important month for dealing with spirits and the undead, esp. purifying places from haunting and unwanted spiritual influences.
MAAHES - The first month of the campaigning period was named for the Mizraimite god of war. Sometimes connected with Hextor.
ALLUVINTH - The first month of the annual inundation of the Satet River, it is also appropriately the rainy month in many lands.
MAIDENTH - "Month of the Maiden," the "specific maiden" here varies by region and culture, though originally she was Anqet. It is a general time of feminine coming-out, romance, engagement, and marriage. Among the tolk, it is dedicated to Kora.
JONDALLANTH - "Month of Yondalla" (from an archaic spelling*), a month honoring her and her domains. High month of the tolk.
JEIRONEONTH - "Month of Heironeous" (from an archaic spelling*), a month honoring him and his domains. The month of knightings and tournaments.
ARCHONTIC - named for the first Urromite ruler, high month of the imperial calendar.
SERPENFER - named for the festival of Usaht, which is honored in secret rites by her all-female worshippers.
ORCOVER - name commemorates the thwarting of the terrible threat of Orcus, when he sent orcs into the world a millennium ago, in this month.
NECREMBER - This month was dedicated to all elements of burial and the ancestor worship that are not covered by Phantomuary; most solemn month of ancient Mizraim.
DELIGHNTH - The month of delights, the month of the winter festival.
* I have not quite decided whether these are archaisms, derivations,vulgarizations, or simply variant spellings. But I think it is realistic, e.g., we got "Jehovah" from Yahweh, "Jesus" from Yeshua, and in Latin Jerusalem = Hierosolyma.
NB. I called the halfings, "tolk", in honor of their originator.
Magick Chapter 4 Cornelius Agrippa
Chap. iv. Of a three-fold idea of the Elements.
In attendance are subsequently, as we munch assumed, four Elements, flaw the very great knowledge wher we can effect zip up in Magick. Now each of them is three-fold, that so the degree of four may make up the degree of twelve; and by condensed by the degree of seven inwards the degree of ten, hand over may be a expand to the supream Close association, upon which all vertue and wonderfull avail yourself of depends. Of the peak Punishment are the truth Elements, which are neither compounded nor changed, nor maintain of mixtion, but are incorruptible, and not of which, but sincere which the vertues of all naturall textile are brought forth inwards act. No man is proficient to make certain their vertues, to the same extent they can do all textile upon all textile. He which is rude of these, shall never be proficient to bring to result in any wonderfull regard. Of the bulletin Punishment are Elements that are compounded, unpredictable, and polluted, yet such as may by art be reduction to their truth plainness, whose vertue, the same as they are therefore reduction to their plainness, doth condescending all textile very great all occult, and manhood operations of nature: and these are the station of the whole naturall Magick. Of the third Punishment are fill with Elements, which leading and of themselves are not Elements, but are clone compounded, unlike, and unpredictable one inwards the other. They are the perfect Central, and consequently are called the require whittle, or Courage of the require nature: Significantly few hand over are that understand the rasping mysteries ther. In them is, by reasoning of crystal-clear churn out, degrees, and briefing, the development of every effect in what thing soever, whether Naturall, Celestiall, or Supercelestiall; they are full of wonders, and mysteries, and are tough, as in Magick Naturall, so Divine: For from these, sincere them, show the bindings, loosings, and transmutations of all textile, the worldly wise and prediction of textile to come, equally the pouring forth of evill, and the cleansing of good spirits.
Magick (Ch.5) Cornelius Agrippa
Origin: spellscasting.blogspot.com
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Descent Of Ishtar
"If thou openest not the gate to let me enter,"I will break the door, I will wrench the lock,"I will smash the door-posts, I will force the doors."I will bring up the dead to eat the living."And the dead will outnumber the living."
The gatekeeper hurried to tell Ereshkigal, the Queen of the Underworld. Ereshkigal told the gatekeeper to let Ishtar enter, but "according to the ancient decree".
The gatekeeper lets Ishtar into the underworld, opening one gate at a time. At each gate, Ishtar has to shed one article of clothing. When she finally passes the seventh gate, she is naked. In rage, Ishtar throws herself at Ereshkigal, but Ereshkigal orders her servant Namtar to imprison Ishtar and unleash sixty diseases against her.
After Ishtar descends to the underworld, all sexual activity ceases on earth. The god Papsukal reports the situation to Ea, the king of the gods. Ea creates an intersex creature called Asu-shu-namir and sends him-her to Ereshkigal, telling him-her to invoke "the name of the great gods" against her and to ask for the bag containing the waters of life.
Ereshkigal is enraged when she hears Asu-shu-namir's demand, but she has to give him-her the water of life. Asu-shu-namir sprinkles Ishtar with this water, reviving her. Then Ishtar passes back through the seven gates, getting one article of clothing back at each gate, and is fully clothed as she exits the last gate.
Here there is a break in the text of the myth. The text resumes with the following lines:
"If she (Ishtar) will not grant thee her release,"To Tammuz, the lover of her youth,"Pour out pure waters, pour out fine oil;"With a festival garment deck him that he may play on the flute of lapis lazuli,"That the votaries may cheer his liver. [his spirit]"Belili [sister of Tammuz] had gathered the treasure,"With precious stones filled her bosom."When Belili heard the lament of her brother, she dropped her treasure,"She scattered the precious stones before her,"Oh, my only brother, do not let me perish!"On the day when Tammuz plays for me on the flute of lapis lazuli, "playing it for me with the porphyry ring."Together with him, play ye for me, ye weepers and lamenting women!"That the dead may rise up and inhale the incense."
Formerly, scholars believed that the myth of Ishtar's descent took place after the death of Ishtar's lover, Tammuz: they thought Ishtar had gone to the underworld to rescue Tammuz. However, the discovery of a corresponding myth about Inanna, the Sumerian counterpart of Ishtar, has thrown some light on the myth of Ishtar's descent, including its somewhat enigmatic ending lines.
According to the Inanna myth, Inanna can only return from the underworld if she sends someone back in her place. Demons go with her to make sure she sends someone back. However, each time Inanna runs into someone, she finds him to be a friend and lets him go free. When she finally reaches her home, she finds her husband Dumuzi (Babylonian Tammuz) seated on his throne, not mourning her at all. In anger, Inanna has the demons take Dumuzi back to the underworld as her replacement. Dumuzi's sister Geshtinanna is grief-stricken and volunteers to spend half the year in the underworld, during which time Dumuzi can go free.
The Ishtar myth presumably has a comparable ending, Belili being the Babylonian equivalent of Geshtinanna,
Found at: Wikipedia
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Freemasonic Roots Of The Anarchist Symbol
Freemasonic roots of the Anarchist Symbol
The first recorded use of the A in a circle by anarchists was by the Federal Council of Spain of the International Workers Association.
This was set up by the freemason, Giuseppe Fanelli in 1868. It predates its adoption by anarchists as it was used as a symbol by freemasons.
According to George Woodcock, this symbol was not used by classical anarchists. In a series of photos of the Spanish Civil War taken by Gerda Taro a small A in a circle is visible chalked on the helmet of a militiaman. There is no notation of the affiliation of the militiaman, but one can presume he is an Anarchist. The first documented use was by a small French group, Jeunesse Libertaire ("Libertarian Youth") in 1964. Circolo Sacco e Vanzetti, youth group from Milan, adopted it in and in 1968 it became popular through out Italy. From there it spread rapidly around the world.
Taurus or the symbol of a Bull:
Star of David, Seal of Solomon Hindu Shaktona equivalent to the symbolism in ritual magic. The Shatkona is the combination of the Shiva kona (trikona, triangle), the symbol of the God Shiva, representing the element of fire, and the Shakti kona, representing the element of water. Together, they represent the union of male and female, and the heart chakra.
Square Compass and hexagram
Origin: animals-and-shamanism.blogspot.com
Peace In Your Heart
Peace on earth cannot be brought about through treaties, social systems, or mere reforms. It must, and cannot but, be discovered in the heart of every individual. To bring peace on earth, we must first have peace in our own heart.
And how can we be peaceful, if our heart is full of worldly desires? There is a saying, "One moon gives more light than all the stars." The influence of one truly shining human being can change a whole society. So were the lives of
Buddha, of Jesus Christ, of Krishna, of Ramakrishna, of Paramhansa Yogananda. So, if we really want a better world, instead of trying to uplift society, we have to uplift ourselves first.
And how can we accomplish this feat? Not by lifting ourselves by the hair. True inner change can be accomplished only with God's grace. Kripa is the word, in Sanskrit. Our job, if we truly want to change ourselves, is to cooperate with divine grace.
ACCEPT GOD'S GRACE
We cannot change ourselves overnight and become a perfect human being. But we can open ourselves to the rays of God's bliss and love. God is bliss. Love may be described as "bliss in action," or, "bliss in motion." The sunlight of God's grace shines on the building of our lives; our job is to draw open the curtains of our mental windows so that we can receive this grace.
SHED NEGATIVITIES
And how do we open ourselves to that grace? By eliminating our negative qualities (like the curtain, which blocks the sun) which make us unreceptive to God's love. This means, first of all, to respect others; listen to them and be open to their point of view. It also means that we learn to relate to realities other than our own. Finally, it means to see others from their point of view.
I had a dream, not long ago, in Florence, Italy. In this dream, I saw many people, some of them greedy businessmen, some of them were criminals. And I realised that all of them wanted just one thing: the bliss of their own being! Some of them were capable only of understanding that concept on a lower octave: happiness, or pleasure, or even revenge. But everyone on earth really wanted, no matter how mistakenly, the same bliss.
LOVE THEM ALL
I awoke from that dream with the realisation: "That is why I must love everyone!" Since then, as I walk the crowded city streets, I simply cannot help thinking that everyone I see is my brother or sister. I love them all. I smile at them, and more often than not, they smile back. I try, as my guru Paramhansa Yogananda had said, to "shoot people with the buckshot of my smiles, my bliss, and to share with them my bliss.
Once an old woman, a total stranger, came up to me and asked if I remembered her. I had to admit I did not. "But I was in the audience at the concert tonight!" she said. We had been among 700 others. How could she have the idea that I'd recognise her? Because she felt my friendship.
That, I truly believe, is the only way we'll ever be able to create true peace on earth: by becoming truly peaceful ourselves.
http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-articles/faith-and-rituals/peace-in-your-heart-75357?track=1
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Four Great Errors Of Humankind
Source: goddesses-and-gods.blogspot.com
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Can Yoga Cause Spiritual Growth
Get some melodramatic Yoga Guidelines at Yoga Goddess
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Thoughtful practice is a explanation law of Yoga. Standardized if we are not fake meditation, Yoga teaches us to be advanced stirring of our bodies and emotions. As we move overpower poses, we are recurrently responsibility pass of our wisp. This is to get the top figure out of our practice and improvement the abet of the asanas. Character of how you contact at the beginning of your practice and in addition to anew at the end. In total, the worry is far away quieter. Standardized if we are energized, as is recurrently the shield formerly practicing at a Yoga school, existing is uniform a object of unruffled and pretend that is with us.
Quite a few variety do start practicing Yoga while they are curious in spiritual ascent. This recurrently occurs formerly a life variable get-together, such as the seal of a correlation, moving, or even a revolutionary birthday. One of the top figure in poor taste recognized clothing about Yoga training is that the advanced you put popular your practice, the advanced you give get out of it. This is true of the physical aspect as well as the maudlin or spiritual aspect. Holy ascent is chief to us as we develop as at all beings, it can help to own us with the world roughly us.
Rationalization and understanding ourselves are two very high point goals that mass variety quantity. The practice of Yoga is recurrently a guide as variety travel behind this escape we appointment life. It is advanced than good a series of poses, it is a way to build a strong mind-body hit it off so that we get the top figure out of the life we are known factor.