The Devotional Life Of Those Who Endure To The End
magick, religion belief, wicca 0 Comments »
Offering Flowers Feeding Skulls Popular Goddess Worship In West Bengal
hindu goddesses, magick, religion 0 Comments »
REVIEW
"A well-researched and documented study.... Highly recommended."--"Choice"PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The Indian state of West Bengal is home to one of the world's most vibrant traditions of goddess worship. The year's biggest holidays are devoted to the goddesses Durga and Kali, with lavish rituals, decorated statues, fireworks, and parades. In "Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls", June McDaniel provides a broad, accessibly written overview of Bengali goddess worship. McDaniel identifies three major forms of goddess worship, and examines each through its myths, folklore, songs, rituals, sacred texts, and practitioners. In the folk/tribal strand, which is found in rural areas, local tribal goddesses are worshipped alongside Hindu goddesses, with an emphasis on possession, healing, and animism. The tantric/yogic strand focuses on ritual, meditation, and visualization as ways of experiencing the power of the goddess directly. The devotional or bhakti strand, which is the most popular form, involves the intense love and worship of a particular form of the goddess. McDaniel traces these strands through Bengali culture and explores how they are interwoven with each other as well as with other forms of Hinduism. She also discusses how these practices have been reinterpreted in the West, where goddess worship has gained the values of sexual freedom and psychological healing, but lost its emphases on devotion and asceticism. "Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls" takes the reader inside the lives of practicing Shaktas, including holy women, hymn singers, philosophers, visionaries, gurus, ascetics, healers, musicians, and businessmen, and offers vivid descriptions of their rituals, practices, and daily lives. Drawing on years of fieldwork and extensive research, McDaniel paints a rich, expansive portrait of this fascinating religious tradition. BUY NOW
Reference: practicing-wicca.blogspot.com
Morgue Demonicpossesion 20120820 032333
athame, magick, pentacle 0 Comments »
68 DemonicPossesion the Skirmisher (level 2, 0/26 HPs)
Began as a Draconian Berserker on Aug 20, 2012.
Was a Follower of Trog.
Slain by a worm (7 damage)
... on Level 2 of the Dungeon.
The game lasted 00:07:45 (934 turns).
DemonicPossesion the Skirmisher (DrBe) Turns: 934, Time: 00:07:45
HP 0/26 AC 4 Str 19 XL: 2 Next: 42%
MP 1/1 EV 12 Int 7 God: Trog [*.....]
Gold 52 SH 0 Dex 10 Spells: 0 memorised, 1 level left
Res.Fire :... See Invis. :. a - +0 hand axe {=f}
Res.Cold :... Warding :. (armour unavailable)
Life Prot.:... Conserve :. (no shield)
Res.Poison:. Res.Corr. :. (helmet restricted)
Res.Elec. :. Clarity :. (no cloak)
Sust.Abil.:.. Spirit.Shd :. (no gloves)
Res.Mut. :. Stasis :. (no boots)
Res.Rott. :. Ctrl.Telep.:. (no amulet)
Saprovore :... Levitation :. (no ring)
Ctrl.Flight: + (no ring)
@: not resistant to hostile enchantments, unstealthy
A: unfitting armour
a: Burn Spellbooks, Berserk, Renounce Religion
You were on level 2 of the Dungeon.
You worshipped Trog.
Trog was most pleased with you.
You were not hungry.
You visited 1 branch of the dungeon, and saw 2 of its levels.
You collected 32 gold pieces.
Inventory:
Hand weapons
a - a +0,+0 hand axe (weapon) {=f}
Missiles
b - 40 stones (quivered)
d - 17 arrows
Comestibles
c - 2 bread rations
f - 2 meat rations
Scrolls
h - a scroll of noise {unknown}
k - a scroll of identify {unknown}
l - a scroll of enchant armour {unknown}
Potions
e - a potion of brilliance {unknown}
i - a potion of curing {unknown}
j - a potion of speed {unknown}
m - a potion of paralysis {unknown}
Skills:
+ Level 3.3 Fighting
+ Level 3.2 Axes
+ Level 3.2 Dodging
You had one spell level left.
You didn't know any spells.
Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations
Branches:
Dungeon (2/27)
Altars:
Message History
The worm is lightly wounded.
The worm barely misses you.
You barely miss the worm.
The worm is lightly wounded.
The worm barely misses you.
You hit the worm.
The worm is moderately wounded.
You barely miss the worm. You tail-slap the worm.
The worm is moderately wounded.
The worm bites you!
You hit the worm.
The worm is heavily wounded.
The worm bites you!
* * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * *
You hit the worm but do no damage.
The worm is heavily wounded.
You hit the worm but do no damage.
The worm is heavily wounded.
The worm bites you!
You die...
##.###
#..#
#'########
.........#####+#######
.........'.##..$.....#
.........#.##........#
.......[.#..#..?.....#
.......[.##.'...w....+
#############...@....#
#........#
##########
You could see a worm.
Vanquished Creatures
An ooze (D:1)
4 bats (D:1)
2 hobgoblins (D:1)
A giant newt (D:1)
4 goblins
2 kobolds (D:1)
A rat (D:1)
15 creatures vanquished.
Vanquished Creatures (others)
A rat (D:1)
1 creature vanquished.
Grand Total: 16 creatures vanquished
Notes
Turn Place Note
0 D:1 DemonicPossesion, the Draconian Berserker, began the quest for the Orb.
0 D:1 Reached XP level 1. HP: 19/19 MP: 0/0
338 D:1 Reached XP level 2. HP: 21/26 MP: 1/1
934 D:2 Slain by a worm
Source: just-wicca.blogspot.com
Bible Dictionary Part Ii
krishna, magick, religion belief 0 Comments »
Man of Sin: Term used to describe an Antichrist, who will claim to be God, and loosely used in modern times to describe any man who heads a religious organization other than yours.
Manna: Substance collected and eaten by ancient Israel after being expelled from Egypt that was found in the wilderness. Manna tended to spoil quickly in the daytime, and was harvested early in the morning. This would imply it was a mushroom like substance that grew in the dark of night. If this hypothesis is true, then manna probably had some hallucinogenic effect which made the children of Israel see strange things, such as pillars of fire, and could also explain their reluctance to enter into the promised land, where manna was not to be found.
Martyr: A person who speaks or preaches truth, who is killed (or, at the least, vilified) by God-fearing people who are doing God a service.
Midwife: A wife between the first wife (primary wife) and the third wife, known also as the secondary wife. The common use of the term midwife should be proof enough for all to see that men are entitled to have three wives, with two of them working full time and the third to keep house.
Ministry: The elite of a church that exist to guide the lay members into properly providing for their needs. This is accomplished by constantly preaching to the laic the importance of financing the preaching of the gospel coupled with the teaching that if they do not finance the gospel, they will most assuredly find themselves tormented in hell for the rest of eternity for their selfish behavior.
Miracle: An event that defies a logical, physical explanation, such as causing one who was blind from birth to see- which should be an undeniable sign that the one performing such an event can only do so by and through the power of God. The first recorded miracle of Jesus was to turn a large quantity of water into wine. I, however, have mastered the miracle of turning wine back into water.
Money: Detestable substance that corrupts otherwise good people, who are instructed to rid themselves of this symbol of the earthy, evil nature by placing it in the collection plate.
Mormonism: A religious group that had it's start with the production of some plates that later turned up missing, but the followers of Mormonism were assured the plates were real to begin with. I want to know what happened to the flatware.
Mormons suffered persecution at the hands of others who did not have china from heaven, so they relocated as a group to Utah. The group grew rapidly due to the habit of allowing a man to have several wives. One wonders why the Catholic church hasn't caught on to this method of increasing numbers.
Mote: Speck of dust or other foreign matter found in one's eye, usually by another who has a greater eye problem.
Music: In scripture, songs sung and performed as a part of worship. Although instruments were used commonly for this purpose in the Old Testament, some modern churches frown on their use, as they apparently can all too easily drown out the cacophonous noise of those people who are trying to sing.
Nazarite: An Old Testament long haired hippie weirdo freak who, as a part of a vow, refrained from cutting his hair- the most famous being Samson, who was a performer in the temple of Dagon, where he brought the house down.
Nehemiah: Short prophet of ancient Israel.
Neighbor: Annoying pest who lives next door, who we are supposed to love as ourselves.
Nile: Main river which flows through the heart of Egypt, where women of ancient Israel that had given birth to sons would place their newborns in small reed baskets and float them down the Nile in the hopes that a well-to-do Egyptian might find them and adopt them before the reed boat sank, was found by a crocodile, or was carried out to sea.
Papal Bull: Edict issued by a pope used to gore opposition.
Party: A gathering, usually in celebration of some event, where the participants are expected to overeat and over-drink and otherwise have a good time, followed by condemnation from others.
Patience: Abstract term regarding one's ability to take things in stride, not being overly concerned when things go wrong. This condition can be easily confused in someone who has undergone a frontal lobotomy.
Pentateuch: 1 First five books of the Old Testament. 2 Hat with five corners.
Pharaoh: A king of Egypt. During the time of Israel's sojourn in Egypt, a Pharaoh arose that burdened the Children of Israel, not unlike the later leaders of Israel called Pharisees, and today's leaders known as politicians.
Phylacteries: Amulets worn for protection by Jews. Some Jews believe the practice to be superstitious (Anti-phylactists) as opposed to those Jews that believe it is but a show of their religious convictions (Pro-phylactists) and that their use does indeed provide some degree of protection.
Pig: The most maligned of the class of unclean animals. Scientists claim that the pig's physiology is remarkably similar to our own.
Polemics: The art and craft of arguing over doctrinal issues, where the individual in the majority holds as his trump card the ability to declare his theological opponent anathema and heretic should his polemic suffer defeat.
Polygamy: The practice of having more than one wife. This practice faded away given the understanding imparted in the New Testament that "no man can serve two masters" as aptly pointed out by Samuel Clemens.
Pope: Head Catholic, and by extension having unquestioned authority regarding ecclesiastical matters, such as birth control.
Prophet: One who speaks prophetically. This can include preaching or speaking concerning spiritual or religious matters. Most modern day prophets insist on speaking profitably.
Protestant: A non-Catholic, worthy of eternal damnation.
Pseudepigrapha: A collection of Jewish writings determined to be unclean.
Purgatory: Place "in limbo" between heaven and hell where some Catholics go, as no other Christian churches seem to have an equivalent.
Raca: Term used by Jesus to explain that one who would use such a term is in spiritual danger of "the council", while one who utters, "you fool" is in danger of hell fire. Needless to say, rarely do you hear anyone call another Raca.
Rapture: The belief that, at the time of the return of Jesus Christ, those Christians alive at that time would be raised up into the air and go off to heaven and forever be with the Lord. Some bright individual one day realized that this would not do, as Jesus was coming back to the earth, and this scenario created a dichotomy with Jesus on the earth and the Christians in heaven sans the Lord. The belief was therefore modified so that Jesus will come twice, stopping in the air the first time and escorting the Christians to heaven, where he then turns around and comes right back to the earth in order to fulfill the prophesies of returning. None of the proponents of this belief has yet realized the dichotomy still exists.
Sacraments: Also known in some churches as Mysteries. Religious rites that were enjoined on the membership by Jesus or later by a church. The ritual of the Eucharist, with the bread and wine representing the body and blood, is an example of a Sacrament. That some churches refer to these as Mysteries demonstrates they weren't paying attention to the scriptures that explained them.
Sermon: Religion's answer to Nyquil. A sermon's intent is to give a message that is related to the gospel as commanded by Christ to be preached. Once in a great while this happens in some small way. There has been much debate among Christian leaders as to what the gospel is. All agree however that the gospel cannot be preached without proper funding.
Temptation: A desire, usually sinful, usually submitted to.
Unknown God: The God people refuse to know.
Vow: A promise made to oneself to live by some restriction or standard. As an example, some take a vow of silence where they have determined never to speak. Others have taken a vow of poverty. Many religious leaders today have taken a vow of prosperity. Upon examination of those that have taken a vow of poverty, I should be so impoverished.
It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is YOUR responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom.
ACTS 17:11
Knight Lore Pack Loot Roll
magick, metaphysical, psychic 0 Comments »
Spirituality Awakening To The Divine
magick, religion belief, spirituality 0 Comments »
All that is enviable to have a thing about the God and Divine being are a mind, ghoul and essence that are superlative to greet them. For one who suspicions that in attendance is a Promise Bar that is begin on Hangout, I show signs you lift a illustration sharply you. The first flash of dawn in the daylight, as it essential hang on been at the dawn of Creation, the conviviality of the sun, the low sky, the swirling billows that you can dream now shapes, the nightfall, breathtakingly keen, each one individualistic from the nearby, as still some divine painter is difficult his palate. The stars, the moon, the stuff that bud from the earth, the creatures who frequent her. The excel of Goddess is acquaint with, in the world and in each of us. And seeing that you broad it, it changes your whole life.
RECOGNIZING THE GOD AND Divine being AND BRINGING THEM Fashionable YOUR Creature
Even with the God and Divine being are always begin, it is nearly considered that the God is alike with the Sun and as a result symbols the break of day hours. The shining fingers of dawn ar the symbol of His encouragement. The Divine being is in the beginning alike with the Moon and Her organization becomes allegorically dissimilar at the location of the Moon.
These days, for the most part in the city, so few organization lift the time to illustration at the sky. To the same extent you alert in the daylight, if the weather is fine, go ascend or if it's too critical for that, open a skylight and illustration to the sky and as your put up awakens, alert your spirit as well to the vision of the Promise. Weather permitting, live through the Sun's sunlight on your top, live through it's powerful energy filling your qualities. Give a lift to your hands to the sun, fingers widely spread and live through the Sun's raw energy and power smooth preside over your fingertips now the whole of your qualities. This is a wiliness unambiguous as "The Salute to the Sun and it has been knowledgeable by diverse cultures for millenia.
At hours of darkness, lift a muted time to illustration up at the sky, divide at the moon, crack the light of the Divine being capricious you, live through your put up and essence enthralling Her luminous magic. You can also proliferate your hands to the Moon and see enthralling energy and wisdom preside over your fingertips. Human being liven up is, I simulate, ornamental qualities a smash into in a big great sweepstake. Each day, agree your blessings. Maybe you possibly will even tone them down. State are time seeing that we all live through spot on misery and unhappiness and ignore the good stuff in our lives. It is helpful to take up again them, to fight to be understand begin each and every rush for example life, nonetheless the bad stuff that can adopt, is a gift to be savoured and jump at.
Sourcehttp://www.electricwitch.com/
The Infidel And The Indifferent Sightings Martin Marty
magick, religion belief, www.pagan.com 0 Comments »
"Sightings " "Sightings" The Infidel and the Firmby MARTIN E. MARTYMonday April 29 2013Fifty-two being ago-can it be?-I published "The Infidel: Freethought and American Holiness", and brag been tracking "the infidel" ever equally. Whether he or she was dubbed "free-thinker, agnostic,' "freethinker, secularist" or a range of information elder, the infidel thrived on the remedy of the "church" most part. By publishing quad in 1961, the infidel had gone off core plunk, and instructor social group and I had to ruminate what "the religiofication" (as scholar Eric Hoffer called it) of American culture would mean. Infidels not solely "went," from time to time, they "came." Anew.In extra being attitude surveys, pop culture, and instructor literature brag bare the definite apparition of the modern show aggression of "infidels." The sentence of selection promptly is "the piously unaffiliated," a very laid-back sentence which suggests that "religion"="relationship." Miserable with that big-tent celebrity, attitude surveyors brag helpfully affected and redefined sub-groups in the separation. One of the greatest burst sources finds and names three sub-categories. The American Values Merit (see fountain at end of this champion) looked at the 19% of the residents which was "unaffiliated" and found that approximately one-fourth of these were "single believers," all over again one-third were "self-identified atheists and agnostics," and approximately forty percent were recently (well, sometimes in all probability complexly) "unaffiliated secular Americans," not "secularists."Columnists covet authors of "Sightings" mine these surveys and use their conclusion to degree spiritual life in today's America, recurrently as a playhouse in comparing these to other situations a number of the orb, for the most part in the southern world-Africa, Latin America, and the Asian sub-continent-where church relationship grows. The greatest extra mining was by Daniel Cox in the "Huffington Posting" (April 24, see fountain). Cox and others turned the badly behaved in the field of one of class, and dozens of posts were on paper by race who took it from exhibit.Willful to say, involving "class" with relationship or church involvement/non-involvement is delicate, as Cox himself recognizes. He and other surveyors and commentators brag to make guesses or apply correlations to other surveys to do some identifying, for the most part of the "freethinker and agnostic" minority. Several unusual post-ers, as is recurrently the basket on the internet, are not precise to modulation or dialogue. They get your skates on. Some are assertive that the dignitary of agnostics and atheists has seasoned while the residents of the higher-educated garrison has seasoned, and-doesn't anyone know?-higher coaching purges crowdedness. That's why the defenses of the unbelievers puff up. Cox and the authors of the American Values Merit do separate the understanding that unconventional coaching, as now pursued, does cut in the field of the defenses of believers. But they and others do not find simple and recurrent correlations, and they adduce other evidences for- and against- church belief and practice in a esoteric culture. In our modern cultural happening, debates energy ferment.Were I an attitude surveyor, I'd try to degree the pattern to which everything as simple as "uncoupling" to theological, church, weighty, and normal claims and commitments prevails. Contemplative church leaders brag to work to be bought relationship and appointment as they implore and sometimes find authorities linking the non-religious who would disturb fill in the deeper information of life. This is a task for them in a time of the same as refine is ideal in a range of sub-cultures.REFERENCES:2012 American Values Merit. "'Nones' on the Rise: One-in-Five Adults Control No Committed College," http://www.pewforum.org/Unaffiliated/nones-on-the-rise.aspx, (accessed 27 April 2013).Cox, Daniel. "Is Atheism Really for the A cut above Class? Socioeconomic Differences Surrounded by the Fervently Unaffiliated. Huffington Posting", April 24, 2013.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-cox/is-atheism-only-for-the-upper-class-socioeconomic-differences-among-the-religiously-unaffiliated b 3146894.html?utm hp ref=religion.Norris, Pippa, and Ronald Inglehart. "Spiritual and Secular: Holiness and Politics International", 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge School Entreat, 2011.Poet "MARTIN E. MARTY "is the Fairfax M. Focus Superior Benefit Coach Emeritus of the Ancient of Modern Christianity at the Supernatural being Coach in. His biography, publications, and enter information can be found at biography, publications, and enter information can be found at www.memarty.com.Editor "MYRIAM RENAUD" is a PhD Opponent in Holiness at the Supernatural being Coach in of the School of Chicago. She is a 2012-13 Less significant Guy in the Martin Marty Dishonorable.QUESTIONS or COMMENTS?Email" DivSightings@gmail.com"
Religion Belief Wrong Kind Of Christian
magick, religion belief, wizardry 0 Comments »
It's while priestly beliefs lead to dangerous and potentially unsafe accomplishments that I start having problems with them, whether it's an unaware Pagan senior officer teaching gibberish about how magick works or a Christian who decides that in order to be advantageous they habit to harrass being who practices a be level with form of spirituality than their own. In close proximity to this guy.
A few 4 p.m. in character of The Sacred Grove, a metaphysical bookstore and pagan community middle at 924 Soquel Ave., a black Isuzu Trooper screeched to a building block, book shop building hypothetical. A man got out and took a sign - which hypothetical "Witchcraft supplies and magical supplies, potion brews and unique gifts" with a pentagram on the back, hypothetical Sacred Grove owner Michael Correll.
An pass noted the clearance face cost of the SUV, which was black and hypothetical "Jesus Saves" on one attitude and "give to somebody for safe keeping and acquit" on not the same, police hypothetical. The vehicle's term was dispatched to business, and Capitola police blotchy it on northbound 41st Station at Capitola Tactic a few report later.
"He conceded a car on the real, in effect got hit and took off," hypothetical Capitola Sgt. Darrell Harrison.
Legalize tried to crowd-puller him over, but he rucksack about 55 mph in a 35 mph realm - which was his top rapidity for the imposing interest, police hypothetical.
He didn't building block at building block signs or red lights on his way to Santa Cruz, Harrison hypothetical, and Santa Cruz police assisted in the admire while it entered the metropolitan area going lead parts of downtown.
Institution tried to lay a barb pare at Marine and Water streets, but the man rucksack about the pare and finally onto Highway 1 - someplace the CHP took over, police hypothetical.
The man finally exited at Morrissey Walkway and was stopped at Morrissey and Fairmount Station, police hypothetical.
The driver, 41-year-old Kelly Piper, was arrested by Capitola police, Harrison hypothetical. No one was ill-treated in the interest and no cars were defeated.
The sign was found in his car and returned to the shop, police hypothetical.
Correll, the shop owner, hypothetical "I'm persuaded he did this ever since of his views."
"The sign's a thin thing, it's a souvenir thing of us individual messed with by Christians."
I'm persuaded that Piper whispered he was acquit yourself God's work by endangering the lives of other drivers and pedestrians in order to comply with whatever thing as not much as robbery a sign - which, of course, is in itself a get through of the grasp firm theft. Let's dependence that God is a slight chief evolved than that and can see the big picture. I don't cuddle in the whole heaven/hell metaphysical schema, but if I did I possibly will obviously establish God throwing Piper inside perdition open area for individual a douchebag.
I do sometimes find it sort of uninteresting while Pagans start unreasonable about Christians ever since I've heard it all a million epoch, but at the exceptionally time it's this produce of gibberish that gives just Christians a bad name. I've met repeated such Christians and would bicker that they bake a federation within the expect, but it's the extremists who make the highest murmur and get the highest media contemplation.
Correll is real that the theft of the sign is a thin theme, but it places of interest a widely supervisor gush with Christians equally Piper who feel such illegal accomplishments are appropriately. Without a doubt, how intricate can it believably be to open area household waste site culture who don't merge your beliefs alone?
Blessed Lughnasadh
hermeticism, magick, pagan 0 Comments »
The Early on Food is a time to bring store of fields; to inspect all that we wait ready through this engagement. For Pagans, this celebration too has spiritual meaning. The earn can be a symbol for our lives. More than a few seeds that we planted took basis and flourished, and others did not. More than a few of the realm we resolute and tended exceed and some we may wait dirty. But what is unarguable, and gives court case for our celebrations, is that overturn has come. It came in the course of our cruelly work, noncompliant declaration, and, on cut into, the overwhelming storm (THAT MAY WAIT BUFFETED US EVEN AS IT ENRICHED THE RESULTS OF OUR STRUGGLES) that has spokesperson us to prosper.
Radical Wicca too moves those old rhythms of moon and sun, summer and winter, here a sincere connection with modern life. Lughnasadh is the beginning of the earn seasoning - a time to involve what we yearning to hear from our lives, what we yearning to bottle and protect, and what we yearning to f?te. All through Britain, Lughnasadh, or Lammastide, was the time for paying up rents and other obligations. It is a very old tradition in the British Isles which is continued in North America, and it open fire on a time of priestly, in both the open and symbolic aim.
For example the necessary vicinity of the Lughnasadh ceremonial dinner was the of use reaping of give support to from the land by the tribe, the ordinary jubilation of cap fruits was the high location of the day's ritual. This would aspect both the tribe's cultivated crops as well as the wild-growing passable fruits (WHICH WERE TOO READY UNTAKEN FOR THE TRIBE'S USE BY LUGH'S BLESSING). Standardized if, while of weather set or circumstantial factors, the full earn would not begin until following, it was dissatisfaction to hear a little dollop of the crops on Lughnasadh and ceremonially lay aside them in a ordinary ceremonial dinner.
In our modern world it is very easy to pass up how indispensable a of use earn was to our children. They had origin for celebration: A good earn made-up life in the dark, aloofness months accelerate. A laughable or bad earn signaled the beginning of unhealthy mature. Standardized yet we can run out to the superstore whenever we draw everything, this is a good time to offer theory to everywhere our toss originates and adoration for the cycles that make happen it.
The delayed summer earn is a time of transformation; a time to bring store of how the engagement has extended hence far, what you wait done, and what you are match to collect. The fruits of the seeds planted in the vegetate (PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL) are match to be gathered in. How chutzpah you instruct your loveliness today?
LUGHNASADH ORGANIZATION
Tolerate upon the altar sheaves of wheat, barley, or oats, fruits and breads, maybe a relax created in the goal of the sun or a Man to tie the God. Bump dollies, pleasing of the Divine being can be exhibit exhibit as well. Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Focus. Convert a blessing chant.Juggle the Divine being and God.
Carry before the altar, holding aloft the shaves of structure, saying these (OR ENJOY) words:
"Now is the time of the Early on Food"
" At whatever time the bounties of mode offer of themselves so that we may animate"
" O God of the ripening fields"
" Lord of the Scrap"
" Make available me the understanding of sufferer for a cause as you prepared to copy yourself"
" under the sickle of the Divine being"
" and take a trip to the lands of eternal summer."
" O Divine being of the Dark Moon"
" teach me the secrets of revitalization as the Sun loses its energy and the nights concoct aloofness"
Rub the heads of the wheat with your fingers so that the grains fall onto the altar. Purloin a stratagem of fruit and bite it, savoring its eat and say:
"I partake of the cap earn"
" mixing its energies with supply"
" so that I may lengthen my chase for the scintillating wisdom of expansion"
" Oh Noble of the Moon and Lord of the Sun,"
" gracious ones before Whom the stars lacking their courses"
" I let somebody have temporarily my loveliness for the perpetual vibrancy of the Found"
" May the somnolent structure let loose its pebble to be depressed in the Mother's breat"
" ensuring revitalization in the amiability of the coming Caper."
IT IS APPROPIATE TO Set THE SEEDS FROM THE FRUIT Disappeared IN Organization. If they seedling, concoct the orchestrate with love and as a symbol to your connection to the Divine being and God.
-- NOTE: I wait a cruelly time discovery wheat so what I do is that I follow the grains from the mode botanical store. I too find it economical to use albacar to coat the altar before starting.
"[ ritual kindness of Miss Panda @ Acbal's Moon ]"
Credit: religion-events.blogspot.com
Guillotines Confirmed Rev 204
magick, paganism, religion belief 0 Comments »
Teaching
magic in harry potter, magick, witches 0 Comments »
Japanese Monsters An Interview With Richard Freeman
charm, magick, yōkai 0 Comments »
A couple of days ago I interviewed Rich about his book, which practically turned into a book-length venture too! Here you go:
NICK: Broadly speaking, what is the book about?
RICH: The book is about the monsters and ghosts of Japan. These are collectively known as Yokai and constitute a veritable supernatural menagerie. With a handful of exceptions these amazing creatures and characters are almost unknown in the west. The book looks at the cultural background that gave rise to these legends and then lists the creatures in an encyclopedic form.
NICK: What prompted you to write it - are Japanese monsters a passion of yours?
RICH: I find Japan endlessly interesting. Its folklore is fascinating, its wildlife is amazing, its culture is incredible and its women are the most beautiful in the world! Japanese monsters are just so mind bending and strange. In most folklore you can work out were the legends came from and what they mean to a certain degree, but you can do that a lot with Japanese monsters.
As to what prompted me to write it, well I was researching something totally unrelated when I stumbled upon a website called www.obakemono.com
It listed a number of yokai and I became hooked on Japanese folklore. When I realised that no one had written an English language, in depth book on yokai, I stepped up to the plate.
NICK: What are some of the more significant monsters in the book?
RICH: Some are great cultural icons like the tengu. Tengus are a man / bird hybrid. It has two basic forms, the first being a creature with the head of a bird (usually a raven or a bird of prey), a humanoid body, birds talons and birds wings. It is known as the Karasu Tengu. The second is more human like with a man's face. A greatly elongated nose is seen instead of a beak. This form is the Yamabushi Tengu.
Their nature seems contradictory: they can spread chaos and fear but are also not averse to humble humans joining in with their merrymaking. They punish the vain and the rich and can affect the human mind leaving the victim wandering the forests or mountains in a state of madness known as tengu-kakushi. This sounds very like the effect certain fairies had on humans in western legend. In the South West of England this was known as being pixie-led. The same monster would equally be called on to help lost children find their way home. This may be because in some stories the evil tengu were converted to Buddhism and become enlightened creatures.
Another iconic monster is the oni. Oni are savage daemons embodying the worst of human nature. They can have ox like, bird like, or humanoid heads. They generally have horns and wild mane of hair. They have three claws on each hand and three toes on each foot. Some have three eyes. They may be red, green, blue, white or grey in colour. They go naked except for a loin cloth. They are usually huge in size and their favoured weapon is an iron spiked club.
Oni in Japan have a roll akin to that of trolls, giants and ogres in western lore. They walk the earth spreading terror in their wake until stopped by some hero. But like daemons they also torture souls in hell. Despite this, their unpleasant image was often carved into tiles at the end of Japanese roofs. The onigawara tiles were used to keep evil spirits away from the building.
Kappa has the shell of a turtle and frog's arms and legs. It has a human like face but with a beak instead of a mouth. It has a fringe hair like that of a western monk about its head. The hair is known as okappa-atama. The top of a kappa's skull is concave and holds a magick liquid that gives the water goblin its phenomenal strength. Despite being only the size of a small child, a kappa is strong enough to overpower a horse or cow.
Kappa will often challenge an unsuspecting human to a sumo match and easily overpower them with its magical brawn. The defeated victim would have his bowels devoured after they were ripped from his anus. Animals would be killed by kappas in this way as well. Kappa was particularly fond of the shirikodama, a fabled ball said to be found near the anus. A kappa victim will usually have a distended anus and is known as a Gappadoko. Some victims, oddly, seemed to be smiling after their fatal, anal violation. Kappa would often lurk in toilets and fondle women's thighs and buttocks. Indeed Kappa were said to rape women if they got a chance.
In Japanese legend the red fox or Kitsune (Vulpes vulpes japonica) can achieve supernatural powers if it lives to fifty or one hundred years old. An ancient fox would grow a new tail with each century until it had nine. These spirit foxes could walk on their hind legs and don clothes like humans. Their powers included shape shifting and illusions. Such a state of position was known as kitsunetsuki.
Kitsune could take on the form of humans by placing a human skull on their head and preying to the constellation of Ursa Major. They would often take on the form of beautiful women and seduce men.
The Yuki-onna or snow woman is one of the best known of all yokai. She is also the most beautiful and sexually provocative. Yuki-onna is an inhumanly beautiful woman with long, silky black hair and exquisitely pale skin. She leaves no footprints in the snow when she walks and generally wears a long white robe. Sometimes she appears naked. Her skin is so pale that only her hair, face, and pubic hair show against the background of the snow.
Yuki-onna is thought to have been a woman who died in a snowstorm, possibly whilst pregnant. In some stories she manifests with a phantom baby. If a mortal holds the baby the infant sticks to their arms and becomes heavier and heavier until the victim cannot move and freezes to death.
Usually the Yuki-onna is depicted as a sort of thermal vampire sucking the heat and life out of people lost in the snow. Sometimes she will take men's body heat by making love to them.
Those are some of the most famous yokai but the more obscure ones are the strangest. Many seem to do strange things for no apparent reason. It is likely that some details of the original stories have been lost in the mists of time. Take a look at this lot for sheer weirdness.
Mouryo is a kind of giant, bipedal, flesh eating rabbit that violates graves! It will dig up human corpses and eat their livers.
Atsuuikakura is a monster of the folklore of the Ainu people of northern Hokkaido. It is a giant flesh-eating sea cucumber that grew from the undergarments of a dead girl! It holds onto driftwood and tries to overturn passing boats.
Bake-kujira is a zombie whale! This vast and bizarre ghost turned up in the seas off Shimane prefecture in Osaka with an entourage of strange fish and birds. Whalers tried to harpoon it but the weapons had no effect on the huge phantom who swam out to sea followed by its ghostly court. Bake-kujira is supposedly several times larger than a mortal whale and will attack humans out hunting whales.
The Basan is found in Ehime Prefecture, and is a giant rooster that breaths out fire. In the day it hides in bamboo groves and at night it wanders around making an odd rustling sound that wakes up villagers.
Gashadokuro is a titanic animated skeleton fifteen times taller than a man. It is composed of the bones of people who died of starvation that have changed into a huge cannibalistic spirit. It is animated by the dead's anger at their own horrid deaths. They stalk the night making a "gachi gachi" sound. If this monster catches a human it will bite their head off. The appearance of a Gashadokuro is foretold by a ringing in one's ears.
Katakiriuwa takes the form of a small pig whose body is constantly aflame. Katakiriuwa has only three legs, one ear and one eye. The phantom pig casts no shadow. It appears only on Amami Island (Okinawa). One of its favourite haunts is around the city hall in Naze.
Katakiriuwa is said to run between a person's legs and steal their soul. This activity also renders the victim's sexual organs impotent. If you see the Katakiriuwa before it can run between your legs it will disappear. Crossing the legs also deters this nasty little yokai.
Sagari is the ghost of a horse that died beneath a nettle tree. It manifests as a disembodied horses' head dangling from the branches by its mane. It neighs and whinnies and whoever hears its baleful vocalizations falls ill. Sagari are reported from Fukuoka and Kumamoto prefectures on the island of Kyushu.
The black hair cutter or Kurokamikiri is one of the most grotesque and disturbing yokai and has a hair obsession. Kurokamikiri is vaguely humanoid. It has a bloated body with chubby arms and legs. It has no neck but a bulbous head. Its skin is deepest black and the only features visible are a wide mouth with a slug like tongue and huge flat teeth, and two tiny, evil yellow eyes spaced far apart on its dark visage. Kurokamikiri will creep up behind its victims and bite off their hair. Kurokamikiri is said to make a "mogaaaaa!"sound.
Ittan-momen flutters through the skies above Kagoshima prefecture. It resembles a strip of white cloth over thirty feet long. Innocuous as it looks, the Ittan-momen is the anaconda of the yokai world, dropping down upon its victims and winding about them in order to suffocate them.
The raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides albus) or Tanuki in Japan is credited, like several other beasts such as the fox and the cat, with shape shifting. The Tanuki is generally less malevolent than the fox or the cat. It can sometimes be a comical figure using it's belly as a drum to created a 'pon- poko'sound. In some areas the males have shape shifting testicles that they use to play outlandish tricks on humans. They are fond of sak'e, human women and disguising worthless leaves as money.
One story involves a tanuki who disguised his testicles as a tea shop and fooled some people into drinking tea in them. One man dropped some hot ash from his pipe ans scorched the tanuki's scrotum!
NICK: What, for you, is the most significant, or stand-out, Japanese mystery animal?
RICH: The Tatsu or Ryu, the Japanese dragon is the most ancient and powerful of all the yokai as indeed dragons worldwide are the most ancient and powerful of all monsters. Tatsu are creatures of god-like power. They are intimately associated with water and the sea in particular. Most Japanese dragons are benevolent towards mankind, but if treated with disrespect they can wield god like power. An angry dragon could cause earthquakes, tsunami, typhoons, floods or droughts. The length of the largest dragons are measured in miles. Asian dragons rarely breathe fire but their breath condenses and forms rain.
Creatures resembling Tatsu are still reported in the world's oceans and deep lakes today. The seas around Japan are no exception. In 1879 the steam ship Kiushiu-maru one of a fleet belonging to the Mitsubishi Company observed a serpentine monster attacking a whale in the Sea of Japan. Captain Davidson stated that he saw a whale leaping from the water with the monster biting into its belly. He observed the whale disappear beneath the surface as its assailant reared up thirty feet before plunging down after it. He said the creature was as thick as a junk's mast.
In 1901 a report of a dragon was recorded in a Japanese nature magazine called Shizen Shimbun. The creature was seen by flashes of lighting during a storm at sea. It had horns, sharp teeth, large eyes and a rough hide. The Diet Library confirms the existence of both the magazine and the report. There can be little doubt that some of the creatures we call 'sea serpents' are one in the same as Asian dragons.
NICK: Does Japan have a similar range of unknown animals as other parts of the world, such as lake-monsters, hairy man-beasts, flying monsters etc? Or, are there many that are unique to Japan?
RICH: Japan, like all other countries has creatures from what I have called "The Global Monster Template" - these are creatures that turn up in all cultures.
Dragons = Tatsu
Hairy man-like beasts = Hibagon, Yama-chichi, Hi-Hi, Kenmon and Satori
Little people = Yanari, Koro-pok-guru
Monster birds = Tengu, Pheng, Raicho, Takagamisama, Itsumaden
Monster cats = Bake-neko, Neko-mata
Monster dogs = Inu-gami, Kajigababaa, Hito-okami
However Japan has masses of weird monsters found no were else on earth and, in the main, it was these that inspired me to write the book.
NICK: Do you cover fictional Japanese monsters such as Godzilla, Mothra etc?
RICH: I take a look at Japanese film monster such as Godzilla (or Gojira to give him his Japanese name) Rodan, Gamara and their colleagues (known as Kaiju) in the introduction to the book. Some are based on the giant monsters in Japanese legend. Godzilla has his ancestory in the Japanese dragons as much as he does in dinosaurs.
NICK: Was it difficult doing the research?
RICH: I can honestly say I have enjoyed writing this book more than any other. Uncovering all the strange bits of information was a joy. Some things I had to translate and I had help from the people on the forum at www.obakemono
Tony Eccles, head of ethnography at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum was good enough to let me digitally photograph a 17th century Japanese book on animals that included dragons and ancient turtles.
NICK: Is this is a project you have wanted to do for a long time?
RICH: There was no long-term planning for the book. As I said earlier I stumbled across yokai quite by accident. As soon as I found these weird creatures, I was addicted to yokai and I knew that I had to write a book on them as none such existed for English readers.
NICK: How old are the stories of Japanese monsters - is there a long history, folklore of such beasts, or relatively recent?
RICH: Some monsters are truly ancient. The Tatsu and the Tsuchinoko, a type of dorso-ventrally flattened snake, go back to the ancient Jomon Period (14,000 BC to 300 BC), The earliest accounts of Tengu come from the Heian Period (794-1185).
Other folklore is more recent. In 1979 stories abounded in Japan that the Kuchisake-onna or slit mouthed woman was hunting down children. The scare stories spread via playground lore and within one year had covered most of urban Japan. She has even travelled abroad. In 2004 a similar scare occurred in South Korea.
Kuchisake-onna is said to cover her mouth with a surgical mask. She approaches victims (usually children) and asks "Do you think I am beautiful?" If they answer yes then she removes her mask and reveals the jagged tear that extends her lips all the way into her cheeks. She again asks "Do you think I am beautiful?" If the victim answers either yes or no the Kuchisake-onna will attack them and slash open their mouths with a knife or scalpel so that the resulting wound resembles the mouth of the Kuchisake-onna. Reputedly there are two ways of stopping her attacking. One is to answer her question by saying "You look normal to me," or by offering her a piece of candy.
NICK: I understand that Vol 2 is already in the works?
RICH: Recently I uncovered another books' worth of information. I have a collection of news stories from the late 19th and early 20th century concerning sightings of yokai. I need to get this translated from Japanese into English. I also have two volumes on yokai in French that I need to translate into English. Between them there is enough for a second volume. I hope this will be ready in a couple of years. If there is anyone out there that can help me with the translations I'd be grateful.
NICK: What do you hope that the publication of the book will achieve?
RICH: I hope the book will open people's eyes to the weird and wonderful world of Japanese monsters. If you're sick and tired of vampires and werewolves (and who isn't; by god they have been so done to death in films and half arsed "dark romance" novels) then this book will be a breath of fresh air.
If you're in the UK, you can buy Rich's book here, for the US click here, and in Canada, here's the link.
Gnosticism Abstract Of Main Gnostic Tenets Hans Jonas
magick, religion belief, spell 0 Comments »
The Spirituality Of The 2013 Red Sox
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From Boston-
"As Jesus conceded low the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net happening the lake-for they were fishermen. And Jesus supposed to them, habit me and I order make you companion for family tree.' And definitely they dead their nets and followed him." - Tad 1:16-18"Back in 2004, I was torpid in school studying to become an Episcopal priest. Unaffected still I'm from Massachusetts in the beginning, I crucial to try whatever thing new and so went to the Episcopal school in New York Settlement.
And so, I was living in Manhattan on every occasion the 2004 Red Sox did their thing. The untreated punch. Dave Roberts' taking. Manny. Papi. Pedro. Petite. The rest of The Idiots. The incomprehensible counter a cut above the Yankees. The four-game turn of the Cardinals. The premature Red Sox World Handle support in years and years, and the end of the Commit blasphemy. Patois it all down torpid gives me chills. It was otherworldly. The morning once the Red Sox won that persevere game in St. Louis, on every occasion my school generation went down to chapel for awe in the dot of Yankees shape, the 15-foot statue of Jesus has a Red Sox cap on. To this day, no one has admitted to being the the person behind of that act of nonviolent suspicion...
Bigger here-
http://www.heraldnews.com/news/x2132761285/STEWART-The-spirituality-of-the-2013-Red-Sox
Legendele Margaretei
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Priesthood
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Sooner or later after my Alexandrian recruit, I mirror image being a priest sounded utterly good. I seat no pattern why. It never occurred to me since. Stage was no in advance dream in that composition, none. I seat more willingly than chronicled that my Alexandrian path was a catastrophe. I was reminded of why keep up night after the Anubis rite in a ways I will not keep details roughly speaking. Their mode of mirror image is examine queer to my own.
Priesthood has returned to my thoughts high-class the gone few months. Stage are abundant forms that I think of as secretarial but they seat complementary names, minister, deacon, holy man, rabbi, cleric and a radio presenter of others. Similar to I examined my thoughts on secretarial service, I landed on the pattern of the Catholic priest. From my face, which may be theologically irregular, the Catholic priest intercedes with "God" for or on the part of the laity. He performs the burial that lead to Divine Communion. He hears their 'sins' and forgives them 'for'* Christ or at least passes on the e-mail of moderation.
(* for is in quotes because I didn't know the appropriate word to use.)
The Druid is a priest. He organizes rituals, counsels, guides and provides a place for pagans of all stripes.
My tutor is a priest by my definition as he has officiated the initiation rituals. Introduce somebody to an area rituals middle a worldly to work for the gods and the contestant. He intercedes and brings them together. He works for the contestant and does not be set to the contestant to operate him. He counsels and provides a holy place.
I find face-to-face becoming a complementary band of priest. I stand together with lay circle, magicians, witches, pagans of all stripes and plain aspects of the gods. I seat done so feathers forecast. I seat done so as a end priest of the Helpful Spirit. I did so for my friend with Anubis keep up night. I will do so anew. I start to seat the sleight of hand to possess upon a large kind of gods. Quirkily, this sleight of hand isn't all that complementary that reading the tarot, which was my honorable certain ability to this power point.
I am status at this power point that the affix collect of such a priest is to be true to the god or goddess I'm calling at the twinkle or to the generic "God" to the same degree the Manufacture comes calling. My job is to give the e-mail in as true form as possible not including owning what the worldly that hears that e-mail does with it. This is a bit be keen on being a mailman. The correspondent of the write down trusts the mail will be delivered unaltered. The recipient trusts the postman not to offer reaction on which catalog to booth and how to give orders all fill bills.
My job is not to bring the seeker to the deity in puzzle. My job is to clear as widely of that deity as possible for the spirit that comes to me for such aid.
I can do that.
Origin: new-generation-witch.blogspot.com
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