Spirulina Green Goodness

Yum!My first Inventive incense was a success!Forced Inventive Good worthRecipie as follows:Sandlewood 1ptOrris Cement 3ptGold bars Copal 1/4 pt1/2 teaspoon Spirulinasnitch of Sagehint of Amber Central (non-discriminatory for a cute copy)Liquid I used Taste Tea: a bond of herbs and plants missing ruined from drinking Teathese were formed trendy brushwood and cones both burned uninterrupted and formed wellahh.....I love it whenever you like recipies turn out well!These were through for Forced in logicInventive whim the promising lushessnessThe Spirulina itself burns so well and yummieit has an actual Inventive smellThis was a recipie through for the Shrine of Ligir as a ceremonial/ritual/prayer incenseMeasly in the Twist,Unicorn* posted in Madden Magick - 0 replies

Rose Quartz Love Talisman

Rose Quartz is one of the most powerful and useful crystals or stones in matters of the heart, and is used extensively by all magic pratitioners in love spells and love related magic. It is especially useful and can increase results many fold when used in conjunction with the amazing Carnelian.

Rose Quartz and Carnelian should be kept or worn close to the heart for matters of the heart, and you can buy it prepared and ready for use from BlackMagic.org.uk in 2 different ways.

Option 1) A Rose Quartz tumblestone fully charged and blessed during a love ritual so that it will begin working for you right away at just lb19.95 (postage and packing is FREE).

Option 2) A Rose Quartz tumblestone fully charged and blessed during a black magic love ritual PLUS a love spell cast over it so that it will offer you maximum power and begin working for you as soon as you receive it at just lb29.95 (postage and packing is FREE).

You should consider also ordering Carnelian (very well known in magic as bringing love and anchoring spells) and Clear Quartz (a crystal used to amplify the power of magic spells and their influences).

If you are interested in the maximum benefit that these stones and crystals can offer you then I have 2 special offers for you (simply email me to let me know exactly what you require):

SPECIAL OFFER No. 1) Order ANY TWO of Rose Quartz, Carnelian, and Clear Quartz fully charged, blessed during a love ritual AND with a love spell cast over them, and pay only lb44.95 (normally lb29.95 each) SAVING YOU lb14.95 or c.25%!

SPECIAL OFFER No.2) Order ALL THREE of Rose Quartz, Carnelian, and Clear Quartz fully charged, blessed during a love ritual, AND with a love spell cast over them, and pay only lb57 (normally lb29.95 each) SAVING YOU lb32.85 or over 35%!

(FREE postage and packing on all orders).

Making Contact With Your Guardian Angel And Spirit Guides

I wanted to write this a bit earlier but I unexpectedly came down with a nasty flu bug that seems to still be taking a bit of a tole on my body. Hopefully I'll be back up and running on full once more. :-) Losing 10 pounds in 3 days from being sick to your stomach can be a bit scary for someone like me with my past. Now I call upon my spiritual guides and guardian angels because this is a time of need.I am about to share with you sacred and ancient information passed down to me by my ancestral memories and experiences. I've been given the 'ok' to pass the information from my guides to anyone who has open eyes and ears.We all have guides around us. Some come in form of angelic looking beings with giant wings, others come to us as a protector or spirit animal. They come in many shapes and forms and all are here to guide and protect us, to help us when in need and to assist us when called upon. Regardless of faith or religion, we are all highly spiritual beings, so are our angels and guides. Almost all religions around the world recognize that we have some form of guardian angel, spirit guide or animal totem. Your guardian angel can help you when you feel depressed, lonely or in need of emotional support. They can also help inspire you at difficult times. Sometimes you may receive new insight from their support and comfort. Nothing is too large or considered trivial when asking their advice for guidance."LET'S BEGIN THE TEACHINGS TO CONTACT AND FEEL YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL AND SPIRIT GUIDE: "For starters you must become receptive in many ways. This first way is to rid yourself of any negative thoughts. This isn't hard to do and I'm not asking you to do it all day, everyday. Though you would be amazed how you would feel if you never focused or gave thought to those. If you feel surrounded by negative emotions like fear, hurt or anger, you must let go of these before we can continue. These emotions create a barrier around your aura like a hard shell. It then becomes harder for you to break free or allow the love and energy from others to come in. It is also difficult for your guardian angel to reach you if you have such walls up. Surround yourself in thoughts of things or memories that make you happy and bring a smile to your face. Often if we think of our childhood or reams we had of flying, this will help. Sometimes larger measures are taken, like a meditation shower or bath, a soul/spirit cleansing ritual or something else along those lines. I highly recommend doing a personal '"SACRED SPACE"' cleansing of your self and aura before you start.When you have become receptive as I described above you can move on to the next step in contacting your angel or spirit guide. You must have a peaceful and personal place environment. This can be a small place in your home, a corner of a room, near a window, in your bed room or for some, the bathroom it's self. You need to create a space where you are comfortable, where it is extremely quiet. Many of my Witch friends have already have an alter set up that provides them with a spot for meditation and magical work. This is a perfect spot for contacting your angels and spirit guides. Adorn your peaceful area is with candles, flowers, seasonal items, lovely pictures and items that resinate with you and your spirituality. The items should help you create a positive mood. No items that have negative residual energy or bring you negative memories should be used in this area. If your home and property provide complete silence then I suggest you don't use music. However, there are many that hear the delightful noise of neighbors, machinery in the background or traffic in the distance. You want to separate yourself for the time being from those distractions and unnatural noises. Place some music around you that is based around nature. Find some beautiful waves splashing, frogs croaking or some native drumming is always good! It must be light, nothing that will bring distractions or that you would want to start singing along to. The music is simply to get your spirit ready and relaxed.Now we have created your mood and your sacred space. Once both of these are done, you will already begin to feel more approachable by your guides. You'll also begin to feel your energy shifting in a more positive direction. You may even begin to feel physically lighter.The next step is to ready yourself inside you space. Sit in your sacred space, do not stand. You may sit directly on the floor or use a chair. If you use a chair be sure to sit up straight with your feet and legs uncrossed, unless this is a large comfortable chair and you want to sit in a Yoga or 'Indian' style. Now it is time to close your eyes and keep them closed until the later time. Place your palms upwards and relax your arms on your legs. You will begin to breathe in through your nose, taking deep breaths and exhaling out your mouth. Silently count to three when inhaling and exhale for a count of six. Continue to do this at least for 2 to 5 minutes. You must feel your body begin to relax. As you are doing this, silently in your mind count your blessings and make a gratitude list. Think good thoughts about those you love and share your life with. In your mind think of things that make you grateful to be alive. While you continue to breathe in and exhale make sure your thoughts stay in the mode of joy, love and gratitude. If the beach makes you happy, then focus on yourself being their in your mind, even if you have never gone their in the physical. These thoughts you are thinking at this time should be pure and allow you to draw your angel near with the love that your aura is beginning to shine.The next step is to continue to breathe as you were above but this time we are going to do a visualization with your breathing. When you inhale through your nose (for a count of three, minimal) imagine you are inhaling specs of gold that look like angel dust or fairy magic. This delicate gold 'star dust' must be breathed in and absorbed into your soul. As you continue to breathe, visualize this sparkly dust or energy particles beginning to swirl around your feet. The more you relax and breathe the more the golden energy surrounds your aura. Visualize the gold particles creating the sacred shape of an egg around your aura and body. Continue to breath in the particles and allow a golden light to become one with them. As you visualize and breathe, your egg and aura will begin to glow brighter and brighter until they are one in the same. If you begin to feel a tingle throughout your body, this is normal and you are feeling your energy flow. Some call this the ancient Chi or life force in us. It is easier for your angelic guide to come to you when you can feel your golden aura and have achieved a peaceful state of mind.Continue to sit in your sacred space with your golden aura surrounding you. The little particles or dust like specs still swirling all about, never standing still, but creating this perfect egg shaped golden aura. You are safe now. Know you are safe, know you are loved. Aloud or in your mind, ask your guardian angel to step inside your aura and gently touch you. Continue to breath and with your eyes still closed be open to any physical sensations, a touch on the face a brush of your skin, the hairs raised on the back of your neck. You may smell a sweet fragrance of flowers or something else that is delightful. You may feel warmth and your guide may place their wings around you. Sometimes the first contact is small and my only be felt as air across your cheek. You must trust that your angel has responded to you and is very close. Continue to keep your eyes closed and your golden aura going. Know your angel is inside your aura with you and mentally or aloud say "thank you". Sometimes after we give thanks they feel acknowledged and make their presence know even more. It may not always be a physical touch or smell, but usually that plays an important role. Sometimes our guides come and we feel them as an emotion. You may suddenly begin to cry for no reason, not that you are sad or mad or that anything is wrong. Or, you may all of a sudden feel extremely happy while you are sitting there contacting your angel. This is your validation, your guides way of showing you he or she is here when they are needed. Your guide has a name. Not all names a pronounceable in our earthly tongue so often our guides will place a more human name with themselves. Sometimes the name is rare and unique wile others offer a common and sometimes humorous name to make us smile. This is the next step for you to take while your guide and you are in your golden aura. Aloud or in your mind ask your guides name. This first name that pops in your head is your guides name. Do not second guess it, do not question it. This is the name your guide has given him or herself. You may now use this name in the future when contacting and addressing your guide. In your mind or aloud ask your guide with assistance in a part of your life or current situation that needs immediate attention. Know your guide will play a vital role in the outcome and set your worries aside for it is out of your hands now.Now that you know your guides name and have made first contact, we can move on to the final step. It is time to physically see your guide. Your guide will choose how you will see him or her. Sometimes they show us in full, a beautiful body with large wings and a grand aura surrounding them. Sometimes they come as a native chief in full headdress or an ancestor we once knew. Other times we may only see a glimpse of their energy, a shadow or movement. Sometimes it looks like a ripple in the room or the bend of energy and we know something is there. Do not be discouraged if you only see a small bit of your guide. This is the first time and you may need to work on your ridding yourself of negative energies before you are capable of fully seeing. The final step is to once again thank your guide. Aloud and in your mind say "Thank you". Let your angel or guide know you are going to open your eyes and you would like to see them. Once again, take a deep breath and open your eyes. As I mentioned above you may see only a small shadow or spec of different color move quickly away. You may see tiny little white or golden particles in front of your eyes or you may see your guide standing or sitting with you. It all depends on how open you are and the amount of negative that may still linger in the room or sacred space you have created. You must follow all the steps to achieve the desired contact with your guardian angel or spirit guide. Thank your guide once more and continue to visualize your aura as golden and bright. You may allow other colors to enter but know your angel is attracted to you most when your aura is mighty and ready to communicate.Thank you for taking the time to listen and take in these words. I do not take this post lightly and I contemplated on even writing it for the publics view. I am only sharing the ancestral and angelic information that has been shared with me from my guides and memories. I ask that you love all life as one unit and hold this world sacred and ancient teachings sacred.Namaste,Kandice ThompsonReverend & High Priestess

Virginmartyr Julia Of Carthage

COMMEMORATED ON JULY 16The Virgin Martyr Julia was born in Carthage into a Christian family. While still a girl she was captured by the Persians. They carried her off to Syria and sold her into slavery. Fulfilling the Christian commandments, St Julia faithfully served her master. She preserved herself in purity, kept the fasts and prayed much to God. No amount of urging by her pagan master could turn her to idolatry. Once the master set off with merchandise for Gaul and took St Julia with him. Along the way the ship stopped over at the island of Corsica, and the master decided to take part in a pagan festival, but Julia remained on the ship. The Corsicans plied the merchant and his companions with wine, and when they had fallen into a drunken sleep, they took Julia from the ship. St Julia was not afraid to acknowledge that she was a Christian, and the savage pagans crucified her. An angel of the Lord reported the death of the holy martyr to the monks of a monastery, located on a nearby island. The monks took the body of the saint and buried it in a church in their monastery. In about the year 763 the relics of the holy Martyr Julia were transferred to a women's monastery in the city of Breschia (historians give conflicting years of the death of the saint: as either the fifth or seventh century).SOURCE:"SAINT OR FEAST POSTED THIS DATE 2009(with 2008's link here also):"

The Metaphysical View Of Death And Life After Death Part 3 Posted By Leonard Lee

Dutiful beliefs relating to death and the after-life.

Law of Glisten Glisten with Rituals and Stare at Strength Posted By : Daniel Hinds

Rituals are an indicative aspect of terribly keep fit of the laws of attraction. Sans the full knowledge of the inner concern and the rituals must to the practice your have a disagreement movement be less than bountiful.

The Metaphysical Tot up of Fatal outcome and Animation Overdue Fatal outcome Offshoot 7 Posted By : Leonard Lee

Cope with of the withdrawal of the physical form. The Three Bardos.

Mystical and astrology how does it affects our thesis lives Posted By : Lloyd Velarde

What do you mean by psychic and astrology? Does it alarm your thesis lives or it has whatever thing that makes you swanky it is a part of you and uncover that all other relevant are equally connected to it. Genuine read the after psychics and astrology clarification, so you can occasion your confusion to this genre of matters.

The Metaphysical Tot up of Fatal outcome and Animation Overdue Fatal outcome Offshoot 6 Posted By : Leonard Lee

Domestic upbringing in a snooty load. The Tibetan Observe. The Bardo Thodol. Buddhist beliefs. The Bardos and Tibetan Practices Comparable to Desertion.

A Nationwide Thorough at Alchemy Offshoot 1 Posted By : Leonard Lee

Alchemy's Downward gradient. Intent of Alchemy. Alchemy's Transmission to Christendom. Levels of Alchemy.

Christian Violence Sightings

Perhaps you've heard rumors that Muslims are violent, even though they claim to be a religion of peace. The folks spreading this word tend to be Christians, but as Jesus said be sure to take the log out of your own eye before trying to take the splinter out of your neighbor's eye. And thus, today, Martin Marty reviews a number of recent reports on the level of Christian violence. Perhaps we all need to step back and recognize that religiously inspired violence is not the province of any one specific religion, but is a possibility present in all of them (as well as in non-religious communities). One need not take the story literally to see in the story of Cain and Abel a parable for every age. Thus, I pass you on to the care and feeding of Martin Marty who offers helpful wisdom on the issue of Christian violence."
""SIGHTINGS" 10/25/2010CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE- MARTIN E. MARTY"Christians kill too!" is the topic this week as frightened and angry Americans keep raising the temperature of Islam-versus-Everyone-Else controversies. In his new book "Christianity and Genocide in Rwanda", Timothy Longman writes that in three months in 1994 more than one-tenth of the population of Rwanda was killed. Longman notes, "Rwanda is an overwhelmingly Christian Country, with just under 90 percent of the population in a 1991 census claiming membership in a Catholic, Protestant, or Seventh-Day Adventist Church." Killers from these churches engaged in ecumenical savagery, their mass-murdering sanctioned by the church and, as is well-known, often occurred in church sanctuaries turned slaughter houses. "Muslims [1.2 percent of the population] are also said to have participated much less willingly in the genocide and in particular to have resisted killing fellow Muslims," according to Longman.Another book much discussed this week is Eliza Griswold's "The Tenth Parallel: Dispatches from the Fault Line between Christianity and Islam". Ms. Griswold spoke at the church where she was confirmed; her father was the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the U.S. Hers is a ground-level report along the tenth parallel in Africa and Asia, an area in which half of the world's 13 billion Muslims and 60 percent of the world's billion Christians live, die, hope, and kill. One can know those statistics, but it is hard to absorb them. Griswold spent much time with Franklin Graham, who serves people in need and provocatively tries to convert Muslims in dangerous zones. His dismissal of Islam as a wicked and evil religion is well-reported on in the United States-and in Islamic spheres!Abdullahi Abdullahi, a Muslim lawyer told Griswold of an outbreak of violence: "That was the day ethnicity disappeared entirely and the conflict became just about religion." One suffering pastor, while citing the Bible, told her of the killing, "This is about religious intolerance; Our God is different than the Muslim God." At Yelwa in Nigeria Griswold visited killing fields where 660 Muslims were massacred in two days alone; twelve mosques were burned. Archbishop Peter Akinola, well known in the United States, head of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, told her, "No Christian would pray for violence, but it would be utterly na"ive to sweep this issue of Islam under the carpet. I'm not out to combat anybody. I am only doing what the Holy Spirit tells me to do... Let no Muslim think they have the monopoly on violence." They don't. Western encouragers of hatred against Muslims or, if Muslims, against Christians, play with fire--and death."Disclaimers:" First, the Christian apologist in me relishes chances to report on Christian peace-making. Second, there is no interest here in "equivalency" in reporting body-counts when reporting on, say, Africa: Who started each killing, and who killed most settles little. Third, there is no Western (or Christian) self-hate operating here. Finally, reporting on Christian-Muslim killing is not an advertisement for the claims of the Four Horsemen of the current Atheist Front, who argue that if we got rid of religion all would be well.Following up on the fourth, I look at "Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin", a new giant of a book which reports on when, as the Economist report "two totalitarian empires, Nazi Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union, killed 14 million non-combatants, in peacetime and in war." The latter was officially atheist, and the former bizarrely disdainful of the faiths. Where did their abolition of religion get us?Finally, the current "Christian Century" includes an article by Eliza Griswold, "On the Fault Line," which features Pastor James Wuye and Imam Nuryan Ashaffa who are working with some success to find ways for people in Kaduna to coexist peacefully and creatively across the boundaries of their two faiths."References""History and Its Woes: How Stalin and Hitler Enabled Each Other's Crimes, The Economist", October 14, 2010.Eliza Griswold, "The Tenth Parallel:Dispatches from the Fault Line Between Christianity and Islam "(New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010).
. "On the Fault Line," Christian Century," November 2, 2010.Timothy Longman, "Christianity and Genocide in Rwanda" (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010). Timothy Snyder, "Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin" (New York: Basic Books, 2010)."Martin E. Marty's biography, current projects, publications, and contact information can be found at www.illuminos.com."
"Sightings" comes from the Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago Divinity School.

Rousalii Romania

In Romania, Pentecost or the week after, including Trinity Sunday, is the time when the Rousalii, the three daughters of an emperor who were ill-treated during their lives on earth and later became goddesses, set out to cause misery and mischief wherever they could. Traditional Romanian belief holds that during the period from Trinity Sunday to St. Peter's Day (June 29), the Rousalii roam over the earth, causing high winds and storms. People may be caught up in whirlwinds, or children may be snatched from the arms of their mothers if they venture outdoors or travel any distance from home.

On the eve of Rousalii, it is traditional to place a twig of wormwood under your pillow. Because medicinal herbs supposedly lose their potency for several weeks after Rousalii, it is considered unwise to gather any herbs from the fields until at least nine weeks have passed.

THEMES: "Humour; Protection; Weather; Fertility; Fairies; Growth"

SYMBOLS: "Water; Linen; Green Robes"

PRESIDING GODDESSES: "The Rousalii"

ABOUT THE ROUSALII:

A group of ill-treated women in life, these Goddess often create mischief when they interact with humans, especially those with nasty dispositions. They do, however, have a good side. The Rousalii know the dances that make plants and people grow and thrive, and sometimes they will teach them to humans. In literature, the Rousalii sometimes appear as water fairies, begging linen from passers-by, which they use to make green robes for fertility rites.

TO DO TODAY:

In Romania, people would tell you that it is best to stay home today and leave the Rousalii offerings of bread and salt to avert their impish ways. If it's windy, definitely stay home; this means the ladies are in a foul mood. To protect yourself, place wormwood under your pillow, pull the covers over your head, and stay put!

On a less drastic level, wear something green to keep them happy and try this spell to encourage the Rousalii's growth or maturity in any area of your life. Take a little piece of linen (or cotton cloth) and dance with it in your hand, moving clockwise and saying:

"The dance of life"The dance of power"Rousalii, join me this magic hour!"To "bring growth and maturity"By your power this spell is freed!"

Fill in the blank with your intention. Tuck the swatch of cloth on your person, or close to the area that represents your goal.

Found in 365 Goddess and Answers.com

New Moon Spell Kit New Beginnings New Moon Ritual By Inkedgoddess

12,00 USD

Honor the New Moon and harness its power with this New Moon Spell Kit from Inked Goddess Creations.

Included in this kit are:

~Dark Gray Votive Candle in Eucalyptus, Bergamot and Sandalwood blend to burn during your New Moon Ritual

~1/4 oz Glass Vial of New Moon Herbal Incense and Spell Powder, which can be burned during your ritual, or sprinkled into a mojo bag to carry with you.

~3ml Glass Vial of New Moon Spell Oil with herbs. The New Moon Spell Oil is a base of Apricot Kernel oil specially blended with Eucalyptus, Sandalwood and Ylang Ylang oils with Eucalyptus and Willow herbs added in, to be used to anoint objects, to be worn by the spell worker, or to dress the votive before burning.

~2" x 3" Bag of New Moon Herbs, which can be used to add to a mojo bag, used as an offering, or even added to bath water for a ritual bath.

~Silver Moonstone gemstone to add to mojo bag, carry with you, or set out as an offering during your ritual.

~2 Charcoal Discs for incense burning

~4" x 5" Piece of Parchment Paper to write your spell, wishes or intentions.

~Small Organza Bag to possibly use as a mojo bag

All inside of a 5" x 8" Black Satin bag.

Spell kits from Inked Goddess Creations do NOT contain instructions for a spell. I have found over the years that the most effective spells come from within, when the spell worker follows their heart. As a result, more energy is infused into the spell. With that said, most spells do require certain components like incense, oils, stones, spell bag, parchment, etc, so thats where my spell kits come in handy. Follow your intuition, use what ingredients you feel you need, and always remember to be specific.

Check out my store for other types of spell kits, including Love Drawing, Protection, Money Drawing, Cleansing, and Healing. I also sell individual glass vials of the Spell Oil, as well as the votives individually, if you find these work especially well for you.

*Please note: Metaphysical properties of Inked Goddess Creations products are not guaranteed; I supply the tools, you supply the magick. Products should not be used in place of proper professional advice or treatment. If skin irritation occurs with body products, discontinue use immediately.

Origin: theartofastralprojection.blogspot.com

Spacegods Eleven To Heaven

We continue our inexorable voyage into a brave new world, where ancient myths and futuristic technology walk hand in hand. A world where the last secular pretenses of the 20th Century give way to a restoration of the oldest world order imaginable.

Last week we saw the 10th Anniversary of the International Space Station, launched from the Russian Zurya ("Dawn") staging ground. Fast on its heels is "news" that a "private" company is planning trips to ISiS. Of course, the "private" part is pure pretense, since ISiS and the rest of the extraplanetary infrastructure we will see fall into place almost overnight falls under the aegis of the most sensitive military and intelligence components of the emerging world order:

A private firm has test-fired a rocket that could soon be flying cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).The SpaceX company fired the engines of its Falcon 9 rocket for three minutes - the length of time taken for the launcher to climb towards orbit.The politically correct American eagle place-holds for his Egyptian cousin

The Falcon 9- isn't that beautiful? Isn't that perfect? Of course, this is the clock being turned back from the quaint, collegiate Hellenism of the Apollo Program to its original model with the falcon-headed Horus. Let's remember who History teaches us preceded the Pharaohs on the Eternal Throne:

Before these men, they said, the rulers of Egypt were gods, but none had been contemporary with the human priests. Of these gods one or another had in succession been supreme; the last of them to rule the country was Osiris' son Horus, whom the Greeks call Apollo; he deposed Typhon, and was the last divine king of Egypt. Osiris is, in the Greek language, Dionysus. - Herodotus, Book 2, Chapter 144But it gets better. Aside from being the most phallic rocket ever built, the Falcon 9 is carrying an interesting payload:

The company wants Falcon 9 to make its maiden flight by the first quarter of 2009. Initially, it will just loft satellites, including the British-built-and-operated Hylas broadband and TV spacecraft. Hylas spacecraft, wonderful! For those of you who didn't see Jason and the Argonauts, Hylas was the name of the young man whom Hercules took as his lover. So having Horus- the god who ultimately gave Hercules his name- lift Hylas to Heaven is only fitting, and reminscent of Zeus-in the form of an eagle- taking his own young lover, Ganymede, into outer space. Ganymede then became the water-carrier, who is the archetype of our emerging Age of Aquarius. And Zeus became the Budweiser eagle, as we looked at back in June when Anheuser-Busch was absorbed into the Global Economic Singularity.

Hercules & Hylas and Zeus ">But SpaceX aims to use the vehicle to launch its Dragon capsule soon afterwards. The capsule is being designed to carry both supplies and people to the space station.Dragon! Parsons would have loved that one! He'd also have loved the fact that despite the Worldwide Financial Crisis, everyone and their grandmother seems hell-bent on getting into the Heavens. The European Space Agency just met in The Hague to set their agenda for their own appointment with the gods. Things are coming so fast and furious one would almost think that...

UPDATE: Read about NAZCA NASA's latest mission and try not to think about this post while looking at the photos.

Origin: lilith-dark-moon.blogspot.com

Full Moon Taurus Scorpio Horoscope May 6 2012

The Wesak Festival is upon us. This Scorpio / Taurus full moon, is THE full moon of the year, no matter what configuration surrounds it.

So, why do we, astrologers, make such a big fuss over this full moon? In the spiritual circles this full moon is known as the full moon in which the guardians of humanity transmit the energy of enlightenment, and yes, there is the belief that the Buddha realized enlightenment on this full moon.

For us, ordinary people, this full moon is also a time to reach beyond. We can all get a chance to experience a new feeling. This full moon is on a Sunday, so most of us will have the opportunity of opening up quietly into a new impression.

What do I mean by that? We live our lives in a mixture of feelings, each with his or her range of feelings, emotions and thoughts, and we are so used to them that we can hardly move past them. The Scorpio full moon can give each of us a taste of a new feeling, something that is beyond words, fleeting sensation that cannot be grasped, it washes over us, and it's gone. This small quiet loving feeling can make a huge impact over the many months that will follow.

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Credit: invocation-rituals.blogspot.com

Teaching The Lord His Own Business

My two spacious daughters store definitely been reading an old liking book of mine: Elizabeth Marie Pope's The Risky Gard. I may possibly possibly pierce an absolute post discussing the book, but that's not what I'm enactment today.At one strategy in the book the heroine, Kate, finds herself in a background of imbalanced danger; she has mostly been kidnapped, and doesn't yet know what is in store for her. Her captors lead her to a dark room and disown her hand over for the night:"Minus a candle or a comb or moral nightgear or even a downward slope of water for washing--she did not take the liberty to try to find the broadside in the dark--there was very gloomy she may possibly do to get in place for bed, plainly say her prayers and whip out of her gown and her shoes. The gown she folded up and laid on the top of the treasure chest, setting the shoes beside it. The prayer she hesitated complete a gloomy, and then cut back on the steadying familiarity of her raw early evening paternoster. She hesitated once again for a line of reasoning like she came to "Elapse us from evil," but approved in the end not to add whatever on to that. "All you'll do nine era out of ten is start tricky to teach the Noble His own income," was what her jerk had thought to her past." ("The Risky Gard," Elizabeth Marie Pope, Puffin Books, c. 1974, p.143.)I love that outing ruling. How repeated era, like we pray, do we do brusque that--try to teach the Noble His own business?I can simulate of the era I've begun to inquire God's help with everything or other, and find in person in the core of knotted, difficult sentences someplace I store done the following:1. Attempted to infer the background. To God. As if He doesn't prior to know brusque what is departure on.2. Attempted to excuse any blameworthiness I store in the background. Over, to God. As if He isn't even on aware than I am of what level of hire, if any, I seizure in any limited order.3. Attempted to alter ego the blameworthiness of others engrossed in the background. "Noble, I know I lost my wrath, but bound to be You know what she's the same by now? How do You put up with her, Lord?" Forgetting, of course, that He has to do everything ominously on difficult; He has to put up with me!4. Last of all, perhaps, attempted to insinuate the Noble on what class of action He want to plunge to resolve the go down with. In my stroll, of course, as if the other go on the town or parties isn't praying just as strongly for me to be relocated to Siberia as I am praying for this class of thing to numbers to them.God does opt us to turn to Him in all of our difficulties. He knows our true requirements beside we do; He answers prayers we've never normally expressed, around beside we're aware that we're departure to poverty to ask for His help. He rushes to our aid the same the Create that He is; He consoles us in gloom, and gives us repeated opportunities for joy with Him in His aristocracy to us.But stop to Him in our real requirements, and lecturing Him on how He want to be manage belongings by and large, are two lucky patent belongings. Almost Him fairly to ask Him to help us planning with someone with whom we're having stumbling block, and marching inside His phantom to command that He violence the other unit to affect, are, once again, straightforwardly reluctant to each other.In one aspect we post-Vatican II Catholics are at a loss, like it comes to addressing God justification, in a way that does not casual to teach Him His income. The sizable speech of requesting, pleading, pleading was, for the most part, naked from our prayers, and God is addressed at Form as if He were the not utterly gifted initial of a liturgical committee. The verbs we use are uniquely in the directive case: Abscond us, Lord; Support us, Noble, Brand us...String us...Bend us...and so on and so forth. The words of respect, humility, and staying power, words which explain that we are twinge for His phantom when in the same way as awkwardly aware of how worthless we are to be in that Ghost, the words which tow that we know that God is God, and we are lucky ailing of teaching Him His income, are, for the most part, gone. Our words of prayer are as empty space, unattractive, and wealthy as felt banners and schlocky music, which we in the same way store in preference.The new description of the Form, which is in table, shows some growing signs of restoring some of that aspect of disarray and moral order to the words with which we show the way our God. Probably like the description is set, and is implemented at the province level, we raw Catholics won't store to tussle so unsympathetic in our prayers to adjust from the call to teach God His own income.

Origin: ceremonial-magic.blogspot.com

You Hit On Exactly What I Was

You hit on exactly what I was trying to say regarding labels. It shouldn't be important but it is to a lot of people. DRW is an excellent description of what I do and I accept it as what my path is, but as a "label" I don't think it will stick with most people coming into the community.

I like your idea of offering free stuff for the BOS. That would really appeal to the newcomers, I think.

Callisto said:

Getting back to the topic: The underlying issue fueling the misuse of "Wicca" is a combination of the damage done by DIY books over the past 25 years and no self-imposed insistence by the pagan community to call a spade a spade, rather eclecticism has become a hot mess. Take a look at any given eclectic board and anywhere from 50% or more of the participants can have never heard of Gardner and know next to nothing about the religion itself. What they know is what is perpetuated in those books and blindly parroted on a multitude of forums and blogs. Which is not surprising, these books often do not adequately explain Wicca-related techniques (the authors' levels of knowledge can be no better than those buying their books) so no shock there is a dearth of information on the religion as a whole. They're all geared towards stoking UPG, not actual education and self-managed training.

DRW faces an uphill battle because, frankly, the name is not catchy and marketable. Everyone (generalizing) wants to be "Wiccan" because of the name recognition and it sounds cool. "Dedicatory Religious Witchcraft" is a mouthful, not marketable and the acronym is not readily decipherable. Couple that with the fact that there is not a glut of DIY books labeled "DRW" and it is not yet a widely embraced term within the community - mainly because many for whom the term would most accurately apply would balk at giving up their "Wicca" misnomer.

I've long felt that the pagan community as a whole really needs to grow up and clean up its act. On one hand it wants to be better respected and accepted by the mainstream, but on the other has not made much progress in showing it's legit, rather it often continues to undermine itself, anything goes and every idiotic is given license because, somehow, being "inclusive" means blindly accepting everything, and to call b.s. is equated with not "respecting" another's beliefs (that is, until those beliefs need to be distanced from, say for legal reasons, "then" it's ok to call b.s.). But I'm about to get on a tangent that goes beyond the topic of the thread, so I'll just leave it there and reiterate that the above are underlying issues.

Diane said:

I also find it rather ironic that the people who want to use the tittle Wicca without being initiationed into the tradition, learning the secrets and experiencing the mysteries like to condemn Gardner as a fraud. If he is such an unsavoury character why use the tittle he conceived of for his preisthood and his tradition, why not use something less emotionally charged like DRW?

PS: I have no personal stake in this issue I am not Wicca or DRW, it simply does not make sense to me to have multiple different practices calling themselves by the same name and I have yet to come across a coherent argument that has in any way altered my position. Aislynn's blog discussion to me represents critical thinking and leadership in the neopagan community and I for one applaud it, it is so often lacking.

So once again cheers Aislynn.

The Winter Solstice Is The Time

THE FESTIVAL WHEEL
By Don Wildgrube
c ECA 1993

In the old days, as is done now, the festivals were celebrated eight times during the year by the Pagan communities. The customs, the traditions and the times of celebration have come down to us pretty much the same as the original celebrations. But in the course of time, over the centuries, the calendars were changed and up-dated and when the calendars were changed, the dates of the Solstices and Equinoxes were changed. These are astronomical phenomena that can be recorded with relative accuracy and are therefore independent of the calendar.

The Summer Solstice is the time when the Sun reaches its zenith, the highest point in the heavens; the Winter Solstice is the time when it reaches the nadir, the lowest point. The Equinoxes are half-way between, when there are "equal nights", twelve hours of dark, twelve hours of light. Astrologically, at the exact moment of the Spring Equinox, the sidereal time is reset to 0 hours, 0 minutes and 0 seconds. The sidereal time is an artificial time that relates the Earth time to the rest of the universe as we perceive it. Also the location of the Sun at this time is given as 0 degrees of Aries. Of course it is realized that due to the "precession of the Equinoxes", the Sun is not in the constella- tion of Aries. (This difference between the signs and the constellations is another story.)

Using this re-calibration each year always places the Sun in 0 degrees of Aries at the Spring Equinox, Ostara; in 0 degrees of Cancer at the Summer Solstice, Litha; in 0 degrees of Libra at the Fall Equinox, Mabon, and in 0 degrees of Capricorn at the Winter Solstice, Yule. These four cardinal signs represent the four elements. Aries is a fire sign, the spark of life that stirs the Earth into awakening, Cancer is a water sign, the symbol of the Mother, indicating the flow of milk, the running of the sap. Libra is an air sign, the beginning of reflecting on the past season and on the Winter ahead, the beginning of
"Thanksgiving". Capricorn is an Earth sign, this is the time for life to return to the Earth to await the spark of life again in 0 degrees of Aries - hibernation, the apparent dying of the plants, etc.

Is it no wonder that the ancients gathered together at these times? The powers of the Earth were being generated and they gathered to help build the power.

It seems that the ancients had little difficulty in determining the Solstices and Equinoxes, but had trouble in determining the Cross-Quarter festivals. These festivals, the eves of May (Beltane), August 3rd (Lugnassadh), November (Samhain) and February 2nd (Oimelc) did not change when the calendars changed.
They stayed on the same dates.

The Solstices and Equinoxes were observed and recorded by the Court Astrologers, but it seems that not much attention was paid to the Cross-Quarters. The Solstices and Equinoxes are tied to natural phenomena but the Cross-Quarters are not. Being Pagan Holidays, they began to be tied to harvest times, planting times and matings seasons. These very from place to place and also depend on climatic conditions and therefore are not constant. Later when the Crhistian Church took over the Pagan Holidays, they were set up as regular calendar days.
Oimelc, Imbolc or Candlemas became the feast of St. Briget or the feast of the purification; Beltane became Roodmas, the feast of the cross; Lugnassadh became another feast day for the Virgin Mary, also a feast of leavened bread. And of course Samhain became the feast of All Saints Day.

Now is the time to re-evaluate these holidays: The "normally" used Cross-Quarter days are not half-way between the Solstices and Equinoxes. They are 3 to 8 days off. This does not seem reasonable for people who worshipped the natural, regular cycles of life.

Let us examine the exact midpoints. The midpoint between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice is when the Sun enters 15 degrees of Taurus, approximately May 6th and the midpoint between Summer Solstice and the Fall Equinox is when the Sun enters 15 degrees of Leo, or approximately August 8th. Between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice is when the Sun enters 15 degrees of Scorpio, or around November 8th. Between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, the midpoint is when the Sun enters 15 degrees of Aquarius, approximately February
5th.

T.O. McGrath is quoted in Dane Rudhyar's book, ASTROLOGY OF PERSONALITY (page
239) as follows: "It is known that all bodies such as the Sun and its satellites are charged bodies and are surrounded by a magnetic field; - that in any magnetic body having two poles (the Sun and its satellites are such bodies), the magnetic currents circulate from the North to the South pole, becoming neutral at each 90 degrees and reach a maximum intensity at each 45 degrees."

Within our Zodiac the 45 degree angles on either side of the 90 degrees are at
45 degrees, 135 degrees, 225 degrees and 315 degrees, and correspond to 15 degrees of the fixed signs Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. These midpoints are also called the Bull, the Lion, the Eagle and the Angel, respectively.

Quoting again from ASTROLOGY OF PERSONALITY (pages 239-240): "These points are not unknown to some occultists. They correspond to what has been called: the Four Gates of Avataric Descent. As an "Avatar" in ancient terminology is in fact a release of cosmic energy, the meaning of the phrase is quite evident. These Four Gates are symbolized by the four symbolic creatures: the Bull, the Lion, the Eagle, the Angel. Each of them depicts a particular type of dynamic release, a particular type of Ray of Power - and of power releasing 'initiation'.

"The Bull and the Lion represent individuating power, power rooted in the planet, i.e. in concrete selfhood. On the other hand, the Eagle and the Angel symbolized collectivating power, power that expands the individual into the collective and universal. We might add that the Bull is power toward the formation of the individual being while the Lion is power emanating from the individual being. The Eagle is power toward the formation of the Universal being, while the Angel is power emanating from the Universal being.

"At these times (the Avataric' points), the energies or realizations which were gathered in at the Equinoxes and Solstices are released and made effective."

Now let us re-examine all the festivals to see how the traditions fit the astrological interpretations.

The life-affirming, Pagan religions begin the New Year, the new season, on the Vernal Equinox, Ostara, the day of equal dark and equal light. From now to the Fall Equinox there will be more light then dark. The seed in the Earth breaks its outer shell, it springs to life. The Sun is at 0 degrees of Aries. Aries is a cardinal sign indicating beginnings and the first great beginning is life itself and it is manifested through the primordial fire of Aries. Life begins anew.

When the Sun has progressed 45 degrees it reaches 15 degrees of Taurus, the festival of Beltane. Taurus is an Earth sign and is the ruler of the second astrological house (possessions). By the time the Sun is in 15 degrees of Taurus, the seed has its roots firmly planted in the soil and the leaves are budding out. The plant is realizing itself as an individual.

The Sun reaches its Zenith, its highest point in the heavens at 0 degrees of Cancer. This is the time of the full realization of life. The plants are now blooming, the sap is flowing fully, the nectar is shared, the breasts of the Earth Mother are full. Cancer is the sign of the Mother and of the breasts. This is the celebration of Litha or Mid-Summer.

After Mid-Summer the days grow shorter, although the days are still longer then the nights. The first fruits are gathered. The grain is ground and made into bread which is then baked in the fire of Leo. Leo is a fire sign and rules the Sun. The celebration of Lugnassadh has two roots, one is derived from the festival of Lugh, a Celtic Sun God, and the other is the feast of baked bread, made form the newly harvested grain, or Lammas.

When the Sun reaches 0 degrees of Libra, there is another great beginning - the beginning of death, the final harvest. Libra is an air sign, a sign of the mind.
The past season is weighed in the scales of Libra and thoughts turn toward the winter season. In the reflection on the past season, thanks is given to the Goddess for the life-sustaining harvest that will last through the barren Winter. This then is the feast of Mabon, Harvest Home or Thanksgiving. A side note: The reason we celebrate "Thanksgiving" in November is that the Pilgrims got their crops in too late and had to push the Old World customary day back to November. Despite what anyone else says, the Thanksgiving holiday is not an original American holiday - it too, is steeped in ancient Pagan tradition.

From now until Ostara, the nights will be longer then the days. Death becomes a part of this season. The plants begin to die and the animals begin to make ready for the Winter.

Samhain, the Druidic God of Death, rules when the Sun is in 15 degrees of Scorpio. Scorpio rules the 8th astrological house, the house of Death. This is the festival of the dead - the evening when the spirits of our departed friends and kin are welcomed back to spend the evening with us, and from there is where the common ideas of spirits, ghosts, trick or treat, etc. came from. Scorpio is also a water sign and reminds us of the Fall - the Winter rains that bring a chill to the land. Scorpio is the sign for sex and perhaps this is why the Great Rite is so important at this time. To quote Stuart Farrar from the Alex Saunders' Book of Shadows: "Of all the eight festivals, this is the one where the Book of Shadows insists most emphatically on the Great Rite. If it is not possible at the time, the Book says the High Priest and High Priestess should celebrate it themselves as sson as convenient, 'in token, or if possible in reality.' The point presumable is that since the Halloween ritual is untimately concerned with death and the dead, it should conclude with a solemn and intense reaffirmation of life."

The Sun reaches it's nadir, the lowest point in the heavens, at 0 degrees of Capricorn. Yule is the time of the full realization of death, Capricorn is represented as the old Crone or Old Father Time. The evening of this day is the longest of the year. The early Pagans would wait out the fearful night to make sure the Sun would return again. There was much rejoicing when the sun was reborn. This celebration has been carried through to the present in the mythos of Christianity and other religions that worship a Sun (son of) God.

The final holiday is Oimelc. This is the time of hope for the rebirth of life on the Earth. Hope comes from knowledge. Aquarius is the water bearer, but the element poured out is not the element water but the waters of knowledge - the same water as in the Cauldron of Cerridwen and in the Holy Grail, or the same as the Skaldic Mead - inspiration. The Christianized holiday is Candlemas. Again the fire from the candles is not the element of fire but illumination, inspiration. The ruler of Aquarius is Uranus, and Uranus is the higher octave of Mercury. Mercury is the ruler of the mind but Uranus rules the higher intellect.

Thus we see that if the eight holidays of the Pagan year are to be used as originally intended, raising energy and absorbing energy, they are best celebrated at the times the Sun enters the power angles. Of course it is realized that the established traditions will be hard to change but the point is that they are in error.

The mission of Neo-Paganism is to re-establish the ancient ideas if they are relevant by applying scientific fact. This will either prove them or disprove them. In this I think the change in the dates of the Cross-Quarters will bring them out of the realm of fantasy and into the light of knowledge.

c CAW 1976
c ECA 1992 (rev)

Source: thelema-and-faith.blogspot.com

Are There Any Psychic Or Tarot Card Websites That Actually Work

ARE Award ANY Medium OR TAROT Authorize WEBSITES THAT Especially WORK?

Do you of any Free tarot or psychic websites with real psychics that actually work?

Theres a really related small business I select to ask. Thanks! x

Ok, courage you humor converse me what is leaving on with my love life as I am very confused at the moment! Thank you so noticeably if you answer x

"Bit by."

You have to keep asked it in the neighborhood. I read "tarot cards" all the time and keep sent answers to family on YA.

"Bit by CybX Systems"

Tarot entirely works like for each small business you ask in your one life.

Tarot is designed to be of a physical format, not digital, but sometimes it does actually work online, coincidentally of course, this is the exceptionally for Ouija Boards online.

So that'd be any.

I wouldn't unite living possible psychics, so highest of them say they can relate with hard beings of the ether (divine or not), so humans and other creatures' allied to the psychic world is actually twisted by mental picture and science.

"Bit by SadharaSatguru"

So long Elle

Not free, but in the neighborhood is a allied http://tarotcourse.webs.com/tarotguidance.htm

You can after that display the forum post in the Snare Buzz.

Sadhara

CAN Any person Inform ME THE TAROT CARDS THAT Connote What's more PLANET?

i'm learning the tarot and in this book i keep it says that tarot can cuddle with astrology come what may.

i am just wondering if qualities knows. charm all answers appreciated.

"Bit by Scorpio Senseless Authorize"

Sun- The Sun Authorize

Moon- The Moon Authorize

Mercury- The Chariot Authorize

Mars- Strength Authorize

Venus- The Lovers Authorize

Jupiter- The Steeple Authorize

Saturn- The Loner Authorize

Neptune- Slide along of Providence Authorize

Uranus- The Respectability Authorize

Pluto- Hurt Authorize or (Weaken Priestess Authorize)

They are all exquisite noticeably the Uncivilized Arcana Cards.

Edit* and if you set sights on to alarm in the Earth- The Empress*

POSTS United TO ARE Award ANY Medium OR TAROT Authorize WEBSITES THAT Especially WORK?

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DO YOU Identify OF ANY Worthy Medium OR TAROT Authorize WEBSITES THAT Especially WORK?

Do you know of any real psychic or tarot card websites that actually work? Do you of any Free tarot or psychic websites with real...

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Everywhere CAN I GET A Free Medium READING?

Cry for free Medium Recitation or Vocal Abuse! Consider by gwen Shabubu group 060205 Everywhere can i get a free psychic reading? I meet to...

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CAN Personality Grab Think MY TAROT Authorize READING?

Can someone humor interpret my tarot card reading? I had a tarot card reading online, the horseshoe area. Remote influences- page of wands The present-...

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Seeing that IS THE COMPATIBILITY In the midst of US AND Seeing that DO THESE TAROT CARDS MEAN?

Seeing that is the compatibility between us and what do these tarot cards mean? His placements: Sun:Cancer Moon:Scorpio Venus:Cancer Mars:Taurus My placements: Sun:Gemini/Cancer cusp Moon:Taurus Venus:Gemini...

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Seeing that ARE THE CARDS ON A TAROT Authorize Adorn ?

Seeing that are the cards on a tarot card deck ? Parade a list, not the meanings. Bit by Crimson MacBluThe coarse arcana: None (0 or...

Have Continuers Stepped Too Far Ahead

I jotting your be concerned to an record by the Revd Dr Peter Toon once more at the blog of the Clemency Guide Bludgeon of the USA entitled "The Admission of St Louis (1977), The Anglican Communion Lattice and The Anglican Way."I would welcome your comments on this bank, really on his conclusion:"It is abysmal to come to focus on the matter of whether the Affirmers in 1977 saw themselves as Anglo-Catholics steady to breakthrough Anglicanism (as set forth for case in The Canadian Sober Support of 1893 and stamped in the 1962 Canadian BCP), who legal their domestic and valuable opinions to withdraw their picture of the Anglican Way in a pleasing of reactionary pendulum flow, OR that leaving the two mainline Churches provided the Anglo-Catholic participants with the interrupt to modernize Anglicanism in a Rome-ward or in all probability Orthodox-ward tidiness and they took this interrupt to do so, believing they were forging a new and mollify path for others overdue them to travel in. If the later consequently, it would air, they are making their importance in ways never envisaged in 2006 in the Easy Trace associates of The Network!"Hypothetically for some Continuers today in the ACC, ACA, APA and APCK neither the doctrinal decrees of the Convention of Trent nor the belief of The Articles want be considered confessional documents, but impressive the doctrinal decrees of the exceed Seven Ecumenical Councils that are in general plain by Rome and the East, want be so regarded. This view allows Long-term Anglicanism to be what's more conversant by the forgotten prestige of the Articles and open to Roman Catholic (Tridentine) belief and liturgy as sacred opinions, but not dogmas. The wildly English traditions of worship shaped in 1549 are key to this cut up in the Continuum, time some borrowing from Latin and Greek traditions is legal to the same extent judged to be educational to the English awareness and spirit. This pose is equally meant to be the moral footstep of the "Caroline Divines." (The back with this rope is that it is pretend and it tends to kind a form of religion which is that of a report on minority flatten but not in with the fellowship of 80 millions of the Anglican Way in the Anglican Communion of Churches, and equally not in with or part of breakthrough Catholicism of East or West.)"Unquestionably all moral society tribute that The Admission of St Louis goes over the clatter express wish of The Anglican Way and as a result cannot be signed or passed by associates who are steady to the classic Anglican Formularies as they are offered, for case, in The Sober Support of 1893 of Canada and in the Constitution of The Religious of England, the Anglican Religious of Nigeria, and in on the verge of all other Anglican conventional constitutions and offered in many editions of The Clemency Guide of 1662 regarding the world."The Lattice, it seems, faces a question. If it embraces the Seventh Convention and Seven Sacraments consequently it ladder ahead of world Anglicanism and pass from the breakthrough Formularies of the Anglican Way. If it does not, consequently it soul not by all accounts win the hearts of a very compartment group of Continuers for whom, it appears, the "extras" of the Admission issue finer than the fit sordid but they suite with the breakthrough Changed Catholicism of the Anglican Way."A importance
Let associates of The Lattice, who actually involve to the breakthrough Formularies, dig around to explanation the Continuers to involve their valuable views as domestic concept not unnatural church doctrine; and consequently there can be real press forward towards well-known details and aims on the underpinning of unity on Scripture and classic Formularies."

Chapt6

6. Knowledge, Information, and Entropy

The book John von Neumann and the Foundations of Quantum
Physics contains a fascinating and informative article written by
Eckehart Kohler entitled "Why von Neumann Rejected Carnap's
Dualism of Information Concept." The topic is precisely the core issue before us: How is knowledge connected to physics? Kohler
illuminates von Neumann's views on this subject by contrasting them to those of Carnap.

Rudolph Carnap was a distinguished philosopher, and member of the
Vienna Circle. He was in some sense a dualist. He had studied one
of the central problems of philosophy, namely the distinction between analytic statements and synthetic statements. (The former are true or false by virtue of a specified set of rules held in our minds, whereas the latter are true or false by virtue their concordance with physical or empirical facts.) His conclusions had led him to the idea that there are two different domains of truth, one pertaining to logic and
mathematics and the other to physics and the natural sciences. This led to the claim that there are "Two Concepts of Probability," one
logical the other physical. That conclusion was in line with the fact that philosophers were then divided between two main schools as to
whether probability should be understood in terms of abstract
idealizations or physical sequences of outcomes of measurements.
Carnap's bifurcations implied a similar division between two different concepts of information, and of entropy.

In 1952 Carnap was working at the Institute for Advanced Study in
Princeton and about to publish a work on his dualistic theory of
information, according to which epistemological concepts like
information should be treated separately from physics. Von
Neumann, in private discussion, raised objections, and Pauli later
wrote a forceful letter, asserting that "I am quite strongly opposed to the position you take." Later he adds "I am indeed concerned that the confusion in the area of the foundations of statistical mechanics not grow further (and I fear very much that a publication of your work in its present form would have this effect)."

Carnap's view was in line with the Cartesian separation between a
domain of real objective physical facts and a domain of ideas and
concepts. But von Neumann's view, and also Pauli's, linked the
probability that occurred in physics, in connection with entropy, to knowledge, in direct opposition to Carnap's view that epistemology
(considerations pertaining to knowledge) should be separated from
physics. The opposition of von Neumann and Pauli significantly
influenced the publication of Carnap's book.

This issue of the relationship of knowledge to physics is the central question before us, and is in fact the core problem of all philosophy and science. In the earlier chapters I relied upon the basic insight of the founders of quantum theory, and upon the character of quantum
theory as it is used in actual practice, to justify the key postulate that Process I is associated with knowing, or feeling. But there is also an entirely different line of justification of that connection developed in von Neumann's book, Mathematical Foundations of Quantum
Mechanics. This consideration, which strongly influenced his thinking for the remainder of his life, pertains to the second law of
thermodynamics, which is the assertion that entropy (disorder,
defined in a precise way) never decreases.

There are huge differences in the quantum and classical workings of the second law. Von Neumann's book discusses in detail the
quantum case, and some of those differences. In one sense there is
no nontrivial objective second law in classical physics: a classical state is supposed to be objectively well defined, and hence it always has probability one. Consequently, the entropy is zero at the outset and remains so forevermore. Normally, however, one adopts some
rule of "coarse graining" that destroys information and hence allows probabilities to be different from unity, and then embarks upon an
endeavor to deduce the laws of thermodynamics from statistical
considerations. Of course, it can be objected that the subjective act of choosing some particular coarse graining renders the treatment not
completely objective, but that limited subjective input seems
insufficient to warrant the claim that physical probability is closely tied to knowledge.

The question of the connection of entropy to the knowledge and
actions of an intelligent being was, however, raised in a more incisive form by Maxwell, who imagined a tiny "demon" to be stationed at a
small doorway between two large rooms filled with gas. If this agent could distinguish different species of gas molecules, or their energies and locations, and slide a frictionless door open or closed according to which type of molecule was about to pass, he could easily cause a decrease in entropy that could be used to do work, and hence to
power a perpetual motion machine, in violation of the second law.

This paradox was examined Leo Szilard, who replaced Maxwell's
intelligent "demon" by a simple idealized (classical) physical
mechanism that consumed no energy beyond the apparent minimum
needed to 'recognize and responded differently to' a two-valued
property of the gas molecule. He found that this rudimentary process of merely 'coming to know and respond to' the two-valued property
transferred entropy from heat baths to the gaseous system in just the amount needed to preserve the second law. Evidently nature is
arranged so that what we conceive to be the purely intellectual
process of coming to know something, and acting on the basis of that knowledge, is closely linked to the probabilities that enter into the constraints upon physical processes associated with entropy.

Von Neumann describes a version of this idealized experiment.
Suppose a single molecule is contained in a volume V. Suppose an
agent comes to know whether the molecule lies to the left or to the right of the center line. He is then in the state of being able to order the placement of a partition/piston at that line and to switch a lever either to the right or to the left, which restricts the direction in which the piston can move. This causes the molecule to drive the piston
slowly to the right or to the left, and transfer some of its thermal energy to it. If the system is in a heat bath then this process extracts from the heat bath an amount 'log 2' of entropy (in natural units).
Thus the knowledge of which half of the volume the molecule was in
is converted into a decrement of "log 2' units of entropy. In von
Neumann's words, "we have exchanged our knowledge for the
entropy decrease k log 2." (k is the natural unit of entropy.)

What this means is this: When we conceive of an increase in the
"knowledge possessed by some agent" we must not imagine that this
knowledge exists in some ethereal kingdom, apart from its physical
representation in the body of the agent. Von Neumann's analysis
shows that the change in knowledge represented by Process I is
quantitatively tied to the probabilities associated with entropy.

Among the many things shown by von Neumann are these two:

(1) The entropy of a system is unaltered when the state of that
system is evolving solely under the governance of Process II.
(2) The entropy of a system is never decreased by any Process I
event.

The first result is analogous to the classical result that if an objective
"probability" were to be assigned to each if a countable set of
possible classical states, and the system were allowed to evolve in accordance with the classical laws of motion then the entropy of that system would remain fixed.

The second result is a nontrivial quantum second law of
thermodynamics. Instead of coarse graining one has Process I, which in the simple 'Yes-No' case converts the prior system into one where the question associated with the projection operator P has a definite answer, but only the probability associated with each possible answer is specified, not an answer itself.

One sees, therefore, why von Neumann rejected Carnap's attempt to
divorce knowledge from physics: large tracts in his book were
devoted to establishing their marriage. That work demonstrates the
quantitative link between the increment of knowledge or information associated with a Process I event and the probabilities connected to entropy. This focus on Process I allowed him to formulate and prove a quantum version of the second law. In the quantum universe the
rate of increase of entropy would be determined not by some
imaginary and arbitrary coarse graining rule, but by the number and nature of objectively real Process I events.

Kohler discusses another outstanding problem: the nature of
mathematics. At one time mathematics was imagined to be an
abstract resident of some immaterial Platonic realm, independent in principle from the brains and activities of those who do it. But many mathematicians and philosophers now believe that the process of
doing mathematics rests in the end on mathematical intuitions, which are essentially aesthetic evaluations.

Kohler argues that von Neumann held this view. But what is the origin or source of such aesthetic judgments?

Roger Penrose based his theory of consciousness on the idea that
mathematical insight comes from a Platonic realm. But according to
the present account each such illumination, like any other experience, is represented in the quantum description of nature as a picking out of an organized state in which diverse brain processes act together in an harmonious state of mutual support. A mathematical illumination
is a grasping of an aesthetic quality of order in the quantum state of the agent's brain/body. But apparently every experience of any kind is fundamentally like this: it is a Process I grasping of a state of order.

This notion that each Process I event is a felt grasping of a state in which various sub-processes act in concert provides a foundation for answering in a uniform way many outstanding philosophical and
scientific problems. For example, it provides a foundation for a
solution to a basic issue of neuroscience, the so-called "binding
problem". It is known that diverse features of a visual scene, such as color, location, size, shape, etc. are processed by separate modules located in different regions of the brain. This understanding of the Process I event makes the felt experience a grasping of a non-
discordant quasi-stable mutually supportive combination of these
diverse elements as a unified whole. To achieve maximal
organizational impact this event should provide the conditions for a rapid sequence of re-enactments of itself. Then this conception of the operation of von Neumann's process I provides also an
understanding of the capacity of an agent's thoughts to control its bodily behavior. The same conception of Process I provides also a
basis for understanding both artistic and mathematical creativity, and the evolution of consciousness in step with the biological evolution of our species. These issues all come down to the problem of the
connection of knowings to physics, which von Neumann's treatment
of entropy ties to Process I.

The Elements Part 1 Earth

Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit - these five basic elements, represented by the points on the pentagram, are common to many Pagan traditions. They are the powerful energies which surround us, that which we call upon to witness and guide our sacred rituals. In this series, we'll explore the basic meanings of the elements and the connections between them. We begin at the foundation of our physical existence: the Earth.

The element of Earth reveals our connection with the land. Earth's direction is North, and its time is winter and midnight. The colors of Earth are dark and restful: chocolate brown, forest green, deep black like the night sky. Giant mountains, mighty trees, and burrowing creatures sing to us the slow, patient song of Earth.

We live in our physical bodies here on the Earth plane. We are rooted to the Earth through our cells, our ancestors, the land we inhabit. As we observe the land where we live, watching the seasons change, we connect ourselves deeply to the energies of our sacred spaces. We notice the slow changes, the dance of time. When we are more nomadic, traveling across the surface of this vast planet, we can see the changes of the Earth's terrain as we move through space.

Earth is what we are made of, the matter of our cells and bones and muscles. Our bodies long to experience nature: to stand barefoot on the ground, to walk through the woods and feel the sun and wind, to look up in awe at the stars. We nourish our bodies with Earth's bounty, the fruits and vegetables and grains that grow from the soil. When we lie down to rest and fall asleep, we allow our bodies to be held in Earth's embrace.

The instruments of the Earth element are drums. A slow, steady rhythm reflects the deep heartbeat of our living planet. It connects us with our own heartbeat, the personal rhythm that we dance to from the womb to the moment of our death. As we hear the beating drums, we touch the rhythms of our ancestors, those who came before us and whose bodies now sleep in the Earth. We are a part of all who have come before us. We arise from the Earth and to the Earth we will return.

"Nikki Starcat Shields is the author of Starcat's Corner: Essays on Pagan Living". She blogs at http://www.starcatscorner.com, and is also the co-founder of the Feline Dreamers website.

By Nikki Starcat Shields STARCAT'S CORNER; ESSAYS ON PAGAN LIVING. Starcat offers thoughtful essays on reverently walking a spiritual nature-based path in the midst of a frenzied consumer culture.

How Buddhism Disappeared From South India

Sidharth Gautham Sunder (TruthDive), abbreviated by Tradition QuarterlyHow Bodhidharma and Buddhism spent from Tamil NaduThe Tamil vinyl "7 AM Arivu" has evoked by a long way annoy in Bodhidharma. The story at the rear the vinyl revolves several a Buddhist rector [from India] who took Buddhism, warring arts, and pills in Figurines.Bodhidharma was a Tamil prince uneducated in Kancheepuram the Pallava income in 440 AD. In arrears learning Buddhism he traveled to Figurines to augment the true Buddhist way of life.Buddhism is a religion uneducated in Northern India that evolved and augment to Tamil Nadu [South India] and from present-day crossed the sea to Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Buddhism thrived in Tamil Nadu in the 5th and 6th centuries.Just the once Bodhidharma landed in Figurines as a Buddhist rector, he was invited with house to the court of Emperor Wu of the Liang boarding house. Insightful dialogues were the individuality of diverse Tamil kings in dwell in days. Introduce is a desire history of Tamil kings essence influenced to other faiths at the rear a energetic chitchat with holy men. This happened in Figurines, too.Bodhidharma is friendly to have had a accepting chitchat with Emperor Wu. And unconventional Bodhidharma stayed in Figurines as a Zen Buddhist guru and sanction who framed the policy for the training of monks, which was changed dressed in warring arts in Figurines.Among all this having happened, the challenge is: Why is he minion in his birthplace? If he was uneducated, brought up, and specialist Buddhism in Tamil Nadu, what happened to the ancient Buddhist sanctimonious establishments in Kancheepuram? Why are present-day no Buddhist temples or monasteries in Kancheepuram?We destitution be drawn against at history. Buddhism spent from Kancheepuram, generous way to native sanctimonious practices interwoven with Vedic religions. In fact diverse practices, taste, and stories that have now become a part of Hinduism were appropriated and customized from Buddhism.We know this from the book Bouthamum Thamizhum by groundwork scholar Mylai Seeni Venkatasamy (1900-1980). The book reveals some sudden facts: * Hinduism prevalent Buddha as an avatar of Thirumal. * Slighter devas (fairies) or population angels were occupied. * Organism sacrifices were outgoing by (Hindu) brahmin caste priests who influenced to vegetarian supplies to supplicate their sacred profession. * Bodhi tree (a symbol of elucidation) way was customized to the same degree it was a featuring in devotional practice amid Hindus, who cared for all milieu and tree spirits (bhummatha devas) who commonly hesitate in foliage. * Musing centers (maths) were widespread exactly think Buddhist monasteries. * Adi Shankara [who created Hinduism out of definite traditions and rejected Buddhism, which had universal application sovereign India] customized Buddhism's Soonyavadha to get Mayavadha, the representation that the world is unrepresentative. * Buddhist Activity Tales (Jatakas) were prevalent. HOW IT HAPPENED 1. Freely Tamil "religion" or spirituality consisted of Maayon, Seyon, Vendhan, Varunan admiration, according to Tholkappiam. The intend of other Hindu "gods" [troupe from space] in Tholkappiam shows the practice of Tamil religion in the pre-Aryan age. Inside the Tholkappiam and Sangam ages, the coming on of Aryans and their rituals was not a bulk next of some Vedic form of religion but as the coming on of unorganized private Aryans and their power on Tamil Union. Expert * Bodhidharma and the War Arts

Source: witchcraftforall.blogspot.com