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Post by Indilwen on Jun 10, 2010 12:49:19 GMT 12
The Phases of the Moon The moon has four phases or quarters lasting about seven days each. The first two quarters are during the waxing or increasing light, between the new and the full moon. The third and fourth quarters are after the full moon when the light is waning, or decreasing.
Planting By the Phases of the Moon Planting by the moon is an idea as old as agriculture, based both in folklore and superstition, but there are scientific ideas to back it up The Earth is in a large gravitational field, influenced by both the sun and moon. The tides are highest at the time of the new and the full moon, when sun and moon are lined up with earth. Just as the moon pulls the tides in the oceans, it also pulls upon the subtle bodies of water, causing moisture to rise in the earth, which encourages growth. The highest amount of moisture is in the soil at this time, and tests have proven that seeds will absorb the most water at the time of the full moon.
At the new moon, the lunar gravity pulls water up, and causes the seeds to swell and burst. This factor, coupled with the increasing moonlight creates balanced root and leaf growth. This is the best time for planting above ground annual crops that produce their seeds outside the fruit. Examples are lettuce, spinach, celery, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and grain crops. Cucumbers like this phase also, even though they are an exception to that rule.
In the second quarter the gravitational pull is less, but the moonlight is strong, creating strong leaf growth. It is generally a good time for planting, especially two days before the full moon. The types of crops that prefer the second quarter are annuals that produce above ground, but their seeds form inside the fruit, such as beans, melons, peas, peppers, squash, and tomatoes. Mow lawns in the first or second quarter to increase growth.
After the full moon, as the moon wanes, the energy is drawing down. The gravitation pull is high, creating more moisture in the soil, but the moonlight is decreasing, putting energy into the roots. This is a favorable time for planting root crops, including beets, carrots, onions, potatoes, and peanuts. It is also good for perennials, biennials, bulbs and transplanting because of the active root growth. Pruning is best done in the third quarter, in the sign of Scorpio.
In the fourth quarter there is decreased gravitational pull and moonlight, and it is considered a resting period. This is also the best time to cultivate, harvest, transplant and prune. Mow lawns in the third or fourth quarter to retard growth.
Aries- A fire sign. Barren and dry. Harvest root and fruit for storage. Cultivate, destroy weeds and pests.
Taurus- An earth sign. Productive and moist. Second best for planting and transplanting. Good for root crops and potatoes, especially when hardiness is important. Also a good sign for leafy vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage and spinach.
Gemini- An air sign. Barren and dry. Harvest root and fruit for storage. Cultivate, destroy weeds and pests. Melon seeds respond well in this sign.
Cancer- A water sign. Very fruitful and moist. The best sign for all planting and transplanting. Also good for grafting, and irrigation.
Leo- A fire sign. Very barren and dry. Cultivate, harvest root and fruit for storage. An excellent time to destroy weeds and pests in the fourth quarter.
Virgo- An earth sign. Barren and moist. Some flowers and vines are favored by it. Cultivate and destroy weeds and pests.
Libra- An air signs. Semi-fruitful and moist. Best sign for planting beautiful and fragrant flowers, vines and herbs. Good for planting pulpy stems like kohlrabi, and root crops.
Scorpio- A water sign. Very fruitful and moist. Best planting sign for sturdy plants and vines. Tomatoes like to be transplanted in Scorpio, and it is a good sign for corn and squash. Graft or prune in the third and fourth quarter to retard growth and promote better fruit. A good sign for irrigation and transplanting.
Sagittarius- A fire sign. Barren and dry. Harvest roots and onions for storage, and plant onion sets and fruit trees. A good sign in which to cultivate the soil.
Capricorn- An earth sign. Productive and dry. Good for planting potatoes and other root crops, and for encouraging strong hardy growth. Good for grafting, and pruning to promote healing, and applying organic fertilizer.
Aquarius- An air sign. Barren and dry. Harvest root and fruit for storage. Cultivate, destroy weeds and pests. Good for planting onion sets.
Pisces- A water sign. Very productive and moist. Second best sign for planting and transplanting. Especially good for root growth and irrigation.
The astrological signs of the zodiac influence gardening by the Moon
The Moon moves through the signs of the Zodiac in the heavens every couple of days. Different signs are associated with an element of earth, air, fire or water. When the Moon is in a water sign it is the most fertile time for planting. Different types of plants have favorite signs too, such as leafy plants prefer the water signs.The fertile water signs are Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio, and are best for planting above ground, leafy annuals.
Planting By the Phases of the Moon The Earth signs, Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn, are also very fertile and good for planting. The root is the part of the plant associated with earth signs, so it is especially good for planting root crops, or for transplanting to encourage root development.
Air signs work well for some plants, but are generally barren and dry. Libra is an exception to that rule, and is semi-fertile and good for blooming flowers and herbs. Flowers are the part of the plant associated with air signs. Melons like Gemini, and onions respond well in Aquarius. When the Moon is in an air sign it is a good time to harvest and cultivate.
The fire signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are very barren and dry, but may be used for crops grown for their seed. Because it is barren, Leo is a good sign for weeding and cultivation, so seeds won't sprout. It is also good to harvest during a fire sign.
Other garden chores have preferences for the sign also, such as pruning in Scorpio, weeding in Leo. Harvesting in the dry air and fire signs in the fourth quarter helps preserve fruit and vegetables for storage.
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Post by Indilwen on Jun 10, 2010 12:46:04 GMT 12
How does lunar planting work? Isaac Newton established the laws of gravity, which proves the tides are affected by the gravitational pull of the moon. The pull of the moon is stronger than the sun because, even though the sun is larger, the moon is closer to the earth. The strongest effect is felt when the moon and sun pull from the opposite sides of the earth, at the full moon phase, although it also creates high tides when they are on the same side (at the new moon) as well.
"The gravitation of the passing moon pulls the nearest body of water a little away from the solid mass of earth beneath it, and at the same time pulls the earth a little away from the water on the farthest side. In this manner the moon sets up two tidal bulges on opposite sides of the earth." (Louise Riotte, )
These same forces affect the water content of the soil, creating more moisture in the soil at the time of the new and full moon. This increased moisture encourages the seeds to sprout and grow.
Dr. Frank Brown of Northwestern University performed research over a ten-year period of time, keeping meticulous records of his results. He found that plants absorbed more water at the time of the full moon. He conducted his experiments in a laboratory without direct contact from the moon, yet he found that they were still influenced by it.
Rudolf Steiner was the founder of the anthroposophical movement, which sees a correlation between science, nature, universal laws and spiritual concerns. Out of this movement the Biodynamic methods of planting were developed. He established a relationship between the elements of earth, air, fire, or water that corresponded to specific parts of the plants. Earth corresponds to root, water to leaf growth, fire to seed production, and air corresponds to flowers. Hence, when planting crops for their fleshy roots, you would plant them in an earth sign, and so forth.
Biodynamic methods are based on the heliocentric, or astronomical, position of the moon. This system is more complicated and also takes into consideration eclipses, trine, apogee and perigee as well as descending and ascending moons. (The Gardening by the Moon Calendar is based on the geocentric and astrological calculations.)
John Jeavons, author of "How to grow more vegetables…" adds the influence of the increasing or decreasing moonlight on the growth of plants. When the moon is in it's waxing phases the " increasing amount of moonlight stimulates leaf growth", and " as the moonlight decreases the above ground leaf growth slows down. The root is stimulated again."
Further tests have been conducted, most notably by Frau Dr. Kolisko in Germany in 1939, and by Maria Thun in 1956. They primarily experimented with root crops, showing the effect of lunar phases on seed germination. They found maximum germination on the days before the Full moon. Crop yields were reported by weight.
Thun was surprised to discover that the signs of the zodiac played its' part as well. Thun experimented with a variety of crops: carrots and parsnips represented root crops; lettuce, spinach and corn salad as leaf types; beans, peas, cucumbers and tomatoes as fruit seed types; zinnias, snapdragons and asters were air crops. Crops responded well when planted in the appropriate sign for their type of plant. There were some exceptions, however. Some plants seemed to favor signs other than what would appear to be logical; for instance the brassica family, (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) which one might consider flowering types, seemed to favor water signs. Cucumbers sown on leaf days had strong leafy growth, but did not produce many flowers. Their tests also seemed to indicate that responses to lunar planting were heightened when planted in organic soil that had not been treated with chemical fertilizer or pesticides.
Ute York, in her book "Living by the Moon" says
" The old-time gardeners say, "With the waxing of the moon, the earth exhales. " When the sap in the plants rise, the force first goes into the growth above ground. Thus, you should do all activities with plants that bear fruit above ground during a waxing moon. With the waning of the moon, the earth inhales. Then, the sap primarily goes down toward the roots. Thus, the waning moon is a good time for pruning, multiplying, fertilizing, watering, harvesting, and controlling parasites and weeds"
Plants sown in the correct combination of the best lunar phase and sign show increased vigor, due to having all the best influences. They are growing at an optimum rate and are not as prone to setbacks that would affect less healthy plants. Harvests are often quicker, larger and crops don't go to seed as fast.
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Post by Indilwen on May 27, 2010 15:39:08 GMT 12
THE CHALDEAN GENESIS by Boyd Rice Oct 21, 2004 from DragonKeyPress Website The genealogy of the Merovingian bloodline has for centuries been shrouded in mystery, and yet, we’ve been able to definitively trace it back to the “Shepherd Kings” of ancient Sumer. Subsequently, we’ve managed to fine-tune the focus of our investigation further still, and many indications (both ancient and modern) seem to suggest that the role played by Chaldea was of pivotal importance. For instance, in The Book of Genesis, we are told that the biblical patriarch Abraham was “a Chaldean from Ur.” For most readers, this seemingly insignificant factoid would undoubtedly slip by unnoticed, but to the student of ancient cultures, it is pregnant with portent, because Chaldea was known to be a Mecca of astronomy, astrology, and the black arts. So much so, in fact, that the word “Chaldean” in many ancient cultures was synonymous with “sorcerer.” Even so far away as Northern Europe, their term for sorcerer, “galdyr”, was rooted in “Chaldee.” The authors of Genesis obviously did their utmost to distance the figure of Abraham from the occult traditions of Chaldea, yet Abraham still appears to be an occultist both in biblical and extra-biblical texts: “Abraham excelled all in nobility and wisdom; he sought and obtained the knowledge of astrology and the Chaldean craft... he traveled to Phoenicia and dwelt there. He pleased the Phoenician king by teaching the Phoenicians the cycles of the Sun and Moon, and everything else as well... [in Egypt] Abraham lived in Heliopolis with the Egyptian priests and taught them much: He explained astrology and the other sciences to them.” - Pseudo Eupolemus. “Abraham... came to Egypt with all his household to the Egyptian king Pharothothes and taught him astrology.” - Artapanus. “...before the coming of Abraham, the Egyptians were ignorant of these sciences, which thus traveled from the Chaldeans into Egypt, [and then] passed to the Greeks.” - Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews. Note that Abraham is traveling far and wide not to preach the gospel of the “one true God”, but rather to spread the wisdom of the Chaldean craft. These Chaldean sciences seem to echo the teachings of the Watchers, and pertained to geometry, astronomy, and the movements of the planets and stars. Compare the lore of the Watchers to what Philo records about the Chaldeans: “The Chaldeans exercised themselves most especially with astronomy, and attributed all things to the movement of the stars, believing that whatever is in the world is governed by forces encompassed in numbers and numerical proportions... seeking out the numerical arrangement according to the cycles of the Sun and Moon, the planets, and the fixed stars… .” - Philo, on Abraham. The parallels between the Watchers and the Chaldeans become greater still when viewed in the light of a tradition cited by Eusebius, which said: “Abraham traced his ancestry to the giants. These dwelt in the land of Babylonia. Because of their impiety, they were destroyed by the gods.” So there you have it. These two traditions (of the Watchers and of the Chaldeans) sound so identical because they are identical - one and the same. Were the Chaldeans the descendants of the Watchers, and executors of their tradition? Such an idea is certainly reinforced by the fact that the Hebrew word for “Watcher” is “Ir”, which sounds the same as “Ur.” And the Watchers were called “the watchers of the heavens”, a very appropriate title for a people (like the Chaldeans) so preoccupied by astronomy. Could it be that Ur was the primordial city-state of the Watchers? Very possibly. Ur is considered so ancient that to the modern mind it has become synonymous with antiquity itself. All of this would appear to suggest that Abraham’s status as a Chaldean from Ur may well be one of the most telling anomalies in the Old Testament. It also seems that Abraham is far more than merely a man who “traced his ancestry to the giants.” Remember, it was said that “Abraham excelled all in nobility and wisdom.” In ancient times “nobility” didn’t refer to a man’s demeanor - it meant of noble birth. And as we will ultimately reveal, the figure known as Abraham was of very noble birth indeed. For the time being however, we will continue our study of the Chaldean saga by looking into the story of King Gudea. Though one of the most illustrious of the Sumerian/Chaldean monarchs, Gudea remains a relatively obscure personage in terms of mainstream history. Gudea was both priest-king and architect, a builder of great cities and temples, not unlike Cain/Nimrod. And it just so happens that Nimrod was Gudea’s patron saint, as well as having been his ancestor. Gudea was like many of the Old Testament prophets, in that he was prone to dreams and vision. In one such dream, Nimrod himself appeared to the king, revealing to him the blueprints of a temple he wished to be erected in his honor. Upon waking, Gudea lost no time setting in motion plans to construct the Temple of Nimrod, a structure that would eventually be seen as one of the most significant edifices of its day. In a well-known statue of Gudea, the base is emblazoned with the floor plan of this temple. Other statues frequently depict him with Masonic architectural tools, such as squares, rulers, and so forth. As mentioned in previous articles, the first priests were also the first architects. Their secret gnosis encompassed not only the sacred, but the functional as well. And they encoded their sacerdotal wisdom (sacred geometry, astronomy, etc.) into the structures they built, so that their shape, placement, and dimensions were all a reflection of divine principles. This is a pivotal concept, and constitutes a tradition central to our own ongoing investigation. There are those who assert that Christ was not a carpenter at all, and that the word translated as “carpenter” should have actually been translated as “architect.” Looking further back in the past, we note that the Babylonian/Phoenician god Marduk is often depicted bearing a trowel. Though commentators have speculated that this may be an agricultural tool (as Marduk was thought to have taught man the science of agriculture), it is far more likely to be an architectural tool. And indeed it looks identical to the trowel which appears in so much Freemasonic ritual and symbolism. From all appearances, this would seem to constitute the tradition from which the Knights Templar and the Freemasons derived their creeds. At any rate, the reign of Gudea witnessed a flourishing of culture and civilization in his region. He wandered the full length and breadth of Mesopotamia (and often beyond) to amass lumber, blocks, and precious metals for his many projects. He not only built new cities and temple, but rebuilt old ones. Ruling from his capitols of Lagash and Ur, he preferred not to be seen as a king, but rather as a priest and prophet. He was known simply as the “Good Shepherd”, and may in fact have refused the title of “king” (although his name does appear in the King’s List). Of all the many kings that reigned over Chaldea or Sumer, only a handful of their names are known outside of specialist circles, or from readings of the Old Testament. Those that come to mind are Sargon, Hammurabi, Assurbanipal, and a few others. Why, then (or how) could a man of Gudea’s stature have simply vanished into the mists of history? A possible answer was suggested upon reading that in Gudea’s time and culture there were no letters equivalent to “G” or “I.” Substituting the closest equivalent to those letters results in something both startling and altogether unexpected: Judea.(1) Could it be possible that Judah, the son of Jacob from whom Jews derive their name, could in fact have been a Chaldean priest-king? Are Gudea and Judah one and the same? Turning to the Old Testament in search of information that would either corroborate or disprove altogether such a bizarre thesis revealed passages so scant and so strange as to be of no help whatsoever in either regard. Further searches in Josephus’ Antiquities and Louis Ginzberg’s Legends of the Jews proved equally fruitless. How could a man from whom an entire tribe of Israel adopted their name (the Jews) be so little documented in three such major works documenting Jewish history and folklore? It was both perplexing and mysterious, like trying to conceive of a New Testament that featured only a half-dozen off-handed references to Christ. It defied all logic. And it seemed that logic was the only means left to pierce this apparent conspiracy of silence. So it was that the ancient king lists were consulted again, the reasoning being that the lists were so full of names that corresponded to biblical patriarchs that if Gudea and Judah were the same figure, perhaps other names in close proximity on the lists might have a familiar ring. Four lines above Gudea on the list was a king named “Irarum.” Though not precisely identical to “Abraham”, it was the only name on the list with so familiar an euphonic ring to it. Remember that these names were not only spelled and pronounced differently from culture to culture, but also often in the same culture. Irarum had a son named “Dar”, who also went by the title “Asahk” (literally, “son of God”). It was not uncommon for royal titles to proclaim the king’s divinity, or his status as the reincarnation of a popular king or god. Asahk’s son was “Khab” (or “Khabulum”), and his son in turn took the royal title “Akhab” (“son of Khab”). He in turn fathered Gudea . So if we take into account the sound of these names in their respective order, we arrive at something quite extraordinary: Irarum = Abraham Asahk = Issac Akhab = Jacob Gudea = Judah So with one notable exception (the extra figure of Khab or Khabulum), we find in the Sumerian/Chaldean king lists an almost perfect reflection of the Old Testament line of patriarchs. At this point it is virtually impossible to ascertain what any of this really means. Were the Chaldeans all Jews? Were the people who called themselves Jews really Chaldeans? Were both merely different nations or tribes of an essentially Sumerian populace? Could it be that the so-called “Shepherdic Jews” were not so named because they had been shepherds, but because they could claim descent from a priest-king known as the “Good Shepherd”? (2) Remember that this was the title used to refer to Christ, who acted in the capacity of a priest-king without a throne. Christ, too, is said in some early traditions to have been a Chaldean, an idea we will explore in due course. The Chaldean tradition, and its secret gnosis, is intimately linked with astronomy, astrology, geometry, architecture, and magic; all topics central to our ongoing inquiries. But there’s more. It was said that Gudea practiced the “Chaldean rite” of bull sacrifice - a practice that passed from Chaldea to Egypt, and eventually many parts of the ancient world. Significantly, this rite is said to have originated in Atlantis, and Gudea , like the Atlantean kings, kept the sacrificial bulls in his own palace. Furthermore, when Gudea’s ancestor appeared to him in a vision and gave him specifications for the construction of a magnificent temple, the building thus erected was a seven-stepped ziggurat. Historians believe that Gudea’s Temple of Nimrod represented the very first ziggurat ever built. But mythology tells us that an identical structure one existed as the royal palace of Atlantis. Ziggurat at UR By reviving Atlantean architecture and religious ritual, Gudea seemed to be trying to build a bridge between the past and the present, or to reconstitute the past in the present. His chosen title, “Gudea ” (“Lord/King Ia/Ea”) harkens back to Sumer’s first deified king. And to emphasize the point, he named his son “Nimrod”, an alternate title of Cain, the king’s firstborn son. Gudea’s son went on to become known as the “Lord of the Four Regions”, a title synonymous with “King of the World”, and his daughter married the King of Ur. Within two centuries of his death, Babylonians worshipped him as the “Divine Gudea”, and put statues of him in their temples. The reign of Gudea is reckoned by some scholars to have been around 2400 BC. By the time Judaism began to coalesce some 900 years later, Gudea and his illustrious forebears would have become mythic figures in an oral tradition. Though there is little proof beyond what we’ve presented to link the figures of Gudea and Judah, there are references to Judah being a ruling king in rabbinic lore, including descriptions of a crown, royal scepter, and royal signet ring. And although orthodox Judaism seems to have rejected most of what constitutes the Chaldean tradition, there are indications that these ideas were preserved on a sub rosa level, to reemerge later in a most unexpected context. Christ the Chaldean “And did those feet in ancient time Walk upon England’s mountain green? And was the Holy Lamb of God On England’s pleasant pastures seen?” - William Blake As these lines from William Blake’s eighteenth century poem Jerusalem reveal, the tradition that Christ came to England is one that is both widespread and long-standing. Indeed, Roman chroniclers began referring to it as early as the reign of Tiberius Caesar, who died in 37 A.D. (only four short years after the presumed date of Christ’s own death.) It was in Glastonbury, Cornwall, that the first Christian church was built, purportedly by Christ himself. For those unfamiliar with the story, it is well-documented that Christ’s uncle, Joseph of Arimathea made frequent trips to England in the course of his travels as a tin merchant. As the story goes, Jesus often accompanied his uncle on these journeys, and ended up spending a good deal of time in Cornwall during his well-known “lost years.” It was here that he conducted the early years of his ministry, and legend records that he constructed a rather large house for the habitation of his mother, Mary. It was this house which, pursuant to the crucifixion, became recognized as the first Christian church in the world. And this first Christian church was known by a number of names, such as “the wattle church”, “the old church”, and perhaps most significantly, “the Culdee church.” In other words, the Chaldean church. In Thomas Campbell’s Reullura, we read: “The pure Culdees Were Alby’s (3) earliest priests of God Ere yet an island of her seas By foot of Saxon monk was trod.” In E. Raymond Capt’s marvelous book The Traditions of Glastonbury, he states: “The first converts of the Culdees... were the Druids of Britain, who found no difficulty in reconciling the teaching of the Culdees with their own teaching of the resurrection and the inheritance of eternal life.” In addition, the Druids had long believed in the coming of a messiah - a messiah named Jesu. They also shared the Chaldean preoccupation with sacred geometry and astronomy. And too, they had the odd habit of referring to God as “the ancient of days.” Clearly these two groups’ traditions had a shared origin of some sort. Capt continues: “Culdees are recorded in church documents as officiating at St. Peter, York, until A.D. 939. According to some church authorities, the Canons of York were called ‘Culdees’ as late as the reign of Henry II (A.D. 1133-1189). In Ireland, a whole county was named ‘Culdee.’ The names ‘Culdee’ and ‘Culdish’ cling tenaciously to the Scottish church and its prelates until a much later date.” The Culdee phenomenon appears to be little known, little discussed, and even less understood. Nonetheless, over the centuries a fascinating number of theories and legends have become attached to them: theories and legends that are all the more fascinating in that they seem to overlap with much of our own research. What follows are some of the fundamental assumptions held about the Culdees, as collected and preserved by Arthur Edward Waite in his New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry: The Culdees were identical with the Chaldeans mentioned by the prophet Daniel. They were priests in Assyria and can also be traced to Babylon. They were Casideans, Essenes, Therapeutae, and Magi. Beneath their cloak of Christianity they concealed a secret doctrine. They were mathematicians and architects at the time of the early Roman emperors. They were the builders of King Solomon’s Temple. The Culdees of York were all Masons. They denied the personality of Jesus - meaning the historical personality - and also the existence of the Devil. The Culdee monks were the schoolmasters and architects of their time. It was thought that the historical allegory of the Round Table, as well as the quest for the Holy Grail, referred in mystical terms to Culdee rites. If the foregoing statements are indeed accurate, it would appear that there was the presence of a Templar-like fraternity in England for a full thousand years before the advent of the Knights Templar, and not just in England, but throughout the British Isles. The Culdees had commandaries, schools and churches in Wales, Ireland and Scotland as well. It is said that despite pressure from Rome, the Culdees remained a very strong presence right up to the time of the Norman conquest (4), which began in 1066. The timeframe here seems highly significant, as 1066 is only a few decades before the founding of the Order of Sion by Godfroi de Bouillon in 1090; which in turn is only a few decades before the foundation of the Knights Templar. Is it purely coincidental that an organization whose history spans over a thousand years should essentially vanish, and in a matter of mere decade a group whose outlook seems nearly identical should emerge in another part of the world? As you’ll recall, most of what the historians assert about the Culdees is incredibly similar to what was said of the Templars. Let’s compare: Both groups were said to possess a secret doctrine which they concealed behind the facade of Christianity Both groups denied Christ Both groups were architects Both groups were associated with the Holy Grail, as well as with Solomon’s Temple There definitely seems to be a continuity of belief, purpose and action between the two groups. Certainly the mystery surrounding both groups appears to be the same mystery. But if these two groups represent different manifestations of the same esoteric tradition, it is not simply a tradition whose origin came about after the crucifixion of Christ. The tradition of the architect-priest can clearly be traced to the Chaldean King Gudea, and further still to his role model and patron saint, Nimrod/Cain. As previously stated, Nimrod was legendary as a great king and as a great builder of cities. Remarkably, there are traditions within certain rites of British Freemasonry which claim that Nimrod was in fact the first Master Mason. So the notion of the architect-priest goes back to the dawn of recorded history, and to a time in which knowledge of the divine and knowledge of the practical were both different aspects of a very far-reaching Gnosis - at least for the elect. Endnotes: (1) Editor’s note: Indeed, there were no vowels at all in most ancient alphabets. (2) Editor’s note: Actually, this word is spelled “Sephardic”, and refers to Jews of Spanish or Portuguese ancestry. It stems from the fact that the region now known as “Spain” was referred to in the Bible as “Sepharadh.” (3) England was then called “Albion.” (4) In other locations, such as Ireland, their influence remained strong well into the fourteenth century. NOTE: Follow link for images connected to this article... www.bibliotecapleyades.net/merovingians/merovingios_08.htm
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Post by Indilwen on May 26, 2010 13:10:55 GMT 12
Cleopatra Immortal Priestess-Queen previously published as a feature article in issue 13 of WitchCraft magazine. Somewhere at the centre of all the myths and propaganda in the fight for the Roman Empire, stands the luminous figure of Cleopatra VII, the last great Pharaoh of a 3,000 year-old lineage. After Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 BC, it came under absolute control of his Macedonian general, (Ptolemy I) who then founded the Ptolemaic royal dynasty after Alexander’s death. With territories in the Middle East, Asia Minor, Phoenicia and Cyprus, Ptolemaic Egypt was one of the great powers of the Hellenistic world. Keeping the native Egyptians firmly suppressed, the succeeding Ptolemies preserved the wealth, status and traditional religion of Egypt, but were continually losing territory to the Romans. At an elaborate coronation in 51 BC, Cleopatra VII became queen of Egypt at the age of 18. Her hostile 10-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII, became her husband and co-ruler, following Ptolemaic tradition. Cleopatra came from a long line of political schemers, hedonists and murderers. They had ruled the country as their personal possession for over 250 years. Ptolemy I had commissioned Greek and Egyptian priests to synthesize the two religions and deities, and the resulting “Hellenized” Isis cult spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire. Cleopatra’s father, Ptolemy XII, called himself the ‘Wisdom-Loving New Dionysus’, better known as ‘The Bastard’. Deposed temporarily by his eldest daughter – whom he promptly beheaded on his return – he was reinstated by the Roman general Pompey and a young Mark Antony. When Cleopatra and Ptolemy took over, the Egyptian empire was riddled with corruption, only retaining its independence by keeping the Romans well-bribed. Brought up like any cultured Greek prince, Cleopatra was well educated in maths, science, philosophy and literature. She could ride, sing, fence and was fluent in nine languages, the first Ptolemy ever to speak Egyptian. Probably not beautiful by our clone-like modern standards, she was immensely charismatic. After her death, Octavian destroyed most of her images and those surviving give her a large nose and weak chin. Like England’s Elizabeth I much later, Cleopatra often manipulated her image to show characteristics of a particular person or goddess. CLEOPATRA AND CAESAR Cleopatra’s expulsion from Alexandria by her brother’s partisans in 48 BC coincided with Julius Caesar’s arrival in Egypt. Her successful ploy of being smuggled back into the palace in a rolled carpet led to civil war, with Caesar fighting on her side, the death of her despised brother-husband, and the birth of her son Caesarion (“little Caesar”) a year later. Undisputed ruler of the Empire in all but name, brilliant politician, soldier and known womaniser – Caesar was 53 and Cleopatra was 22. As Cleopatra couldn’t have survived her childhood without a precocious intensity of character and intelligence, the age difference was essentially irrelevant. Their affair was very likely a mixture of genuine affection and mutual political expedience. Cleopatra regained her throne, had some of Egypt’s territories restored and gained the close alliance of the world’s most powerful man. Caesar gained the support of one of the world’s wealthiest women, along with control of Egypt’s rich resources. ‘THAT EGYPTION WOMAN’ In 47 BC, Caesar returned to Rome, receiving many honours and a ten-year dictatorship. Subsequently married to her youngest brother Ptolemy XIV, Cleopatra nevertheless joined Caesar in Rome. While Caesar never left his Roman wife nor recognised Caesarion as his son, he did not deny that the child was his; Cleopatra lived in a villa he owned and he erected a huge gold statue to her in the temple of Venus Genetrix. Rome seethed with disapproving gossip over Cleopatra’s presence. Royalty was repugnant to the republican Romans, so a foreign queen, a woman with power, was an insult to their xenophobic, patriarchal values. She was quick-witted, a mathematician and a good businesswoman, but unfortunately her linguistic skills did not include Latin. Her luxuries and social manners affronted many. Cleopatra must have been a real shock to the senses, with her entourage, her opulent robes, her lavish and expert use of perfume essences and cosmetics. Fully merged with her role as the living Isis/Hathor/Aphrodite, she called herself the New Goddess, because this was part of Ptolemaic Egyptian custom. In the divine kingship of a pharaoh, politics and religion are one and the same. Cleopatra’s role as High Priestess of Egypt is a remarkable example of the magickal-religious skill of “willed possession by a divine Archetype”, which has also been called “controlled insanity”. If you have ever seen this transformation happening to a Priest/ess in ritual, and witnessed the disorienting side-effects – then imagine living your life in this mode – and you will feel both admiration and compassion for Cleopatra! When Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March, 44 BC, her protected idyll abruptly ended. Cleopatra returned to Egypt (conveniently losing Ptolemy XIV by poison en route!) and reigned with her son by Caesar, Caesarion Ptolemy (XV). ANTONY AND OCTAVIAN The empire plunged into civil war. Despite its traditional resistance to monarchy, Rome was now too vast to rule itself as a republic. Caesar had so much power that after his death the vacuum could only be filled by an individual, not an administration. The main contenders were Mark Antony and Octavian. Antony, one of Caesar’s lieutenants, was well known as a brave fighter, but not good at tactics or politics. Blue-blooded and fiercely ambitious, he was extravagant and often broke. Octavian was Caesar’s great-nephew and official heir, and while unknown, and quite lily-livered as a soldier, he made allies fast, proving to be a clever, consummate politician. The outcome was a division of power between Octavian in the West, and Antony in the East. Needing a power base in the East, and military victories to emulate Caesar, Antony aimed to conquer Parthia (Iran) – a very expensive project. Thus, in 41 BC, Antony summoned Cleopatra to meet him in Tarsus, Turkey. ENTER CLEOPATRA – “I AM APHRODITE COME IN REVELRY TO DIONYSIUS, FOR THE GOOD OF ASIA” Dressed as Isis/Aphrodite, Cleopatra arrived on a gilded barge, reclining under a gold-embroidered canopy and purple sails perfumed with lotus oil, fanned by slaves dressed as cupids and mermaids. This display was deliberately designed to show her divine power as a pharaoh and her wealth as a Ptolemy, and also to seduce a decadent man. Having known Antony for years, she knew exactly what he liked. Her agents had spread the rumour through the city that “Aphrodite had come in revelry to Dionysus, for the good of Asia”. They quickly became lovers, and instead of invading Parthia, they spent the winter in luxurious Alexandria. In return for funding his campaign, Antony restored territories to Cleopatra and agreed to have her sister Arsinoe, a possible rival, executed. At this point it was just ruthless “sexual diplomacy” – some accounts relate that Cleopatra found Antony vacillating, shallow and coarse. Antony spent time immersing himself in the Graeco-Egyptian Dionysian rites and winning over the Hellenistic people. Octavian’s propaganda proclaimed Antony an irresponsible ‘Graeculi,’ (a Roman insult meaning both “wog” and “poofter”!) playing to the strong conservative elements in Rome who preferred the traditional manly Roman ideals of gravitas and dignitas, considering most Greek and Asiatic culture superstitious and extravagant. In 40 BC, as part of a peace deal, Antony, promptly forgetting Cleopatra, married Octavian’s sister Octavia, staying with her for almost two years, but she produced no son, funds were still lacking and his necessary martial glory was still unachieved. Word reached him that wealthy Cleopatra had given birth to his twin children, a boy and a girl. Still fixed on conquering Parthia, the last independent Hellenistic kingdom - Antony once again allied with Cleopatra, with a shared dream of founding a new Hellenic order in the Eastern Empire provinces. As a mutual political and religious gesture, Antony as the incarnate Dionysus celebrated the Sacred Marriage (Hieros Gamos) with Cleopatra as the living Isis/Aphrodite. This time, it was also a personal commitment to Cleopatra that was to taint him forever in Roman eyes. WORDS VERSES SPECTACLE In 36 BC Antony finally invaded Parthia, but it was a huge disaster, and Cleopatra played the cavalry, taking him back to Egypt. Antony planned to recuperate with her, and then return to Octavia, but Cleopatra passionately entreated him to stay, forcing him to choose between them. There was more than jealousy involved, because she knew that any peace Antony made with Octavian would not include her. She also knew that Octavian’s ambition to found a ruling dynasty was a direct danger to her son Caesarion as Caesar’s heir. Fearing that Antony would abandon her for Rome as he had done in 40 BC, Cleopatra demanded Antony divorce Octavia in exchange for the funding of his armies and fleet. As he could do nothing without her, he agreed, and sent Octavia back to her brother. Now the net of Fate tightened, irrevocably binding Antony and Cleopatra to one another. Cleopatra was the most popular Ptolemaic ruler at home, but Octavian misrepresented her in Rome as the incestuous, animal-worshipping, harlot-queen who had bewitched Antony. While Antony was made to seem ‘un-Roman’, Octavian made himself the very embodiment of everything Roman – dutiful, patriotic, steady, defending Rome against the depraved oriental horde. Despite the empire-wide popularity of the Isis cult, Octavian’s clever propaganda won Rome to his side. Where Octavian used words, Cleopatra used ritual, spectacular state tours that were living magickal talismans of Egyptian strength and wealth. ONE SPECTACLE TOO MANY - THE DONATIONS OF ALEXANDRIA In 34 B.C., after successfully conquering Armenia, Antony celebrated with an extraordinary spectacle, the ‘Donations of Alexandria’, Cleopatra and himself presiding as the New Isis and the New Dionysus. With his status as mighty conqueror, handsome physique and lust for revelry, Antony fit the Dionysus profile brilliantly. He had two golden thrones placed on a silver stage for himself and Cleopatra, and lesser thrones for the children. Cleopatra was awarded the title “Queen of Kings and of her sons who are Kings.” Cleopatra made no secret of her desire to be Empress of the world: “As surely as I shall yet dispense justice on the Roman Capital,” was her favourite oath. Antony proclaimed Cleopatra and Caesarion joint rulers of Egypt and Cyprus, overlords of other Eastern kings, then handed out more Eastern territories to their children. Unfortunately, several were not yet conquered and, worse, some were Roman. Understandably, the Romans interpreted this piece of theatre as a direct challenge. All this, combined with Octavian’s public reading of Antony’s will (stolen from the Vestal Virgins) which named Cleopatra his beneficiary and formally recognized Caesarion as a Caesar, resulted in the Senate declaring war in 32 BC. ENDGAME Protesting against Cleopatra’s involvement in the planning of the campaign, two of Antony’s best generals defected to Octavian. When the opposing armies met in 30 B.C at Actium on the western coast of Greece, Antony put his Egyptian fleet to use, but Agrippa, Octavian’s admiral, made short work of them. Antony and Cleopatra fled back to Egypt, sailing into Alexandria with their flags flying, as if from a victory. Fatalistically accepting their tenuous position, they indulged in one last round of feasting and desperate merriment. Refusing to negotiate, Octavian ordered his legions to close in for the kill. After Antony’s last troops defected, precise details are unclear. According to romantic myth, on hearing Cleopatra was dead he stabbed himself, only to discover that she was still alive. He was taken to her and died in her arms. Before Cleopatra could join Antony in suicide, she was taken prisoner by Octavian. Cheating Octavian of the satisfaction of parading her through Rome in chains, she managed to kill herself by the bite of an asp. In this her last stage-managed event, she died a dignified, regal death, in full Pharaonic regalia. Suicide by snakebite was her final act of power, the serpent being the sign of the Egyptian royal house, an emblem of Isis and a symbol of rebirth and eternal life. Octavian allowed Cleopatra to be buried with Antony. Their tomb has never been found. She was 39; he was 52. Octavian had Caesarion strangled, then declared the end of Ptolemaic rule, and Egypt became another Roman province. Cleopatra was the last pharaoh in a 3,000-year-old spiritual lineage. As High Priestess of Isis, Egypt’s patron goddess, she was identified with Egypt itself. So beloved was she in Egypt that her supporters bribed Roman officials not to destroy her statues. Cleopatra was enough of an initiate to know that as Priestess-Queen of the Gods, carrier of the life-force of the Land, one way or another she would be consumed by that power. In the service of Isis she was a brilliant, but fast-burning flame, living and dying as large as the Goddess she represented. Source: www.ancientmysteriesnet.org/cleopatra.html
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Post by Indilwen on May 26, 2010 11:26:41 GMT 12
Themes: Fairies, Nature, Devotion, Relationships
Symbols: All Fairy Plants, Silver, Dew
About Oonagh: This ancient Irish Queen of the Fairies is also a potent Goddess of Magic. In Irish legends, Oonagh is a faithful wife and the most beautiful of all Goddesses, having long silky hair and a rove of silver and dew. Today, she brings the fey into our lives to remind us of the unseen worlds and to awaken the child within each of us that dares to dream and wish.
To Do Today: Sometime in November, the people of Ancient Ireland celebrated a day for the "wee folk" - a time to revel in fairy folklore and superstition. We can wear green, which is a fairy favorite color. Don some pleasant sounding bells that tinkle lightly when you walk. Fairies love this sound. Or carry a staurolite stone, also known as the fairy cross. This stone not only brings luck bit also helps in controlling elemental beings such as the fey.
To see fairies today, find a four leaf clover and lay seven kernels of grain beneath it. Or go to and area where oak, ash, and thorn trees grow together. This is said to be sacred ground for both the fey. If you're concerned about fairy mischief, wear red for protection. Or, carry some flint as the Irish to keep fairies at arm's length.
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By Patricia Telesco ~ From "365 Goddess" and GrannyMoon's Morning Feast ________________________________________
Faery Sugar Wysti's Journal
Use this sugar to attract and see the fae.
3 cups fine white sugar 1 cup pure vanilla extract a dash of red food coloring (the fae love red & pink) a decorative glass conatiner with a tight-fitting lid label
Put the sugar on a piece of waxed paper and sprinkle the vanilla extract on it. Stir the mixture well to make sure it is well mixed. After mixing, add the food coloring and mix well again till you get the color you're looking for. Put this mixure into the glass container and label it "Faery Sugar."
You can use this sugar when you make cookies or cakes and offerings to the Fae.
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DISCLAIMER: The owners , moderators,members nor any other site hold and bare no responsibility for the misuse or abuse of herbs listed on this group or posts on this group. This information is not intended to replace traditional treatment of licensed doctors or care-givers.
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Post by Indilwen on May 26, 2010 11:24:32 GMT 12
CALLING NATURE SPIRITS.. by Larry Cornett
To make the most out of working magical ritual in the wild, one should find power spots where nature spirits are receptive to the ritual planned and approach the spirits with respect, as equals. In my experience, the most effective power spots for working with the living intelligences of nature are located in wild areas with diverse active ecologies. When entering a wild area to find a site for a ritual, find a place that feels good. Then do the following, either individually or, if in a group, as a guided meditation.
o Relax while standing upright and focus on your breathing. Breathe deep breaths from the diaphragm. Breathe together if in a group. - Feel the wind and let it relax you and awaken your spirit within, as your deep breathing takes you into non-ordinary reality. - Picture in your mind's eye a light inside you. As you breathe, feel the light expand, purify and energize you - as it expands to fill your aura. - Feel yourself glowing, balanced, purified and full of power. - Connect with your inner self (your higher self) and feel your intuitive self operating.
o Feel yourself as: - The wind, full of life and intelligence, communicating with all round. - The Sunlight, warm, alive, channeling the power to communicate with nature and energizing all around. - Water, emotional, intuitive, refreshing and connected with nature. - The Earth, and note how your physical body is able to wander while remaining part of Mother Earth.
o Focus on your spiritual self, and - Note the light within and feel it as love, - Expand the light and love beyond the immediate aura of your body to the surrounding area - where you will go to find a power spot.
o Telepathically (by thinking while channeling the love and light energy) send out signals to nature spirits to emerge and be aware of your presence. - Say why you have come and invite them to join in sharing, mutual celebration, and the work you intend. - Visualize the light and love energy you are channeling extending out and merging with the light from distant places. - Feel the power of the Earth flowing up through your body and feet. - Feel the power from the sky, and channel this power also to further energize the carrier signal of light and love for communicating with nature. - Visualize the light expanding and merging. - Continue to send out telepathic signals.
o Now go deeper. - Close your eyes, sit on the Earth, and feel your connection while you channel more light and love. - Continue modulating the light and love with your thoughts - inviting receptive spirits to join with you and make themselves known. - If in a group, someone should start playing a drum at a rate of about one beat per second, and you should listen to the drum and let the drum take you deeper. - Affirm that you are a nature magician, a medicine person, who knows and communicates with nature. Let this part of yourself emerge to full consciousness. Let the drum and the connection to your inner self awaken that part of yourself that naturally communicates with other life forms. Let it awakn your telepathic sense. - Continue sending telepathic signals to nature. - When you feel ready and an inner urge to begin, open your eyes a crack and look around while continuing to channel love and light and telepathically calling for a response. - You may see light coming from certain areas that are receptive. You may get other signals, such as a feeling of power or love returning in a certain direction. Perhaps the type of response to this work will be unexpected; follow your intuition in interpreting it. - You may test your connection by communicating (mentally) instructions for signals for yes/no responses (such as light getting brighter for less and darker for no) and then mentally ask questions and observe the responses.
o When you have found an areas that seems to be responsive and receptive, begin walking to the area, while beaming love energy. Extend your aura to the area and sense the energy.
ENTERING A POWER SPOT:
o Before entering a power spot, ask permission to enter. If the response is good, enter; if not, locate another more receptive area.
o When entering the power spot, look around. Perhaps the responsive energy will be concentrated around some singularity (a bush, a tree, a specific branch, a moss covered rock, or other entity that stands out). Perhaps the energy will be more general. Use your intuition and feedback from the spirits to guide your actions.
o If it feels right, send out a signal that you would like to touch the singularity (or the ground) for better communication. If the response is good, approach beaming love energy, touch or hug the singularity (or the ground).
o Treat the spirits as you would other Pagans you meet for the first time - be sensitive, open, and listen.
DEEPENING COMMUNICATION WITH NATURE SPIRITS:
o Now that you have made contact with spirits that seem receptive, deepen the communication. - Breathe deep breaths from the diaphragm, and with each breath, feel more refreshed. - Now imagine that your spine is the trunk of a tree; and, from its base, roots extend deep into the Earth. Deep into the rich moist Earth. - With every breath, feel the roots extending deeper, - Feel the energy deep within the Earth and within the waters of the Earth. Feel your roots absorbing nourishment from the Earth and from its waters. - Now feel the energy rising. Feel the moist, warm energy rising. - Feel it bursting up from the Earth and rising up your spine, like sap rises in a tree. - Now imagine that you have branches, branches that sweep up and then bend down towards the Earth, like the limbs of a willow. - Feel the branches extending and interweaving with your surroundings. - Feel the warm, moist energy of the Earth flowing through your branches. As it flows, feel your mind being purified, centered, and connected to the Earth. - Feel the power from the Earth flowing through your branches and then down back to the Earth, like a fountain. - Note how your branches absorb energy from the air. Also, feel them receiving light (fire) from the sky. - Feel the energy from above penetrating deep through your body into the Earth. - Feel the warmth of the Earth rising also. - Feel the energy circulating.
o Notice how your branches intertwine with the branches and energy fields of your surroundings. - Notice how your roots also intertwine. - Feel the energy dancing between you and your surroundings. - Notice how you and the life around you are rooted in the same Earth, breathing the same air, receiving the same fire, drinking the same water, sharing the same underlying essence. You are one with the magical grove.
o Telepathically mention the time in the past when nature spirits and people communicated regularly and the need to establish such communication now.
o Test your connection by asking questions and observing the responses.
WORKING WITH NATURE SPIRITS:
o Explain to the spirits the purpose of your coming to them and the nature of the ritual you plan.
o If the spirits you contacted are receptive: - Explain to them the details of the ritual and invite them to provide ideas. - Listen, you may receive suggestions on how to improve the ritual. Such suggestions may come in the form of hunches, visions, or answers to yes/no questions using pre arranged signals, or in other ways. - Ask what the best place to perform the ritual is. - You may see light or get other psychic signals leading you to other sites, or you may be at one of them. - Before you leave the power spot, tell the spirit you have contacted when you plan to return to do the ritual (visualizing the associated lunar and solar aspects can help with this communication). - Invite them to join in the ritual when you return and to bring their friends. - Ask if it would be best to return silently, with drums, with chanting, or with some other form of approach. - You can also ask the spirits to provide guidance for working in balance and to provide a teacher to provide further guidance.
o Before you leave the power spot, - Thank the spirits, - Channel love energy, - Trigger your memory of the experience, and - If it feels right, leave an offering of tobacco, or beer and honey poured on the ground (or other suitable material).
o Leave in peace and love.
o Proceed to other sites that were indicated by the spirits, doing similar meditations at each site.
o If you need something, like a staff, a Maypole, or a wand, you can also ask where you can find it and follow the guidance you receive (not slavishly, but as you would guidance from another Pagan).
o Before leaving the general area in which you found power spots and contacted nature spirits, - Channel love energy towards the receptive sites you found, - Thank the spirits of the land, - Pull back your roots and branches, - Ground any excess energy into the Earth (placing ones hands on the Earth, breathing in any excess energy and channeling the energy down your arms, while visualizing and feeling the energy going into the Earth), and - Leave in peace and love.
o Naturally, you should leave the area at least as clean, and preferably cleaner, than you found it.
o If you work with techniques of Wicca or Ceremonial Magic, you may find that by casting a circle, calling the Elements, the Goddess, the Gods, and the local nature spirits while you are at receptive sites, you may be able to greatly increase communication.
o Through the use of drums and other power raising techniques, it is even possible to energize receptive nature spirits. The results can be very interesting. If with a coven, such circles can be done as part of a group attunement to a power spot you have located.
o If you do not get good feelings in response to your explanation of the ritual and are unable to come up with a ritual that gives good responses, do not try to force a good response. You would only be fooling yourself. - Thank the spirits for their attention. - Ask them why they are not receptive (if they are communicative). - Trigger your memory. - Pull back your "roots and branches," return any excess energy you feel into the Earth. - If it feels appropriate, leave an offering of tobacco or other appropriate material, out of respect for the spirits. - Move to a more receptive site.
o If it is hard to find a site that is really receptive, you should also: - Consider any impressions you got of why the nature spirits weren't receptive in the area you were in, and re-think your plans for a ritual, as necessary and appropriate. - It may also be appropriate to look for another general area in which to find a suitable power site that is receptive to the work planned.
WHAT TO DO WHEN RETURNING:
It can be very powerful to purify and center yourself and to attune to the spirits of the land using the technique previously described for calling nature spirits immediately upon returning to the site.
Then approach the site ritually using the previously arranged technique. You should have the details worked out with the Spirits of the land. A procession through or past receptive power spots, inviting nature spirits to join and proceeding to the central power spot for the main ritual, can be especially effective.
Be sure to invoke the nature spirits, to ask them for their help during the ritual, and to thank them at the end.
When consecrating space in the wild, or casting a circle, do not set up the perimeter as a barrier to all outside forces; it should be a beacon to attract friendly nature spirits, a container for holding magical power, and a barrier to spirits who it isn't right to be with.
One thing that is fun and worthwhile in nature is to bring instruments, such as a rattle, a flute and/or a drum, to tune in to nature's sounds, and to make music in time to nature's sounds. You may be able to get some very interesting back and fourth exchanges of music going with selected creatures of the wild, and get into an amazing jam session.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
There are other ways of working with nature spirits. This is one approach. The author thanks Selena Fox for teaching the basic guided meditation technique for locating and contacting nature spirits at a tranceworking session sponsored by the Chameleon Club (part of the Association for Consciousness Exploration) in 1981, Isaac Bonewitz for the outline of the expanded tree meditation, and Carlos Castenada, Black Eagle, Pasha, the Goddess, the Gods, and various nature spirits for teaching the rest of the good methods.
RIGHTS TO DISTRIBUTE THIS ARTICLE:
This article is written by Larry Cornett and is copyrighted l988, and hereby placed by the author in the public domain, providing it is not modified without the explicit permission of the author and providing the author is acknowledged. It may therefore be distributed freely to any BBS or other Electronic Forum. Permission to reprint in a publication for sale may be requested from the author, and will generally be granted in exchange for a copy of the publication containing the article. This copyright takes precedence over any copyright expressed or implied by any BBS or commercial system on which this file is posted
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Post by Indilwen on May 26, 2010 11:22:08 GMT 12
The Deva Kingdom The kingdom of devas is a parallel evolution of substance or intelligence which relates to consciousness in such a way as to give substantial form and appearance to it. (1)
Deva ~ Definition
Deva (said to be pronounced: day' va) is a Sanskrit word which can be translated technically as "intelligent agent," or literally as "shining one."
Mythologically, there is a "god" or "goddess" connotation to this term. In ancient literature every tree, flower, river, and mountain was represented by a deva in charge of organizing its intelligence. Cities and other large groups of people were also represented by devas.
In modern terms the word deva can also be understood to mean "organizing intelligence." According to the Wisdom teachings, devas are the great builders and maintainers of form.
Esoterically, a deva is an angel, a god, or a celestial being ~ whether good, bad, or indifferent. Devas are divided into many groups and are called not only angels and archangels, but also lesser and greater builders ~ the builders of the system.
Honor and cherish the devas as they honor and cherish you; through this honor and love you will attain the supreme good. All human desires are fulfilled by the devas, who are pleased by selfless service. But anyone who enjoys the things given by the devas without offering selfless acts in return is a thief. - Bhagavad Gita 3:11-12
Deva Evolution
As a whole, devas are on the evolutionary path, the upward way. The building devas are the Universal Mind ... they not only embody the Divine Thought but are that through which it manifests, and its actuating activity. They are essentially motion. The lesser builders are more particularly the material form, which is actuated, and in their cohorts are the substance of matter (considering substance as that which lies back of matter). (2)
Deva evolution parallels that of the human kingdom, and is responsible for building all forms, from nature to the solar system, which consciousness uses as a vehicle ~ from a flower, to a human being, to a planet. On the atomic subplane are the permanent physical atoms of all humanity and the appropriated atoms of the deva kingdom. The devas do not develop as do the human race. They reincarnate in groups, and not as individuals .... (3)
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Post by Indilwen on May 22, 2010 23:35:08 GMT 12
The Chakras are the energy centres located in the area of specific human organs. They are linked to each other by channels. Stimulating the Chakras by means of meditation creates a feeling of wholeness and balance beneficial to both mental and physical health. Placing a specific crystal on a Chakra helps to evoke and stimulate the most subtle forces. Below we describe the Chakras, then just click on "more" at the end of this page to read about all the different crystals, and how they can help heal your inner self.
CROWN - The highest Chakra, symbolising the merging of the human mind with the Divine; spiritual unity and wisdom. Associated with the cerebral cortex, central nervous system and right eye. Crystals: Alexandrite, Amethyst, Diamond, Jasper, Quartz, Rutilated Quartz and Selenite. THIRD EYE - Centre of creativity, intuition, imagination, insight and devotion to spiritual knowledge. Associated with the pituitary gland, nose, ears and left eye. Crystals: Azurite, Diamond, Jasper, Lapis Lazuli, Opal, Quartz, Rutilated Quartz, Sapphire, Selenite, Sodalite and Topaz. THROAT - Centre of communication, speech, effect of the spoken word on truth. Also knowledge, wisdom and kindness. Associated with the thyroid, throat and mouth. Crystals: Aquamarine, Diamond, Jasper, Lapis Lazuli, Quartz and Rutilated Quartz. HEART - Centre of compassion, altruism, forgiveness and gentleness; also the acceptance of reality as it is. Associated with the heart, circulatory system, arms and lungs. Crystals: Aquamarine, Aventurine, Bloodstone, Chrysoprase, Diamond, Emerald, Jasper, Kunzite, Moonstone, Peridot, Quartz, Rhodochrosite, Rose Quartz, Ruby, Rutilated Quartz and Turquoise. SOLAR PLEXUS - Centre of self-respect, willpower, confidence, physical energy and self-control. Associated with adrenals, stomach, liver, muscles and the nervous system. Crystals: Agate, Amber, Diamond, Jade, Jasper, Malachite, Quartz, Rhodonite, Rutilated Quartz and Tiger's Eye. LOWER ABDOMEN - Centre of feeling, emotion, sexual desire, craving, family life, harmony and tolerance. Associated with the ovaries, testicles, prostate, genitals, womb and bladder. Crystals: Carnelian, Diamond, Jasper, Quartz and Rutilated Quartz. ROOT - Centre of the basic will to survive and of the material world. Courage, stability and physical health. Associated with the spinal column, adrenals, colon, legs and bones. Crystals: Bloodstone, Diamond, Garnet, Jasper, Quartz, Rutilated Quartz and Smoky Quartz.
* Before and after crystal healing sessions engage your mind while placing the crystals. Which visualisation images would be most inspiring for you? * Clear the room of discharged negative energy after a session, using the same cleansing method you used to cleanse your crystals (see Preparing Your Crystals section). * Wash your hands in cool running water directly afterwards to boost your body's beneficial negative ions. * Re-cleanse your crystals straight after a session. It is easier to remember which crystals you used and ensures you don't forget this essential process altogether.
Balancing The Chakras For healing to take place the Chakras must be balanced and in harmony. Use two single-terminated quartz crystals:- * Lie down and settle yourself comfortably. * Place one of the crystals at your feet, with the point towards your head. Put the other crystal at the crown of your head with the terminated end pointing down. * Take a few minutes to visualise your entire subtle energy system becoming harmonised and balanced. * Be aware of any sensations of blockage or soreness. * Ask your higher mind to indicate what the problem is and how to deal with it. Act on that intuitive guidance in a separate session with whichever additional crystals you need to use at that time.
A Revitalising Energy Boost Hold two single-terminated clear quartz crystals, one in each hand, while sitting upright on a chair with your feet firmly grounded. The terminated (pointed) ends of the crystals should be directed towards your body. This positive polarity directs energy from the universal field, distributing it throughout the subtle energy system. Breathe slowly and deeply, visualising the energy coursing through your body, leaving you feeling revitalised.
Welcome Stress Relief Lay comfortably on the floor and place a single-terminated quart crystal across your Solar Plexus Chakra, with the terminated end pointing upwards towards the Crown Chakra. Visualise the excess inappropriate energy being drawn out of your field and discharged into the universal field. Note: it is important to clear the room of dispersed negative energy after such a session.
Relief from Headaches Place Rose Quartz, Aventurine or Blue Lace Agate crystals on the affected area for 5 minutes. Create whatever visualisation image you feel is right. For sharp headaches, hold the crystals against your temples. For duller headaches lay with your head against a soft pillow and place a crystal at the back of your head at the point where the base of the skull meets the neck.
Helping Localised Pain Relief This technique can be used for sprained muscles, period pains, rheumatism or arthritis. Hold one single-terminated quartz crystal in your right (sending) hand with the pointed end towards the affected area for a few minutes and visualise a soothing image. If the pain is spread over a large area, cover the entire area with exaggerated stroking movements with the blunt (feminine) end of the crystal towards the area of pain. As the crystal comes away from the body, flick the crystal into the air to discharge negative energy.
Realising Your Potential - our Chakra Crystals Pack is ideal for this! The following crystals should be used for a full body layout:- * At the Crown Chakra - Amethyst to calm the mind, dissolve anxiety and absorb negativity * On the Third Eye Chakra - Sodalite to increase spiritual awareness * On the Throat Chakra - Blue Lace Agate to help self-expression * On the Heart Chakra - Green Aventurine to centre you while inspiring independence, well-being and health * On the Solar Plexus Chakra - Citrine for optimism and mental clarity * On the Lower Abdomen Chakra - Carnelian to increase vitality and passion, and boost assertiveness * On the Root Chakra - Red Jasper to give a sense of balance to the spirit and to ground you physically and emotionally * At the bottom of your feet - Single-terminated Clear Quartz (with the terminated end pointing towards your body) to channel energy through the Chakras.
Focus on a positive satisfying and viable outcome for the future.
Cleanse new crystals straightaway, particularly if you intend to use them for healing. Cleansing is not a physical process - rather it is a spiritual ritual. In esoteric terms, crystals absorb and retransmit all energies with which they come into contact. In healing, crystals become receptive to emotional energies. Cleansing your crystal back to a neutral state, so that accumulated negative energies are not passed on. This process also re-energises the crystal and ensures that it functions at its highest level. Let your intuition be your guide: keep the intention in mind that you are clearing away all inappropriate energies and that you are working with purity of purpose.
The following are some different ways to cleanse, purify, re-energise and tune your crystals. Please note that as some crystals are sensitive to heat, light and/or water, not all methods will be suitable for all crystals.
Water - Cleanse your crystals by holding them under cool running water, such as an ordinary bathroom tap for several minutes. As you do so, think about a beautiful waterfall you have seen of visited. Or imagine the waves lapping over your crystal on a tropical beach. Note: Do not do this ritual with Halite, Selenite, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite or Turquoise as these crystals are sensitive to water.
Amethyst Bed - Crystal healers commonly use a large piece, or bed, of Amethyst to cleanse several crystals at once. Amethyst is said to transmute lower energies into the higher frequencies of both the spiritual and ethereal worlds, thereby transforming whatever is placed on it. Leave your crystals on the Amethyst Bed for 24 hours.
Earth Burial - Crystal have come form the Earth. Iif you feel they are safe enough you can bury your crystals in the ground (do remember to mark where you have buried them!). The Earth has a natural magnetic quality which will draw off negativity. Leave your crystals in the Earth for 24 hours.
Resonating Sound - Purify your crystals with the resonating sound of a bell you love. You can cleanse and purify a roomful of crystals by ringing the bell above them, but the best way is to purify crystals one at a time. Perform this ritual for a few minutes.
Smudging - Smudge your crystals by burning a wadge of dried herbs and waving the smoke over and through them - proprietary "Smudge Sticks" are perfect for this ritual. You can use smudging to purify a roomful of crystals. Perform this ritual for a 5 minutes
Sunlight and Moonlight - Light is the essential currency of crystal healing so re-energise your water-cleansed crystals in sunlight and moonlight for 24 hours - the time of the Full Moon is perfect for this. Your crystals need a day of sunlight and a night of moonlight to re-energise.
Crab Apple and Sea Salt - Soak crystals in a non-metallic container filled with water to which some purifying sea salt or crab apple Bach Flower Remedy has been added. Clean sea water is another option. Leave the container on a window ledge for three days before the Full Moon. - the container must catch the moonlight. Note: Do not do this ritual with Halite, Selenite, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite or Turquoise as these crystals are sensitive to water.
Thought Visualisation - Imagine a bright star pouring pure white light through an opening in the top of your head. Guide the light down through your body, sensing it being cleansed. Feel negative energies draining out of your feet. Now dedicate the crystal: "I dedicate this crystal to love and the universal benefit of all."
It is important to tune your crystals directly after cleansing, purifying and dedicating. Remain in a relaxed alert state. Hold your crystal in one hand and place your other hand over it. Visualise an energy connection between you and the crystal (for example, a ray of white light). Decide on the crystal's purpose and then say out loud "I intend this crystal to be an effective tool for … (e.g. healing, mediation, dream interpretation
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Post by Indilwen on May 22, 2010 22:47:34 GMT 12
The Importance of Studying the Fairy-Faith From the Introduction to W.Y. Evans-Wentz's The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries
I have made a very careful personal investigation of the surviving Celtic Fairy-Faith by living for many months with and among the people who preserve it; I have compared fairy phenomena and the phenomena said to be caused by gods, genii, daemons, or spirits of different kinds and recorded in the writings of ancient, medieval, and modern metaphysical philosophers, Christian and pagan saints, mystics, and seers, and now more or less clearly substantiated by from thirty to forty years of experimentation in psychical sciences by eminent scientists of our own times, such as Sir William Crookes and Sir Oliver Lodge in England, and M. Camille Flammarion in France. As a result, I am convinced of the very great value of a serious study of the Fairy-Faith. The Fairy-Faith as the folk religion of the Celts ought, like all religions, to be studied sympathetically as well as scientifically. To those who take a materialistic view of life, and consequently deny the existence of spirits or invisible intelligences such as fairies are said to be, we should say as my honoured American teacher in psychology, the late Dr. William James, of Harvard, used to say in his lectures at Stanford University, 'Materialism considered as a system of philosophy never tries to explain the Why of things.' But in our study of the Fairy-Faith we shall attempt to deal with this Why of things; and, then, perhaps the value of studying fairies and Fairyland will be more apparent, even to materialists. The great majority of men in cities are apt to pride themselves on their own exemption from 'superstition', and to smile pityingly at the poor countrymen and countrywomen who believe in fairies. But when they do so they forget that, with all their own admirable progress in material invention, with all the vast extent of their commercial and economic conquests, they themselves have ceased to be natural. Wherever under modern conditions great multitudes of men and women are herded together there is bound to be an unhealthy psychical atmosphere never found in the country - an atmosphere which inevitably tends to develop in the average man who is not psychically strong enough to resist it, lower at the expense of higher forces or qualities, and thus to inhibit any normal attempts of the Subliminal Self (a well-accredited psychological entity) to manifest itself in consciousness.
In this connexion it is highly significant to note that, as far as can be determined, almost all professed materialists of the uncritical type, and even most of those who are thinking and philosophizing skeptics about the existence of a super sensuous realm or state of conscious being, are or have been city-dwellers - usually so by birth and breeding. And even where we find materialists of either type dwelling in the country, we generally find them so completely under the hypnotic sway of city influences and mold of thought in matters of education and culture, and in matter touching religion, that they have lost all sympathetic and responsive contact with Nature, because unconsciously they have thus permitted conventionality and unnaturalness to insulate them from it.
The Celtic peasant, who may be their tenant or neighbour, is - if still uncorrupted by them - in direct contrast unconventional and natural. He is normally always responsive to psychical influences - as much so as an Australian Arunta or an American Red Man, who also, like him, are fortunate enough to have escaped being corrupted by what we egotistically, to distinguish ourselves from them, call 'civilization'. If our Celtic peasant has psychical experiences, or if he sees an apparition which he calls one of the 'good people', that is to say a fairy, it is useless to try to persuade him that he is under a delusion: unlike his materialistically-minded lord, he would not attempt nor even desire to make himself believe that what he has seen he has not seen. Not only has he the will to believe, but he has the right to believe; because his belief is not a matter of being educated and reasoning logically, nor a matter of faith and theology - it is a fact of his own individual experiences, as he will tell you.
Such peasant seers have frequently argued with me to the effect that 'One does not have to be educated in order to see fairies'. Unlike the natural mind of the uncorrupted Celt, Arunta, or American Red Man, which is ever open to unusual psychical impressions, the mind of the business man in our great cities tends to be obsessed with business affairs both during his waking and during his dream states, the politician's with politics similarly, the society-leader's with society; and the unwholesome excitement felt by day in the city is apt to be heightened at night through a satisfying of the feeling which it morbidly creates for relaxation and change of stimuli. In the slums, humanity is divorced from nature under even worse conditions, and becomes wholly decadent. But in slum and in palace alike there is continually a feverish nerve-tension induced by unrest and worry; there is impure and smoke-impregnated air, a lack of sunshine, a substitution of artificial objects for natural objects, and in place of solitude the eternal din of traffic. Instead of Nature, men in cities (and paradoxically some conventionalized men in the country) have 'civilization' - and 'culture'.
Are city-dwellers like these, Nature's unnatural children, who grind out their lives in an unceasing struggle for wealth and power, social position, and even for bread, fit to judge Nature's natural children who believe in fairies? Are they right in not believing in an invisible world which they cannot conceive, which, if it exists, they - even though they be scientists - are through environment and temperament alike incapable of knowing? Or is the country-dwelling, the sometimes 'unpractical' and 'unsuccessful', the dreaming, and 'uncivilized' peasant right? These questions ought to arouse in the minds of anthropologists very serious reflection, world-wide in its scope.
At all events, and equally for the unbeliever and for the believer, the study of the Fairy-Faith is of vast importance historically, philosophically, religiously, and scientifically. In it lie the germs of much of our European religions and philosophies, customs, and institutions. And it is one of the chief keys to unlock the mysteries of Celtic Mythology. We believe that a greater age is coming soon, when all the ancient mythologies will be carefully studies and interpreted, and when the mythology of the Celts will be held in very high esteem. But already an age has come when things purely Celtic have begun to be studied; and the close observer can see the awakening genius of the modern Celt manifesting itself in the realm of scholarship, of literature, and even of art - throughout Continental Europe, especially France and Germany, throughout Great Britain and Ireland, and throughout the new Celtic world of America, as far west as San Francisco on the great calm ocean of the future facing Japan and China. In truth the Celtic empire is greater than it ever was before Caesar destroyed its political unity; and its citizens have not forgotten the ancient faith of their ancestors in a world i n v i s i b l e.
Who the 'Good People' are:
I ... asked John what sort of race the 'good people' are, and where they came from, and this is his reply: -'People killed and murdered in war stay on earth till their time is up, and they are among the good people. The souls on this earth are as thick as the grass (running his walking stick through a thick clump), and you can't see them; and evil spirits are just as thick, too, and people don't know it. Because there are so many spirits knocking about they must appear to some people. The old folk saw the good people here on the Hill a hundred times, and they'd always be talking about them. The good people can see everything, and you dare not meddle with them. They live in wraths. and their houses are in them. The opinion always was that they are a race of spirits, for they can go into different forms, and can appear big as well as little.
From The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries by W.Y. Evans-Wentz, p.32
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