Showing posts with label ancient symbolism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ancient symbolism. Show all posts

Thursday, March 9, 2023

La Festa dell’ Inverno: Winter 2023 - Part 6

'Midsommar' (2019)

I no longer do full on movie reviews, because I'm too much of a perfectionist, and I make a lot of notes, and it ends up taking way too long. In a nutshell, a group of American college students, through a Swedish exchange student, sign up to attend a rural pagan encampment in Sweden with the plan on writing a paper on their experience; their college thesis I recall. Runes were featured prominently, so I'm thinking that this may be an Asatru version of 'The Wicker Man' perhaps. Actually, the pagan tradition was "Old Norse religion," not Asatru. So I"m assuming that this would be maybe a Scandinavian equivalent to German Hexerei. So from my understanding, something of a mix of the older Proto-European tradition with elements of Asatru... "Scandinavian witchcraft"....maybe.

The protagonist Dani is a young American woman, although played by a British actress, who starts off the film in a fragile state, losing her sister and parents in a murder-suicide committed by her sister. Aside from the understandable affect this has on her, her character comes off as somewhat annoying early in the film, with a lot of abandonment and other issues. At least that was my reaction. However, as the film progresses, and she endures more hardship, her character really grows on you! She becomes likable as a vulnerable character, and with good reason for trepidation. The encampment is a farm located amid hills and some low mountains with mostly heavy brush surrounding it, in a region called Hälsingland. Living there is the old Hårga clan who work the farm, and are clearly very dedicated to their tradition. They never step our of character. As time goes on, it becomes more and more clear that they have some bizarre, barbaric, and murderous intentions. Cannibalism and necrophilia are strongly suggested as occurring, but confirmed.

This film is almost like a combination between 'The Wicker Man' (1973) and 'The Witch' (2015). The ending is much like 'The Witch' in that it doesn't completely followup with the ending. Despite the Hårga clan's dedication, they come off as cold and calculating. This film didn't do any favors for the folk pagan cause by the way. But strictly as a film in the horror film genre, it was good; starting off slowly, and becoming more and more gripping as it progressed. The sub-genre of this film is called "folk horror," horror based on real folklore. The May Day Festival was portrayed, and I don't know if that festival is present in Asatru or not. I believe it is, but under the blot name Walpurgisnacht. Despite the name, the film technically was not about Midsummer. The name "Midsommar"--pronounced "mid-so-MAR"--is apparently Midsummer in Swedish. This film was a Swedish and American collaboration, although the main character Dani was played by British actress Florence Pugh, and also several others. Not surprisingly, the clever artists at DeviantArt and other sites have created some cool artwork.

 

Midsommar

Folk horror

Old Norse religion

Examples of Midsommar art on DeviantArt (better to actually search that site)

Examples of Midsommar art on Pinterest (better to actualy search that site)

 

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The Tradition Behind Midsommar (video)

"A mythology is the comment of one particular age or civilization on the mysteries of human existence and the human mind, their model for social behavior, and their attempt to define in stories their perception of the inner realities."
-- Hilda Ellis Davidson, 'Gods and Myths of Northern Europe

 

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Midsommar explained (videos)

MIDSOMMAR (2019) Story + Ending Explained

Midsommar's "Happy" Ending, Explained









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Betty Martini

~ RIP ~

1940- 2023

Thank you!

'Dr. Betty Martini – Aspartame Is In Over 6,000 Food Products & Could Be Killing You, Are You Eating Any Of Them?'

Aspartame - A Biochemical Warfare Agent by Dr. Betty Martini (video)



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'The Wicker Man' - 50 Years!

1973 - 2023

'The Wicker Man' was released in the UK on December 6, 1973. Some call it a horror film, some call it a drama, while others consider it a musical. The director was Robin Hardy, and he was a dedicated Christian, yet I think many pagans feel like this was at least something of an inspiration; not because of the sacrifice, but just the mysteries of it, the style, the symbolism, and the music! I'm sure he didn't intend on that. At some point he said that he wanted to make three films with this subject. In 2011, he made 'The Wicker Tree'. It wasn't a very good movie, despite the great name and promotional movie poster. He passed away in 2016, and never did make number three.

The Wicker Man (1973) 50th Anniversary tour (2022)

 

 

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Masonic bee and beehive symbol, Venus, and our deep past

"The beehive is found in Masonry as a reminder that in diligence and labor for a common good true happiness and prosperity are found. The bee is a symbol of wisdom, for as this tiny insect collects pollen from the flowers, so men may extract wisdom from the experiences of daily life."

"The bee is sacred to the goddess Venus and, according to mystics, it is one of several forms of life which came to the Earth from the planet Venus millions of years ago. the fact that bees are ruled by queens is one reason why this insect is considered a sacred feminine symbol."

-- Manly P. Hall, 'The Secret Teachings of all Ages'


 


Venus, Earth, Mars, and our lost history

Sometime in the distant past, the occult evidence shows that at least the Earth, Mars, and Venus were in different positions than they are today. Saturn, currently a dwarf star, was our second star.. an "outer sun." It emitted its dimmer rays upon us, which had a slight purple hue to it, from the opposite side from the Sun from these three planets. The Earth never experienced complete darkness then. I don't know the exact time period or the exact sequence of events, but some tens of millions of years ago, an astonishing shakeup of our solar system took place. One or more incoming planets literally collided in some cases. The asteroid belt was formed from one such collision. All of this was a complete game changer. Prior to that, Venus, Earth, and Mars were all habitable, and humans existed on all three worlds. Mars was able to thrive due to the dimmer rays of Saturn. The shakeup moved Venus much closer to the Sun, ending life there. At another point, there was a massive war on Mars, fought with nuclear and energy weapons, destroying the atmosphere and ending life there. Some of the Martian humans there somehow made it to the Earth.

At some point, several incredible civilizations arose, but a major world war and Earth changes drove us back to the stone age. After those catastrophes, humans devolved, even mixing their DNA with lower hominids. Huge brutish human-like beings with double rows of teeth, who had been subdued by the earlier civilizations, were then free to roam and cause much havoc around the world. Somehow they eventually were killed off, although some were still around some centuries ago. There were other strange types of human-like beings, some very small and slight, others very short and pudgy, some with horns, etc. Every human today has at least some DNA from those lower hominids. Hollywood, with it's deep Kabbalistic and Masonic roots, has portrayed the old multi-planet human civilizations in many films; the most noteworthy being the 'Star Wars' series. It wasn't in a galaxy far, far away... it was here. The hobbit fantasy animations and films, starting in the '70s, portrayed an element of the Earth that existed in between these disasters. It's highly likely that there were visitors from elsewhere, whom interacted with humans in their heyday and even long after that.

I would encourage people to look into Manly P. Hall or the Sumerian creation myth for more clues. Basically, everything that Manly P. Hall wrote and said is true. Just because some astounding knowledge dealing with our history, reincarnation, astrology, sacred geometry, etc. was horded, doesn't make the wealthy elites in these occult circles inherently elite.They merely inherited or joined that situation. Nobody can seem to explain why when seemingly more-or-less ordinary people became massively wealthy, they almost immediately start "acting elite" and stating "elite things" that are in total congruence with the established "global elites." They live in a world and with a mindset that's so different from the average person that they couldn't bring themselves to believe it if they tried. They're into some dark things that I can't mention. What I can't figure out is why or how they believe that they're going to dodge Karma? The idea that many of them have is that by purposely releasing well-disguised clues and getting people to voluntarily sign on with them, that this is a way to avoid the consequences to their soul.


 

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Enya - Orinoco Flow (Official 4K Music Video)

enyatv


1.12M subscribers

41M views - October 26, 2009

con't....

 


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Enya - Shepherd Moons [full album]

 

"Her Voice has the capacity to move your soul from the deep inside..."
--  Noël Occitan

 

 

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Scandinavians not indigenous to Scandinavia?

According to Norwegian Norse mythology and folk tradition author Maria Kvilhaug, Scandinavians cannot be indigenous to Scandinavia because they're not an oppressed people, and that ONLY oppressed people in the world can be indigenous to a land. Here she makes a living off of Norse myth and spiritual tradition, apparently is of Norse background, and yet she still engages in this type of "racial self-masochism."

When I was a very young boy, if I acted up, my mom would in a sense.. threaten me with "the wooden spoon!" She never used it, but she sounded like she might use it, so I listened and did what she told me. The same with my father. His theoretical weapon of choice was "the leather belt!" He never used it, but she sounded like he might use it, so I listened and did what he told me to do.

However, beyond that, I've never really listened to anything that anyone has ever told me! I did what they told me because they had the authority. I rather.. take it under advisement. I always knew that most people were trying to con me. I certainly don't listen to government officials, policemen, teachers or anyone else who takes money. I did what they told me if I had to, because they had the authority, and could punish. I can remember teachers of various ideologies who threatened students who weren't in agreement with their opinions.

 

 

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My mom's very longtime vintage vase

Family friends of my mother's back in Hurley gave her this vase, and she had it for probably a good sixty years! It's a very distinct old Czech style, often orange, with that certain shape of rim, with a black snake wrapped around it like a serpent of wisdom. It was very similar to the one on the left here, except my mother's was a little taller and thinner with a longer snake... more similar to this one.

Here are a few examples of other colors and designs. It was there in her dining room buffet display for so many years, but I never really looked closely at the snake. The one on the left is $125. Someone else inherited her vase, so eventually I'm going to purchase one, or maybe a couple of them. One for the display case, and one to put on a table top. To me, it could symbolize her wisdom. This vase could have it's roots in mythology and folklore.

Loetz Czechoslovakian Art Glass Tango Vase

 

 

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World egg

Similar to the vase above is the world egg., which is present in many different mythologies throughout the ancient Indo-European world. I'm sure there is a slew of YouTube videos on this, but everything can't be a video here.

The world egg, cosmic egg or mundane egg is a mythological motif found in the cosmogonies of many cultures that is present in Proto-Indo-European culture and other cultures and civilizations. Typically, the world egg is a beginning of some sort, and the universe or some primordial being comes into existence by "hatching" from the egg, sometimes lain on the primordial waters of the Earth.

Eggs symbolize the unification of two complementary principles (represented by the egg white and the yolk) from which life or existence, in its most fundamental philosophical sense, emerges.

 

 

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How did dinosaurs deal with snow? (Quora)

 

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Matthew Haynes:

Paleontology student at Montana State University, and life-long enthusiastAuthor has 7.5K answers and 10.3M answer views2y

Short answer: by being warm-blooded. Some may have migrated to warmer areas during winter, but even those dinosaurs probably still saw snow.

Polar dinosaurs probably had thick fat and thicker feathers than those that lived in tropical climes as well.

 

 

 

 

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Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man (Audio)

Lynyrd Skynyrd

1.01M subscribers

1,756,063 views  - December 16, 2022

Official Audio for Simple Man performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Follow Lynyrd Skynyrd:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/LynyrdSkynyrd
Instagram: https://instagram.com/skynyrd
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skynyrd
Website: https://lynyrdskynyrd.com

#LynyrdSkynyrd #SimpleMan

http://vevo.ly/wKdJnV

con't (tour dates)....


 

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"Forget your lust for the rich man's gold, all that you need is in your soul"
Wise words.
-- John


"I sang this song to my son constantly when he was a baby through his toddler years. He is now 36 & this is, & always will be "our song". Whenever it comes on we dance to it while I sing it to him & we both cry. Thank you so much for this & all the memories that go with it. 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖"
-- brenda okuda


 

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I saw Lynard Skynard a couple of times many years ago, and they felt ancient then. There's still touring, and will be in the area here in Mountain View in August. Amazing.


Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man - Live At The Florida Theatre / 2015 (Official Video)

 

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“All tyrannies rule through fraud and force, but once the fraud is exposed, they must rely exclusively on force.”
-- George Orwell, '1984'


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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'Letter arrives more than 100 years after being posted'

Christian Edwards - CNN - February 16, 2023

London CNN

A letter has finally been delivered to its destination – more than a century after it was written.

Sent in February 1916, the correspondence arrived at its intended address in Hamlet Road, south London, much to the bewilderment of the current occupants.

“We noticed that the year on it was ’16. So we thought it was 2016,” Finlay Glen told CNN Thursday. “Then we noticed that the stamp was a King rather than a Queen, so we felt that it couldn’t have been 2016.”

 Glen told CNN that the letter arrived at the property a couple of years ago, but he has only recently taken it to the local historical society, so they can research it further.

The envelope has a 1 pence stamp bearing the head of King George V. The letter was sent in the middle of World War I – more than a decade before Queen Elizabeth II was born.

con't....



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'Crystal Palace letter arrives more than 100 years late' (BBC)

Letter arrives more than 100 years late (video)


 

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Las Vegas at night - "the island on land"

I find the idea, and reality, fascinating that a city can stand at the edge of a wilderness. Obviously Las Vegas is a very good example of that, looking like an island of lights at night, amid the beautiful blackness of the surrounding desert and mountains. There are other aerial views of Vegas at night, showing all the lights, "the strip," but I'm speaking about the wonderful abyss. The abyss is a mystery; "what is out there?" In my former home, from the mountain slope, we could see downtown San Francisco and downtown Oakland in the far distance. All those lights, all that activity, and we were the ones in the darkness.

I once wrote a piece once on this blog about "the mystery of the mountain." When we see an unspoiled mountain, day or night, there's a mystery to it. "What animals, people, or activity is up there?" I remember when I used to look out my bedroom window at night, and into the pitch blackness of what I came to call "the canyon. The canyon itself was out of sight, but up the street was a little wooded area that led to a view of the canyon, so I was looking out towards the direction of the canyon... which at the end of the relatively steep street had a deep drop off. I will always remember the coyote howls.

I miss that a lot. Here in Sonoma, there exists a similar dynamic of that type of landscape. However, it's mostly farmland. I do see dear a lot. I hear coyotes once in awhile. There are some mountains nearby, which aren't as accessible. It's more like farmland and wineries; still dark and beautiful at night surrounding the city. I still miss home, and the life we had there. The old phrase "There's no place like home" is very true. I can think of two people who moved to NYC to be with someone, and when it didn't work out, they were so glad to be back, and one of them actually used that phrase with emphasis.

Of course, Sonoma is only 65 miles away, but it's a long 65 miles, as there are one lane roads in which you cannot simply put-put along as you must know, then even the freeway is stressful. Getting back to the original idea, I just personally find a great spiritual meaning to the wild oasis so close to the city, whether it's the bright lights of Las Vegas or San Francisco, or the dim lights of Sonoma. One evening about seven o'clock, I tried to take Highway 12 north towards Santa Rosa for a couple of stores that I looked up, and to my surprise there was 20 miles of darkness! There were some wineries, but they were all dark outside of a few dim lights in just a few places. Speaking of surprise, I see out my window here, snow on a nearby mountain. At first I thought it was a cloud.



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Video Links

DUCK DUCK GO IS A NO GO! 🔥

Little known facts about My Bodyguard - YouTube

Woman Struck By Lightning, Died And Shown Future Visions On World Financial Crisis In Her NDE - YouTube

Dangerous Largest Wood Chipper Machines Working, Fastest Big Tree Shredder Machine Modern Technology - YouTube

Tyler Dinsmoor: Arrested for Speech? - YouTube

The Giant Rabbit - YouTube Drone Captures What No One Was Supposed to See - YouTube

NEAR DEATH CAPTURED by GoPro and camera pt.122 [FailForceOne] - YouTube

Deer Decomposition - Timelapse (4K) - YouTube

He found Giants then the Government Found Him | What really happened to Andrew Dawson? - YouTube

I Work Fixing Cell Towers. This Is Why I Quit. - YouTube

 


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Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling In Love (Official Audio)

Elvis Presley


366,329,751 views  - April 23, 2013

con't....

 
 

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 "Open Your Mind"

 

 

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"Free Your Mind"



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"Be a reflection of what you'd like to see in others. If you want love, give love. If you want honesty, give honesty. If you want respect, give respect. You get in return, what you give."

-- Author unknown

 

 

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I still prefer "Be the change you want to see in the world."



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LYNX — Merciless Predator! Lynx vs wolf, beaver, deer, squirrel, hare, goat!

Get to know Animals

48.2K subscribers

3,006,812 views - May 22, 2022  #lynx

The lynx family is one of the most beautiful representatives of the cat tribe. Lynxes are incredibly dexterous predators and natural-born hunters. These wild cats can catch an expertly agile squirrel or a fast hare, as well as take down larger prey. For example, a young deer or mountain goat, whose weight can reach up to 100 kilograms. Lynxes belong to the class of predatory mammals and represent the only genus consisting of four varieties.

Subscribe: https://bit.ly/3lqQDaX

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animalworldclub/
 

Music: https://www.epidemicsound.com/campaign/invite-a-creator/?_us=Referral&_usx=nyi7yw&utm_source=ref_program&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=nyi7yw
 

#lynx


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Michael the Archangel

-- Artist unknown



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Bobcat Takes Fox by Surprise - Beware - Content is Alarming

FoxyQ Retreat

176,113 views - December 25, 2021

SPRING MOUNTAINS

This Bobcat has been stalking FoxyQ Retreat for two days.  The Owner even tried to shoo it off, but it kept returning.  Unfortunately, it took a little fox by surprise.  We are not sure how the little fox ended up but you can hear it put up quite a fight. Listeners are warned that the content of this video can be very alarming. It is the way of the wild.  Before anyone wishes to comment about the dog's dish being out there- stop.  It has been removed.  Besides, FoxyQ Retreat is a certified wildlife refuge - supplying food, water, and a place to raise young for 3 or more animals.  The foxes have had these.   perks for the last 20 years.

 

 

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"It's crazy how fast that bobcat struck. Wow! Foxes are notoriously fast, but that bobcat was like LIGHTNING. That's amazing."
-- Cody King



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La Vieille Ferme

This is a brand of French rosé wine which I tired today. It's available at all of the main sources locally. It is produced by Château de Beaucastel Winery, located in the Rhône wine region of the South of France, and owned by Famille Perrin.

http://www.beaucastel.com/en/

https://m.familleperrin.com/

 

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From the label

 

FRANCE AT ITS BEST

Since 1967, La Vieille Ferme has been producing authentic and delicious wines vintage after vintage, and has been acknowledged as one of the very best value wines in the world. The vines selected are grown high on the slopes, which gives this wine unique freshness and elegance. Pale pink in color, with soft undertones. Fresh and very aromatic nose, this wine has a delicate bouquet with notes of red fruit, flowers, and citrus fruit. Nice balance between sweetness and acidity in the mouth. The finish shows fresh fruit, and great length.


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Rhône wine region

The first cultivated vines in the region were probably planted around 600 BC.

 

 

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South of France



















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'Las Penas del Infierno'
-- Artist unknown  (18th century)

A Spanish or Portuguese painter I would think. It's curious that the person didn't put their name to it.

The Laughing Heresiiarch - "Shadow Gallary"



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'Our Lady of Sorrows'
-- Pedro Américo (1883)

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Monday, November 16, 2020

Vehmic Death Rite & the Reincarnation Process

Sometimes an individual passes on who was very important to us, but whom which we may not have had a lot of contact with... or perhaps none at all. Usually this would be a person of some note, and time or circumstances may not have allowed us to meet up with them in person. Somehow we may feel incomplete when they pass, without true closure. There probably will be no service for us to attend. It may even feel disrespectful not to mark their life; to celebrate it. In addition, someone close to us who passes on--whether a relative or friend--and we attend their funeral rite.. we may still wish to give them a more personal pagan ritual. People can be complicated, and those who attend a funeral---lets face it--may remember that person in an entirely different way than we remember them... creating somewhat of an awkward energetic connection. That's also a good reason to personalize a rite for them.
 

This "Vehmic Death Rite" may be attended by either one or numerous individuals, and should take place after the official service to ensure closure. It may take place at any point in the day, but I think the night would seem more appropriate; I suppose it would depend on the person, and factoring in the weather. Each period of the day has it's own energetic quality: morning, early afternoon, late afternoon, twilight, night, and the early morning hours. I tend to believe that energetically it might feel better for a female to be received by "the Alfather" (Sun), and a male to be received by "the Almother" (Moon). A smaller group would seem to be more appropriate as well. In no way am I suggesting that the specifics of this particular ritual are based on any ancient tradition. Also, this is not something I believe should be cemented in stone. In other words, we should look at it, add to it, personalize it, tailoring it to that person, etc. I attended/administered to what I call a "Vehmic Death Rite" just last night. "Vehmic" refers to the the five elements of nature, and applied to the concept of the recycling of life... reincarnation. Our spiritual essence belongs to a "soul group," which I believe are layered into a family group and outer circles. A family soul group is a group which we connect with almost every lifetime, while the outer circles less so. At Source, we all connect together just like a family reunion, because some of our essence always remains at Source.


I compare reincarnation and family soul groups like a family at a high plateau, getting ready to ride down large separate water slides. They agree to meet after they're all completed. The water slide itself is a metaphor for a life cycle. During the ride they will forget all about Source and their soul group, and part of the plan is to experience everything from love to suffering... leading to spiritual growth. They may embrace in some form or fashion before they go, knowing that parts of it will be painful and they will not remember that it is all planned to be this way to achieve spiritual assention. Even a long life cycle may only be lets just say an hour to those at source, just to use a random short time period. Basically time and space doesn't exist at Source. After it's all over, the family soul group reconnects, and finally realizes that it was just "an experience"; it's not a permanent thing. That "death" was actually never something to greatly fear or feel great sorrow over in the bigger picture. If we are not close to, or even dislike someone in our family soul group, then it was most likely pre-planned... which they finally realize after it's over. Not everything is pre-planned. We must have some degree of free will. In this world, the future is not inevitable. It mostly exists for us to have an experience, not for any global elite to harvest us, which is why I think they will not win in the end... because it wasn't intended for them to "win." It wasn't meant to be. This is our world to experience, but not to destroy.


I think the film 'Heaven Can Wait'--both the original and the remake--depict this perfectly! They're is great anguish experienced, but all is well at the end, and every soul realizes that it was all part of a plan. I think the remake actually expressed this a little better than the original, as it left the "Max Corkle" character hanging at the end. However, had this story actually occurred, Corkle would have been part of the protagonists outer layer soul group, and all would be finally fully understood "at the end of the water slide ride." Family soul groups may reincarnate in different family roles, even different genders. We do, however, have a definite soul-gender which we experience most often in life cycles. Homosexuality is not related to soul-genders; it's something different.

 

Last night I was able to get away for the ritual at about 9:50 PM. We parked and gathered at a nearby point on the trail. The night was beautiful, one day after a New Moon, and I was hopeful of perhaps one of the Leonid meteors to show itself. Then we walked to the intended secluded spot. Just prior to arriving there, we heard the sound of a far off ambulance. Upon hearing this, the coyotes in the canyon started to howl, enhancing the feeling of raw nature. The Moon was not visible, but sometimes you can't have every detail right. I would take a clear dark night over any other condition. That night was the right night. Sometimes I don't quite feel it for a Sunday night, but this was the exception. It felt right. When we finally got to the secluded clearing, a printed black and white photograph of him and a triskelion next to the image (on one piece of paper) was placed against a low hanging piece of vegetation, along with a flower we had picked on the trek there. The base of a tree is always a good spot for the altar, but we had walked out of the groves of trees. This clearing was perfect because of the view of the canyon, mountains, and sky. We then placed our hoods over our heads.


A candle was placed in front of the image and flower, then it was lit, illuminating it in the darkness. There was no wind, no noise of crickets, only the lovely stillness. Everyone made a simple statement about him; something they remembered. The mountains looked so beautiful in the distance, in the direction facing the little altar, black against the dark blue sky. Sometimes I feel slightly depressed on a New Moon, but I felt good energy this one day after the New Moon. So there was some Moon present, even if we couldn't see it; the Almother to symbolically receive her son. At this point, I no longer felt deep sadness for him. The triskelion is thought of by many as a symbol of reincarnation. I recall at one point thinking that he must be able to see us. I then read what I call the 'Incantation for the Foreboding', used as a spell-prayer for different meanings. The text of which comes from the 'Book of the Holy Strega' by Raven Grimassi. Aradia's words:


'Incantation for the Forboding'


Now when Aradia had been taught,
taught to work all witchcraft,
how to destroy the evil race of oppressors,
she imparted it to her pupils and said to them:

"When I have departed from this world,
Whenever you have need of anything,
Once in the month when the moon is full,
You shall assemble in some deserted place,
Or in a forest all together join
and adore the potent spirit of my mother, Diana,
and whoever desires to learn all witchcraft
but has not won its deepest secrets,
my mother will teach all things as yet unknown.
And you shall all be free from bondage,
And so you shall be free in everything."


I take "evil race of oppressors" as meaning dark, evil, and destructive energies which manifest in human beings (every "ism" destroys someone). I then took the piece of paper which contained these words, and lightly crumpled it up into a ball, then placed it directly into the flame. As it ignited, I placed it in front of the candle. I then took the altar image which was on a smaller cut of paper and folded it in two, and placed it above the burning circle. As it all burned, such as like a Viking funeral rite, I stated: "Birth... Life... Death and to a New Arising. He is now the Morning and the Spring." I then ad libbed while the flame was starting to diminish: "Goodbye Tom. Til me meet again; this side or the other." As we stood there and soaked in the moment, in the direction of the mountains, a small Leonid meteor raced by. It was relatively close, at least appearing to be below the elevation of the mountain peaks. Had that occurred on another night other than a Leonid meteor shower, I would certainly have thought it was a message. It still could have been, and it at least served as a perfect ending to the ritual.


Another way to say it is the following:


Deo Ceruninco... and to the Almother.

Embrace our kindred into the next plane.

Birth... Life... Death and to a New Arising.

He is now the morning and the spring.

 

The Latin "Deo Cerunico" meant "To the God Cernunnos" in Romanized Gaul. It places the Alfather over the Almother, which doesn't quite feel right. The Father can represent the head of the family, while the Mother can represent the head of the household. Also, the Father may represent Law, while the Mother may represent Justice. Both of those concepts generally originate from the ancient traditions, and were melded into Christian Europe, allowing for at least some semblance of authority to both. Perhaps for a male, it could begin with "To Our Almother," while for a female it could begin with "To Our Alfather."

 

Then I poured water over the ashes, washing them into the soil; recycling them into the Earth like that of the body, while the soul is recycled into the Sky, into the great Ur, at Source, returning when it's ready. All of the Vehmic elements are now accounted for: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. Closure and completion, until we meet again, this side or the other.


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Monday, November 25, 2019

Richard Smoley: Magic and the Occult



Richard Smoley: Magic and the Occult

141,529 views - June 14, 2018


Theosophical Society


Presented on June 7, 2018

Magic can be defined as causing effects in the physical world through supernatural means. It is universally practiced. Today, our ideas of magic and the occult have been filtered through Hollywood films and horror fiction. But what's the truth behind these mysterious phenomena? Is there anything more to magic than sleight of hand? Richard Smoley draws on his books Hidden Wisdom and Supernatural to give a clear, levelheaded introduction to this baffling subject.

Available on DVD at:
https://questbooks.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=3555&search=Magic+and+the+Occult&description=true&category_id=59&sub_category=true



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There Is No Religion
Higher than Truth

-- Motto of the Theosophical Society


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Theosophical.org (Theosophical Society)

InnerChristianity.com (Richard Smoley)

Richard Smoley (Wikipedia)

Richard Smoley is an author and philosopher focusing on the world's mystical and esoteric teachings, particularly those of Western civilization.


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The following article was referenced in the above lecture. 


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'The Twisted History of the Swastika'

Printed in the Winter 2016  issue of Quest magazine

Citation: Smoley, Richard. "The Twisted History of the Swastika" Quest 104.1 (Winter 2016): pg. 22-23

By Richard Smoley

If you were asked to come up with a symbol for evil, very likely you would think of the swastika. The quintessential emblem of the Third Reich, it still evokes hatred and fear seventy years after the collapse of the Nazi regime.

And yet not so long ago it was a symbol of blessings and good fortune. Even its name is derived from Sanskrit roots meaning “it is good.” (Other names given to it include the cross patteé, the gammadion, the hakenkreuz or hooked cross, and the fylfot.) Today, in a somewhat truncated form, it still occupies a place in the official symbol of the Theosophical Society.

The peculiar fate of the swastika has a great deal to teach about the nature and meaning of symbols — and about the uses to which they can be put.

The swastika occurs almost universally. The most ancient version known is on a carved tusk from the Ukraine, dated to around 10,000 BC. Other early instances were found at Hissarlik in western Asia Minor, where Heinrich Schliemann, often called the father of archaeology, unearthed the ruins of Troy in 1873. The swastika begins to appear in the city’s third stratum, dated to 2250–2100 BC. It is on spindle-whorls, a sphere, and a statue made of lead thought to be an image of the goddess Artemis. The vulva (or perhaps the mons veneris) of this figure has a swastika in the middle. One scholar interpreted it as representing “the generative power of man” (Wilson, 811–13, 829).

con't....


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Thursday, June 23, 2016

The Rowan Tree in European mythology and folklore




The Rowan Tree

Wholesome Day

The rowans or mountain-ashes are shrubs or trees in genus Sorbus.

They are native throughout the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in the mountains of western China and the Himalaya.

Formerly, when a wider variety of fruits were commonly eaten in the European and North American culture, Sorbus counted among the home fruits, though Sorbus domestica is all but extinct in Britain, where it was traditionally revered.

In the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland, Labrador and Nova Scotia, this species is commonly referred to as a "dogberry" tree.

Rowans are mostly small deciduous trees 10–20 m tall, though a few are shrubs.

The fruit has a 4 to 8 mm diameter and is bright orange or red in most species, but pink, yellow or white in some Asian species.

The fruit are soft and juicy, which makes them a very good food for birds, particularly waxwings and thrushes, which then distribute the rowan seeds in their droppings.

The fruit are eaten by about 60 bird species and several mammals.

The wood is dense and used for carving and turning and for tool handles and walking sticks.

Rowan fruit are a traditional source of tannins for vegetable dyes.

The fruit of European Rowan can be made into a slightly bitter jelly which in Britain is traditionally eaten as an accompaniment to game, and into jams and other preserves, on their own, or with other fruit.

The fruit can also be a substitute for coffee beans, and have many uses in alcoholic beverages.

It is used to flavour liqueurs and cordials and to produce country wine and to flavour ale.

The European rowan has a long tradition in European mythology and folklore.

It was thought to be a magical tree and give protection against malevolent beings.

The tree was also called "wayfarer's tree" or "traveller's tree" because it supposedly prevents those on a journey from getting lost.



Mythology and folklore

The European rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) has a long tradition in European mythology and folklore. It was thought to be a magical tree and give protection against malevolent beings. The tree was also called "wayfarer's tree" or "traveller's tree" because it supposedly prevents those on a journey from getting lost. It was said in England that this was the tree on which the Devil hanged his mother.

British folklorists of the Victorian era reported the folk belief in apotropaic powers of the rowan-tree, in particular in the warding off of witches. Such a report is given by Edwin Lees (1856) for the Wyre Forest in the English West Midlands. Sir James Frazer (1890) reported such a tradition in Scotland, where the tree was often planted near a gate or front door. According to Frazer, birds' droppings often contain rowan seeds, and if such droppings land in a fork or hole where old leaves have accumulated on a larger tree, such as an oak or a maple, they may result in a rowan growing as an epiphyte on the larger tree. Such a rowan is called a "flying rowan" and was thought of as especially potent against witches and their magic, and as a counter-charm against sorcery. In 1891, Charles Godfrey Leland also reported traditions of rowan's apotropaic powers against witches in English folklore, citing the Denham Tracts (collected between 1846 and 1859).

In Norse mythology, the goddess Sif is the wife of the thunder god Thor. Sif has been linked with Ravdna, the consort of the Sami thunder-god Horagalles. Red berries of rowan were holy to Ravdna, and the name Ravdna resembles North Germanic words for the tree (for example, Old Norse reynir). According to Skáldskaparmál the rowan is called "the salvation of Thor" because Thor once saved himself by clinging to it. It has been theorized that Sif was once conceived in the form of a rowan to which Thor clung.

In Neo-Druidry, the Rowan is known as the Portal Tree. It is considered the threshold, between this world and otherworld, or between here and where ever you may be going, for example, it was placed at the gate to a property, signifying the crossing of the threshold between the path or street and the property of someone. According to Elen Sentier, in her book, "Threshold is a place of both INGRESS (the way in) and EGRESS (the way out). Rowan is a portal, threshold tree offering you the chance of 'going somewherere ... and leaving somewhere."

In Newfoundland, popular folklore maintains that a heavy crop of fruit means a hard or difficult winter. Similarly, in Finland and Sweden, the number of fruit on the trees was used as a predictor of the snow cover during winter, but here the belief was that the rowan "will not bear a heavy load of fruit and a heavy load of snow in the same year", that is, a heavy fruit crop predicted a winter with little snow.

However, as fruit production for a given summer is related to weather conditions the previous summer, with warm, dry summers increasing the amount of stored sugars available for subsequent flower and fruit production, it has no predictive relationship to the weather of the next winter.

In Malax, Finland the reverse was thought. If the rowan flowers were plentiful then the rye harvest would also be plentiful.[citation needed] Similarly, if the rowan flowered twice in a year there would be many potatoes and many weddings that autumn.[citation needed] And in Sipoo people are noted as having said that winter had begun when the waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) had eaten the last of the rowan fruit.

In Sweden, it was also thought that if the rowan trees grew pale and lost color, the fall and winter would bring much illness.



Rowan Totem

Protection against enchantment, psychic power, self-control


American Folkloric Witchcraft - November 1, 2011

The Rowan is sometimes referred to as the “Tree of Life” or the “Lady of the Mountain,” this tree is thought to protect against enchantment. The wood of this tree was often used for rune staves (sticks which are engraved with the Ogham or runs and used as a divinatory tool) and as a divining rod for metal.

Also used as a generally protective talisman, the branches of the Rowan Tree are hung over the doors of houses and barns to protect the inhabitants. It is planted in cemeteries in Wales to guard over the spirits of the dead. Babies’ cradles are often made of Rowan wood, as it is thought to keep death and harm away from the young. Some references claim that Rowan wood protects one from the Faery.

The Rowan berry has a pentagram in its center and is red in color. A necklace strung of the berries is said to protect the wearer from harm.

Rowan indicates an ability to contain control of your senses, provides protection from harm and a protection when engaged in battle. The element associated with the Rowan is Fire, and its gender association is male.


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Sunday, February 21, 2016

Ormhäxan - The snake-witch

Snake-witch stone

The Snake-witch (Ormhäxan), Snake-charmer (Ormtjuserskan) or Smiss stone (Smisstenen) is a picture stone found at Smiss, När parish, Gotland, Sweden. Discovered in a cemetery, it measures 82 cm (32 in) in height and depicts a figure holding a snake in each hand. Above the figure there are three interlaced creatures (forming a triskelion pattern) that have been identified as a boar, an eagle, and a wolf. The stone has been dated to 400–600 AD.

Although many scholars call it the Snake-witch, what the stone depicts—an accurate interpretation of the figures—and whether it derives from Celtic art or Norse art remain debated.


It seems to me that various neopagan concerns have never been certain as what to do with the symbolism on this standing stone/grave marker. First of all, is it Odinic, Druidic, Gaulish polytheistic, proto-European witchcraft, or some combination? This style of standing stone, the serpentine symbolism, and its location would seem to suggest an Odinic origin. However, there was snake symbolism in Gaulish culture, and the Gaulish god Cernunnos was found depicted on the Gundestrup cauldron from some centuries earlier in Denmark. Also, the "snake-witch"--like Cernunnos--is depicted holding a snake; although this artifact may have been obtained in trade between Teutons and Gauls. The snake-witch herself seems to suggest an element of proto-European spiritual influence, such as the pre-Olympian "Snake goddess" of Crete.

Also, just as interesting as the "snake-witch," is the powerful design symbol. To fully appreciate it, you must look at it and fill in the two sections which were somehow chipped off on the animal figure on the upper right. After you do that, then it's clear that this is what I would call a "double-triskellion." The boar, eagle, and wolf are formed as serpentine, with both heads and tails interwoven for this effect. The triskellion or "triple spiral" is found in many ancient European cultures. My guess is that the snake-witch stone is Odinic, with proto-European symbolism. The old Gotlanders, somewhat isolated on an island, probably held onto some aspects of pre-Odinic spirituality. As to whether or not this ties into what is known as "Norse witchcraft," I really don't know at this time. I suppose that there is the possibility or concurrent idea that this was tied to something unique to old Gothic culture and spirituality.


Parallels, interpretations, and speculation

The figure on the stone was first described by Sune Lindquist in 1955. He tried unsuccessfully to find connections with accounts in Old Icelandic sources, and he also compared the stone with the Snake Goddess from Crete. Lindquist found connections with the late Celtic Gundestrup cauldron, although he appears to have overlooked that the cauldron also shows a figure holding a snake.


Arrhenius and Holmquist (1960) also found a connection with late Celtic art suggesting that the stone depicted Daniel in the lions' den and compared it with a depiction on a purse lid from Sutton Hoo, although the stone in question does not show creatures with legs. Arwidsson (1963) also attributed the stone to late Celtic art and compared it with the figure holding a snake on the Gundestrup cauldron. In a later publication Arrhenius (1994) considered the figure not to be a witch but a male magician and she dated it to the Vendel era. Hauk (1983), who is a specialist on bracteates, suggested that the stone depicts Odin in the fetch of a woman, while Görman (1983) has proposed that the stone depicts the Celtic god Cernunnos.

It also has been connected to a nearby stone relief on a doorjamb at Väte Church on Gotland which shows a woman who suckles two dragons, but this was made five centuries later than the picture stone.



Snake symbolism

Snakes were popular as a motif on later picture stones which show snake pits, used as a painful means of execution; this form of punishment also is known through Norse sagas. Snakes are considered to have had an important symbolism during the passage from paganism to Germanic Christianity. They were frequently combined with images of deer, crustaceans, or supernatural beasts. The purpose may have been to protect the stones and to deter people who might destroy them.



See also

Hyrrokkin, a female jötunn in Norse mythology who uses snakes as reins




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3-2-16 ADDITION: I just wanted to add an interesting logo, featuring the Snake-Witch, from a concern called "Heathens and Pagans Against Censorship." Also noteworthy is that this logo---just as with the snake witch/triskellion standing stone---has both proto-European and Teutonic symbolism. However, as covered here before, the proto-Europeans used a different 5-pointed Vehmic rune.

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