Thoughts upon the coming "La Festa Di Cornucopia"

The Streghe Treguenda known as the Festival of Cornucopia is one of the eight festivals of Stregheria. Apparently it's celebrated on August eve and officially on August 1. This--the first of the three festivals marking the beginning of the harvest season--is the equivalent of Celtic/Druidic Lughnasadh, Teutonic/Heathen Freyfaxi, as well as Wiccan, Slavic, and other Pagan traditions.

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Cornucopia -- La Festa Di Cornucopia -- August Eve

The celebration of anticipation of plenty. This is the time of the First Harvest. God is preparing to sacrifice himself so that the world can continue. Even as we begin our harvest, we plant the seeds of rebirth. For those seeds which are planted now and nurtured over the cold winter will become the strong plants of spring.






Vikingsholm Castle

SGT Hartsock

Take a look at one of South Lake Tahoe's absolutely gorgeous places to visit, Vikingsholm Castle, in Emerald Bay

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Vikingsholm

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Stephen McNallen:

"Sheila and I spent as couple of days recently at Lake Tahoe, on the California-Nevada border. It’s an inspiring setting, with deep blue water reflecting a deep blue sky – and it’s a wonderful place to regain perspective after a rough week at work. Besides the natural beauty – there’s Vikingsholm! Yes, even on our down-time Asatru is always on our minds.

Vikingsholm is a modern rendition of an early medieval (1200’s or so) Scandinavian building, complete with carved dragons and authentic period architecture. If you come out for the AFA’s Midsummer gathering, you ought to take a side trip to visit it."






Most Beautiful and Amazing Visiting Places In Alaska, USA

Nagaraju A

Alaska, northwest of Canada, is the largest and most sparsely populated U.S. state. It's known for its dramatic, diverse terrain of wide-open spaces, mountains and forests, with abundant wildlife and many small towns. It’s a destination for outdoor activities including skiing, mountain biking and kayaking. Massive Denali National Park, home to Mt. McKinley (aka Denali), North America’s highest peak, is a site of animal-viewing tours.

Maize

I suspect that most people still don't realize that "corn" (maize) is native to North America, and only became large and practical after a long period of early genetic engineering by Amerindians. Initially maize was a small barely edible crop.

Little brown bat

While hiking along the coast--at close to twilight during those warm late Indian Summers--I have on a few occasions observed bats who were out and about while it was still quite light out. They were flying so low that I could actually make out the detail of their fury faces! They were "little brown bats," which are very hardy bats who can live almost anywhere. These natives of North America are common in more northern climates, including Alaska. They seem to be more solitary, as opposed to the great hordes of bats that exist in more southern climates. If you click on the above image--then click on full size and block out the wings--it looks like a stereotype for a movie monster. Actually, they're totally harmless; and as long as they don't find their way into a home or garage where they could become a pest.





Outlander - Dance of the Druids

Trolleza Troll




Real mammoth footage?

If this is a hoax, then it's a very clever and interesting one. There was another recent sighting of a mammoth supposedly caught on film which actually turned out to be a bear carrying a fish. This video looks real, although I suspect that it isn't.





REAL Woolly MAMMOTH sighting footage caught on tape! (Yakutsk city, Sakha Republic, Siberia 1943)

Absolutely Incredible

REAL Woolly MAMMOTH sighting footage caught on tape! (Yakutsk city, Sakha Republic, Siberia 1943)

After the conclusion of the WW2 Battle of Stalingrad, Nazi Party member and official photographer for the NSDAP, Holger Hildebrand, was captured by the Red Army at the Battle of Stalingrad. He and thousands of other Wehrmacht soldiers were later sent on a death march towards Siberia; this mammoth footage is understood to have been taken during that journey. (Hildebrand is believed to have died a prisoner of war at a Soviet forced labor camp in late 1945. His Granddaughter later came into possession of the footage when his belongings were repatriated to Germany from Russia decades after his death.)






Witches -THE DAWNING…

Unfolded Mysteries

The video deals with the beginning of the witchcraft in europe and in non European countries, a detailed study of the background of the theological believes and the other possibilities that raised the belief and flourised witchcraft during the mediaval period that transformed itself into popular culture of present times has been shown through this video.






NASA Speechless! ENORMOUS Mystery Space Object Outshines Galaxy! 6/16/16

secureteam10






The Titans

Unfolded Mysteries

The video deals with the names of the Greek Titans.The Titans were the predecessors of the Olympians.

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Titan (mythology)

In Classical Greek mythology, the Titans and Titanesses were members of the second order of divine beings, descending from the primordial deities and preceding the Olympian deities. Based on Mount Othrys, the Titans most famously included the first twelve children of the primordial Gaia (Mother Earth) and Uranus (Father Sky). They were giant deities of incredible strength, who ruled during the legendary Golden Age, and also comprised the first pantheon of Greek deities.

Among the first generation of twelve Titans, the females were Mnemosyne, Tethys, Theia, Phoebe, Rhea, and Themis and the males were Oceanus, Hyperion, Coeus, Cronus, Crius, and Iapetus.






King Tut's DNA Results

Planet X News

King Tut DNA Results Caucasian, Royal blood of Tutankhamun, Pharaoh of ancient Egypt, Mummies of China

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King Tut is related to most Western European men today (British, Spanish, French), which seems to suggest a proto-European connection (not specifically Germanic). Many like to jump to conclusions, especially those who only hold racial motivations regarding this issue. King Tut and his family could have been atypical. People should just compile the evidence first. Most Egyptian art seems to suggest a particular type of small light-boned Mediterranean strain, although the old paint can change color over time. Everything has to be factored in. This issue(s) is still inconclusive. Remember a few years ago when a few Etruscan DNA results came in which reflected ancient Anatolian markers.. and suddenly everyone was a Turk! This despite the fact that the Turkic stock only entered what has been European/Byzantine territory (modern Turkey) long after the Roman/Byzantine era hand ended.






Tangerine Dream - Betrayal (Sorcerer Theme) 

Przemysław Bryk

Music: Betrayal (Sorcerer Theme) from album "Sorcerer" by Tangerine Dream

Movie: Sorcerer (a.k.a. Wages of Fear) by William Friedkin

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This instrumental song is entitled 'Sorcerer' and it was produced by a German electronic music collective called Tangerine Dream for the 1977 American film 'Sorcerer' starring Roy Scheider. This song is an equivalent to the instrumental song 'Chase' by Giorgio Moroder from the film 'Midnight Express' the following year. The footage from the film here can be a little distracting to the music. Although largely regarded as a good film, oddly this movie doesn't seem to have gotten any play on television over the years.

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Folkish Summer Hollowing - August 18-21 - Milford, PA

[Posted by AsatruFolkAssembly.org]

The Irminfolk Odinist Community will be holding their 6th annual Folkish Summer Hallowing on August 18-21st in Milford PA.

The Irminfolk forward to honoring the Gods and our ancestors with our family and friends, and creating new bonds of friendship with fellow heathens.

www.folkishsummerhallowing.com

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It's good to see Asatru folk associations cooperating with each other. Asatru, in addition, conflats a lot with the old German/Dutch magical tradition of Pennsylvania. In the age of easy communication, like-groups should be socially cross-pollinating a lot more.

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The Olympian Gods

The 12 Olympian Gods and Goddesses

Ines Kitty

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Twelve Olympians

In the ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, the Twelve Olympians are the major deities of the Greek pantheon, commonly considered to be Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes and either Hestia, or Dionysus.[1] Hades and Persephone were sometimes included as part of the twelve Olympians (primarily due to the influence of the Eleusinian Mysteries), although in general Hades was excluded, because he resided permanently in the underworld and never visited Olympus.

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The Olympian gods not only had Roman "counterparts," but they also had equivalent gods from the Odinic tradition. Due to many similarities, some people believe that the Greek and Teutonic gods had a common origin somewhere... lost in time. One thing is certain, there was an earlier proto-European spirituality in ancient Greece which predates the Olympian gods. For example, the Goddess Hecate was part of this earlier tradition.

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A shorter version...




The Olympians

Unfolded Mysteries

The above video deals with the names of greek gods and the goddess also known as the Olympians. 

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Coyote Howls: The coming Full Buck Moon II

Purely Pacific Northwest

"Life in colors"

Music: "Be Near" by Ryan Farish






Satanic Black Mass Draws Christian Anger | NBC News

NBC News

Hundreds of Christians turn out to protest a so-called "black mass" held by Satanists in Oklahoma City. KFOR's Sarah Stewart reports.

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Satanic Mass in Oklahoma City Aug 15

'The devil comes to Oklahoma'

Satanists rally around convicted sex offender for Black Mass this summer

World Net Daily - April 24, 2016

A Satanic Black Mass is scheduled for the Oklahoma City Civic Center this August, featuring a play called “The Consumption of Mary” – raising concerns among Catholics and Protestants who are petitioning Gov. Mary Fallin, Mayor Mick Cornett and the civic center to cancel the event.

More than 100,000 people have signed a petition to stop the event, organized by Rev. Adam Daniels of the Church of Ahriman, a congregation of self-described Satan worshippers.

con't...

Llewellyn and Inner Traditions

Llewellyn Worldwide [founded 1901]

Llewellyn Worldwide (formerly Llewellyn Publications) is a New Age publisher, currently based in Woodbury, Minnesota, a suburb of St. Paul. Llewellyn's mission is to "serve the trade and consumers worldwide with options and tools for exploring new worlds of mind & spirit, thereby aiding in the quests of expanded human potential, spiritual consciousness, and planetary awareness."

Llewellyn.com


Inner Traditions – Bear and Company

Inner Traditions – Bear & Company, also known as Inner Traditions, is a book publisher founded by Ehud Sperling in 1975 and based in Rochester, Vermont in the United States.

Inner Traditions publishes books related to New Age spiritualism and esotericism, mysticism, neoshamanism, astrology, the perennial philosophy, visionary art, Earth mysteries, sacred sexuality, alternative medicine, and recordings of ethnic music and accompaniments for meditation.

In 2000, the independent publisher Bear & Company joined with Inner Traditions, moving from Santa Fe, New Mexico, where it had been founded in 1980 by Gerry Clow and astrologer Barbara Hand Clow.

Inner Traditions publishes other imprints, including Healing Arts Press, Destiny Books, Park Street Press, Bindu Books, and Bear Cub Books.

InnerTraditions.com






OBOD 50th Anniversary 2014

Order of Bards Ovates and Druids

To celebrate the Order's 50th Anniversary in 2014 we made this film about the Order, and to mark what was an amazing year. We hope you enjoy it!

'6 Extinct Animals That Could Be Brought Back to Life'

By Live Science Staff - March 15, 2013

There are some extinct species — such as the woolly mammoth, shown above — that may be brought back to life if scientists can overcome some practical hurdles and thorny ethical questions. This gallery shows six of the species that researchers talked about reviving at a March 2013 forum called TEDxDeExtinction in Washington, D.C. There are some extinct species — such as the woolly mammoth, shown above — that may be brought back to life if scientists can overcome some practical hurdles and thorny ethical questions. This gallery shows six of the species that researchers talked about reviving at a March 2013 forum called TEDxDeExtinction in Washington, D.C.

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Another old question begs for a new answer

The "Flat Earth Movement," of which I don't believe in at this time, has posed the question: "How are photographs taken of space ships or probes in deep space?" In other words, how can any space agency produce full photos of a craft--from a distance--in deep space? Is some type of camera-attached tether released for this purpose?

The Goddess Hekate

Last night I attended a lecture by Prudence Jones on the Goddess Hekate (I prefer this spelling to Hecate).  She traced the worship of Hekate back to ancient Greece, and from there possibly back to Anatolia and Mesopotamia, where she may have been a Great Goddess.  Although the Asia Minor version was blood-thirsty, she was also a Goddess of Plenty, generous to her followers.  However, it is from there that she may have her association as Goddess of Witches, as the Greeks equated blood sacrifice and black magic ;)

Prudence traced interesting connections: how Hesiod in his Theogeny named her a Goddess sole-born to her parents (a title also given to Jesus).  He also said she was honoured by her uncle Zeus, and given her Titan-born share of the heavens, the earth and the seas.  In this way, already around 700 BCE she was a triple-aspected Goddess.

Interestingly, in her Athenian depiction as the saviour of Persephone, she is a Maiden to Persephone's Wife and Demeter's Mother aspect.  Nowadays, we tend to see her as a Crone, perhaps because of her connections to the land of the dead.  Later, Hekate became equated with Artemis, with many sculptures inscribed as being Hekate-Artemis. Thus when Artemis, previously Goddess of Hunting, became associated with the moon, so too did Hekate.

Around 45 BCE, there was a temple to Diana Trivia just south of Rome.  Trivia means of the three ways, which was a name for Hekate, and Diana was the Roman name for Artemis.  This temple was built by the side of a lake in an extinct volcano crater, so that the moon would reflect in the circular pool, an enormous scrying mirror!

Hekate's most frequent associations are as a Goddess of the three ways - when three paths join, or a fork in the road.  She protects from bad energies, and is a psychopomp, guiding the souls of the dead on their path with her two flaming wands.  However, she was also originally a Goddess of flocks and fishing ;)

©Marashinsky & Janto

It was interesting to hear Prudence's research, making connections between ancient practices and our modern-day ideas, tracing how different associations accreted to Hekate, and exploring her different aspects, dark and light.  This is still a work-in-progress, but Prudence hopes to publish on it in the future, so it will be interesting to see how her ideas develop and see where her research takes her...


5 comments:

Carla

It sounds like a lot of information got chucked at you in a very short time! Those lectures are amazing, aren't they? You learn more in 45 minutes than you could by reading books for hours and hours.

I like Hecate. Or Hekate. Doesn't matter to me how you spell it. I don't know much about her, but I like the name, and I like what I've found out so far. Plus, she's a dog woman instead of a cat woman, and that's appealing to me, too! :D


Neopagan Priestess

It was quite fascinating, and Prudence Jones is an interesting speaker, obviously really fascinated with her topic.

As for me, I'm a cat woman, but I still think Hekate is fabulous. Guiding souls where they need to go, challenging us at the crossroads of our lives, seeing into past present and future, being willing to heal and transform - there's a lot of strength there! :)

www.theoi.com

CosmicFaery

Fascinating! In the Witchy Tarot, Hekate is associated with the Queen of Pentacles; does this make sense to you?

Thank you for sharing your knowledge about Hekate ;)


Neopagan Priestess

I don't think it would have before, Christiane, as I see her as more of a visionary - High Priestess, maybe Queen of Cups, or Queen of Wands for her lighting the way aspect. After Prudence's talk, though, I can see it, in that she has an aspect of tending flocks and bringing abundance. Perhaps it's simply that she's been most things over the course of the millennia ;D


Camunlynx

That image (and others) is significant in that it clearly shows a "triple goddess" symbol which many deny every existed. Obviously this was long before Turkic people came on the scene.




15-min Neoclassical Darkwave compilation

Even if someone may be frustrated with the self-indulgent "fast values" of  modern mainstream music; perhaps they need to dig deeper to see what's really out there. "Neoclassical Darkwave" is one such genre; there are many others.





Neoclassical Darkwave

esound18

Neoclassical Darkwave tracks and bands selected by Esound

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Neoclassical dark wave

Neoclassical dark wave refers to a subgenre of dark wave music that is characterized by an ethereal atmosphere and angelic female voices but also adds strong influences from classical music. Neoclassical dark wave is distinct from the art music form known as neoclassical music, a style of classical music dating from the early twentieth century. In the context of popular music, the term 'neoclassical' is frequently used to refer to music influenced by classical (including elements from the baroque, classical, romantic, impressionistic music).

Small pyramids from the Sudan resemble back of U.S. dollar bill

The pyramid located on the back of the U.S. dollar bill features a pyramid with the capstone missing, or "Solomon's Temple unfinished." This ties into Alchemy, Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, and other similar New/Old Age groups. I found it striking how the small pyramids located in the Sudan specifically were designed in this manner.









Herb Magic featuring Scott Cunningham part 1

GWiccanMan

Herb Magic featuring Scott Cunningham

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Parts 2 through 6 are stored at the GWiccanMan channel. Scott Cunningham was one of the pioneers of modern Wicca, often known mostly for one of his books 'Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner' (1988). There was even a film produced which prominently featured this book ('Never Say Macbeth'; 2007). He was taught under Raven Grimassi in San Diego back in 1980. In so many fringe marginalized movements--"fringe" not meant in a negative way--were started by people from the east coast who relocated in southern California in the 60s and 70s. There are so many very interesting stories that are rarely told by the mainstream, unless you seek them out. Forgotten gatherings, underground newspapers, unknown social milieus, etc.; of small social, political, spiritual, musical, or artistic movements from a time when urban enclaves weren't so formal, capitalist, corporate, managed, expensive, and exclusive. In this case, Scott Cunningham was part of that San Diego Wiccan fringe community in the 70s. I hate to say "fringe," but I mean an idea starting and forming itself from basically nothing.

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Scott Cunningham

Scott Douglas Cunningham (June 27, 1956 – March 28, 1993) was a U.S. writer. Cunningham is the author of several books on Wicca and various other alternative religious subjects.

His work Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, is one of the most successful books on Wicca ever published; he was a friend of notable occultists and Wiccans such as Raymond Buckland, and was a member of the Serpent Stone Family, and received his Third Degree Initiation as a member of that coven.

'The Strange Triumph of Cernunnos over Pan'

Jason Mankey - patheos.com - June 17, 2012

If you’ve ever read the book Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton you are probably familiar with a chapter in it called “Finding a God.” Hutton’s argument there is that the Horned God became “the god” of Modern Paganism due to the popularity of the Greek God Pan with early 19th Century English Poets. As a devotee of the Horned One, I think Hutton’s hypothesis is absolutely spot on. The language we use to describe the Horned God bears a striking resemblance to the poetry of Keats, Shelley, and others. It’s true that it sometimes mirrors a few Renaissance-era writers, but those English poets are the ones who put Pan into the mainstream of English literature.

However, while Pan is the proto-type for our modern image of the Horned God, another god, the Celtic Cernunnos, has superseded him. If you look at most modern images of the Horned God, he tends to look far more Cernunnosy than Pan-like. It’s more likely the Horned God will be sporting antlers than goat horns. His face tends to be more “man-like” and less goat influenced, and he usually has human legs instead of goaty ones.

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Abigail Folger 1943-1969

The above is a colorized version of one photo of Abigail Folger, which I found striking. It could be somewhat deceiving in that the "coffee heiress" didn't go around calling herself "The Heiress." In fact, she humbly volunteered much her time helping others. Instead of this young woman of personal class and means having a bright future, her final photograph was one of extreme undeserved humiliation; murdered and unclothed. I don't think that it would be too far a stretch to say that she was somewhat like a California version of a Princess Diana-like figure; or may have eventually become like that in time.

It's truly a mystery of why people who kill for political purposes... always go after innocent targets? This opposed to going after those who at least fit the description--in the person--of what they at least perceive to be their direct enemy, real or imagined. The only answer that I can come up with is--despite the angry facade--that they actually have a deep-seeded fear of them... and preferring to go after soft targets.

Abigail Folger Tribute Page

'The Legend of Tarzan'

The new Tarzan movie, of which I haven't yet viewed, reminded me of how fascinated I was with this character when I was a child. I think some of it revolved around the fascination with wilderness in general. My family had a small summer cabin near Clearlake in Lake County, northern California. Back then the towns surrounding the lake were largely summer vacation/weekend towns. I remember Mt. Konocti, across on the other side of the lake, had an exotic look to it. The exotic name, it's dramatic view and size from that location, and it had a dark green/brown "South Seas island look" to it.

Although it would be impossible for anyone, under any circumstances, to accomplish the feats of the Tarzan character; I think Tarzan led to the current fascination and reality tv programs regarding harsh survivalism. I think that was the other fascination with me... the challenge and freedom, even in fantasy, of living free and conquering one's surroundings... along with just the sheer beauty of wild unspoiled places and free animals. In reality, this beauty is complimented by its harshness; of which the Tarzan stores reflected. There have been over 200 Tarzan movies produced.






NASA's Juno spacecraft finally reaches Jupiter

CNN

After traveling 1.8 billion miles over five years, NASA's Juno spacecraft has reached Jupiter. Juno is the first spacecraft in more than a decade to orbit the planet.

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'By Jove! NASA Probe Arrives at Jupiter After 5-Year Trek'

Mike Wall, Space.com Senior Writer - LiveScience.com - July 5, 2016

PASADENA, California — For the second time ever, a spacecraft has slipped into orbit around huge and mysterious Jupiter.

NASA's robotic Juno probe began circling the solar system's largest planet tonight (July 4), ending a nearly five-year journey through deep space and becoming the first spacecraft to enter Jupiter orbit since NASA's Galileo mission did so in 1995.

The milestone came late tonight, as Juno fired its main engine in a crucial 35-minute burn that slowed the probe down enough to be captured by Jupiter's powerful gravity. That burn started at 11:18 p.m. EDT (0318 GMT Tuesday) and ended on schedule at 11:53 p.m. [Photos: NASA's Juno Mission to Jupiter]

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'Epithets or Titles of Aradia'

Jesterbear.com

ITALIAN.................... ENGLISH
Bella Aradia.................... Beautiful Aradia
Fata Aradia.................... Aradia the Faery
La Prima Strega.................... First Witch or First Among Witches

La Prima Strega della Mondo.................... First Witch of the World
La Binan Figlia della Diana.................... Daughter of Diana
La Maestra.................... Teacher
La Bella Pellegrina.................... Beautiful Pilgrim
La Donna di Potere.................... Powerful Woman
Taumaturga.................... Wonder Worker
Dea Benevola.................... Gracious Goddess
Strega Benedetta.................... Holy Strega
Portatrice di Magia.................... Bringer of Magic
Regina di Tutti Stregoneria.................... Queen of All Witchery
La Guaritrice.................... The Healer
Patrona degli Oppressi.................... Protector of the oppressed
Padrona dei Mondi.................... Mistress of the Worlds
Donatore della Vita.................... Giver of Life
Sovrana del Mare.................... Ruler of the Sea
Signora di Volo di Notte.................... Mistress of the Night Flight
Mia Donna Luna.................... My Lady Moon
Luna Crescente.................... Crescent Moon
Luna Nuova.................... New Moon
Mezza Luna.................... Half Moon or Quarter Moon
Muna Piena.................... Full Moon
La Dea della Luna.................... Goddess of the Moon

Dia delle Stelle e della Luna.................... Goddess of the Stars and Moon
La Padrona del' Ocean.................... Mistress of the Ocean
La Regina Piu Potente.................... Queen Most Powerful
Regina della Notte.................... Night Queen
Regina della Stella.................... Queen of the Stars



Regina della Terra.................... Queen of Earth
Regina del Cielo.................... Queen of Heaven
Regina delle Streghe.................... Queen of Witches
Regina della Segreti.................... Queen of Secrets
Regina della Spiriti.................... Queen of Spirits
Regina di Tutta la Natura.................... Queen of All Nature
Regina del Sol della Luna della Stelle.................... Queen of the Sun, the Moon and Stars
Madre di Streghe.................... Mother of Witches
Madre della Stregoneria Italiana.................... Mother of Italian Witchcraft

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Unfortunately, "Aradia" has been appropriated by some popular, unrelated, and mocking cartoon series which really drowns out searches by those who may really be interested in the Aradia legend. This is actually even worse than if someone were to attack people for their beliefs, since this actually puts an important deity in a particular type of stranglehold.







Kevin MacLeod [Official] - Spellbound - incompetech.com

Kevin MacLeod

Reverbs, reverbs, reverbs! You want reverbs in you music, you got reverbs right here! Room reverbs, plate reverbs, even some spring reverbs! It is amazing! It is incredible! How can there be so much reverb?! So... why... You get a very hollow spooky thin feeling with the reverbs. This started out as an attempt to understand Witch House music. Pretty sure I still don't understand it.

70BPM
Synths, Voice, Percussion

You can download the full uncompressed version of this piece here: https://sellfy.com/p/rGbz/

Please support me and Royalty-Free music at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kmacleod

Add me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kmacleodmusic
permaFAQ
software = Logic
yes you can use this in your [whatever] - see my site for details.
site = http://incompetech.com/

'The Night I Met the Sky'

Reader's Digest Editor-in-Chief Liz Vaccariello recounts an inspiring summer night spent gazing at the stars with her father.

By Damon Beres - Reader's Digest

Liz Vaccariello and family

For as much as I love nature, it’s remarkable that I grew up in a family that didn’t spend a lot of time there. The Ludlows weren’t campers, hikers, or beachgoers.

That’s not to say we didn’t go outdoors. We just didn’t stay there long. My dad’s favorite way to relax was to sit on the patio with a glass of iced tea. He’d preside over his freshly mowed lawn, enjoy the birds, and watch for the fox. But when the sun went down, he went inside.

Lots of kids grow up gazing at the stars, knowing the constellations. Me? I never noticed the stars. In my early childhood, the darkening shadow of evening was the signal that it was time to hightail it home from the park on my bike. If I had to turn on my handlebar-mounted lamp to see, I knew I was past my curfew.

Then I met the sky. I saw it the summer before seventh grade when we took a family trip to Wyoming. In my mental photo album, I feel the mist of Old Faithful, I smell the store where my dad bought a cowboy hat, and I shiver in my sleeping bag on the overnight rafting trip down the Snake River.

One night, Dad had arranged for us to sleep in a tepee. When the flames died down after our authentic campfire dinner, he kept my little sister, Sara, Mom, and me outside, wrapped us in blankets, and told us to look up, wait, and watch.

Plink, plink, plink. As my eyes adjusted, the stars appeared. Plunk, plunk, plunk. The black filled with white. Plinkplinkplinkplinkplink. Dad revealed the universe.

That Wyoming sky imprinted itself on me.

Decades later, I crave walks in the woods, I love to sit by a lake for hours, a sunset mesmerizes me. And everywhere I go, I look up and search for the heaven I saw that night. I have yet to see that sky again, so utterly aglow. I don’t know if that’s because my kid memory blew it out of proportion or because our lit-up world makes seeing the true sky all but impossible. I just know I haven’t stopped looking.

-- Liz, @LizVacc, Liz@rd.com






What Is Summerland?

LunarWisdom

A viewer / subscriber requested a video describing what the concept of Summerland is.

Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/LunarWisdom
Business facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LunarWisdom
CricketSong's facaebook fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/pages/CricketSong/246657515390970
Website: http://www.lunarwisdom.net/

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The Summerland

Neopaganism

The common portrayal of the Summerland is as a place of rest for souls in between their earthly incarnations. Some believe that after one experiences life to its fullest, and has come to know and understand every aspect and emotion of physical human life (usually after many reincarnations), their deity will allow them to stay in the Summerland for an eternal afterlife, although this belief is not universal among contemporary pagans. Another common element is that the soul has little, if any, recollection of the Summerland once it arrives on the mortal plane again. The Summerland is also envisioned as a place for recollection and reunion with deceased loved ones.

As the name suggests, it is often imagined as a place of beauty and peace, where everything people hold close to their hearts is preserved in its fullest beauty for eternity. It is envisioned as containing wide (possibly eternal) fields of rolling green hills and lush grass. In many ways, this ideology is similar to the Welsh view of Annwn as an afterlife realm. However, the Summerland is also viewed as the place where one goes in the afterlife in traditions of Spiritualism and Theosophy, which is where Wicca got the term.







NOAH'S ARK THEME PARK OPEN JULY 7 AMAZING

Christian 911

When Noah and Lot warned their respective people of God's coming judgment and destruction, the people would not listen. Instead they treated Noah and Lot as "extremists". Then the destruction that DID come found the people unprepared. Thus it will be when Jesus Christ returns. As in the days of Noah and Lot, the soon return of our Lord Jesus will be a snare unto the people who do not heed the warning and surrender their lives to Him who knows all. (Luke 17:26-30)







Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (English Audio)

GWiccanMan

Originally filmed in 1922, this version was updated in the mid 1960's to include english narration by William S Burroughs. The writer and director Benjamin Christensen discloses a historical view of the witches through the seven parts of this silent movie. First, there is a slide-show alternating inter-titles with drawings and paintings to illustrate the behavior of pagan cultures in the Middle Ages regarding their vision of demons and witches. Then there is a dramatization of the situation of the witches in the Middle Ages, with the witchcraft and the witch-hunts. Finally Benjamin Christensen compares the behavior of hysteria of the modern women of 1921 with the behavior of the witches in the Middle Ages, concluding that they are very similar.

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Janus Films

Janus Films is a film distribution company. The distributor is credited with introducing numerous films, now considered masterpieces of world cinema, to American audiences, including the films of Michelangelo Antonioni, Sergei Eisenstein, Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, Akira Kurosawa, François Truffaut, Yasujirō Ozu and many other well-regarded directors. Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal (1957) was the film responsible for the company's initial growth.[1] Janus has a close relationship with The Criterion Collection regarding the release of its films on DVD and is still an active theatrical distributor.

The company's name and logo come from Janus, the two-faced Roman god.

http://www.janusfilms.com/

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A very interesting company, especially if you search out what they've contributed over the years. This particular film obviously plays on a negative stereotype... the Christian makeover. It's still an interesting little piece of history worth a look.







Suicide Forest in Japan

VICE

The Aokigahara Forest is the most popular site for suicides in Japan. After the novel Kuroi Jukai was published, in which a young lover commits suicide in the forest, people started taking their own lives there at a rate of 50 to 100 deaths a year. The site holds so many bodies that the Yakuza pays homeless people to sneak into the forest and rob the corpses. The authorities sweep for bodies only on an annual basis, as the forest sits at the base of Mt. Fuji and is too dense to patrol more frequently.

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The Aokigahara Forest was the morbid inspiration behind the 2016 horror film 'The Forest'.

OwlPages.com

Owls in Lore and Culture (Bruce Marcot, David Johnson, Mark Cocker)

Throughout human history, owls have variously symbolized dread, knowledge, wisdom, death, and religious beliefs in a spirit world. In most Western cultures, views of owls have changed drastically over time. Owls can serve simultaneously as indicators of scarce native habitats and of local cultural and religious beliefs. Understanding historical and current ways in which owls are viewed, and not imposing Western views on other cultures, is an important and necessary context for crafting owl conservation approaches palatable to local peoples.


Owls in Mythology and Culture (Deane Lewis)

Throughout history and across many cultures, people have regarded Owls with fascination and awe. Few other creatures have so many different and contradictory beliefs about them. Owls have been both feared and venerated, despised and admired, considered wise and foolish, and associated with witchcraft and medicine, the weather, birth and death. Speculation about Owls began in earliest folklore, too long ago to date, but passed down by word of mouth over generations.

Roman Temple of Bacchus in ancient Phoenicia

Temple of Bacchus

Temple of Bacchus may refer to any temple to the Roman wine god Bacchus or to temples of other gods with which he was equated in antiquity, such as the Greek Dionysus. However, it often refers specifically to the most famous temple of Bacchus, located in Roman Heliopolis (Baalbek).


Baalbek

Baalbek  is a town in the Anti-Lebanon foothills east of the Litani River in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, about 85 km (53 mi) northeast of Beirut and about 75 km (47 mi) north of Damascus. It has a population of approximately 82,608, mostly Shia Muslims, followed by Sunni Muslims and a minority of Christians.[6][7] It is reckoned a stronghold of the Hezbollah movement. It is home to the annual Baalbeck International Festival.

In Greek and Roman antiquity, it was known as Heliopolis. It still possesses some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in Lebanon, including one of the largest temples of the empire. The gods that were worshipped there (Jupiter, Venus, and Bacchus) were equivalents of the Canaanite deities Hadad, Atargatis, and another young male fertility god. Local influences are seen in the planning and layout of the temples, as they vary from the classic Roman design.

Roman Trilithon at Baalbek

A group of three horizontally lying giant stones which form part of the podium of the Roman Jupiter temple of Baalbek, Lebanon, go by the name "trilithon", although they do not fit the above definition. The location of the megalithic structures is atop of a hill in the region, known as Tel Baalbek. Numerous archaeological expeditions have gone to the site starting in the 19th century, primarily German and French groups, and into the 20th century research continued. Each one of these stones is 70 feet long, 14 feet high, 10 feet thick, and weigh around 800 tons.These three stone blocks are the largest building blocks ever used by any human beings anywhere in the world. The supporting stone layer beneath features a number of stones which are still in the order of 350 tons and 35 feet wide. In the quarry nearby, two Roman building blocks, which were intended for the same podium, even surpass 1,000 tons, lying there unused since their extraction in ancient times.

The 3 blocks known as trilithon in Temple of Jupiter Baal

How did the Baalbeck "trilithon" get there?

No one knows how these blocks were moved, cut, placed, and fit perfectly together. Many like to say aliens were involved since they are so heavy, and seemingly impossible for ancient humans to move. But there is another theory developed by Jean-Pierre Adam, in his article “A propos du trilithon de Baalbek. Le transport et la mise en oeuvre des megaliths”. He came up with two basic yet complex tools or mechanisms to be able to transport the stones. The first, very simply put[peacock term], consisted of a very wide metal wheel, surrounded by a wooden platform. The second method of transport also simply put involved two wooden wheels, 12 feet apart with a large iron platform in between. These would both be drawn by horse. He then went on to describe a large pulley system operated by many men, consisting of large wooden wheels, with poles attached, that the men would push. This force would turn the wheel, pulling the cable made of hemp, which in turn would move the large blocks of trilithon.

List of largest monoliths in the world

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Although the Roman colonizers constructed these monuments at Baalbek, "Baalbek" itself was named after the Phoenician god "El" ("Ba-Al-Beck"; AL=EL) and had been part of a very powerful and advanced Phoenician civilization. Rome's greatest rival was Carthage, which was a Phoenician society. Of course, the big question is... how did they move these quarried slabs and blocks, some of which weighed as much as 800 tons? Could it have been some type of anti-gravity technology? The new aircraft designed by the U.S. Air Force uses a type of anti-gravity technology, of which the aircraft can hold in one spot in the air for a time. There's no way to skirt around this; they moved 800 ton blocks and slabs 2,000 years ago, and we can't do that today.

The DDT ban of 1972 - one of the great farces of human history

Somehow, someway, powerful forces in the world used their wealth and influence to convince the public that one of the safest and most effective pesticides around was some type of major menace to society. One of these players, the Rockefeller Foundation, funded a study at NYU which was supposed to have "proven" that DDT caused the shells of the eggs from birds used in their "study" to soften. Of course they were soft, they didn't give them calcium in their diets! That little footnote was overlooked, and DDT was banned using this and other fraudulent studies. Even after more than 40 years, the anti-DDT propaganda by the usual suspects continues on. This is fairly easy to accomplish since no pesticide is actually "safe." A product like Roundup is infinitely more dangerous to the health of humans, animals, and the environment.


'Yes, You Can Blame The DDT Ban For Zika'

The WHO admits Zika spread because it 'dropped the ball' on mosquito control in the 1970s, just when environmentalists demanded that we abandon DDT.

May 27, 2016 By Robert Tracinski - TheFederalist.com - May 27, 2016

For years, some of us have argued that the 1972 ban on DDT, and the subsequent abandonment of the pesticide across much of the world, was responsible for the resurgence of malaria in areas where it was once nearly eradicated. We’ve lamented the death toll created by the environmental hysteria and warned that the same thing might happen again.

Now we get some confirmation of our suspicions from none other than the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Margaret Chan, describing the cause of the Zika outbreak in South America.

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WHO Says Zika Virus a Global Threat; Lift the DDT Ban

VisionLiberty

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Monday that the Zika virus is a public health emergency of international concern, as it is suspected of causing significant birth defects. The designation is only the fourth one ever to be made by the WHO and paves the way to increase funding and manpower to stop the spread of the virus, which has already made its way to the United States. But while the WHO struggles to find a way to contain the virus, some contend that the ban on DDT has allowed mosquito-borne pathogens such as this to run rampant and that the ban should be permanently lifted.

Black Sabbath ~ War Pigs

Gabrielle Marie

Album: Paranoid
Song: "War Pigs"
~ LYRICS ~
"War Pigs"

Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerers of death's construction
In the fields the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
Oh lord yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor

Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait 'til their judgement day comes
Yeah!


 
Now in darkness world stops turning
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs at the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees the war pig's crawling
Begging mercy for their sins
Satan laughing spreads his wings
oh lord yeah!


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This song has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance in popular culture in recent years. I love how it was used in the film '300: Rise of an Empire'. After the Spartan and other fleets dramatically arrived and the combined Greek forces finally assumed control; instead of having a gratuitous scene showing the destruction upon the Persians... they used 'War Pigs' to powerful artistic images and animations. It was actually a very creative continuation and ending of the movie.


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