Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, (born February 17, 1957) is a Canadian musician, composer, harpist, accordionist, and pianist who writes, records and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. McKennitt is known for her refined and clear dramatic soprano vocals. She has sold more than 14 million records worldwide.
The Mummer's Dance The song refers to the seasonal Mummers Play performed by groups of actors, often as house-to-house visits. Its lyrics indicate a springtime holiday.
. "Middle Eastern" is a somewhat sloppy definition of Loreena McKennitt's inspiration from Celtiberian Spain, later Islamic Spain; and the "Keltoi" of Asia Minor, later Islamic Turkey. She musically combined the mysteries of the Celtic peoples and Islam on a couple of her albums. Her music has been perhaps more Celtic-oriented than Neopagan, but I still think of it as having a strong tie-in. The expanded definition of "Celtic culture" would include probably most of ancient Europe, including ancient Iberia, Asia Minor, Poland, Gemany, Italy, etc. Loreena McKennitt is a treasure. .
Licensed by: The Orchard Music (on behalf of Resurrection Records), and 4 Music Rights Societies ************
A simple work of genius The soul-stirring 'Wytches Chant '98' is no less than the Neopagan equivalent to 'Amazing Grace'. I say that it's the greatest Neopagan hymn of all-time... or actually of the time since the reawakening. However, I'm sure sometime, somewhere---in the very ancient past---there was a chant, perhaps from some forest clearing or mountain top, that may have been greater. In any case, this chant was a work of genius.
Chanting this in a special location, day or night, would be a blessing. Six of the seven goddesses named are essentially Indo-European, along with the Indian goddess Kali. However, there was a lot of spiritual conflation between Aryan Persia and ancient India. Suffice to say, the hymn emits the power of "the goddess." For me, it would be the ancient Proto-European deity "Mona," the goddess of the moon ("mon" in the ancient tongue).
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"Light cultural and traditional adherence"
I wasn't trying to knock 'Amazing Grace', a powerful Christian hymn, although I can never get into the lyrics which are obviously for Christians only. I still believe that a person may lightly observe something on a purely cultural level, even if it's not exactly your thing. I think it can go both ways as well. A Christian should be able to observe---for example, the Wytches Chant' or May Day, etc.---on a purely ancestral, historical, and traditional basis. Essentially, it may have been the spiritual tradition of their ancestors for tens of thousands of years; or certainly for anyone, their ancestors for that span were not practicing Abrahamic religion.
Inkubus Sukkubus are a British goth and pagan band, formed in 1989 by Candia Ridley, Tony McKormack, and Adam Henderson, who have been described as one of the most enduringly popular underground Goth bands in the UK. They also have been described by Mick Mercer as a "zombie version of Fleetwood Mac" in his book Hex Files: the goth bible.
La belle ferronnière is a portrait of a lady, usually attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, in the Louvre. It is also known as 'Portrait of an Unknown Woman'. The portrait was painted in between 1490-96 by either Leonardo da Vince or one of this Milanese circle of students.
Although the model of the painting "La Belle Ferronniere" is still shrouded in mystery, the landmark exhibition "Leonardo Da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan" (National Gallery, London, 9 Nov. 2011 – 5 Feb. 2012) listed the portrait as possibly depicting Beatrice d'Este, wife of Ludovico Sforza. This challenges the portrait's earlier attribution to Lucrezia Crivelli, a mistress of Ludovico.
"Saturn" to the ancients The planet Saturn played such a pivotal role in the spiritual life of the ancients all over the world. One of the many odd unexplained aspects of this is simply the word "Saturn," of which some form is present in the old tongue of many totally unrelated and/or remote cultures. "satan pertains to Saturn, the Irish Gaelic word for Satan is satarn, and the Bantu word for Saturn is isateni" -- SilverMirrorSole, YouTube user
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“Dead North”: How Police Chief Laura Frizzo Sacrificed All To Catch Convicted Killer Kelly Cochran Mike McPadden - CrimeFeed.com - May 28, 2018 IRON RIVER, MI — On October 27, 2014, Iron River Police Chief Laura Frizzo acted on a tip regarding Chris Regan, 51-year-old local man had gone missing two weeks earlier. In short order, Frizzo’s search would expose a deadly love triangle, serial murder, and even allegations of cannibalism. It’s also believed to have cost Chief Frizzo her job — a toll she said she endured in the ultimate pursuit of justice. When officers found Chris Regan’s abandoned car, it contained a note with handwritten directions to the home of married couple (above, main photo) Kelly Cochran, 31, and Jason Cochran, 35, in nearby Caspian, Michigan. From the get-go, the Cochrans acted shady. Jason told the cops who rang their doorbell that Kelly wasn’t home, immediately after which Kelly bounded down the stairs spouting an excuse to cover for her husband’s lie. The following morning, Detective Sergeant Jeremy Ogden interviewed the Cochrans individually while Chief Frizzo watched on a monitor and filled out paperwork for search warrants. Ogden got quite a story out of them. con't....
Laura Frizzo on Good Morning America on May 25
'Dead North' documentary This true-crime story was covered in this May's 4-part documentary--'Dead North'--on the Investigation Discovery channel. It now appears likely that Kelly Cochran likely murdered 9 people with particularly gruesome details. Iron River is a town of about three thousand near Iron Mountain in Upper Michigan. Born and raised Yooper Frizzo ran this investigation like a big city seasoned pro, yet unfortunately her thanks was being fired by the ex-felon city manager simply because he didn't like her personally. A strong effort by the citizens to reinstate her failed. She was the first female chief of police in Upper Michigan. I don't know if "Frizzo" is her married name or not, but it's a surname with origins in the western Veneto; more generally in the Verona province. In particular, Lombard, Venetian (Tri-Veneto), and Trentenese heritage are well represented in Upper Michigan. Getting back to the original point, this tragic true-crime case is a dramatic female-version of "the Sheriff vs. the bad guy" so to speak.
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'Cults and Extreme Beliefs' A new program on the AandE channel is 'Cults and Extreme Beliefs', which premiered on May 28 and 29. It's similar to one of my favorites from Investigation Discovery entitled 'Deadly Devotion', which I hope they will bring back. In Cults and Extreme Belief, Elizabeth Vargas, alongside former members of controversial organizations, goes on a search to uncover how these sects use their influence to prey upon people’s desperation to create powerful and often destructive belief systems. Each episode will take an immersive look at one currently active group through the eyes of past devotees and get perspective from believers and leaders that are still inside.
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“A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.” -- Alexander Pope
'Column: A little learning is a dangerous thing; more is better' Sabine Eiche - Richmond News - August 27, 2014 You may have heard the phrase, “A little learning is a dangerous thing.” It’s found in Alexander Pope’s poem An Essay on Criticism, composed in 1709. Pope wrote “A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.” What does it mean? In effect, Pope is saying that a little learning or knowledge (the “shallow draughts”) will only befuddle (“intoxicate the brain”), misleading us into thinking we know more than in fact we do. Remedy for this problem lies in continuing to learn (“drinking largely” at the “Pierian spring,” the spring sacred to the Muses and the source of the knowledge of art and science). But the idea expressed in those verses is much older than the 18th century. It’s possible that it goes back a few thousand years. con't....
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Pierian Spring In Greek mythology, the Pierian Spring of Macedonia was sacred to the Muses. As the metaphorical source of knowledge of art and science, it was popularized by a couplet in Alexander Pope's poem "An Essay on Criticism" (1711): "A little learning is a dang'rous thing; / Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
'14 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Moved to Argentina' Karina Martinez-Carter - ThrillList.com - November 21, 2014 Say “Argentina” out loud and people will wonder if you’re some sort of geography Rain Man for just blurting out South American nations. But generally speaking, the country brings to mind a handful of images -- soccer greats like Maradona and Messi, tango, and nowadays, even the Pope. But, well, there’s a lot more to Argentina than what you’ll find out from Hollywood or the news. These are the 14 things I wish I knew before I moved to Argentina. Everyone has a shrink Argentina has more psychologists per capita than anywhere in the world. Friends, coworkers, and dates will add their shrinks’ insight without pause into conversation. Basically, you’re crazy if you don’t see a shrink. Freud's still the man here, though, so at any moment the subject being discussed can take a turn for the sexual.
Kiss hello, kiss goodbye The Argentine goodbye is the polar opposite of the Irish goodbye. Here, you take the time to kiss everyone on the cheek upon arrival and prior to leaving. This goes for girls, guys, Grandma, and even pets. OK, the last one is a lie. But you do it even if it takes 10 minutes and requires stretching across tables. Give a general wave goodbye and everyone will think you’re a cold, rude foreigner. Love hotels are normal There are hotels, there are hostels, and then there are telos, or “love hotels”, to put it nicely. With many people living at home until they're close to 30 or married, telos are a big business and there’s one to suit everybody's style. You can find spots mirroring traditional-looking hotels with white sheets and shiny fixtures, but also kinkier spots with hot tubs and mirrored walls. Most patrons seek the latter. You can even indulge your inner freak with themed rooms like Arabian Nights and Star Wars. If you can dream it, there’s probably a telo room for it. Just look out for places marked "albergue transitorio."
The customer is not always right In fact, the customer is often wrong. And if you’re wrong, you’ll be told you're wrong. Sometimes that results in a shouting match at the checkout counter while a line starts snaking around the store, leading to more people getting fired up. Such encounters usually go one of two ways: the person tending to you will either shrug and do absolutely nothing, or go so far beyond the call of duty that you’ll wonder if you’re in some bizarro good karma universe. And you’ll never be able to predict which one it’ll be. Cash rules everything around me Four years of living in Argentina has been like an undergraduate education in economics. When I first arrived, the Argentine peso was slightly less than 4:1 with the dollar. Today it’s more than 14:1, but also 8:1 if you consult the black market goblins or the dubious government-reported numbers. It’s all about the dolla dolla bills, ya’ll.
Everyone celebrates everything The 2014 calendar has 15 government holidays, including eight long weekends. The US? Just 10 official holidays, and the only people who really get all of them deliver mail or work in banks. But Argentines celebrate everything to the extreme: a goodbye party before a two-week long vacation or a welcome back party upon returning from that trip. The first day of spring, for example, is a blowout. Though it’s actually a working holiday, employers gift their workers plants and everyone wishes each other a feliz primavera (happy spring) and goes out partying.
"You have to be able to accept failure to get better." -- Lebron James
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“Grave of Timothy Clark Smith” Evergreen Cemetery is the home of one of America's weirdest graves. The headstone, which has a small 14" x 14" glass window looking down into the coffin, was created for Dr Timothy Clark Smith. Smith had an irrational fear of being buried alive, so when he died he left instructions to build a window looking down into his coffin in case he was accidentally buried alive. Lucky for him, he wasn't, but the strange grave is still around today and if you're brave enough you can take a peek.
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The burial contraption
The window is less strange than the apparatus he developed.
YOU HAVE TO SEE WHAT'S INSIDE "THE MASONlC BlBLE"....
A Call For An Uprising They are teaching this to there members right now in your town, my town and every town. Become knowledgable and aware of this so we can spread this information to others.
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King Tut - SNL
Saturday Night Live Steve Martin performs his funky musical parody "King Tut," which satirizes the popularity of the King Tut exhibit. Aired 05/22/78
American Progress is an 1872 painting by John Gast, a Prussian-born painter, printer, and lithographer who lived and worked most of his life in Brooklyn, New York. American Progress, an allegory of Manifest Destiny, was widely disseminated in chromolithographic prints. It is now held by the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, California. Other than he painted American Progress, and that he was born December 21, 1842, in Berlin, and died July 26, 1896, in Brooklyn, little else is known about Gast's life.
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The Goddess Iduna as "American Progress"?
Of course, I don't really believe that John Gast was thinking of the Goddess Iduna when he painted this piece... apparently his only known artwork. According to Guido von List, The name Iduna ... is that of a North Germanic goddess of eternal youth and renewal. One could say that American Progress and Manifest Destiny were representative of a type of collective eternal youth and renewal... at least for the conquering people of that time. It's curious that Gast painted this famous piece, and never tried to capitalize on his newly found fame. It's also curious that he was Prussian by ancestry, and Iduna was a north Germanic goddess. Again, I alone am making this additional allegorical connection as merely food for thought. A folkish archetype can exist in our collective DNA memory. It is also curious that according to the Prose Edda, the Goddess Iðunn left her home in Asgard and into the unknown woods in search of apples (eternal youth and renewal).
'The Spring' (eternal youth and renewal) by Franz Xaver Winterhalter
Winterhalter was born in a little village in the Black Forest. I couldn't find any definite connection to Iduna, but this image comes up on "Iduna" searches. "The Spring" can symbolize renewal, and perhaps eternal youth as well.
In Norse mythology, Iðunn is a goddess associated with apples and youth. Iðunn is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both sources, she is described as the wife of the skaldic god Bragi, and in the Prose Edda, also as a keeper of apples and granter of eternal youthfulness.
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Old Rasputin
Russian Imperial Court Never Say Die Contrary to what the name suggests, Russian Imperial Stout was originally brewed in 18th Century England. The name evolved as the Russian Imperial Court developed an early appreciation for this big, intense brew and provided an eager export market. It's been speculated that on one had a greater appreciation of this rich, roasty elixir than Rasputin, the mystic wag (and favorite of the ladies of the court) who was the ultimate downfall of Czar Nicholas II. Rasputin is probably best remembered for this dramatic exit. Having been deemed politically expendable, he was fed poisoned wine and tea cakes by his rivals. Surviving that, he was shot several times--whereupon he attacked his assailants. He finally succumbed when bound and stuffed through a hole in the ice to drawn in the river Neva. Legends that attribute his tenacity to his appetite for Russian Imperial Stout are unproven. Northcoast Brewing Co. Independent Since 1988 Brewed and Bottled in Fort Bragg, California NorthCoastBrewing.com [Non-GMO Project - Verified; nongmoproject.org]
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The Origin of "Magic"
Where did "magic" come from? The word is first heard in the English language in the fourteenth century, recorded in Chaucer's 'The Man of Law's Tale' (1386), but comes from older tongues. English borrowed the word from the Old French "magique," which in turn came from the late Latin "magica." But the trail does not end there. The Latin word derived from the Greek "magike," a contraction of the phrase "magike techme, meaning "sorcerer's art'. "Magike" was the adjectival form of "magos," a word of Persian origin. Amongst the ancient Medes and Persians the Magi were a priestly class much noted for their occult prowess. Whilst authors such as Ammianus Marcellinus unnecessarily connected the Magi with the Brahmin of India, we, educated by the study of Witchcraft's history, immediately see the link between the Medes, the people founded by the witch-goddess Medea (or by Medea's son, depending on whose account one reads), and this occult art of magic.
-- Leo Ruickbie, 'Witchcraft Out of the Shadows', pg. 199
Stargazers say there's a hidden world lurking at the edge of our solar system. However, it is NOT about to smash into us and cause the apocalypse Jasper Hamill - 'The Sun' (UK) - October 13, 2017 NASA has admitted that a mysterious world called Planet Nine is hidden out of sight at the edge of our solar system. The gigantic icy planet is believed to be ten times larger than Earth and 20 times farther away from the sun than Neptune. Conspiracy theorists have recently claimed that a similar world called Nibiru is about to plunge into Earth and wipe out humanity. But while Nasa said it was "closing in" on Planet Nine, it has repeatedly said the Nibiru is a fraud. In its latest statement, Nasa reassured the world that Planet Nine has no chance of "colliding with Earth or bringing 'days of darkness'" to our own fragile world. "There are now five different lines of observational evidence pointing to the existence of Planet Nine," said Konstantin Batygin, a planetary astrophysicist at Caltech in Pasadena. Some of these clues relate to the gravitational tug of Planet Nine, which appears to be disturbing the distant Kuiper Belt, which is made up of icy objects and stretches from Neptune out into deep space. Its believed Planet Nine is a "super-Earth", the name for a type of large world which appears to be very common in the universe. Doom-mongers have consistently claimed that a hidden world called Nibiru will crash into Earth. Nasa has denied this theory, previously writing: "The planet in question, Niburu, doesn't exist, so there will be no collision. "The story of Niburu has been around for years (as has the 'days of darkness' tale) and is periodically recycled into new apocalyptic fables." However, it's feared Planet Nine will eventually destroy the solar system by causing a devastating "death dance". It could one day hurtle through our solar system, sending planets “pinballing” into outer space or plunging into the Sun. Dr Dimitri Veras of the Department of Physics said: “The existence of a distant massive planet could fundamentally change the fate of the solar system. “The fate of the solar system would depend on the mass and orbital properties of Planet Nine, if it exists.” Luckily for us, humanity has about seven billion years to prepare for this grim eventuality, which will take place when the Sun begins to die.
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"Planet Nine" is currently a very hot topic in alternative news circles; more so in recent months..
All wild cats are important to ecosystem functioning because they are apex predators and therefore impact the entire food chain. In Southern Arizona, the top predator is the mountain lion, but over the last 15 years, solitary male jaguars, typically one at any given time, have migrated from Northern Mexico into Southern Arizona and New Mexico. As an endangered species, the jaguar has ignited a series of controversial lawsuits and Federal actions that has resulted in the designation of critical habitat in several mountain ranges in this region of the U.S. This habitat designation has raised many concerns in the ranching community that operates on and in some cases owns the land within these boundaries. Although the designation fuels the perception that the ranching livelihood is under threat, It’s unlikely that the designation in itself will have any impact on the ranching operations within jaguar critical habitat. However, the protection of these large, unfragmented open spaces that is mutually critical for both the jaguar and the ranchers and may ultimately highlight the importance of these ranching operations to continued jaguar vitality in the region.
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Coyote Country
Wild Kingdom Filmed in the western United States, this species story is told without humans, of the coyote, its habits and life history.
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Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom
During this programs airing, from 1963 to 1988, there weren't anywhere near the number of TV channels or programs as there are today. Therefore this program really stood out when it came to this type of nature documentary genre. It was very special, especially for its time.
For generations of Americans, Marlin Perkins embodied the Wild Kingdom. An accomplished zoologist with an encyclopedic knowledge of animals large and small, Perkins brought the wonders of the Wild Kingdom into Americans’ living rooms with a confidence and respect that underscored the importance of conservation. Perkins was host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom from 1963 to 1985. Perkins was also director of the New York Zoo in Buffalo, N.Y., the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and the St. Louis Zoo. He died in 1986 at age 81.
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Prime Priscilla Barnes
Actually, I preferred what I'm guessing was an older (from the above) Priscilla Barnes, in her 30s, as "Terri Alden" in 'Threes Company. The California blonde, slender, long legs, nurse outfit, and exaggerated personality may all sound so cliche... but it worked great with the character. My first crush on an older woman celebrity..
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Battle of New Orleans, In 1814
Diane West Battle of New Orleans; Johnny Horton; written by Jimmy Driftwood
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The Battle of New Orleans was the last major battle of the War of 1812.
"Coincidence - The word we use when we can't see the levers and pulleys." -- Emma Bull
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The time for Magic
It has always been believed that there was a right and proper time for the operation of magic, as this extract from an old grimoire attributed to Iroë-Grego shows:
An experiment of speaking with spirits or conjuring them should be operated in the day and hour of Mercury. A certain atmospheric condition is also required for the experiment and an obscure, uninhabited place congruous to such an art is even more necessary But if the experiment be concerned with a theft, it should be performed in the hour of the Moon and on her day. The experience of invisibility should be operated when the Moon is in Pisces. Experiments of love, favour and grace should be accomplished on the day and in the hour of the Sun or Venus. Works of destruction, hatred and desolation should be performed on the day and in the hour of Saturn. Extra-ordinary experiences should be operated in corresponding hours on the day of Jupiter.
[Iroë-Grego, also Iohé Grevis and Iroe Grevis, is mentioned in a manuscript thought to date from the sixteenth century held in the British Mueseum. He is described as a Babylonian philosopher of post-Solomonic times.]
-- Leo Ruickbie, 'Witchcraft Out of the Shadows', pg.202
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"Mystical definition" of Magick
There apparently are eight general categories of magickal practices, with fancy names and complex definitions. However, one of them defined it well for me at least: "Mystical." It's defined simply as being in tune with everything, connected to the divine, or effecting change with the assistance of the divine. I would add, for myself, incessant ancestor veneration and the importance of symbolic ritual.
I always like to see mountains in the background of huge buildings, such as we have here on the West Coast (SF, LA, Seattle, Vancouver). The Shanghai skyline seems to have only endless urban sprawl. It's the ninth tallest building in the world.
When I reviewed these videos I was reminded of the late great Jim Croce. Highway footage was shot heading north along state route 74 - "Pines to Palms Highway" - on the outskirts of the Anza-Borrego State Park in southern California. It eventually empties into the Coachella Valley (Palm Desert, southeast from Palm Springs.)
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