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.
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).
Full Beaver Moon The Full Beaver Moon will occur on Tuesday, November 12th at 8:34 AM EST. This means that it's a tweener, just as "full" on Monday evening as it will be on Tuesday evening.
Pablo Escobar's hippos keep multiplying and Colombia doesn't know how to stop it 3,189,397 views - February 9, 2019 CBS This Morning For more than 25 years, Colombia has been working to leave behind the violent legacy of Pablo Escobar. But there's one unusual problem that keeps growing: the notorious drug lord's pet hippos. Manuel Bojorquez reports.
The Shapeshifter - Nature Documentary 479,565 views - October 17, 2015 Coyote Documentaries This is the story of how the Coyote - at once revered and reviled - has learned to adapt across diverse landscapes. While grizzlies and wolves narrowly missed extinction, the coyote has earned its status today as top dog.
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DON GIBSON - I Can't Stop Loving You 568,539 views Mk F
'The Swastika Part One, Earliest Evidences' MimirsBrunnr - MimirsBrunnr.com - December 15, 2018 The Swastika has to be one of the most misunderstood symbols of our time. In some variation it is found all over the world, this fact has lead many a debate on its exact origin. There is so much to say on this symbol, that it will take me a few parts to go through it all. In this first instalment we will try to answer the question of origin. The Ukraine is said to be the birth place of the Swastika, based on several finds at the Mezin site in the northern part of the country. The Mezin site is situated on the edge of the Desna river, and based on Mammoth teeth, has a date range from 27,000 BC and 13,000 BC. Given these vastly different date ranges it is possible the site was in use for millennia. The site is an exceptionally important one, giving us a unique look at our Palaeolithic ancestors. The site has so many unique finds, and is so full of intrigue, It is something I will write more about in the future. For now though our focus is on the Swastika and we are not in short supply. The Swastika finds consist of several carved mammoth ivory birds (example below left) and a lesser known ivory bangle (below right) . These artefacts, as well as being stunningly beautiful, tell us much about our very distant ancestors. Our Palaeolithic forebears are often thought of as living life day to day- hand to mouth, this quality craftsmanship shows a very different story. The dates given to these artefacts are 13,000 BC, putting them at the very last date for the site. If this is because the whole of the mezin site is given that date out of prudence or not I am unsure. I have not been able to find either specific carbon dating or Stratigraphical dating for the finds themselves. Even at this late date they are still the oldest examples of the swastika anywhere in the world, by some margin too! con't....
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Fairlawn Mansion, Superior, Wisconsin
Fairlawn Mansion, built by Superior's three-time mayor Martin Pattison for his family in 1891. The 42-room mansion is now a museum.
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Eddy Arnold - Make the World Go Away (Audio)Eddy Arnold - Make the World Go Away (Audio) 202,624 views - May 5, 2017 LegacyRecordingsVEVO
A younger Gail McKenna English---although of Liverpool Irish descent---model, TV and stage actress, and TV presenter. This photograph somehow strikes me as practically rated-G.
I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind (Original Song) JR Bashon 'I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind' It's late in the evening and I should be sleeping I can't get you out of my mind My head is reeling it's so hard to explain what I'm feeling and I can't get you out of my mind. Every night I paint the dream the one that brings you closer to me I paint the moon looking down on us and all of the angels singing in chorus. I would give my heart to you I wonder would you take it if you knew that I can't get you out of my mind I'll just keep it to myself because I know you love somebody else and I can't get you out of my mind. There's no reason to pretend it breaks my heart I'm alone again Time goes by and still I find I just can't get you out of my mind. *************************
'Notre Dame, Our Mother' Sung after Notre Dame football games. Notre Dame is French for "Our Lady" and refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the patroness of the school. I recall the Stanford football team defeating Notre Dame in 1992, no small feat at that time. When the clocked ticked to zero, far from succumbing to the sting of an unexpected and disappointing loss, the Notre Dame fans gave the Stanford team a standing ovation. I have never heard of any fan base doing that before or since, or anything of the sort! Notre Dame, our Mother Tender, strong and true Proudly in the heavens, Gleams thy gold and blue. Glory’s mantle cloaks thee Golden is thy fame, And our hearts forever, Praise thee, Notre Dame. And our hearts forever, Love thee, Notre Dame.
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Former cheerleader and now San Diego weather and newscast anchor Ashlee DeMartino
Ashlee DeMartino in "Dancing for Arizona's Children" 2015 Arizonas Children *************************
'This Man’s Rattlesnake Bite Is a Warning to Everyone to Take Animal Bites More Seriously' Jen Babakhan - MSN.com - October 9, 2019 Austin McGee, 20, was on his family's heavily wooded farmland in Tennessee when he heard a soft buzzing nearby. "I heard it a few times, but it sounded more like a bug, so we ignored it," he recalls. McGee would regret that decision. He and a friend had traveled deep into the woods on the family's 500 acres of land to retrieve some scrap metal to repair his father's tractor. "After I heard the sound, I reached down to pick up the piece of metal at the top of the pile and felt a bite," he says. "I pulled my hand back, and there were two small bloody fang marks." McGee never saw the snake that bit him, but the size of the fang marks combined with the buzzing sound confirmed that it must have been a baby rattlesnake. "I instantly told my friend, 'I just got bitten by a rattlesnake,'" he recounts. Snake bites made the list of the 12 most dangerous bites you can get—here are the rest.
Kiss - I Was Made For Lovin' You 29,427,480 views - June 13, 2019 KISS *************************
Haida Gwaii featured on Windows 10 Spotlight Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada. Haida Gwaii is an archipelago approximately 45–60 km off the northern Pacific coast of Canada. Wet ocean air cools the lush terrain of Haida Gwaii, making this remote Canadian island chain seem even more like a trip back in time, when pristine nature dominated the landscape here.
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Flag of the Goths The fierce Teutonic tribe which conquered parts of every corner of Europe during the Middle Ages. *************************
'Recent Tasmanian Tiger Reports Revealed by Australian Government' Tim Binnall - CoastToCoastAM.com - October 16, 2019 A remarkable document released by the Australian government reveals eight recent reports from people claiming to have seen the Tasmanian Tiger. Also known as the thylacine, the creature is believed to have died out sometime in the 1930s and was declared extinct by scientists in the 1980s. However, purported sightings of the animal have persisted over the years, fueling speculation that the carnivorous canine-like marsupial may still exist. While mainstream scientists have largely dismissed that idea, an intriguing report from Tasmania's Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment suggests that it just may have some merit. Released in response to an official information request similar to an FOIA query here in America, the document features reports submitted to the department from eight different individuals who say that they spotted the Tasmanian Tiger in separate incidents between 2016 and 2019. Among the alleged sightings was one case from February of 2018 wherein a pair of tourists visiting Tasmania saw a striped dog-like creature that sported a stiff tail. The observers were fortunate enough to get a relatively long look at the anomalous animal as it lingered in the road in front of them for around 15 seconds. Said to possess a familiarity with the wildlife of the area, the duo asserted that they were "100% certain that the animal they saw was a Thylacine." con't.... *************************
Rabun County, Georgia
'40 years later, ‘Deliverance’ causes mixed feelings in Georgia' Marketplace Contributor - MarketPlace.org - August 22, 2012 Tess Vigeland: When big movies are filmed in small towns, they can pour money into the local economy. Crews need to be fed, housed, moved about and entertained. Productions need extras, and every once in awhile a local gets cast in a speaking part. Some movies even leave a footprint long after the cameras are gone. Santa Barbara Wine Country saw a huge influx of tourists after “Sideways.” But not every production leaves a sweet taste in locals’ mouths. Film producer Cory Welles and director Kevin Walker decided to make a documentary about one such movie, and the people it portrayed. Cory filed this story about her own film, “The Deliverance of Rabun County.” Cory Welles: The folks in Rabun County, Ga., put on the Chattooga River Festival this past June to encourage people to visit and take care of their river. But it wasn’t the moonshine tastin’ or banjo pickin’ that got me out to this lush, green mountainous part of the state. It was “Deliverance.” The movie was shot on and around the Chattooga 40 years ago this year, and they were using that as the hook for the festival. What Sarah Gillespie and others who helped put the event together didn’t count on was how it would split the community. con't....
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Those who would dehumanize people in Rabun County often would be the first to start sniveling if someone portrayed their own people in a very negative way. The group from the city were to have come from Atlanta; however, in a wild example of projection, some have referred to the fictionally portrayed region as an example of the entire South! 'Deliverance' was a great adventure film, but it was just a film.
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'Hel', in Norse mythology, originally the name of the world of the dead; it later came to mean the goddess of death. Hel was one of the children of the trickster god Loki, and her kingdom was said to lie downward and northward. It was called Niflheim, or the World of Darkness, and appears to have been divided into several sections, one of which was Náströnd, the shore of corpses. There stood a castle facing north; it was filled with the venom of serpents, in which murderers, adulterers, and perjurers suffered torment, while the dragon Nidhogg sucked the blood from their bodies. Mention is made in an early poem of the nine worlds of Niflheim. It was said that those who fell in battle did not go to Hel but to the god Odin, in Valhalla, the hall of the slain.
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'Gjöll' is one of the eleven rivers of 'Hel', in Norse mythology, Gjöll is the river that flows closest to the gate of underworld and it's spanned by a bridge (Gjallarbrú), which must be crossed in order to reach 'Hel'. According to Gylfaginning. It is described as a covered bridge, "thatched with glittering gold", which was crossed by 'Hermód' during his quest to retrieve 'Baldr' from the land of the dead. The river is said to be freezing cold and have knives flowing through it. Hermód was sent to retrieve the fallen god from the land of the dead. When 'Hermód' arrived at the bridge he was challenged by the giant maiden Módgud who demanded that he state his name and business before allowing him to pass. .
Monte Musinè is a part of the Susa Valley in Piedmont, and has a long history of mystery and folklore. After reviewing a few parts of the 'Alien Mountain' episode of Ancient Aliens, I saw that the spiral symbol featured in part one was actually in the Susa Valley; although the same symbol is present in Val Camonica as well. In fact, the Susa Valley also has ancient motifs and figures similar to the Camonica Valley.
Although the program mentioned quite a few different stories of mythology and elements of mystery, I thought that the most telling was the "Sword of St. Michael," which is seven sanctuaries---all dedicated to the Archangel Michael---stretching in a perfectly straight line from Ireland to Israel. One of the sanctuaries is the millennium-old Sacra Di San Michele in the Susa Valley. I don't think that was any coincidence, although the first several probably weren't intended for that purpose. However, it seems obvious to me that later constructions were intended to "fill in the line." It probably should be noted that the Archangels predate Christianity itself. 'Mysterious Line Discovered That Connects St. Michael Sanctuaries'
Just twenty kilometers from Turin lies the most mysterious mountain in Italy, known for its legendary stories. This is Mount Mosiné, an inactive volcano for thousands of years, about 1,150 meters high, located near the Val di Susa, in the Graian Alps. Today the mountain looks like an arid and hostile territory, poor in fauna and vegetation, but suitable for lovers of hiking and suggestive panoramas. In light of the extraordinary archaeological findings made, it appears that the Musiné was populated by ancient Celtic tribes dating back to the Neolithic. The evidence of prehistoric ceramic finds, the remains of a late Bronze Age hut dating back to 1700 BCE witness it. and the imposing White Cross located on its summit. The cross shows the Latin wording "in hoc signo vinces" (in this sign you will win) and the legend tells that it was precisely that cross to appear in a dream to Constantine I, the day before the great battle of Turin and its immediate conversion to Catholicism .
Despite the archaeological importance, Mount Mosiné is famous for its innumerable legends that have helped to grow its name, so as to be at the center of scientific and paranormal studies moved by superstitions, beliefs and various sightings of UFOs.
High atop Mount Musinè, an area where colored lights are rumored to be seen periodically by the citizens of the surrounding villages, an enormous stone slab sits embedded into the mountain’s peak, displaying an esoteric and opaque message for all to see.
The stele is of unknown origin, but whoever carved and placed it upon the mountain was no doubt inspired by the allegedly mystical properties of the mountain, long considered a gathering point for UFOs, strange energies and mystifying effects, including rocks displaying prehistoric carvings seemingly representing flying objects. con't....
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Ancient Piedmontese standing stone with inscription Although not from the Susa Valley, this image is from Piedmont. The image is from the website TheModernAntiquarian.com, and the page is located at the top link. .
The Alien Mountain On the October 4, 2019 episode of Ancient Aliens entitled 'The Alien Mountain', author and investigative mythologist William Henry traveled to Val Camonica to meet with Luca Giarelli of the Val Camonica Historical and Anthropologial Society, and see the ancient Camunian motifs. Val Camonica had been featured on an early episode of Ancient Aliens; the program is already ten years old. A particular Rosa Camuna symbol, with straight edges and in the shape of a cross or x---as opposed to the traditional round and curved petals---was liked to the possible shape of a UFO, and there have been some sightings in that shape apparently. Then of course was the Camunian motifs of figures which appears to be wearing an apparatus in the form of what we think of as being the space suites of Earth astronauts, with the bubble shaped head gear.
Then they showed a certain Celtic-like circular, spiral, or vortex design, and likened it to photographs of galaxies spinning. This one was distinctly not a Camunian labyrinth, but the unbroken spiral; often meaning the cycle of life and nature. The program also featured some motifs of Cernunnos, with the antlers; the ancient horned god. However, while archeologists and historians have likened it to Cernunnos, it may well have just been the Proto-European horned god and not specifically the Celto-Gaulish Cernunnos. The ancient Camunni, although a part of Gallia Cisalpina, were distinctly a Proto-European or Alpine tribe.
Then, much to my surprise, ancient motifs of pentagrams! I knew that there were ancient European Vehmic symbols, but I had never seen any evidence of the actual pentagram in ancient Europe.... not ancient ones. This is a bit of a game changer for me. I have various symbols tied up on the fencing out back, which I change every three months. Currently I have a pentagram which I constructed out've popsicle sticks, painted dark blue. Now when I see it out there, I can see it as authentically a Camunian symbol; of course in this instance, shared by various ancient cultures. It ties together both the horned god and the pentagram. Of course, a zealous Christian would say that's "Satanic." Actually they were Solar and Lunar oriented, not necessarily Saturnian; although I'm sure there were elements of Saturnian spirituality. The Italian peninsula was indeed once called "Saturnia." Cernunnos, the horned god, the Alfather, was usually a Solar deity; while Mona, the Almother, was usually a Lunar deity.
The following is the actual episode from DailyMotion.com, although it may not be up there for long....
