The Dragons
By Robert Baird
I hope to provide a starting point for the serious scholar interested in the all important Chanes of Central America and convince researchers to look into the Egyptian dragons (crocodiles) and Chinese as well. I suspect the Li or Lee family of Merovingians has some connection to the Nestorian and Basilian types long before the Kuomintang which Andre Malraux knew was a high level Masonic structure. It is most important to look at the work of alien reptoid or Elohim promoters of all stripe and color. Sir Laurence Gardner is right alongside the Mormons and other Masonic Medusas or Gorgon types.
The end of the de Médicis influence and the rise of Illuminism and the founding of America might be pure coincidence. However the date of the founding of Weishaupt's Illuminati does coincide with two world powers quite separated by time. Could he have had access to a time-viewing ‘Stone’? May 1, 1776 is the same year the U.S.A. was started and we know Russia celebrated May Day on the first of May as their major national festival even though there is no specified reason for that. The financing of Russia and both sides of all wars has been gone into by Professor Quigley who worked for the Council on Foreign Relations and/or the Tri-Lateral Commission. Many authors are making connections with court documents and lots of great evidence. I heartily recommend Rule By Secrecy and hope people will check out Icke's the truth shall set you free even though he has gone on to a semi-hallucinatory evaluation of the Skull & Bones that they have probably used to discredit him. If you wish to go further and see the nature of the horror Icke really is onto in that regard you should get it from the 'horse’s mouth'. The ‘horse’s mouth’ is these books by HRH Nicholas de Vere and Laurence Gardner (Genesis of the Grail Kings); you might think the horse is talking through another orifice. De Vere actually is proud of the blood sports Count Dracul or Vlad the Impaler employed. You might think a person who has written about exorcisms and the 'Stone' wouldn't blanche at any occult thing - but I really am shocked by what they say.
When the Kelts colonized Memphis with Isis they had no beloved cranes to share nature with. Manetho tells us this was around 36,000 BC and deep mines have been found dating back 35,000 years in Egypt recently. There were many ibises to take the place of the larger crane for those who wished to worship the things that are represented in the Language of the Birds (BRD = Baird, Bard and my family name) or Ogham in its runic and divinatory form. At the Temple of Onias in Egypt an Israeli worship system of the Moses tradition has been excavated with hundreds of thousands of mummified ibis-sacrifices. The next quote gives insight to the letter ‘J’ that was not part of many alphabets and why Iesa (the Brotherhood of Man concept) became Jesus or Zeus in other tongues. It also has ‘An’ for the Anunnaki alien reptoid lovers. ‘An’ is also in D’anu or Dana and the Danube culture where the Kelts began according to genetics and Gimbutas. As to the Ur people thinking these were reptoids who helped teach them and make their civilization grow – I think it was Druidic or shamanic knowledge of shape-shifting and the mind fogging technique of sorcery that caused them to see the Chanes or Dragons.
You can say shape shifting is mere hallucination or mind-fogging when practiced by magicians. I cannot prove otherwise and I suspect you would be right. There are many legends and other reasons why I keep an open mind about the matter. I am sure the spirit or mind’s eye of an adept can travel with the raven and probably many other familiars, but I won’t bore you with many of the personal experiences of my life that make this likely. David Icke is an author of many books including the truth shall set you free. After exposing some things about the ‘illuminized’ Skull & Bones people like the Bush Presidents and other top Yalies, he was stupid enough (or should I say naïve) to report that he saw things like shape-shifting and describes the ‘Obscene Ritual’. I do not know for sure that the Rosicrucian and other Dragons can shape shift. I do know I challenged one of the Elders in charge of many feeder covens for them, from Wicca. He was a gifted Dragon and other Dragons said so. I told him I would stand inside the pentagram or magic circle at his leisure and even if the Dragons appeared before me I would show ‘No Fear’; because I was sure they would only be projections and mind-fogging. He chose another method of psychic warfare. He and his gay boyfriend, who had designs on me and my leather pants, were burned out of house and home, as I reversed the energy they sent with bad intent. The ‘Obscene Ritual’ is something I can prove is true from the words of Dragons in books like Genesis of the Grail Kings.
This quote also mentions Columcille who was the recipient of re-structured and watered down Druidic knowledge. He became immersed and adept enough in this knowledge to beat a pagan Druid of Scotland in the art of wind and rain management. That so-called Druid was a denizen of the forests living away from those who Rome might pay for delivering them his head. Columcille as Columba was the arch-Druid who protected bards he had learned these arts from; that was in 574-5 AD at the Synod or Council of Drumceatt, as the Dark Ages were about to become darker when the next century saw the Synod of Whitby formalize the seizure of Celtic Christian assets at this deal between Rome and a Northumbrian king/murderer. Later he was made a Saint of the Christian Church that was saying ‘Jesus is the new Druid’. Of course they were the interpreters for Jesus and it served them well to usurp his good name.
“Iona is known in Gaelic as Hi, Y or I, and has also been called the Isle of Dreams or Isle of Druids. It is made up of the oldest exposed rock strata of the earth, and it is obviously one of the ancient sacred centres. The name has been likened to the temple ‘Ei’ of the Greek Apollo, {The Greek Islands had a Monastery of Iona even after the Muslims took Jerusalem.} ‘An’ or the Self-Existing-One of the Egyptians and ‘Yah’, the ‘I am that I am’ of the Hebrews. The sacred cranes of Apollo, the heralds of spring, were certainly special to Columcille. He had a young monk stand on the shore waiting for the first exhausted bird to arrive, and he promised dire {‘Dire’ was the term for specified fines or amounts in cumals from the Senchus Mor in time before St. Patrick personally burned 150 hand drawn books; and then we have some glosses showing how he or others re-worked edited and censored these ancient canae.} penalties if the youth did not take special care before sending it off. The story of the saint copying out a famous manuscript, while the crane pecked out the eye of the king’s son who was peeping through a hole in the door at the light inside, is a curious intermingling with the crane legend of Thoth or Hermes, or with that of Manannán Mac Lir, whose bag, in which he carries the treasures of the world, is made from the skin of a crane. Three of these sacred birds guarded Manannán’s home, the Isle of Man, croaking out to passing travelers: ‘Do not enter/Keep away/Pass by.’ The accounts of Columcille’s encounters with the Pictish Druids and the monster of the loch, of bringing young men back to life, and other associations with Mercury {Alchemy or Cathar Occamy and the language thereof = Langue d'Oc.} as healer, are unsatisfying and inconclusive in many ways.
The only occasion when Columcille is said to have returned to Ireland was for the Synod of Drumceatt, held in AD 574, to defend the bards who were about to be expelled as trouble-makers. He spoke on behalf of twelve hundred of them, which suggests that he was the chief Druid…” (3)
Imagine that! SAINT Columba, the venerated Church leader is a Druid! Just as Thomas Paine says Masonry is derived from the Druids. He was a member of the top Rosicrucian American Council of Three along with Ben Franklin. Thus we have Iona to Templar/Sion to Alumbrados/Illuminati and thence the Round Table/Bilderbergs or some new name they are using. And Iona is the likely place for many Hibernians as well as having taught other Orders in the Church such as Cistercians and Basilians. THEY claim roots back to Thoth/Hermes and Pythagoras and I agree there is a certain amount of knowledge and power that can be traced in these esoteric circles and clubs. However, I do not accept the statements they make about themselves at face value. They are very much different than they would like people to think just because they support kids who suffer burns, or orphans in the De Molay (Last leader of the Templars who was slow-roasted by the King of France.) Society. Rather than discussing Neolithic maybe we are talking about a Monolithic hierarchy of deceivers who make our lives serve their history or should I say, on behalf of women, ‘his’-story.
A friend of mine has recently commented on some information I gave regarding the Patriot Act and certain draftees of it who prepared it before the ‘terrorist’ attacks on the World Trade Center. He asked ‘Have we hit the snooze button too many times?’
When Columbus came to the Americas the first time, with his ship stores or holds full of trinkets he had a person who spoke no Asiatic language as his interpreter. His interpreter spoke a Phoenician language called Hebrew. We have been told he wanted to make a shorter route to China to meet the Khan and trade could thus be established and yet they were already trading with China and had never stopped doing so. They knew the Chinese had no use for these trinkets. He actually was interested in meeting a ‘Can’ or ‘Chan’ of the ancient Chanes who boarded their skull to look like serpents that their name is derived from. Here is a travel site with a little reference to the Chan of that era in a place I am well familiar with.
“Chichen Itza is the most visited archeological site, due to its extraordinary architectural beauty and its geographical location. It was founded in 1514 by the priest Lakin Chan who was also called Itzamna. This is why the people were called Chanes or Itzaes. You'll spend time in a place where time has stood still.” (4)
It would also appear they may have been part of the Poverty Point group which reported to or was part of the site near Cuba that was at the mouth of the Mississippi before the Carolina Bays Meteor struck Bimini and the US Eastern seaboard. I will have to continue study and research to see if the Texas culture that produced the stone heads dated to around 30,000 years ago are in some way connected. Here is a little interesting comment I saw as I tried to find anything on the web about them. I find it is also a Hebrew word and Jewish last name of a scholar named Jerome. Roy Decker writes about Bimini being well known to the Carthaginians (5) and it seems Tarshish or Tartessus had once been the primary overlord or trader to this once great culture. But that is likely long after much of it had been destroyed by the Carolina Bays Meteor.
“The area known as Kimble County {In Texas} was inhabited by Jumano and Apache Indians when Spanish explorers traveled here in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Comanche tribes were living here by the mid-nineteenth century. One of the earliest tribes was the Chanes, who later evolved into the Tonkawas.” (6)
It is well known that Central American practices and artifacts are in Poverty Point. This includes people boarding heads too. We must take another look into why they believed this would make them more spiritual and alien to other earth people. But it may be impossible to ever know for certain if they were a homogenous racial group rather than the elite of the Atlantean/Mu Brotherhood which included many races. This is my personal inclination. Chichen Itza by the very name suggests this. The word ‘chi’ or mouth in the native language is derived or the same as that which we know from Eastern thought meaning or having to do with ‘breath’. ‘Chen’ means ‘well’ and that could indicate to know how to breathe as the Buddhists who came there and the concept Maya therefrom (actually from the originators of Buddhism in the Tarim Basin who moved to Barabudur, Indonesia and many other places they were already important parts of for a long time). I dealt with this from the work of Professor James Scherz and others in my book The Prehistoric Worldwide Import of the Great Lakes.
But it occurs to me that the Tarim Basin Red-Heads whose mummies delivered from their desert resting place show a great deal; would have valued the ‘well’ a great deal and I know it became a central spiritual focal point for the Druids and Kelts of many other places. The original builders of Chichen Itza are now thought to be a jaguar cult associated with Kukulcan. Here is another travel type of site with a little description of the pyramid itself. It is true that the current pyramid is built over top of the original pyramid and you can see down to the original from the little room or altar place at the top. The most important thing in this quote is about the serpent which appears at important astrological events. No one can say if that was true when the original pyramid was built. This serpent motif is also found in the tomb of the Prince of Palenque who was a white man and Dragon of the Rosicrucian or vampire god Zotz which I will eschew covering again in this book.
“The Pyramid of Kukulcan (also known as The Castle) where both theology and astronomy, combine to produce a unique spectacle twice a year, the Spring Equinox and the Autumn Solstice, days when the shadows projected over the architectonic elements of the building resemble a serpent descending to the ground. Inside the pyramid are located the famous Chac Mool sculpture and the Jaguar Throne.” (7)
There is also a probable connection of Eastern thought in the name ‘serpent’ therefrom which is ‘Naga’. You will hear Masons talk about Naga too. But the Toltec ‘Nagual’ or sorcerer of Mexico like Don Juan is almost certainly a root of the knowledge we will have to understand as we approach the most important ‘blessing’ or curse of my life. Here are a few words from an interesting source for you to contemplate these words and how the Dragons get around.
“The word Naga is rooted in Sanskrit and means "Serpent". In the East Indian pantheon it is connected with the Serpent Spirit and the Dragon Spirit. It has an equivalency to the Burmese Nats, or god-serpents. In the Esoteric Tradition it is synonymous for Adepts, or Initiates. In India and Egypt, and even in Central and South America, the Naga stands for one who is wise.
Nagarjuna of India, for example, is shown with an aura, or halo, of seven serpents which is an indication of a very high degree of Initiation. The symbolism of the seven serpents, usually cobras, are also on Masonic aprons of certain systems in the Buddhistic ruins of Cambodia (Ankhor) and Ceylon. The great temple-builders of the famous Ankhor Wat were considered to be the semi-divine Khmers. The avenue leading to the Temple is lined with the seven-headed Naga. And even in Mexico, we find the "Naga" which becomes "Nagal." In China, the Naga is given the form of the Dragon and has a direct association with the Emperor and is known as the "Son of Heaven"...while in Egypt the same association is termed "King-Initiate". The Chinese are even said to have originated with the Serpent demi-gods and even to speak their language, Naga-Krita. For a place that has no serpents, Tibet, they are still known in a symbolic sense and are called "Lu!" (Naga). Nagarjuna called in Tibetan, Lu-trub.
In the Western traditions we find the same ubiquity for the Naga, or Serpent. One simple example is the Ancient Greek Goddess, Athena. She is known as a warrior Goddess as well as the Goddess of Wisdom; her symbol being the Serpent as displayed on her personal shield. Of course, in Genesis the Serpent is a Naga who instructs the new infant (humanity) in what is called the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Christian church has, unfortunately transformed the Initiate-Teacher into a tempting and negative demon-character. An apocryphal tradition says that Apollonius of Tyana, {Thought to be the person and alchemist upon whom Jesus and his myth is based, by some who have written whole books on the subject. I prefer the amalgam of legend approach to Jesus or Yeshua.} while on a visit to India, was taught by the "Nagas" of Kashmir. (See The Life of Apollonius, by Philostratos.) It is felt by many scholars of the Western Tradition that the life of Apollonius was taken from the New Testament, or that the narratives of the New Testament have been taken from the life of Apollonius. This is felt because of the undisputed and clear similarities of construction for that particular narrative.
Naga is one of a handful of rare words surviving the loss of the first universal language. In Buddhism, Wisdom has always been ties, symbolically, to the figure of the Serpent. In the Western Tradition it can be found as used by the Christ in the Gospel of Saint Matthew (x.16), "Be ye therefore as serpents, and harmless as doves." (8)
The dove symbol associated with Jesus and the Cathars or the likes of Columbus who sought to be called by that name—‘colon’ is dove—has a lot of meaning as well.
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Thursday, May 31, 2007
The Fate Of The Children Of Lir
The Fate Of The Children Of Lir
By Paul Gibney
This haunting story has inspired Celtic jewelry makers for many years now as the swan theme embodies traditional Celtic designs and Celtic symbols.
A long time ago in ancient Ireland lived an Irish Chieftain named Lir. He was married to Aobh daughter of King Bodhbh (also called Bov the Red) of Lough Dergh. They had four beautiful children; Fionnula, Aodh, Fiachra and Conn. Unfortunately Aobh died giving birth and Lir was devastated with grief.
When King Bodhbh heard of Lir’s loss he offered another one of his daughters to Lir in marriage. Lir choose Aoife as his new wife and stepmother to his children. At first, all when well with the marriage, Lir doted on his four children. Soon Aoife became intensely jealous of her stepchildren. She even pretended to be sick for a whole year in order to look for special attention. One day Aoife told the children that they we going with her to visit there Grandfather King Bodhbh, as they had done many times before. Along the way they stopped at Lough Dairbhreach (lake of the oaks) and Aoife ordered the children to wash themselves in the lough. Once they were in the water, Aoife cast a magic spell turning the four children of Lir into beautiful white swans. Fionnuala cursed her but implored her to put some limits on the spell. Aoife regretting what she had done agreed to allow them keep their beautiful singing voices. But the spell still imposed a harsh sentence on the swan children. They were to spend 300 years on Lough Dairbhreach, 300 years in the Straits of Moyle and the final 300 years at Erris. They spell would only be broken when they heard the first bells of Christianity and when a King from the north marries a Princess from the south.
When King Bodhbh found out what Aoife had done to the children of Lir, using a Druids rod he turned her into a “Witch of the air”. As the legend goes Aoife still blows in the howling wind and her screams can be heard when a storm blows.
Over the years Lir and many others continued to visit the swan children. They listened to their enchanting, magical singing that was said to calm even the most savage beast.
Over the 900 years of the spell they faced extremely harsh weather conditions. Near the end they traveled to Inish Gluaire where they first heard the Christian bells and met a Christian missionary called St. Mochaomhog. They told him of their plight and that they were the children of Lir. At this time a King from the north King Lairgnean was due to wed Deach, a daughter of the southern Muster King. King Lairgnean had heard of the swan’s lovely singing voices and wanted to give them to his wife as a wedding present. But while King Lairgnean was trying to capture the swans he touched one of them and the spell was broken. The swans turned back into their human form, but they were very old and Withered looking. Fionnula the oldest asked St. Mochaomhog to baptize them and soon after they died. They were buried the same way they lived, together. Later that night St. Mochaomhog dreamed that he saw four beautiful white swans flying over the sea straight up to heaven. This beautiful Celtic myth has inspired Irish gifts makers over the years to create wonderful works of art. Many Irish jewelry manufactures have incorporated the 4 swan theme into many stunning pieces of children of Lir jewelry.
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About the Author: Paul Gibney is a co-founder of http://www.claddaghstore.com one of Ireland largest online Celtic Jewelry Stores.
By Paul Gibney
This haunting story has inspired Celtic jewelry makers for many years now as the swan theme embodies traditional Celtic designs and Celtic symbols.
A long time ago in ancient Ireland lived an Irish Chieftain named Lir. He was married to Aobh daughter of King Bodhbh (also called Bov the Red) of Lough Dergh. They had four beautiful children; Fionnula, Aodh, Fiachra and Conn. Unfortunately Aobh died giving birth and Lir was devastated with grief.
When King Bodhbh heard of Lir’s loss he offered another one of his daughters to Lir in marriage. Lir choose Aoife as his new wife and stepmother to his children. At first, all when well with the marriage, Lir doted on his four children. Soon Aoife became intensely jealous of her stepchildren. She even pretended to be sick for a whole year in order to look for special attention. One day Aoife told the children that they we going with her to visit there Grandfather King Bodhbh, as they had done many times before. Along the way they stopped at Lough Dairbhreach (lake of the oaks) and Aoife ordered the children to wash themselves in the lough. Once they were in the water, Aoife cast a magic spell turning the four children of Lir into beautiful white swans. Fionnuala cursed her but implored her to put some limits on the spell. Aoife regretting what she had done agreed to allow them keep their beautiful singing voices. But the spell still imposed a harsh sentence on the swan children. They were to spend 300 years on Lough Dairbhreach, 300 years in the Straits of Moyle and the final 300 years at Erris. They spell would only be broken when they heard the first bells of Christianity and when a King from the north marries a Princess from the south.
When King Bodhbh found out what Aoife had done to the children of Lir, using a Druids rod he turned her into a “Witch of the air”. As the legend goes Aoife still blows in the howling wind and her screams can be heard when a storm blows.
Over the years Lir and many others continued to visit the swan children. They listened to their enchanting, magical singing that was said to calm even the most savage beast.
Over the 900 years of the spell they faced extremely harsh weather conditions. Near the end they traveled to Inish Gluaire where they first heard the Christian bells and met a Christian missionary called St. Mochaomhog. They told him of their plight and that they were the children of Lir. At this time a King from the north King Lairgnean was due to wed Deach, a daughter of the southern Muster King. King Lairgnean had heard of the swan’s lovely singing voices and wanted to give them to his wife as a wedding present. But while King Lairgnean was trying to capture the swans he touched one of them and the spell was broken. The swans turned back into their human form, but they were very old and Withered looking. Fionnula the oldest asked St. Mochaomhog to baptize them and soon after they died. They were buried the same way they lived, together. Later that night St. Mochaomhog dreamed that he saw four beautiful white swans flying over the sea straight up to heaven. This beautiful Celtic myth has inspired Irish gifts makers over the years to create wonderful works of art. Many Irish jewelry manufactures have incorporated the 4 swan theme into many stunning pieces of children of Lir jewelry.
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About the Author: Paul Gibney is a co-founder of http://www.claddaghstore.com one of Ireland largest online Celtic Jewelry Stores.
Mystery Of Lucifer - Ascension Into Supremacy
Mystery Of Lucifer - Ascension Into Supremacy
By Enoch Tan
The greatest mystery of the universe is the mystery of Lucifer. Lucifer is the highest angel in heaven who wanted to ascend into the level equal with the Most High God. The mystery of mysteries is an angelic being who knew all the knowledge of the universe and understood all the mysteries of existence, and yet chooses to sin against God.The question is how could he being a created being even conceive and believe in such an idea that he could become the creator himself?
The answer to the greatest mystery of all is found in understanding the universal aspect of God. Lucifer knew that all power in the universe resides in the universal aspect of God which is the universal subconscious mind of God. The same power that God has is available to all beings. God’s power is available to all his creatures. Therefore it is the personal aspect of God that Lucifer sought to usurp sovereign rulership from.
The only way Lucifer seeks to usurp God’s sovereign authority and rulership of the universe is by using God’s power against God. Lucifer knows the way to win against a more powerful opponent is by using his power against himself. Therefore Lucifer is attempting that towards God by using the universal power of God against the Personal Aspect of God.
Lucifer was the firstborn of the angels in heaven. The angels were the sons of God and the princes of the cosmos. Lucifer was more powerful than any other prince except for one. He may have been the firstborn of the angels but he was not the firstborn of God. The one greater than Lucifer was the only begotten Son of God. He is also known as the Angel of The Lord. His name is Jesus, the one who is coeternal and coequal with The Father.
Although the personal aspect of God consists of three personalities which forms the trinity, it is Jesus who represents the personal aspect of God most of all. He that has seen the Son has seen the Father. The entire bible is the sum of the word of God revealed as a person. The bible is the only holy book that is a revelation of the Person of God in Christ Jesus.
But to do that would be to defy God because he did not have permission to do so. Lucifer felt that he did not need permission from God to do so anyway since to be like the Most High means he answered to no one but himself. He felt that the highest authority isn’t given but is to be taken. Lucifer has corrupted his wisdom by reason of his brightness. He has ascended beyond the level of genius into insanity.
So he decided to rise above his rightful position as the guardian of God’s throne to become as one who sits upon the throne instead. There was an outbreak in heaven as the angels wondered whether or not to recognize Lucifer’s newfound self declared sovereignty. As a result, Jesus allowed all the hosts of heaven to decide among themselves whom they shall serve and pledge allegiance to.
With his great powers of persuasion, Lucifer convinced a third of the angelic powers to aid him on his quest to be sovereign like the Most High. If Lucifer succeeded, it would prove that the rest of them could also be like the Most High.
The rest of the angelic powers remained faithful and true to the Lord. Hence there was a great battle among the sons of God that caused the powers of the heavens to be shaken and the fate of the universe to hang in suspense as prince clashed against prince and angel fought against angel.
Prince Michael commandeered the angelic army that battled against Lucifer and his angels. It seemed that Lucifer would win the fight because he was the stronger one. But in the end Michael received power from The Father and was able to defeat Lucifer and cast him and his angels out of heaven.
After being defeated, why does Lucifer still continue to fight against God? Shouldn’t he realize that God is supreme and repent from his mistake? The reason is because he believes that he can still win the war against God one day. He just needs more power. He gains power by the collective consciousness that worship another God other than the true God of Christianity.
Lucifer originally wanted to ascend to equal level with the trinity and be like the Most High God. He acted on the bold assumption that The Creator having a mindset of no limitations, would allow a created being to ascend to the level of The Creator if he had the same mindset of no limitations as well. But the trinity opposed his choice. Since the Godhead has to be of one mind in order for the universe to exist in stability, Lucifer now seeks to overthrow the trinity instead. He has changed the doctrine of the trinity as three persons to being three states of the same person so that he can establish himself as the new trinity. He seeks to overthrow the personal aspect of God and take over the universal aspect of God to become the new Godhead.
He is now using the time allowed to him by the heavenly trial he was placed under to build his power. He has been staging his master plan of taking over the universe throughout all the ages of humanity. Time and time again, he has almost taken over the world with a kingdom whose king was under his influence. But each and every time, God countered his move and prevented that from happening. This is the game that the Devil continue to play against God until the end where there will be another great battle that will take place in the heavens once again.
Lucifer will rally his forces for a final launch upon the city of heaven and attempt to conquer it. The great heavenly battle at the end would be similar to the one that took place in the beginning. Except that this time Lucifer will apparently win and overthrow the city of Heavenly Jerusalem. It appears that he would have grown strong enough in power to overcome Prince Michael this time.
Lucifer will sit in the temple of God and declare himself as God. He will reign for a certain period of time during his short lived victory. But all is not lost because eventually Jesus Christ himself will come with the saints of heaven to wipe out the evil angelic powers and reclaim the city of Heavenly Jerusalem. The final victory of Christ will be fully manifested as Lucifer and his angels are cast into the lake of fire at last.
All this has been prophesied in the bible. But why does Lucifer still try to carry out his plan even though God predicted that he would fail? It is because Lucifer believes that he can change destiny. He believes that he can rewrite the Word because he sees himself as the Word. He believe that he can alter reality and rearrange the timeline. He believes that he can create a new universe where he is God. All of history is a fight between good and evil as Lucifer vie against Jesus for supremacy.
The Future exists first in the imagination, then in the will, then in reality. All things are possible but whether something will happen or not is a another story. What you can conceive and believe, you can achieve. Can is not the same as Will. That is why Lucifer uses the Will to manifest the reality he intends by saying “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds” and “I will be like the Most High.” The divine war is a battle of will against will. To prove sovereignty of will between El Elyon (God Most High) and Lucifer.
Although every major prophesy of the bible to date has been fulfilled, thereby proving God’s supremacy so far, Lucifer still believes that he can turn the tables around when he has accumulated enough power in the end. How shall the end be is yet to be unfolded. We can choose to believe whether the word of God is true and absolute or not.
Jesus is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. In Christ, we are far above all principalities and powers. We have been seated together with him on his throne. Jesus died to give us what even Lucifer fought for but couldn’t attain. Can you believe how great a position and an honor that is? He has given us the highest Sonship with God the Father through himself. As Christ is, so are we in this world. In Christ, we are like the Most High.
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Enoch Tan aims to help people achieve greater awareness in living and experiencing life. To evolve human consciousness to higher levels. To change lives and create possibility. To revolutionize the way we understand the mind and reality. Because that is what governs every area of life and destiny. Get Free Ebooks of Life's Greatest Secrets and Learn Secrets Most People will Never Know about the Mind and Reality Now at: Secrets of Mind and Reality
By Enoch Tan
The greatest mystery of the universe is the mystery of Lucifer. Lucifer is the highest angel in heaven who wanted to ascend into the level equal with the Most High God. The mystery of mysteries is an angelic being who knew all the knowledge of the universe and understood all the mysteries of existence, and yet chooses to sin against God.The question is how could he being a created being even conceive and believe in such an idea that he could become the creator himself?
The answer to the greatest mystery of all is found in understanding the universal aspect of God. Lucifer knew that all power in the universe resides in the universal aspect of God which is the universal subconscious mind of God. The same power that God has is available to all beings. God’s power is available to all his creatures. Therefore it is the personal aspect of God that Lucifer sought to usurp sovereign rulership from.
The only way Lucifer seeks to usurp God’s sovereign authority and rulership of the universe is by using God’s power against God. Lucifer knows the way to win against a more powerful opponent is by using his power against himself. Therefore Lucifer is attempting that towards God by using the universal power of God against the Personal Aspect of God.
Lucifer was the firstborn of the angels in heaven. The angels were the sons of God and the princes of the cosmos. Lucifer was more powerful than any other prince except for one. He may have been the firstborn of the angels but he was not the firstborn of God. The one greater than Lucifer was the only begotten Son of God. He is also known as the Angel of The Lord. His name is Jesus, the one who is coeternal and coequal with The Father.
Although the personal aspect of God consists of three personalities which forms the trinity, it is Jesus who represents the personal aspect of God most of all. He that has seen the Son has seen the Father. The entire bible is the sum of the word of God revealed as a person. The bible is the only holy book that is a revelation of the Person of God in Christ Jesus.
| Lucifer wanted to become the fourth person of the Godhead. Lucifer believes he can evolve into being God. He believed that since created beings are divine aspects of God, they possess the potential to ascend to the level of the Most High personality if they could conceive and believe in such a possibility. |  |
But to do that would be to defy God because he did not have permission to do so. Lucifer felt that he did not need permission from God to do so anyway since to be like the Most High means he answered to no one but himself. He felt that the highest authority isn’t given but is to be taken. Lucifer has corrupted his wisdom by reason of his brightness. He has ascended beyond the level of genius into insanity.
So he decided to rise above his rightful position as the guardian of God’s throne to become as one who sits upon the throne instead. There was an outbreak in heaven as the angels wondered whether or not to recognize Lucifer’s newfound self declared sovereignty. As a result, Jesus allowed all the hosts of heaven to decide among themselves whom they shall serve and pledge allegiance to.
With his great powers of persuasion, Lucifer convinced a third of the angelic powers to aid him on his quest to be sovereign like the Most High. If Lucifer succeeded, it would prove that the rest of them could also be like the Most High.
The rest of the angelic powers remained faithful and true to the Lord. Hence there was a great battle among the sons of God that caused the powers of the heavens to be shaken and the fate of the universe to hang in suspense as prince clashed against prince and angel fought against angel.
Prince Michael commandeered the angelic army that battled against Lucifer and his angels. It seemed that Lucifer would win the fight because he was the stronger one. But in the end Michael received power from The Father and was able to defeat Lucifer and cast him and his angels out of heaven.
After being defeated, why does Lucifer still continue to fight against God? Shouldn’t he realize that God is supreme and repent from his mistake? The reason is because he believes that he can still win the war against God one day. He just needs more power. He gains power by the collective consciousness that worship another God other than the true God of Christianity.
Lucifer originally wanted to ascend to equal level with the trinity and be like the Most High God. He acted on the bold assumption that The Creator having a mindset of no limitations, would allow a created being to ascend to the level of The Creator if he had the same mindset of no limitations as well. But the trinity opposed his choice. Since the Godhead has to be of one mind in order for the universe to exist in stability, Lucifer now seeks to overthrow the trinity instead. He has changed the doctrine of the trinity as three persons to being three states of the same person so that he can establish himself as the new trinity. He seeks to overthrow the personal aspect of God and take over the universal aspect of God to become the new Godhead.
He is now using the time allowed to him by the heavenly trial he was placed under to build his power. He has been staging his master plan of taking over the universe throughout all the ages of humanity. Time and time again, he has almost taken over the world with a kingdom whose king was under his influence. But each and every time, God countered his move and prevented that from happening. This is the game that the Devil continue to play against God until the end where there will be another great battle that will take place in the heavens once again.
Lucifer will rally his forces for a final launch upon the city of heaven and attempt to conquer it. The great heavenly battle at the end would be similar to the one that took place in the beginning. Except that this time Lucifer will apparently win and overthrow the city of Heavenly Jerusalem. It appears that he would have grown strong enough in power to overcome Prince Michael this time.
Lucifer will sit in the temple of God and declare himself as God. He will reign for a certain period of time during his short lived victory. But all is not lost because eventually Jesus Christ himself will come with the saints of heaven to wipe out the evil angelic powers and reclaim the city of Heavenly Jerusalem. The final victory of Christ will be fully manifested as Lucifer and his angels are cast into the lake of fire at last.
All this has been prophesied in the bible. But why does Lucifer still try to carry out his plan even though God predicted that he would fail? It is because Lucifer believes that he can change destiny. He believes that he can rewrite the Word because he sees himself as the Word. He believe that he can alter reality and rearrange the timeline. He believes that he can create a new universe where he is God. All of history is a fight between good and evil as Lucifer vie against Jesus for supremacy.
The Future exists first in the imagination, then in the will, then in reality. All things are possible but whether something will happen or not is a another story. What you can conceive and believe, you can achieve. Can is not the same as Will. That is why Lucifer uses the Will to manifest the reality he intends by saying “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds” and “I will be like the Most High.” The divine war is a battle of will against will. To prove sovereignty of will between El Elyon (God Most High) and Lucifer.
Although every major prophesy of the bible to date has been fulfilled, thereby proving God’s supremacy so far, Lucifer still believes that he can turn the tables around when he has accumulated enough power in the end. How shall the end be is yet to be unfolded. We can choose to believe whether the word of God is true and absolute or not.
Jesus is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. In Christ, we are far above all principalities and powers. We have been seated together with him on his throne. Jesus died to give us what even Lucifer fought for but couldn’t attain. Can you believe how great a position and an honor that is? He has given us the highest Sonship with God the Father through himself. As Christ is, so are we in this world. In Christ, we are like the Most High.
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Enoch Tan aims to help people achieve greater awareness in living and experiencing life. To evolve human consciousness to higher levels. To change lives and create possibility. To revolutionize the way we understand the mind and reality. Because that is what governs every area of life and destiny. Get Free Ebooks of Life's Greatest Secrets and Learn Secrets Most People will Never Know about the Mind and Reality Now at: Secrets of Mind and Reality
Athena - The Greek Deity
Athena - The Greek Deity
By Richard Monk
Unlike many current religions, the ancient Greeks invoked numerous deities for different subjects and needs. Athena, the Greek deity, served in the role of war queen similar to Ares.
Among the many deity, deity-like and mythical figures of ancient Greece, males were not the only ones that were revered and seen as important. Often, deities were worshiped even more furiously, because their powers were seen to gift followers with much needed power and talents. One of the most highly regarded and famous of these was Athena, the Greek deity of wisdom, war, weaving and crafts.
Athena's father was Zeus, the king of all the deities, and it is said that she sprang fully formed and completely armed from his forehead. Her mother was said to be Metis, the deity of wisdom and cunning, whom Zeus slept with and then regretted it, fearing that a child begotten of Metis would grow to be more powerful than he was. So he transformed Metis into fly and swallowed her, but it was too late; she was pregnant and began creating a helmet and robe for her daughter while she was inside Zeus. The hammering Metis caused while making the helmet disturbed Zeus, so he had Prometheus cleave his head in two with an axe to stop it, and Athena sprang out.
Athena, the Greek deity, probably came from a deity already worshiped in the area of Greece before they arrived. Her name may mean “the Lady of Athens” or possibly “mother”. Most often she is described with the epithet “bright eyed”, and in earlier times Athena may have been a bird deity associated with the owl. Many other names were used in conjunction with Athena, some to connote her artistic abilities, others to show her virginity.
Athena is usually pictured in full armor, holding a spear, and she is also seen with an owl perched on her shoulder. Her face is depicted as having a long smooth neck, a strong profile, with a long nose and features. She is seen as being extremely beautiful, but aloof. Athena also plays a major role in many other myths involving major and minor deities and mythical creatures; one of the most known is the story in which she changes a weaver Arachne, into a spider.
As Greek religious figures go, Athena is definitely seen as one of the most important and powerful. Her status as the favorite daughter of Zeus, combined with the fact that she governed an important part of Greek life, war, meant that Athena was one of the most worshiped deity-figures in ancient Greece.
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Richard Monk is with FactsMonk.com - a site with facts about everything
By Richard Monk
Unlike many current religions, the ancient Greeks invoked numerous deities for different subjects and needs. Athena, the Greek deity, served in the role of war queen similar to Ares.
Among the many deity, deity-like and mythical figures of ancient Greece, males were not the only ones that were revered and seen as important. Often, deities were worshiped even more furiously, because their powers were seen to gift followers with much needed power and talents. One of the most highly regarded and famous of these was Athena, the Greek deity of wisdom, war, weaving and crafts.
Athena's father was Zeus, the king of all the deities, and it is said that she sprang fully formed and completely armed from his forehead. Her mother was said to be Metis, the deity of wisdom and cunning, whom Zeus slept with and then regretted it, fearing that a child begotten of Metis would grow to be more powerful than he was. So he transformed Metis into fly and swallowed her, but it was too late; she was pregnant and began creating a helmet and robe for her daughter while she was inside Zeus. The hammering Metis caused while making the helmet disturbed Zeus, so he had Prometheus cleave his head in two with an axe to stop it, and Athena sprang out.
Athena, the Greek deity, probably came from a deity already worshiped in the area of Greece before they arrived. Her name may mean “the Lady of Athens” or possibly “mother”. Most often she is described with the epithet “bright eyed”, and in earlier times Athena may have been a bird deity associated with the owl. Many other names were used in conjunction with Athena, some to connote her artistic abilities, others to show her virginity.
Athena is usually pictured in full armor, holding a spear, and she is also seen with an owl perched on her shoulder. Her face is depicted as having a long smooth neck, a strong profile, with a long nose and features. She is seen as being extremely beautiful, but aloof. Athena also plays a major role in many other myths involving major and minor deities and mythical creatures; one of the most known is the story in which she changes a weaver Arachne, into a spider.
As Greek religious figures go, Athena is definitely seen as one of the most important and powerful. Her status as the favorite daughter of Zeus, combined with the fact that she governed an important part of Greek life, war, meant that Athena was one of the most worshiped deity-figures in ancient Greece.
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Richard Monk is with FactsMonk.com - a site with facts about everything
How to Catch a Unicorn
How to Catch a Unicorn
By J.L.N. Lewitin
More than just a horse with a horn, Unicorns are actually transcendental spirits of total purity. Only able to survive in places that are pristine in their goodness, they are much less prevalent now then they were in ancient times. These days they are generally only found in the most remote parts of the world, and even then many are now only shadows, existing much more strongly in other universes than our own.
The purity of the unicorn makes it immune to need or desire. This means that even if you can locate one of these rare creatures, it will be incredibly difficult to catch. However many still try, spurred on by the promises of eternal youth, spiritual ecstasy, and the Unicorns horn; rumored to be able to cure any physical or mental disease.
The most common method for catching one of these powerful creatures is to use a pure young maiden. Unicorns will flee from most humans, because even the smallest amount of selfishness or evil repulses them. However, sometimes a person who is pristine in spirit and mind, usually a young woman, can have a powerful enough inner light that Unicorns will not flee from them. This allows them to approach and interact with the creatures. Sometimes the Unicorn will even recognize the purity in the girl as being similar to their own, and will grow very close and friendly to her.
The only way this method can work is if the girl is not actively seeking the unicorn for any selfish purpose. This makes catching the unicorn very difficult, because someone pure enough to come in contact with a unicorn, would never want to catch one.
In the past greedy people have exploited innocent girls, and tricked them into helping catch a unicorn. However when this method is employed, an even bigger problem arises. Unicorns exist in multiple universes at the same time. When the purity of their surroundings is corrupted in one universe, they begin to fade from it, and become stronger in the others. If faced with a particularly evil surrounding, the unicorn can temporarily fade completely from that incarnation. When this happens the entire universe suffers, and becomes a darker place, until its inhabitants have purified themselves enough for the unicorn to return.
When captured for selfish purposes a unicorn will immediately begin to fade from that universe. Any attempts to harvest the powerful unicorn horn will result in the creature disappearing immediately. This means that those who have captured it, will only gain a short period of spiritual bliss and a little bit of good health due to its presence, before the unicorn fades completely, leaving its captors behind with a painful and haunting memory of the complete joy they once experienced.
The only sensible way to capture a Unicorn is to purify oneself totally, both spiritually and mentally. Purifying one’s body is useful too, as unicorns don’t like unsavory odors. When you have reached a sufficient level of inner light, you will be unable to actively seek the unicorn without sullying your spirit. However it is still possible to wander pristine fields and quietly desire the unicorn’s presence. If both you and your desire are pure, the creature may reveal itself to you.
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J.L.N. Lewitin is one of the many authors at http://ancientthoughts.com who is working twords the goal of bringing all lore and magical information to one resource.
By J.L.N. Lewitin
More than just a horse with a horn, Unicorns are actually transcendental spirits of total purity. Only able to survive in places that are pristine in their goodness, they are much less prevalent now then they were in ancient times. These days they are generally only found in the most remote parts of the world, and even then many are now only shadows, existing much more strongly in other universes than our own.
The purity of the unicorn makes it immune to need or desire. This means that even if you can locate one of these rare creatures, it will be incredibly difficult to catch. However many still try, spurred on by the promises of eternal youth, spiritual ecstasy, and the Unicorns horn; rumored to be able to cure any physical or mental disease.
The most common method for catching one of these powerful creatures is to use a pure young maiden. Unicorns will flee from most humans, because even the smallest amount of selfishness or evil repulses them. However, sometimes a person who is pristine in spirit and mind, usually a young woman, can have a powerful enough inner light that Unicorns will not flee from them. This allows them to approach and interact with the creatures. Sometimes the Unicorn will even recognize the purity in the girl as being similar to their own, and will grow very close and friendly to her.
The only way this method can work is if the girl is not actively seeking the unicorn for any selfish purpose. This makes catching the unicorn very difficult, because someone pure enough to come in contact with a unicorn, would never want to catch one.
In the past greedy people have exploited innocent girls, and tricked them into helping catch a unicorn. However when this method is employed, an even bigger problem arises. Unicorns exist in multiple universes at the same time. When the purity of their surroundings is corrupted in one universe, they begin to fade from it, and become stronger in the others. If faced with a particularly evil surrounding, the unicorn can temporarily fade completely from that incarnation. When this happens the entire universe suffers, and becomes a darker place, until its inhabitants have purified themselves enough for the unicorn to return.
When captured for selfish purposes a unicorn will immediately begin to fade from that universe. Any attempts to harvest the powerful unicorn horn will result in the creature disappearing immediately. This means that those who have captured it, will only gain a short period of spiritual bliss and a little bit of good health due to its presence, before the unicorn fades completely, leaving its captors behind with a painful and haunting memory of the complete joy they once experienced.
The only sensible way to capture a Unicorn is to purify oneself totally, both spiritually and mentally. Purifying one’s body is useful too, as unicorns don’t like unsavory odors. When you have reached a sufficient level of inner light, you will be unable to actively seek the unicorn without sullying your spirit. However it is still possible to wander pristine fields and quietly desire the unicorn’s presence. If both you and your desire are pure, the creature may reveal itself to you.
| If not, you still will have captured some small part of the mystical power of the unicorn, in the powerful purity you have gained within your own spirit. |  |
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J.L.N. Lewitin is one of the many authors at http://ancientthoughts.com who is working twords the goal of bringing all lore and magical information to one resource.
A Commonsense Guide to Exorcism
By Robin Renee Bridges
Bloodshot eyes stared at the crucifix six inches from his nose. Leather restraints lined with lamb’s wool fastened his arms and legs to the chair. The demon-possessed man lunged at the hand holding the holy symbol. Gnashing teeth struggled to bite the outstretched wrist.
Crimson scratches and cryptic markings appeared across his belly. Blood and sweat spattered the floor around the brute, while a puddle of urine under his chair slowly spread out until the priest could no longer avoid standing in it. The satanic beast chewed his tongue and the tender flesh inside his cheek. His tortured mouth spit blood and tissue and obscenities at those attending the exorcism.
What we have here is a Hollywood-embellished, grotesque superstition at work.
What happened to cause rational people to accept this archaic remnant of religious authority’s attempt to control the masses with fear? Frightened followers submit under scare tactics of hellfire and damnation. This is doubly effective because the authorities believe in what they are telling the people. They too fear the evil entities brought to life by their imagination.
Why are we so vulnerable to this indoctrination? Because all souls are encoded to seek God. We begin our life on earth with a "god-shaped hole" in our soul. God puts it there so we will want to find our way back to Him.
We spend our lives trying to fill the “empty spot.” We pack it with lovers, religion, money, drugs, work, excitement, gambling, etc. None of these fits, so we’re soon on the search again looking for love, for attachment, for distraction, and for fulfillment.
In the older religions from Abraham through Jesus Christ and Mohammed, the lower nature of humans was referred to as demons, devils, and Satan. These are allegorical names for turning away from God and goodness.
The pure teachings of the Messengers of God never suggested that demons, devils, Satanic powers, or fallen angels are anything other than allegory. The Church and Hollywood borrowed their concepts and descriptions of these entities and their work from Dante’s “Inferno” written over 700 years ago during the European Dark Ages.
Family traditions, religious teachings, television, movies, and books instill the belief in demons, devils, and possession. When someone in authority tells a person that they are possessed by a demon, most believe it. Traditions, television, movies, and books show people how a demon-possessed person is supposed to act. Psychogenic purpuras is the medical term for stress related bruising and bleeding from the skin and mucosa. It’s common in cases of great emotional stress. It’s “super hives.” Exorcisms are created for these man-made demons.
As cultures progress, they recognize the absurdity surrounding religious superstition and dogma. Today we understand that the Greek and Roman mythological gods were a phenomenon of that age, and our enlightenment invests less and less fear in imaginary devils and demons. Education shines its light in the dark corners of the mind. A culture’s fear of demons is in direct ratio to the education of its people.
Fear of an overwhelming power of evil is a learned fear. It is taught in order to control the behavior of people. Religious belief and spiritual authority without the influence of science is superstition. In the same way that Galileo was excommunicated from the church for saying that the earth was not the center of the universe, people are controlled by a belief in demons and demonic possession.
Some religions have become the stronghold of superstition. I have attended both a voodoo service and a holy roller church service. The physical actions appeared the same. The guttural gibberish sounded the same. They both had people rolling on the floor in a state of spiritual “ecstasy,” and they both teach demonic possession.
We live in a world of great scientific discovery, a world of brain science and neurotransmitters. Why to you think the chemical lithium can exorcise a demon? Why can PCP unleash a demon? If you look at demon possession clinically, you will find schizophrenia, psychoses, Tourettes Syndrome, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.
Where a belief in demons is strongest, incidents of possession are strongest. This is commonsense, folks. People, who fear demons, find demons to fear. People, who worry about demon possession, find demons to possess them. People, who imagine demons are lurking and waiting for a chance to pounce upon them, get pounced upon.
People, who understand the psychological impact of superstition and fear, know that they are fully in charge of themselves, and they are never possessed by mythical demons. People, who know that old houses creak, squirrels make nests in the attic, and underground caverns cause infrasound vibrations are not haunted by demons. Why is that? I think you know the answer.
An evil spirit is nothing more than a bad attitude ... a spirit of hate, a spirit of greed, a spirit of cruelty, etc. And you can choose to replace these with a spirit of joy, a spirit of love, a spirit of giving. These are conscious choices made by a human’s free will. We choose how we think, what we do, and what we say. “The devil made me do it” is a powerful alternative to accepting responsibility for our free will choices and behaviors.
So, how do you exorcise demons? By seeing them for what they are, unhealthy childhood experiences of mental, emotional, or physical abuse. Sick families raise sick children. Sick children raise more sick children. Loving, nurturing environments exorcise demons. Knowledge exorcises demons.
1. Know that demons are imaginary creations of fears common to man’s lower nature.
2. Understand that there are no demons with the power to possess you.
3. In cases of mental illness, seek professional help.
4. In cases of addiction, seek professional help.
Copyright 2005 Robbin Renee Bridges
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Robbin Renee Bridges, a chaplain and grief counselor for more than thirty years, is the author of numerous published articles and the landmark book, “A Bridge of Love between Heaven and Earth: Self-Induced Contact in the Afterlife.” For more articles about death, ghosts, the nature of the soul and the afterlife visit http://www.spirit-sanctuary.org/
By Robin Renee Bridges
Bloodshot eyes stared at the crucifix six inches from his nose. Leather restraints lined with lamb’s wool fastened his arms and legs to the chair. The demon-possessed man lunged at the hand holding the holy symbol. Gnashing teeth struggled to bite the outstretched wrist.
Crimson scratches and cryptic markings appeared across his belly. Blood and sweat spattered the floor around the brute, while a puddle of urine under his chair slowly spread out until the priest could no longer avoid standing in it. The satanic beast chewed his tongue and the tender flesh inside his cheek. His tortured mouth spit blood and tissue and obscenities at those attending the exorcism.
What we have here is a Hollywood-embellished, grotesque superstition at work.
What happened to cause rational people to accept this archaic remnant of religious authority’s attempt to control the masses with fear? Frightened followers submit under scare tactics of hellfire and damnation. This is doubly effective because the authorities believe in what they are telling the people. They too fear the evil entities brought to life by their imagination.
Why are we so vulnerable to this indoctrination? Because all souls are encoded to seek God. We begin our life on earth with a "god-shaped hole" in our soul. God puts it there so we will want to find our way back to Him.
We spend our lives trying to fill the “empty spot.” We pack it with lovers, religion, money, drugs, work, excitement, gambling, etc. None of these fits, so we’re soon on the search again looking for love, for attachment, for distraction, and for fulfillment.
In the older religions from Abraham through Jesus Christ and Mohammed, the lower nature of humans was referred to as demons, devils, and Satan. These are allegorical names for turning away from God and goodness.
The pure teachings of the Messengers of God never suggested that demons, devils, Satanic powers, or fallen angels are anything other than allegory. The Church and Hollywood borrowed their concepts and descriptions of these entities and their work from Dante’s “Inferno” written over 700 years ago during the European Dark Ages.
Family traditions, religious teachings, television, movies, and books instill the belief in demons, devils, and possession. When someone in authority tells a person that they are possessed by a demon, most believe it. Traditions, television, movies, and books show people how a demon-possessed person is supposed to act. Psychogenic purpuras is the medical term for stress related bruising and bleeding from the skin and mucosa. It’s common in cases of great emotional stress. It’s “super hives.” Exorcisms are created for these man-made demons.
As cultures progress, they recognize the absurdity surrounding religious superstition and dogma. Today we understand that the Greek and Roman mythological gods were a phenomenon of that age, and our enlightenment invests less and less fear in imaginary devils and demons. Education shines its light in the dark corners of the mind. A culture’s fear of demons is in direct ratio to the education of its people.
Fear of an overwhelming power of evil is a learned fear. It is taught in order to control the behavior of people. Religious belief and spiritual authority without the influence of science is superstition. In the same way that Galileo was excommunicated from the church for saying that the earth was not the center of the universe, people are controlled by a belief in demons and demonic possession.
Some religions have become the stronghold of superstition. I have attended both a voodoo service and a holy roller church service. The physical actions appeared the same. The guttural gibberish sounded the same. They both had people rolling on the floor in a state of spiritual “ecstasy,” and they both teach demonic possession.
We live in a world of great scientific discovery, a world of brain science and neurotransmitters. Why to you think the chemical lithium can exorcise a demon? Why can PCP unleash a demon? If you look at demon possession clinically, you will find schizophrenia, psychoses, Tourettes Syndrome, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.
Where a belief in demons is strongest, incidents of possession are strongest. This is commonsense, folks. People, who fear demons, find demons to fear. People, who worry about demon possession, find demons to possess them. People, who imagine demons are lurking and waiting for a chance to pounce upon them, get pounced upon.
People, who understand the psychological impact of superstition and fear, know that they are fully in charge of themselves, and they are never possessed by mythical demons. People, who know that old houses creak, squirrels make nests in the attic, and underground caverns cause infrasound vibrations are not haunted by demons. Why is that? I think you know the answer.
An evil spirit is nothing more than a bad attitude ... a spirit of hate, a spirit of greed, a spirit of cruelty, etc. And you can choose to replace these with a spirit of joy, a spirit of love, a spirit of giving. These are conscious choices made by a human’s free will. We choose how we think, what we do, and what we say. “The devil made me do it” is a powerful alternative to accepting responsibility for our free will choices and behaviors.
So, how do you exorcise demons? By seeing them for what they are, unhealthy childhood experiences of mental, emotional, or physical abuse. Sick families raise sick children. Sick children raise more sick children. Loving, nurturing environments exorcise demons. Knowledge exorcises demons.
1. Know that demons are imaginary creations of fears common to man’s lower nature.
2. Understand that there are no demons with the power to possess you.
3. In cases of mental illness, seek professional help.
4. In cases of addiction, seek professional help.
Copyright 2005 Robbin Renee Bridges
----
Robbin Renee Bridges, a chaplain and grief counselor for more than thirty years, is the author of numerous published articles and the landmark book, “A Bridge of Love between Heaven and Earth: Self-Induced Contact in the Afterlife.” For more articles about death, ghosts, the nature of the soul and the afterlife visit http://www.spirit-sanctuary.org/
Gremlin or Guide: Who's Whispering In Your Ear Lately?
Gremlin or Guide: Who's Whispering In Your Ear Lately?
By Jeannette Maw
Who’s whispering in your ear lately? I’m not talking about the secrets your four-year-old shares at bedtime or the comments colleagues mutter during staff meeting. I’m talking about the voices you hear inside: the voices of your gremlins and guides.
Most of us get input from both, although we often hear one better than the other. Who’s whispering in your ear lately - gremlin or guide? And which promptings do you follow?
Recently on a long nature walk I passed a hiker and his dog on the trail, and intuitively knew he'd need a ride back to his car. My immediate thought was "I’m not giving a ride to a stranger!" Gremlin or Guide?
I didn’t have to think about it until an hour later I'd reached the other end of the trail where my car was parked, when once again I came upon the hiker and his Corgi. Sure enough, as I passed he mentioned he'd need a ride back to his car. (I knew it!)
I’m not in the habit of picking up hitchhikers and don’t usually invite strange men into my car. But a little whisper in my ear said, "Give him a ride." Gremlin or Guide?
Could have been Gremlin wanting me to conform with what others expect - doing the "right" or "nice" thing. Or was it a Guide letting me know it's okay to give the cute canine and his human companion a lift?
How do we know who that is talking to us inside our head? Many of us wonder how to interpret the little internal whispers that are often at odds with each other. If you don’t already know how to distinguish Gremlin thoughts from True Guidance, read on for a fail safe method for choosing which whispers to embrace and which to dismiss.
Know the Difference
Do you know what your Gremlin sounds like (a.k.a. ego, inner critic, voice of judgement, monkey mind)? Can you easily tell when you’re receiving higher guidance (or intuition, wise self, angels, guides)? Many of us struggle with this distinction, especially when it comes to high stakes decisions and situations.
An easy way to tell whether the internal dialogue you’re having is with Gremlin or Guide is simply this: Gremlin thoughts feel bad; Higher Guidance feels good.
Gremlin doesn’t move you into power; Higher guidance does
Gremlin is fear-based; Higher guidance is love-based
Gremlin rambles on and on with long explanations; Higher guidance usually comes in short "feeling" messages (inspiration, spark, inner knowing)
Gremlin makes your body feel tight, stuck, restricted, with shallow breathing; Higher guidance feels open and light.
The next time you’re getting conflicting internal info, use these criteria to filter out gremlin and embrace higher guidance. As you become expert at discerning the difference between guides and gremlins, you'll find life’s difficult moments much easier to navigate!
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Jeannette Maw is an Attraction Coach and founder of Good Vibe Coaching in Salt Lake City, Utah specializing in helping clients get what they want, once and for all. Free tips to make your wish list come true are yours monthly in her "Get What You Want" ezine, along with an instant free report for Vibrating Wealth, when you sign up at http://www.goodvibecoach.com
By Jeannette Maw
Who’s whispering in your ear lately? I’m not talking about the secrets your four-year-old shares at bedtime or the comments colleagues mutter during staff meeting. I’m talking about the voices you hear inside: the voices of your gremlins and guides.
Most of us get input from both, although we often hear one better than the other. Who’s whispering in your ear lately - gremlin or guide? And which promptings do you follow?
Recently on a long nature walk I passed a hiker and his dog on the trail, and intuitively knew he'd need a ride back to his car. My immediate thought was "I’m not giving a ride to a stranger!" Gremlin or Guide?
I didn’t have to think about it until an hour later I'd reached the other end of the trail where my car was parked, when once again I came upon the hiker and his Corgi. Sure enough, as I passed he mentioned he'd need a ride back to his car. (I knew it!)
I’m not in the habit of picking up hitchhikers and don’t usually invite strange men into my car. But a little whisper in my ear said, "Give him a ride." Gremlin or Guide?
Could have been Gremlin wanting me to conform with what others expect - doing the "right" or "nice" thing. Or was it a Guide letting me know it's okay to give the cute canine and his human companion a lift?
How do we know who that is talking to us inside our head? Many of us wonder how to interpret the little internal whispers that are often at odds with each other. If you don’t already know how to distinguish Gremlin thoughts from True Guidance, read on for a fail safe method for choosing which whispers to embrace and which to dismiss.
Know the Difference
Do you know what your Gremlin sounds like (a.k.a. ego, inner critic, voice of judgement, monkey mind)? Can you easily tell when you’re receiving higher guidance (or intuition, wise self, angels, guides)? Many of us struggle with this distinction, especially when it comes to high stakes decisions and situations.
An easy way to tell whether the internal dialogue you’re having is with Gremlin or Guide is simply this: Gremlin thoughts feel bad; Higher Guidance feels good.
Gremlin doesn’t move you into power; Higher guidance does
Gremlin is fear-based; Higher guidance is love-based
Gremlin rambles on and on with long explanations; Higher guidance usually comes in short "feeling" messages (inspiration, spark, inner knowing)
Gremlin makes your body feel tight, stuck, restricted, with shallow breathing; Higher guidance feels open and light.
The next time you’re getting conflicting internal info, use these criteria to filter out gremlin and embrace higher guidance. As you become expert at discerning the difference between guides and gremlins, you'll find life’s difficult moments much easier to navigate!
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Jeannette Maw is an Attraction Coach and founder of Good Vibe Coaching in Salt Lake City, Utah specializing in helping clients get what they want, once and for all. Free tips to make your wish list come true are yours monthly in her "Get What You Want" ezine, along with an instant free report for Vibrating Wealth, when you sign up at http://www.goodvibecoach.com
The Cathars of the Languedoc
The Cathars of the Languedoc
By James F McDonald
In the area where I live, in the foothills on the French side of the Pyrenees, the earth has a rich red colour. Local people say that it has healing properties. Some of them make medical poultices with it. After heavy rains this red earth washes into streams, and flows into the river Aude. After particularly heavy rains the Aude turns red as it flows first North down its valley all the way to Carcassonne and then East into the Mediterranean Sea.
Eight centuries ago, none of the land for hundreds of miles around this river was French. Most of it technically belonged to the Kings of Aragon, but in practice it was run by Counts of Toulouse. The area is now one of the poorest in Western Europe, but under the Counts it was one of the richest, and in many ways the most advanced. Literacy was widespread among lay people. Jews enjoyed levels of tolerance that were rare in Europe, some of them holding high office under the Count himself. The Languedoc was then a major European crossroads important for natural materials and trade. It had its own language, Occitan, after which the area is now named: it is the Langue d'oc - "the Language of Oc" - oc being the word for yes in Occitan. Learning, culture and poetry all flourished. It was here that the troubadours became prototype rock-stars, here that shepherds were known for discussing theology, and here that some of the greatest tragedies of the Middle Ages took place.
The problem was that the local people were increasingly unwilling to follow to the Church of Rome. They refused to pay their tithes and laughed at the excommunications incurred as a result. They regarded themselves as good Christians, but at least half the population held beliefs not shared by mainstream Catholics. The Roman Church called these people Cathars. Cathars espoused ideas that were considered offensive and often heretical. They did not believe in a priesthood. They translated the scriptures into occitan so that lay men and women could read them. They believed in reincarnation. They rejected the sacraments, most notably marriage and infant baptism.
Cathars claimed to have preserved practices and beliefs of earliest Christians, a claim which was then considered absurd, but which historians and theologians now take seriously. Like many ancient gnostic sects they made a distinction between the inner Elect and the mass of believers. The Elect led ascetic lives: they spent their time meditating and teaching when not earning their living. They observed strict rules prohibiting lying and swearing. They did not eat meat, nor engage in sex, nor war, and looked forward to their release from the cycle of reincarnation. Both men and women could become members of the Elect. Male members of the Elect went from village to village, travelling in pairs as they said the original apostles had done.
Cathars reasoned that a good God could not have created such an evil world as this, and concluded that there must be two gods: a good one who created good things and a bad one who created bad ones. It was easy to tell which was which because the good things were all immaterial and a bad ones all material. The bad God delighted in trapping immaterial spirits in his own material creations, which accounted for human beings and, according to some, animals as well. When people died the bad God would imprison the newly released spirit in another body, human or animal. When people became members of the Elect, the bad god lost his power to trap their spirits, and the cycle of reincarnation was broken, allowing the spirit to return to the Good God's realm of light. Cathars explicitly worshipped the good God, and despised the work of the bad God, including all material objects. Material objects incidentally included the material goods of the Catholic Church: not only rich vestments, jewel encrusted relicaries and expensive palaces, but ordinary churches, statues and crucifixes. Cathar ideas were not popular among the Catholic hierarchy, but the two religions continued side by side for many years without any noticeable problems.
The Roman Church sent preachers to bring the Cathar population back into the orthodox fold, but it was already too late. Corrupt and ignorant priests and monks had become figures of fun even among the remaining professed Catholics. Preachers speaking French and Latin, however golden-mouthed, cannot have been accustomed to the educated and critical Occitan congregations they encountered here. In any case the preachers failed in their mission - spectacularly and publicly. They did themselves no favours by refusing to enter a public debate with one member of the Elect, an educated and highly respected noblewoman. When one Churchman shouted at her "Go back to your spinning, woman; it is not suitable for you to speak at such a debate" he cannot have imagined what damage he was doing to his cause.
The Pope instructed Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse, to root out the pernicious Eastern heresy that had infected his lands but the Count could not, or would not, do so. Most of his nobles were Cathars, or at least came from families of Cathar sympathisers. It soon became apparent to all that the area was lost to the Roman Church. The solution was the same as in other lands lost to rival religions: a Holy Crusade. Pope Innocent III preached a Crusade in 1208, and armies of French knights marched South to the Languedoc. The area became an arena for war and massacre for forty years. The Elect would not fight, even to defend themselves, but their followers protected them, and so did many of their Catholic neighbours. At one town 20,000 people were killed by the crusaders because they refused to give up a couple of hundred alleged Cathars. The whole population died together, Cathars and Catholics; men, women, children and even some Catholic priests.
After forty years of war the area was exhausted. Raymond VI and his successor Raymond VII had both been humiliated, excommunicated, publicly flogged, and dispossessed. The area was annexed to France and the Langued'oc, both area and language, started their long slow decline. A Papal Inquisition was set up to eliminate the last vestiges of Catharism. Centuries later the idea would be picked up in Aragon, and then spread to the rest of Spain. The Spanish Inquisition was not a new invention, it was a development of the Inquisition founded here in the Languedoc to eliminate religious dissent.
Did the Inquisition succeed in eliminating Catharism? Inquisitors were still at work here a century after the first Inquisitions, in one famous case arresting a whole village for the Cathar heresy, but after that there is hardly another word about Cathar beliefs. Catharism seems to have been dead by the end of the fourteenth century, though many of its ideas would soon be picked up and developed by Protestant reformers. Other Cathar ideas have found respectable places later: the dignity of labour, women's equality, tolerance towards minorities, vegetarianism, meditation, euthanasia, even reincarnation.
The remnants of the Cathars' remote mountain refuges are now major tourist attractions. Walkers and riders follow ancient Cathar trails through remote mountainous countryside, occasionally meeting shepherds surprisingly well versed in theology. Locals quote by heart thirteenth century anti-crusader poetry in the original occitan. When the rivers runs red after heavy rains the locals refer to it as the blood of the Cathars. And I notice that people around here rarely talk about God, but specifically about the Good God.
----
James McDonald is an author and consultant. He lives in the Languedoc in France.
By James F McDonald
In the area where I live, in the foothills on the French side of the Pyrenees, the earth has a rich red colour. Local people say that it has healing properties. Some of them make medical poultices with it. After heavy rains this red earth washes into streams, and flows into the river Aude. After particularly heavy rains the Aude turns red as it flows first North down its valley all the way to Carcassonne and then East into the Mediterranean Sea.
Eight centuries ago, none of the land for hundreds of miles around this river was French. Most of it technically belonged to the Kings of Aragon, but in practice it was run by Counts of Toulouse. The area is now one of the poorest in Western Europe, but under the Counts it was one of the richest, and in many ways the most advanced. Literacy was widespread among lay people. Jews enjoyed levels of tolerance that were rare in Europe, some of them holding high office under the Count himself. The Languedoc was then a major European crossroads important for natural materials and trade. It had its own language, Occitan, after which the area is now named: it is the Langue d'oc - "the Language of Oc" - oc being the word for yes in Occitan. Learning, culture and poetry all flourished. It was here that the troubadours became prototype rock-stars, here that shepherds were known for discussing theology, and here that some of the greatest tragedies of the Middle Ages took place.
The problem was that the local people were increasingly unwilling to follow to the Church of Rome. They refused to pay their tithes and laughed at the excommunications incurred as a result. They regarded themselves as good Christians, but at least half the population held beliefs not shared by mainstream Catholics. The Roman Church called these people Cathars. Cathars espoused ideas that were considered offensive and often heretical. They did not believe in a priesthood. They translated the scriptures into occitan so that lay men and women could read them. They believed in reincarnation. They rejected the sacraments, most notably marriage and infant baptism.
Cathars claimed to have preserved practices and beliefs of earliest Christians, a claim which was then considered absurd, but which historians and theologians now take seriously. Like many ancient gnostic sects they made a distinction between the inner Elect and the mass of believers. The Elect led ascetic lives: they spent their time meditating and teaching when not earning their living. They observed strict rules prohibiting lying and swearing. They did not eat meat, nor engage in sex, nor war, and looked forward to their release from the cycle of reincarnation. Both men and women could become members of the Elect. Male members of the Elect went from village to village, travelling in pairs as they said the original apostles had done.
Cathars reasoned that a good God could not have created such an evil world as this, and concluded that there must be two gods: a good one who created good things and a bad one who created bad ones. It was easy to tell which was which because the good things were all immaterial and a bad ones all material. The bad God delighted in trapping immaterial spirits in his own material creations, which accounted for human beings and, according to some, animals as well. When people died the bad God would imprison the newly released spirit in another body, human or animal. When people became members of the Elect, the bad god lost his power to trap their spirits, and the cycle of reincarnation was broken, allowing the spirit to return to the Good God's realm of light. Cathars explicitly worshipped the good God, and despised the work of the bad God, including all material objects. Material objects incidentally included the material goods of the Catholic Church: not only rich vestments, jewel encrusted relicaries and expensive palaces, but ordinary churches, statues and crucifixes. Cathar ideas were not popular among the Catholic hierarchy, but the two religions continued side by side for many years without any noticeable problems.
The Roman Church sent preachers to bring the Cathar population back into the orthodox fold, but it was already too late. Corrupt and ignorant priests and monks had become figures of fun even among the remaining professed Catholics. Preachers speaking French and Latin, however golden-mouthed, cannot have been accustomed to the educated and critical Occitan congregations they encountered here. In any case the preachers failed in their mission - spectacularly and publicly. They did themselves no favours by refusing to enter a public debate with one member of the Elect, an educated and highly respected noblewoman. When one Churchman shouted at her "Go back to your spinning, woman; it is not suitable for you to speak at such a debate" he cannot have imagined what damage he was doing to his cause.
The Pope instructed Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse, to root out the pernicious Eastern heresy that had infected his lands but the Count could not, or would not, do so. Most of his nobles were Cathars, or at least came from families of Cathar sympathisers. It soon became apparent to all that the area was lost to the Roman Church. The solution was the same as in other lands lost to rival religions: a Holy Crusade. Pope Innocent III preached a Crusade in 1208, and armies of French knights marched South to the Languedoc. The area became an arena for war and massacre for forty years. The Elect would not fight, even to defend themselves, but their followers protected them, and so did many of their Catholic neighbours. At one town 20,000 people were killed by the crusaders because they refused to give up a couple of hundred alleged Cathars. The whole population died together, Cathars and Catholics; men, women, children and even some Catholic priests.
After forty years of war the area was exhausted. Raymond VI and his successor Raymond VII had both been humiliated, excommunicated, publicly flogged, and dispossessed. The area was annexed to France and the Langued'oc, both area and language, started their long slow decline. A Papal Inquisition was set up to eliminate the last vestiges of Catharism. Centuries later the idea would be picked up in Aragon, and then spread to the rest of Spain. The Spanish Inquisition was not a new invention, it was a development of the Inquisition founded here in the Languedoc to eliminate religious dissent.
Did the Inquisition succeed in eliminating Catharism? Inquisitors were still at work here a century after the first Inquisitions, in one famous case arresting a whole village for the Cathar heresy, but after that there is hardly another word about Cathar beliefs. Catharism seems to have been dead by the end of the fourteenth century, though many of its ideas would soon be picked up and developed by Protestant reformers. Other Cathar ideas have found respectable places later: the dignity of labour, women's equality, tolerance towards minorities, vegetarianism, meditation, euthanasia, even reincarnation.
The remnants of the Cathars' remote mountain refuges are now major tourist attractions. Walkers and riders follow ancient Cathar trails through remote mountainous countryside, occasionally meeting shepherds surprisingly well versed in theology. Locals quote by heart thirteenth century anti-crusader poetry in the original occitan. When the rivers runs red after heavy rains the locals refer to it as the blood of the Cathars. And I notice that people around here rarely talk about God, but specifically about the Good God.
----
James McDonald is an author and consultant. He lives in the Languedoc in France.
Mercury's Retrograde Brings Back the Past - June 15 thru July 9
Mercury's Retrograde Brings Back the Past - June 15 thru July 9
by Sparrow Moon
On June 15, Mercury will begin another retrograde. Mercury goes reverse more than any other planet, about 3 or 4 times a year. When a planet is in retrograde it appears to be moving backwards across the sky. Planets don't actually change the direction of their orbits. They just appear that way, because the Earth is not the center of the solar system, but the Earth is the center of the zodiac.
Retrograde station is the point where the planet changes directions, so it appears to be holding still in the sky. A few days prior and a few days after June 15, while Mercury is at retrograde station, things may be a bit difficult. Mercury is the ruler of the mind and communication, and he also governs travel. Some of us, especially Gemini's and Virgo's, will find that our minds just are not functioning as they usually do. We may forget things or feel confused. Conversations and correspondence could be misunderstood. Internet communications may not connect including Internet banking. Be sure to back up your computer files, because Mercury can cause your computer to crash. This is also not a good time to have "that talk" with a loved one.
After Mercury gets turned around and moving in his backward motion, from June 15 through July 9, it will be a time for exploring the past. It may be a good time to go back and look over past contracts and correspondence. It will be a great time for any kind of homecomings. I like to go ghost hunting during Mercury's retrograde. The division between us and those past over becomes more translucent at this time.
A few days prior and a few days after July 9 will be the most difficult period of this transit. Usually the retrograde is most powerful when the planet is in the process of changing to a forward direction, direct station. Try to avoid signing any contracts for these few days, and do not make any life changing decisions at this time. There could be delays and detours with travel, so be prepared, and again be sure computer files are backed-up. There could be communication misunderstandings so pay attention to detail when relaying messages, and be ready to send another in case the first gets lost.
Mercury's retrograde will be from 11 degrees through 2 degrees Cancer. And, as I say so often, check your natal chart. Those with dominate water signs, this could be especially difficult for you, so make sure you have extra reserves (financial and emotional) before the retrograde begins. If you have any planets in your chart between 0 and 13 degrees in Cancer, Libra, Capricorn, or Taurus, there may be periods of this retrograde that could cause you problems. Where this aspect lands in your houses determine what areas of your life that will be affected. If you are interested in knowing more, you can also Order a Transit Report.
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Janet (Sparrow) Moon is a professional psychic and astrologer. You can visit her web site for more articles about upcoming events in astrology, and to read her daily astrology general tendencies forecast. (This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this bio is included.) http://www.sparrowmoon.com/
by Sparrow Moon
On June 15, Mercury will begin another retrograde. Mercury goes reverse more than any other planet, about 3 or 4 times a year. When a planet is in retrograde it appears to be moving backwards across the sky. Planets don't actually change the direction of their orbits. They just appear that way, because the Earth is not the center of the solar system, but the Earth is the center of the zodiac.
Retrograde station is the point where the planet changes directions, so it appears to be holding still in the sky. A few days prior and a few days after June 15, while Mercury is at retrograde station, things may be a bit difficult. Mercury is the ruler of the mind and communication, and he also governs travel. Some of us, especially Gemini's and Virgo's, will find that our minds just are not functioning as they usually do. We may forget things or feel confused. Conversations and correspondence could be misunderstood. Internet communications may not connect including Internet banking. Be sure to back up your computer files, because Mercury can cause your computer to crash. This is also not a good time to have "that talk" with a loved one.
After Mercury gets turned around and moving in his backward motion, from June 15 through July 9, it will be a time for exploring the past. It may be a good time to go back and look over past contracts and correspondence. It will be a great time for any kind of homecomings. I like to go ghost hunting during Mercury's retrograde. The division between us and those past over becomes more translucent at this time.
A few days prior and a few days after July 9 will be the most difficult period of this transit. Usually the retrograde is most powerful when the planet is in the process of changing to a forward direction, direct station. Try to avoid signing any contracts for these few days, and do not make any life changing decisions at this time. There could be delays and detours with travel, so be prepared, and again be sure computer files are backed-up. There could be communication misunderstandings so pay attention to detail when relaying messages, and be ready to send another in case the first gets lost.
Mercury's retrograde will be from 11 degrees through 2 degrees Cancer. And, as I say so often, check your natal chart. Those with dominate water signs, this could be especially difficult for you, so make sure you have extra reserves (financial and emotional) before the retrograde begins. If you have any planets in your chart between 0 and 13 degrees in Cancer, Libra, Capricorn, or Taurus, there may be periods of this retrograde that could cause you problems. Where this aspect lands in your houses determine what areas of your life that will be affected. If you are interested in knowing more, you can also Order a Transit Report.
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Janet (Sparrow) Moon is a professional psychic and astrologer. You can visit her web site for more articles about upcoming events in astrology, and to read her daily astrology general tendencies forecast. (This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this bio is included.) http://www.sparrowmoon.com/
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
So Who Was This Green Man Anyway?
So Who Was This Green Man Anyway?
By Steve Calvert
Every heard of The Green Man?… No, I don’t mean the pub. No, not that little guy from the spaceship either, but if you should see him, tell him I said hi. The Green man I am talking about is a nature spirit and there was once a widespread belief in The Green Man all across Europe. He is known by other names though, so perhaps you might be more familiar with one of these: The Wildman, Jack-in-the-Green, Green Jack, Green George. No? Still never heard of the green guy? Well the chances are that, even if you have not heard the name, you will have seen a Green Man, especially if you live in, or have visited, Europe. Old European churches often have wonderful and ornate carvings cut into the woodwork inside them. If you have never noticed this, just take a look at the pews inside one of the older places of Christian worship. Quite often among the carving you can find a Green Man, in the form of a foliate head, staring from the woodwork at you and covered with generous coat of dark varnish. Foliate heads are quite common place and, in these modern times, you can even buy them to use as garden ornaments.
Another place where you might have encountered a Green Man could be at a museum. Green Men can sometimes be find hiding among the threads of medieval tapestries. Not in the form of a foliate head this time but, instead, as a leafy Wildman. Wood and thread, however, are not the only materials that have been used to reproduce likenesses of Green Men. They can sometimes be found staring down from stained-glass windows. Often too foliate heads are captured in stone. Green men are everywhere; you just have to know where to look.
The Green Man has also been recreated in the more modern medium of film. Perhaps you have seen the film Gawain and the Green Knight, which is based on the 14th Century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The story of Sir Gawain is entangled with Arthurian legend and I will not go into lengthy details here, but briefly:
King Arthur and his court were gathered together for dinner. Suddenly there was a flash of lightning and a Crash of thunder. The Green Knight then appeared and offered the challenge of a Christmas game. This giant, green figure of a man struck fear into even the Knights of the Roundtable and only Gawain had the courage to accept the challenge. The game was simple enough: the Knight offered to exchange blows with the challenger, and the challenger was even allowed to offer the first blow. Gawain borrowed the Green Knights very own axe and used it cut off the giant’s head. It should have been game over, but the Green Knight leaned over and, picking up his head from the floor, held it up, even as it spoke, and told Gawain that he must meet him at The Green Chapel, in a year’s time, and there accept the Green Knight’s return blow.
So who, or what, exactly is this Green Man? In myth he represents the spirit of spring and early summer, but like a lot of the ancient world gods, he is present throughout the year. In spring he is full of youth like the New Year’s fresh growth that arrives with him. As the year progresses he matures along with it and the green of spring and summer turns to the reds and browns of autumn. When winter comes and the trees have lost all their leaves, and are just a bare skeleton of what they were, like the trees the Green Man’s spirit remains, but his vitality is gone. Until the next and every subsequent year. Traditionally the Green Man was represented at the May Day festivals as The King of the May. So early in the year he is full of life and fertility and one of the prettiest maidens from each village was chosen to be his escort for the festivities. Later in the year, he was the Harvest King and his beard – full and golden – represented the full ears of the ripe corn. In winter he was the King of the Winter Woods and the celebrations were fierce games and contests (a little like the one with Gawain): fighting, wrestling, riddles etc.
There is one story – quite widespread – concerning the sacrifice of a God-King; sometimes known as King of the Wood or Rex Nemorensis. In the story a man was chosen to rule as king for a year. He was then killed as a form of sacrifice and his executioner took over and ruled in his place – but only for a year. Then the whole cycle, like the seasons, was repeated
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Blog From The Darkside
By Steve Calvert
Every heard of The Green Man?… No, I don’t mean the pub. No, not that little guy from the spaceship either, but if you should see him, tell him I said hi. The Green man I am talking about is a nature spirit and there was once a widespread belief in The Green Man all across Europe. He is known by other names though, so perhaps you might be more familiar with one of these: The Wildman, Jack-in-the-Green, Green Jack, Green George. No? Still never heard of the green guy? Well the chances are that, even if you have not heard the name, you will have seen a Green Man, especially if you live in, or have visited, Europe. Old European churches often have wonderful and ornate carvings cut into the woodwork inside them. If you have never noticed this, just take a look at the pews inside one of the older places of Christian worship. Quite often among the carving you can find a Green Man, in the form of a foliate head, staring from the woodwork at you and covered with generous coat of dark varnish. Foliate heads are quite common place and, in these modern times, you can even buy them to use as garden ornaments.
Another place where you might have encountered a Green Man could be at a museum. Green Men can sometimes be find hiding among the threads of medieval tapestries. Not in the form of a foliate head this time but, instead, as a leafy Wildman. Wood and thread, however, are not the only materials that have been used to reproduce likenesses of Green Men. They can sometimes be found staring down from stained-glass windows. Often too foliate heads are captured in stone. Green men are everywhere; you just have to know where to look.
The Green Man has also been recreated in the more modern medium of film. Perhaps you have seen the film Gawain and the Green Knight, which is based on the 14th Century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The story of Sir Gawain is entangled with Arthurian legend and I will not go into lengthy details here, but briefly:
King Arthur and his court were gathered together for dinner. Suddenly there was a flash of lightning and a Crash of thunder. The Green Knight then appeared and offered the challenge of a Christmas game. This giant, green figure of a man struck fear into even the Knights of the Roundtable and only Gawain had the courage to accept the challenge. The game was simple enough: the Knight offered to exchange blows with the challenger, and the challenger was even allowed to offer the first blow. Gawain borrowed the Green Knights very own axe and used it cut off the giant’s head. It should have been game over, but the Green Knight leaned over and, picking up his head from the floor, held it up, even as it spoke, and told Gawain that he must meet him at The Green Chapel, in a year’s time, and there accept the Green Knight’s return blow.
So who, or what, exactly is this Green Man? In myth he represents the spirit of spring and early summer, but like a lot of the ancient world gods, he is present throughout the year. In spring he is full of youth like the New Year’s fresh growth that arrives with him. As the year progresses he matures along with it and the green of spring and summer turns to the reds and browns of autumn. When winter comes and the trees have lost all their leaves, and are just a bare skeleton of what they were, like the trees the Green Man’s spirit remains, but his vitality is gone. Until the next and every subsequent year. Traditionally the Green Man was represented at the May Day festivals as The King of the May. So early in the year he is full of life and fertility and one of the prettiest maidens from each village was chosen to be his escort for the festivities. Later in the year, he was the Harvest King and his beard – full and golden – represented the full ears of the ripe corn. In winter he was the King of the Winter Woods and the celebrations were fierce games and contests (a little like the one with Gawain): fighting, wrestling, riddles etc.
There is one story – quite widespread – concerning the sacrifice of a God-King; sometimes known as King of the Wood or Rex Nemorensis. In the story a man was chosen to rule as king for a year. He was then killed as a form of sacrifice and his executioner took over and ruled in his place – but only for a year. Then the whole cycle, like the seasons, was repeated
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Blog From The Darkside
Abracadabra!
Abracadabra!
By Steve Calvert
These days, when we hear the word abracadabra it will probably have just been uttered by a stage musician. The word abracadabra, however, is very old and nobody knows for sure where or when it originated.
The first known mention of the word was in a poem written by Serenus Sammonicus in 2nd Century AD. Serenus Sammonicus was the physician to the Roman Emperor Caracalla and the poem was called De Medicina Praecepta, and in it Serenus prescribes the wearing an amulet around the neck as a cure for sickness. The prescribed amulet consisted of a piece of parchment that had abracadabra written on it. The word was written several times with each repetition being situated below its predecessor, and losing letters in each repetition, until only an ‘A’ remained of the word. The resultant amulet took the form of a triangle and the idea was that the triangular formation of the magic word would act like a funnel and draw sickness out of the wearer’s body.
Abracadabra is actually a little more versatile than this though, and has also been used in amulet form as protection against evil spirits and the evil eye.
As to the origins of abracadabra, there are many theories about that too. Some people believe that it is Kabalistic in origin, perhaps derived from the Hebraic words Ab, Ben and ruach Cadesh (Father, Son and Holy Ghost). Other people say that it comes from the Aramaic avra kehdabra (I will create as I speak). Still others say that it is Chaldean or that it hails from a Gnostic sect in Alexandria called the Basilidians. There are, of course, other beliefs as well, but I think it is true to say that no one will ever know for certain where the real roots of the word lie; they are buried too deep in history and have grown obscure over the centuries. One thing is sure though: there is a lot more to abracadabra, than just as a finishing line for the man on the stage with his magic wand and the deck of cards.
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Blog From The Darkside
By Steve Calvert
These days, when we hear the word abracadabra it will probably have just been uttered by a stage musician. The word abracadabra, however, is very old and nobody knows for sure where or when it originated.
The first known mention of the word was in a poem written by Serenus Sammonicus in 2nd Century AD. Serenus Sammonicus was the physician to the Roman Emperor Caracalla and the poem was called De Medicina Praecepta, and in it Serenus prescribes the wearing an amulet around the neck as a cure for sickness. The prescribed amulet consisted of a piece of parchment that had abracadabra written on it. The word was written several times with each repetition being situated below its predecessor, and losing letters in each repetition, until only an ‘A’ remained of the word. The resultant amulet took the form of a triangle and the idea was that the triangular formation of the magic word would act like a funnel and draw sickness out of the wearer’s body.
Abracadabra is actually a little more versatile than this though, and has also been used in amulet form as protection against evil spirits and the evil eye.
As to the origins of abracadabra, there are many theories about that too. Some people believe that it is Kabalistic in origin, perhaps derived from the Hebraic words Ab, Ben and ruach Cadesh (Father, Son and Holy Ghost). Other people say that it comes from the Aramaic avra kehdabra (I will create as I speak). Still others say that it is Chaldean or that it hails from a Gnostic sect in Alexandria called the Basilidians. There are, of course, other beliefs as well, but I think it is true to say that no one will ever know for certain where the real roots of the word lie; they are buried too deep in history and have grown obscure over the centuries. One thing is sure though: there is a lot more to abracadabra, than just as a finishing line for the man on the stage with his magic wand and the deck of cards.
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Blog From The Darkside
India May Be First To Tell The World About ET Contact
India May Be First To Tell The World About ET Contact
By: www.indiadaily.com
New Delhi is in the middle of a big secret internal debate. On one side the largest democracy of the world is eager to explain to its citizens and to the world about the ongoing contacts with the UFOs and extra-terrestrials. On the other hand there are invisible untold international protocols that prohibit doing anything that may cause worldwide fear and panic.
It is well accepted between the UFO and extra-terrestrial experts that all the five nuclear powers are in contact with the beings from other stars for quite some time. Recently India has seen enormous news on UFO contacts and secret UFO bases in Himalayas near the Chinese bases. In Ladak, for example the locals clearly point out the everyday phenomenon of large triangular spacecrafts coming out below the ground and Indian security forces protecting them.
Military officials and politicians have confessed the fact that India has been contacted. India has been told the rules of the Universe.
The current debate is on whether to keep it secret like other countries are doing or in tradition of a total transparent society come out and tell the truth. India is so open and democratic; it is very difficult to keep a secret for long. The biggest concern of the Government today is that unlike in other countries, it will be very difficult to keep it secret for long. If the information comes out through unofficial channels first and then the authorities are pressed against the wall to confess, two bad things can happen. First, it can really cause a panic in the country as well as the world. Second, the way the Indian politics is run, the ruling party will be thrown out of power in no time i it is ever found that the Government withheld such information from the public.
The recent rush of world leaders to India is remarkable. Starting from Russian President Putin to major Senators from America have visited or are planning to visit India. European Union is in deep discussion with India on cooperation. All sanctions against India's nuclear programs and Indian Space Research Organization are in the process of being lifted. India is cooperating with Europeans and the Americans in space explorations and technology research program. India is also part of World Trade Organization. India is receiving major outsourcing contracts in IT and call-center service work from America and Europe. India's Forex reserve is at a level never imagined before because of international direct investments from Western nations, Japan, Korea and others. Interestingly, China the arc rival of India changed its posture in the last few years to make India's friendship and trade a priority. India is slowly getting to the point when it is accepted as a permanent member of the Security Council. All the five Security Council members China, America, Russia, France and UK support India's inclusion.
When all these factors are added together and analyzed, it seems like India is being told by the world to abide by the hidden protocols and in exchange be recognized as a major emerging superpower.
The debate the country is facing internally is whether to abide by the laws of the world and the Universe to be recognized as a superpower or be truthful to its citizens and the world.
According to sources close to the Government, the UFO contacts is known by quite a few politicians in the opposition and of course by those who are in power.
The military has legitimate concern of not letting the secrets out either.
Recently, India's foreign affairs minister Mr. Natwar Singh came out and said that for India it was not necessary to become a nuclear power. He is a strong supporter of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, India's former Prime Minister who initiated the nuclear program in the mid sixties. India first exploded a nuclear device in Pokhran in early seventies. The whole country including people from his own party questioned Mr. Singh for such an irresponsible statement. But on analyzing his statements, it is evident, that based on what he knows now, being a nuclear power really does not matter much because the technologies controlled by the extra-terrestrials are so advanced that all our technologies mean really nothing. But importantly he may be irritated with this controversial ongoing secret debate and what he really meant was that if India was not a nuclear power, the debate on UFO and extra-terrestrials will never be there in India.
----
Article Source http://www.psychicarticle.com/article49.html
http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/01-06a-05.asp
By: www.indiadaily.com
New Delhi is in the middle of a big secret internal debate. On one side the largest democracy of the world is eager to explain to its citizens and to the world about the ongoing contacts with the UFOs and extra-terrestrials. On the other hand there are invisible untold international protocols that prohibit doing anything that may cause worldwide fear and panic.
It is well accepted between the UFO and extra-terrestrial experts that all the five nuclear powers are in contact with the beings from other stars for quite some time. Recently India has seen enormous news on UFO contacts and secret UFO bases in Himalayas near the Chinese bases. In Ladak, for example the locals clearly point out the everyday phenomenon of large triangular spacecrafts coming out below the ground and Indian security forces protecting them.
Military officials and politicians have confessed the fact that India has been contacted. India has been told the rules of the Universe.
The current debate is on whether to keep it secret like other countries are doing or in tradition of a total transparent society come out and tell the truth. India is so open and democratic; it is very difficult to keep a secret for long. The biggest concern of the Government today is that unlike in other countries, it will be very difficult to keep it secret for long. If the information comes out through unofficial channels first and then the authorities are pressed against the wall to confess, two bad things can happen. First, it can really cause a panic in the country as well as the world. Second, the way the Indian politics is run, the ruling party will be thrown out of power in no time i it is ever found that the Government withheld such information from the public.
The recent rush of world leaders to India is remarkable. Starting from Russian President Putin to major Senators from America have visited or are planning to visit India. European Union is in deep discussion with India on cooperation. All sanctions against India's nuclear programs and Indian Space Research Organization are in the process of being lifted. India is cooperating with Europeans and the Americans in space explorations and technology research program. India is also part of World Trade Organization. India is receiving major outsourcing contracts in IT and call-center service work from America and Europe. India's Forex reserve is at a level never imagined before because of international direct investments from Western nations, Japan, Korea and others. Interestingly, China the arc rival of India changed its posture in the last few years to make India's friendship and trade a priority. India is slowly getting to the point when it is accepted as a permanent member of the Security Council. All the five Security Council members China, America, Russia, France and UK support India's inclusion.
When all these factors are added together and analyzed, it seems like India is being told by the world to abide by the hidden protocols and in exchange be recognized as a major emerging superpower.
The debate the country is facing internally is whether to abide by the laws of the world and the Universe to be recognized as a superpower or be truthful to its citizens and the world.
According to sources close to the Government, the UFO contacts is known by quite a few politicians in the opposition and of course by those who are in power.
The military has legitimate concern of not letting the secrets out either.
Recently, India's foreign affairs minister Mr. Natwar Singh came out and said that for India it was not necessary to become a nuclear power. He is a strong supporter of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, India's former Prime Minister who initiated the nuclear program in the mid sixties. India first exploded a nuclear device in Pokhran in early seventies. The whole country including people from his own party questioned Mr. Singh for such an irresponsible statement. But on analyzing his statements, it is evident, that based on what he knows now, being a nuclear power really does not matter much because the technologies controlled by the extra-terrestrials are so advanced that all our technologies mean really nothing. But importantly he may be irritated with this controversial ongoing secret debate and what he really meant was that if India was not a nuclear power, the debate on UFO and extra-terrestrials will never be there in India.
----
Article Source http://www.psychicarticle.com/article49.html
http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/01-06a-05.asp
Paranormal Ideas
Paranormal Ideas
By Shanon Bednar
Paranormal activity can happen anywhere any day or night and at any time. The question is do you believe in what you have experienced? Do you believe in what someone else has experienced?
Ghosts, aliens, and outer body experiences are not typical daily events. Religious figures (good and bad) are very much discussed. Are religious figures paranormal? Have we seen any of them?
Scientists are usually of no faith, do they believe in paranormal activities?
Ghosts and aliens are always lurking in some one's life while others claim to have outer body experiences and travel to other planes of existence where they encounter many different paranorms.
What about animals? Do they really feel the presence of a ghost? Do they get abducted by aliens? Sounds silly to think about ... or is it?
What about the ouija bord? Sylvia Brown? Coast to Coast and it's listeners?
The ouija bord has come to be known as a trouble maker either during or after using it. Sylvia Brown has become well known for her ability to speak with her spirit guide and for telling the future. Is she for real? She is fun and I do enjoy her ideas and she obviously has a large following around her so I guess I am still learning if this is for real.
Coast to Coast is amazing with all topics a green light go. They cover everything and anything each night of the week 365 days per year with call in's and all kinds of experienced guests.
Paranormal topics have been proven with pictures and stories for centuries from all people which makes it fun and interesting any day.
Cheers
----
http://www.talklogic.ca
By Shanon Bednar
Paranormal activity can happen anywhere any day or night and at any time. The question is do you believe in what you have experienced? Do you believe in what someone else has experienced?
Ghosts, aliens, and outer body experiences are not typical daily events. Religious figures (good and bad) are very much discussed. Are religious figures paranormal? Have we seen any of them?
Scientists are usually of no faith, do they believe in paranormal activities?
Ghosts and aliens are always lurking in some one's life while others claim to have outer body experiences and travel to other planes of existence where they encounter many different paranorms.
What about animals? Do they really feel the presence of a ghost? Do they get abducted by aliens? Sounds silly to think about ... or is it?
What about the ouija bord? Sylvia Brown? Coast to Coast and it's listeners?
The ouija bord has come to be known as a trouble maker either during or after using it. Sylvia Brown has become well known for her ability to speak with her spirit guide and for telling the future. Is she for real? She is fun and I do enjoy her ideas and she obviously has a large following around her so I guess I am still learning if this is for real.
Coast to Coast is amazing with all topics a green light go. They cover everything and anything each night of the week 365 days per year with call in's and all kinds of experienced guests.
Paranormal topics have been proven with pictures and stories for centuries from all people which makes it fun and interesting any day.
Cheers
----
http://www.talklogic.ca
Elemental: The Formless Form
Elemental: The Formless Form
by Shane Lamotte
Elemental, this word is a sign post. It points towards what the mystics have searched for. It's the formless form. It's the first moment beyond the moment. It's pure Truth; it's that one total aware experience; when you not only live in the stream, you become the stream. It's the place where all things exist. It is the True nature of the universe.
Living in alignment with this nature; we are all tied to this. When we live from this place we truly see, and all things are let go. Yet, this is not something that can be sought after; the seeking only leads to further separation. Even these words are empty, they are only pointing; they are a boat to be left behind once you reach the other side.
These words can seem very paradoxical. It is very difficult to talk about Truth, not truth as in relative facts "the sky is blue, etc" but Truth. It's like telling some one to truly see, we always see with our eyes all the time so people become confused. True seeing goes beyond. It is to be entirely in the moment, so when you do see, you become seeing; there is no past, there is no future, there is no subject, there is no object, and there is no mind.
To practice Zen is to experience every moment in this way; completely and fully aware yet with no roots. It is to live from a place that goes beyond and transcends preconceived notions; where every moment is peaceful and you are a snowflake within the fire. This doesn't mean that you become cold to emotions; it simply means that you are completely immersed in the moment with out being attached.
I use the word Elemental as a signpost to remind me to live in my element; from that place the universe becomes whole. It is no longer "my" element; it becomes the elemental nature of the universe that all of us share. When we live with that level of awareness at all times everything is complete. Not only does our life align with our True passion but we also live from a place that is compassionate and wholehearted.
You can work really hard to learn about this, you can read all the books on God, the Universe, Buddhism, Christ Consciousness, Taoism, Mindfulness, and Quantum Physics, but ultimately you would be served much better to simply listen to the nature within yourself. As the authority on your own life all the spiritual books in the world will only lead you back to what you already know.
There is nothing that you have to do. Chasing, seeking, searching, are all useless. There is nothing wrong with mental stimulation to help show you signs, but ultimately it would serve you more to simply calm the mind and listen to your true nature. The nature beyond the ego, beyond right and wrong, and beyond likes and dislikes.
All suffering in life is made manifest by lack of living from this place. When you have problems don't try to stick a band aid on it, go back, go way back to the real cause. If you live in your Element every moment of every day and experience your True Self, it will end suffering on all levels.
----
Shane Lamotte (Born 1984) has developed a desire for knowledge of Zen, Taoism, Buddhism, Quantum Physics and all that involves the nature of reality. His vision includes creating music that gives its listeners a "wake-up call" to change society in a positive way. Go to http://www.livingillusion.com.
by Shane Lamotte
Elemental, this word is a sign post. It points towards what the mystics have searched for. It's the formless form. It's the first moment beyond the moment. It's pure Truth; it's that one total aware experience; when you not only live in the stream, you become the stream. It's the place where all things exist. It is the True nature of the universe.
Living in alignment with this nature; we are all tied to this. When we live from this place we truly see, and all things are let go. Yet, this is not something that can be sought after; the seeking only leads to further separation. Even these words are empty, they are only pointing; they are a boat to be left behind once you reach the other side.
These words can seem very paradoxical. It is very difficult to talk about Truth, not truth as in relative facts "the sky is blue, etc" but Truth. It's like telling some one to truly see, we always see with our eyes all the time so people become confused. True seeing goes beyond. It is to be entirely in the moment, so when you do see, you become seeing; there is no past, there is no future, there is no subject, there is no object, and there is no mind.
To practice Zen is to experience every moment in this way; completely and fully aware yet with no roots. It is to live from a place that goes beyond and transcends preconceived notions; where every moment is peaceful and you are a snowflake within the fire. This doesn't mean that you become cold to emotions; it simply means that you are completely immersed in the moment with out being attached.
I use the word Elemental as a signpost to remind me to live in my element; from that place the universe becomes whole. It is no longer "my" element; it becomes the elemental nature of the universe that all of us share. When we live with that level of awareness at all times everything is complete. Not only does our life align with our True passion but we also live from a place that is compassionate and wholehearted.
You can work really hard to learn about this, you can read all the books on God, the Universe, Buddhism, Christ Consciousness, Taoism, Mindfulness, and Quantum Physics, but ultimately you would be served much better to simply listen to the nature within yourself. As the authority on your own life all the spiritual books in the world will only lead you back to what you already know.
There is nothing that you have to do. Chasing, seeking, searching, are all useless. There is nothing wrong with mental stimulation to help show you signs, but ultimately it would serve you more to simply calm the mind and listen to your true nature. The nature beyond the ego, beyond right and wrong, and beyond likes and dislikes.
All suffering in life is made manifest by lack of living from this place. When you have problems don't try to stick a band aid on it, go back, go way back to the real cause. If you live in your Element every moment of every day and experience your True Self, it will end suffering on all levels.
----
Shane Lamotte (Born 1984) has developed a desire for knowledge of Zen, Taoism, Buddhism, Quantum Physics and all that involves the nature of reality. His vision includes creating music that gives its listeners a "wake-up call" to change society in a positive way. Go to http://www.livingillusion.com.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
My Favorite Mermaid
My Favorite Mermaid
By Vincent Carlucci
It is dangerous for me to talk of my favorite mermaid because like anyone else I have a continual changeover in favorites. In any case, my favorite mermaid is Mami Wata. She is a fertility goddess from Africa and her cult is still very popular there. Mami Wata is a corruption of the English words Water Mother. It is a reference to her status as the goddess of the waters and the mother of life on earth.
Mami Wata is described as fair skinned with long straight black hair. Many people believe that her appearance is European because of the influence of mermaid pictures from Europe. This is only partly true. In Africa white is the color associated with spirituality and particularly with Mami Wata as we will see in a moment. Otherwise, Mami Wata is called the "more than beautiful woman" because her beauty is more than human -- it is supernatural. She is also said to be incredibly wealthy. She is usually depicted in one of two forms: as a human woman dressed in the height of fashion or as a naked mermaid.
You can see in Mami Wata the influence of other mermaids. As I have already said, her image was influenced by European mermaid pictures. I have read that originally Mami Wata may have been a snake goddess, in form half human and half snake. This is not impossible -- quite the opposite there are many examples of this happening. Iara, the mermaid from Brazil, the Rusalka of Russia and at least some of the Celtic mermaids. The mermaid image must be an extremely powerful one since it seems to have influenced so many cultures.
Aphrodite and Venus are close cousins of Mami Wata. Each is the most beautiful goddess in her pantheon. They have many lovers. The are known for being cruel and kind, capricious and vengeful. They are associated with fertility, sex, creation, water, doves, mirrors, combs and death.
Mami Wata is not identical with these goddesses, of course. She is much more directly involved with her followers. She appears frequently in visions, or in the flesh. She often takes human form to punish men with venereal disease or impotency. She has many human lovers that she rewards with wealth and prosperity providing that they remain absolutely faithful to her. Sometimes she will abduct people, taking them to her watery realm. When they return their clothes are dry and they have a remote, other-worldly attitude.
Colors are important in African mythology and Mami Wata's colors are red and white. These colors highlight the contradictions in Mami Wata's nature. Red is the color of blood associated with violence and destruction, male attributes. It also symbolizes flesh. White in Africa is often used to mean clear, transparent. It is associated with spirituality, passivity and femininity.
Mami Wata is always some mixture of red and white. She is very red when she takes human form. She is incarnated which literally means "in the flesh." Whiter she is a beautifully dressed woman, her form only hinting at something more than the physical. Whiter still she is the mermaid, beyond the need for clothing and edging into the inhuman. At the far extreme she is white or clear, like pure water, invisible in her unknowable spiritual dimension.
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I have some folk tales about Mami Wata on my site, you can read them by clicking Mami Wata folk tales. I also have other myths and folk tales about mermaids, sea goddesses and water nymphs, as well as some of the best and most original mermaid art on the net. The main page for my site is Beautiful Mermaid Art.
By Vincent Carlucci
It is dangerous for me to talk of my favorite mermaid because like anyone else I have a continual changeover in favorites. In any case, my favorite mermaid is Mami Wata. She is a fertility goddess from Africa and her cult is still very popular there. Mami Wata is a corruption of the English words Water Mother. It is a reference to her status as the goddess of the waters and the mother of life on earth.
Mami Wata is described as fair skinned with long straight black hair. Many people believe that her appearance is European because of the influence of mermaid pictures from Europe. This is only partly true. In Africa white is the color associated with spirituality and particularly with Mami Wata as we will see in a moment. Otherwise, Mami Wata is called the "more than beautiful woman" because her beauty is more than human -- it is supernatural. She is also said to be incredibly wealthy. She is usually depicted in one of two forms: as a human woman dressed in the height of fashion or as a naked mermaid.
You can see in Mami Wata the influence of other mermaids. As I have already said, her image was influenced by European mermaid pictures. I have read that originally Mami Wata may have been a snake goddess, in form half human and half snake. This is not impossible -- quite the opposite there are many examples of this happening. Iara, the mermaid from Brazil, the Rusalka of Russia and at least some of the Celtic mermaids. The mermaid image must be an extremely powerful one since it seems to have influenced so many cultures.
Aphrodite and Venus are close cousins of Mami Wata. Each is the most beautiful goddess in her pantheon. They have many lovers. The are known for being cruel and kind, capricious and vengeful. They are associated with fertility, sex, creation, water, doves, mirrors, combs and death.
Mami Wata is not identical with these goddesses, of course. She is much more directly involved with her followers. She appears frequently in visions, or in the flesh. She often takes human form to punish men with venereal disease or impotency. She has many human lovers that she rewards with wealth and prosperity providing that they remain absolutely faithful to her. Sometimes she will abduct people, taking them to her watery realm. When they return their clothes are dry and they have a remote, other-worldly attitude.
Colors are important in African mythology and Mami Wata's colors are red and white. These colors highlight the contradictions in Mami Wata's nature. Red is the color of blood associated with violence and destruction, male attributes. It also symbolizes flesh. White in Africa is often used to mean clear, transparent. It is associated with spirituality, passivity and femininity.
Mami Wata is always some mixture of red and white. She is very red when she takes human form. She is incarnated which literally means "in the flesh." Whiter she is a beautifully dressed woman, her form only hinting at something more than the physical. Whiter still she is the mermaid, beyond the need for clothing and edging into the inhuman. At the far extreme she is white or clear, like pure water, invisible in her unknowable spiritual dimension.
----
I have some folk tales about Mami Wata on my site, you can read them by clicking Mami Wata folk tales. I also have other myths and folk tales about mermaids, sea goddesses and water nymphs, as well as some of the best and most original mermaid art on the net. The main page for my site is Beautiful Mermaid Art.
A Very Short History of Dragons
A Very Short History of Dragons
By Rosana Hart
Have you seen a living, breathing dragon in person lately? Me neither. But that doesn't mean they don't exist.
The history of dragons goes back at least six thousand years, and there are dragon tales and legends from every continent except Antarctica. In some places, dragons have been considered helpful to people -- they were the national symbol of China -- but in European history, they have generally been considered to be evil, often hoarding treasure or about to devour a fair maiden. Men who succeeded in slaying one have generally been acclaimed as heroes and saints. Some famous dragon-slayers include Siegfried, Sigmund, Beowulf, Arthur, Tristram, Lancelot, Saint Michael, and Saint George.
While most people today don't worry much about dragons, until about a hundred years ago, everyone took them seriously. Sightings were reported worldwide. One dragon in France was said to kill over 3,000 people before the twelfth century.
There have been many different types of dragons and they have been reported to live in the center of the word, the middle of the ocean, in caves and other dark and damp places, and in fire. At the time of Christopher Columbus, when the world was flat (or at least people thought so), maps said "Here Be Dragons" at the edge of the world.
It may be that dragon stories partly grew out of people finding dinosaur bones. Since the concept of dinosaurs didn't come into science until the 1800s, any large fossilized bone found before then had to from a dragon, a giant, or in some parts of the world, an elephant.
Whatever the actual origins of dragon tales may be, dragons are immensely popular now. They turn up in video games, films, books, and other art forms. There are many dragon posters. Dragons have become powerful symbols of the forces that exist in our world, and of the complexities of the human spirit.
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Rosana Hart writes about many popular poster categories at her website http://www.infoandhelp.com/posters/ and a selection of dragon posters can be seen there.
By Rosana Hart
Have you seen a living, breathing dragon in person lately? Me neither. But that doesn't mean they don't exist.
The history of dragons goes back at least six thousand years, and there are dragon tales and legends from every continent except Antarctica. In some places, dragons have been considered helpful to people -- they were the national symbol of China -- but in European history, they have generally been considered to be evil, often hoarding treasure or about to devour a fair maiden. Men who succeeded in slaying one have generally been acclaimed as heroes and saints. Some famous dragon-slayers include Siegfried, Sigmund, Beowulf, Arthur, Tristram, Lancelot, Saint Michael, and Saint George.
While most people today don't worry much about dragons, until about a hundred years ago, everyone took them seriously. Sightings were reported worldwide. One dragon in France was said to kill over 3,000 people before the twelfth century.
There have been many different types of dragons and they have been reported to live in the center of the word, the middle of the ocean, in caves and other dark and damp places, and in fire. At the time of Christopher Columbus, when the world was flat (or at least people thought so), maps said "Here Be Dragons" at the edge of the world.
It may be that dragon stories partly grew out of people finding dinosaur bones. Since the concept of dinosaurs didn't come into science until the 1800s, any large fossilized bone found before then had to from a dragon, a giant, or in some parts of the world, an elephant.
Whatever the actual origins of dragon tales may be, dragons are immensely popular now. They turn up in video games, films, books, and other art forms. There are many dragon posters. Dragons have become powerful symbols of the forces that exist in our world, and of the complexities of the human spirit.
----
Rosana Hart writes about many popular poster categories at her website http://www.infoandhelp.com/posters/ and a selection of dragon posters can be seen there.
Poltergeists and Things That go Bump in the Night
Poltergeists and Things That go Bump in the Night
By David Slone
Poltergeists are rare, but they do exist. For those that aren't in the loop, a poltergeist is a spirit that moves through inanimate objects like cups, TVs, furniture, and windows.
Noises - like bumps, thuds, kerplunks - yes kerplunks is a dictionary word, knocks, scratching at the window, and banging at the door are all examples of poltergeist activity. Of course, these are natural phenomena when a human or natural cause is to blame. However, the wind, a person, the rain, or a cat or dog aren't the cause in these occurrences. A poltergeist could be at fault.
In Ancient Egypt, bed-shaking and the raining down of stones were reported. However, a skeptic could conclude that mud slides or earthquakes were to blame. It's no wonder that all cultures have reports of spirits interfering in our lives - even to this day.
Parapsychologists have put forth one explanation that suggests that poltergeists originate in a person, and the lingo for that person is an agent or focus. They suggest that the psycho-kinetic effects originate in the individual, and manifest as the result of psychological trauma in that person.
Other researchers have proposed several unrelated and interesting hypotheses. Ball lightning, static electricity, electromagnetic fields, ionized air, people propelling objects as hoaxes, unfriendly spirits, and "recordings" of negative emotional energy that don't abate ever after death. The emotion can keep re-playing itself in the natural world even after the person is dead. Of course, this is all speculation.
Evil spirits are reported by practitioners of astral projection, an art associated with out-of-body experiences. Some, a minority, occasionally use hallucinogens, which may account for the effects.
Since there is scant pictorial, video, and audio evidence of poltergeist phenomena, it's a good idea to opt for the famous movie, Poltergeist. Much of the phenomena reported by parapsychologists is depicted well in the movie. A TV show with some parallel popularity can be purchased from Amazon.
Over the years, there have been countless reports of haunted houses, abodes, and buildings. Most of these go unreported in the mainstream media, and it takes quite a bit of digging in obscure anthologies of poltergeist accounts to find them out. However, a few of the more important ones are as follows. The reader should be advised that many of these stories have inconsistencies, but some do not. Here they go, in the order of their appearance.
In 858, an evil spirit chucked heavy stones at a farmhouse, and it shook the walls with power. The Demon Drummer of Tedworth in 1661, the Wizard named Livingston in 1797, the Haunting of the Fox Sisters in 1848, the Borley Rectory incident of 1929, and the Enfield, Mackenzie, Entity, and other cases in the latter part of the 20th century, e.g., 1977, 1984, 2000s.
Some quick searches will turn up dozens of field stories related to the inexplicable phenomena that happened during these times. In many instances, police, parapsychologists, physicists, and laymen have been unable to find a causal link between the inanimate movements, noises, and motions through the natural chain of reasoning, observation, and scientific prodding.
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To learn more about poltergeist activity and read true ghost stories visit http://www.trueghosttales.com . To learn more about the paranormal world visit the Paranormal and Ghost Forum where you can chat with others and post your paranormal questions and comments.
By David Slone
Poltergeists are rare, but they do exist. For those that aren't in the loop, a poltergeist is a spirit that moves through inanimate objects like cups, TVs, furniture, and windows.
Noises - like bumps, thuds, kerplunks - yes kerplunks is a dictionary word, knocks, scratching at the window, and banging at the door are all examples of poltergeist activity. Of course, these are natural phenomena when a human or natural cause is to blame. However, the wind, a person, the rain, or a cat or dog aren't the cause in these occurrences. A poltergeist could be at fault.
In Ancient Egypt, bed-shaking and the raining down of stones were reported. However, a skeptic could conclude that mud slides or earthquakes were to blame. It's no wonder that all cultures have reports of spirits interfering in our lives - even to this day.
Parapsychologists have put forth one explanation that suggests that poltergeists originate in a person, and the lingo for that person is an agent or focus. They suggest that the psycho-kinetic effects originate in the individual, and manifest as the result of psychological trauma in that person.
Other researchers have proposed several unrelated and interesting hypotheses. Ball lightning, static electricity, electromagnetic fields, ionized air, people propelling objects as hoaxes, unfriendly spirits, and "recordings" of negative emotional energy that don't abate ever after death. The emotion can keep re-playing itself in the natural world even after the person is dead. Of course, this is all speculation.
Evil spirits are reported by practitioners of astral projection, an art associated with out-of-body experiences. Some, a minority, occasionally use hallucinogens, which may account for the effects.
Since there is scant pictorial, video, and audio evidence of poltergeist phenomena, it's a good idea to opt for the famous movie, Poltergeist. Much of the phenomena reported by parapsychologists is depicted well in the movie. A TV show with some parallel popularity can be purchased from Amazon.
Over the years, there have been countless reports of haunted houses, abodes, and buildings. Most of these go unreported in the mainstream media, and it takes quite a bit of digging in obscure anthologies of poltergeist accounts to find them out. However, a few of the more important ones are as follows. The reader should be advised that many of these stories have inconsistencies, but some do not. Here they go, in the order of their appearance.
In 858, an evil spirit chucked heavy stones at a farmhouse, and it shook the walls with power. The Demon Drummer of Tedworth in 1661, the Wizard named Livingston in 1797, the Haunting of the Fox Sisters in 1848, the Borley Rectory incident of 1929, and the Enfield, Mackenzie, Entity, and other cases in the latter part of the 20th century, e.g., 1977, 1984, 2000s.
Some quick searches will turn up dozens of field stories related to the inexplicable phenomena that happened during these times. In many instances, police, parapsychologists, physicists, and laymen have been unable to find a causal link between the inanimate movements, noises, and motions through the natural chain of reasoning, observation, and scientific prodding.
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To learn more about poltergeist activity and read true ghost stories visit http://www.trueghosttales.com . To learn more about the paranormal world visit the Paranormal and Ghost Forum where you can chat with others and post your paranormal questions and comments.
Mothman - Alien from another world, or a being from the spiritual realm
Mothman - Alien from another world, or a being from the spiritual realm
By Robert Benjamin
More than a film or the 12 foot tall, stainless steel sculpture on display in downtown Point Pleasant in West Virginia, Mothman is a strange creature seen in the United States between November 1966 and November 1967, appearing several times in West Virginia, on the border with Ohio. Artist Robert Roach portrayed the creature in his sculpture as people reported the sightings, a man-sized beast with wings and large reflective or luminous red eyes, that scientist tried to associated with owls, but due to the size and characteristics, it is believed that Mothman was a paranormal phenomena, mostly see during the 1966-69 years.
However, some theories associate Mothman with visitors from outer space or a type of Alien never seen before or after his visit. Mothman was first sighted in November 12, 1966, and named after the Batman TV series. The first apparition occurred in a cemetery close to Clendenin, West Virginia while a group of 5 men were preparing a grave. The workers described the being as a "brown human shape with wings" which lifted off from behind nearby trees and flew over their heads. This sighting was kept in secret in the belief it would not occur again, but 3 days later two young married couples from Point Pleasant, were out for a drive and saw two red lights in the shadows of a nearby World War II TNT factory.
After stopping the car, their curiosity led them to see that the lights were the glowing red eyes of a large animal described as "shaped like a man, but bigger, maybe six and a half or seven feet tall, with big wings folded against its back". This time the creature started chasing the couples, who were terrified drove off in their car, heading for Route 62 toward the Mason County courthouse after finding the creature again standing on a ridge near the road. Later it was revealed that a poltergeist attacked one of the couples' home later the same night, after the encounter with Mothman.
Apparitions of Mothman continued in West Virginia during all of November 1966, and after the reports, strangers dressed in black began to appear in the area. Nobody knew who the Mothman, or the men in black were and where they had come from or went, one year later. Some neighbors of West Virginia believe that Mothman was an alien and the men in black were government agents investigating the strange occurrences, but most people are convinced that Mothman was a paranormal being and the mysterious visitors were Catholic priests who went to exorcise the demonic creature.
There is a website that describes this and numerous other creatures of Cryptozoology in detail. The website is called: Unknown Creatures, and may be found at this address:
http://www.unknown-creatures.com
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Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released software on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's.
RB59 Software
http://www.rb59.com/software
By Robert Benjamin
More than a film or the 12 foot tall, stainless steel sculpture on display in downtown Point Pleasant in West Virginia, Mothman is a strange creature seen in the United States between November 1966 and November 1967, appearing several times in West Virginia, on the border with Ohio. Artist Robert Roach portrayed the creature in his sculpture as people reported the sightings, a man-sized beast with wings and large reflective or luminous red eyes, that scientist tried to associated with owls, but due to the size and characteristics, it is believed that Mothman was a paranormal phenomena, mostly see during the 1966-69 years.
However, some theories associate Mothman with visitors from outer space or a type of Alien never seen before or after his visit. Mothman was first sighted in November 12, 1966, and named after the Batman TV series. The first apparition occurred in a cemetery close to Clendenin, West Virginia while a group of 5 men were preparing a grave. The workers described the being as a "brown human shape with wings" which lifted off from behind nearby trees and flew over their heads. This sighting was kept in secret in the belief it would not occur again, but 3 days later two young married couples from Point Pleasant, were out for a drive and saw two red lights in the shadows of a nearby World War II TNT factory.
After stopping the car, their curiosity led them to see that the lights were the glowing red eyes of a large animal described as "shaped like a man, but bigger, maybe six and a half or seven feet tall, with big wings folded against its back". This time the creature started chasing the couples, who were terrified drove off in their car, heading for Route 62 toward the Mason County courthouse after finding the creature again standing on a ridge near the road. Later it was revealed that a poltergeist attacked one of the couples' home later the same night, after the encounter with Mothman.
Apparitions of Mothman continued in West Virginia during all of November 1966, and after the reports, strangers dressed in black began to appear in the area. Nobody knew who the Mothman, or the men in black were and where they had come from or went, one year later. Some neighbors of West Virginia believe that Mothman was an alien and the men in black were government agents investigating the strange occurrences, but most people are convinced that Mothman was a paranormal being and the mysterious visitors were Catholic priests who went to exorcise the demonic creature.
There is a website that describes this and numerous other creatures of Cryptozoology in detail. The website is called: Unknown Creatures, and may be found at this address:
http://www.unknown-creatures.com
----
Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released software on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's.
RB59 Software
http://www.rb59.com/software
How Smart Are Bigfoots?
How Smart Are Bigfoots?
By Lisa A. Shiel
Hairy, bipedal creatures haunt the backcountry of our world. Science dismisses them as specters of our imaginations, while many who believe in their existence brush them off as just big, dumb agpes. Certainly, they lack the attributes we associate with sentient life: self-awareness, language, culture, burial customs, art, and music.
Parrots can talk. Everyone knows this. But few of us realize that the vocal repertoire of these birds extends beyond mere mimicry into the realm of communication. Parrots can learn to identify objects and speak the correct names for those objects. A parrot named Alex, owned by Dr. Irene Pepperberg of the University of Arizona, can identify objects by color, shape, and material. He also understands relative differences: "bigger," "smaller," "same," and "different." Dr. Pepperberg refuses to label Alex's speech as language, though the implications seem clear. If a parrot can identify objects, he must use deductive reasoning to rule out the possibilities. Is the material wool, or cotton candy? Even if the wool is pink like cotton candy, Alex can distinguish the materials.
Other scientists have dismissed Alex's abilities as a fluke or, more cynically, as unconscious cues from Dr. Pepperberg. Detractors point to other instances of animals whose miraculous abilities were shown to stem from cues in the trainer's body language rather than from the animal's own mind. To date, however, no one has proven that Alex's speech skills originate in Dr. Pepperberg's actions instead of his intellect.
Apes have demonstrated considerable talents in the area of nonverbal communication. They've also shown signs of what can be interpreted as consciousness. Many skeptics continue to assert that animals cannot possess consciousness, since they lack the ability to formulate languages. However, we base our idea of what constitutes a language solely on our own species. Who can say that animals don't have language? Does a dog's barking convey different meanings to other dogs depending on the pitch and duration? Can gorillas converse through gestures? Until we can telepathically enter the minds of animals, and listen in to their thoughts, we shouldn't presume to understand their mental processes. We can, however, examine their behavior for clues.
The most notable example of nonhuman communication comes from the ape world. A gorilla named Koko has learned to communicate with her handlers via sign language. She can modify her responses to indicate a specific request, such as "scratch my neck," instead of just answering yes or no. Dr. Valerie Chalcraft spoke about Koko's linguistic skills at the Gestural Communication in Nonhuman and Human Primates Workshop at the Max Planck Institute in March 2004. Dr. Chalcraft described how, when asked where she would like to be tickled, Koko would instruct her handler to tickle a particular part of her body, such as her foot. According to Dr. Chalcraft, this behavior echoes the way in which humans alter their signing to be more specific.
A study of chimpanzees found that they could both recognize their own images in mirrors and realize the image they saw as a reflection. When the researcher placed colored dots on the chimps' foreheads, the animals would touch the dot on their heads instead of the dot in the reflection on the mirror. They seemed to understand the difference between the reflected image and their own bodies, while also recognizing they'd spotted themselves in the mirror. In another case, a chimp grasped the concept of death—when informed her baby had died, Washoe became withdrawn and depressed. Chimps also can learn to make and use stone tools. In some cases, chimpanzees travel great distances to find a good rock, suitable for tool use back at the food source.
Elsewhere in the animal kingdom, the caretakers of a dolphin named Ake taught her an artificial language consisting of gestures. Each gesture represented a word: the name of an object, an action, or the position of an object. Once Ake had mastered the language, the researchers complicated things by introducing grammar, constructing sentences of up to five gesture words. Ake excelled at this too. Not only did she comprehend the syntax of each sentence based on words already in her vocabulary, she could understand sentences built on completely new words. She even realized when her trainers tried to trick her with nonsense words, or instructions to perform impossible tasks.
The evidence does more than suggest animals possess incredible intelligence, it practically screams at us. Whether ape or hominid, Bigfoots are animals. If we underestimate the intelligence of animals whose existence no one disputes, then we must reevaluate how we measure the intelligence of a species about which we know so little.
Animals are smart. Why should we expect less from Bigfoots?
Reference: Madl, Pierre. "Is There Something Like Language in The Animal Kingdom?" in Proceedings of the 5th International Coral Reef Congress, 1985.
Copyright 2007 Lisa A. Shiel
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Lisa A. Shiel is the author of Backyard Bigfoot: The True Story of Stick Signs, UFOs, & the Sasquatch, a ForeWord Magazine 2006 Book of the Year finalist. Critics have praised Backyard Bigfoot, saying “[it] is as informative as it is entertaining” (Midwest Book Review), “[it is] one of the best types of investigative reporting I've seen” (Reader Views), and “you may agree or not with her conclusions but you will be entertained by the discussions” (The Mining Journal, Marquette).
As a recognized Bigfoot expert, Lisa has been interviewed by big-city newspapers, drive-time talk radio hosts, local and national magazines, and TV reporters. In 2005, she founded the Michigan Upper Peninsula Bigfoot Organization (MUPBO) to explore all aspects of the Bigfoot phenomenon, from sightings to evolution to UFOs. Lisa has a master's degree in Library Science. She currently pens a blog, Bigfoot Quest, as a companion to the MUPBO site.
By Lisa A. Shiel
Hairy, bipedal creatures haunt the backcountry of our world. Science dismisses them as specters of our imaginations, while many who believe in their existence brush them off as just big, dumb agpes. Certainly, they lack the attributes we associate with sentient life: self-awareness, language, culture, burial customs, art, and music.
| But we can really claim to own the copyright to those behaviors? How smart are Bigfoots? Animals possess keen intelligence, the ability to make crude tools, and emotions akin to human feelings. We can learn a great deal about Bigfoot intelligence by examining the intellect of animals. |  |
Parrots can talk. Everyone knows this. But few of us realize that the vocal repertoire of these birds extends beyond mere mimicry into the realm of communication. Parrots can learn to identify objects and speak the correct names for those objects. A parrot named Alex, owned by Dr. Irene Pepperberg of the University of Arizona, can identify objects by color, shape, and material. He also understands relative differences: "bigger," "smaller," "same," and "different." Dr. Pepperberg refuses to label Alex's speech as language, though the implications seem clear. If a parrot can identify objects, he must use deductive reasoning to rule out the possibilities. Is the material wool, or cotton candy? Even if the wool is pink like cotton candy, Alex can distinguish the materials.
Other scientists have dismissed Alex's abilities as a fluke or, more cynically, as unconscious cues from Dr. Pepperberg. Detractors point to other instances of animals whose miraculous abilities were shown to stem from cues in the trainer's body language rather than from the animal's own mind. To date, however, no one has proven that Alex's speech skills originate in Dr. Pepperberg's actions instead of his intellect.
Apes have demonstrated considerable talents in the area of nonverbal communication. They've also shown signs of what can be interpreted as consciousness. Many skeptics continue to assert that animals cannot possess consciousness, since they lack the ability to formulate languages. However, we base our idea of what constitutes a language solely on our own species. Who can say that animals don't have language? Does a dog's barking convey different meanings to other dogs depending on the pitch and duration? Can gorillas converse through gestures? Until we can telepathically enter the minds of animals, and listen in to their thoughts, we shouldn't presume to understand their mental processes. We can, however, examine their behavior for clues.
The most notable example of nonhuman communication comes from the ape world. A gorilla named Koko has learned to communicate with her handlers via sign language. She can modify her responses to indicate a specific request, such as "scratch my neck," instead of just answering yes or no. Dr. Valerie Chalcraft spoke about Koko's linguistic skills at the Gestural Communication in Nonhuman and Human Primates Workshop at the Max Planck Institute in March 2004. Dr. Chalcraft described how, when asked where she would like to be tickled, Koko would instruct her handler to tickle a particular part of her body, such as her foot. According to Dr. Chalcraft, this behavior echoes the way in which humans alter their signing to be more specific.
A study of chimpanzees found that they could both recognize their own images in mirrors and realize the image they saw as a reflection. When the researcher placed colored dots on the chimps' foreheads, the animals would touch the dot on their heads instead of the dot in the reflection on the mirror. They seemed to understand the difference between the reflected image and their own bodies, while also recognizing they'd spotted themselves in the mirror. In another case, a chimp grasped the concept of death—when informed her baby had died, Washoe became withdrawn and depressed. Chimps also can learn to make and use stone tools. In some cases, chimpanzees travel great distances to find a good rock, suitable for tool use back at the food source.
Elsewhere in the animal kingdom, the caretakers of a dolphin named Ake taught her an artificial language consisting of gestures. Each gesture represented a word: the name of an object, an action, or the position of an object. Once Ake had mastered the language, the researchers complicated things by introducing grammar, constructing sentences of up to five gesture words. Ake excelled at this too. Not only did she comprehend the syntax of each sentence based on words already in her vocabulary, she could understand sentences built on completely new words. She even realized when her trainers tried to trick her with nonsense words, or instructions to perform impossible tasks.
The evidence does more than suggest animals possess incredible intelligence, it practically screams at us. Whether ape or hominid, Bigfoots are animals. If we underestimate the intelligence of animals whose existence no one disputes, then we must reevaluate how we measure the intelligence of a species about which we know so little.
Animals are smart. Why should we expect less from Bigfoots?
Reference: Madl, Pierre. "Is There Something Like Language in The Animal Kingdom?" in Proceedings of the 5th International Coral Reef Congress, 1985.
Copyright 2007 Lisa A. Shiel
-----
Lisa A. Shiel is the author of Backyard Bigfoot: The True Story of Stick Signs, UFOs, & the Sasquatch, a ForeWord Magazine 2006 Book of the Year finalist. Critics have praised Backyard Bigfoot, saying “[it] is as informative as it is entertaining” (Midwest Book Review), “[it is] one of the best types of investigative reporting I've seen” (Reader Views), and “you may agree or not with her conclusions but you will be entertained by the discussions” (The Mining Journal, Marquette).
As a recognized Bigfoot expert, Lisa has been interviewed by big-city newspapers, drive-time talk radio hosts, local and national magazines, and TV reporters. In 2005, she founded the Michigan Upper Peninsula Bigfoot Organization (MUPBO) to explore all aspects of the Bigfoot phenomenon, from sightings to evolution to UFOs. Lisa has a master's degree in Library Science. She currently pens a blog, Bigfoot Quest, as a companion to the MUPBO site.
Possessed or Haunted Objects
Possessed or Haunted Objects
By Jeffry Palmer
Can a seemingly harmless and inanimate object such as an old watch or piece of furniture contain the psychic energy of its previous owners? Can everyday objects be haunted? In a recent visit to the popular auction site EBay I happened to find several supposedly haunted items being sold. Everything from old tools and photographs to dolls and jewellery, all of it purportedly haunted. There was even a haunted mansion for sale in Colorado. It seems that there is no shortage of haunted, cursed and generally spooky stuff for sale these days.
Some objects are said to be cursed, other seem to be animated by spirits. Other notoriously haunted objects are vehicle; phantom ships, ghost trains that steam through the night air on their old runs, even if the railway line has been long removed. Some famously haunted objects have fascinated the public consciousness for years. We have all heard about The Hope Diamond, the Flying Dutchman and King Tuts tomb, all of which are reportedly cursed or haunted items, which many feel retain the essence of long dead souls.
I have no doubt that the majority of so called haunted items being sold on online auction sites today are just plain old junk. Junk wrapped in a nifty, compelling and mysterious story and sold to novelty collectors. To each his own, I always say. I also have no doubt that much of the mystery surrounding famous objects such as King Tut’s tomb is the result of myth and legend. Tall tales which haven’t hurt Egypt’s tourism trade one tiny bit.
That being said, I do believe that some places and items can retain the energy of human beings. Our thoughts and emotions create energy, our lives create energy. It isn’t that much of a stretch for me to imagine that type of energy being stored in a house or other objects. The stronger the emotional energy attached to an object the more likely it will be to display paranormal behaviour. Some have labelled this phenomenon a psychic echo; I prefer to think of it as residual psychic energy. The term psychic echo implies that energy has bounced off of an object; I feel that this is misleading since it seems that psychic energy is absorbed by the objects involved and not simply reflected.
While many of the items being touted today as genuinely haunted or possessed objects, the truth is that most of them are nothing but pure basement clutter. Be careful though when you are perusing the flea market stalls, thrift shop shelves and online auctions, because though quite rare, possessed objects are most certainly real.
----
Jeffry R. Palmer is the well known author of several books dealing with the subjects of metaphysics, paranormal phenomena and psychic development. His articles and columns have been featured in several popular international magazines. His accurate and detailed psychic predictions, including Hurricane Katrina and the Indonesian tsunami have captured the attention of an international audience.
Personal psychic readings by Mr. Palmer are available through the http://the-psychic-detective.com web site. These psychic readings are kept in strict confidence, cover all aspects of life, are extremely accurate and detailed and are very simple to purchase. Mr. Palmer even offers a 100% money back guarantee to clients if they aren't completely satisfied with their readings.
http://the-psychic-detective.com/Psychic-Readings.htm
By Jeffry Palmer
Can a seemingly harmless and inanimate object such as an old watch or piece of furniture contain the psychic energy of its previous owners? Can everyday objects be haunted? In a recent visit to the popular auction site EBay I happened to find several supposedly haunted items being sold. Everything from old tools and photographs to dolls and jewellery, all of it purportedly haunted. There was even a haunted mansion for sale in Colorado. It seems that there is no shortage of haunted, cursed and generally spooky stuff for sale these days.
Some objects are said to be cursed, other seem to be animated by spirits. Other notoriously haunted objects are vehicle; phantom ships, ghost trains that steam through the night air on their old runs, even if the railway line has been long removed. Some famously haunted objects have fascinated the public consciousness for years. We have all heard about The Hope Diamond, the Flying Dutchman and King Tuts tomb, all of which are reportedly cursed or haunted items, which many feel retain the essence of long dead souls.
I have no doubt that the majority of so called haunted items being sold on online auction sites today are just plain old junk. Junk wrapped in a nifty, compelling and mysterious story and sold to novelty collectors. To each his own, I always say. I also have no doubt that much of the mystery surrounding famous objects such as King Tut’s tomb is the result of myth and legend. Tall tales which haven’t hurt Egypt’s tourism trade one tiny bit.
That being said, I do believe that some places and items can retain the energy of human beings. Our thoughts and emotions create energy, our lives create energy. It isn’t that much of a stretch for me to imagine that type of energy being stored in a house or other objects. The stronger the emotional energy attached to an object the more likely it will be to display paranormal behaviour. Some have labelled this phenomenon a psychic echo; I prefer to think of it as residual psychic energy. The term psychic echo implies that energy has bounced off of an object; I feel that this is misleading since it seems that psychic energy is absorbed by the objects involved and not simply reflected.
While many of the items being touted today as genuinely haunted or possessed objects, the truth is that most of them are nothing but pure basement clutter. Be careful though when you are perusing the flea market stalls, thrift shop shelves and online auctions, because though quite rare, possessed objects are most certainly real.
----
Jeffry R. Palmer is the well known author of several books dealing with the subjects of metaphysics, paranormal phenomena and psychic development. His articles and columns have been featured in several popular international magazines. His accurate and detailed psychic predictions, including Hurricane Katrina and the Indonesian tsunami have captured the attention of an international audience.
Personal psychic readings by Mr. Palmer are available through the http://the-psychic-detective.com web site. These psychic readings are kept in strict confidence, cover all aspects of life, are extremely accurate and detailed and are very simple to purchase. Mr. Palmer even offers a 100% money back guarantee to clients if they aren't completely satisfied with their readings.
http://the-psychic-detective.com/Psychic-Readings.htm
Twelve Qualities of Spirit - Freedom
Twelve Qualities of Spirit - Freedom - Part One
By Peri Coeurtney Enkin
The people who feel the most freedom in their lives have tapped into one or more of the six factors I am going to share with you today.
Once you know about these six factors and practice putting them to use in your own life, feeling stuck, trapped, imprisoned or dis-empowered in any way will no longer be acceptable to you. And when you do feel a loss of freedom you will know exactly what to do about it!
1. CLAIM YOUR CENTER INSIDE YOUR OWN SELF
The single most important thing to remember when you want to increase your experience of freedom is this: Your personal freedom has nothing to do with another person. If you think someone else is restricting, confining or inhibiting your freedom you have trapped yourself. Regardless of the specific circumstances or conditions, what you choose to focus upon determines your freedom. An untrained mind is more likely the culprit. Your mind that is - not the mind that belongs to someone else!
Nobody, and I mean nobody is in charge of your thoughts or feelings. You get to choose your thoughts and you get to have your own feelings. While others might try hard to convince you of what you "should" think and feel the final decision belongs to you.
You can choose thoughts that feel imprisoning or liberating. And your choices are made from your own center inside your own self. If you do not know the centered place I am talking about I suggest claiming your own center as your first priority.
2. RELEASE YOUR CONCERN ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF YOU
I will never forget the title of a book by Terry Cole-Whittaker that was first published back in the seventies ~ What You Think of Me is None of My Business. I offer this title for use whenever you find yourself under the spell of another persons comments or reactions.
Other peoples ideas and perceptions about you tell you a whole lot more about who they are and say much less about you. It does not matter if the comments are positive or negative ones. People make up stories. We all do.
One day you are the heroine in some bodies love story. The next day you might find yourself the enemy in their melodrama. What changed in their thinking you wonder? If you are with a fellow traveler who genuinely wants to learn and grow with you, this is a good topic for shared exploration. Without consciousness you could go quite crazy if you base your reality on another persons fickle thoughts about you.
Thoughts change. Your Freedom is Consistent!
Yes, it is wonderful when someone really gets you. And it is so enlivening when people see and celebrate our positive qualities. But beware the Pedestal. The Pit is likely around the corner. And you do not want your freedom dependent upon another persons transitory opinions do you?
I tell my clients, my friends and those in my intimate circle - No pedestal or pit for me. If you place me up high I will dig my own hole and happily step into it before you need to put me there. I choose to be whole - fully and freely human. In this way I am free to change and stay current with my own unfolding.
3. STOP USING OTHER PEOPLE AS AN EXCUSE FOR YOUR PAIN
The stories you make up about another person may be accurate or not. We human beings have a tendency to run intricate and involved movies in our heads in order to justify our own actions and behaviors. We think we are keeping ourselves safe by blaming other people for our own feelings of unhappiness. Actually we are merely being lazy about tending to our own consciousness. So sorry but it is true!
When we project our own internal taskmaster onto someone else we stay locked up. To break free we need to take responsibility for the feelings our own thoughts are generating. Let other people off the hook and stop using them as an excuse for your own misery.
TO CONTINUE: Freedom is a wonderful and huge topic! Please join me for a continuation of this article in The Twelve Qualities of Spirit: Freedom ~ Part Two where I bring you three additional factors for freedom and more.
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Twelve Qualities of Spirit - Freedom - Part Two
By Peri Coeurtney Enkin
Welcome back to an exploration of freedom. Let us continue with three more factors used by people who regularly enjoy feeling free.
4. FIND YOUR POINT OF POWER RIGHT NOW
Whatever thoughts you carry forward from your history that do not any longer serve or support you - let them go. Drop them right now and choose fresh thoughts. You may have to keep choosing your fresh thoughts for a period of time before the old ones start dissolving but so what? The process is exhilarating and energizing.
5. LIVE KNOWING THAT YOU ARE ETERNAL
If you think that this one physical body and life is all that you are or ever will be you are missing the bigger picture. The physical aspect of you is only one part of your totality. Remember you are an ever-expanding consciousness. Understand this and you will be free to engage your life fully while relaxing and not taking each and every single event that happens too seriously. How freeing!
6. BE COURAGEOUS AND BE WILLING TO WOBBLE
When you claim your freedom you face a whole new reality. The limits you previously accepted are lifted. That is a very liberating experience!
Many times I have witnessed clients as they tap their innate freedom. It is not uncommon for them to start to shake and quiver. When their resistance to their own freedom is removed a huge wave of energy -that has been pent up and trapped - rushes through them.
Often the body signals relief before the mind registers it.
In my groups we have a term for this liberation. We call it "the squirm that confirms." When it happens it is undeniable and everyone in the room recognizes it. We welcome these energetic surges and celebrate them.
* Freedom can take your breath away!
* It clears out the brains resistance to change
* It energizes us with physical vitality
* It undoes deeply ingrained pathways of constricted thinking
* It opens the heart for more genuine connections with others
and
* Freedom flings open closed doorways so that we can more easily connect with all of our other spiritual qualities.
The Connection Option: Freedom
Life energy is not constricted or contained by human limitations. The Energy of Life flows freely into, through and as all that we see, know and experience. When we feel constricted, limited or trapped we can examine our own thoughts and we will discover that we are imprisoning our natural energy with our own thinking. We have forgotten our essential freedom and we have the option to remember.
As a Victim
I am sure others are holding me back, restricting me and keeping me stuck. I find reasons for self-imprisonment everywhere I look. If it is not my body it is my bank account. If it is not my relationships it is my work. I am very familiar (and comfortable) with being stuck.
As a Creator
I know freedom belongs to me. I love the ride from constriction to freedom. Each time I notice a stuck or trapped feeling I examine my options, shift my focus and ride the wave of energy that liberates me. I am free and I love it!
Action for Freedom
One word: Permission! Only you can grant yourself freedom. Give yourself permission to live connected to your own freedom and even if you squirm and shake and wobble have courage. Freedom will not hurt you or others - it is a gift of the utmost respect and reverence to recognize and honor freedom in your self and in others.
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Peri is the Founder of Creators Choice™Don’t Leave Your Future to Chance! - Programs, Products for the Practical Spirituality that makes a difference in your life now. Peri lives on the Big Island of Hawaii and mentors clients around the world through Tele-Classes and Personal Mentoring Programs ~ Aware Entrepreneurs, Your Issue Now! and The Turnaround – A Curriculum for a Fulfilling Lifestyle.
http://www.theturnaroundnow.com
Pick up a free report Get Unstuck Now and Listen to a free pre-recorded Tele-Class - Six Essential Steps to move from Victim to Self-Empowerment. Listen to Peri speak about Personal Mentoring and if space is available you can schedule a Free Focus Session here http://www.creatorschoice.com
By Peri Coeurtney Enkin
The people who feel the most freedom in their lives have tapped into one or more of the six factors I am going to share with you today.
Once you know about these six factors and practice putting them to use in your own life, feeling stuck, trapped, imprisoned or dis-empowered in any way will no longer be acceptable to you. And when you do feel a loss of freedom you will know exactly what to do about it!
1. CLAIM YOUR CENTER INSIDE YOUR OWN SELF
The single most important thing to remember when you want to increase your experience of freedom is this: Your personal freedom has nothing to do with another person. If you think someone else is restricting, confining or inhibiting your freedom you have trapped yourself. Regardless of the specific circumstances or conditions, what you choose to focus upon determines your freedom. An untrained mind is more likely the culprit. Your mind that is - not the mind that belongs to someone else!
Nobody, and I mean nobody is in charge of your thoughts or feelings. You get to choose your thoughts and you get to have your own feelings. While others might try hard to convince you of what you "should" think and feel the final decision belongs to you.
You can choose thoughts that feel imprisoning or liberating. And your choices are made from your own center inside your own self. If you do not know the centered place I am talking about I suggest claiming your own center as your first priority.
2. RELEASE YOUR CONCERN ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF YOU
I will never forget the title of a book by Terry Cole-Whittaker that was first published back in the seventies ~ What You Think of Me is None of My Business. I offer this title for use whenever you find yourself under the spell of another persons comments or reactions.
Other peoples ideas and perceptions about you tell you a whole lot more about who they are and say much less about you. It does not matter if the comments are positive or negative ones. People make up stories. We all do.
One day you are the heroine in some bodies love story. The next day you might find yourself the enemy in their melodrama. What changed in their thinking you wonder? If you are with a fellow traveler who genuinely wants to learn and grow with you, this is a good topic for shared exploration. Without consciousness you could go quite crazy if you base your reality on another persons fickle thoughts about you.
Thoughts change. Your Freedom is Consistent!
Yes, it is wonderful when someone really gets you. And it is so enlivening when people see and celebrate our positive qualities. But beware the Pedestal. The Pit is likely around the corner. And you do not want your freedom dependent upon another persons transitory opinions do you?
I tell my clients, my friends and those in my intimate circle - No pedestal or pit for me. If you place me up high I will dig my own hole and happily step into it before you need to put me there. I choose to be whole - fully and freely human. In this way I am free to change and stay current with my own unfolding.
3. STOP USING OTHER PEOPLE AS AN EXCUSE FOR YOUR PAIN
The stories you make up about another person may be accurate or not. We human beings have a tendency to run intricate and involved movies in our heads in order to justify our own actions and behaviors. We think we are keeping ourselves safe by blaming other people for our own feelings of unhappiness. Actually we are merely being lazy about tending to our own consciousness. So sorry but it is true!
When we project our own internal taskmaster onto someone else we stay locked up. To break free we need to take responsibility for the feelings our own thoughts are generating. Let other people off the hook and stop using them as an excuse for your own misery.
TO CONTINUE: Freedom is a wonderful and huge topic! Please join me for a continuation of this article in The Twelve Qualities of Spirit: Freedom ~ Part Two where I bring you three additional factors for freedom and more.
----------------------------------
Twelve Qualities of Spirit - Freedom - Part Two
By Peri Coeurtney Enkin
Welcome back to an exploration of freedom. Let us continue with three more factors used by people who regularly enjoy feeling free.
4. FIND YOUR POINT OF POWER RIGHT NOW
 | Freedom and Power are closely linked qualities. I'll be discussing power in more detail in another article. For now- I invite you to claim your freedom at the only place where real power exists. Right now, in this present moment, NOW! |
Whatever thoughts you carry forward from your history that do not any longer serve or support you - let them go. Drop them right now and choose fresh thoughts. You may have to keep choosing your fresh thoughts for a period of time before the old ones start dissolving but so what? The process is exhilarating and energizing.
5. LIVE KNOWING THAT YOU ARE ETERNAL
If you think that this one physical body and life is all that you are or ever will be you are missing the bigger picture. The physical aspect of you is only one part of your totality. Remember you are an ever-expanding consciousness. Understand this and you will be free to engage your life fully while relaxing and not taking each and every single event that happens too seriously. How freeing!
6. BE COURAGEOUS AND BE WILLING TO WOBBLE
When you claim your freedom you face a whole new reality. The limits you previously accepted are lifted. That is a very liberating experience!
Many times I have witnessed clients as they tap their innate freedom. It is not uncommon for them to start to shake and quiver. When their resistance to their own freedom is removed a huge wave of energy -that has been pent up and trapped - rushes through them.
Often the body signals relief before the mind registers it.
In my groups we have a term for this liberation. We call it "the squirm that confirms." When it happens it is undeniable and everyone in the room recognizes it. We welcome these energetic surges and celebrate them.
* Freedom can take your breath away!
* It clears out the brains resistance to change
* It energizes us with physical vitality
* It undoes deeply ingrained pathways of constricted thinking
* It opens the heart for more genuine connections with others
and
* Freedom flings open closed doorways so that we can more easily connect with all of our other spiritual qualities.
The Connection Option: Freedom
Life energy is not constricted or contained by human limitations. The Energy of Life flows freely into, through and as all that we see, know and experience. When we feel constricted, limited or trapped we can examine our own thoughts and we will discover that we are imprisoning our natural energy with our own thinking. We have forgotten our essential freedom and we have the option to remember.
As a Victim
I am sure others are holding me back, restricting me and keeping me stuck. I find reasons for self-imprisonment everywhere I look. If it is not my body it is my bank account. If it is not my relationships it is my work. I am very familiar (and comfortable) with being stuck.
As a Creator
I know freedom belongs to me. I love the ride from constriction to freedom. Each time I notice a stuck or trapped feeling I examine my options, shift my focus and ride the wave of energy that liberates me. I am free and I love it!
Action for Freedom
One word: Permission! Only you can grant yourself freedom. Give yourself permission to live connected to your own freedom and even if you squirm and shake and wobble have courage. Freedom will not hurt you or others - it is a gift of the utmost respect and reverence to recognize and honor freedom in your self and in others.
-----
Peri is the Founder of Creators Choice™Don’t Leave Your Future to Chance! - Programs, Products for the Practical Spirituality that makes a difference in your life now. Peri lives on the Big Island of Hawaii and mentors clients around the world through Tele-Classes and Personal Mentoring Programs ~ Aware Entrepreneurs, Your Issue Now! and The Turnaround – A Curriculum for a Fulfilling Lifestyle.
http://www.theturnaroundnow.com
Pick up a free report Get Unstuck Now and Listen to a free pre-recorded Tele-Class - Six Essential Steps to move from Victim to Self-Empowerment. Listen to Peri speak about Personal Mentoring and if space is available you can schedule a Free Focus Session here http://www.creatorschoice.com
A Meditator's Dilemma
A Meditator's Dilemma
by E Raymond Rock
You've been practicing meditation for a long time now, and seem to making no progress. In the beginning, wonderful things happened, but now it's as if those wonderful things have all gone away, faded into the background, and you find yourself at square one again. Have you been wasting your time?
It's so difficult to accept our present situation. We always want it to be different than it is, better, more spiritual, more meaningful. Ordinary life is so mundane and ordinary; surely that couldn't be all there is; there must be more. Meditation promised us that there would be more, and when there wasn't, we felt cheated, and we felt that we could have been doing something more meaningful with our lives, maybe helping others instead of being so self-enclosed and only interested in our own selfish development.
Instead of our hoped freedom, we find disillusionment, and perhaps even look toward some other religion that promises fulfillment, but we've tried that. We've tried to psychologically transfer our responsibility to a savior, or a religion, but as we matured, it no longer worked for us. We knew in our heart of hearts that we were faking ourselves out, and although it was comforting, it was never real. 'Meditation certainly wasn't comforting or fulfilling; it only made us realize how fruitless and unexciting life actually is! So here we are, nowhere, and feeling as if we are actually going backward, that there is no hope and no solution to our constant dissatisfaction.
When I heard the Buddha's Four Noble Truths for the first time, I must admit; I was completely . . . under whelmed. I expected something much more metaphysical and mysterious; after all, I was coming from a Catholic background where the Churches' magic, mystery, and miracles put all other religions to shame.
Take the Buddha's First Noble Truth, for example: Suffering Exists! What's the big deal about that! I already knew all about suffering, why do you think I became so good at escaping it? Suffering wasn't going to catch up with me -- no way. But it did, shortly after I began to meditate, and after the initial excitement of this new pastime wore off. I became absolutely miserable, simply because I was unable to escape the human condition of suffering, and I finally had to face it.
I could have stopped meditating, perhaps lost myself in some other illusion, after all, meditation was just another illusion when I began, thinking that I could use it to escape as I had always done in the past and hopefully escape this time forever. But it didn't work out that way; instead of escaping, I found myself facing myself for the first time in my life, and it was frightening. But for some strange reason, I continued to meditate, maybe because somewhere deep inside I seemed to know that meditation was the only real thing that I had ever experienced.
Then one day I accepted myself as a human being, and I accepted the suffering that goes with the territory. I stopped running, and I stopped trying to wriggle out, and there was freedom in that, a freedom that I had never known before, because before that acceptance, I was running scared all the time, afraid that I wouldn't stay ahead of that 800 pound gorilla that was right on my heels.
So the Buddha's First Noble Truth finally lodged in my heart -- hell, I thought I was close to enlightenment; what a downer to realize that I was only a beginner just now realizing the First Truth! But instead of being discouraged, for some reason I embraced this Truth about our human condition, and it hit me so hard that my faith in the Buddha, and all of his teachings, suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. Then I knew, that for me, there would never again be some weak finality where I would allow myself to be deluded as I had in the past.
My eyes opened -- admittedly, only a little -- but enough, and I would never let them close again.
E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-eight years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit www.AYearToEnlightenment.com
by E Raymond Rock
You've been practicing meditation for a long time now, and seem to making no progress. In the beginning, wonderful things happened, but now it's as if those wonderful things have all gone away, faded into the background, and you find yourself at square one again. Have you been wasting your time?
It's so difficult to accept our present situation. We always want it to be different than it is, better, more spiritual, more meaningful. Ordinary life is so mundane and ordinary; surely that couldn't be all there is; there must be more. Meditation promised us that there would be more, and when there wasn't, we felt cheated, and we felt that we could have been doing something more meaningful with our lives, maybe helping others instead of being so self-enclosed and only interested in our own selfish development.
Instead of our hoped freedom, we find disillusionment, and perhaps even look toward some other religion that promises fulfillment, but we've tried that. We've tried to psychologically transfer our responsibility to a savior, or a religion, but as we matured, it no longer worked for us. We knew in our heart of hearts that we were faking ourselves out, and although it was comforting, it was never real. 'Meditation certainly wasn't comforting or fulfilling; it only made us realize how fruitless and unexciting life actually is! So here we are, nowhere, and feeling as if we are actually going backward, that there is no hope and no solution to our constant dissatisfaction.
When I heard the Buddha's Four Noble Truths for the first time, I must admit; I was completely . . . under whelmed. I expected something much more metaphysical and mysterious; after all, I was coming from a Catholic background where the Churches' magic, mystery, and miracles put all other religions to shame.
Take the Buddha's First Noble Truth, for example: Suffering Exists! What's the big deal about that! I already knew all about suffering, why do you think I became so good at escaping it? Suffering wasn't going to catch up with me -- no way. But it did, shortly after I began to meditate, and after the initial excitement of this new pastime wore off. I became absolutely miserable, simply because I was unable to escape the human condition of suffering, and I finally had to face it.
I could have stopped meditating, perhaps lost myself in some other illusion, after all, meditation was just another illusion when I began, thinking that I could use it to escape as I had always done in the past and hopefully escape this time forever. But it didn't work out that way; instead of escaping, I found myself facing myself for the first time in my life, and it was frightening. But for some strange reason, I continued to meditate, maybe because somewhere deep inside I seemed to know that meditation was the only real thing that I had ever experienced.
Then one day I accepted myself as a human being, and I accepted the suffering that goes with the territory. I stopped running, and I stopped trying to wriggle out, and there was freedom in that, a freedom that I had never known before, because before that acceptance, I was running scared all the time, afraid that I wouldn't stay ahead of that 800 pound gorilla that was right on my heels.
So the Buddha's First Noble Truth finally lodged in my heart -- hell, I thought I was close to enlightenment; what a downer to realize that I was only a beginner just now realizing the First Truth! But instead of being discouraged, for some reason I embraced this Truth about our human condition, and it hit me so hard that my faith in the Buddha, and all of his teachings, suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. Then I knew, that for me, there would never again be some weak finality where I would allow myself to be deluded as I had in the past.
My eyes opened -- admittedly, only a little -- but enough, and I would never let them close again.
E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-eight years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit www.AYearToEnlightenment.com
Feng Shui A Superstition?
Feng Shui A Superstition?
By Jon Simu
What is Feng Shui? Is it a myth or superstition?
Feng Shui definitely exists. But it is not as what you seen on TV and movies, possessing great powers to twist one’s fate, to gaining power and becoming rich over night.
In actual fact, it is a knowledge, the study and understanding of the environmental influences. How the “Qi” (metaphysical forces of nature) in your residing environment actually affect you. A formula used to enhance one’s luck during timely good luck, to achieve the best possible benefits and to prevent and minimize losses and misfortune during untimely ill luck.
It is just as simple as that. Feng Shui is a very practical application to allow one to live in harmony with the environment, to achieve the best possible benefits.
Think of it this way. Life is always full of up and downs. Just recall. Haven’t you been in the situation where you were so close to achieving things, to achieving success but somehow with a twist of luck, lose it? And nevertheless, experienced times of extreme ill luck, failing in whatever you do?
To explain, everyone will goes through a period of good luck and ill luck in his or her life. This is the law of life. Whether you are rich or poor, a Chinese or European, you can never run away from this change of luck. Haven’t you seen many rich who bankrupt over night while some poor unnoticeably become rich and wealthy?
It is always one’s action that is behind his or her success. Are you one who always complains about your ill luck but done nothing to help yourself? Opportunities are always there. It is just a matter of whether you know how to grab it.
Many people have this misconception that Feng Shui brings wealth and windfall. This is very wrong. It is rather about opportunities; making use of the understanding of the law or nature and life to effectively help you make the most of chances to achieve success and wealth.
Now, life is fair to everyone. In the path of life, everyone will have his time of good luck. Feng Shui is there to help enhance on it, bringing about positive influences to better your success. And during time of ill luck, to help minimize losses and misfortune to allow you the opportunities to turn things over when yours good luck eventually arrives. With a comfortable and calm environment, surely you will have the best of health, wisdom and strength to meet the challenges in life, to advance towards success? This is what Feng Shui is about.
And to be talking about Feng Shui, we all know that it is a traditional skill, which originates from the olden China. And to be talking about the olden China, it just can’t be helped by many to also think of traditional Chinese Cultures. Hence when Feng Shui is the topic, many would naturally relate it with Chinese Cultures or worse, myths that are passed down from the olden days.
This is a very wrong concept of thinking. Feng Shui is never related with Chinese cultures and definitely any myths. It is never about religion, cultures and needless to be saying curses, ghost or deities. Feng Shui is never a superstitious belief.
In the practice of true classical Feng Shui, there is never the presence of any legendary belief and practices. To better correct your thinking, it is a scientific belief; the wise knowledge of the law of nature.
This profound knowledge has for this reason got more and more recognized and today, we can actually see the growth of different schools of Feng Shui practices. But whatever differences in Feng Shui practices there may be, the correct Feng Shui application revolve around the basic principle of life – The relationship of the 5 Elements, which bring about the formation of this Universe. They are the Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.
All forms in this Universe belong to either one of the five elements and are in one way or another, mutually affecting one another, which in turn affect our life. This is an ever-going cycle in the law of Nature.
Feng Shui is a formula, which cleverly work around the law of Nature.
Based on the philosophy of the productive and destructive cycle of the five elements, the application of Feng Shui help to incorporate one’s astrological element accordingly; to be in harmony with the surrounding, bringing about beneficial gains.
Now if you truly understand Feng Shui. Feng Shui is never about placing of objects and items. It is never an interior decoration. Remember, in the law of nature, a stone is just a stone and be it a gold or silver, they are just metal etc and that is it. Think about it. Do you think a fake plant and a real plant can bring about the same influence? If you are destined to meet a mishap in this life, do you think by simply placing an object in your house, you can just avoid things?
It is rather about location, direction and time, knowing how the “Qi” (the metaphysical forces of nature) in our residing environment affect us. Knowing how to harness the correct “Qi” into your residing environment to aid you. Now, if you are destined to meet with some calamity in your life, you just have to face it. But with the correct application of Feng Shui, you can minimize these misfortunes. Making use of the positive “Qi” in your residing environment, you can improve and enhance your life destiny and luck. Instead of meeting with a grave accident, getting away with some minor ones.
And note. Different people react differently to the “Qi” surrounding them. What may be positive for some may just be negative for you. There can never be a standardized one for all Feng Shui formation. And why is this so? Because everyone is born at a different time which mean having a different personal astrological element. For example, if your personal element is Fire, do you think an influence of Water element will benefit or harm you?
Understand also this. The world is always moving and changing with time. In life, you can never have the best of luck all the time. Just like when there is day there is night, when there are times of good luck, they are times of ill luck. This is the basic principle of Yin & Yang.
Over different period of time, your residing environment though remain unchanged will undergo influences of both good and ill luck too.
Correct and true Feng Shui helps to manipulate these influences for you to be able to meet and handle these ever going changes; to allow you to wisely and efficiently face the challenges in life to achieve wealth and success. And this is just how helpful and practical Feng Shui, a tool is.
Feng Shui is never a superstitious belief. It is a profound skill used to manipulate the metaphysical forces of nature to help enhance one’s well-being, the art of living in harmony with the nature environment.
----
Jon Simu Geomancer & Feng Shui Master of http://www.art-of-fengshui.com, http://www.redappletree.comArt of Asia Classical Feng Shui.
NOTE: You're free to republish this article on your website, in your newsletter, in your e-book or in other publications provided that the article is reproduced in its entirety, including the author information and all live website link as above.
By Jon Simu
What is Feng Shui? Is it a myth or superstition?
Feng Shui definitely exists. But it is not as what you seen on TV and movies, possessing great powers to twist one’s fate, to gaining power and becoming rich over night.
In actual fact, it is a knowledge, the study and understanding of the environmental influences. How the “Qi” (metaphysical forces of nature) in your residing environment actually affect you. A formula used to enhance one’s luck during timely good luck, to achieve the best possible benefits and to prevent and minimize losses and misfortune during untimely ill luck.
It is just as simple as that. Feng Shui is a very practical application to allow one to live in harmony with the environment, to achieve the best possible benefits.
Think of it this way. Life is always full of up and downs. Just recall. Haven’t you been in the situation where you were so close to achieving things, to achieving success but somehow with a twist of luck, lose it? And nevertheless, experienced times of extreme ill luck, failing in whatever you do?
To explain, everyone will goes through a period of good luck and ill luck in his or her life. This is the law of life. Whether you are rich or poor, a Chinese or European, you can never run away from this change of luck. Haven’t you seen many rich who bankrupt over night while some poor unnoticeably become rich and wealthy?
It is always one’s action that is behind his or her success. Are you one who always complains about your ill luck but done nothing to help yourself? Opportunities are always there. It is just a matter of whether you know how to grab it.
Many people have this misconception that Feng Shui brings wealth and windfall. This is very wrong. It is rather about opportunities; making use of the understanding of the law or nature and life to effectively help you make the most of chances to achieve success and wealth.
Now, life is fair to everyone. In the path of life, everyone will have his time of good luck. Feng Shui is there to help enhance on it, bringing about positive influences to better your success. And during time of ill luck, to help minimize losses and misfortune to allow you the opportunities to turn things over when yours good luck eventually arrives. With a comfortable and calm environment, surely you will have the best of health, wisdom and strength to meet the challenges in life, to advance towards success? This is what Feng Shui is about.
And to be talking about Feng Shui, we all know that it is a traditional skill, which originates from the olden China. And to be talking about the olden China, it just can’t be helped by many to also think of traditional Chinese Cultures. Hence when Feng Shui is the topic, many would naturally relate it with Chinese Cultures or worse, myths that are passed down from the olden days.
This is a very wrong concept of thinking. Feng Shui is never related with Chinese cultures and definitely any myths. It is never about religion, cultures and needless to be saying curses, ghost or deities. Feng Shui is never a superstitious belief.
In the practice of true classical Feng Shui, there is never the presence of any legendary belief and practices. To better correct your thinking, it is a scientific belief; the wise knowledge of the law of nature.
This profound knowledge has for this reason got more and more recognized and today, we can actually see the growth of different schools of Feng Shui practices. But whatever differences in Feng Shui practices there may be, the correct Feng Shui application revolve around the basic principle of life – The relationship of the 5 Elements, which bring about the formation of this Universe. They are the Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.
All forms in this Universe belong to either one of the five elements and are in one way or another, mutually affecting one another, which in turn affect our life. This is an ever-going cycle in the law of Nature.
Feng Shui is a formula, which cleverly work around the law of Nature.
Based on the philosophy of the productive and destructive cycle of the five elements, the application of Feng Shui help to incorporate one’s astrological element accordingly; to be in harmony with the surrounding, bringing about beneficial gains.
Now if you truly understand Feng Shui. Feng Shui is never about placing of objects and items. It is never an interior decoration. Remember, in the law of nature, a stone is just a stone and be it a gold or silver, they are just metal etc and that is it. Think about it. Do you think a fake plant and a real plant can bring about the same influence? If you are destined to meet a mishap in this life, do you think by simply placing an object in your house, you can just avoid things?
It is rather about location, direction and time, knowing how the “Qi” (the metaphysical forces of nature) in our residing environment affect us. Knowing how to harness the correct “Qi” into your residing environment to aid you. Now, if you are destined to meet with some calamity in your life, you just have to face it. But with the correct application of Feng Shui, you can minimize these misfortunes. Making use of the positive “Qi” in your residing environment, you can improve and enhance your life destiny and luck. Instead of meeting with a grave accident, getting away with some minor ones.
And note. Different people react differently to the “Qi” surrounding them. What may be positive for some may just be negative for you. There can never be a standardized one for all Feng Shui formation. And why is this so? Because everyone is born at a different time which mean having a different personal astrological element. For example, if your personal element is Fire, do you think an influence of Water element will benefit or harm you?
Understand also this. The world is always moving and changing with time. In life, you can never have the best of luck all the time. Just like when there is day there is night, when there are times of good luck, they are times of ill luck. This is the basic principle of Yin & Yang.
Over different period of time, your residing environment though remain unchanged will undergo influences of both good and ill luck too.
Correct and true Feng Shui helps to manipulate these influences for you to be able to meet and handle these ever going changes; to allow you to wisely and efficiently face the challenges in life to achieve wealth and success. And this is just how helpful and practical Feng Shui, a tool is.
Feng Shui is never a superstitious belief. It is a profound skill used to manipulate the metaphysical forces of nature to help enhance one’s well-being, the art of living in harmony with the nature environment.
----
Jon Simu Geomancer & Feng Shui Master of http://www.art-of-fengshui.com, http://www.redappletree.comArt of Asia Classical Feng Shui.
NOTE: You're free to republish this article on your website, in your newsletter, in your e-book or in other publications provided that the article is reproduced in its entirety, including the author information and all live website link as above.
How an Energy Healer Can Help You
How an Energy Healer Can Help You
by Michael Mohoric
Qigong is a Chinese word that simply means "energy work". It is an energy medicine technique used for thousands of years and alternative energy healing system that has been used in the Far East for centuries to help with many serious health conditions. This is what qi gong is about. Also Chinese practitioners believe that Qigong is very helpful in promoting a sense of well-being . It is now becoming more popular in Western culture. In China Qigong is used to reduce stress and pain, boost the immune system, increase stamina, productivity, creativity and balance the emotions.
Energy healing, or qigong, is an effective way to bring harmony to the mind, body, emotions and enhance overall well-being. Anxiety also greatly affects the mental, emotional and spiritual 'bodies' as well. With all of the nonstop action going on in our world each day going on in our daily lives, it is important to find ways to pamper ourselves. There are many methods of reducing tension such as more sleep, meditation, and exercise, that take care of the physical body.
It varies from person to person. This is what may happen after an energetic healing session. A sense of lightness, reduced pain, a long sleep followed by feeling more energetic, and a sense of peace according to many who have partaken in energy healing. An overall sense of balance of body, mind and spirit is what many who have had long distance energy healing claim. Others say it feels like their energy centers, or chakras, have been opened and they feel they've experienced a chakra healing and aura balancing. When the body is in balance, natural healing can take place.
There have been reports of animals being more energetic and acting younger after an animal healing service. Dog healing, cat healing, horse healing, and pet healing services are available for your favorite furry friend. The benefits are not only just for humans. Animal healing can be achieved using an energy healer.
The energy healing may be done over the phone but some energy healers do not use the phone. The client will just sit quietly at the time of the session. Long distance healing sessions can be done in the privacy of your own home. The distant healing is just as effective as a session done in person. Pure energy knows no distance or limits. An energy healer can contact you at an appointed time and conduct a session. The best part about healing energy is that you don't have to go a long way to see a healer in person.
Give qigong energy healing a try. Your physical body and aura (energetic body) will welcome it.
----
Michael Mohoric has studied with a number of energy healers from various traditions for over 25 years.
by Michael Mohoric
Qigong is a Chinese word that simply means "energy work". It is an energy medicine technique used for thousands of years and alternative energy healing system that has been used in the Far East for centuries to help with many serious health conditions. This is what qi gong is about. Also Chinese practitioners believe that Qigong is very helpful in promoting a sense of well-being . It is now becoming more popular in Western culture. In China Qigong is used to reduce stress and pain, boost the immune system, increase stamina, productivity, creativity and balance the emotions.
Energy healing, or qigong, is an effective way to bring harmony to the mind, body, emotions and enhance overall well-being. Anxiety also greatly affects the mental, emotional and spiritual 'bodies' as well. With all of the nonstop action going on in our world each day going on in our daily lives, it is important to find ways to pamper ourselves. There are many methods of reducing tension such as more sleep, meditation, and exercise, that take care of the physical body.
It varies from person to person. This is what may happen after an energetic healing session. A sense of lightness, reduced pain, a long sleep followed by feeling more energetic, and a sense of peace according to many who have partaken in energy healing. An overall sense of balance of body, mind and spirit is what many who have had long distance energy healing claim. Others say it feels like their energy centers, or chakras, have been opened and they feel they've experienced a chakra healing and aura balancing. When the body is in balance, natural healing can take place.
There have been reports of animals being more energetic and acting younger after an animal healing service. Dog healing, cat healing, horse healing, and pet healing services are available for your favorite furry friend. The benefits are not only just for humans. Animal healing can be achieved using an energy healer.
The energy healing may be done over the phone but some energy healers do not use the phone. The client will just sit quietly at the time of the session. Long distance healing sessions can be done in the privacy of your own home. The distant healing is just as effective as a session done in person. Pure energy knows no distance or limits. An energy healer can contact you at an appointed time and conduct a session. The best part about healing energy is that you don't have to go a long way to see a healer in person.
Give qigong energy healing a try. Your physical body and aura (energetic body) will welcome it.
----
Michael Mohoric has studied with a number of energy healers from various traditions for over 25 years.
Monday, May 28, 2007
The Ghosts of Stephen's Branch
The Ghosts of Stephen's Branch
By David Slone
I once lived, for a short time, in a haunted house. Many readers may be skeptical of this "story" but I assure you that it is true. I have been fascinated with ghosts and the unknown since I was a child. True, a clear explanation of just what ghosts are isn't easy to come up with, but the answer to whether or not ghosts are real can be found.
I was doing odd jobs for a retired couple. They had a house up for sale and needed some maintenance work done around the place. The couple made an offer to me to exchange some work for living in the house rent free. I was asked to tear down and remove an old barn, cut some trees, clear the weeds and keep the grass cut.
The house was a three story including the attic that had been converted into two bedrooms. The stairs ascended through all three floors. My wife and I wondered why the house had stood vacant for so long. We were told that no one had lived in the house for years. The owners of the house lived in a smaller place. Why didn't they live in the better one?
One night, shortly after we moved in, we were laying in bed when I heard some sounds coming from downstairs. It sounded like a party was going on. Music was playing. It was old fashioned Big Band type music and sounded as though it were from the 1940's. I could hear a lot of voices talking. Suddenly there were two voices that got louder. A man and a woman were arguing. Even though I could not make out the actual words that were being said somehow I knew that they were arguing.
I asked my wife is she could her anything. When she said "yes" it sent chills down my spine. I asked her to tell me what she was hearing. She described to me the very same thing that I myself had heard!
We got out of bed and I turned on the light. We could still hear the sounds from downstairs. As we went down the steps we turned the lights on as soon as we came to the switches. When we got to the second floor landing the sounds stopped.
We looked in all the rooms downstairs and were talking about what had happened when the sounds stated up once again. This time they seemed to be coming from upstairs. We decided to get our daughter from her room and all sleep downstairs for the night.
Several days later I was talking to an old man who had lived in the area for most of his life. I asked him if there were any strange stories to do with the house. I didn't tell him about my experience yet. He said that a long time ago there had been a murder in the house. He didn't remember the details of what had happened.
It wasn't long before the owners of the house asked us to move out. When I asked for an explanation they only said that they didn't think it was a good idea for anyone to live there. I think they heard about my conversation with the old man - they did know each other.
I may never know what happened in that house sometime long ago but I am convinced that there was a ghostly presence there. Both of us were wide awake and heard the very same things that night. Take it from me, Ghosts are Real!
----
Copyright 2006 David Slone. Visit True Ghost Tales true ghost stories for more. Free content articles you can use on your website, ezine or newsletter. You may republish this article on your website provided author information and active link(s) are left intact.
By David Slone
I once lived, for a short time, in a haunted house. Many readers may be skeptical of this "story" but I assure you that it is true. I have been fascinated with ghosts and the unknown since I was a child. True, a clear explanation of just what ghosts are isn't easy to come up with, but the answer to whether or not ghosts are real can be found.
I was doing odd jobs for a retired couple. They had a house up for sale and needed some maintenance work done around the place. The couple made an offer to me to exchange some work for living in the house rent free. I was asked to tear down and remove an old barn, cut some trees, clear the weeds and keep the grass cut.
The house was a three story including the attic that had been converted into two bedrooms. The stairs ascended through all three floors. My wife and I wondered why the house had stood vacant for so long. We were told that no one had lived in the house for years. The owners of the house lived in a smaller place. Why didn't they live in the better one?
One night, shortly after we moved in, we were laying in bed when I heard some sounds coming from downstairs. It sounded like a party was going on. Music was playing. It was old fashioned Big Band type music and sounded as though it were from the 1940's. I could hear a lot of voices talking. Suddenly there were two voices that got louder. A man and a woman were arguing. Even though I could not make out the actual words that were being said somehow I knew that they were arguing.
I asked my wife is she could her anything. When she said "yes" it sent chills down my spine. I asked her to tell me what she was hearing. She described to me the very same thing that I myself had heard!
We got out of bed and I turned on the light. We could still hear the sounds from downstairs. As we went down the steps we turned the lights on as soon as we came to the switches. When we got to the second floor landing the sounds stopped.
We looked in all the rooms downstairs and were talking about what had happened when the sounds stated up once again. This time they seemed to be coming from upstairs. We decided to get our daughter from her room and all sleep downstairs for the night.
Several days later I was talking to an old man who had lived in the area for most of his life. I asked him if there were any strange stories to do with the house. I didn't tell him about my experience yet. He said that a long time ago there had been a murder in the house. He didn't remember the details of what had happened.
It wasn't long before the owners of the house asked us to move out. When I asked for an explanation they only said that they didn't think it was a good idea for anyone to live there. I think they heard about my conversation with the old man - they did know each other.
I may never know what happened in that house sometime long ago but I am convinced that there was a ghostly presence there. Both of us were wide awake and heard the very same things that night. Take it from me, Ghosts are Real!
----
Copyright 2006 David Slone. Visit True Ghost Tales true ghost stories for more. Free content articles you can use on your website, ezine or newsletter. You may republish this article on your website provided author information and active link(s) are left intact.
Voodoo Who Do News
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The Aliens have invaded this website! Can you believe this?
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The Aliens have invaded this website! Can you believe this?
Check this out.
Thanks
The Blogmaster
The UFO's of Eastwind
The UFO's of Eastwind
By Robert Gay, Sr
My hometown was Little Rock, AR, where I lived most of my life. My son, Bob Jr., and one daughter named Becky, now live in the greater Little Rock area, and my brother and his wife reside in Little Rock. My other daughter, Kristy, and her family, live in Oklahoma.
My UFO sightings took place in 1988, while I was visiting an intentional community called Eastwind, which is south of Tecumseh, MO, and just north of a finger of the Norfork Lake. On one nighttime sighting, two crafts flew silently, less than 1000 ft. high, over a ridge out toward the lake. I was alone on my way back from a late swim in Lick Creek, which flowed north to south on the west side of the Eastwind property, then traversed west to east across the south end of the property.
There is no light pollution around Eastwind, and it was a beautiful star-bright night. I was about 100 yards from the south end of the property, facing south, when movement caught my eye out of the right, or west, sky. It was moving slowly, and were it not for the shattering stillness, the lighting configuration on the craft might have been mistaken for a plane.
It was far enough away that I could not clearly discern the shape, but the lights appeared fixed in place, not rotating. As it approached from the west and turned south, movement from the east caught my eye, and the same type of craft turned south and flew just to one side of the first craft. They flew soundlessly!
On the south side of the creek, a heavily wooded hillside arose steeply, and I had never been on top of the ridge, so I had no idea what was there, but that night, as the crafts flew above the ridge, two very large spotlights, like circus spots, were turned on and pointed straight up. By the time the lights were turned on, the crafts had drifted beyond the periphery of the lighted area, almost out of sight, so I got only a brief glimpse of the objects silhouetted against a bright starlit sky.
I was never able to ascertain where those spots came from, or who activated them, but I did find a road on top of the ridge, and pasture land across the road, with cattle grazing. Asking questions about the sighting at Eastwind was futile. A wonderfully strange core-group of people made up the community, and there was a fairly constant influx and exodus of visitors. The year I spent there is a priceless memory, that will be forever imprinted in my mind.
----
http://www.intotosearch.com/arkyblog/archives
By Robert Gay, Sr
My hometown was Little Rock, AR, where I lived most of my life. My son, Bob Jr., and one daughter named Becky, now live in the greater Little Rock area, and my brother and his wife reside in Little Rock. My other daughter, Kristy, and her family, live in Oklahoma.
My UFO sightings took place in 1988, while I was visiting an intentional community called Eastwind, which is south of Tecumseh, MO, and just north of a finger of the Norfork Lake. On one nighttime sighting, two crafts flew silently, less than 1000 ft. high, over a ridge out toward the lake. I was alone on my way back from a late swim in Lick Creek, which flowed north to south on the west side of the Eastwind property, then traversed west to east across the south end of the property.
There is no light pollution around Eastwind, and it was a beautiful star-bright night. I was about 100 yards from the south end of the property, facing south, when movement caught my eye out of the right, or west, sky. It was moving slowly, and were it not for the shattering stillness, the lighting configuration on the craft might have been mistaken for a plane.
It was far enough away that I could not clearly discern the shape, but the lights appeared fixed in place, not rotating. As it approached from the west and turned south, movement from the east caught my eye, and the same type of craft turned south and flew just to one side of the first craft. They flew soundlessly!
On the south side of the creek, a heavily wooded hillside arose steeply, and I had never been on top of the ridge, so I had no idea what was there, but that night, as the crafts flew above the ridge, two very large spotlights, like circus spots, were turned on and pointed straight up. By the time the lights were turned on, the crafts had drifted beyond the periphery of the lighted area, almost out of sight, so I got only a brief glimpse of the objects silhouetted against a bright starlit sky.
I was never able to ascertain where those spots came from, or who activated them, but I did find a road on top of the ridge, and pasture land across the road, with cattle grazing. Asking questions about the sighting at Eastwind was futile. A wonderfully strange core-group of people made up the community, and there was a fairly constant influx and exodus of visitors. The year I spent there is a priceless memory, that will be forever imprinted in my mind.
----
http://www.intotosearch.com/arkyblog/archives
Crop Circles and Genetic Knowledge
Crop Circles and Genetic Knowledge
By Robert Baird
The crop circle enigma is not always a hoax. I am not able to see how someone could do a massive design overnight in the cases where the plants have their stems broken from within. Yes, that is the case in what I consider the real crop circles. The wheat or other plants have the stalk exploded from within and the stalks can be bent at a distance up the stalk which would not happen if the use of weighty rollers was applied to them. Thus we are able to speculate many things but I see no reason for it to be aliens or at least not a visit in physical form by extra-terrestrials.
There are many segments of this book that cover the science of energy and its lattice designs that I think relate to this phenomena. The designs are sometimes advanced mathematical theorems and there are many Keltic designs. The Kelts or their Druids and shamans were in tune with the Earth Energy Grid and that Grid is part of the larger Cosmic Thought Field that Affinity connects across universe. Thus if it is a message from some intelligence inside the Earth’s ‘event horizon’ or local area network of dimensions we would expect to see Keltic designs if the Druids were in fact making representations of their attunements.
Why this simple factual and historically based observation is not made by other authors is beyond me. But I am constantly amazed by people’s ability to deny the simple and obvious that is around them all the time. I can see why the media and paid hacks in academic circles do not wish to integrate history and ancient advanced sciences like Harmonics into their writings. The governments do not want the truth of the ancient Brotherhood to become common knowledge. They benefit greatly by the common perception that man is advancing and improving and man once was stupid and superstitious or a barbarian and hunched-back cave dweller. But I am the proud part owner of artifacts that go back to the pre-Ice Age period which show giraffes and lions as well as kaleidoscopic stones that function as books or almost a video. Thus I am in possession of a form of proof seldom seen in the annals of propaganda called scholarly or academic.
There are many possible ways that these rocks and electrum (80% gold) masks or other artifacts could be made. All the ways are outside of what we credit the ancients with having. Lasers, sound rays or sonic drills, and the ability to alter the structural make up of matter through spiritual or mental attunement are possibly involved. Intelligence or consciousness does associate or coagulate and form banks of energy similar to each other. I first wrote about this some four decades ago as a teenager trying to explain the phenomena of ghosts and elementals.
When two muons shielded from cosmic rays like gamma rays were separated in the deep mines formerly used by INCO at Sudbury in Canada something occurred that I think relates to this. They energized one muon and the other one that had been connected with it responded. Do we therefore have the right to say all energy is connected by what might be called ESP? Is this Intelligent Design or Affinity at work?
What level of connectiveness is man capable of if mere sub-atomic muons have such a medium for communicating? Is this important enough to consider and learn as was once done? String Theory tells us that all matter is comprised of or built from ‘one-dimensional harmonic forces’. Is this the LOGOS written about in the Bible (BBL in vowelless script that all languages once were)? Is the tower of Babel (BBL like the Bible and Byblos) that my Phoenician Kelts put into myths as the Father of Biblical Archaeology says is the case; when he says “The Bible is a Phoenician literary legacy”?
Does anyone care to see and study these artifacts with me? Other correspondents of mine have similar rocks they go so far as to call a Philosopher’s Stone. One of them is a genetic researcher and the ancients attuned to the interior designs of the animals they bred which I have spoken or written about for those same four decades. Genetic knowledge transfers from person to person when the genes are passed in sex and procreation. This is written about by the esoteric schools of thought as fact for millennia. The Hobbit or Bonobos and so many other things are part of this – possibly? What do you think? Nah – I am just a nutcase.
----
Author of Diverse Druids
Columnist for The ES Press Magazine
Guest 'expert' at World-Mysteries.com
By Robert Baird
The crop circle enigma is not always a hoax. I am not able to see how someone could do a massive design overnight in the cases where the plants have their stems broken from within. Yes, that is the case in what I consider the real crop circles. The wheat or other plants have the stalk exploded from within and the stalks can be bent at a distance up the stalk which would not happen if the use of weighty rollers was applied to them. Thus we are able to speculate many things but I see no reason for it to be aliens or at least not a visit in physical form by extra-terrestrials.
There are many segments of this book that cover the science of energy and its lattice designs that I think relate to this phenomena. The designs are sometimes advanced mathematical theorems and there are many Keltic designs. The Kelts or their Druids and shamans were in tune with the Earth Energy Grid and that Grid is part of the larger Cosmic Thought Field that Affinity connects across universe. Thus if it is a message from some intelligence inside the Earth’s ‘event horizon’ or local area network of dimensions we would expect to see Keltic designs if the Druids were in fact making representations of their attunements.
Why this simple factual and historically based observation is not made by other authors is beyond me. But I am constantly amazed by people’s ability to deny the simple and obvious that is around them all the time. I can see why the media and paid hacks in academic circles do not wish to integrate history and ancient advanced sciences like Harmonics into their writings. The governments do not want the truth of the ancient Brotherhood to become common knowledge. They benefit greatly by the common perception that man is advancing and improving and man once was stupid and superstitious or a barbarian and hunched-back cave dweller. But I am the proud part owner of artifacts that go back to the pre-Ice Age period which show giraffes and lions as well as kaleidoscopic stones that function as books or almost a video. Thus I am in possession of a form of proof seldom seen in the annals of propaganda called scholarly or academic.
There are many possible ways that these rocks and electrum (80% gold) masks or other artifacts could be made. All the ways are outside of what we credit the ancients with having. Lasers, sound rays or sonic drills, and the ability to alter the structural make up of matter through spiritual or mental attunement are possibly involved. Intelligence or consciousness does associate or coagulate and form banks of energy similar to each other. I first wrote about this some four decades ago as a teenager trying to explain the phenomena of ghosts and elementals.
When two muons shielded from cosmic rays like gamma rays were separated in the deep mines formerly used by INCO at Sudbury in Canada something occurred that I think relates to this. They energized one muon and the other one that had been connected with it responded. Do we therefore have the right to say all energy is connected by what might be called ESP? Is this Intelligent Design or Affinity at work?
What level of connectiveness is man capable of if mere sub-atomic muons have such a medium for communicating? Is this important enough to consider and learn as was once done? String Theory tells us that all matter is comprised of or built from ‘one-dimensional harmonic forces’. Is this the LOGOS written about in the Bible (BBL in vowelless script that all languages once were)? Is the tower of Babel (BBL like the Bible and Byblos) that my Phoenician Kelts put into myths as the Father of Biblical Archaeology says is the case; when he says “The Bible is a Phoenician literary legacy”?
Does anyone care to see and study these artifacts with me? Other correspondents of mine have similar rocks they go so far as to call a Philosopher’s Stone. One of them is a genetic researcher and the ancients attuned to the interior designs of the animals they bred which I have spoken or written about for those same four decades. Genetic knowledge transfers from person to person when the genes are passed in sex and procreation. This is written about by the esoteric schools of thought as fact for millennia. The Hobbit or Bonobos and so many other things are part of this – possibly? What do you think? Nah – I am just a nutcase.
----
Author of Diverse Druids
Columnist for The ES Press Magazine
Guest 'expert' at World-Mysteries.com
Time Machines--Fiction or Soon-to-be Reality?
Time Machines--Fiction or Soon-to-be Reality?
By Toni Star
Another year has arrived; on schedule, with blank pages waiting to be filled. Ponder with me for a moment, if you will. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel in time? Recently, I was taking a writing course and the topic of time was approached. Later on, I was assigned to write an article on the subject and found the results of that research, fascinating!
As I’ve done many times in my writing career, I went to my trusty dictionary for guidance. I found that time, according to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition defined as, “1. indefinite, unlimited duration in which things are considered as happening in the past, present, or future; every moment there has ever been or ever will be and 2. the entire period of existence of the known universe; finite duration as distinguished from infinity.” The phrase that struck me the most was: “every moment there has ever been or ever will be.”
That phrase hit me as one coming from a higher source. If those words can be construed as true, then it gives credence to what Christ said so long ago, “I am alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, thus saith the Lord.” Of course, each of us can define that statement in his or her own way; but aren’t the words intriguing?
I think the first time I ever considered the words, time machine, was when I went to the movies years ago and saw the 1960 film, “The Time Machine.” It was a wonderful movie that showed what life was like over a century ago. Later in the movie, the time machine went forward way past the 21st century; thousands of years into the future. It was an intriguing movie because it made me wonder what life might be like thousands of years from now.
H.G.Wells’ movie version showed that some of the earthlings inhabiting that fictional future were warlocks who used “aboveground people,” known as the Eloi, for food and labor. These cannibals lived in underground caves and were dwarf-like, ugly, mean and cruel. The Eloi served as the warlock’s slaves and literally were food for the warlocks. This was frightening in itself but the movie also revealed something else terrifying; that at this period in time all knowledge of reading and writing had been banished and because of that, the Eloi had become illiterate, indifferent and mindless beings. They knew nothing on how to care for themselves or each other and were easily manipulated by the warlocks.
Fictional? Yes, but with centuries of no rules or regulations, no reading or analyzing and being controlled and manipulated by others, one might come to the conclusion that such a reclusive situation could happen. Some countries of the past and present have controlled and are controlling what their people read, think and do and the results have shown these people to be more subservient, fearful and docile; allowing the ruling government to think and do everything for them.
But, I digress. Is a time machine feasible? Could we see a time machine in our future or our children’s future? And, if so, what would we do with it? How would we use it? For good, or bad? And, where would we travel? Would be go back to the past, perhaps trying to change it? Or would we travel to the future? And once there, what would we do; what would we see?
From the Internet under the phrase “Time Machines” I found an intriguing article that was written about a man who came into a bookstore and café in New Zealand in 1998 and left several diagrams that showed plans for a “Polyphase Warp Harmonic Field Array” (a time travel device), known in the 23rd century as “Pacifica.” As he walked out of the bookstore that day he shouted, “with compliments from the future!” He was never seen or heard from again as well as the gentleman, Winston Whitaker, a senior physicist, who examined the documents and was trying to find a way to make the machine operable. This was fascinating reading and gave me pause to think that perhaps this feat has already been accomplished and will be revealed, soon.
Personally, I believe that time travel will occur, possibly in the 21st or 22nd century. If this device were available now, I know exactly where I would travel. I would travel back to the age of the Roman Empire and see if I could find out what really brought down that powerful nation. Much has been written about the fall of the Roman Empire but I wonder, what were the hidden, internal conflicts/turmoil that brought about such a monumental demise? Some past civilizations were destroyed from within; that is to say that inner moral decadence and indifference destroyed the people and their country.
Well, I guess I’ll have to wait and see if this fantastic achievement will occur in my lifetime. Or, maybe I could try and build such a machine? This is highly unlikely since my mechanical skills are lacking.. However, maybe one of the best ways to understand and better handle time might be to heed what my father used say, “Time and money wait for no man.”
Sadly, I’ve found his statement to be true. We cannot touch or hold back time. But we can live fully and well with each day that is given to us.
Copyright 2007 Toni Star
----
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Toni_Star
By Toni Star
Another year has arrived; on schedule, with blank pages waiting to be filled. Ponder with me for a moment, if you will. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel in time? Recently, I was taking a writing course and the topic of time was approached. Later on, I was assigned to write an article on the subject and found the results of that research, fascinating!
As I’ve done many times in my writing career, I went to my trusty dictionary for guidance. I found that time, according to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition defined as, “1. indefinite, unlimited duration in which things are considered as happening in the past, present, or future; every moment there has ever been or ever will be and 2. the entire period of existence of the known universe; finite duration as distinguished from infinity.” The phrase that struck me the most was: “every moment there has ever been or ever will be.”
That phrase hit me as one coming from a higher source. If those words can be construed as true, then it gives credence to what Christ said so long ago, “I am alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, thus saith the Lord.” Of course, each of us can define that statement in his or her own way; but aren’t the words intriguing?
I think the first time I ever considered the words, time machine, was when I went to the movies years ago and saw the 1960 film, “The Time Machine.” It was a wonderful movie that showed what life was like over a century ago. Later in the movie, the time machine went forward way past the 21st century; thousands of years into the future. It was an intriguing movie because it made me wonder what life might be like thousands of years from now.
H.G.Wells’ movie version showed that some of the earthlings inhabiting that fictional future were warlocks who used “aboveground people,” known as the Eloi, for food and labor. These cannibals lived in underground caves and were dwarf-like, ugly, mean and cruel. The Eloi served as the warlock’s slaves and literally were food for the warlocks. This was frightening in itself but the movie also revealed something else terrifying; that at this period in time all knowledge of reading and writing had been banished and because of that, the Eloi had become illiterate, indifferent and mindless beings. They knew nothing on how to care for themselves or each other and were easily manipulated by the warlocks.
Fictional? Yes, but with centuries of no rules or regulations, no reading or analyzing and being controlled and manipulated by others, one might come to the conclusion that such a reclusive situation could happen. Some countries of the past and present have controlled and are controlling what their people read, think and do and the results have shown these people to be more subservient, fearful and docile; allowing the ruling government to think and do everything for them.
But, I digress. Is a time machine feasible? Could we see a time machine in our future or our children’s future? And, if so, what would we do with it? How would we use it? For good, or bad? And, where would we travel? Would be go back to the past, perhaps trying to change it? Or would we travel to the future? And once there, what would we do; what would we see?
From the Internet under the phrase “Time Machines” I found an intriguing article that was written about a man who came into a bookstore and café in New Zealand in 1998 and left several diagrams that showed plans for a “Polyphase Warp Harmonic Field Array” (a time travel device), known in the 23rd century as “Pacifica.” As he walked out of the bookstore that day he shouted, “with compliments from the future!” He was never seen or heard from again as well as the gentleman, Winston Whitaker, a senior physicist, who examined the documents and was trying to find a way to make the machine operable. This was fascinating reading and gave me pause to think that perhaps this feat has already been accomplished and will be revealed, soon.
Personally, I believe that time travel will occur, possibly in the 21st or 22nd century. If this device were available now, I know exactly where I would travel. I would travel back to the age of the Roman Empire and see if I could find out what really brought down that powerful nation. Much has been written about the fall of the Roman Empire but I wonder, what were the hidden, internal conflicts/turmoil that brought about such a monumental demise? Some past civilizations were destroyed from within; that is to say that inner moral decadence and indifference destroyed the people and their country.
Well, I guess I’ll have to wait and see if this fantastic achievement will occur in my lifetime. Or, maybe I could try and build such a machine? This is highly unlikely since my mechanical skills are lacking.. However, maybe one of the best ways to understand and better handle time might be to heed what my father used say, “Time and money wait for no man.”
Sadly, I’ve found his statement to be true. We cannot touch or hold back time. But we can live fully and well with each day that is given to us.
Copyright 2007 Toni Star
----
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Toni_Star
Is the Book of Shadows an Encyclopedia of Evil?
Is the Book of Shadows an Encyclopedia of Evil?
By Morgan Hamilton
Many people in all parts of the world believe in the power of magic. In fact, some even practice a certain kind of magic or witchcraft as a daily ritual. Now, you shouldn’t jump to any conclusions because things may not be as you assume. I think that far too many people make assumptions about things they don't know and understand. We could do well with out this human quality. If people would have simply taken some time to investigate and understand things better, then many deaths could have been prevented in the past.
Anyway, let's go ahead and focus on the present and future. A text entitled the "Book of Shadows" that may aid you in this process. Of course, it all depends on what it is you're open to. Children always seem to ask adults a lot of questions that are difficult to answer. The answers to these questions may lie in a school text book, in the Bible, and other times they may be discovered in the Book of Shadows.
A few individuals in Salem, Oregon harbor a serious interest in the Book of Shadows. This book is regarded as an incomparable piece of literature by these people. To be honest, I had never read this mysterious book. I recall the sequel to "The Blair Witch Project" when I think Book of Shadows. Have you seen this movie? If you haven’t, then let me inform you that it was a step up from the original.
The first movie was basically a bad home video that everyone got all hyped up about. I think that it was utterly ridiculous. There were more shots of the dark ground than anything else. Many glib individuals actually thought it was real. It was real, and yet the cast were at the movie awards. In my opinion, the second one was more like a real scary movie than the original.
You'll enjoy checking out the Book of Shadows if you wish to dabble in witch craft, sorcery or black magic. You an easily access this book by getting on the web. These days, there are tons of books online that you can check out. See if you like the Book of Shadows first before you buy it.
----
Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Book of Shadows. Visit our site for more helpful information about Charmed the Book of Shadows Spells and other similar topics.
By Morgan Hamilton
Many people in all parts of the world believe in the power of magic. In fact, some even practice a certain kind of magic or witchcraft as a daily ritual. Now, you shouldn’t jump to any conclusions because things may not be as you assume. I think that far too many people make assumptions about things they don't know and understand. We could do well with out this human quality. If people would have simply taken some time to investigate and understand things better, then many deaths could have been prevented in the past.
Anyway, let's go ahead and focus on the present and future. A text entitled the "Book of Shadows" that may aid you in this process. Of course, it all depends on what it is you're open to. Children always seem to ask adults a lot of questions that are difficult to answer. The answers to these questions may lie in a school text book, in the Bible, and other times they may be discovered in the Book of Shadows.
A few individuals in Salem, Oregon harbor a serious interest in the Book of Shadows. This book is regarded as an incomparable piece of literature by these people. To be honest, I had never read this mysterious book. I recall the sequel to "The Blair Witch Project" when I think Book of Shadows. Have you seen this movie? If you haven’t, then let me inform you that it was a step up from the original.
The first movie was basically a bad home video that everyone got all hyped up about. I think that it was utterly ridiculous. There were more shots of the dark ground than anything else. Many glib individuals actually thought it was real. It was real, and yet the cast were at the movie awards. In my opinion, the second one was more like a real scary movie than the original.
You'll enjoy checking out the Book of Shadows if you wish to dabble in witch craft, sorcery or black magic. You an easily access this book by getting on the web. These days, there are tons of books online that you can check out. See if you like the Book of Shadows first before you buy it.
----
Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Book of Shadows. Visit our site for more helpful information about Charmed the Book of Shadows Spells and other similar topics.
What is Witchcraft, Really
What is Witchcraft, Really
By Szidonia Curtis
It is with great amazement that even in this day age Witchcraft is deemed as something evil. People who practice this faith are often believed to be worshipping the devil or the underworld.
There could be nothing further form the truth. Like in all aspects of life, you get a few bad apples, but this does not mean that an entire faith should be pigeonholed into the evil category.
Witchcraft, as a whole is a very gentle and fun faith. You will never find people practicing this faith standing on street corners or shouting from rooftops, trying to convert you. They are quite happy to get on with their faith in their own way. Should people wish to join, they are welcomed with open arms and they are not judged. You are not forced to leave all your beliefs behind. You are given the opportunity to make up your own mind in your own time. You are not expected to join a coven, you can practise the faith in your own home in your own time.
Witchcraft is based on nature and is a faith that works with nature as opposed to against it. It does not involve black magic. Yes, it does involve magic, but it is magic that is freely available in the universe. It is a faith that is against doing harm to others or any other living thing, be it animal or plant.
Contrary to what you see in the movies, Witches do not fly around on brooms and neither do they change their form. They do not bring the dead back to life. Further more, an upside down pentagram is not a sign or symbol of Witchcraft. It makes me really sad when people actually believe all the things they see in the movies. The pentagram used by Witches is the right way up. Each point represents part of nature namely, earth, wind, fire, water and yourself.
I find it very ignorant when people assume a faith to be rubbish or evil when they know nothing about it. I find this frustrating and an insult. Personally, I believe that a person without knowledge is a danger to themselves and everybody around them. So before one decides to rubbish a particular faith, it may be worth their while to do their research and read up on the subject. After that, they are entitled to their opinion and can have their fifteen minutes of fame, either way. There are a number of sites out there that have a lot of information about the subject, so before you chose to insult someone about their faith whilst knowing nothing about it, it recommend that you read up on it.
----
Have been studying Witchcraft since 1999. Find it very interesting and enlightening. Feel free to distribute this article in any form as long as you include the resource box. http://witchesworld.blogspot.com
By Szidonia Curtis
It is with great amazement that even in this day age Witchcraft is deemed as something evil. People who practice this faith are often believed to be worshipping the devil or the underworld.
There could be nothing further form the truth. Like in all aspects of life, you get a few bad apples, but this does not mean that an entire faith should be pigeonholed into the evil category.
Witchcraft, as a whole is a very gentle and fun faith. You will never find people practicing this faith standing on street corners or shouting from rooftops, trying to convert you. They are quite happy to get on with their faith in their own way. Should people wish to join, they are welcomed with open arms and they are not judged. You are not forced to leave all your beliefs behind. You are given the opportunity to make up your own mind in your own time. You are not expected to join a coven, you can practise the faith in your own home in your own time.
Witchcraft is based on nature and is a faith that works with nature as opposed to against it. It does not involve black magic. Yes, it does involve magic, but it is magic that is freely available in the universe. It is a faith that is against doing harm to others or any other living thing, be it animal or plant.
Contrary to what you see in the movies, Witches do not fly around on brooms and neither do they change their form. They do not bring the dead back to life. Further more, an upside down pentagram is not a sign or symbol of Witchcraft. It makes me really sad when people actually believe all the things they see in the movies. The pentagram used by Witches is the right way up. Each point represents part of nature namely, earth, wind, fire, water and yourself.
I find it very ignorant when people assume a faith to be rubbish or evil when they know nothing about it. I find this frustrating and an insult. Personally, I believe that a person without knowledge is a danger to themselves and everybody around them. So before one decides to rubbish a particular faith, it may be worth their while to do their research and read up on the subject. After that, they are entitled to their opinion and can have their fifteen minutes of fame, either way. There are a number of sites out there that have a lot of information about the subject, so before you chose to insult someone about their faith whilst knowing nothing about it, it recommend that you read up on it.
----
Have been studying Witchcraft since 1999. Find it very interesting and enlightening. Feel free to distribute this article in any form as long as you include the resource box. http://witchesworld.blogspot.com
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Using Zombies in Your Horror Story
Using Zombies in Your Horror Story
By Dawn Arkin
Warning: If you are easily disgusted by zombies do not read this article. But if you want to know more about these wonderful characters and how to use them in a story, then keep on reading. I promise not to get too graphic in my discussion.
Of all the monsters are in literary and movie history, none are as frightening as the zombie. Think about it. You have the perfect killing machine; all it does is follow its food - you - and try to eat it. That is pretty scary in my book. The following is my take on zombies, based on what I have read in books and seen in movies. This is not reality, but fiction. Unless you think you hear the distinct moaning of a hungry zombie through your closed door one night.
You may be asking yourself, what is a zombie? The dictionary defines them as: a reanimated corpse that hungers for, well, us. They are not indestructible beings, but usually they are in large enough numbers that fighting back is difficult. Zombies come in many shapes, sizes and degrees of decomposition. But they all have one thing in common.
They are hungry.
There are many different literary ideas on how a zombie is created. The most common storyline is they are created by a virus. Since viruses require circulation to move through the body, it is assumed only people who were infected prior to death will actually become a zombie. This theory makes sense, but there is no scientific proof to back it up.
Usually, there is no cure for the infection, so when a person is bitten by a zombie it is pretty much over. There are several stages people go through if infected by a zombie. Remember, every character is different, so the amount of time it would take to "turn" can vary.
The person will first start to feel like they have a cold or the flu. Fever, chills, nausea, and pain in joints are symptoms of infection. As time progresses, numbness of the arms and legs, dementia, and poor muscle coordination can also occur. Eventually, paralysis, slowed heart rate, coma and death will happen. Depending on the person, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours for the final stage to take place - total reanimation of dead flesh. At this point, the person is no longer human and should be dispatched quickly.
After they have been around for a while, zombies should start to slow down. Rigor mortis, along with decomposition will go to work on their bodies. There is a belief among the zombie writers that the virus which created them will slow this process down. Which is the reason, in most movies, older zombies tend to walk slower and have a harder time keeping up with a running human. In all honesty, your character's best bet is to keep a lot of distance between the character and approaching zombies whatever the stage they are in. Your character's very life could depend on it.
Research these horror monsters before you begin writing about them. Watch the zombie master's movies, read books on the subject so you can write about them effectively. You want your work to be believable and realistic. You want your reader to say he could not put your story down even though he was terrified to keep reading.
----
Dawn Arkin is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Fiction Writing. Her portfolio can be found at http://darkin.Writing.Com/ so stop by and read for a while.
By Dawn Arkin
Warning: If you are easily disgusted by zombies do not read this article. But if you want to know more about these wonderful characters and how to use them in a story, then keep on reading. I promise not to get too graphic in my discussion.
Of all the monsters are in literary and movie history, none are as frightening as the zombie. Think about it. You have the perfect killing machine; all it does is follow its food - you - and try to eat it. That is pretty scary in my book. The following is my take on zombies, based on what I have read in books and seen in movies. This is not reality, but fiction. Unless you think you hear the distinct moaning of a hungry zombie through your closed door one night.
You may be asking yourself, what is a zombie? The dictionary defines them as: a reanimated corpse that hungers for, well, us. They are not indestructible beings, but usually they are in large enough numbers that fighting back is difficult. Zombies come in many shapes, sizes and degrees of decomposition. But they all have one thing in common.
They are hungry.
There are many different literary ideas on how a zombie is created. The most common storyline is they are created by a virus. Since viruses require circulation to move through the body, it is assumed only people who were infected prior to death will actually become a zombie. This theory makes sense, but there is no scientific proof to back it up.
Usually, there is no cure for the infection, so when a person is bitten by a zombie it is pretty much over. There are several stages people go through if infected by a zombie. Remember, every character is different, so the amount of time it would take to "turn" can vary.
The person will first start to feel like they have a cold or the flu. Fever, chills, nausea, and pain in joints are symptoms of infection. As time progresses, numbness of the arms and legs, dementia, and poor muscle coordination can also occur. Eventually, paralysis, slowed heart rate, coma and death will happen. Depending on the person, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours for the final stage to take place - total reanimation of dead flesh. At this point, the person is no longer human and should be dispatched quickly.
| Once a person has been changed, their higher brain activities shut down. No longer do they recognize family or friends. All they think about now is feeding their insatiable hungry. They think of nothing but finding food. And yes, as I said earlier, that is you. In the beginning, they have all the abilities they had before they died. They can run, jump, and are as strong as before. Zombies do not have super human strengths or talents other than living after their death. |  |
After they have been around for a while, zombies should start to slow down. Rigor mortis, along with decomposition will go to work on their bodies. There is a belief among the zombie writers that the virus which created them will slow this process down. Which is the reason, in most movies, older zombies tend to walk slower and have a harder time keeping up with a running human. In all honesty, your character's best bet is to keep a lot of distance between the character and approaching zombies whatever the stage they are in. Your character's very life could depend on it.
Research these horror monsters before you begin writing about them. Watch the zombie master's movies, read books on the subject so you can write about them effectively. You want your work to be believable and realistic. You want your reader to say he could not put your story down even though he was terrified to keep reading.
----
Dawn Arkin is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Fiction Writing. Her portfolio can be found at http://darkin.Writing.Com/ so stop by and read for a while.
Does Evil Exist?
Does Evil Exist?
By Sharon White
Does Evil Exist?
By Sharon White
In the world of pain and sorrow many people turn to religion for guidance. Others deny the very existence of God based on the very same suffering he lets to occur. This Argument has been going on for many years..
I intend to look at this argument in further detail and find which side of the argument is more difficult to explain and sustain. This is the structure in which I hope to attempt it:
Assess the existence of the phenomena evil.
Evaluate the attributes of the theistic God in the order of; Omnipotence, Benevolence and Omniscience, considering both theist and atheist arguments in relation to these.
Concluding comments and thoughts.
To begin we will deal with whether evil exists as that is what all arguments concerned hinge upon. If evil exists then the contention is that a good God cannot. If it can be logically proved that evil doesn’t exist then the phenomena doesn’t pose a problem for the theist who believes God does indeed exist.
It has been argued that evil is an illusion but this is rather detached form the harsh reality of human suffering that we see and hear about across the world everyday. The wars, diseases, earthquakes, the human torture and the drugs seem too real to be an illusion. The sheer quantity of evil is proof of it’s existence. Evil is a definite reality because it causes pain and takes lives. This weighs heavily on the side of God’s non-existence.
However, this has been taken by some to not necessarily mean that a good God does not exist. In fact one of the main arguments is that evil is part of God’s greater design, that suffering is a necessary condition created by a good God, for our moral developments as free agents. To basically give us the freedom of choice between good and evil.
As we have seen through evidence and logic evil exists. This is the most powerful weapon an atheist employs to claim God’s non-existence. They argue that if there is a God, an all powerful (omnipotent) God then he wouldn’t have permitted evil or would have protected us from it. If there is a wholly good (benevolent) God then he would not want us to suffer pain and unhappiness. If God knows everything (omniscient), then he should amount of evil and suffering there would be in the world and would prevent it. The existence of such a theistic God is improbable.
----
The article was produced by the member of masterpapers.com. Sharon White is a 5-years experienced freelance writer and a senior manager of dissertation writing services support team. Contact her to get custom research paper tips and buy dissertations.
By Sharon White
Does Evil Exist?
By Sharon White
In the world of pain and sorrow many people turn to religion for guidance. Others deny the very existence of God based on the very same suffering he lets to occur. This Argument has been going on for many years..
I intend to look at this argument in further detail and find which side of the argument is more difficult to explain and sustain. This is the structure in which I hope to attempt it:
Assess the existence of the phenomena evil.
Evaluate the attributes of the theistic God in the order of; Omnipotence, Benevolence and Omniscience, considering both theist and atheist arguments in relation to these.
Concluding comments and thoughts.
To begin we will deal with whether evil exists as that is what all arguments concerned hinge upon. If evil exists then the contention is that a good God cannot. If it can be logically proved that evil doesn’t exist then the phenomena doesn’t pose a problem for the theist who believes God does indeed exist.
It has been argued that evil is an illusion but this is rather detached form the harsh reality of human suffering that we see and hear about across the world everyday. The wars, diseases, earthquakes, the human torture and the drugs seem too real to be an illusion. The sheer quantity of evil is proof of it’s existence. Evil is a definite reality because it causes pain and takes lives. This weighs heavily on the side of God’s non-existence.
However, this has been taken by some to not necessarily mean that a good God does not exist. In fact one of the main arguments is that evil is part of God’s greater design, that suffering is a necessary condition created by a good God, for our moral developments as free agents. To basically give us the freedom of choice between good and evil.
As we have seen through evidence and logic evil exists. This is the most powerful weapon an atheist employs to claim God’s non-existence. They argue that if there is a God, an all powerful (omnipotent) God then he wouldn’t have permitted evil or would have protected us from it. If there is a wholly good (benevolent) God then he would not want us to suffer pain and unhappiness. If God knows everything (omniscient), then he should amount of evil and suffering there would be in the world and would prevent it. The existence of such a theistic God is improbable.
----
The article was produced by the member of masterpapers.com. Sharon White is a 5-years experienced freelance writer and a senior manager of dissertation writing services support team. Contact her to get custom research paper tips and buy dissertations.
Demons, Spirits And Evil Thoughts
Demons, Spirits And Evil Thoughts
By Linda Dipman
In order to understand our world we must realize that evil doesn't just come to life through ideas spurred on by human desires. Take the temptation of Adam and Eve. Satan took on the form of a snake to get them to eat the apple.
God speaks to their first born child, Cain and tells Cain that he needs to master sin and he must not allow it to control him. Cain had to line up his free will with God's will. God wanted him to walk through this world free from the temptations of Satan.
Genesis 4: 6&7, "Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face? If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it."
This story reveals the unseen world of the game of life. An unseen world where forces rise up and want to persuade a person to choose to sin. A battle that takes on any worldly form or a still small voice inside a person's head to give a person a choice of which path he or she wishes to follow.
This is the very reason why it is so important to understand that we are in a life game. To win we must understand how our enemy, Satan, intends to fight against us.
Let me begin this story at the beginning. First our world was once perfect, but when Eve chose to give into temptation everything changed. Evil was released into the world in order to fulfill God's words. And a new world emerged presenting people with the ability to choose evil.
Genesis 2:16&17 "He told him, 'You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day.'"
When freewill came into play our world changed. People began to take the perfect world that God created and change it into a world where people became the creators.
Now God was no longer King. Satan was thrown down from heaven with a third of all angels to wage a battle with the sons of God. Satan became the king of the earth. He was given the power to release evil into the world in order to present all people with a choice.
A complete illustration of how temptation works is revealed when Jesus receives the Holy Spirit after being baptized by John the Baptist. Satan tempts Jesus and preys on the weaknesses that all human beings are given in this world.
This also shows how easy it is to persuade man to live in this world for themselves and not for God. You see fear is the biggest enemy of people. This happens when we think of the 'what if' of life that we can't control.
When we let go of our faith in God, we give into the world and how it can protect us through the things of this world. Things like power, wealth and manmade securities.
For instance we can't produce bread out of thin air, we must work for it. Sometimes we fear not having enough work, so we work in excess to achieve the freedom that wealth provides. This is the very weapon Satan will use to get God's children to deny their faith and give into sin.
Another corrupting force used by Satan is power. Because he is the ruler of this world he can put people in powerful places. As a result he is the god of earth and when we follow him we become subject to his will. This is the reason why people have been persuaded to follow gods that are not gods.
The Last thing that Satan tempted Jesus with was his human life. Satan tried to trick him into committing suicide. If He could get Jesus to leave this world then God would never be able to win.
No longer would the children of God have the easy access to the Holy Spirit and the power the Spirit gives to help people to win their game for Christ. The Holy Spirit is our quick access to revealing which path God wants us to take and the supernatural powers we need to fight off the attacks of Satan.
John 14:16&17, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and is in you."
Because our world is imperfect, Satan has the power to corrupt people from the inside of their heads. He has the power to lead them astray by making them serve the world and the things of the world.
This is the reason why all forms of evil are found in this world. Evil that leads to murder, sexual sins, greed and anything that leads a person astray. To do it the world's way is to lose our purpose and the knowledge of which side we are to take in our battle to win the game of life.
Just in case you are reading this article apart from my earlier articles let me begin by stating that God used the typewriter to talk to me. He always ended every typed message with these words. "My Ways Are Not Human Ways, Trust In Me. Pray for protection from Satan! God Has Spoken."
From the temptation of Satan to my very own life, God showed me how the game of life is fought. In order to win I needed to ask for protection to aid me in my quest to win this world for God.
In order to follow God we must allow Him to influence our lives by how we think inside our brain. We must read our Bible. We must learn to pray so we will be able to conquer the tests of life that tempt us into doing evil to each other.
When you are in a life game you must choose a side. You cannot do this world all on your own separated from God's purpose for your being. Understanding that we will be tested by Satan helps us to not give into temptation. It ultimately gives us the power to win our life game for God and good.
----
THE GAME OF LIFE IT'S ALMOST OVER, By Linda C Dipman is unlike anything you have ever read or seen before, exposing the world as a multi-faceted game surrounding every persons life. We are at War! Battling forces of evil versus good. http://www.outskirtspress.com/gameoflife
My name is Linda C Dipman and I am the author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT'S ALMOST OVER. I prove through the Bible and my own life story that we are in a huge multifaceted world game. My web page is http://www.outskirtspress.com/gameoflife. Go to Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.com and Read THE GAME OF LIFE IT'S ALMOST OVER today and understand your destiny and how to win your game.
thegameoflife
By Linda Dipman
 | Many of today's theologians refuse to talk about Satan. They would rather blame all evil on people and sin. Today I wish to enlighten the world and the great historians and teachers of the Bible about how Satan uses evil spirits to manipulate people into doing his will. |
In order to understand our world we must realize that evil doesn't just come to life through ideas spurred on by human desires. Take the temptation of Adam and Eve. Satan took on the form of a snake to get them to eat the apple.
God speaks to their first born child, Cain and tells Cain that he needs to master sin and he must not allow it to control him. Cain had to line up his free will with God's will. God wanted him to walk through this world free from the temptations of Satan.
Genesis 4: 6&7, "Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face? If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it."
This story reveals the unseen world of the game of life. An unseen world where forces rise up and want to persuade a person to choose to sin. A battle that takes on any worldly form or a still small voice inside a person's head to give a person a choice of which path he or she wishes to follow.
This is the very reason why it is so important to understand that we are in a life game. To win we must understand how our enemy, Satan, intends to fight against us.
Let me begin this story at the beginning. First our world was once perfect, but when Eve chose to give into temptation everything changed. Evil was released into the world in order to fulfill God's words. And a new world emerged presenting people with the ability to choose evil.
Genesis 2:16&17 "He told him, 'You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day.'"
When freewill came into play our world changed. People began to take the perfect world that God created and change it into a world where people became the creators.
Now God was no longer King. Satan was thrown down from heaven with a third of all angels to wage a battle with the sons of God. Satan became the king of the earth. He was given the power to release evil into the world in order to present all people with a choice.
A complete illustration of how temptation works is revealed when Jesus receives the Holy Spirit after being baptized by John the Baptist. Satan tempts Jesus and preys on the weaknesses that all human beings are given in this world.
This also shows how easy it is to persuade man to live in this world for themselves and not for God. You see fear is the biggest enemy of people. This happens when we think of the 'what if' of life that we can't control.
When we let go of our faith in God, we give into the world and how it can protect us through the things of this world. Things like power, wealth and manmade securities.
For instance we can't produce bread out of thin air, we must work for it. Sometimes we fear not having enough work, so we work in excess to achieve the freedom that wealth provides. This is the very weapon Satan will use to get God's children to deny their faith and give into sin.
Another corrupting force used by Satan is power. Because he is the ruler of this world he can put people in powerful places. As a result he is the god of earth and when we follow him we become subject to his will. This is the reason why people have been persuaded to follow gods that are not gods.
The Last thing that Satan tempted Jesus with was his human life. Satan tried to trick him into committing suicide. If He could get Jesus to leave this world then God would never be able to win.
No longer would the children of God have the easy access to the Holy Spirit and the power the Spirit gives to help people to win their game for Christ. The Holy Spirit is our quick access to revealing which path God wants us to take and the supernatural powers we need to fight off the attacks of Satan.
John 14:16&17, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and is in you."
Because our world is imperfect, Satan has the power to corrupt people from the inside of their heads. He has the power to lead them astray by making them serve the world and the things of the world.
This is the reason why all forms of evil are found in this world. Evil that leads to murder, sexual sins, greed and anything that leads a person astray. To do it the world's way is to lose our purpose and the knowledge of which side we are to take in our battle to win the game of life.
Just in case you are reading this article apart from my earlier articles let me begin by stating that God used the typewriter to talk to me. He always ended every typed message with these words. "My Ways Are Not Human Ways, Trust In Me. Pray for protection from Satan! God Has Spoken."
From the temptation of Satan to my very own life, God showed me how the game of life is fought. In order to win I needed to ask for protection to aid me in my quest to win this world for God.
In order to follow God we must allow Him to influence our lives by how we think inside our brain. We must read our Bible. We must learn to pray so we will be able to conquer the tests of life that tempt us into doing evil to each other.
When you are in a life game you must choose a side. You cannot do this world all on your own separated from God's purpose for your being. Understanding that we will be tested by Satan helps us to not give into temptation. It ultimately gives us the power to win our life game for God and good.
----
THE GAME OF LIFE IT'S ALMOST OVER, By Linda C Dipman is unlike anything you have ever read or seen before, exposing the world as a multi-faceted game surrounding every persons life. We are at War! Battling forces of evil versus good. http://www.outskirtspress.com/gameoflife
My name is Linda C Dipman and I am the author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT'S ALMOST OVER. I prove through the Bible and my own life story that we are in a huge multifaceted world game. My web page is http://www.outskirtspress.com/gameoflife. Go to Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.com and Read THE GAME OF LIFE IT'S ALMOST OVER today and understand your destiny and how to win your game.
thegameoflife
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Alchemy: What Was It and Can We Still Use It?
Alchemy: What Was It and Can We Still Use It?
By Joy Cagil
Alchemy, in its essence, implies changing the nature of things. In the lore of some societies, this came to mean a lot over the course of time.
Birds were thought to be the symbols of alchemy. Phoenix, Raven, White Swan, Peacock, and Pelican corresponded to an inner experience and inner dimension of spiritual being. The alchemist or the poet who observed the birds saw an image of the human soul going through a development that freed it from the earthly things, because the birds took flight between the physical and spiritual worlds and, if they landed, they landed on the Tree of Life or the Stone of wisdom.
William Blake wrote:
“How do you know but ev'ry Bird that cuts the airy way,
Is an immense world of delight, clos'd by your senses five?”
In most traditions, the language of birds is the tongue of Secret Wisdom, through myth and symbolism, not only in Alchemy but also in Kabbalah, Astrology, and Tarot.
Alchemy was considered to be as deplorable as black magic at one time; yet, at another time and place, it was lauded as being the highest form of science bordering with art for being the science through which the baser materials like copper were changed into gold and silver.
I remember from the time when I was into the Middle Eastern lore that there was this saint who could change dry leaves into gold through a formula given to him by the Creator. Of course, being a saint, he didn’t need the gold, so he changed the gold back to dried leaves in one night. This is a parable, as the human imagination has no bounds.
The earliest form of alchemy existed in old Egypt where magic ruled. Ancient Egyptians believed that magical powers existed in metallic things, alloys, and the like. Chances are, the whole thing was based on Hermes Trismegistus’s art from the ancient Greek times. The seed or at least the hope of alchemy subsisted also inside Europe’s bronze working classes and in old Byzantium. Over the centuries, numerous publications came to existence requiring scholarly inquisition on the art (or science) of alchemy.
If alchemy's first obsession was gold, the second was to discover a potion that would prolong life, or better yet, that would make man immortal. The third obsession of alchemy has been the manufacture of human life, artificially of course, which is scary. I imagine it ending up like the dry leaves parable.
Transmutation of metals could supposedly be accomplished by the Philosopher’s Stone, which had been associated with the Salt of the World, The Elixir and the like. In its conceptual form the stone reflected higher wisdom and intelligence.
The entire process of alchemy was based upon the research and examination of nature and the way in which it operated, how the metals became metals inside the depths of the earth, and how sulphur and mercury acted upon them.
According to alchemists, nature was divided into male and female and also into four regions: dry, cold, warm, and moist. Ayurveda healing comes to mind; although, I don't recall if or how the two can be connected. Into all this study, of course, went the alchemist’s character, which had to be truthful.
Someday, all these things that alchemy wanted to accomplish may be possible through science. But what then? What if we changed everything into gold? Remember the story of Midas?
What if the thing we changed with good intentions through alchemy or science resulted in calamity? I have a feeling that in order to dare change the base or nature of anything, one has to know everything in its entirety. Possibly, that privilege belongs only to the Creator.
One may use alchemy in another way, however. A soft word, a friendly smile, a holding of a hand, and our intent for world peace can be the best Philosopher’s Stone we can use. Maybe this way, we won’t have to change the essence of anything and anyone, but we may help them find a full meaning inside their basic framework.
----
Joy Cagil is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers. Her background is in linguistics, and humanities.
By Joy Cagil
Alchemy, in its essence, implies changing the nature of things. In the lore of some societies, this came to mean a lot over the course of time.
Birds were thought to be the symbols of alchemy. Phoenix, Raven, White Swan, Peacock, and Pelican corresponded to an inner experience and inner dimension of spiritual being. The alchemist or the poet who observed the birds saw an image of the human soul going through a development that freed it from the earthly things, because the birds took flight between the physical and spiritual worlds and, if they landed, they landed on the Tree of Life or the Stone of wisdom.
William Blake wrote:
“How do you know but ev'ry Bird that cuts the airy way,
Is an immense world of delight, clos'd by your senses five?”
In most traditions, the language of birds is the tongue of Secret Wisdom, through myth and symbolism, not only in Alchemy but also in Kabbalah, Astrology, and Tarot.
Alchemy was considered to be as deplorable as black magic at one time; yet, at another time and place, it was lauded as being the highest form of science bordering with art for being the science through which the baser materials like copper were changed into gold and silver.
I remember from the time when I was into the Middle Eastern lore that there was this saint who could change dry leaves into gold through a formula given to him by the Creator. Of course, being a saint, he didn’t need the gold, so he changed the gold back to dried leaves in one night. This is a parable, as the human imagination has no bounds.
The earliest form of alchemy existed in old Egypt where magic ruled. Ancient Egyptians believed that magical powers existed in metallic things, alloys, and the like. Chances are, the whole thing was based on Hermes Trismegistus’s art from the ancient Greek times. The seed or at least the hope of alchemy subsisted also inside Europe’s bronze working classes and in old Byzantium. Over the centuries, numerous publications came to existence requiring scholarly inquisition on the art (or science) of alchemy.
If alchemy's first obsession was gold, the second was to discover a potion that would prolong life, or better yet, that would make man immortal. The third obsession of alchemy has been the manufacture of human life, artificially of course, which is scary. I imagine it ending up like the dry leaves parable.
Transmutation of metals could supposedly be accomplished by the Philosopher’s Stone, which had been associated with the Salt of the World, The Elixir and the like. In its conceptual form the stone reflected higher wisdom and intelligence.
The entire process of alchemy was based upon the research and examination of nature and the way in which it operated, how the metals became metals inside the depths of the earth, and how sulphur and mercury acted upon them.
According to alchemists, nature was divided into male and female and also into four regions: dry, cold, warm, and moist. Ayurveda healing comes to mind; although, I don't recall if or how the two can be connected. Into all this study, of course, went the alchemist’s character, which had to be truthful.
Someday, all these things that alchemy wanted to accomplish may be possible through science. But what then? What if we changed everything into gold? Remember the story of Midas?
What if the thing we changed with good intentions through alchemy or science resulted in calamity? I have a feeling that in order to dare change the base or nature of anything, one has to know everything in its entirety. Possibly, that privilege belongs only to the Creator.
One may use alchemy in another way, however. A soft word, a friendly smile, a holding of a hand, and our intent for world peace can be the best Philosopher’s Stone we can use. Maybe this way, we won’t have to change the essence of anything and anyone, but we may help them find a full meaning inside their basic framework.
----
Joy Cagil is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers. Her background is in linguistics, and humanities.
The "Four Keys" To Controlling Black Magic Spells Successfully
The "Four Keys" To Controlling Black Magic Spells Successfully
By Rose Ariadne
The four keys of casting successful Black Magic Spellsblack magic spells are extremely important. In fact, if you are missing just one of them, your odds of success will drop drastically.
The first is imagination.
Without using your imagination when performing Magick, it is extremely difficult to send out enough energy to get successful results.
You need to be able to create a vivid image of your mind that creates emotion within you while you are casting a spell. You must also make sure that you are emotionally attached to the image in your mind's eye.
Just being able to use this first key properly will instantly take your powers to a completely new level. But unfortunately, imagination is a lost art in this day and age.
Television, video games, cell phones, and other gadgets have created an "ADD" world. People no longer have to use their imagination anymore. That is why most people never develop it properly, and why they are out of touch with Magick energy.
Using your imagination to visualize situations that your are emotionally tied to is one of the major secrets to tapping in to the hidden world of Magick.
The second is your will.
Specifically your will is made up of your focus and intent when casting a spell or performing other Magick. It is the ability to strongly visualize what you want to accomplish with your Magick as you are performing the spell or ritual.
Without a strong will for what you want, you will not get what you want with Magick.
Your Magick lives or dies with your will. Proper meditation is the key to having a strong will, and I will take you through a meditation exercise later in this book.
Meditation for boosting your focus and intent will allow you to control Magick energies any time you need them. And if you can master your ability to focus your will on the goal, you will find that you can perform Magick without even trying - even just walking down the street focusing on your goals. But that's an advanced lesson for another day.
There is much to discover about the 4 secrets of successful Magick. Today, I just wanted to give you a taste of 2 of them quickly in this book so that you have an idea of what it takes to cast successful Magick spells.
----
Rose has been practicing different forms of Witchcraft for over 27 years. For more information on Black Magic Spells visit her site The Ask Rose Ariadne Witchcraft Site"
By Rose Ariadne
The four keys of casting successful Black Magic Spellsblack magic spells are extremely important. In fact, if you are missing just one of them, your odds of success will drop drastically.
 | They take careful training and a lot of explanation, and are out of the scope of this book. I will quickly touch on 2 of them so you get an idea, but will go over all 4 of them in detail in my Witchcraft Academy In-A-Box. |
The first is imagination.
Without using your imagination when performing Magick, it is extremely difficult to send out enough energy to get successful results.
You need to be able to create a vivid image of your mind that creates emotion within you while you are casting a spell. You must also make sure that you are emotionally attached to the image in your mind's eye.
Just being able to use this first key properly will instantly take your powers to a completely new level. But unfortunately, imagination is a lost art in this day and age.
Television, video games, cell phones, and other gadgets have created an "ADD" world. People no longer have to use their imagination anymore. That is why most people never develop it properly, and why they are out of touch with Magick energy.
Using your imagination to visualize situations that your are emotionally tied to is one of the major secrets to tapping in to the hidden world of Magick.
The second is your will.
Specifically your will is made up of your focus and intent when casting a spell or performing other Magick. It is the ability to strongly visualize what you want to accomplish with your Magick as you are performing the spell or ritual.
Without a strong will for what you want, you will not get what you want with Magick.
Your Magick lives or dies with your will. Proper meditation is the key to having a strong will, and I will take you through a meditation exercise later in this book.
Meditation for boosting your focus and intent will allow you to control Magick energies any time you need them. And if you can master your ability to focus your will on the goal, you will find that you can perform Magick without even trying - even just walking down the street focusing on your goals. But that's an advanced lesson for another day.
There is much to discover about the 4 secrets of successful Magick. Today, I just wanted to give you a taste of 2 of them quickly in this book so that you have an idea of what it takes to cast successful Magick spells.
----
Rose has been practicing different forms of Witchcraft for over 27 years. For more information on Black Magic Spells visit her site The Ask Rose Ariadne Witchcraft Site"
Voodoo Who Do News
Hello Believers
Just a little note. I just saw on Yahoo that Doctor Death is about to be released from prison after serving 8 years of a 10 to 25 year sentence. You remember him don’t you? The doctor who kept assisting the terminally ill commit physician assisted suicides. We’ll have to wait and see what he does. Perhaps the ghosts of all the people who he died will haunt him. I’m sure it will be all over the news either way. So pay attention. What else is there to do anyway? It’s going to be a while before the mothership rescues you from your fate on the planet earth so keep informed.
Anyway on to the Voodoo Who Do News. The games section is up and running. I’ve found several, believe it or not, that fit in well with the theme of this site. The blog is becoming quite large as well, and I encourage you all to leave comments to let me know what you think, I would also appreciate any feedback or criticism as I want to shoot for something great with this. There is much to come.
Yours Truly
The Blogmaster
Just a little note. I just saw on Yahoo that Doctor Death is about to be released from prison after serving 8 years of a 10 to 25 year sentence. You remember him don’t you? The doctor who kept assisting the terminally ill commit physician assisted suicides. We’ll have to wait and see what he does. Perhaps the ghosts of all the people who he died will haunt him. I’m sure it will be all over the news either way. So pay attention. What else is there to do anyway? It’s going to be a while before the mothership rescues you from your fate on the planet earth so keep informed.
Anyway on to the Voodoo Who Do News. The games section is up and running. I’ve found several, believe it or not, that fit in well with the theme of this site. The blog is becoming quite large as well, and I encourage you all to leave comments to let me know what you think, I would also appreciate any feedback or criticism as I want to shoot for something great with this. There is much to come.
Yours Truly
The Blogmaster
The Roswell UFO Crash Sixty Years Later (1947-2007) - Secrets Yet To Be Revealed
The Roswell UFO Crash Sixty Years Later (1947-2007) - Secrets Yet To Be Revealed
By Bill Knell
Thousands will gather in Roswell, NM, this summer for the annual UFO Festival. Because it’s been sixty years since the UFO crash, this festival will be more important than most. Despite self-serving, ever-changing statements directly or indirectly from the U.S. Government, no one really knows what crashed near Roswell in July of 1947. However, thanks to the courage of individuals that have come forward to speak about what they witnessed or the role they played in the unexplained event, we can be almost certain of one thing. It was, in the words of the late Jesse Marcel Sr., “not of this earth.”
Marcel was an Intelligence Officer at the base and had personal involvement with the investigation of the material from the crash site. He is not alone in his assessment of what crashed near Roswell. The late Retired Colonel Philip Corso offered his own experiences as proof positive in a book entitled ‘The Day after Roswell.’ Shortly after the UFO crash, Corso had an opportunity to view an unusual cadaver preserved in some sort of blue liquid while he was Post Duty Officer at Fort Riley, KS. The body came from Roswell via Fort Bliss and was en route to Wright Field (Wright-Patterson AFB, OH).
It’s important to remember that these are just two of the many people that had first or second hand knowledge about the crash. Even a quick examination of the collective evidence would indicate this event involved something more than a weather, high altitude or radar balloon with a bunch of crash test dummies or cadavers aboard. It was more than some crazy test vehicle that a bunch of super-intelligent children or midgets were piloting around the New Mexico desert during a violent thunderstorm. These facts make the Roswell UFO Festival an essential event that has become an annual reminder of a great mystery that remains unsolved.
There are two sides to the UFO festival. One is fun and involves a carnival, rides, parades, an air show, celebrity speakers and all sorts of events designed to lure families to the otherwise off the beaten path little town. The other is more serious. It’s the opportunity for people to hear UFO investigators and researchers speak about the event or what they might know about aliens, cover-ups and crash retrievals. Past events and trips to the UFO Museum during the festival have provided people with the opportunity to meet some of the surviving witnesses or family members and we assume such opportunities will be made available this time around.
Although I have been to Roswell over twenty times since the early 1980s, I have never attended the festival. My loss. However, I have (by invitation) presented seminars in the town before the festival was organized and visited occasionally since that time. Despite missing out on all the festivities, I have always enjoyed the calm and mystery of the place without all the hoopla.
I presented my first seminar in Roswell during 1992. It was supposed to be a low-key event at a nice hotel and small convention facility for a group of former military personnel (unrelated to the old base) holding a reunion in town. They invited me to speak after one of the organizers heard a guest spot that I did on an Albuquerque radio show the year before. Barely aware of the crash, the organizer was fascinated by my analysis of what happened at Roswell in 1947. He wanted those attending the reunion to have an opportunity to hear the same thing.
I arrived in town a few days before the event so that I could snoop around as I usually did whenever I came to Roswell. Unfortunately, my radio and television appearances in Albuquerque to plug a seminar I presented there alerted the media in Roswell. A noontime television interview that I did on a local Albuquerque news program was simulcast in Roswell and that was the end of my ambiguity. With the story of the Roswell Crash all over the map in those days and a shortage of UFO researchers that spoke about Roswell actually visiting their town, I was invited to appear on a midday TV news show, booked for a guest spot on local radio and gave an interview to the Roswell Daily Record.
Fortunately, my seminar for the group holding their reunion in Roswell was also open to the public. And the public came out in force. I was surprised because you would think that after the publication of The Roswell Incident, an Unsolved Mystery episode on the crash and all the media coverage received, the people in town would be sick of hearing about UFOs. Instead, they couldn’t get enough.
One of the people that attended my seminar was Glenn Dennis. He was the funeral home worker that said he arrived at the Roswell Base just after the crash in 1947. He took some time to speak with me after the seminar ended and said that my presentation about UFOs was the most accurate and the best he had ever seen. Similar kudos were thrown my way by others in the audience and those comments remain a highlight of my time as a paranormal researcher.
Most of the younger people that came out to my seminar candidly told me that most of what they learned about the crash came from TV specials and occasional news reports. Given my first visit to Roswell in the 80‘s, I believed them. Asking about the location of the crash in those days tended to get you dirty looks. Roswell citizens were in a state of denial and even the history of the old Roswell Base seemed unimportant to them at that time. It was a lesson in how successful a cover-up and government intimidation can be.
Despite their lack of enthusiasm for local history during my first visit to Roswell, I am happy to report that the town has had a complete turn around. Barely mentioned in the town brochure and considered a kind of local embarrassment in those days, the UFO Crash has become almost a centerpiece of town history. The base, its connection to atomic history and the former military members that served there have also received a lot more attention in the post no-nukes atmosphere of the 1970s and 1980s. The people have changed as well.
A new generation seems to embrace the attention that the UFO Crash brings each year. The 1994 Showtime Networks cable television film about the UFO Crash entitled, Roswell, renewed a lot of local interest in the crash and a reexamination of what really happened. That coincided with a call for the release of government documents about the UFO crash by the late Steven Schiff, a New Mexico Representative driven to make the inquiry by calls and letters from his constituents. The 1990s remained hot for Roswell with the 1997 publication of Colonel Corso’s book, The Day after Roswell, and the 1999 premier of Roswell, the TV Series (1999-2002).
Roswell is still a treasure house of undiscovered secrets. Proof of that comes from the people that still come forward with information about the things that happened in the town. Last year I was contacted by a man living in California who I’ll call Al. After listening to the rebroadcast of a radio program recorded a few years ago with the late Colonel Corso talking about the Roswell UFO crash, Al began to give some thought to something that had occurred earlier in his life.
Al moved to San Francisco, California, in 1964. Sometime in the winter of 1964-65, he was set up on a blind date with ‘a good-looking young blond woman.’ While he could not recall her name or where they went on the date, he did remember an unusual conversation they had at the end of the evening. At some point the young woman asked Al if he believed in the existence of other life forms or Alien life in the Universe. Al said he did and gave a few reasons why, which included the size of the Universe and the common scientific probabilities of the day. The young woman almost immediately gave affirmation to Al by saying something like, “Yea, you’re right,” and followed up with a most amazing story.
She was the daughter of an Air Force Chaplain. The family lived in Roswell and her father was serving on the base in the late 1940s. The young woman told him that sometime during dinner two men came to the door to get her dad. She recalled hearing them tell him that his services were needed. The incident caused such a stir in the household that everyone stayed up late until he returned.
Seeing that everyone was still awake, the Chaplain told his family that he was called to give religious comfort to some sort of Alien Life Forms near what seemed to be a crashed spacecraft. At least two of four creatures were still alive when he got there. He described them as looking a bit like adolescent boys, but obviously not human. No one knew what the creatures were or precisely how to care for them. As a result, all of the beings eventually perished. That was the crux of the story and the woman told Al that the family never discussed it in-depth again. Despite the lack of details, it presents an intriguing challenge and is typical of stories that pop up now and again.
Even more stunning are the revelations of the late Dr Michael Wolf, the ultimate U.S. Government insider. Introduced to him by my friend and fellow paranormal researcher Dick Criswell about twenty years ago, I was initially skeptical of some of his claims which included personal knowledge of various secret programs involving the government and aliens, technology gained from UFO crashes and agreements with aliens, and a UFO incident involving the late President John F. Kennedy (his wife was related to the Kennedy Family).
My skepticism vanished after a few conversations with him over the phone and various demonstrations of his political clout. If wouldn’t be unusual to find him speaking over the phone with Vice President Dan Quayle or former President Bill Clinton (Yes, it REALLY was them, not a joke or impersonation). I was also impressed by a mental exercise that he developed for the government. He called it The Gateway Treatment. It was disguised as a relaxation meditation that attracts positive energy and certainly accomplishes that goal, but it’s basically a way to mentally summon aliens.
Notoriously camera and press shy, he nevertheless felt compelled to share some of his amazing information and exploits with a few close friends and trusted paranormal researchers during the years shortly before his death in 2000. As a board member of the International Paranormal UFO Society, I am thrilled to announce the release of the only known video interview recorded with Dr Wolf on DVD entitled, DR MICHAEL WOLF: KEEPER OF COSMIC SECRETS. The video was filmed in 1998.
Those that look at the Roswell UFO Crash as case closed or believe that it a field that has already been farmed too many times do not understand the nature of the UFO subject or the power of the government cover-up. Years ago I spoke to a UFO witness. The event he observed occurred while he was in the military. He received calls at least once a month from people who said that they knew what happened and that he had better not talk about it.
Although he hadn’t told anyone except his immediate superior about the incident, people in high places seemed to know about it and the calls continued for years. Imagine the power of that kind of intimidation. Now imagine living in what became a government town during the 1940s. It wasn’t hard for anyone to imagine being locked up in some federal prison like Leavenworth if you happen to run afoul of federal authorities. Retired military personnel had even more to lose. They could end up in prison and forfeit any benefits, pay or pensions due them.
Sixty years after the Roswell UFO crash, we still do not have the entire story. However, that doesn’t mean there is no story. It just means that the U.S. Government has managed to convince most people that the idea of alien life forms visiting us is just not probable and that whatever crashed near Roswell isn’t something we need to be concerned about. Well, I beg to differ. The only thing that will come from trusting government officials to make all of the decisions while we remain blissfully ignorant is tyranny.
For more, visit http://www.UFOguy.com
-----
Author: Bill Knell Author's Email: billknell@cox.net Author's Website: http://www.billknell.com Terms To Use Article: Permission is granted to use this article for free online or in print. Please add a link to or print my website address: http://www.billknell.com
By Bill Knell
Thousands will gather in Roswell, NM, this summer for the annual UFO Festival. Because it’s been sixty years since the UFO crash, this festival will be more important than most. Despite self-serving, ever-changing statements directly or indirectly from the U.S. Government, no one really knows what crashed near Roswell in July of 1947. However, thanks to the courage of individuals that have come forward to speak about what they witnessed or the role they played in the unexplained event, we can be almost certain of one thing. It was, in the words of the late Jesse Marcel Sr., “not of this earth.”
Marcel was an Intelligence Officer at the base and had personal involvement with the investigation of the material from the crash site. He is not alone in his assessment of what crashed near Roswell. The late Retired Colonel Philip Corso offered his own experiences as proof positive in a book entitled ‘The Day after Roswell.’ Shortly after the UFO crash, Corso had an opportunity to view an unusual cadaver preserved in some sort of blue liquid while he was Post Duty Officer at Fort Riley, KS. The body came from Roswell via Fort Bliss and was en route to Wright Field (Wright-Patterson AFB, OH).
It’s important to remember that these are just two of the many people that had first or second hand knowledge about the crash. Even a quick examination of the collective evidence would indicate this event involved something more than a weather, high altitude or radar balloon with a bunch of crash test dummies or cadavers aboard. It was more than some crazy test vehicle that a bunch of super-intelligent children or midgets were piloting around the New Mexico desert during a violent thunderstorm. These facts make the Roswell UFO Festival an essential event that has become an annual reminder of a great mystery that remains unsolved.
There are two sides to the UFO festival. One is fun and involves a carnival, rides, parades, an air show, celebrity speakers and all sorts of events designed to lure families to the otherwise off the beaten path little town. The other is more serious. It’s the opportunity for people to hear UFO investigators and researchers speak about the event or what they might know about aliens, cover-ups and crash retrievals. Past events and trips to the UFO Museum during the festival have provided people with the opportunity to meet some of the surviving witnesses or family members and we assume such opportunities will be made available this time around.
Although I have been to Roswell over twenty times since the early 1980s, I have never attended the festival. My loss. However, I have (by invitation) presented seminars in the town before the festival was organized and visited occasionally since that time. Despite missing out on all the festivities, I have always enjoyed the calm and mystery of the place without all the hoopla.
I presented my first seminar in Roswell during 1992. It was supposed to be a low-key event at a nice hotel and small convention facility for a group of former military personnel (unrelated to the old base) holding a reunion in town. They invited me to speak after one of the organizers heard a guest spot that I did on an Albuquerque radio show the year before. Barely aware of the crash, the organizer was fascinated by my analysis of what happened at Roswell in 1947. He wanted those attending the reunion to have an opportunity to hear the same thing.
I arrived in town a few days before the event so that I could snoop around as I usually did whenever I came to Roswell. Unfortunately, my radio and television appearances in Albuquerque to plug a seminar I presented there alerted the media in Roswell. A noontime television interview that I did on a local Albuquerque news program was simulcast in Roswell and that was the end of my ambiguity. With the story of the Roswell Crash all over the map in those days and a shortage of UFO researchers that spoke about Roswell actually visiting their town, I was invited to appear on a midday TV news show, booked for a guest spot on local radio and gave an interview to the Roswell Daily Record.
Fortunately, my seminar for the group holding their reunion in Roswell was also open to the public. And the public came out in force. I was surprised because you would think that after the publication of The Roswell Incident, an Unsolved Mystery episode on the crash and all the media coverage received, the people in town would be sick of hearing about UFOs. Instead, they couldn’t get enough.
One of the people that attended my seminar was Glenn Dennis. He was the funeral home worker that said he arrived at the Roswell Base just after the crash in 1947. He took some time to speak with me after the seminar ended and said that my presentation about UFOs was the most accurate and the best he had ever seen. Similar kudos were thrown my way by others in the audience and those comments remain a highlight of my time as a paranormal researcher.
Most of the younger people that came out to my seminar candidly told me that most of what they learned about the crash came from TV specials and occasional news reports. Given my first visit to Roswell in the 80‘s, I believed them. Asking about the location of the crash in those days tended to get you dirty looks. Roswell citizens were in a state of denial and even the history of the old Roswell Base seemed unimportant to them at that time. It was a lesson in how successful a cover-up and government intimidation can be.
Despite their lack of enthusiasm for local history during my first visit to Roswell, I am happy to report that the town has had a complete turn around. Barely mentioned in the town brochure and considered a kind of local embarrassment in those days, the UFO Crash has become almost a centerpiece of town history. The base, its connection to atomic history and the former military members that served there have also received a lot more attention in the post no-nukes atmosphere of the 1970s and 1980s. The people have changed as well.
A new generation seems to embrace the attention that the UFO Crash brings each year. The 1994 Showtime Networks cable television film about the UFO Crash entitled, Roswell, renewed a lot of local interest in the crash and a reexamination of what really happened. That coincided with a call for the release of government documents about the UFO crash by the late Steven Schiff, a New Mexico Representative driven to make the inquiry by calls and letters from his constituents. The 1990s remained hot for Roswell with the 1997 publication of Colonel Corso’s book, The Day after Roswell, and the 1999 premier of Roswell, the TV Series (1999-2002).
Roswell is still a treasure house of undiscovered secrets. Proof of that comes from the people that still come forward with information about the things that happened in the town. Last year I was contacted by a man living in California who I’ll call Al. After listening to the rebroadcast of a radio program recorded a few years ago with the late Colonel Corso talking about the Roswell UFO crash, Al began to give some thought to something that had occurred earlier in his life.
Al moved to San Francisco, California, in 1964. Sometime in the winter of 1964-65, he was set up on a blind date with ‘a good-looking young blond woman.’ While he could not recall her name or where they went on the date, he did remember an unusual conversation they had at the end of the evening. At some point the young woman asked Al if he believed in the existence of other life forms or Alien life in the Universe. Al said he did and gave a few reasons why, which included the size of the Universe and the common scientific probabilities of the day. The young woman almost immediately gave affirmation to Al by saying something like, “Yea, you’re right,” and followed up with a most amazing story.
She was the daughter of an Air Force Chaplain. The family lived in Roswell and her father was serving on the base in the late 1940s. The young woman told him that sometime during dinner two men came to the door to get her dad. She recalled hearing them tell him that his services were needed. The incident caused such a stir in the household that everyone stayed up late until he returned.
Seeing that everyone was still awake, the Chaplain told his family that he was called to give religious comfort to some sort of Alien Life Forms near what seemed to be a crashed spacecraft. At least two of four creatures were still alive when he got there. He described them as looking a bit like adolescent boys, but obviously not human. No one knew what the creatures were or precisely how to care for them. As a result, all of the beings eventually perished. That was the crux of the story and the woman told Al that the family never discussed it in-depth again. Despite the lack of details, it presents an intriguing challenge and is typical of stories that pop up now and again.
Even more stunning are the revelations of the late Dr Michael Wolf, the ultimate U.S. Government insider. Introduced to him by my friend and fellow paranormal researcher Dick Criswell about twenty years ago, I was initially skeptical of some of his claims which included personal knowledge of various secret programs involving the government and aliens, technology gained from UFO crashes and agreements with aliens, and a UFO incident involving the late President John F. Kennedy (his wife was related to the Kennedy Family).
My skepticism vanished after a few conversations with him over the phone and various demonstrations of his political clout. If wouldn’t be unusual to find him speaking over the phone with Vice President Dan Quayle or former President Bill Clinton (Yes, it REALLY was them, not a joke or impersonation). I was also impressed by a mental exercise that he developed for the government. He called it The Gateway Treatment. It was disguised as a relaxation meditation that attracts positive energy and certainly accomplishes that goal, but it’s basically a way to mentally summon aliens.
Notoriously camera and press shy, he nevertheless felt compelled to share some of his amazing information and exploits with a few close friends and trusted paranormal researchers during the years shortly before his death in 2000. As a board member of the International Paranormal UFO Society, I am thrilled to announce the release of the only known video interview recorded with Dr Wolf on DVD entitled, DR MICHAEL WOLF: KEEPER OF COSMIC SECRETS. The video was filmed in 1998.
Those that look at the Roswell UFO Crash as case closed or believe that it a field that has already been farmed too many times do not understand the nature of the UFO subject or the power of the government cover-up. Years ago I spoke to a UFO witness. The event he observed occurred while he was in the military. He received calls at least once a month from people who said that they knew what happened and that he had better not talk about it.
Although he hadn’t told anyone except his immediate superior about the incident, people in high places seemed to know about it and the calls continued for years. Imagine the power of that kind of intimidation. Now imagine living in what became a government town during the 1940s. It wasn’t hard for anyone to imagine being locked up in some federal prison like Leavenworth if you happen to run afoul of federal authorities. Retired military personnel had even more to lose. They could end up in prison and forfeit any benefits, pay or pensions due them.
Sixty years after the Roswell UFO crash, we still do not have the entire story. However, that doesn’t mean there is no story. It just means that the U.S. Government has managed to convince most people that the idea of alien life forms visiting us is just not probable and that whatever crashed near Roswell isn’t something we need to be concerned about. Well, I beg to differ. The only thing that will come from trusting government officials to make all of the decisions while we remain blissfully ignorant is tyranny.
For more, visit http://www.UFOguy.com
-----
Author: Bill Knell Author's Email: billknell@cox.net Author's Website: http://www.billknell.com Terms To Use Article: Permission is granted to use this article for free online or in print. Please add a link to or print my website address: http://www.billknell.com
The Way of the Mystic
The Way of the Mystic - Part I
By Mathew Martin
The Mystic is one of the most misunderstood individuals on Earth, not to mention one of the most ridiculed. It doesn't matter whether he is a Christian mystic, a Buddhist mystic, a Sufi, a Shaman, a psychic, a master teacher, etc., because all genuine mystics have gone beyond the fundamentalist mentality and entered the inner world of God’s Reality. The Mystic is more comfortable tuning into the spiritual world because he feels more awkward in the physical world, and never seems to fit in anywhere. He is often judged as being rather eccentric if not blatantly strange. Mystics tend to be shy and introverted rather than gregarious. They find it somewhat difficult to socialize, however, when they have become used to a certain group of people, especially a spiritual gathering, they feel right at home.
Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee in his book, The Bond with the Beloved, clearly says, "Mystics are usually introverts, more at home in the inner world than in the outer world… they have often been misunderstood since childhood.” He also says they often feel like strangers in this world. As strangers in a strange world in the earth plane, they feel more at home in the spiritual realm. This is one of the reasons they tend to act shy or distant around others.
Now of course, this is not true with all Mystics, as there have been a number of outgoing and socially comfortable individuals who have walked the road of Mysticism. Obviously, they have gained inner balance and confidence, and a good degree of self-mastery, whereas many Mystics are still unfolding on the Spiritual Path and are still seeking this balance. Sometimes they feel as if they are walking a tightrope, seeking a balance between the physical and spiritual, and a spiritual Master is one who has found that balance. Nevertheless, there are successful businessmen, entrepreneurs, millionaires, and ordinary people, etc., with naturally outgoing personalities -- but they are not necessarily mystics. There is something about walking the Mystical Path that causes the Mystic to feel awkward and out-of-place in the physical world -- until he has found that balance and reached mastery over both worlds.
The Mystic lives in the way of the heart more than he does in the way of the mind. He tends not to be an intellectual, but he is more of an intuitive, although he seeks the balance of both mind and heart. The true Mystic has a purified heart, for he has renounced the negative ways of the world to a large degree, and he feels compassion for others, and love for the Beloved, the God within. He lives by the affirmation, "I strive to serve God by serving mankind." He follows this scripture from the Bible: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind… Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matthew 22: 37 and 39, KJV)
He sees the unseen and here's the unheard, for although he is a transient in this world, he has gone beyond the Veil and entered the invisible world of Spirit, but he can move between the two worlds. He sees things most people do not see, and he hears the still clear voice of God within his heart. Some Mystics are in tune with angels and spirit guides, or other light-beings in the spiritual realm, but not all of them are this spiritually sensitive. There are varying degrees of Mystics, for some can perceive realms of higher vibration more clearly than others. Some are beginners or even initiates who are still learning the ways of the Mystical Path, whereas others are Masters who now lead the way for others.
The Mystic may have studied various esoteric teachings or numerous traditions, but he has not necessarily attached himself to any one of them, for what he seeks is not without, but within. He realizes that many paths can lead to God, but he has discovered that the inward way of the mystical is a more direct path. Although he may associate with a particular church or group and interact with its people, he remains detached to such religious organizations, for he has found what he has been looking for within his own self, because it is not something to be found in a physical group. He will associate with a particular group to serve and uplift its people and not so much for his own benefit or personal goals. He knows that finding the right religious group is not the goal, for he knows that the idea of "one true religion" is erroneous. He knows that his real purpose is finding and experiencing the God-Being within, and then teaching and demonstrating to others how to find this inner reality.
He can easily tune into Nature, which displays the beauty of the world and the universe, for these are pure reflections of God's own nature and beauty that is all around us. However, he can likewise easily tune into the God within himself, feeling the Presence and listening to the Voice herein. For he knows that God is within and without, and he senses this Divine Presence anywhere and everywhere he goes.
The Mystic is often a lonely soul as long as he lives in this outer world. He lives a personal life, and tends not to share his innermost feelings and experiences with others, mainly because most people will not understand them. Once again, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee says, "As our meditation and inner work allows us to glimpse the inner dimensions of ourself, we are also aware that these experiences cannot be communicated to the outside world… The inner reality which becomes a more and more central part of our life isolates us from ordinary people in the sense that only those who have similar experiences can understand us." Therefore, they gravitate toward people of like-mind and like-heart. His life in the outer world is not fulfilling, because he only feels fulfilled in the inner spiritual realm of his heart, where God resides. In his perception, God is not only an outer reality, but an inner living experience. Although God lives in all things and resides throughout the whole existence, the core of God is within his own being, for this is the source of his interior contact and experiences with the Divine.
The foundation of his unfolding life is based on his inner experiences of a higher reality, for he has gone beyond the need of a belief system. What he has experienced firsthand of the spiritual reality does not require simple belief any longer. He lives in the reality of gnosis, or inner knowing, rather than concrete dogma, mankind's ideas about God. Instead of merely believing in God, which was the beginning of his path, his sincere faith led him to the realization and experience of God within himself, which is the pivotal point of the Mystic’s life.
----
Matthew Martin has written on several subjects over the years. Currently you can find some of his essays on metaphysics, mysticism, and spirituality on: http://www.bamblebrush.com/online_books/matthewmartin/matthewmartin.asp
Copyright 2007 by Matthew Martin -- All Rights Reserved
---------------------------
The Way of the Mystic - Part II
By Mathew Martin
Mysticism is very much misunderstood, for it is simply developing intimacy with the Divine within yourself, and entering Oneness herein. Essentially, the Mystic, as a spiritual lover, communes with God as the Beloved, for this is a divinely heartfelt relationship. Anything else you may hear is not genuine mysticism. The ideas of phenomenalism, the supernatural, magic, witchcraft, voodoo, Satanism, and so forth, primarily thrive in the mental or the psychic planes. These dark aspects have nothing to do with real Mysticism. That which thrives in and emanates from the Divine Reality is true Mysticism, wherein the true Mystic lives.
The Mystic knows that when he speaks of the things he feels and sees that reflect the inner Reality, especially to people that have no understanding of these things, he will be scoffed and ridiculed. They judge him as being strange if not downright crazy. This is why he often keeps to himself. He will speak of these things to others on the Mystical Path, for they will receive him, especially genuine seekers who yearn for the Truth and not just dogmatic ideas. What seems normal and true to him is often viewed as ludicrous to others. Likewise, the Mystic may view others’ beliefs as erroneous and absurd, if not simply shallow and lacking in genuine spiritual experience. For example, the typical fundamentalist Christian sees God as outside himself and far away. In fact, he has no idea where to locate God, which in ancient times was referred to as the Unknown God. Although God is unknown to many people, He is not by any means unknowable, for the path of the Mystic is to learn to know God within his heart, and to commune with Him.
Early Mystics spoke of becoming one with God, often referred to as Divine Union; however, fundamentalists might call this blasphemy, because they believe God is somewhere outside of their reality, which is, incidentally, not a very real reality, since it does not incorporate God being within it. They believe that people are supposed to be separate from God, and that they deserve this separation because of their despicable sins, but the Mystic sees this idea of separation from God as erroneous and detrimental to spiritual growth. He recognizes that evil is a concept that appears to be very real in the physical world, but in the greater Reality, evil is merely an illusion, another concept which defines mankind’s separation from God. From evil comes sin, which is simply people’s decision to disobey God, because they express themselves through free will. But this is the way people learn and grow, through trial and error, until they learn to hear the voice of God within, that they may reach harmony with God.
Although the idea that Christians’ sins will be forgiven them by grace through Jesus Christ is an acceptable one, we can take this a step further by declaring that these sins are illusion, for they are confined only to a world which exists in illusion, a world which does not contain God, or it sees Him as either outside of it, or that God does not exist at all, according to atheists. When people see the world in this way, they have created an illusion, one of great emptiness. What fundamentalists call “sin” is primarily a misdirection of God's power, which has been given to us in order to create in this world. By our free will, we choose to use it correctly or to abuse it. In this process we learn that what we sow we shall reap, be it good or bad, as certain traditions call this karma. This is why when we learn to listen to the Divine Voice within, we will learn the correct use of power.
People of many different religions seek God outside of themselves, and as long as they do this, they will be missing the Reality. When they realize the truth is right under their noses, that God is within their very minds, hearts, and souls, closer than hands and feet, then they have begun the way of the Mystic. When you accept that God is intrinsically in this world, and in your heart, evil and sin cease to exist in this Reality. In fact, it would be impossible for evil to exist in the higher vibrational levels of God's Reality, although it does definitely seem to be very real in the physical world. Ultimately, evil is not real because it declares a separate God; it proclaims that the inner Divinity that you truly are is not really a part of you, or is not real at all, that it is the illusion. Fortunately, this idea has no ground to stand on, especially when Jesus Christ himself said, "I and my Father are one." This is true for every single soul, but each one must come to realize this divine unity, because this is the journey of the Mystic.
The Mystic realizes this dense physical world is limited and impermanent, for it consists of a lower vibration. When the mind and heart of the Mystic ascends into higher consciousness of the Divine, or Cosmic Consciousness, he is being lifted higher in vibration. This often occurs because he has become accustomed to entering a deep meditative state due to regular practice, and frequently he will have spiritual experiences, because he is learning to unite with his inner Source, for he yearns to live in this state always. However, he also knows that isolating himself in order to maintain a state of continual communion with the Divine is not practical. He must learn to find the Divine Presence in the wide diversity of the physical world as well, whether it is through socializing, business, nature, entertainment, and various other worldly interactions, etc. He realizes that attaining a healthy balance between the physical and spiritual planes is necessary. When he becomes engrossed too much in one or the other, this leads to a state of unbalance. The Mystic knows he has work to do in this denser world; he cannot remain in contemplative seclusion indefinitely, in an attempt to amalgamated with the Absolute, as many recluses in the past have endeavored to accomplish while ignoring the world around them. However, as long as he interacts with the physical world, he should apply himself and be a worthy example to others, and to serve them and uplift them to a higher level of reality. He will benefit himself and others by maintaining a balance of the active life of service and the quiet life of contemplation, where both are necessary in the Mystic’s life. There is a time to be active and a time for quietism.
Many early contemplatives and ascetics desired to escape the physical world by submerging themselves in severe meditative practices, fasting, and strict seclusion; however, it is necessary for any serious aspirants to interact with the world. The key is to cease trying to escape the world, but to learn to enjoy it.
In her book, Mysticism, Evelyn Underhill states, “But, having established that communion, re-ordered their inner lives upon transcendent levels -- being united with their Source not merely in temporary ecstasies, but in virtue of a permanent condition of the soul, they were impelled to abandon their solitude; and resume, in some way, their contact with the world in order to become the medium whereby that Life flowed out to other men. To go up alone into the mountain and come back as an ambassador to the world, has ever been the method of humanity’s best friends. This systole-and-diastole motion of retreat as the preliminary to a return remains the true ideal of Christian Mysticism in its highest development."
The Mystic is willing to serve here in this world as long as necessary, to uplift others into a level of deeper reality that he has experienced firsthand, but he is motivated by the compassion in his heart for humanity, yearning for his brothers and sisters to find God in their hearts too. He has walked the Way, doing the Great Work, so he knows how to lead others to find the Divine Source.
The Mystic will be glad in his heart when countless seekers have achieved the splendor of Illumination, which will lead them into Divine Union, for they have diligently followed the path he has walked for a long time now.
* * *
References for Parts I and II:
The Bond with the Beloved by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, published by the Golden Sufi Center
Mysticism by Evelyn Underhill, published by Oneworld Publications
The New Testament, King James Version
* * *
Matthew Martin has written on several subjects over the years. Currently you can find some of his essays on metaphysics, mysticism, and spirituality on: http://www.bamblebrush.com/online_books/matthewmartin/matthewmartin.asp
Copyright 2007 by Matthew Martin -- All Rights Reserved
By Mathew Martin
The Mystic is one of the most misunderstood individuals on Earth, not to mention one of the most ridiculed. It doesn't matter whether he is a Christian mystic, a Buddhist mystic, a Sufi, a Shaman, a psychic, a master teacher, etc., because all genuine mystics have gone beyond the fundamentalist mentality and entered the inner world of God’s Reality. The Mystic is more comfortable tuning into the spiritual world because he feels more awkward in the physical world, and never seems to fit in anywhere. He is often judged as being rather eccentric if not blatantly strange. Mystics tend to be shy and introverted rather than gregarious. They find it somewhat difficult to socialize, however, when they have become used to a certain group of people, especially a spiritual gathering, they feel right at home.
Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee in his book, The Bond with the Beloved, clearly says, "Mystics are usually introverts, more at home in the inner world than in the outer world… they have often been misunderstood since childhood.” He also says they often feel like strangers in this world. As strangers in a strange world in the earth plane, they feel more at home in the spiritual realm. This is one of the reasons they tend to act shy or distant around others.
Now of course, this is not true with all Mystics, as there have been a number of outgoing and socially comfortable individuals who have walked the road of Mysticism. Obviously, they have gained inner balance and confidence, and a good degree of self-mastery, whereas many Mystics are still unfolding on the Spiritual Path and are still seeking this balance. Sometimes they feel as if they are walking a tightrope, seeking a balance between the physical and spiritual, and a spiritual Master is one who has found that balance. Nevertheless, there are successful businessmen, entrepreneurs, millionaires, and ordinary people, etc., with naturally outgoing personalities -- but they are not necessarily mystics. There is something about walking the Mystical Path that causes the Mystic to feel awkward and out-of-place in the physical world -- until he has found that balance and reached mastery over both worlds.
The Mystic lives in the way of the heart more than he does in the way of the mind. He tends not to be an intellectual, but he is more of an intuitive, although he seeks the balance of both mind and heart. The true Mystic has a purified heart, for he has renounced the negative ways of the world to a large degree, and he feels compassion for others, and love for the Beloved, the God within. He lives by the affirmation, "I strive to serve God by serving mankind." He follows this scripture from the Bible: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind… Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matthew 22: 37 and 39, KJV)
He sees the unseen and here's the unheard, for although he is a transient in this world, he has gone beyond the Veil and entered the invisible world of Spirit, but he can move between the two worlds. He sees things most people do not see, and he hears the still clear voice of God within his heart. Some Mystics are in tune with angels and spirit guides, or other light-beings in the spiritual realm, but not all of them are this spiritually sensitive. There are varying degrees of Mystics, for some can perceive realms of higher vibration more clearly than others. Some are beginners or even initiates who are still learning the ways of the Mystical Path, whereas others are Masters who now lead the way for others.
The Mystic may have studied various esoteric teachings or numerous traditions, but he has not necessarily attached himself to any one of them, for what he seeks is not without, but within. He realizes that many paths can lead to God, but he has discovered that the inward way of the mystical is a more direct path. Although he may associate with a particular church or group and interact with its people, he remains detached to such religious organizations, for he has found what he has been looking for within his own self, because it is not something to be found in a physical group. He will associate with a particular group to serve and uplift its people and not so much for his own benefit or personal goals. He knows that finding the right religious group is not the goal, for he knows that the idea of "one true religion" is erroneous. He knows that his real purpose is finding and experiencing the God-Being within, and then teaching and demonstrating to others how to find this inner reality.
He can easily tune into Nature, which displays the beauty of the world and the universe, for these are pure reflections of God's own nature and beauty that is all around us. However, he can likewise easily tune into the God within himself, feeling the Presence and listening to the Voice herein. For he knows that God is within and without, and he senses this Divine Presence anywhere and everywhere he goes.
The Mystic is often a lonely soul as long as he lives in this outer world. He lives a personal life, and tends not to share his innermost feelings and experiences with others, mainly because most people will not understand them. Once again, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee says, "As our meditation and inner work allows us to glimpse the inner dimensions of ourself, we are also aware that these experiences cannot be communicated to the outside world… The inner reality which becomes a more and more central part of our life isolates us from ordinary people in the sense that only those who have similar experiences can understand us." Therefore, they gravitate toward people of like-mind and like-heart. His life in the outer world is not fulfilling, because he only feels fulfilled in the inner spiritual realm of his heart, where God resides. In his perception, God is not only an outer reality, but an inner living experience. Although God lives in all things and resides throughout the whole existence, the core of God is within his own being, for this is the source of his interior contact and experiences with the Divine.
The foundation of his unfolding life is based on his inner experiences of a higher reality, for he has gone beyond the need of a belief system. What he has experienced firsthand of the spiritual reality does not require simple belief any longer. He lives in the reality of gnosis, or inner knowing, rather than concrete dogma, mankind's ideas about God. Instead of merely believing in God, which was the beginning of his path, his sincere faith led him to the realization and experience of God within himself, which is the pivotal point of the Mystic’s life.
----
Matthew Martin has written on several subjects over the years. Currently you can find some of his essays on metaphysics, mysticism, and spirituality on: http://www.bamblebrush.com/online_books/matthewmartin/matthewmartin.asp
Copyright 2007 by Matthew Martin -- All Rights Reserved
---------------------------
The Way of the Mystic - Part II
By Mathew Martin
Mysticism is very much misunderstood, for it is simply developing intimacy with the Divine within yourself, and entering Oneness herein. Essentially, the Mystic, as a spiritual lover, communes with God as the Beloved, for this is a divinely heartfelt relationship. Anything else you may hear is not genuine mysticism. The ideas of phenomenalism, the supernatural, magic, witchcraft, voodoo, Satanism, and so forth, primarily thrive in the mental or the psychic planes. These dark aspects have nothing to do with real Mysticism. That which thrives in and emanates from the Divine Reality is true Mysticism, wherein the true Mystic lives.
The Mystic knows that when he speaks of the things he feels and sees that reflect the inner Reality, especially to people that have no understanding of these things, he will be scoffed and ridiculed. They judge him as being strange if not downright crazy. This is why he often keeps to himself. He will speak of these things to others on the Mystical Path, for they will receive him, especially genuine seekers who yearn for the Truth and not just dogmatic ideas. What seems normal and true to him is often viewed as ludicrous to others. Likewise, the Mystic may view others’ beliefs as erroneous and absurd, if not simply shallow and lacking in genuine spiritual experience. For example, the typical fundamentalist Christian sees God as outside himself and far away. In fact, he has no idea where to locate God, which in ancient times was referred to as the Unknown God. Although God is unknown to many people, He is not by any means unknowable, for the path of the Mystic is to learn to know God within his heart, and to commune with Him.
Early Mystics spoke of becoming one with God, often referred to as Divine Union; however, fundamentalists might call this blasphemy, because they believe God is somewhere outside of their reality, which is, incidentally, not a very real reality, since it does not incorporate God being within it. They believe that people are supposed to be separate from God, and that they deserve this separation because of their despicable sins, but the Mystic sees this idea of separation from God as erroneous and detrimental to spiritual growth. He recognizes that evil is a concept that appears to be very real in the physical world, but in the greater Reality, evil is merely an illusion, another concept which defines mankind’s separation from God. From evil comes sin, which is simply people’s decision to disobey God, because they express themselves through free will. But this is the way people learn and grow, through trial and error, until they learn to hear the voice of God within, that they may reach harmony with God.
Although the idea that Christians’ sins will be forgiven them by grace through Jesus Christ is an acceptable one, we can take this a step further by declaring that these sins are illusion, for they are confined only to a world which exists in illusion, a world which does not contain God, or it sees Him as either outside of it, or that God does not exist at all, according to atheists. When people see the world in this way, they have created an illusion, one of great emptiness. What fundamentalists call “sin” is primarily a misdirection of God's power, which has been given to us in order to create in this world. By our free will, we choose to use it correctly or to abuse it. In this process we learn that what we sow we shall reap, be it good or bad, as certain traditions call this karma. This is why when we learn to listen to the Divine Voice within, we will learn the correct use of power.
People of many different religions seek God outside of themselves, and as long as they do this, they will be missing the Reality. When they realize the truth is right under their noses, that God is within their very minds, hearts, and souls, closer than hands and feet, then they have begun the way of the Mystic. When you accept that God is intrinsically in this world, and in your heart, evil and sin cease to exist in this Reality. In fact, it would be impossible for evil to exist in the higher vibrational levels of God's Reality, although it does definitely seem to be very real in the physical world. Ultimately, evil is not real because it declares a separate God; it proclaims that the inner Divinity that you truly are is not really a part of you, or is not real at all, that it is the illusion. Fortunately, this idea has no ground to stand on, especially when Jesus Christ himself said, "I and my Father are one." This is true for every single soul, but each one must come to realize this divine unity, because this is the journey of the Mystic.
The Mystic realizes this dense physical world is limited and impermanent, for it consists of a lower vibration. When the mind and heart of the Mystic ascends into higher consciousness of the Divine, or Cosmic Consciousness, he is being lifted higher in vibration. This often occurs because he has become accustomed to entering a deep meditative state due to regular practice, and frequently he will have spiritual experiences, because he is learning to unite with his inner Source, for he yearns to live in this state always. However, he also knows that isolating himself in order to maintain a state of continual communion with the Divine is not practical. He must learn to find the Divine Presence in the wide diversity of the physical world as well, whether it is through socializing, business, nature, entertainment, and various other worldly interactions, etc. He realizes that attaining a healthy balance between the physical and spiritual planes is necessary. When he becomes engrossed too much in one or the other, this leads to a state of unbalance. The Mystic knows he has work to do in this denser world; he cannot remain in contemplative seclusion indefinitely, in an attempt to amalgamated with the Absolute, as many recluses in the past have endeavored to accomplish while ignoring the world around them. However, as long as he interacts with the physical world, he should apply himself and be a worthy example to others, and to serve them and uplift them to a higher level of reality. He will benefit himself and others by maintaining a balance of the active life of service and the quiet life of contemplation, where both are necessary in the Mystic’s life. There is a time to be active and a time for quietism.
Many early contemplatives and ascetics desired to escape the physical world by submerging themselves in severe meditative practices, fasting, and strict seclusion; however, it is necessary for any serious aspirants to interact with the world. The key is to cease trying to escape the world, but to learn to enjoy it.
In her book, Mysticism, Evelyn Underhill states, “But, having established that communion, re-ordered their inner lives upon transcendent levels -- being united with their Source not merely in temporary ecstasies, but in virtue of a permanent condition of the soul, they were impelled to abandon their solitude; and resume, in some way, their contact with the world in order to become the medium whereby that Life flowed out to other men. To go up alone into the mountain and come back as an ambassador to the world, has ever been the method of humanity’s best friends. This systole-and-diastole motion of retreat as the preliminary to a return remains the true ideal of Christian Mysticism in its highest development."
The Mystic is willing to serve here in this world as long as necessary, to uplift others into a level of deeper reality that he has experienced firsthand, but he is motivated by the compassion in his heart for humanity, yearning for his brothers and sisters to find God in their hearts too. He has walked the Way, doing the Great Work, so he knows how to lead others to find the Divine Source.
The Mystic will be glad in his heart when countless seekers have achieved the splendor of Illumination, which will lead them into Divine Union, for they have diligently followed the path he has walked for a long time now.
* * *
References for Parts I and II:
The Bond with the Beloved by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, published by the Golden Sufi Center
Mysticism by Evelyn Underhill, published by Oneworld Publications
The New Testament, King James Version
* * *
Matthew Martin has written on several subjects over the years. Currently you can find some of his essays on metaphysics, mysticism, and spirituality on: http://www.bamblebrush.com/online_books/matthewmartin/matthewmartin.asp
Copyright 2007 by Matthew Martin -- All Rights Reserved
Friday, May 25, 2007
Cryptozoology And The Beast Of Bodmin Moor
Cryptozoology And The Beast Of Bodmin Moor
By Robert Benjamin
The Beast Of Bodmin Moor, has been sighted by numerous witnesses, in Bodmin Moor - Cornwall (SW England - UK), from 1971 to present. The creature has been reported as looking like a black panther or dark colored mountain lion, with large white-yellow eyes. It's size has been reported as ranging from 3-5 feet long for the body, with a tail of roughly 18-24 inches. The creature makes the usual hissing and growling sounds of a large cat such as a panther or mountain lion, but also has made what sounds like a woman screaming, only the sound is very loud and down-right scary.
The creature haunts one of the top sites of the world for ancient magical practices and services. The area is home to ancient stone circles and burial mounds. There are Even giant tracts of land, shaped like figures of the zodiac that make up the area. The area was also a frequent place visited by the knights templars.
Miners who used to mine cobalt in the area for years reported the mines were full of demons, this is where the names 'kobolds' or minegoblins came from. Soldiers from the British army tracked and had the creature surrounded in a barn. The soldiers moved in towards the barn forming a circle as they neared it, when they entered the barn the creature had vanished.
The story about the creature vanishing after it was trapped inside a barn, is certainly a sign that the creature may be a spiritual being, but it could be possible that the creature found another way to escape, such as a mine shaft, since the area is a source of many old cobalt mines. It seems very strange though, that this creature has Been documented many times on video, has left tracks and multiple dead animals, has been tracked by soldiers, and sharp shooters, and still not one has been captured or killed.
There is a website that describes this and numerous other creatures of Cryptozoology in detail. The website is called: Unknown Creatures, and may be found at this address: http://www.unknown-creatures.com
-----
copyright © 2006
You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.
About the Author:
Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released software on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's.
RB59 Software
http://www.rb59.com/software
By Robert Benjamin
The Beast Of Bodmin Moor, has been sighted by numerous witnesses, in Bodmin Moor - Cornwall (SW England - UK), from 1971 to present. The creature has been reported as looking like a black panther or dark colored mountain lion, with large white-yellow eyes. It's size has been reported as ranging from 3-5 feet long for the body, with a tail of roughly 18-24 inches. The creature makes the usual hissing and growling sounds of a large cat such as a panther or mountain lion, but also has made what sounds like a woman screaming, only the sound is very loud and down-right scary.
The creature haunts one of the top sites of the world for ancient magical practices and services. The area is home to ancient stone circles and burial mounds. There are Even giant tracts of land, shaped like figures of the zodiac that make up the area. The area was also a frequent place visited by the knights templars.
Miners who used to mine cobalt in the area for years reported the mines were full of demons, this is where the names 'kobolds' or minegoblins came from. Soldiers from the British army tracked and had the creature surrounded in a barn. The soldiers moved in towards the barn forming a circle as they neared it, when they entered the barn the creature had vanished.
The story about the creature vanishing after it was trapped inside a barn, is certainly a sign that the creature may be a spiritual being, but it could be possible that the creature found another way to escape, such as a mine shaft, since the area is a source of many old cobalt mines. It seems very strange though, that this creature has Been documented many times on video, has left tracks and multiple dead animals, has been tracked by soldiers, and sharp shooters, and still not one has been captured or killed.
There is a website that describes this and numerous other creatures of Cryptozoology in detail. The website is called: Unknown Creatures, and may be found at this address: http://www.unknown-creatures.com
-----
copyright © 2006
You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.
About the Author:
Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released software on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's.
RB59 Software
http://www.rb59.com/software
Cryptozoology And The Beast Of Gevaudan
Cryptozoology And The Beast Of Gevaudan
By Robert Benjamin
The Beast Of Gevaudan, was seen during the years 1764 - 1767, in Gevaudan France. The creature was reported being as big as a large calf or young cow, it was covered with a fur that was reddish, the head was big and wolf-like, and more brown than the rest of the body, the jaws were always gaping, ears short and straight, chest white and very broad, tail very long and thick with the tip white, the back paws very big and long, according to some having hooves like a horse, those of the front were shorter and covered with a long fur, having six claws to each paw. Once when the creature was sighted crossing a river, it raised itself on its hind legs and waded over like a human being.
Furthermore it was very agile and extremely strong. It was sometimes sighted in locations very far apart on the same day. When hunting it crawled almost with its belly to the ground. One shepherd claimed it could stand up on its rear legs and was strong enough to lift an adult sheep with its arms. Dogs fled in terror from it as did most other animals.
The creature often made a sound more like a horse neighing than a wolf howling, but sometimes it would make a growling sound like those of a mean dog, or one in pain or distress. There were two mysterious cases reported during the times of the creatures attacks. Three women were going to church near the wood of Favart, when a dark man offered to escort them through the woods. They refused and before leaving he touched one of them with a fur-covered hand. Soldiers arriving on the scene just after the incident warned the terrified women not to go into the woods, because the creature had just been seen there.
Two women of Escures also on the way to church had a similar experience in an area where, unknown to them, the creature had just been seen by several people. This time they saw that the man accosting them was covered in fur only when his shirt blew open in the wind. It was said at the time the creature was called an instrument of the Devil, and besides killing, was trying to stop people from going to Mass.
One can certainly see the spiritual connection to the beast if we are to believe the stories of the meetings that occurred between the women and the strange man, who had fur covering him. Since spiritual creatures can assume any form, it would of been nothing to change from the wolf-life beast into the form of something humans would of not found so scary, only to change back into the beast once inside the dark woods. One reason the creature would of done this is the following.
I have read numerous times when there has been an encounter with a ghost or demon in a haunted location, the spirtiual being draws energy off their victims or those near them. The women would of became frightened easily once inside the dark woods, especially when they would of noticed the man was covered with fur, etc. Once they became scared and released their psychic energy given off in fear, the creature could drain and use this energy to change and keep it's varied forms more easily, like a demon or ghost does when it drains energy from frightened people.
There is a website that describes this and numerous other creatures of Cryptozoology in detail. The website is called: Unknown Creatures, and may be found at this address ==>http://www.unknown-creatures.com
----
By Robert W. Benjamin
Copyright © 2006
You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.
http://www.rb59.com/software
By Robert Benjamin
The Beast Of Gevaudan, was seen during the years 1764 - 1767, in Gevaudan France. The creature was reported being as big as a large calf or young cow, it was covered with a fur that was reddish, the head was big and wolf-like, and more brown than the rest of the body, the jaws were always gaping, ears short and straight, chest white and very broad, tail very long and thick with the tip white, the back paws very big and long, according to some having hooves like a horse, those of the front were shorter and covered with a long fur, having six claws to each paw. Once when the creature was sighted crossing a river, it raised itself on its hind legs and waded over like a human being.
Furthermore it was very agile and extremely strong. It was sometimes sighted in locations very far apart on the same day. When hunting it crawled almost with its belly to the ground. One shepherd claimed it could stand up on its rear legs and was strong enough to lift an adult sheep with its arms. Dogs fled in terror from it as did most other animals.
The creature often made a sound more like a horse neighing than a wolf howling, but sometimes it would make a growling sound like those of a mean dog, or one in pain or distress. There were two mysterious cases reported during the times of the creatures attacks. Three women were going to church near the wood of Favart, when a dark man offered to escort them through the woods. They refused and before leaving he touched one of them with a fur-covered hand. Soldiers arriving on the scene just after the incident warned the terrified women not to go into the woods, because the creature had just been seen there.
Two women of Escures also on the way to church had a similar experience in an area where, unknown to them, the creature had just been seen by several people. This time they saw that the man accosting them was covered in fur only when his shirt blew open in the wind. It was said at the time the creature was called an instrument of the Devil, and besides killing, was trying to stop people from going to Mass.
One can certainly see the spiritual connection to the beast if we are to believe the stories of the meetings that occurred between the women and the strange man, who had fur covering him. Since spiritual creatures can assume any form, it would of been nothing to change from the wolf-life beast into the form of something humans would of not found so scary, only to change back into the beast once inside the dark woods. One reason the creature would of done this is the following.
I have read numerous times when there has been an encounter with a ghost or demon in a haunted location, the spirtiual being draws energy off their victims or those near them. The women would of became frightened easily once inside the dark woods, especially when they would of noticed the man was covered with fur, etc. Once they became scared and released their psychic energy given off in fear, the creature could drain and use this energy to change and keep it's varied forms more easily, like a demon or ghost does when it drains energy from frightened people.
There is a website that describes this and numerous other creatures of Cryptozoology in detail. The website is called: Unknown Creatures, and may be found at this address ==>http://www.unknown-creatures.com
----
By Robert W. Benjamin
Copyright © 2006
You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.
http://www.rb59.com/software
Karma and Quantum Mechanics (Part 1)
Karma and Quantum Mechanics (Part 1)
by E. Raymond Rock
From the Buddhist Diamond Sutra, which investigates emptiness:
"However many species of living beings there are -- whether born from eggs, from the womb, from moisture or spontaneously, whether they have form or no form, whether they have perceptions or they do not have perceptions . . . all compounded things are like a dream, a phantom, a drop of dew, a flash of lightening. That is how to meditate on them, that is how to observe them."
And from the Buddhist Heart Sutra:
"Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Emptiness is no other than form, form is no other than emptiness. In the same way, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are emptiness . . . There is no birth and no cessation, no increase or decrease. In emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no consciousness, no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind, no appearance, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch . . . no ignorance, no end of ignorance up to no old age and death, no end of old age and death, no suffering, no origin of suffering, no cessation of suffering, no path, no wisdom, no attainment, no non-attainment."
Our thoughts create themselves from what could be considered nothing, a field of karma, and then they disappear, no different from atomic particles arising from a field of energy, which could also be considered nothing, lingering a while, and then melting back into immaterial existence. Creativity abounds in the universe.
Science searches for truth; spirituality should do no less, and when both science and spirituality agree on something, this is worth noting, and meditation and science seem to merge when it comes to our thoughts and sub-atomic particles. In quantum mechanics, particles are accelerated at extremely high speeds before being crashed together in confined spaces in infinitesimal amounts of time. This event causes particles to behave in peculiar ways, akin to thoughts appearing and disappearing at will in our minds. Where these thoughts and particles come from and go to is yet to be understood, but one thing science does understand; that although these particles are considered matter, they are not solid, and actually are considered as only probabilities -- hardly existing at all.
Scientists define these particles as bits of information, again like thoughts. They exist in waves of probabilities, similar to the vast storehouse of information in not only our physical memory banks, but deeper in our spiritual memories as well. Only when these particles are closely observed, they pop their little heads up for a moment appearing in one of a myriad of possible positions, similar to random memories popping up in our minds - or karma popping up in our lives. Therefore, their reality relies on the surveillance of the observers in a seemingly symbiotic relationship.
Our memories, however, become stuck in a groove with the same old thoughts appearing in the same positions. This limits the scope of our brain and results in mechanical progression. Whenever a thought arises in our minds, the same processes go into action. Lust or strong desire can form when something desirable either contacts our senses or arises in our minds, and our underlying karma will affect how we react to these things. One person will be attracted to wealth, and another to meditation. This feeling strengthens when a gland in our brain preps our body for action by churning out chemicals, then, another gland releases these tailored chemicals into the bloodstream where they seek out specialized cells with little docking ports on their exteriors. As soon as these cells receive this transfer of chemical information, then sexual organs, for example, get the signal to go to work.
This flurry of activity began with a single thought, but where did that thought come from? Here we have the analogy of an atomic particle that arose from a wave of probabilities . . . and a single thought, which arose from billions of bits of information. We can see that everything begins inside; this is where the action is -- and this is where meditation is focused.
A thought begins in small cells in the brain, but before that happens, each cell is affected by its karma. Each of these neurons has branches that connect to other cells during the thinking process, and each time the same thought comes up, these little branches become fatter, with the connection becoming stronger. Over time, if a lustful thought is repeated enough, it might become an obsession with associated thoughts appearing in the mind every few minutes. This creates strong connections, and strong connections create dependency. Then if we don't activate these connection by repeating that particular thought, mental pain in the form of withdrawal occurs.
Soon, of course, the brain is crowded with dependencies like sex, security, and self-esteem, and since each connection becomes stronger with stimulation, it becomes increasingly difficult to break our habit patterns. This describes our life -- a series of thought cycles repeated in certain patterns to create identities.
Our brain handles billions of snippets of information a second, but we are only aware of a small fraction of them, and the ones that we are familiar with and believe in pop up most often. As a result, our life becomes a "groove in a record" that we can't stop playing.
This is fine while we are satisfied with our lives -- and our grooves -- but over time, our cravings, supported by our habit patterns, become desensitized and require increasingly stronger stimulation. This could lead to dire results if we then frantically seek out additional stimulation to reinforce old habit patterns. This only deepens our grooves and causes constant stress. . . . Hello karma!
-----
E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, http://www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-eight years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit http://www.AYearToEnlightenment.com
by E. Raymond Rock
From the Buddhist Diamond Sutra, which investigates emptiness:
"However many species of living beings there are -- whether born from eggs, from the womb, from moisture or spontaneously, whether they have form or no form, whether they have perceptions or they do not have perceptions . . . all compounded things are like a dream, a phantom, a drop of dew, a flash of lightening. That is how to meditate on them, that is how to observe them."
And from the Buddhist Heart Sutra:
"Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Emptiness is no other than form, form is no other than emptiness. In the same way, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are emptiness . . . There is no birth and no cessation, no increase or decrease. In emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no consciousness, no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind, no appearance, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch . . . no ignorance, no end of ignorance up to no old age and death, no end of old age and death, no suffering, no origin of suffering, no cessation of suffering, no path, no wisdom, no attainment, no non-attainment."
Our thoughts create themselves from what could be considered nothing, a field of karma, and then they disappear, no different from atomic particles arising from a field of energy, which could also be considered nothing, lingering a while, and then melting back into immaterial existence. Creativity abounds in the universe.
Science searches for truth; spirituality should do no less, and when both science and spirituality agree on something, this is worth noting, and meditation and science seem to merge when it comes to our thoughts and sub-atomic particles. In quantum mechanics, particles are accelerated at extremely high speeds before being crashed together in confined spaces in infinitesimal amounts of time. This event causes particles to behave in peculiar ways, akin to thoughts appearing and disappearing at will in our minds. Where these thoughts and particles come from and go to is yet to be understood, but one thing science does understand; that although these particles are considered matter, they are not solid, and actually are considered as only probabilities -- hardly existing at all.
Scientists define these particles as bits of information, again like thoughts. They exist in waves of probabilities, similar to the vast storehouse of information in not only our physical memory banks, but deeper in our spiritual memories as well. Only when these particles are closely observed, they pop their little heads up for a moment appearing in one of a myriad of possible positions, similar to random memories popping up in our minds - or karma popping up in our lives. Therefore, their reality relies on the surveillance of the observers in a seemingly symbiotic relationship.
Our memories, however, become stuck in a groove with the same old thoughts appearing in the same positions. This limits the scope of our brain and results in mechanical progression. Whenever a thought arises in our minds, the same processes go into action. Lust or strong desire can form when something desirable either contacts our senses or arises in our minds, and our underlying karma will affect how we react to these things. One person will be attracted to wealth, and another to meditation. This feeling strengthens when a gland in our brain preps our body for action by churning out chemicals, then, another gland releases these tailored chemicals into the bloodstream where they seek out specialized cells with little docking ports on their exteriors. As soon as these cells receive this transfer of chemical information, then sexual organs, for example, get the signal to go to work.
This flurry of activity began with a single thought, but where did that thought come from? Here we have the analogy of an atomic particle that arose from a wave of probabilities . . . and a single thought, which arose from billions of bits of information. We can see that everything begins inside; this is where the action is -- and this is where meditation is focused.
A thought begins in small cells in the brain, but before that happens, each cell is affected by its karma. Each of these neurons has branches that connect to other cells during the thinking process, and each time the same thought comes up, these little branches become fatter, with the connection becoming stronger. Over time, if a lustful thought is repeated enough, it might become an obsession with associated thoughts appearing in the mind every few minutes. This creates strong connections, and strong connections create dependency. Then if we don't activate these connection by repeating that particular thought, mental pain in the form of withdrawal occurs.
Soon, of course, the brain is crowded with dependencies like sex, security, and self-esteem, and since each connection becomes stronger with stimulation, it becomes increasingly difficult to break our habit patterns. This describes our life -- a series of thought cycles repeated in certain patterns to create identities.
Our brain handles billions of snippets of information a second, but we are only aware of a small fraction of them, and the ones that we are familiar with and believe in pop up most often. As a result, our life becomes a "groove in a record" that we can't stop playing.
This is fine while we are satisfied with our lives -- and our grooves -- but over time, our cravings, supported by our habit patterns, become desensitized and require increasingly stronger stimulation. This could lead to dire results if we then frantically seek out additional stimulation to reinforce old habit patterns. This only deepens our grooves and causes constant stress. . . . Hello karma!
-----
E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, http://www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-eight years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit http://www.AYearToEnlightenment.com
Bigfoot Intelligence- The Evidence From Sightings
Bigfoot Intelligence- The Evidence From Sightings
By Lisa A. Shiel
What information can we glean from modern sightings about the intelligence of hairy hominids?
Hairy hominids often watch humans from a distance. They peek out from behind trees or brush, or peer through windows of cars or homes at startled witnesses. In 1953, a man fishing alone near Portland, Oregon—his two companions were nearby but out of view—spotted a hairy hominid hiding in the thickets watching him. His account appeared in the local newspaper. In his book Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us, John Green recounts two stories from the 1960s that involve peeping hominids. Around 1964, Glen Varner observed a hairy hominid staring through the window of his mother's house at Priest Lake, Idaho. Then, in 1966, a married couple living near Lower Bank, New Jersey, were startled by a Bigfoot peeking in their window; they later left food out for the creature, who took it.
The creatures have beckoned to onlookers, as in a 1850s case from Told by the Pioneers, published by the US Work Projects Administration. The daughter of witness Rocque Ducheney described how a Bigfoot had beckoned to Ducheney, spurring him to flee the area. In several instances, the creatures paced vehicles. In January 1970—near Whitewater, New Mexico—a hairy hominid paced the car in which driver Clifford Heronemus and his three friends rode. The creature kept up at speeds of 45mph; one of Heronemus' friends shot at the creature, which fell down, though no blood was found on the road. The Gallup, New Mexico, Independent reported the encounter. When hairy hominids chase humans directly, the witness usually escapes without much effort. As reported by John Green in The Sasquatch File, a man fishing near Estacada, Oregon, in October 1968 wound up being chased back to his vehicle by a hairy hominid. When the witness fell down during the chase, the creature paused to let him regain his footing. Since a creature as large as Bigfoot could've outpaced the witness, the conclusion seems inevitable. They're as interested in us as we are in them.
A few sightings mention the creatures wearing clothing, typically an animal skin covering the lower body—as in a 1947 Canadian case from Rene Dahinden's book Sasquatch, in which a Vancouver couple saw creatures wearing skins. In 1947, a California couple saw two hairy hominids, a male and a female, along Highway 99 south of Shasta. As described in John Green's Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us, the male creature glanced through the car window at the witnesses, then loped across road. A moment later he went back the other way, retrieving his companion, who he helped negotiate the road and climb a bank on the other side. On California's Mount Shasta, around 1900, a man was bitten by a snake and passed out, awaking later to find three hairy hominids had treated his wound. The creatures carried him to a tree in an area where he could attract the attention of the prospectors for whom he worked. The magazine Many Smokes reported the encounter in 1968, nearly 70 years later. Behavior like that seen in the two cases just discussed, as well as many others, echoes human compassion.
Around 1964, Herb Brown spotted a hairy hominid stalking four deer near LaPorte, California. He related the sighting to Roger Patterson, who would later have his own encounter with a Bigfoot at Bluff Creek, California. In the 1860s, in northern Nevada, an armed party pursued a hairy hominid who brandished a club in one hand and a dead rabbit in the other—the New York Tribune reported the event, in which the pursuers lost track of their quarry. Other sightings mention the creatures holding clubs, and many recount them throwing rocks. For instance, in The Bigfoot Casebook, Janet and Colin Bord include an event Frank Dan experienced in July 1936. While canoeing on Morris Creek, in British Colombia, Dan had rocks thrown at him by a Bigfoot. Primates sometimes throw rocks, but none hunt with clubs. On Canada's Vancouver Island in 1901, Mike King saw a creature washing roots in a creek, then carefully stacking them on the ground. His sighting appeared in the pages of the Victoria, British Colombia, Colonist. These cases suggest hairy hominids hunt, use tools, and gather food in a manner similar to humans.
On a ranch in Texas, where I lived for some time, I found evidence hairy hominids use stone tools identical to those ancient hominids used. In an area where I'd previously found 17-inch footprints, I discovered unusual rocks lying on the ground just off the trails that ran throughout the property. The stones, which had appeared overnight, resemble rocks called "pebble tools," which early hominids used. Never before had I seen rocks of that size, shape, or composition on the property.
Another piece of evidence emerged right in my backyard too—stick signs. These signs consist of sticks, usually small ones, arranged in unnatural formations such as crosses, V and T shapes, and complex arrangements of parallel sticks combined with other shapes. As I discuss in my book Backyard Bigfoot, I also found footprints in the areas where I discovered sticks signs—and whoever created the signs altered stick signs I'd constructed. This type of behavior seems to indicate high intelligence, as well as a degree of playfulness.
Hairy hominids could possess a language that we simply can't understand. Grunts and growls may seem like meaningless sounds to us, but they might represent language. After all, the Romans thought the Celts' language sounded like the "baa-baa" of sheep!
----
Lisa A. Shiel is the author of Backyard Bigfoot: The True Story of Stick Signs, UFOs, & the Sasquatch, a ForeWord Magazine 2006 Book of the Year finalist. Critics have praised Backyard Bigfoot, saying “[it] is as informative as it is entertaining” (Midwest Book Review), “[it is] one of the best types of investigative reporting I've seen” (Reader Views), and “you may agree or not with her conclusions but you will be entertained by the discussions” (The Mining Journal, Marquette).
As a recognized Bigfoot expert, Lisa has been interviewed by big-city newspapers, drive-time talk radio hosts, local and national magazines, and TV reporters. In 2005, she founded the Michigan Upper Peninsula Bigfoot Organization (MUPBO) to explore all aspects of the Bigfoot phenomenon, from sightings to evolution to UFOs. Lisa has a master's degree in Library Science. She currently pens a blog, Bigfoot Quest, as a companion to the MUPBO site.
By Lisa A. Shiel
What information can we glean from modern sightings about the intelligence of hairy hominids?
Hairy hominids often watch humans from a distance. They peek out from behind trees or brush, or peer through windows of cars or homes at startled witnesses. In 1953, a man fishing alone near Portland, Oregon—his two companions were nearby but out of view—spotted a hairy hominid hiding in the thickets watching him. His account appeared in the local newspaper. In his book Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us, John Green recounts two stories from the 1960s that involve peeping hominids. Around 1964, Glen Varner observed a hairy hominid staring through the window of his mother's house at Priest Lake, Idaho. Then, in 1966, a married couple living near Lower Bank, New Jersey, were startled by a Bigfoot peeking in their window; they later left food out for the creature, who took it.
The creatures have beckoned to onlookers, as in a 1850s case from Told by the Pioneers, published by the US Work Projects Administration. The daughter of witness Rocque Ducheney described how a Bigfoot had beckoned to Ducheney, spurring him to flee the area. In several instances, the creatures paced vehicles. In January 1970—near Whitewater, New Mexico—a hairy hominid paced the car in which driver Clifford Heronemus and his three friends rode. The creature kept up at speeds of 45mph; one of Heronemus' friends shot at the creature, which fell down, though no blood was found on the road. The Gallup, New Mexico, Independent reported the encounter. When hairy hominids chase humans directly, the witness usually escapes without much effort. As reported by John Green in The Sasquatch File, a man fishing near Estacada, Oregon, in October 1968 wound up being chased back to his vehicle by a hairy hominid. When the witness fell down during the chase, the creature paused to let him regain his footing. Since a creature as large as Bigfoot could've outpaced the witness, the conclusion seems inevitable. They're as interested in us as we are in them.
A few sightings mention the creatures wearing clothing, typically an animal skin covering the lower body—as in a 1947 Canadian case from Rene Dahinden's book Sasquatch, in which a Vancouver couple saw creatures wearing skins. In 1947, a California couple saw two hairy hominids, a male and a female, along Highway 99 south of Shasta. As described in John Green's Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us, the male creature glanced through the car window at the witnesses, then loped across road. A moment later he went back the other way, retrieving his companion, who he helped negotiate the road and climb a bank on the other side. On California's Mount Shasta, around 1900, a man was bitten by a snake and passed out, awaking later to find three hairy hominids had treated his wound. The creatures carried him to a tree in an area where he could attract the attention of the prospectors for whom he worked. The magazine Many Smokes reported the encounter in 1968, nearly 70 years later. Behavior like that seen in the two cases just discussed, as well as many others, echoes human compassion.
Around 1964, Herb Brown spotted a hairy hominid stalking four deer near LaPorte, California. He related the sighting to Roger Patterson, who would later have his own encounter with a Bigfoot at Bluff Creek, California. In the 1860s, in northern Nevada, an armed party pursued a hairy hominid who brandished a club in one hand and a dead rabbit in the other—the New York Tribune reported the event, in which the pursuers lost track of their quarry. Other sightings mention the creatures holding clubs, and many recount them throwing rocks. For instance, in The Bigfoot Casebook, Janet and Colin Bord include an event Frank Dan experienced in July 1936. While canoeing on Morris Creek, in British Colombia, Dan had rocks thrown at him by a Bigfoot. Primates sometimes throw rocks, but none hunt with clubs. On Canada's Vancouver Island in 1901, Mike King saw a creature washing roots in a creek, then carefully stacking them on the ground. His sighting appeared in the pages of the Victoria, British Colombia, Colonist. These cases suggest hairy hominids hunt, use tools, and gather food in a manner similar to humans.
On a ranch in Texas, where I lived for some time, I found evidence hairy hominids use stone tools identical to those ancient hominids used. In an area where I'd previously found 17-inch footprints, I discovered unusual rocks lying on the ground just off the trails that ran throughout the property. The stones, which had appeared overnight, resemble rocks called "pebble tools," which early hominids used. Never before had I seen rocks of that size, shape, or composition on the property.
Another piece of evidence emerged right in my backyard too—stick signs. These signs consist of sticks, usually small ones, arranged in unnatural formations such as crosses, V and T shapes, and complex arrangements of parallel sticks combined with other shapes. As I discuss in my book Backyard Bigfoot, I also found footprints in the areas where I discovered sticks signs—and whoever created the signs altered stick signs I'd constructed. This type of behavior seems to indicate high intelligence, as well as a degree of playfulness.
Hairy hominids could possess a language that we simply can't understand. Grunts and growls may seem like meaningless sounds to us, but they might represent language. After all, the Romans thought the Celts' language sounded like the "baa-baa" of sheep!
----
Lisa A. Shiel is the author of Backyard Bigfoot: The True Story of Stick Signs, UFOs, & the Sasquatch, a ForeWord Magazine 2006 Book of the Year finalist. Critics have praised Backyard Bigfoot, saying “[it] is as informative as it is entertaining” (Midwest Book Review), “[it is] one of the best types of investigative reporting I've seen” (Reader Views), and “you may agree or not with her conclusions but you will be entertained by the discussions” (The Mining Journal, Marquette).
As a recognized Bigfoot expert, Lisa has been interviewed by big-city newspapers, drive-time talk radio hosts, local and national magazines, and TV reporters. In 2005, she founded the Michigan Upper Peninsula Bigfoot Organization (MUPBO) to explore all aspects of the Bigfoot phenomenon, from sightings to evolution to UFOs. Lisa has a master's degree in Library Science. She currently pens a blog, Bigfoot Quest, as a companion to the MUPBO site.
Your First Magick Divination
Your First Magick Divination
By Rose Ariadne
I am going to show you a simple way of Divination called Scrying. The first thing you need to do is get some sort of reflective object... like a mirror or a crystal ball, etc. This will actually allow you to catch a glimpse of things to come if you follow your current path.
Now, turn out the lights, and get some of your favorite incense going. The only light that should be in the room is a dim light, such as a candle set behind you. Cover the table you are going to use with a black cloth or piece of fabric. Now place the object you chose to use for Scrying on top of the table.
Start by warming up and getting into your meditative space, setting the tone for what you will be doing. When you are ready, open your eyes and look into the surface of your scrying instrument. Your focus should shift past the surface to a point somewhere approximately five or six inches beyond the surface. This may or may not work for you, but it is the best way to shift your focus for scrying. Have you ever looked at those pictures that are completely comprised of colored dots and/or splotches and had to “look past” the surface to see the three-dimensional image in the picture? It is the same principle used here for scrying.
Try to keep your mind blank, open to whatever may be shown to you, unless you are scrying for the answer to a specific question. Your eyes will want to blink. That is all right, let them blink and regain your shift in focus. When you are first beginning, try to keep your scrying time to no more than ten or twenty minutes. If you are not successful, put it away and try again another time.
Images may come to you in any number of forms. Some may be full images, even moving pictures as though you are watching a movie. That is not common, however, especially when you are first beginning. At first you may only get a “cloud” or “mist”. This may eventually part to allow images to come through, or it may just move in one direction or another in answer to yes or no questions.
If you do see images, they may be simple symbols left open for interpretation. These symbols usually mean something to you, and are not necessarily the symbols you may find written in a book. For instance, a dog may generally symbolize loyalty or protection, but if you were traumatized at some point in your life by a dog attack, it could mean something entirely different to you.
----
Rose has been practicing different forms of Witchcraft for over 27 years. For more information on love spells given free visit her site The Ask Rose Ariadne Witchcraft Site"
By Rose Ariadne
I am going to show you a simple way of Divination called Scrying. The first thing you need to do is get some sort of reflective object... like a mirror or a crystal ball, etc. This will actually allow you to catch a glimpse of things to come if you follow your current path.
Now, turn out the lights, and get some of your favorite incense going. The only light that should be in the room is a dim light, such as a candle set behind you. Cover the table you are going to use with a black cloth or piece of fabric. Now place the object you chose to use for Scrying on top of the table.
Start by warming up and getting into your meditative space, setting the tone for what you will be doing. When you are ready, open your eyes and look into the surface of your scrying instrument. Your focus should shift past the surface to a point somewhere approximately five or six inches beyond the surface. This may or may not work for you, but it is the best way to shift your focus for scrying. Have you ever looked at those pictures that are completely comprised of colored dots and/or splotches and had to “look past” the surface to see the three-dimensional image in the picture? It is the same principle used here for scrying.
Try to keep your mind blank, open to whatever may be shown to you, unless you are scrying for the answer to a specific question. Your eyes will want to blink. That is all right, let them blink and regain your shift in focus. When you are first beginning, try to keep your scrying time to no more than ten or twenty minutes. If you are not successful, put it away and try again another time.
Images may come to you in any number of forms. Some may be full images, even moving pictures as though you are watching a movie. That is not common, however, especially when you are first beginning. At first you may only get a “cloud” or “mist”. This may eventually part to allow images to come through, or it may just move in one direction or another in answer to yes or no questions.
If you do see images, they may be simple symbols left open for interpretation. These symbols usually mean something to you, and are not necessarily the symbols you may find written in a book. For instance, a dog may generally symbolize loyalty or protection, but if you were traumatized at some point in your life by a dog attack, it could mean something entirely different to you.
----
Rose has been practicing different forms of Witchcraft for over 27 years. For more information on love spells given free visit her site The Ask Rose Ariadne Witchcraft Site"
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Ghost Hunting 101
Ghost Hunting 101
By: Dr. Rita Louise
Do you hear bumps in the night? Does your hair stand on end when you walk into a room? Maybe you feel as if someone is watching you or perhaps you think you see someone out the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look no one is there? What you may be encountering in those unsettling moments is a ghost. So before you go running out of your house screaming, let’s take a moment to talk about ghostly encounters and those that investigate this phenomena.
A ghost is believed to be the spirit or soul of a person who has remained on Earth after death. When a ghost has taken up residence in a location, it is referred to as a haunting. There are two different ways in which a ghost inhabits a location. The most common type of haunting is a residual haunting. A residual haunting is typified by ghostly energy that is static or goes through a number of movements over and over again. It can be likened to watching a movie clip that repeats itself or a record album that has a skip in it, causing the needle to jump back to an earlier point on the album and begin again.
The second classification of haunting is the classic haunting. In a classic haunting the ghost displays intelligence and interacts with the people in the environment. It is not uncommon during a classic haunting for items to be moved around, for lights or electrical appliances to turn on and off, to hear voices our sounds out of nowhere or to be touched, tickled, stroked or even shoved. These ghosts often reflect the personality of an individual, even after their death. With this type of haunting, the aroma of flowers, perfume, cigarette smoke or other scents that are associated with the individual are often detected.
So whether you think you are being haunted by a ghost and want to have a group of trained professionals to come to your home or are interested in investigating all that goes bump in the night, but don’t know where to begin, here’s some information that can help you get started.
It is held that ghosts are electro-magnetic in origin and they create these fields when trying to manifest into this dimension. The energy that is given off by a ghost causes disruptions in the locations magnetic field, thus making it detectable by specialized equipment and psychics alike.
Because the presence of a ghost can be detected by specific types of equipment, a ghost hunter can become well equipped with a number of affordable pieces of equipment, many of which you may already own. From basic to advanced, there are many different types of equipment you can use to detect an otherworldly presence. For someone thinking about participating in an investigation, this doesn’t mean you have to own every piece of equipment in order to perform a reliable investigation. It does mean that you should at least possess a basic set of tools to use.
Basic Equipment
35mm or Digital Camera – For a beginner, having a camera is probably the easiest and least expensive way to begin. Pictures, whether digital or recorded on film can capture paranormal activity, activity that is often invisible to the naked eye. This is especially true in the case of documenting the presence of orbs and ectoplasm.
Notebook & Pen or Pencil – Simple as this may be, it is always a good idea to have something to record any notes, findings or experiences you may have during an investigation.
Flashlight – Many times an investigation will take you to a dark or foreboding location such as a cemetery, old warehouse, abandoned building or other place that is dark or without electricity. In these instances you will need to have a portable light source.
Extra Batteries – Depending on the paranormal activity of a location, batteries oftentimes will mysteriously and unexpectedly lose their charge leaving you in the dark. Regardless of the type of equipment you use, make sure you bring extra batteries along to replenish depleted ones.
Intermediate Equipment
EMF Detector – The Electromagnetic Field Detector is probably one of the most important pieces of equipment to own if you are serious about doing an investigation. In addition to detecting the energy fields of ghosts, it is a key tool to use when taking baseline readings of a site. A baseline reading is a preliminary evaluation of a location, where investigators identify any existing or man made electromagnetic fields such as those created by power lines or electrical appliances.
Digital Video Camera – Video cameras can be a useful investigation tool. Unlike still cameras, a video camera will document any activity in its entirety including the length of time the phenomena occurs, the surrounding conditions, as well as the phenomena itself. A tripod to rest the video camera on is also helpful, especially if it is going to be left in a stationary position to record the activity in a specific location.
Tape Recorder with an External Microphone – There is no better way to capture EVP’s (electronic voice phenomena) than through the use of a tape recorder. Whether using a traditional tape recorder with high quality tapes or a digital recorder, an external microphone should always be used. A detached mic will eliminate the sounds of internal gears and turning wheels that can contaminate your recording.
Advanced Equipment
Motion Detectors – Motion detectors can be used to sense the movement of unseen forces. Many need to be plugged in to an outlet, but battery operated ones are also available. Before you go out and buy one, decide which type will best support you investigatory needs.
Thermal Scanner – A thermal scanner or non-contact thermometer can be used to detect rapid temperature changes. A change of ten degrees or more from the ambient temperature (the temperature of the surrounding area) can indicate an ethereal presence.
Psychics – As An Investigative Tool
In addition to tools such as cameras, meters and gauges that are used by ghost hunters, many groups also utilize the services of trained psychics as a means of gathering information about a site. This is the role I play when working with ghost hunting groups.
Finding a true psychic to work with can be a real asset to the quality of your investigation. They can play an invaluable role in supporting the efforts of any paranormal investigation. Like a good piece of equipment, a psychic can help to detect anomalies as well as provide additional insights into the nature of activity encountered.
If your group decides to include the use of a psychic as part of the investigation team, there are a few items that should be considered. To maximize the objectivity of the investigation, it is critical that the psychic go into a location “cold”. This means that they do not know the details of the location or of any activity that may have been encountered by other members or the property owner. Telling the psychic the history of a property can cause the individual to become “contaminated”, which can make it difficult for them to differentiate what they perceive from what they have been told.
Conducting An Investigation
With at least a basic kit of equipment in hand, you are now ready to explore the world of paranormal phenomena. Before you begin, there are a few ground rules to consider. First, never go on an investigation alone, in addition to personal safety, you never know what may happen. Next, consider the fact that ghost hunting groups are often judged by their behavior and professionalism – so always try to be respectful of the people, places and situations you may encounter.
To do an investigation, the first step is to select a location. Locations can include cemeteries, old buildings, historic sites, private homes and businesses. Always get permission to be on a site. This will keep you from getting in trouble for trespassing. Before you begin a formal investigation it is a good idea to do some research on the site. Talk to the owner, check out old newspapers, or contact the local historic society to see if anything happened there in the past. It is also a good idea to evaluate the terrain for potential hazards or/or to identify places where you can setup stationary video cameras, motion detectors or tape recorders.
Most investigations occur after dark, between the hours of 9pm and 6am. These hours are considered the “psychic hours” and are believed to be the best time to record paranormal activity.
When you get to the selected location, walk around to get a feel for it. Next, set up any stationary equipment and take baseline readings of the site. Then let the investigation begin. Take pictures, shoot video, record for EVP and take meter readings. Take them everywhere and anywhere, especially if you feel something or get a reading on another piece of equipment. When you are done walking around a site, turn your stationary equipment on and let it run while you and your group are out of the area.
When you have finished collecting your data, it is time for analysis. Here each picture, video and tape is reviewed for evidence of a haunting. This is probably the most important part of any investigation. As you review your materials, be skeptical. Look for earthly causes of any phenomena. Was someone smoking in the area? Was the room or location dusty? Where there reflective surfaces that could be the cause of the anomaly in your image? It is important to make sure your evidence will stand up to scrutiny by eliminating any other explanations. This will give your data more credibility.
As you pore over your data, what you will find is that not every location you go to will have ghostly activity. You may discover that many of the things you initially detected during your investigation actually have real world explanations as opposed to supernatural ones. What keeps many ghost hunters going is that one-in-five chance that this investigation will be the “real” thing.
When your analysis is done, presenting your finding to the home or property owner or sharing your results with others is often done. Many groups also post the results of their investigations on their group’s website, thus share the outcome of their investigation with the rest of the world.
If you are interested in ghost hunting or think your have a ghost hanging around in your local, there is a plethora of information available on the worldwide web. Here you can find articles about ghost hunting in general, stories of other people’s ghostly encounters, places that sell ghost hunting equipment and even sites hosted by ghost hunting groups in your geographic area.
So if you think you are hearing bumps in the night, don’t be afraid – it just might be a ghost!
----
© Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer (www.soulhealer.com) 2006. All rights reserved.
By: Dr. Rita Louise
Dr. Rita Louise, Ph D is a Naturopathic Physician and the founder of the Institute Of Applied Energetics. It is her unique gift as a medical intuitive that enlivens her work. Let Dr. Rita assist you bringing health, healing and wholeness back into your life. Visit www.soulhealer.com or www.appliedenergeticsinstitute.com for more information.
By: Dr. Rita Louise
Do you hear bumps in the night? Does your hair stand on end when you walk into a room? Maybe you feel as if someone is watching you or perhaps you think you see someone out the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look no one is there? What you may be encountering in those unsettling moments is a ghost. So before you go running out of your house screaming, let’s take a moment to talk about ghostly encounters and those that investigate this phenomena.
A ghost is believed to be the spirit or soul of a person who has remained on Earth after death. When a ghost has taken up residence in a location, it is referred to as a haunting. There are two different ways in which a ghost inhabits a location. The most common type of haunting is a residual haunting. A residual haunting is typified by ghostly energy that is static or goes through a number of movements over and over again. It can be likened to watching a movie clip that repeats itself or a record album that has a skip in it, causing the needle to jump back to an earlier point on the album and begin again.
The second classification of haunting is the classic haunting. In a classic haunting the ghost displays intelligence and interacts with the people in the environment. It is not uncommon during a classic haunting for items to be moved around, for lights or electrical appliances to turn on and off, to hear voices our sounds out of nowhere or to be touched, tickled, stroked or even shoved. These ghosts often reflect the personality of an individual, even after their death. With this type of haunting, the aroma of flowers, perfume, cigarette smoke or other scents that are associated with the individual are often detected.
So whether you think you are being haunted by a ghost and want to have a group of trained professionals to come to your home or are interested in investigating all that goes bump in the night, but don’t know where to begin, here’s some information that can help you get started.
It is held that ghosts are electro-magnetic in origin and they create these fields when trying to manifest into this dimension. The energy that is given off by a ghost causes disruptions in the locations magnetic field, thus making it detectable by specialized equipment and psychics alike.
Because the presence of a ghost can be detected by specific types of equipment, a ghost hunter can become well equipped with a number of affordable pieces of equipment, many of which you may already own. From basic to advanced, there are many different types of equipment you can use to detect an otherworldly presence. For someone thinking about participating in an investigation, this doesn’t mean you have to own every piece of equipment in order to perform a reliable investigation. It does mean that you should at least possess a basic set of tools to use.
Basic Equipment
35mm or Digital Camera – For a beginner, having a camera is probably the easiest and least expensive way to begin. Pictures, whether digital or recorded on film can capture paranormal activity, activity that is often invisible to the naked eye. This is especially true in the case of documenting the presence of orbs and ectoplasm.
Notebook & Pen or Pencil – Simple as this may be, it is always a good idea to have something to record any notes, findings or experiences you may have during an investigation.
Flashlight – Many times an investigation will take you to a dark or foreboding location such as a cemetery, old warehouse, abandoned building or other place that is dark or without electricity. In these instances you will need to have a portable light source.
Extra Batteries – Depending on the paranormal activity of a location, batteries oftentimes will mysteriously and unexpectedly lose their charge leaving you in the dark. Regardless of the type of equipment you use, make sure you bring extra batteries along to replenish depleted ones.
Intermediate Equipment
EMF Detector – The Electromagnetic Field Detector is probably one of the most important pieces of equipment to own if you are serious about doing an investigation. In addition to detecting the energy fields of ghosts, it is a key tool to use when taking baseline readings of a site. A baseline reading is a preliminary evaluation of a location, where investigators identify any existing or man made electromagnetic fields such as those created by power lines or electrical appliances.
Digital Video Camera – Video cameras can be a useful investigation tool. Unlike still cameras, a video camera will document any activity in its entirety including the length of time the phenomena occurs, the surrounding conditions, as well as the phenomena itself. A tripod to rest the video camera on is also helpful, especially if it is going to be left in a stationary position to record the activity in a specific location.
Tape Recorder with an External Microphone – There is no better way to capture EVP’s (electronic voice phenomena) than through the use of a tape recorder. Whether using a traditional tape recorder with high quality tapes or a digital recorder, an external microphone should always be used. A detached mic will eliminate the sounds of internal gears and turning wheels that can contaminate your recording.
Advanced Equipment
Motion Detectors – Motion detectors can be used to sense the movement of unseen forces. Many need to be plugged in to an outlet, but battery operated ones are also available. Before you go out and buy one, decide which type will best support you investigatory needs.
Thermal Scanner – A thermal scanner or non-contact thermometer can be used to detect rapid temperature changes. A change of ten degrees or more from the ambient temperature (the temperature of the surrounding area) can indicate an ethereal presence.
Psychics – As An Investigative Tool
In addition to tools such as cameras, meters and gauges that are used by ghost hunters, many groups also utilize the services of trained psychics as a means of gathering information about a site. This is the role I play when working with ghost hunting groups.
Finding a true psychic to work with can be a real asset to the quality of your investigation. They can play an invaluable role in supporting the efforts of any paranormal investigation. Like a good piece of equipment, a psychic can help to detect anomalies as well as provide additional insights into the nature of activity encountered.
If your group decides to include the use of a psychic as part of the investigation team, there are a few items that should be considered. To maximize the objectivity of the investigation, it is critical that the psychic go into a location “cold”. This means that they do not know the details of the location or of any activity that may have been encountered by other members or the property owner. Telling the psychic the history of a property can cause the individual to become “contaminated”, which can make it difficult for them to differentiate what they perceive from what they have been told.
Conducting An Investigation
With at least a basic kit of equipment in hand, you are now ready to explore the world of paranormal phenomena. Before you begin, there are a few ground rules to consider. First, never go on an investigation alone, in addition to personal safety, you never know what may happen. Next, consider the fact that ghost hunting groups are often judged by their behavior and professionalism – so always try to be respectful of the people, places and situations you may encounter.
To do an investigation, the first step is to select a location. Locations can include cemeteries, old buildings, historic sites, private homes and businesses. Always get permission to be on a site. This will keep you from getting in trouble for trespassing. Before you begin a formal investigation it is a good idea to do some research on the site. Talk to the owner, check out old newspapers, or contact the local historic society to see if anything happened there in the past. It is also a good idea to evaluate the terrain for potential hazards or/or to identify places where you can setup stationary video cameras, motion detectors or tape recorders.
Most investigations occur after dark, between the hours of 9pm and 6am. These hours are considered the “psychic hours” and are believed to be the best time to record paranormal activity.
When you get to the selected location, walk around to get a feel for it. Next, set up any stationary equipment and take baseline readings of the site. Then let the investigation begin. Take pictures, shoot video, record for EVP and take meter readings. Take them everywhere and anywhere, especially if you feel something or get a reading on another piece of equipment. When you are done walking around a site, turn your stationary equipment on and let it run while you and your group are out of the area.
When you have finished collecting your data, it is time for analysis. Here each picture, video and tape is reviewed for evidence of a haunting. This is probably the most important part of any investigation. As you review your materials, be skeptical. Look for earthly causes of any phenomena. Was someone smoking in the area? Was the room or location dusty? Where there reflective surfaces that could be the cause of the anomaly in your image? It is important to make sure your evidence will stand up to scrutiny by eliminating any other explanations. This will give your data more credibility.
As you pore over your data, what you will find is that not every location you go to will have ghostly activity. You may discover that many of the things you initially detected during your investigation actually have real world explanations as opposed to supernatural ones. What keeps many ghost hunters going is that one-in-five chance that this investigation will be the “real” thing.
When your analysis is done, presenting your finding to the home or property owner or sharing your results with others is often done. Many groups also post the results of their investigations on their group’s website, thus share the outcome of their investigation with the rest of the world.
If you are interested in ghost hunting or think your have a ghost hanging around in your local, there is a plethora of information available on the worldwide web. Here you can find articles about ghost hunting in general, stories of other people’s ghostly encounters, places that sell ghost hunting equipment and even sites hosted by ghost hunting groups in your geographic area.
So if you think you are hearing bumps in the night, don’t be afraid – it just might be a ghost!
----
© Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer (www.soulhealer.com) 2006. All rights reserved.
By: Dr. Rita Louise
Dr. Rita Louise, Ph D is a Naturopathic Physician and the founder of the Institute Of Applied Energetics. It is her unique gift as a medical intuitive that enlivens her work. Let Dr. Rita assist you bringing health, healing and wholeness back into your life. Visit www.soulhealer.com or www.appliedenergeticsinstitute.com for more information.
Cannibalism And Human Sacrifice
Cannibalism And Human Sacrifice
By: Sam Vaknin
"I believe that when man evolves a civilization higher than the mechanized but still primitive one he has now, the eating of human flesh will be sanctioned. For then man will have thrown off all of his superstitions and irrational taboos."
(Diego Rivera)
"One calls 'barbarism' whatever he is not accustomed to."
(Montaigne, On Cannibalism)
"Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed."
(New Testament, John 6:53-55)
Cannibalism (more precisely, anthropophagy) is an age-old tradition that, judging by a constant stream of flabbergasted news reports, is far from extinct. Much-debated indications exist that our Neanderthal, Proto-Neolithic, and Neolithic (Stone Age) predecessors were cannibals. Similarly contested claims were made with regards to the 12th century advanced Anasazi culture in the southwestern United States and the Minoans in Crete (today's Greece).
The Britannica Encyclopedia (2005 edition) recounts how the "Binderwurs of central India ate their sick and aged in the belief that the act was pleasing to their goddess, Kali." Cannibalism may also have been common among followers of the Shaktism cults in India.
Other sources attribute cannibalism to the 16th century Imbangala in today's Angola and Congo, the Fang in Cameroon, the Mangbetu in Central Africa, the Ache in Paraguay, the Tonkawa in today's Texas, the Calusa in current day Florida, the Caddo and Iroquois confederacies of Indians in North America, the Cree in Canada, the Witoto, natives of Colombia and Peru, the Carib in the Lesser Antilles (whose distorted name - Canib - gave rise to the word "cannibalism"), to Maori tribes in today's New Zealand, and to various peoples in Sumatra (like the Batak).
The Wikipedia numbers among the practitioners of cannibalism the ancient Chinese, the Korowai tribe of southeastern Papua, the Fore tribe in New Guinea (and many other tribes in Melanesia), the Aztecs, the people of Yucatan, the Purchas from Popayan, Colombia, the denizens of the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia, and the natives of the captaincy of Sergipe in Brazil.
From Congo and Central Africa to Germany and from Mexico to New Zealand, cannibalism is enjoying a morbid revival of interest, if not of practice. A veritable torrent of sensational tomes and movies adds to our ambivalent fascination with man-eaters.
Cannibalism is not a monolithic affair. It can be divided thus:
I. Non-consensual consumption of human flesh post-mortem
For example, when the corpses of prisoners of war are devoured by their captors. This used to be a common exercise among island tribes (e.g., in Fiji, the Andaman and Cook islands) and is still the case in godforsaken battle zones such as Congo (formerly Zaire), or among the defeated Japanese soldiers in World War II.
Similarly, human organs and fetuses as well as mummies are still being gobbled up - mainly in Africa and Asia - for remedial and medicinal purposes and in order to enhance one's libido and vigor.
On numerous occasions the organs of dead companions, colleagues, family, or neighbors were reluctantly ingested by isolated survivors of horrid accidents (the Uruguay rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes, the boat people fleeing Asia), denizens of besieged cities (e.g., during the siege of Leningrad), members of exploratory expeditions gone astray (the Donner Party in Sierra Nevada, California and John Franklin's Polar expedition), famine-stricken populations (Ukraine in the 1930s, China in the 1960s), and the like.
Finally, in various pre-nation-state and tribal societies, members of the family were encouraged to eat specific parts of their dead relatives as a sign of respect or in order to partake of the deceased's wisdom, courage, or other positive traits (endocannibalism).
II. Non-consensual consumption of human flesh from a live source
For example, when prisoners of war are butchered for the express purpose of being eaten by their victorious enemies.
A notorious and rare representative of this category of cannibalism is the punitive ritual of being eaten alive. The kings of the tribes of the Cook Islands were thought to embody the gods. They punished dissent by dissecting their screaming and conscious adversaries and consuming their flesh piecemeal, eyeballs first.
The Sawney Bean family in Scotland, during the reign of King James I, survived for decades on the remains (and personal belongings) of victims of their murderous sprees.
Real-life serial killers, like Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert Fish, Sascha Spesiwtsew, Fritz Haarmann, Issei Sagawa, and Ed Gein, lured, abducted, and massacred countless people and then consumed their flesh and preserved the inedible parts as trophies. These lurid deeds inspired a slew of books and films, most notably The Silence of the Lambs with Hannibal (Lecter) the Cannibal as its protagonist.
III. Consensual consumption of human flesh from live and dead human bodies
Armin Meiwes, the "Master Butcher (Der Metzgermeister)", arranged over the Internet to meet Bernd Jurgen Brandes on March 2001. Meiwes amputated the penis of his guest and they both ate it. He then proceeded to kill Brandes (with the latter's consent recorded on video), and snack on what remained of him. Sexual cannibalism is a paraphilia and an extreme - and thankfully, rare - form of fetishism.
The Aztecs willingly volunteered to serve as human sacrifices (and to be tucked into afterwards). They firmly believed that they were offerings, chosen by the gods themselves, thus being rendered immortal.
Dutiful sons and daughters in China made their amputated organs and sliced tissues (mainly the liver) available to their sick parents (practices known as Ko Ku and Ko Kan). Such donation were considered remedial. Princess Miao Chuang who surrendered her severed hands to her ailing father was henceforth deified.
Non-consensual cannibalism is murder, pure and simple. The attendant act of cannibalism, though aesthetically and ethically reprehensible, cannot aggravate this supreme assault on all that we hold sacred.
But consensual cannibalism is a lot trickier. Modern medicine, for instance, has blurred the already thin line between right and wrong.
What is the ethical difference between consensual, post-mortem, organ harvesting and consensual, post-mortem cannibalism?
Why is stem cell harvesting (from aborted fetuses) morally superior to consensual post-mortem cannibalism?
When members of a plane-wrecked rugby team, stranded on an inaccessible, snow-piled, mountain range resort to eating each other in order to survive, we turn a blind eye to their repeated acts of cannibalism - but we condemn the very same deed in the harshest terms if it takes place between two consenting, and even eager adults in Germany. Surely, we don't treat murder, pedophilia, and incest the same way!
As the Auxiliary Bishop of Montevideo said after the crash:
"... Eating someone who has died in order to survive is incorporating their substance, and it is quite possible to compare this with a graft. Flesh survives when assimilated by someone in extreme need, just as it does when an eye or heart of a dead man is grafted onto a living man..."
(Read, P.P. 1974. Alive. Avon, New York)
Complex ethical issues are involved in the apparently straightforward practice of consensual cannibalism.
Consensual, in vivo, cannibalism (a-la Messrs. Meiwes and Brandes) resembles suicide. The cannibal is merely the instrument of voluntary self-destruction. Why would we treat it different to the way we treat any other form of suicide pact?
Consensual cannibalism is not the equivalent of drug abuse because it has no social costs. Unlike junkies, the cannibal and his meal are unlikely to harm others. What gives society the right to intervene, therefore?
If we own our bodies and, thus, have the right to smoke, drink, have an abortion, commit suicide, and will our organs to science after we die - why don't we possess the inalienable right to will our delectable tissues to a discerning cannibal post-mortem (or to victims of famine in Africa)?
When does our right to dispose of our organs in any way we see fit crystallize? Is it when we die? Or after we are dead? If so, what is the meaning and legal validity of a living will? And why can't we make a living will and bequeath our cadaverous selves to the nearest cannibal?
Do dead people have rights and can they claim and invoke them while they are still alive? Is the live person the same as his dead body, does he "own" it, does the state have any rights in it? Does the corpse still retain its previous occupant's "personhood"? Are cadavers still human, in any sense of the word?
We find all three culinary variants abhorrent. Yet, this instinctive repulsion is a curious matter. The onerous demands of survival should have encouraged cannibalism rather than make it a taboo. Human flesh is protein-rich. Most societies, past and present (with the exception of the industrialized West), need to make efficient use of rare protein-intensive resources.
If cannibalism enhances the chances of survival - why is it universally prohibited? For many a reason.
I. The Sanctity of Life
Historically, cannibalism preceded, followed, or precipitated an act of murder or extreme deprivation (such as torture). It habitually clashed with the principle of the sanctity of life. Once allowed, even under the strictest guidelines, cannibalism tended to debase and devalue human life and foster homicide, propelling its practitioners down a slippery ethical slope towards bloodlust and orgiastic massacres.
II. The Afterlife
Moreover, in life, the human body and form are considered by most religions (and philosophers) to be the abode of the soul, the divine spark that animates us all. The post-mortem integrity of this shrine is widely thought to guarantee a faster, unhindered access to the afterlife, to immortality, and eventual reincarnation (or karmic cycle in eastern religions).
For this reason, to this very day, orthodox Jews refuse to subject their relatives to a post-mortem autopsy and organ harvesting. Fijians and Cook Islanders used to consume their enemies' carcasses in order to prevent their souls from joining hostile ancestors in heaven.
III. Chastening Reminders
Cannibalism is a chilling reminder of our humble origins in the animal kingdom. To the cannibal, we are no better and no more than cattle or sheep. Cannibalism confronts us with the irreversibility of our death and its finality. Surely, we cannot survive our demise with our cadaver mutilated and gutted and our skeletal bones scattered, gnawed, and chewed on?
IV. Medical Reasons
Infrequently, cannibalism results in prion diseases of the nervous system, such as kuru. The same paternalism that gave rise to the banning of drug abuse, the outlawing of suicide, and the Prohibition of alcoholic drinks in the 1920s - seeks to shelter us from the pernicious medical outcomes of cannibalism and to protect others who might become our victims.
V. The Fear of Being Objectified
Being treated as an object (being objectified) is the most torturous form of abuse. People go to great lengths to seek empathy and to be perceived by others as three dimensional entities with emotions, needs, priorities, wishes, and preferences.
The cannibal reduces others by treating them as so much meat. Many cannibal serial killers transformed the organs of their victims into trophies. The Cook Islanders sought to humiliate their enemies by eating, digesting, and then defecating them - having absorbed their mana (prowess, life force) in the process.
VI. The Argument from Nature
Cannibalism is often castigated as "unnatural". Animals, goes the myth, don't prey on their own kind.
Alas, like so many other romantic lores, this is untrue. Most species - including our closest relatives, the chimpanzees - do cannibalize. Cannibalism in nature is widespread and serves diverse purposes such as population control (chickens, salamanders, toads), food and protein security in conditions of scarcity (hippopotamuses, scorpions, certain types of dinosaurs), threat avoidance (rabbits, mice, rats, and hamsters), and the propagation of genetic material through exclusive mating (Red-back spider and many mantids).
Moreover, humans are a part of nature. Our deeds and misdeeds are natural by definition. Seeking to tame nature is a natural act. Seeking to establish hierarchies and subdue or relinquish our enemies are natural propensities. By avoiding cannibalism we seek to transcend nature. Refraining from cannibalism is the unnatural act.
VIII. The Argument from Progress
It is a circular syllogism involving a tautology and goes like this:
Cannibalism is barbaric. Cannibals are, therefore, barbarians. Progress entails the abolition of this practice.
The premises - both explicit and implicit - are axiomatic and, therefore, shaky. What makes cannibalism barbarian? And why is progress a desirable outcome? There is a prescriptive fallacy involved, as well:
Because we do not eat the bodies of dead people - we ought not to eat them.
VIII. Arguments from Religious Ethics
The major monotheistic religions are curiously mute when it comes to cannibalism. Human sacrifice is denounced numerous times in the Old Testament - but man-eating goes virtually unmentioned. The Eucharist in Christianity - when the believers consume the actual body and blood of Jesus - is an act of undisguised cannibalism:
"That the consequence of Transubstantiation, as a conversion of the total substance, is the transition of the entire substance of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, is the express doctrine of the Church ...."
(Catholic Encyclopedia)
"CANON lI.-If any one saith, that, in the sacred and holy sacrament of the Eucharist, the substance of the bread and wine remains conjointly with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and denieth that wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood-the species Only of the bread and wine remaining-which conversion indeed the Catholic Church most aptly calls Transubstantiation; let him be anathema.
CANON VIII.-lf any one saith, that Christ, given in the Eucharist, is eaten spiritually only, and not also sacramentally and really; let him be anathema."
(The Council of Trent, The Thirteenth Session - The canons and decrees of the sacred and oecumenical Council of Trent, Ed. and trans. J. Waterworth (London: Dolman, 1848), 75-91.)
Still, most systems of morality and ethics impute to Man a privileged position in the scheme of things (having been created in the "image of God"). Men and women are supposed to transcend their animal roots and inhibit their baser instincts (an idea incorporated into Freud's tripartite model of the human psyche). The anthropocentric chauvinistic view is that it is permissible to kill all other animals in order to consume their flesh. Man, in this respect, is sui generis.
Yet, it is impossible to rigorously derive a prohibition to eat human flesh from any known moral system. As Richard Routley-Silvan observes in his essay "In Defence of Cannibalism", that something is innately repugnant does not make it morally prohibited. Moreover, that we find cannibalism nauseating is probably the outcome of upbringing and conditioning rather than anything innate.
According to Greek mythology, Man was created from the ashes of the Titans, the children of Uranus and Gaea, whom Zeus struck with thunderbolts for murdering his son, Zagreus, and then devouring his body. Mankind, therefore, is directly descendant from the Titans, who may well have been the first cannibals.
----
Sam Vaknin ( samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He served as a columnist for Global Politician, Central Europe Review, PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101. Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia. Visit Sam's Web site at samvak.tripod.com
By: Sam Vaknin
"I believe that when man evolves a civilization higher than the mechanized but still primitive one he has now, the eating of human flesh will be sanctioned. For then man will have thrown off all of his superstitions and irrational taboos."
(Diego Rivera)
"One calls 'barbarism' whatever he is not accustomed to."
(Montaigne, On Cannibalism)
"Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed."
(New Testament, John 6:53-55)
Cannibalism (more precisely, anthropophagy) is an age-old tradition that, judging by a constant stream of flabbergasted news reports, is far from extinct. Much-debated indications exist that our Neanderthal, Proto-Neolithic, and Neolithic (Stone Age) predecessors were cannibals. Similarly contested claims were made with regards to the 12th century advanced Anasazi culture in the southwestern United States and the Minoans in Crete (today's Greece).
The Britannica Encyclopedia (2005 edition) recounts how the "Binderwurs of central India ate their sick and aged in the belief that the act was pleasing to their goddess, Kali." Cannibalism may also have been common among followers of the Shaktism cults in India.
Other sources attribute cannibalism to the 16th century Imbangala in today's Angola and Congo, the Fang in Cameroon, the Mangbetu in Central Africa, the Ache in Paraguay, the Tonkawa in today's Texas, the Calusa in current day Florida, the Caddo and Iroquois confederacies of Indians in North America, the Cree in Canada, the Witoto, natives of Colombia and Peru, the Carib in the Lesser Antilles (whose distorted name - Canib - gave rise to the word "cannibalism"), to Maori tribes in today's New Zealand, and to various peoples in Sumatra (like the Batak).
The Wikipedia numbers among the practitioners of cannibalism the ancient Chinese, the Korowai tribe of southeastern Papua, the Fore tribe in New Guinea (and many other tribes in Melanesia), the Aztecs, the people of Yucatan, the Purchas from Popayan, Colombia, the denizens of the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia, and the natives of the captaincy of Sergipe in Brazil.
From Congo and Central Africa to Germany and from Mexico to New Zealand, cannibalism is enjoying a morbid revival of interest, if not of practice. A veritable torrent of sensational tomes and movies adds to our ambivalent fascination with man-eaters.
Cannibalism is not a monolithic affair. It can be divided thus:
I. Non-consensual consumption of human flesh post-mortem
For example, when the corpses of prisoners of war are devoured by their captors. This used to be a common exercise among island tribes (e.g., in Fiji, the Andaman and Cook islands) and is still the case in godforsaken battle zones such as Congo (formerly Zaire), or among the defeated Japanese soldiers in World War II.
Similarly, human organs and fetuses as well as mummies are still being gobbled up - mainly in Africa and Asia - for remedial and medicinal purposes and in order to enhance one's libido and vigor.
On numerous occasions the organs of dead companions, colleagues, family, or neighbors were reluctantly ingested by isolated survivors of horrid accidents (the Uruguay rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes, the boat people fleeing Asia), denizens of besieged cities (e.g., during the siege of Leningrad), members of exploratory expeditions gone astray (the Donner Party in Sierra Nevada, California and John Franklin's Polar expedition), famine-stricken populations (Ukraine in the 1930s, China in the 1960s), and the like.
Finally, in various pre-nation-state and tribal societies, members of the family were encouraged to eat specific parts of their dead relatives as a sign of respect or in order to partake of the deceased's wisdom, courage, or other positive traits (endocannibalism).
II. Non-consensual consumption of human flesh from a live source
For example, when prisoners of war are butchered for the express purpose of being eaten by their victorious enemies.
A notorious and rare representative of this category of cannibalism is the punitive ritual of being eaten alive. The kings of the tribes of the Cook Islands were thought to embody the gods. They punished dissent by dissecting their screaming and conscious adversaries and consuming their flesh piecemeal, eyeballs first.
The Sawney Bean family in Scotland, during the reign of King James I, survived for decades on the remains (and personal belongings) of victims of their murderous sprees.
Real-life serial killers, like Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert Fish, Sascha Spesiwtsew, Fritz Haarmann, Issei Sagawa, and Ed Gein, lured, abducted, and massacred countless people and then consumed their flesh and preserved the inedible parts as trophies. These lurid deeds inspired a slew of books and films, most notably The Silence of the Lambs with Hannibal (Lecter) the Cannibal as its protagonist.
III. Consensual consumption of human flesh from live and dead human bodies
Armin Meiwes, the "Master Butcher (Der Metzgermeister)", arranged over the Internet to meet Bernd Jurgen Brandes on March 2001. Meiwes amputated the penis of his guest and they both ate it. He then proceeded to kill Brandes (with the latter's consent recorded on video), and snack on what remained of him. Sexual cannibalism is a paraphilia and an extreme - and thankfully, rare - form of fetishism.
The Aztecs willingly volunteered to serve as human sacrifices (and to be tucked into afterwards). They firmly believed that they were offerings, chosen by the gods themselves, thus being rendered immortal.
Dutiful sons and daughters in China made their amputated organs and sliced tissues (mainly the liver) available to their sick parents (practices known as Ko Ku and Ko Kan). Such donation were considered remedial. Princess Miao Chuang who surrendered her severed hands to her ailing father was henceforth deified.
Non-consensual cannibalism is murder, pure and simple. The attendant act of cannibalism, though aesthetically and ethically reprehensible, cannot aggravate this supreme assault on all that we hold sacred.
But consensual cannibalism is a lot trickier. Modern medicine, for instance, has blurred the already thin line between right and wrong.
What is the ethical difference between consensual, post-mortem, organ harvesting and consensual, post-mortem cannibalism?
Why is stem cell harvesting (from aborted fetuses) morally superior to consensual post-mortem cannibalism?
When members of a plane-wrecked rugby team, stranded on an inaccessible, snow-piled, mountain range resort to eating each other in order to survive, we turn a blind eye to their repeated acts of cannibalism - but we condemn the very same deed in the harshest terms if it takes place between two consenting, and even eager adults in Germany. Surely, we don't treat murder, pedophilia, and incest the same way!
As the Auxiliary Bishop of Montevideo said after the crash:
"... Eating someone who has died in order to survive is incorporating their substance, and it is quite possible to compare this with a graft. Flesh survives when assimilated by someone in extreme need, just as it does when an eye or heart of a dead man is grafted onto a living man..."
(Read, P.P. 1974. Alive. Avon, New York)
Complex ethical issues are involved in the apparently straightforward practice of consensual cannibalism.
Consensual, in vivo, cannibalism (a-la Messrs. Meiwes and Brandes) resembles suicide. The cannibal is merely the instrument of voluntary self-destruction. Why would we treat it different to the way we treat any other form of suicide pact?
Consensual cannibalism is not the equivalent of drug abuse because it has no social costs. Unlike junkies, the cannibal and his meal are unlikely to harm others. What gives society the right to intervene, therefore?
If we own our bodies and, thus, have the right to smoke, drink, have an abortion, commit suicide, and will our organs to science after we die - why don't we possess the inalienable right to will our delectable tissues to a discerning cannibal post-mortem (or to victims of famine in Africa)?
When does our right to dispose of our organs in any way we see fit crystallize? Is it when we die? Or after we are dead? If so, what is the meaning and legal validity of a living will? And why can't we make a living will and bequeath our cadaverous selves to the nearest cannibal?
Do dead people have rights and can they claim and invoke them while they are still alive? Is the live person the same as his dead body, does he "own" it, does the state have any rights in it? Does the corpse still retain its previous occupant's "personhood"? Are cadavers still human, in any sense of the word?
We find all three culinary variants abhorrent. Yet, this instinctive repulsion is a curious matter. The onerous demands of survival should have encouraged cannibalism rather than make it a taboo. Human flesh is protein-rich. Most societies, past and present (with the exception of the industrialized West), need to make efficient use of rare protein-intensive resources.
If cannibalism enhances the chances of survival - why is it universally prohibited? For many a reason.
I. The Sanctity of Life
Historically, cannibalism preceded, followed, or precipitated an act of murder or extreme deprivation (such as torture). It habitually clashed with the principle of the sanctity of life. Once allowed, even under the strictest guidelines, cannibalism tended to debase and devalue human life and foster homicide, propelling its practitioners down a slippery ethical slope towards bloodlust and orgiastic massacres.
II. The Afterlife
Moreover, in life, the human body and form are considered by most religions (and philosophers) to be the abode of the soul, the divine spark that animates us all. The post-mortem integrity of this shrine is widely thought to guarantee a faster, unhindered access to the afterlife, to immortality, and eventual reincarnation (or karmic cycle in eastern religions).
For this reason, to this very day, orthodox Jews refuse to subject their relatives to a post-mortem autopsy and organ harvesting. Fijians and Cook Islanders used to consume their enemies' carcasses in order to prevent their souls from joining hostile ancestors in heaven.
III. Chastening Reminders
Cannibalism is a chilling reminder of our humble origins in the animal kingdom. To the cannibal, we are no better and no more than cattle or sheep. Cannibalism confronts us with the irreversibility of our death and its finality. Surely, we cannot survive our demise with our cadaver mutilated and gutted and our skeletal bones scattered, gnawed, and chewed on?
IV. Medical Reasons
Infrequently, cannibalism results in prion diseases of the nervous system, such as kuru. The same paternalism that gave rise to the banning of drug abuse, the outlawing of suicide, and the Prohibition of alcoholic drinks in the 1920s - seeks to shelter us from the pernicious medical outcomes of cannibalism and to protect others who might become our victims.
V. The Fear of Being Objectified
Being treated as an object (being objectified) is the most torturous form of abuse. People go to great lengths to seek empathy and to be perceived by others as three dimensional entities with emotions, needs, priorities, wishes, and preferences.
The cannibal reduces others by treating them as so much meat. Many cannibal serial killers transformed the organs of their victims into trophies. The Cook Islanders sought to humiliate their enemies by eating, digesting, and then defecating them - having absorbed their mana (prowess, life force) in the process.
VI. The Argument from Nature
Cannibalism is often castigated as "unnatural". Animals, goes the myth, don't prey on their own kind.
Alas, like so many other romantic lores, this is untrue. Most species - including our closest relatives, the chimpanzees - do cannibalize. Cannibalism in nature is widespread and serves diverse purposes such as population control (chickens, salamanders, toads), food and protein security in conditions of scarcity (hippopotamuses, scorpions, certain types of dinosaurs), threat avoidance (rabbits, mice, rats, and hamsters), and the propagation of genetic material through exclusive mating (Red-back spider and many mantids).
Moreover, humans are a part of nature. Our deeds and misdeeds are natural by definition. Seeking to tame nature is a natural act. Seeking to establish hierarchies and subdue or relinquish our enemies are natural propensities. By avoiding cannibalism we seek to transcend nature. Refraining from cannibalism is the unnatural act.
VIII. The Argument from Progress
It is a circular syllogism involving a tautology and goes like this:
Cannibalism is barbaric. Cannibals are, therefore, barbarians. Progress entails the abolition of this practice.
The premises - both explicit and implicit - are axiomatic and, therefore, shaky. What makes cannibalism barbarian? And why is progress a desirable outcome? There is a prescriptive fallacy involved, as well:
Because we do not eat the bodies of dead people - we ought not to eat them.
VIII. Arguments from Religious Ethics
The major monotheistic religions are curiously mute when it comes to cannibalism. Human sacrifice is denounced numerous times in the Old Testament - but man-eating goes virtually unmentioned. The Eucharist in Christianity - when the believers consume the actual body and blood of Jesus - is an act of undisguised cannibalism:
"That the consequence of Transubstantiation, as a conversion of the total substance, is the transition of the entire substance of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, is the express doctrine of the Church ...."
(Catholic Encyclopedia)
"CANON lI.-If any one saith, that, in the sacred and holy sacrament of the Eucharist, the substance of the bread and wine remains conjointly with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and denieth that wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood-the species Only of the bread and wine remaining-which conversion indeed the Catholic Church most aptly calls Transubstantiation; let him be anathema.
CANON VIII.-lf any one saith, that Christ, given in the Eucharist, is eaten spiritually only, and not also sacramentally and really; let him be anathema."
(The Council of Trent, The Thirteenth Session - The canons and decrees of the sacred and oecumenical Council of Trent, Ed. and trans. J. Waterworth (London: Dolman, 1848), 75-91.)
Still, most systems of morality and ethics impute to Man a privileged position in the scheme of things (having been created in the "image of God"). Men and women are supposed to transcend their animal roots and inhibit their baser instincts (an idea incorporated into Freud's tripartite model of the human psyche). The anthropocentric chauvinistic view is that it is permissible to kill all other animals in order to consume their flesh. Man, in this respect, is sui generis.
Yet, it is impossible to rigorously derive a prohibition to eat human flesh from any known moral system. As Richard Routley-Silvan observes in his essay "In Defence of Cannibalism", that something is innately repugnant does not make it morally prohibited. Moreover, that we find cannibalism nauseating is probably the outcome of upbringing and conditioning rather than anything innate.
According to Greek mythology, Man was created from the ashes of the Titans, the children of Uranus and Gaea, whom Zeus struck with thunderbolts for murdering his son, Zagreus, and then devouring his body. Mankind, therefore, is directly descendant from the Titans, who may well have been the first cannibals.
----
Sam Vaknin ( samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He served as a columnist for Global Politician, Central Europe Review, PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101. Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia. Visit Sam's Web site at samvak.tripod.com
Mystery of the Mummy
Mystery of the Mummy
By Steven N. Ng
Ancient Egyptian mummies have long sparked our imaginations, starring in countless horror films and novels. But what are they? How were they made? Why were they made? That's the mystery of the mummy.
The Egyptian mummification process is basically a means of preserving a dead body. Without preservation, a body will decompose, leaving only the bones. The Egyptian mummification process therefore prevents a body from decomposing, allowing the deceased to resemble what he looked like when he was still alive.
THE FINAL JUDGMENT
To the ancient Egyptians, a person is composed of 6 different parts: his body, ba (personality or character), ka (spirit of life), akh (immortal soul), as well as his name and his shadow. A person is not whole if he is missing any of these parts.
The ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife. They believed that when a person died, he continued living in another plane of life in the underworld. Since he is still considered to be "alive", all 6 parts of that person should be intact for him to live properly. Hence the need for preservation of the body, and the creation of the ancient Egyptian mummies.
Thoth, the ibis-headed god of wisdom, records the outcome. If the heart is heavier, the deceased is judged too evil and undeserving of a place in the afterlife. The heart will then be devoured by Ammit, the god with the head of a crocodile and the body of a hippopotamus.
If the feather of Ma'at is heavier, the person is deemed worthy, and is taken by Horus, the falcon-headed god, to the afterlife and the underworld, ruled by Osiris.
THE MUMMIFICATION PROCESS
The details of the Egyptian mummification process has been lost to time. Most of what we know today about the mummification process comes from the writings of Herodotus, the Greek traveler. From what we know, creating the ancient Egyptian mummies is a complicated process. Herodotus' writings indicate that the entire process takes 70 days, from the time of death till the mummy is buried.
Firstly, the internal organs are removed. All organs are removed except for the heart, which the ancient Egyptians believed to be the center of a person's being.
To remove the organs from the abdominal cavity (such as the lungs, stomach, liver and intestines), a small cut is made in the left abdomen, and the organs removed from there. The organs are then cleansed and stored in 4 canopic jars, representing the Four Sons of Horus. These jars will be buried together with the mummy.
The brain is also removed. A hooked instrument is inserted into the skull via the nose. The hook is then used to pull out the brain in small pieces.
The next step in the Egyptian mummification process is to dry the body. If there is any water remaining in the body, bacteria will grow and cause the body to decompose. The drying agent is natron, a mixture of salts found along the Nile valley. By covering the body with natron for the majority of the 70 days, it will be completely dried.
After the natron is removed, the body is then wrapped using linen and resin. Hundreds of yards of linen are used, and usually covered with holy inscriptions. The finished mummy is then buried in his tomb together with his possessions.
Egyptologists have long wondered if this process as described by Herodotus could really create the ancient Egyptian mummies. In 1994, a team of scientists at the University of Maryland, USA, closely followed the Egyptian mummification process and successfully created a mummy that was free of bacteria and decay. Thus the mystery of the mummy is finally solved.
----
Steven maintains the informational website Wonders of Ancient Egypt at http://www.nekhebet.com. Do visit if you want to find out more about the wonders of Egypt such as the Pyramids and the Lighthouse; or mysteries such as mummifcation and conspiracy theories; or its religion and history.
By Steven N. Ng
Ancient Egyptian mummies have long sparked our imaginations, starring in countless horror films and novels. But what are they? How were they made? Why were they made? That's the mystery of the mummy.
The Egyptian mummification process is basically a means of preserving a dead body. Without preservation, a body will decompose, leaving only the bones. The Egyptian mummification process therefore prevents a body from decomposing, allowing the deceased to resemble what he looked like when he was still alive.
THE FINAL JUDGMENT
To the ancient Egyptians, a person is composed of 6 different parts: his body, ba (personality or character), ka (spirit of life), akh (immortal soul), as well as his name and his shadow. A person is not whole if he is missing any of these parts.
The ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife. They believed that when a person died, he continued living in another plane of life in the underworld. Since he is still considered to be "alive", all 6 parts of that person should be intact for him to live properly. Hence the need for preservation of the body, and the creation of the ancient Egyptian mummies.
| An important belief in ancient Egypt, and the source of many Egyptian paintings, is the Final Judgment. It describes what happens after a person physically dies. The paintings show the recently deceased describing his deeds to a panel of judges. He is then led to the scales of balance by Anubis, the jackal-headed god of mummification and the afterlife. Here, his heart, which contains all the evil that he has committed, is weighed against the feather of Ma'at, goddess of truth and justice. |  |
Thoth, the ibis-headed god of wisdom, records the outcome. If the heart is heavier, the deceased is judged too evil and undeserving of a place in the afterlife. The heart will then be devoured by Ammit, the god with the head of a crocodile and the body of a hippopotamus.
If the feather of Ma'at is heavier, the person is deemed worthy, and is taken by Horus, the falcon-headed god, to the afterlife and the underworld, ruled by Osiris.
THE MUMMIFICATION PROCESS
The details of the Egyptian mummification process has been lost to time. Most of what we know today about the mummification process comes from the writings of Herodotus, the Greek traveler. From what we know, creating the ancient Egyptian mummies is a complicated process. Herodotus' writings indicate that the entire process takes 70 days, from the time of death till the mummy is buried.
Firstly, the internal organs are removed. All organs are removed except for the heart, which the ancient Egyptians believed to be the center of a person's being.
To remove the organs from the abdominal cavity (such as the lungs, stomach, liver and intestines), a small cut is made in the left abdomen, and the organs removed from there. The organs are then cleansed and stored in 4 canopic jars, representing the Four Sons of Horus. These jars will be buried together with the mummy.
The brain is also removed. A hooked instrument is inserted into the skull via the nose. The hook is then used to pull out the brain in small pieces.
The next step in the Egyptian mummification process is to dry the body. If there is any water remaining in the body, bacteria will grow and cause the body to decompose. The drying agent is natron, a mixture of salts found along the Nile valley. By covering the body with natron for the majority of the 70 days, it will be completely dried.
After the natron is removed, the body is then wrapped using linen and resin. Hundreds of yards of linen are used, and usually covered with holy inscriptions. The finished mummy is then buried in his tomb together with his possessions.
Egyptologists have long wondered if this process as described by Herodotus could really create the ancient Egyptian mummies. In 1994, a team of scientists at the University of Maryland, USA, closely followed the Egyptian mummification process and successfully created a mummy that was free of bacteria and decay. Thus the mystery of the mummy is finally solved.
----
Steven maintains the informational website Wonders of Ancient Egypt at http://www.nekhebet.com. Do visit if you want to find out more about the wonders of Egypt such as the Pyramids and the Lighthouse; or mysteries such as mummifcation and conspiracy theories; or its religion and history.
The Role of Poseidon In Ancient Greece
The Role of Poseidon In Ancient Greece
By Richard Monk
Poseidon is one of the more famous of the deities of ancient Greece. Here is an overview of who he was, what he did and his position the Pantheon.
The Role of Poseidon In Ancient Greece
The many gods and goddesses of the ancient Greek culture played important roles in every Greek's life. From the family hearth, to the life-giving sun, to the water they bathed in, Greek gods were seen to govern all aspects of daily life. While some regions of the Greek realm were actual cults, which meant they worshiped one god or goddess above all others; others prayed to specific figures at different points in the year or for different strengths. If a mariner was about to go to sea, it is pretty certain that he would have prayed to Poseidon.
While Poseidon's largest governance was the sea and ocean, he was also considered the god of horses, and the “Earth-Shaker”, creator of earthquakes. In Mycenaean culture, Poseidon was seen as the most powerful of all the gods, even above Zeus – he was the most frequently written about god in the entire pantheon. At this point, he was associated with “Two Queens”, Demeter and Persephone, although in later Hellenic Greece he was not at all related to these goddesses. He was also seen in this culture as the “Earth Father” with Demeter being the “Earth Mother”.
Poseidon was also a major patron god of several large cities within Greece. In Athens, he was second in line only to Athena, and in Corinth he was the main god of the city. Apollo was a close associate god, and while Poseidon's realm was generally seen to be in the areas of the Earth and bodies of water, he also had another trait that was a bit more sinister. Poseidon was also blamed for causing mental disturbances, such as epilepsy. He shared this ability with both the god Dionysus, and the creatures known as the Maenads.
When sailors embarked on voyages, they prayed heavily to Poseidon. Occasionally, they would even sacrifice horses by drowning (as he was also known as the god of horses). It was said that when Poseidon was in his benevolent aspect, he created both calm seas and new islands. When the god was displeased or angered, however, he would cause earthquakes and shipwrecks by striking the ground with his trident. Poseidon was often pictured in a chariot being pulled by horses or sea horses, holding a trident, and associated with dolphins.
While Zeus was known as the originator god in later parts of Greek culture, Poseidon was the first “head god” of note. His later appearances as the duel god of water and earthquakes meant that he had the ability to affect many people at once, so he garnered many prayers, sacrifices and attention from all of Greece.
----
Richard Monk is with FactsMonk.com - a site with facts about Greece.
By Richard Monk
Poseidon is one of the more famous of the deities of ancient Greece. Here is an overview of who he was, what he did and his position the Pantheon.
The Role of Poseidon In Ancient Greece
The many gods and goddesses of the ancient Greek culture played important roles in every Greek's life. From the family hearth, to the life-giving sun, to the water they bathed in, Greek gods were seen to govern all aspects of daily life. While some regions of the Greek realm were actual cults, which meant they worshiped one god or goddess above all others; others prayed to specific figures at different points in the year or for different strengths. If a mariner was about to go to sea, it is pretty certain that he would have prayed to Poseidon.
While Poseidon's largest governance was the sea and ocean, he was also considered the god of horses, and the “Earth-Shaker”, creator of earthquakes. In Mycenaean culture, Poseidon was seen as the most powerful of all the gods, even above Zeus – he was the most frequently written about god in the entire pantheon. At this point, he was associated with “Two Queens”, Demeter and Persephone, although in later Hellenic Greece he was not at all related to these goddesses. He was also seen in this culture as the “Earth Father” with Demeter being the “Earth Mother”.
Poseidon was also a major patron god of several large cities within Greece. In Athens, he was second in line only to Athena, and in Corinth he was the main god of the city. Apollo was a close associate god, and while Poseidon's realm was generally seen to be in the areas of the Earth and bodies of water, he also had another trait that was a bit more sinister. Poseidon was also blamed for causing mental disturbances, such as epilepsy. He shared this ability with both the god Dionysus, and the creatures known as the Maenads.
When sailors embarked on voyages, they prayed heavily to Poseidon. Occasionally, they would even sacrifice horses by drowning (as he was also known as the god of horses). It was said that when Poseidon was in his benevolent aspect, he created both calm seas and new islands. When the god was displeased or angered, however, he would cause earthquakes and shipwrecks by striking the ground with his trident. Poseidon was often pictured in a chariot being pulled by horses or sea horses, holding a trident, and associated with dolphins.
While Zeus was known as the originator god in later parts of Greek culture, Poseidon was the first “head god” of note. His later appearances as the duel god of water and earthquakes meant that he had the ability to affect many people at once, so he garnered many prayers, sacrifices and attention from all of Greece.
----
Richard Monk is with FactsMonk.com - a site with facts about Greece.
Psychic Abilities and Parapsychology
Psychic Abilities and Parapsychology
By George Royal
Psychic abilities such as postcognition, psychometry, telepathy and physical/mental mediumship are all branches of a broader subject known as Parapsychology. People with psychic abilities are claimed to affect or retrieve information through a channel that does not belong within the scope of conventional or mainstream science. The credibility of such claims has been vehemently questioned by many, due to lack of evidence but its existence, however absurd it may seem, cannot be simply discarded because of the deep roots Parapsychology has in history and culture.
Anomalous Cognition:
These are the two types of psychic abilities or Parapsychology - Anomalous Cognition and Anomalous Operation. Anomalous Cognition may also be known as Extra Sensory Perception (ESP) and includes:
Telepathy: is the ability to communicate information mentally from one person to another, without using any physical signs and other aids.
Precognition: is the ability to perceive information and predict future events before they actually happen. This information is achieved by a special mental ability and not deductive reasoning.
Postcognition or Retrocognition: is the ability to achieve information about events that has already occurred which are usually unknown by others. For example, “psychic detectives” claim to use this method to detect possible murderers.
Psychometry: is another form of postcognition which enables a person to achieve information about events that had already occurred by being in close contact with the area or object where the event took place.
Clairvoyance: is the ability to perceive distant objects, persons, or events. Sometimes clairvoyants may claim to have the ability to see through opaque structures like brick walls, and perceive unseen energy such as radio waves. Subtypes include clairaudience, clairalience, clairgustance, and clairsentience.
Anomalous Operation:
Anomalous Operation, simply put, is communication by paranormal means. The different types of Anomalous Operation are closely related which include:
Psychokinesis: or telekinesis or remote influencing is the ability to move physical objects and influence the behavior of matter mentally without the aid of any other devices.
Out-of-body experience (OBE): is the ability to separate one’s physical body from the soul, spirit or mind. OBE is a common phenomenon and often linked to Near-death experiences, dreams, alcohol and drugs.
Astral Projection: is closely linked with Out-of-body experience. The astral body is a “double” of the real physical body but separated from it, moving freely on its own in the astral plane. Astral projection is also often linked with drugs, dreams and NDE’s.
Near-death experience (NDE): is one of the most common Out-of-body experiences. When some people who are proclaimed to be clinically dead are revived again, they relate experiences in which they travel out of their physical bodies and see their own dead bodies.
Mediumship: in which private séances are performed to link spirits with the living world by way of physical manifestations such as raps, audible voices, body movements, and materializing figures of the dead.
Faith Healing: or spiritual healing is the ability to heal sickness by spiritual means such as praying, pilgrimage, and other religious rituals. Faith healing is also considered a form of alternative medicine.
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Psychics Live http://psychics-live.com/ presents articles about psychics and how to uncover your psychic abilities.
By George Royal
Psychic abilities such as postcognition, psychometry, telepathy and physical/mental mediumship are all branches of a broader subject known as Parapsychology. People with psychic abilities are claimed to affect or retrieve information through a channel that does not belong within the scope of conventional or mainstream science. The credibility of such claims has been vehemently questioned by many, due to lack of evidence but its existence, however absurd it may seem, cannot be simply discarded because of the deep roots Parapsychology has in history and culture.
Anomalous Cognition:
These are the two types of psychic abilities or Parapsychology - Anomalous Cognition and Anomalous Operation. Anomalous Cognition may also be known as Extra Sensory Perception (ESP) and includes:
Telepathy: is the ability to communicate information mentally from one person to another, without using any physical signs and other aids.
Precognition: is the ability to perceive information and predict future events before they actually happen. This information is achieved by a special mental ability and not deductive reasoning.
Postcognition or Retrocognition: is the ability to achieve information about events that has already occurred which are usually unknown by others. For example, “psychic detectives” claim to use this method to detect possible murderers.
Psychometry: is another form of postcognition which enables a person to achieve information about events that had already occurred by being in close contact with the area or object where the event took place.
Clairvoyance: is the ability to perceive distant objects, persons, or events. Sometimes clairvoyants may claim to have the ability to see through opaque structures like brick walls, and perceive unseen energy such as radio waves. Subtypes include clairaudience, clairalience, clairgustance, and clairsentience.
Anomalous Operation:
Anomalous Operation, simply put, is communication by paranormal means. The different types of Anomalous Operation are closely related which include:
Psychokinesis: or telekinesis or remote influencing is the ability to move physical objects and influence the behavior of matter mentally without the aid of any other devices.
Out-of-body experience (OBE): is the ability to separate one’s physical body from the soul, spirit or mind. OBE is a common phenomenon and often linked to Near-death experiences, dreams, alcohol and drugs.
Astral Projection: is closely linked with Out-of-body experience. The astral body is a “double” of the real physical body but separated from it, moving freely on its own in the astral plane. Astral projection is also often linked with drugs, dreams and NDE’s.
Near-death experience (NDE): is one of the most common Out-of-body experiences. When some people who are proclaimed to be clinically dead are revived again, they relate experiences in which they travel out of their physical bodies and see their own dead bodies.
Mediumship: in which private séances are performed to link spirits with the living world by way of physical manifestations such as raps, audible voices, body movements, and materializing figures of the dead.
Faith Healing: or spiritual healing is the ability to heal sickness by spiritual means such as praying, pilgrimage, and other religious rituals. Faith healing is also considered a form of alternative medicine.
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Psychics Live http://psychics-live.com/ presents articles about psychics and how to uncover your psychic abilities.
Getting The Scope Of Psychic Readings
Getting The Scope Of Psychic Readings
By Angela Law
A person with a psychic gift is no different than a normal human being. It is just that this person has developed or was naturally gifted to perceive information about the world through a different lens.
Many people put psychics up on a pedal stool thinking psychics must be all knowing or must be some higher form of spiritual being. While it is true they were blessed with innate ability to access information through other senses, it is not true that they are a higher spiritual form of a human being. They are humans just like a normal person and with that they can be affected by their own experiences in their own personal life.
I say this to you so you can keep in mind when you get a reading. Never give over your power to a psychic during a reading and if something doesn’t sit right with your own gut, by all means make sure you follow your own intuition.
Sometimes the universe is funny, and sometimes a psychic doesn’t always get it right during a reading. They are human beings and after all we as human beings are fallible.
With a psychic for some reason we expect them to be perfect and they aren’t.
The best time to use psychic advisors when you are not so confident or when you need someone to help you discern what your own intuition is telling you or to help you open up to new possibilities.
Sometimes your logical mind, morality, emotional wants, needs and fears can get in the way of your own intuition and this is where a psychic reading can truly help. The psychic advisor, through tapping into your situation with her psychic abilities, can help you gain clarity about what your own intuition and the emotions of people in the situation.
By using psychics as a trusted psychic advisor in your times of need, a psychic advisor and reading can help you see more clearly the road that lay ahead. In doing so help you see potential positive choices, as well as, pitfalls or shortcomings that may come into play with a particular situation.
And for the truly gifted psychics, who have wisdom to share, they can help you create the type of life you want by sharing their nuggets of wisdom with you, so you feel your own power and intuition. Thus enabling you to create what you want in life.
With that said use the psychic reading wisely not just for the short term prediction but for your long term health and happiness.
----
You can visit NaturallySpiritual.com to find out more about the psychic phenomenon by visiting our spiritual wisdom section or to find an ethical, trusted, talented, compassionate psychic advisor.
By Angela Law
A person with a psychic gift is no different than a normal human being. It is just that this person has developed or was naturally gifted to perceive information about the world through a different lens.
Many people put psychics up on a pedal stool thinking psychics must be all knowing or must be some higher form of spiritual being. While it is true they were blessed with innate ability to access information through other senses, it is not true that they are a higher spiritual form of a human being. They are humans just like a normal person and with that they can be affected by their own experiences in their own personal life.
I say this to you so you can keep in mind when you get a reading. Never give over your power to a psychic during a reading and if something doesn’t sit right with your own gut, by all means make sure you follow your own intuition.
Sometimes the universe is funny, and sometimes a psychic doesn’t always get it right during a reading. They are human beings and after all we as human beings are fallible.
With a psychic for some reason we expect them to be perfect and they aren’t.
The best time to use psychic advisors when you are not so confident or when you need someone to help you discern what your own intuition is telling you or to help you open up to new possibilities.
Sometimes your logical mind, morality, emotional wants, needs and fears can get in the way of your own intuition and this is where a psychic reading can truly help. The psychic advisor, through tapping into your situation with her psychic abilities, can help you gain clarity about what your own intuition and the emotions of people in the situation.
By using psychics as a trusted psychic advisor in your times of need, a psychic advisor and reading can help you see more clearly the road that lay ahead. In doing so help you see potential positive choices, as well as, pitfalls or shortcomings that may come into play with a particular situation.
And for the truly gifted psychics, who have wisdom to share, they can help you create the type of life you want by sharing their nuggets of wisdom with you, so you feel your own power and intuition. Thus enabling you to create what you want in life.
With that said use the psychic reading wisely not just for the short term prediction but for your long term health and happiness.
----
You can visit NaturallySpiritual.com to find out more about the psychic phenomenon by visiting our spiritual wisdom section or to find an ethical, trusted, talented, compassionate psychic advisor.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Robertson Panel: The CIA Considers UFOs
The Robertson Panel: The CIA Considers UFOs
By Fran Black
1918-1939 is sometimes called "the golden age of aviation" because of the much technological advancement made in aircraft. With World War II came better, faster airplanes and more experienced pilots. By the time the war was over, air travel was becoming firmly established across the world. The skies became the highways of the future. People started looking up in curiosity. What they saw in the skies was sometimes mundane, but sometimes astonishing. The UFO age had begun.
The early 1950s saw a surge of civilian UFO reports. So serious had the problem become, that normal intelligence duties in the CIA were being seriously impacted. Authorities were worried that if the Soviet Union or another adversary attempted to invade the US, the lines would be clogged and the government would be unable to act, so serious had UFO hysteria become. Clearly, something had to be done.
The CIA responded by forming a committee to investigate the thousands of UFO reports and choose a course of action. The committee, headed by Howard Percy Robertson came to be known as The Robertson Panel. Robertson was a distinguished physicist, a CIA employee, and a director of the Defense Department Weapons Evaluation Group. He drew upon six friends and colleagues of scientific importance to fill the panel. Some of the more famous scientists on the board were Luis Alvarez, who won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1968; and Samuel A. Goudsmit, who was a head of one division of the Manhattan Project and jointly proposed the theory of the electronic spin. Other members were Frederick C. Durant, missile expert; Thornton Page, astrophysicist; Lloyd Berkner, physicist; and Allen Hynek, astronomer.
From the beginning, the panel was biased against the idea of UFOs. In their first briefing, Robertson explained that their purpose was to "debunk" UFOs. At least one committee member, Thornton Page, was reprimanded for his "excessive levity." There has also been some criticism that, while the scientists on the panel were leaders in their respective fields, these scientists specialized in outer space. No scientists were consulted who had expertise in atmospheric conditions--which is where UFOs are seen.
The panel met in secret for four consecutive days. During this time they viewed two amateur motion pictures: The 1950 Montana and the 1952 Utah UFO Films, which had already undergone 1,000 man hours of detailed analysis by Navy officers who had concluded that the depicted objects were not any known aircraft, creature, or weather phenomenon. Air Force Captain Edward J. Ruppelt and Major Dewey J. Fournet then addressed the panel, summarizing the extensive work they had been involved with in UFO affairs over the preceding years. Ultimately, the panel spent twelve hours considering reports and investigations that Project Blue Book and other committees had spent years investigating. They speedily found "explanations" for the reports. When there was no answer to be found, they swept the case under the table.
The Robertson Panel wasted no time in formulating their official report. They concluded that 90% of UFO sightings could be readily identified with meteorological, astronomical, or natural phenomenon, and that the remaining 10% could be explained with detailed study. They furthermore stated that such study would be a waste of time. Their final recommendation stated "That the national security agencies take immediate steps to strip the Unidentified Flying Objects of the special status they have been given and the aura of mystery they have unfortunately acquired."
Based on their recommendations, a public relations committee was assembled to reduce public interest in UFOs. Believers subscribing to such notions were painted as foolish and irrational. This effort drew upon the resources of renowned scientists as well as celebrities and mass media. Even the influential Disney Corporation was involved in the debunking effort. From this point forward UFology has been seen in disrepute among scholarly circles, and UFOs have become a subject of the fringe communities.
In the years following the Robertson Panel at least two members expressed disappointment with its proceedings. Because of the panel's conclusions, the attention needed to acquire the data to even decide the nature of the UFO phenomenon has not been given the subject. Thornton Page and J. Allen Hynek both lamented that the subject had not been treated with more seriousness. While Page expressed passing interest, Hynek went on to become a scientifically respected voice in UFology.
There can be no doubt that the Robertson Panel opened the era of government cover-up regarding the UFO phenomenon. And yet, stripped of credibility and respect, there are still those who insist on sharing their experiences. For no matter the cost, there are still those who look up into the sky with curiosity.
----
Francesca Black a long time science fiction buff, manages content for UFO Gifts http://www.ufo-gifts.com/ and Science Fiction Corner http://www.science-fiction-corner.com/
By Fran Black
1918-1939 is sometimes called "the golden age of aviation" because of the much technological advancement made in aircraft. With World War II came better, faster airplanes and more experienced pilots. By the time the war was over, air travel was becoming firmly established across the world. The skies became the highways of the future. People started looking up in curiosity. What they saw in the skies was sometimes mundane, but sometimes astonishing. The UFO age had begun.
The early 1950s saw a surge of civilian UFO reports. So serious had the problem become, that normal intelligence duties in the CIA were being seriously impacted. Authorities were worried that if the Soviet Union or another adversary attempted to invade the US, the lines would be clogged and the government would be unable to act, so serious had UFO hysteria become. Clearly, something had to be done.
The CIA responded by forming a committee to investigate the thousands of UFO reports and choose a course of action. The committee, headed by Howard Percy Robertson came to be known as The Robertson Panel. Robertson was a distinguished physicist, a CIA employee, and a director of the Defense Department Weapons Evaluation Group. He drew upon six friends and colleagues of scientific importance to fill the panel. Some of the more famous scientists on the board were Luis Alvarez, who won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1968; and Samuel A. Goudsmit, who was a head of one division of the Manhattan Project and jointly proposed the theory of the electronic spin. Other members were Frederick C. Durant, missile expert; Thornton Page, astrophysicist; Lloyd Berkner, physicist; and Allen Hynek, astronomer.
From the beginning, the panel was biased against the idea of UFOs. In their first briefing, Robertson explained that their purpose was to "debunk" UFOs. At least one committee member, Thornton Page, was reprimanded for his "excessive levity." There has also been some criticism that, while the scientists on the panel were leaders in their respective fields, these scientists specialized in outer space. No scientists were consulted who had expertise in atmospheric conditions--which is where UFOs are seen.
The panel met in secret for four consecutive days. During this time they viewed two amateur motion pictures: The 1950 Montana and the 1952 Utah UFO Films, which had already undergone 1,000 man hours of detailed analysis by Navy officers who had concluded that the depicted objects were not any known aircraft, creature, or weather phenomenon. Air Force Captain Edward J. Ruppelt and Major Dewey J. Fournet then addressed the panel, summarizing the extensive work they had been involved with in UFO affairs over the preceding years. Ultimately, the panel spent twelve hours considering reports and investigations that Project Blue Book and other committees had spent years investigating. They speedily found "explanations" for the reports. When there was no answer to be found, they swept the case under the table.
The Robertson Panel wasted no time in formulating their official report. They concluded that 90% of UFO sightings could be readily identified with meteorological, astronomical, or natural phenomenon, and that the remaining 10% could be explained with detailed study. They furthermore stated that such study would be a waste of time. Their final recommendation stated "That the national security agencies take immediate steps to strip the Unidentified Flying Objects of the special status they have been given and the aura of mystery they have unfortunately acquired."
Based on their recommendations, a public relations committee was assembled to reduce public interest in UFOs. Believers subscribing to such notions were painted as foolish and irrational. This effort drew upon the resources of renowned scientists as well as celebrities and mass media. Even the influential Disney Corporation was involved in the debunking effort. From this point forward UFology has been seen in disrepute among scholarly circles, and UFOs have become a subject of the fringe communities.
McKinnon tells all | Finally, due to the suggestions of the committee, groups studying UFOs were monitored by government agents and spies in order to keep them from influencing mass thinking. As late as 1976 a CIA memo was discovered telling how the agency was still having to report on the activities of UFO groups. |
In the years following the Robertson Panel at least two members expressed disappointment with its proceedings. Because of the panel's conclusions, the attention needed to acquire the data to even decide the nature of the UFO phenomenon has not been given the subject. Thornton Page and J. Allen Hynek both lamented that the subject had not been treated with more seriousness. While Page expressed passing interest, Hynek went on to become a scientifically respected voice in UFology.
There can be no doubt that the Robertson Panel opened the era of government cover-up regarding the UFO phenomenon. And yet, stripped of credibility and respect, there are still those who insist on sharing their experiences. For no matter the cost, there are still those who look up into the sky with curiosity.
----
Francesca Black a long time science fiction buff, manages content for UFO Gifts http://www.ufo-gifts.com/ and Science Fiction Corner http://www.science-fiction-corner.com/
Real Ghost: The True Haunting Story of The Buxton Inn
Real Ghost: The True Haunting Story of The Buxton Inn
By DeWayne Strickland
Do you believe in real ghost? Growing up I loved scaring people and my favorite Holiday was Halloween. As a young child I would stay up until two a.m. in the morning watching scary movies and was very open to paranormal activity. I have kept my experiences with real ghosts phenomena mostly to myself. I only have told a few close friends, but I never have been able to get the ghostly image out of my mind from the Buxton Inn. It still haunts me today!
The true haunting story of the Buxton Inn is a fascinating story and the building's history goes back to the early 1800's. The Inn(The Tavern) was built by Orrin Granger and served as a stage coach route. Some of the most famous people who stayed overnight were Abraham Lincoln, Charles Dickens, and William McKinley. The Inn(The Tavern) changes hands in 1865 and changes its name to the Buxton Inn.
Major Buxton became the new owner and ran it until 1905. After a series of owners, the Buxton Inn was sold to Orville and Audrey Orr, who presently own the Inn. The Orr family spent two years renovating the old Inn and that is when the ghostly guests started to make themselves known. The true haunting story of the Buxton Inn begins. Did they see real ghosts?
Before writing this article, I cleared my mind so I could go back to the night when I was in the Buxton Inn, at the age of 10 years old. While visting friends in Ohio, they took us to visit the Buxton Inn because of its intriguing eerie history. I was told about the real ghost, who haunted the main house and to be afraid. Back then I was not afraid of ghosts and was hoping to see one. The ghost stories started in the dark looking dungeon bar, which was located in the lower level of the Buxton Inn. If I remember correctly it was like a basement with oddly shaped stone walls. It was creepy looking and added to the real ghost legend.
Mr. Orr, stated he heard the locked front door open and the sound of someone walking up the stairs. He went to see if anyone was there and no one was there, which left him with no explanation. The Buxton Inn staff and visitors have heard, smelled, and felt the presence of a real ghost. They believe it could have been Major Buxton or Ethel Bounell, otherwise known as "the Lady in Blue". Incidently, Ethel Bounell(actress and singer) owned the Buxton Inn from 1934 until 1961. The Lady in Blue has appeared in corridors and guest rooms.
Others have said there was an unseen, but almost tangible presence of a real ghost that revealed itself. My parents and their friends were walking in front of me as we entered a corridor of the Buxton Inn. While walking through the open door entryway, I felt something but kept walking into the corridor. I remember how stunning the Buxton Inn looked as I was walking and then for some reason, I turned around quickly to look behind me. At 10 years old I was curious about this real ghost phenomena and jokingly turned to catch something. I had no idea as my parents and friends continued walking straight ahead, I would indeed see something.
My skepticism jumped right out the window when I saw a ghostly apparition move behind the door to the entryway. At 10 years old, I was awe struck and speechless. I finally had seen something that I could not explain and I only saw it by turning around quickly. Obviously, I caught something, because it hid very quickly behind a door. What I saw had a human shape and was made of light. The light was a bright white and in the blink of an eye went behind the entryway door.
The corridor we were in was well lit and you could see everything, so this light with a bright yellow contour moved quickly, but I could see it had a three-dimensional shape. I remember very few things at 10 years old, but this stuck in my mind and I never have forgotten how weird this experience was for me. Did I see a real ghost? To be honest, I don't know, but I never have felt or have seen anything like that since! I have had other wierd experiences, but not a strong physical presence like this I could see!
I believe there is more out there, then meets the eye. I was fortunate enough to turn around and catch a ghostly apparition moving behind a door. How did I know to turn around and catch this real ghost? Was I just overly curious? Looking back, I turned around because I felt there was something behind me and to my surprise, I saw it. On my next visit to the Buxton Inn, I plan to take my camera. Who knows, I might just see something or someone again! Do you believe in the true haunting story of the Buxton Inn?
You can visit the Buxton Inn in Granville, Ohio and enjoy fine food and spirits. You might turn around like me and actually see a spirit!
----
DeWayne H. Strickland has been a Film Freak since the time he could walk and he is an online researcher. Learn how you can support legal movie downloads and find the "secret place" at: http://www.moviedownloadmatrix.com
By DeWayne Strickland
Do you believe in real ghost? Growing up I loved scaring people and my favorite Holiday was Halloween. As a young child I would stay up until two a.m. in the morning watching scary movies and was very open to paranormal activity. I have kept my experiences with real ghosts phenomena mostly to myself. I only have told a few close friends, but I never have been able to get the ghostly image out of my mind from the Buxton Inn. It still haunts me today!
The true haunting story of the Buxton Inn is a fascinating story and the building's history goes back to the early 1800's. The Inn(The Tavern) was built by Orrin Granger and served as a stage coach route. Some of the most famous people who stayed overnight were Abraham Lincoln, Charles Dickens, and William McKinley. The Inn(The Tavern) changes hands in 1865 and changes its name to the Buxton Inn.
Major Buxton became the new owner and ran it until 1905. After a series of owners, the Buxton Inn was sold to Orville and Audrey Orr, who presently own the Inn. The Orr family spent two years renovating the old Inn and that is when the ghostly guests started to make themselves known. The true haunting story of the Buxton Inn begins. Did they see real ghosts?
Before writing this article, I cleared my mind so I could go back to the night when I was in the Buxton Inn, at the age of 10 years old. While visting friends in Ohio, they took us to visit the Buxton Inn because of its intriguing eerie history. I was told about the real ghost, who haunted the main house and to be afraid. Back then I was not afraid of ghosts and was hoping to see one. The ghost stories started in the dark looking dungeon bar, which was located in the lower level of the Buxton Inn. If I remember correctly it was like a basement with oddly shaped stone walls. It was creepy looking and added to the real ghost legend.
Mr. Orr, stated he heard the locked front door open and the sound of someone walking up the stairs. He went to see if anyone was there and no one was there, which left him with no explanation. The Buxton Inn staff and visitors have heard, smelled, and felt the presence of a real ghost. They believe it could have been Major Buxton or Ethel Bounell, otherwise known as "the Lady in Blue". Incidently, Ethel Bounell(actress and singer) owned the Buxton Inn from 1934 until 1961. The Lady in Blue has appeared in corridors and guest rooms.
Others have said there was an unseen, but almost tangible presence of a real ghost that revealed itself. My parents and their friends were walking in front of me as we entered a corridor of the Buxton Inn. While walking through the open door entryway, I felt something but kept walking into the corridor. I remember how stunning the Buxton Inn looked as I was walking and then for some reason, I turned around quickly to look behind me. At 10 years old I was curious about this real ghost phenomena and jokingly turned to catch something. I had no idea as my parents and friends continued walking straight ahead, I would indeed see something.
My skepticism jumped right out the window when I saw a ghostly apparition move behind the door to the entryway. At 10 years old, I was awe struck and speechless. I finally had seen something that I could not explain and I only saw it by turning around quickly. Obviously, I caught something, because it hid very quickly behind a door. What I saw had a human shape and was made of light. The light was a bright white and in the blink of an eye went behind the entryway door.
The corridor we were in was well lit and you could see everything, so this light with a bright yellow contour moved quickly, but I could see it had a three-dimensional shape. I remember very few things at 10 years old, but this stuck in my mind and I never have forgotten how weird this experience was for me. Did I see a real ghost? To be honest, I don't know, but I never have felt or have seen anything like that since! I have had other wierd experiences, but not a strong physical presence like this I could see!
I believe there is more out there, then meets the eye. I was fortunate enough to turn around and catch a ghostly apparition moving behind a door. How did I know to turn around and catch this real ghost? Was I just overly curious? Looking back, I turned around because I felt there was something behind me and to my surprise, I saw it. On my next visit to the Buxton Inn, I plan to take my camera. Who knows, I might just see something or someone again! Do you believe in the true haunting story of the Buxton Inn?
You can visit the Buxton Inn in Granville, Ohio and enjoy fine food and spirits. You might turn around like me and actually see a spirit!
----
DeWayne H. Strickland has been a Film Freak since the time he could walk and he is an online researcher. Learn how you can support legal movie downloads and find the "secret place" at: http://www.moviedownloadmatrix.com
The Ghosts of Windsor Castle
The Ghosts of Windsor Castle
By Stuart Bazga
Windsor Castle is one of the many homes of the present Queen of England, several of her royal ancestors, and "non-royal" spirits, one of whom, according to legend was an ancient Saxon hunter named Herne, who was renowned thought out the area for his outstanding hunting abilities.
One story tells of Herne, as one of the Royal keepers for King Richard II (1367-1400), who was hated by the other keepers for his extraordinary skills. One day the King was in danger of being trampled by an incensed stag while hunting and how Herne putting himself between the King and the stag was mortally wounded.
In the last 250 years, hundreds of people have claimed to have seen his spirit, often accompanied by his pack of hounds. In the early 1860's the tree from which he was found hanging, was cut down, and Queen Victoria kept the oak logs for her fire "To help kill the ghost". Her plan didn't work however.
Other legends tell of witchcraft and suicide, and a demonic horned being upon whose appearance brings illness and misfortune to all who see him, especially the Royal family. He can be seen in Windsor castle’s gardens with "his trademark stag’s head." King Henry VIII has been seen walking the hallways of Windsor Castle. His footsteps, along with agonizing moans, have been heard by many guests of the castle.
One of his wives, Anne Boleyn, has been seen standing at the window in the Dean’s Cloister, as well as, Queen Elizabeth I. Queen Elizabeth I has also been seen in the Royal Library. She has been seen walking from one room to another. She is always dressed in a black gown with a black lace shawl draped over her shoulders.
King Charles I has been seen many times in the library and the Canon’s house, and although he was beheaded during the English Revolution, his ghost is seen as a whole. It is said he looks exactly like his portraits.
King George III had many bouts with mental deterioration. During these times he was kept out of the public’s eye. He can be seen looking out the windows located below the Royal Library where he was confined during the recurrence of his illness.
The first Duke of Buckingham, Sir George Villiers, is said to haunt one of the bedrooms of Windsor castle. And many spirits haunt the Long Walk, one of whom is a young solider who shot himself after, while on his guard watch, saw marble statues moving "of their own accord." His ghost has seen by other soldiers on guard duty afterwards.
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I hope you have enjoyed this article and I look forward to your company again in the not to distant future.
Best wishes and have a great day
Stuart Bazgawww.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com
A Guide to Castles of Europe was born from childhood dreams and aspirations. It is my hope to educate and stimulate you into exploring these castles for yourselves.
You may copy or redistribute this article in its entirety including all links.
By Stuart Bazga
Windsor Castle is one of the many homes of the present Queen of England, several of her royal ancestors, and "non-royal" spirits, one of whom, according to legend was an ancient Saxon hunter named Herne, who was renowned thought out the area for his outstanding hunting abilities.
One story tells of Herne, as one of the Royal keepers for King Richard II (1367-1400), who was hated by the other keepers for his extraordinary skills. One day the King was in danger of being trampled by an incensed stag while hunting and how Herne putting himself between the King and the stag was mortally wounded.
In the last 250 years, hundreds of people have claimed to have seen his spirit, often accompanied by his pack of hounds. In the early 1860's the tree from which he was found hanging, was cut down, and Queen Victoria kept the oak logs for her fire "To help kill the ghost". Her plan didn't work however.
Other legends tell of witchcraft and suicide, and a demonic horned being upon whose appearance brings illness and misfortune to all who see him, especially the Royal family. He can be seen in Windsor castle’s gardens with "his trademark stag’s head." King Henry VIII has been seen walking the hallways of Windsor Castle. His footsteps, along with agonizing moans, have been heard by many guests of the castle.
One of his wives, Anne Boleyn, has been seen standing at the window in the Dean’s Cloister, as well as, Queen Elizabeth I. Queen Elizabeth I has also been seen in the Royal Library. She has been seen walking from one room to another. She is always dressed in a black gown with a black lace shawl draped over her shoulders.
King Charles I has been seen many times in the library and the Canon’s house, and although he was beheaded during the English Revolution, his ghost is seen as a whole. It is said he looks exactly like his portraits.
King George III had many bouts with mental deterioration. During these times he was kept out of the public’s eye. He can be seen looking out the windows located below the Royal Library where he was confined during the recurrence of his illness.
The first Duke of Buckingham, Sir George Villiers, is said to haunt one of the bedrooms of Windsor castle. And many spirits haunt the Long Walk, one of whom is a young solider who shot himself after, while on his guard watch, saw marble statues moving "of their own accord." His ghost has seen by other soldiers on guard duty afterwards.
----
I hope you have enjoyed this article and I look forward to your company again in the not to distant future.
Best wishes and have a great day
Stuart Bazgawww.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com
A Guide to Castles of Europe was born from childhood dreams and aspirations. It is my hope to educate and stimulate you into exploring these castles for yourselves.
You may copy or redistribute this article in its entirety including all links.
Past Lives--Scientific Evidence
Past Lives--Scientific Evidence
By Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD
Edgar Casey, known as the most prolific prophet of our time, was the first to bring past lives to light in the 20th Century. His many readings are archived at the Association for Research and Enlightenment center in Virginia Beach, Virginia. http://www.edgarcayce.org
A convincing form of confirmation that we live more than one life is demonstrated by those who have experienced past lives via hypnotic regressions. The details are documented in many countries, and the authenticity of many of these examples cannot be disputed or an alternative explanation offered.
Established by Hazel Denning, PhD, 1980, IARRT, the International Association for Regression Research & Therapies Inc., is the first professional organization for regression practitioners. IARRT provides education and research in past life regression and metaphysical healing. www.iarrt.org
The scientific community more often than not refutes the proof of past lives. However, there are many scientific examples, some of them very convincing. In a case reported by Dr. Morris Netherton (www.victorzammit.com), an eleven-year-old boy who when under hypnosis was taped speaking in an ancient Chinese dialect. This astonishing taped regression was taken to a Professor at the Department of Oriental Studies at the University of California, where it was found to be a recitation from a forbidden religion of ancient China. (Fisher 1986:202.)
In the past ten years, multiple independently researched reincarnation cases have emerged, which reveal that from lifetime to lifetime, people have the same facial features, personality traits, passions and even linguistic writing style. The most compelling cases involve those in which children have spontaneous memories of a past lifetime that can be factually verified. The case of James Leininger, aired on ABC Primetime in 2005, and the case of Anne Frank/Barbro Karlen, are examples.
Walter Semkiw, MD the author of Return of the Revolutionaries: The Case for Reincarnation and Soul Groups Reunited and Born Again independently researched reincarnation cases that demonstrate objective evidence of reincarnation, including the cases of neurosurgeon Norm Shealy, Police Captain Robert Snow, Asst. Fire Chief Jeff Keene and author William Barnes.
The case of Robert Snow, a Captain in the Indianapolis Police Department, in charge of the Homicide Division, was initiated on a dare by a fellow police officer. Captain Snow, in his book, Looking for Carroll Beckwith, relates that he only went to the therapist so that it didn't look like he had "welshed on the dare." Captain Snow did not believe in reincarnation and did not expect to have a meaningful experience. Captain Snow researched Beckwith's life by studying an extensive diary found in Bethwith's belongs. Of the 28 specific memories Snow documented from the regression, such as the painting of a hunchback woman, 26 were verified through his research. Though initially reluctant to accept reincarnation as the basis for his regression experience, Captain Snow finally came to the conclusion that he was Carroll Beckwith in a prior lifetime. Snow states that the evidence he compiled would stand up in a court case and that no plea-bargaining would be offered if it were a murder case. www.robertsnow.com
Past lives can also be derived from spontaneous memories and confirmed in past life regressions.
William Barnes, author of Thomas Andrews, Voyage into History, started having spontaneous past life memories when he was child. Thomas Andrews, Voyage into History, is the story of Tommie Andrews, Titanic's designer. Mr. Barnes' motivation for writing this book is, in part, to clear Tommie's name of any wrongdoing in the context of Titanic's sinking. In a recorded regression into the life of Tomas Andrews, Mr. Barnes spoke with a heavy Irish accent as he describes the ordeal of Titanic's sinking and relives his death on the deck of the great ship. http://www.pinenet.com/~rooster/titanic.html
Jenny Cockel had memories of being in Ireland. She remembered facts about her previous life, such as the name of her eight children. As a child she drew a picture of a church and a map of her childhood town, with an accurate description of her house etc. The impact of these memories disturbed her day-to-day functioning to the degree she consulted a hypnotherapist. After many past life regressions and armed with a list of several items—including two oval-shaped photos, one of her and a child and the other of a soldier she want back to the town where she lived. She not only found the house with a rabbit hutch in the back (now in disrepair) where she died at a young age, leaving her eight children motherless, she found and met seven of her living adult children from that life time. Her oldest child, a son, although reluctant to meet with her eventually agreed. Together they compared memories—only one item on Jenny’s list of memories remained unsubstantiated by him. The ABC TV program 20/20 documented the reunion including a birthday party with her oldest child.
The most profound researched proof of past live connections is documented by National Geographic DNA journey. https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html You can explore your own genetic journey with Dr. Spencer Wells, Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project. DNA analysis includes a depiction of your ancient ancestors and an interactive map tracing your genetic lineage around the world and through the ages.
Diba Ayten Yilmaz, Past Life Regression Therapist, Turkey wrote. “One of my clients is a 39 years old woman, who is a computer engineer in IBM Turkey. At the first meeting she mentioned that she had felt an attraction to Russia since childhood. She found herself as a woman in Russia in the first Past Life Regression Therapy session.
She sent her DNA sample to Genographic Project of National Geographic. The results showed that her origin goes to Russia!
In the second regression session she found herself as a young woman in a small village, which she called Lappland. She had been killed by German soldiers along with the entire village.
After this session we both wanted to know where is Lappland and does it exist? She searched on the Internet and saw that there was an area called Lappland in Sweden!
The second question was about the German soldiers! Yes, the German soldiers had killed all the people in the small village of Lappland in the late period during World War II.
The amazing thing is; after our session she checked her Genographic results again on National Geographic. The NG follows and updates the DNA journey results and saw that her DNA has a connection to Lappland!
If any of you want to see her DNA results I can send it to you. You can check your DNA results on NG or do you know someone who has checked?” http://www.radianced.com
----
By Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD
Edgar Casey, known as the most prolific prophet of our time, was the first to bring past lives to light in the 20th Century. His many readings are archived at the Association for Research and Enlightenment center in Virginia Beach, Virginia. http://www.edgarcayce.org
A convincing form of confirmation that we live more than one life is demonstrated by those who have experienced past lives via hypnotic regressions. The details are documented in many countries, and the authenticity of many of these examples cannot be disputed or an alternative explanation offered.
Established by Hazel Denning, PhD, 1980, IARRT, the International Association for Regression Research & Therapies Inc., is the first professional organization for regression practitioners. IARRT provides education and research in past life regression and metaphysical healing. www.iarrt.org
The scientific community more often than not refutes the proof of past lives. However, there are many scientific examples, some of them very convincing. In a case reported by Dr. Morris Netherton (www.victorzammit.com), an eleven-year-old boy who when under hypnosis was taped speaking in an ancient Chinese dialect. This astonishing taped regression was taken to a Professor at the Department of Oriental Studies at the University of California, where it was found to be a recitation from a forbidden religion of ancient China. (Fisher 1986:202.)
In the past ten years, multiple independently researched reincarnation cases have emerged, which reveal that from lifetime to lifetime, people have the same facial features, personality traits, passions and even linguistic writing style. The most compelling cases involve those in which children have spontaneous memories of a past lifetime that can be factually verified. The case of James Leininger, aired on ABC Primetime in 2005, and the case of Anne Frank/Barbro Karlen, are examples.
Walter Semkiw, MD the author of Return of the Revolutionaries: The Case for Reincarnation and Soul Groups Reunited and Born Again independently researched reincarnation cases that demonstrate objective evidence of reincarnation, including the cases of neurosurgeon Norm Shealy, Police Captain Robert Snow, Asst. Fire Chief Jeff Keene and author William Barnes.
The case of Robert Snow, a Captain in the Indianapolis Police Department, in charge of the Homicide Division, was initiated on a dare by a fellow police officer. Captain Snow, in his book, Looking for Carroll Beckwith, relates that he only went to the therapist so that it didn't look like he had "welshed on the dare." Captain Snow did not believe in reincarnation and did not expect to have a meaningful experience. Captain Snow researched Beckwith's life by studying an extensive diary found in Bethwith's belongs. Of the 28 specific memories Snow documented from the regression, such as the painting of a hunchback woman, 26 were verified through his research. Though initially reluctant to accept reincarnation as the basis for his regression experience, Captain Snow finally came to the conclusion that he was Carroll Beckwith in a prior lifetime. Snow states that the evidence he compiled would stand up in a court case and that no plea-bargaining would be offered if it were a murder case. www.robertsnow.com
Past lives can also be derived from spontaneous memories and confirmed in past life regressions.
William Barnes, author of Thomas Andrews, Voyage into History, started having spontaneous past life memories when he was child. Thomas Andrews, Voyage into History, is the story of Tommie Andrews, Titanic's designer. Mr. Barnes' motivation for writing this book is, in part, to clear Tommie's name of any wrongdoing in the context of Titanic's sinking. In a recorded regression into the life of Tomas Andrews, Mr. Barnes spoke with a heavy Irish accent as he describes the ordeal of Titanic's sinking and relives his death on the deck of the great ship. http://www.pinenet.com/~rooster/titanic.html
Jenny Cockel had memories of being in Ireland. She remembered facts about her previous life, such as the name of her eight children. As a child she drew a picture of a church and a map of her childhood town, with an accurate description of her house etc. The impact of these memories disturbed her day-to-day functioning to the degree she consulted a hypnotherapist. After many past life regressions and armed with a list of several items—including two oval-shaped photos, one of her and a child and the other of a soldier she want back to the town where she lived. She not only found the house with a rabbit hutch in the back (now in disrepair) where she died at a young age, leaving her eight children motherless, she found and met seven of her living adult children from that life time. Her oldest child, a son, although reluctant to meet with her eventually agreed. Together they compared memories—only one item on Jenny’s list of memories remained unsubstantiated by him. The ABC TV program 20/20 documented the reunion including a birthday party with her oldest child.
The most profound researched proof of past live connections is documented by National Geographic DNA journey. https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html You can explore your own genetic journey with Dr. Spencer Wells, Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project. DNA analysis includes a depiction of your ancient ancestors and an interactive map tracing your genetic lineage around the world and through the ages.
Diba Ayten Yilmaz, Past Life Regression Therapist, Turkey wrote. “One of my clients is a 39 years old woman, who is a computer engineer in IBM Turkey. At the first meeting she mentioned that she had felt an attraction to Russia since childhood. She found herself as a woman in Russia in the first Past Life Regression Therapy session.
She sent her DNA sample to Genographic Project of National Geographic. The results showed that her origin goes to Russia!
In the second regression session she found herself as a young woman in a small village, which she called Lappland. She had been killed by German soldiers along with the entire village.
After this session we both wanted to know where is Lappland and does it exist? She searched on the Internet and saw that there was an area called Lappland in Sweden!
The second question was about the German soldiers! Yes, the German soldiers had killed all the people in the small village of Lappland in the late period during World War II.
The amazing thing is; after our session she checked her Genographic results again on National Geographic. The NG follows and updates the DNA journey results and saw that her DNA has a connection to Lappland!
If any of you want to see her DNA results I can send it to you. You can check your DNA results on NG or do you know someone who has checked?” http://www.radianced.com
----
The Supernatural
The Supernatural
By Dr. Randy Wysong
Once we arrive at the conclusion that mere matter and natural laws are not sufficient to explain the existence of the universe and life, but a super intelligence is, then what? For some, this begins a life of exploration. Others turn the matter over to organized religions that claim to be a conduit to the creator. For yet others, who assume supernatural is synonymous with superstition, it means stopping before they begin.
The word supernatural is laden with emotion and confusion. It connotes a surrealism, subjectivity and phantasm that makes it easy to set aside, reject or use to justify an agenda. In religions it circumscribes a sacred domain where profane and mundane science cannot tread and where religious leaders can claim special knowledge and exert power. Materialists use the word to smugly describe the place where people go when they have abandoned science and reason.
Here's the point I would like to make that will clear the air for all sides and create common ground for progress: there is no supernatural; there is only natural.
This is why I can say such a thing. To know what supernatural is, natural must be defined. The prefix, "super," means beyond, or exceeding. So we must know where "natural" ends before we can know what is beyond it. The problem is, no one would (a better word is should) be so silly or bold as to define the limits of natural. That's because philosophic and religious ideas that separate natural from supernatural have fallen one after another to the revelations of scientific exploration. Lightning turned out not to be arrows in the quivers of supernatural gods, disease was not supernatural devil possession and the universe was not a supernatural firmament circling the Earth.
In earlier times, the state was religion and the church defined science. Ancient Egypt and Rome typified this. There was no real separation of secular from religious. All was hunky dory. Then along came the scientific revolution, beginning in the 17th century, and science decided to depart from the fold. A truce was made and a deal struck whereby the church could have the supernatural, and science would take the natural. The fear of being shot down yet again by science has created a mood of capitulation by religions. They have surrendered even where they need not have, such as with the issue of evolution.
In any case, this unwritten agreement about a division of authority worked out pretty well until quantum physics showed that there was no real divide between the physical and non physical (the supernatural). Now we are once again at the point where all knowledge properly belongs under one header: reality-truth-nature.
This is an interesting state of affairs, not particularly comfortable for either side. Religion sees its supernatural being whittled away by advancing science; science sees its materialism vaporizing into a quantum world that has flavors of religion.
Exploration is the enemy of the supernatural. The more we learn, the more natural there is and the less supernatural. That does not bode well for the word. When a concept keeps caving in to the pressure of advancing knowledge, it may be a good time to retire it. If we do, a reason for much of the conflict between science and religion will disappear.
Since truth is our objective, discarding a word should not be a problem. That which is revealed from nature, natural things, is just truth. There is neither super-truth nor super-nature. Truth is truth. We may not have fully discovered all the truth nature contains – and we certainly haven't – but that does not make the yet unknown super-truth or supernatural.
All things of truth are natural, even that which we cannot see, hear, feel, smell, touch or even conceptualize. Radio waves are natural, X-rays are, as are microbes, molecules, atoms and quanta, even though they are invisible, unknown to our naked senses and fundamentally inconceivable. There are infinite unknowns beyond our perception and even our technology. Is it all supernatural or is it just nature yet undiscovered or poorly understood? That's rhetorical. Is it not the height of egocentricity and an outrageous curiosity of humans that we would define the world as divided into natural and supernatural based upon what we humans have or have not discovered or understand?
Extraordinary, miraculous and paranormal events are actually only glimpses of reality beyond normal human bounds, not aberrations beyond nature. They are just preternatural, meaning outside the normal course of nature, unusual, not supernatural. If a person can walk through a wall, materialize objects out of thin air, see through matter, rise from the dead or predict the future, that means they have a special ability to tap into a part of natural reality that most people cannot, not that they are supernatural.
To disprove events such as near-death and out-of-body experiences, some skeptical investigators duplicate elements of these experiences with drugs such as DMT and LSD and with centrifugal g-force experiments. The assumption is that if unusual phenomena can be induced by a physical act, in other words shown to be natural, that that diminishes their merit by proving they are not supernatural. The logic of that escapes me. The fact that physical natural factors can induce extraordinary phenomena does not prove that such events cannot occur outside of the laboratory in the private lives of individuals. It proves that apparently "supernatural" events are natural. Exactly my point: there is no dividing line between the two.
Weird extraordinary things are not that at all, in a more expansive understanding of reality. The point needs to be whether things are true, if they are facts and actually happen, not whether we can classify them as supernatural or not.
So let's strike the word "supernatural" from vocabulary (put in quotes henceforth) and from our logic. That way we will not be surprised by discovery or disappointed that our special little "supernatural" thing turned out to be natural.
Understanding that all is natural opens the mind, removes fear and makes everything fair game for study and exploration. On the other hand, the more "supernatural" we accede to, the more we are helpless victims and supplicants. Religion – constructed around the "supernatural" – can be an excuse to escape responsibility for our own actions and put things in God's "supernatural" court: "It was God's will," "God made me do it," "God is punishing me," "God is blessing me." How convenient for those not wanting to take responsibility for their own actions. Life is better lived as if an atheist (no irreverence or disrespect intended): Don't blame God and don't expect God to step in.
Those who claim special knowledge of the "supernatural" can gather power to themselves to lord it over those who buy into their claim of privilege. We mere natural creatures can only bow to that which is beyond nature and to the agents who claim their guesses about it are sureties. But how can any mere natural creature speak with certainty about that which is "supernatural," and therefore unreal?
Not only do some within religion take advantage of the "supernatural," so too do materialists. The latter assume, with no little bravado, that because the "supernatural" has had to constantly retreat in the face of advancing science, that eventually everything will be measured and tallied with their machines. They see "supernatural" as an excuse for intellectual laziness. To them the "supernatural" is either unreal, fraudulent, or a part of nature waiting to be harnessed by scientific instruments and nomenclature.
The failure of the "supernatural" in the past to stand up to scientific scrutiny gives materialists an excuse to reject all nonmaterial phenomena and assume that materialism is an accurate explanation of all of reality...which it most certainly is not. In other words, since science defeated the supernatural doctrine that the Earth was the center of the universe, it is reasoned that science will defeat any religious, spiritual or metaphysical idea. To them no investigation is needed. Something being "supernatural" is enough reason to reject it out of hand. "Supernatural" becomes an easily defeated straw man.
By assuming that things beyond measuring are just religious fantasy or psychic voodoo, materialists close off discovery and condemn themselves to a narrowed and constricted viewpoint that reveals only a smidgen of reality. On the other hand, by attempting to strictly define the "supernatural" and then having that definition constantly gnawed away by advancing science, the religionist is faced with constant intellectual dilemmas. However, if "supernatural" is stricken from vocabulary, everything then becomes natural. The materialist cannot so easily dismiss nonmaterial events no matter how weird they may be; the religionist can welcome any discovery science has to offer.
Omitting "supernatural" opens the whole panorama of reality for exploration and discovery. The more we learn about nature, the greater its girth. What lies out there yet to be discovered, however, is natural even if we never discover it, are incapable of doing so - or it has no corpus and is infinite, omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent.
In the end, the term "supernatural," (and remember it is only a word) seems to only create utility for those who make pretentious claims to know all about it, and to provide an excuse for materialist's rejection of anything that falls under its rubric. Demystifying reality by releasing it from the artificial bonds of "supernatural" is the necessary beginning to rational, scientific and spiritual (three words that should mean the same thing) discovery.
----
Dr. Wysong is a former veterinary clinician and surgeon, college instructor in human anatomy, physiology and the origin of life, inventor of numerous medical, surgical, nutritional, athletic and fitness products and devices, research director for the present company by his name and founder of the philanthropic Wysong Institute. He is author of The Creation-Evolution Controversy now in its eleventh printing, a new two volume set on philosophy for living entitled Thinking Matters: 1-Living Life... As If Thinking Matters; 2-The Big Questions...As If Thinking Matters, several books on nutrition, prevention and health for people and animals and over 15 years of monthly health newsletters. He may be contacted at Wysong@Wysong.net and a free subscription to his e-Health Letter is available at http://www.wysong.net.
By Dr. Randy Wysong
Once we arrive at the conclusion that mere matter and natural laws are not sufficient to explain the existence of the universe and life, but a super intelligence is, then what? For some, this begins a life of exploration. Others turn the matter over to organized religions that claim to be a conduit to the creator. For yet others, who assume supernatural is synonymous with superstition, it means stopping before they begin.
The word supernatural is laden with emotion and confusion. It connotes a surrealism, subjectivity and phantasm that makes it easy to set aside, reject or use to justify an agenda. In religions it circumscribes a sacred domain where profane and mundane science cannot tread and where religious leaders can claim special knowledge and exert power. Materialists use the word to smugly describe the place where people go when they have abandoned science and reason.
Here's the point I would like to make that will clear the air for all sides and create common ground for progress: there is no supernatural; there is only natural.
This is why I can say such a thing. To know what supernatural is, natural must be defined. The prefix, "super," means beyond, or exceeding. So we must know where "natural" ends before we can know what is beyond it. The problem is, no one would (a better word is should) be so silly or bold as to define the limits of natural. That's because philosophic and religious ideas that separate natural from supernatural have fallen one after another to the revelations of scientific exploration. Lightning turned out not to be arrows in the quivers of supernatural gods, disease was not supernatural devil possession and the universe was not a supernatural firmament circling the Earth.
In earlier times, the state was religion and the church defined science. Ancient Egypt and Rome typified this. There was no real separation of secular from religious. All was hunky dory. Then along came the scientific revolution, beginning in the 17th century, and science decided to depart from the fold. A truce was made and a deal struck whereby the church could have the supernatural, and science would take the natural. The fear of being shot down yet again by science has created a mood of capitulation by religions. They have surrendered even where they need not have, such as with the issue of evolution.
In any case, this unwritten agreement about a division of authority worked out pretty well until quantum physics showed that there was no real divide between the physical and non physical (the supernatural). Now we are once again at the point where all knowledge properly belongs under one header: reality-truth-nature.
This is an interesting state of affairs, not particularly comfortable for either side. Religion sees its supernatural being whittled away by advancing science; science sees its materialism vaporizing into a quantum world that has flavors of religion.
Exploration is the enemy of the supernatural. The more we learn, the more natural there is and the less supernatural. That does not bode well for the word. When a concept keeps caving in to the pressure of advancing knowledge, it may be a good time to retire it. If we do, a reason for much of the conflict between science and religion will disappear.
Since truth is our objective, discarding a word should not be a problem. That which is revealed from nature, natural things, is just truth. There is neither super-truth nor super-nature. Truth is truth. We may not have fully discovered all the truth nature contains – and we certainly haven't – but that does not make the yet unknown super-truth or supernatural.
All things of truth are natural, even that which we cannot see, hear, feel, smell, touch or even conceptualize. Radio waves are natural, X-rays are, as are microbes, molecules, atoms and quanta, even though they are invisible, unknown to our naked senses and fundamentally inconceivable. There are infinite unknowns beyond our perception and even our technology. Is it all supernatural or is it just nature yet undiscovered or poorly understood? That's rhetorical. Is it not the height of egocentricity and an outrageous curiosity of humans that we would define the world as divided into natural and supernatural based upon what we humans have or have not discovered or understand?
Extraordinary, miraculous and paranormal events are actually only glimpses of reality beyond normal human bounds, not aberrations beyond nature. They are just preternatural, meaning outside the normal course of nature, unusual, not supernatural. If a person can walk through a wall, materialize objects out of thin air, see through matter, rise from the dead or predict the future, that means they have a special ability to tap into a part of natural reality that most people cannot, not that they are supernatural.
To disprove events such as near-death and out-of-body experiences, some skeptical investigators duplicate elements of these experiences with drugs such as DMT and LSD and with centrifugal g-force experiments. The assumption is that if unusual phenomena can be induced by a physical act, in other words shown to be natural, that that diminishes their merit by proving they are not supernatural. The logic of that escapes me. The fact that physical natural factors can induce extraordinary phenomena does not prove that such events cannot occur outside of the laboratory in the private lives of individuals. It proves that apparently "supernatural" events are natural. Exactly my point: there is no dividing line between the two.
Weird extraordinary things are not that at all, in a more expansive understanding of reality. The point needs to be whether things are true, if they are facts and actually happen, not whether we can classify them as supernatural or not.
So let's strike the word "supernatural" from vocabulary (put in quotes henceforth) and from our logic. That way we will not be surprised by discovery or disappointed that our special little "supernatural" thing turned out to be natural.
Understanding that all is natural opens the mind, removes fear and makes everything fair game for study and exploration. On the other hand, the more "supernatural" we accede to, the more we are helpless victims and supplicants. Religion – constructed around the "supernatural" – can be an excuse to escape responsibility for our own actions and put things in God's "supernatural" court: "It was God's will," "God made me do it," "God is punishing me," "God is blessing me." How convenient for those not wanting to take responsibility for their own actions. Life is better lived as if an atheist (no irreverence or disrespect intended): Don't blame God and don't expect God to step in.
Those who claim special knowledge of the "supernatural" can gather power to themselves to lord it over those who buy into their claim of privilege. We mere natural creatures can only bow to that which is beyond nature and to the agents who claim their guesses about it are sureties. But how can any mere natural creature speak with certainty about that which is "supernatural," and therefore unreal?
Not only do some within religion take advantage of the "supernatural," so too do materialists. The latter assume, with no little bravado, that because the "supernatural" has had to constantly retreat in the face of advancing science, that eventually everything will be measured and tallied with their machines. They see "supernatural" as an excuse for intellectual laziness. To them the "supernatural" is either unreal, fraudulent, or a part of nature waiting to be harnessed by scientific instruments and nomenclature.
The failure of the "supernatural" in the past to stand up to scientific scrutiny gives materialists an excuse to reject all nonmaterial phenomena and assume that materialism is an accurate explanation of all of reality...which it most certainly is not. In other words, since science defeated the supernatural doctrine that the Earth was the center of the universe, it is reasoned that science will defeat any religious, spiritual or metaphysical idea. To them no investigation is needed. Something being "supernatural" is enough reason to reject it out of hand. "Supernatural" becomes an easily defeated straw man.
By assuming that things beyond measuring are just religious fantasy or psychic voodoo, materialists close off discovery and condemn themselves to a narrowed and constricted viewpoint that reveals only a smidgen of reality. On the other hand, by attempting to strictly define the "supernatural" and then having that definition constantly gnawed away by advancing science, the religionist is faced with constant intellectual dilemmas. However, if "supernatural" is stricken from vocabulary, everything then becomes natural. The materialist cannot so easily dismiss nonmaterial events no matter how weird they may be; the religionist can welcome any discovery science has to offer.
Omitting "supernatural" opens the whole panorama of reality for exploration and discovery. The more we learn about nature, the greater its girth. What lies out there yet to be discovered, however, is natural even if we never discover it, are incapable of doing so - or it has no corpus and is infinite, omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent.
In the end, the term "supernatural," (and remember it is only a word) seems to only create utility for those who make pretentious claims to know all about it, and to provide an excuse for materialist's rejection of anything that falls under its rubric. Demystifying reality by releasing it from the artificial bonds of "supernatural" is the necessary beginning to rational, scientific and spiritual (three words that should mean the same thing) discovery.
----
Dr. Wysong is a former veterinary clinician and surgeon, college instructor in human anatomy, physiology and the origin of life, inventor of numerous medical, surgical, nutritional, athletic and fitness products and devices, research director for the present company by his name and founder of the philanthropic Wysong Institute. He is author of The Creation-Evolution Controversy now in its eleventh printing, a new two volume set on philosophy for living entitled Thinking Matters: 1-Living Life... As If Thinking Matters; 2-The Big Questions...As If Thinking Matters, several books on nutrition, prevention and health for people and animals and over 15 years of monthly health newsletters. He may be contacted at Wysong@Wysong.net and a free subscription to his e-Health Letter is available at http://www.wysong.net.
The Unexplained - Haunted Asheville
The Unexplained - Haunted Asheville
By Steve Buckner
not become news because the residents of Asheville did not want to scare folks away from the Grove Park Inn or from Asheville which was just coming into it's own as a tourist area. This is the story of the Pink Lady .
Was it the late teens or early twenties ? No one I spoke to is really sure. There was no obituary, nothing in the newspaper and to this day no one has even been able to give a name to the lady in pink .
Our story starts on the second balcony above the Palm Court inside the Grove Park Inn. A beautiful young woman dressed in a lovely pink gown was seen looking down on to the court as if she was waiting on someone. From there the story gets a bit cloudy, although there was suppose to be several people who saw the woman, no one seemed to have seen anything when her young beautiful body crashed down on the floor of the Palm Court. Did she jump to her death? Was she pushed? Again no one really seemed to know. All that anyone really knew was that she had come from the balcony and found her death on the cold floor of the Inn . Today that floor is carpet but one resource says the floor is solid marble underneath the carpeting and that in the late teens and early 20's the bare marble floor was exposed. I can not verify that I did not try to look under the carpet as I walked though the inn to get a mental picture of where this tragedy may have taken place.
From that fateful night until today the legend of The Pink Lady is still alive and many reports from staff and guests of her being seen and doing things in the Inn. It is told that she still haunts room 545 although she has the complete run of the Inn and has been seen a lot more places than just her room. But her room would certainly be a good place to stay if you wanted to make contact with The Pink Lady.
Over the years more than one employee has left the employment of the Grove Park Inn and Spa because of the Pink Ladies' Ghost or at least that is what they say when asked. There have been many stories over the years of encounters with the Pink Lady but the one I will share with you is one of the most recent. This was shared with me by a high ranking official with the Grove Park Inn and Spa today along with the security guard that was involved. Just a few weeks ago a couple with a young child was staying at the Inn. Sometime during the night the small child left the room and was found wandering the halls by a guest. That guest called the front desk and of course they sent one of the security officers up to help . After a few questions of the child they determined who the child was and what room they had come from . The security guard returned the young child to their room. The parents of this child were visually upset that their young child had left their room in the middle of night without their knowing it. The young child seeing how upset the mom was hugged her and said. I was just fine mommy, the nice lady in the pink dress was showing me around .
Well that is the facts as close as I could get them for you. You have to decide for yourself, is the Pink Lady real or just a legend made up to draw business to the Grove Park Inn and Spa ? No one I spoke to really knew but the folks who have had contact with her spirit will for sure tell you Shes Real!
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Steve Buckner http://www.ashevilleconnection.com
By Steve Buckner
| As I begin this story I keep thinking back to an old TV ad that Memorex use to use. Is it live? or is it Memorex. The reason that comes to mind is because as I did my research for this article I have been told that this story is only a legend and probably never happened. Others say Oh yes it happened and did |  |
Was it the late teens or early twenties ? No one I spoke to is really sure. There was no obituary, nothing in the newspaper and to this day no one has even been able to give a name to the lady in pink .
Our story starts on the second balcony above the Palm Court inside the Grove Park Inn. A beautiful young woman dressed in a lovely pink gown was seen looking down on to the court as if she was waiting on someone. From there the story gets a bit cloudy, although there was suppose to be several people who saw the woman, no one seemed to have seen anything when her young beautiful body crashed down on the floor of the Palm Court. Did she jump to her death? Was she pushed? Again no one really seemed to know. All that anyone really knew was that she had come from the balcony and found her death on the cold floor of the Inn . Today that floor is carpet but one resource says the floor is solid marble underneath the carpeting and that in the late teens and early 20's the bare marble floor was exposed. I can not verify that I did not try to look under the carpet as I walked though the inn to get a mental picture of where this tragedy may have taken place.
From that fateful night until today the legend of The Pink Lady is still alive and many reports from staff and guests of her being seen and doing things in the Inn. It is told that she still haunts room 545 although she has the complete run of the Inn and has been seen a lot more places than just her room. But her room would certainly be a good place to stay if you wanted to make contact with The Pink Lady.
Over the years more than one employee has left the employment of the Grove Park Inn and Spa because of the Pink Ladies' Ghost or at least that is what they say when asked. There have been many stories over the years of encounters with the Pink Lady but the one I will share with you is one of the most recent. This was shared with me by a high ranking official with the Grove Park Inn and Spa today along with the security guard that was involved. Just a few weeks ago a couple with a young child was staying at the Inn. Sometime during the night the small child left the room and was found wandering the halls by a guest. That guest called the front desk and of course they sent one of the security officers up to help . After a few questions of the child they determined who the child was and what room they had come from . The security guard returned the young child to their room. The parents of this child were visually upset that their young child had left their room in the middle of night without their knowing it. The young child seeing how upset the mom was hugged her and said. I was just fine mommy, the nice lady in the pink dress was showing me around .
Well that is the facts as close as I could get them for you. You have to decide for yourself, is the Pink Lady real or just a legend made up to draw business to the Grove Park Inn and Spa ? No one I spoke to really knew but the folks who have had contact with her spirit will for sure tell you Shes Real!
----
Steve Buckner http://www.ashevilleconnection.com
The Madden Curse, Voodoo or Reality?
Hello Believers
No I'm not getting into sports. But I have heard of this Madden Curse before. I over heard a group of football fans talking about it. Apparently, one who gets his picture on the cover of the Madden Video Game ends up getting hurt or destroying their career or something along those lines. I'm not quite sure of the details, but obviously somebody knows enough about it to write an article and perhaps somebody did get mad at the game and curse the players. You never know.
The title kind of gets me. He uses the word Voodoo as a synonym for hogwash, not giving a hoot about what we all know to be real. So is it a silly superstition? Or is it reality?
You decide.
The Blogmaster
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The Madden Curse, Voodoo or Reality?
By S Niemduang
It's that dreaded time again. We find out who will become the new face of Madden football. As many of us know, being on the cover of Madden NFL hasn't fared well for some football stars. Prior to 1999, Madden's face graced the cover of Madden. Ok, so let's say we believe in voodoo and look at the facts:
Garrison Hearst (1999): Hearst was the first athlete to ever appear on the cover of a Madden game. In 1998, he ran for over 1,500 yards and scored 7 touchdowns. Hearst went on to suffer a major ankle break against the Atlanta Falcons. He vanished from the game until 2001.
Barry Sanders/ Dorsey Levens (2000): Barry Sanders started the season as the front runner of the Madden cover for 2000. He then abruptly decided to retire from the game. Maybe he was afraid of the curse? Dorsey Levens of the Green Bay Packers filled Sander's shoes and ran for an un-Barrylike 224 yards and 3 touchdowns. He eventually retired in 2004 as a Green Bay Packer.
Eddie George (2001): Ok, no voodoo here, Eddie George of the Tennessee Titans actually ran for over 1500 yards and scored 16 touchdowns the year he was on the cover of Madden. But following his cover year, he had a fumble that cost the game in the 2001 AFC Championship.
Daunte Culpepper: (2002): Culpepper appeared on the cover after a 2000 season where he passed for 3,937 passing yards, 470 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns. Culpepper actually got hurt during the 2001 season and missed the final five games of that season and has only made 11 starts since the end of the 2004 season.
Marshall Faulk (2003): A statistical monster before he made his appearance on the 2003 cover. After gaining 1,382 rushing yards during the 2001 season, He never gained another 1,000 yard season and recently retired due to knee problems.
Michael Vick (2004): Even a great runner like Vick didn't avoid the curse. During the preseason of 2003 he suffered a broken right fibula in a game against the Baltimore Ravens and only made 5 appearances. He finished out the season with just 585 passing yards and 5 touchdowns. He has recovered and started 46 games since the end of his nightmare 2003 season.
Ray Lewis (2005): Ray Lewis is the only defensive player to appear on a cover of Madden. He still suffered the curse when he missed 10 starts due to injuries he suffered during the 2005 season.
Donovan McNabb (2006): McNabb led the Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX and appreared on the cover of the 2006 version. He suffered a hernia in the first week of the 2005 season and attempted to continue, but ended his season after only 9 starts. He also suffered a knee injury in 2006 limiting him to only 10 starts in the 2006 season.
Shaun Alexander (2007): Sean Alexander rushed for 1,880 yards and scored 28 total touchdowns in 2005. Alexander then missed 6 starts in 2006 and finished with 896 yards after suffering a foot injury. It was the first time since 2000 that he failed to gain 1,000 yards.
Vince Young (2008): We will follow up at a later time.
Well, there are your facts. Many people believe the curse is foolish because the injuries aren't necessarily consistent with the year the player was cursed. Others think that if the player suffers a major setback in their career, it was the curse. I don't believe in this Madden curse and if you don't believe me, ask running back Ladainlian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers. He politely declined the offer to appear on the 2008 cover. Mr. Young decided to accept this great honor in his stead. So what do you all think? Voodoo or Coincidence?
----
The Sports Guy http://www.getprosports.com/
No I'm not getting into sports. But I have heard of this Madden Curse before. I over heard a group of football fans talking about it. Apparently, one who gets his picture on the cover of the Madden Video Game ends up getting hurt or destroying their career or something along those lines. I'm not quite sure of the details, but obviously somebody knows enough about it to write an article and perhaps somebody did get mad at the game and curse the players. You never know.
The title kind of gets me. He uses the word Voodoo as a synonym for hogwash, not giving a hoot about what we all know to be real. So is it a silly superstition? Or is it reality?
You decide.
The Blogmaster
----
The Madden Curse, Voodoo or Reality?
By S Niemduang
It's that dreaded time again. We find out who will become the new face of Madden football. As many of us know, being on the cover of Madden NFL hasn't fared well for some football stars. Prior to 1999, Madden's face graced the cover of Madden. Ok, so let's say we believe in voodoo and look at the facts:
Garrison Hearst (1999): Hearst was the first athlete to ever appear on the cover of a Madden game. In 1998, he ran for over 1,500 yards and scored 7 touchdowns. Hearst went on to suffer a major ankle break against the Atlanta Falcons. He vanished from the game until 2001.
Barry Sanders/ Dorsey Levens (2000): Barry Sanders started the season as the front runner of the Madden cover for 2000. He then abruptly decided to retire from the game. Maybe he was afraid of the curse? Dorsey Levens of the Green Bay Packers filled Sander's shoes and ran for an un-Barrylike 224 yards and 3 touchdowns. He eventually retired in 2004 as a Green Bay Packer.
Eddie George (2001): Ok, no voodoo here, Eddie George of the Tennessee Titans actually ran for over 1500 yards and scored 16 touchdowns the year he was on the cover of Madden. But following his cover year, he had a fumble that cost the game in the 2001 AFC Championship.
Daunte Culpepper: (2002): Culpepper appeared on the cover after a 2000 season where he passed for 3,937 passing yards, 470 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns. Culpepper actually got hurt during the 2001 season and missed the final five games of that season and has only made 11 starts since the end of the 2004 season.
Marshall Faulk (2003): A statistical monster before he made his appearance on the 2003 cover. After gaining 1,382 rushing yards during the 2001 season, He never gained another 1,000 yard season and recently retired due to knee problems.
Michael Vick (2004): Even a great runner like Vick didn't avoid the curse. During the preseason of 2003 he suffered a broken right fibula in a game against the Baltimore Ravens and only made 5 appearances. He finished out the season with just 585 passing yards and 5 touchdowns. He has recovered and started 46 games since the end of his nightmare 2003 season.
Ray Lewis (2005): Ray Lewis is the only defensive player to appear on a cover of Madden. He still suffered the curse when he missed 10 starts due to injuries he suffered during the 2005 season.
Donovan McNabb (2006): McNabb led the Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX and appreared on the cover of the 2006 version. He suffered a hernia in the first week of the 2005 season and attempted to continue, but ended his season after only 9 starts. He also suffered a knee injury in 2006 limiting him to only 10 starts in the 2006 season.
Shaun Alexander (2007): Sean Alexander rushed for 1,880 yards and scored 28 total touchdowns in 2005. Alexander then missed 6 starts in 2006 and finished with 896 yards after suffering a foot injury. It was the first time since 2000 that he failed to gain 1,000 yards.
Vince Young (2008): We will follow up at a later time.
Well, there are your facts. Many people believe the curse is foolish because the injuries aren't necessarily consistent with the year the player was cursed. Others think that if the player suffers a major setback in their career, it was the curse. I don't believe in this Madden curse and if you don't believe me, ask running back Ladainlian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers. He politely declined the offer to appear on the 2008 cover. Mr. Young decided to accept this great honor in his stead. So what do you all think? Voodoo or Coincidence?
----
The Sports Guy http://www.getprosports.com/
Shamanic Trance Postures - A Visionary Path To Esctastic Experience
Shamanic Trance Postures - A Visionary Path To Esctastic Experience
By Howard G Charing
Shamanism offers a way for people to become aware of their potential, and begin to explore their spiritual relationship to the universe, to other forms of life, and to each other. The experiences which come from shamanism help a person to evolve a deeper bond and respect for all of creation, and from this perspective you are likely to lead a life which is vibrant and full in harmony and balance, and which encourages understanding and optimism. The Shamanic path is a way to experience this expanded view of universe.
One of the central practices of shamanism has been defined as the Spirit or Trance journey. One of the ways to embark on this experience of expanded consciousness is what is called ‘the shamanic journey’. In this Journey the shaman journeys to the Spirit world, (commonly referred to as Upper & Lower Worlds), to directly commune with the spirits who reside in the other realities. This is done for many reasons, for example to receive guidance for healing, maintaining both our own and by extension our communities spiritual wholeness.
The word ecstasy and ecstatic is used in its original meaning, which is based on the Greek ex-stasis, meaning 'outside of yourself', outside of the everyday world. The ecstatic trance brings with it a shift in our perception, a way of becoming aware of a reality outside of the world of the ordinary, and the mundane. The trance makes us able to perceive the continuum of life, from what has been called non-ordinary reality, a reality which has been known to co-exist with our physical reality throughout time. Black Elk, the Lakota medicine man and great visionary whose life was recorded by John Neihardt in the 1930's, tells of "the world where there is nothing but the spirits of all things. This is the real world that is behind this one, and everything we see here is something like a shadow from that world".
There are certain works of ancient art, glyphs, carvings, rock paintings which are more than creative expressions of their culture. They are visual teachings for a specific ritual. These paintings and statues from the ancients depict people adopting distinct bodily postures. Many of these bodily postures are ways to an altered state of consciousness, visionary experiences, and a way to embark on a spirit journey. There is an extensive geographic distribution of the Trance Postures, and indications are that they belong to all cultures and traditions. These postures have been rediscovered by Dr Felicitas Goodman after years of extensive research, and a full account has been documented in her truly outstanding and remarkable book 'Where the Spirits Ride the Wind'.
When a person adopts a specific posture as shown in one of the ancient artefacts, with an accompanying rhythmic sound e.g. Rattle or drum, the person may experience a vision which although is personal , is also specific to the posture. It is as if, however personal the vision, it will conform within a consistent framework.
Ritual has great power in this reality; it is a way of combining, the heart, mind, spirit, and body in a single physical action and intention. Religions from all over the world have long recognised the importance of ritual. Ritual is a means of communication between the Spirits and ourselves, it is a way that the Spirits can cross over from their world into ours. In Western society we have forgotten that the ordinary and other reality belong together, they are two halves of one whole.
Ritual is a way to empower and enhance the trance state, and is a gateway to contain, translate, and safely guide an altered state of consciousness into a spiritual experience. Another way of saying this would be that a ritual carries an innate intention, a purpose.
Each of the Shamanic Trance Postures is in itself a ritual, and it is a ritual with such intrinsic qualities of exactness and power, that its objective is achieved outside the original cultural setting. This means that we in contemporary Western society can also successfully participate in the Shamanic Trance Postures. To understand the Shamanic Trance Postures they should be directly experienced, no amount of words can compensate for this. The best place to experience the ecstatic trance states is in a workshop environment. This brings with it the guidance and support of the workshop facilitator, and the collective energies of the group. The power of the group is important in that it helps in terms of the focus of the ritual, and provides indirect and direct feedback. Feedback is the way to obtain the ineffable quality of trust. Trust is one of the pillars of this work, and the group provides validation of your own experience. Another important factor is that the power of the trance postures is magnified, as each person supports and is a part of the collective visionary experience.
You may experience, great energy, certain colours, a feeling of being supported and contained in a loving and gentle way.
Stand with your feet parallel , about six inches apart, and your toes aimed straight ahead. Your knees should be slightly bent, removing any strain on your lower back that would occur if your knees were locked. This stance is consistent for most of the standing postures.
Gently roll both your hands , as though you are holding a small egg in the palm of each hand. Position your hands so that your folded fingers form a tall triangle over your navel. The first joint of the index finger of each hand should touch to form the apex of the triangle, with your thumbs resting one in front of the other, not one on top of the other. Your upper arms can rest easily at both sides of your body, so that your elbows are not sticking out. With your eyes closed, lean your head back as though you are looking at a point just above the line where the wall meets the ceiling. There may be a strained feeling in the muscles at the back of your neck.
Comments from people who have experienced the healing Trance Posture known as 'Grandfather Bear 'on workshops.
"I have been having a sore and painful throat for some time. As I started the posture, I very quickly felt that I was being cradled from behind by a warm energy, which I saw in my mind as a large bear. I felt the bear rip open my throat with its claws, and pull out heavy, thick mucus like material. This went on for a few minutes, and then the bear blew warmth into my throat, and I began to see flashes of violet-blue colours around me. When the trance posture ended, my throat felt clear, and my body felt as if it was glowing."
"My back felt as if it was being opened, and metal plates which covered my spine being levered open and dragged out of my back. When we finished, my back felt so much more flexible, I could even touch my toes, which is something which I have not been able to do for quite some time. I had forgotten how stiff my back had become."
Howard G. Charing, is an accomplished international workshop leader on shamanism. He has worked some of the most respected and extraordinary shamans & healers in the Andes, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Philippines. He organises specialist retreats to the Amazon Rainforest at the dedicated centre located in the Mishana nature reserve. He is the author of the best selling book, Plant Spirit Shamanism (Destiny Books USA), and has published numerous articles about plant medicines. He was baptised into the Shipibo tribe of the Upper Amazon, and initiated into the lineage of the shamans of the Rio Napo. Howard is also an artist who's paintings have featured in major exhibitions in London and elsewhere. His artwork has also been featured on book covers.
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His website: http://www.shamanism.co.uk/ email contact: eagleswing@shamanism.co.uk
By Howard G Charing
Shamanism offers a way for people to become aware of their potential, and begin to explore their spiritual relationship to the universe, to other forms of life, and to each other. The experiences which come from shamanism help a person to evolve a deeper bond and respect for all of creation, and from this perspective you are likely to lead a life which is vibrant and full in harmony and balance, and which encourages understanding and optimism. The Shamanic path is a way to experience this expanded view of universe.
One of the central practices of shamanism has been defined as the Spirit or Trance journey. One of the ways to embark on this experience of expanded consciousness is what is called ‘the shamanic journey’. In this Journey the shaman journeys to the Spirit world, (commonly referred to as Upper & Lower Worlds), to directly commune with the spirits who reside in the other realities. This is done for many reasons, for example to receive guidance for healing, maintaining both our own and by extension our communities spiritual wholeness.
 | There are a number of ways to embark on a Spirit journey; these can be through dance, dream, using teacher plants, and by assuming certain specific physical postures. The latter is known as Shamanic Trance Postures, and are a method for achieving ecstatic trance and entering that place of both personal and collective vision. |
The word ecstasy and ecstatic is used in its original meaning, which is based on the Greek ex-stasis, meaning 'outside of yourself', outside of the everyday world. The ecstatic trance brings with it a shift in our perception, a way of becoming aware of a reality outside of the world of the ordinary, and the mundane. The trance makes us able to perceive the continuum of life, from what has been called non-ordinary reality, a reality which has been known to co-exist with our physical reality throughout time. Black Elk, the Lakota medicine man and great visionary whose life was recorded by John Neihardt in the 1930's, tells of "the world where there is nothing but the spirits of all things. This is the real world that is behind this one, and everything we see here is something like a shadow from that world".
There are certain works of ancient art, glyphs, carvings, rock paintings which are more than creative expressions of their culture. They are visual teachings for a specific ritual. These paintings and statues from the ancients depict people adopting distinct bodily postures. Many of these bodily postures are ways to an altered state of consciousness, visionary experiences, and a way to embark on a spirit journey. There is an extensive geographic distribution of the Trance Postures, and indications are that they belong to all cultures and traditions. These postures have been rediscovered by Dr Felicitas Goodman after years of extensive research, and a full account has been documented in her truly outstanding and remarkable book 'Where the Spirits Ride the Wind'.
When a person adopts a specific posture as shown in one of the ancient artefacts, with an accompanying rhythmic sound e.g. Rattle or drum, the person may experience a vision which although is personal , is also specific to the posture. It is as if, however personal the vision, it will conform within a consistent framework.
Ritual has great power in this reality; it is a way of combining, the heart, mind, spirit, and body in a single physical action and intention. Religions from all over the world have long recognised the importance of ritual. Ritual is a means of communication between the Spirits and ourselves, it is a way that the Spirits can cross over from their world into ours. In Western society we have forgotten that the ordinary and other reality belong together, they are two halves of one whole.
Ritual is a way to empower and enhance the trance state, and is a gateway to contain, translate, and safely guide an altered state of consciousness into a spiritual experience. Another way of saying this would be that a ritual carries an innate intention, a purpose.
Each of the Shamanic Trance Postures is in itself a ritual, and it is a ritual with such intrinsic qualities of exactness and power, that its objective is achieved outside the original cultural setting. This means that we in contemporary Western society can also successfully participate in the Shamanic Trance Postures. To understand the Shamanic Trance Postures they should be directly experienced, no amount of words can compensate for this. The best place to experience the ecstatic trance states is in a workshop environment. This brings with it the guidance and support of the workshop facilitator, and the collective energies of the group. The power of the group is important in that it helps in terms of the focus of the ritual, and provides indirect and direct feedback. Feedback is the way to obtain the ineffable quality of trust. Trust is one of the pillars of this work, and the group provides validation of your own experience. Another important factor is that the power of the trance postures is magnified, as each person supports and is a part of the collective visionary experience.
 | An Exercise – The Grandfather Bear Trance Posture. A powerful Healing posture. |
You may experience, great energy, certain colours, a feeling of being supported and contained in a loving and gentle way.
Stand with your feet parallel , about six inches apart, and your toes aimed straight ahead. Your knees should be slightly bent, removing any strain on your lower back that would occur if your knees were locked. This stance is consistent for most of the standing postures.
Gently roll both your hands , as though you are holding a small egg in the palm of each hand. Position your hands so that your folded fingers form a tall triangle over your navel. The first joint of the index finger of each hand should touch to form the apex of the triangle, with your thumbs resting one in front of the other, not one on top of the other. Your upper arms can rest easily at both sides of your body, so that your elbows are not sticking out. With your eyes closed, lean your head back as though you are looking at a point just above the line where the wall meets the ceiling. There may be a strained feeling in the muscles at the back of your neck.
Comments from people who have experienced the healing Trance Posture known as 'Grandfather Bear 'on workshops.
"I have been having a sore and painful throat for some time. As I started the posture, I very quickly felt that I was being cradled from behind by a warm energy, which I saw in my mind as a large bear. I felt the bear rip open my throat with its claws, and pull out heavy, thick mucus like material. This went on for a few minutes, and then the bear blew warmth into my throat, and I began to see flashes of violet-blue colours around me. When the trance posture ended, my throat felt clear, and my body felt as if it was glowing."
"My back felt as if it was being opened, and metal plates which covered my spine being levered open and dragged out of my back. When we finished, my back felt so much more flexible, I could even touch my toes, which is something which I have not been able to do for quite some time. I had forgotten how stiff my back had become."
Howard G. Charing, is an accomplished international workshop leader on shamanism. He has worked some of the most respected and extraordinary shamans & healers in the Andes, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Philippines. He organises specialist retreats to the Amazon Rainforest at the dedicated centre located in the Mishana nature reserve. He is the author of the best selling book, Plant Spirit Shamanism (Destiny Books USA), and has published numerous articles about plant medicines. He was baptised into the Shipibo tribe of the Upper Amazon, and initiated into the lineage of the shamans of the Rio Napo. Howard is also an artist who's paintings have featured in major exhibitions in London and elsewhere. His artwork has also been featured on book covers.
----
His website: http://www.shamanism.co.uk/ email contact: eagleswing@shamanism.co.uk
Ghosts and Orbs
Ghosts and Orbs
By Robert Kreuk
In the paranormal community a belief in ghosts is pretty common place. If they are, or if they have a connection to, "orbs" seems to be divided.
Numerous photographs seem to exist showing both phenomena. Ghosts are typically a hazy humanoid transparent against the background of the picture in whatever dress the deceased would wear during their time of death. Orbs show up as small balls of light moving about in an environment or seem to be some type of photographic imperfection. To my knowledge, a ghost has never been caught on film as they appear in their pictures, while orbs have been seen moving everywhere and sometimes even appearing to open doors.
There is sure to be a connection between ghosts and orbs as some manifestation of someone who once lived and still seems to be earthbound. The disagreeance is if orbs really exist or if they're dust, photo or camera imperfections, or some other things indiscernable in the frame, such as small bugs. Photographs can be hoaxed as can video, so while it is our strongest admissable evidence in courts of law, it really doesn't give much proof to the paranormal community knowing hoaxers are out there.
Well known haunted places may give a clue as to the validity of ghosts and orbs in spite of the general public's resistance to video evidence now because of hoaxers. Places like the Myrtle's Plantation have had sightings of the typical transparent ghost spotted long before paranormal mania seemed to sweep the public in TV shows and specials. However, orbs often are not seen by a person or investigator naked eye and only spotted later on photographs or video, both unavailable in the time places like the Myrtle's Plantation had sightings. Perhaps they did not have the technology to capture them on modern devices where orbs show up, but ghosts seem to be shy about.
----
In the paranormal community a belief in ghosts is pretty common place. If they are, or if they have a connection to, "orbs" seems to be divided.
Numerous photographs seem to exist showing both phenomena. Ghosts are typically a hazy humanoid transparent against the background of the picture in whatever dress the deceased would wear during their time of death. Orbs show up as small balls of light moving about in an environment or seem to be some type of photographic imperfection. To my knowledge, a ghost has never been caught on film as they appear in their pictures, while orbs have been seen moving everywhere and sometimes even appearing to open doors.
There is sure to be a connection between ghosts and orbs as some manifestation of someone who once lived and still seems to be earthbound. The disagreeance is if orbs really exist or if they're dust, photo or camera imperfections, or some other things indiscernable in the frame, such as small bugs. Photographs can be hoaxed as can video, so while it is our strongest admissable evidence in courts of law, it really doesn't give much proof to the paranormal community knowing hoaxers are out there.
Well known haunted places may give a clue as to the validity of ghosts and orbs in spite of the general public's resistance to video evidence now because of hoaxers. Places like the Myrtle's Plantation have had sightings of the typical transparent ghost spotted long before paranormal mania seemed to sweep the public in TV shows and specials. However, orbs often are not seen by a person or investigator naked eye and only spotted later on photographs or video, both unavailable in the time places like the Myrtle's Plantation had sightings. Perhaps they did not have the technology to capture them on modern devices where orbs show up, but ghosts seem to be shy about.
----
Robert Kreuk is an independant paranormal investigator. Swing by the site he's at Featured Author in the paranormal topics or discuss this and other topics at their Paranormal Forum.
By Robert Kreuk
In the paranormal community a belief in ghosts is pretty common place. If they are, or if they have a connection to, "orbs" seems to be divided.
Numerous photographs seem to exist showing both phenomena. Ghosts are typically a hazy humanoid transparent against the background of the picture in whatever dress the deceased would wear during their time of death. Orbs show up as small balls of light moving about in an environment or seem to be some type of photographic imperfection. To my knowledge, a ghost has never been caught on film as they appear in their pictures, while orbs have been seen moving everywhere and sometimes even appearing to open doors.
There is sure to be a connection between ghosts and orbs as some manifestation of someone who once lived and still seems to be earthbound. The disagreeance is if orbs really exist or if they're dust, photo or camera imperfections, or some other things indiscernable in the frame, such as small bugs. Photographs can be hoaxed as can video, so while it is our strongest admissable evidence in courts of law, it really doesn't give much proof to the paranormal community knowing hoaxers are out there.
Well known haunted places may give a clue as to the validity of ghosts and orbs in spite of the general public's resistance to video evidence now because of hoaxers. Places like the Myrtle's Plantation have had sightings of the typical transparent ghost spotted long before paranormal mania seemed to sweep the public in TV shows and specials. However, orbs often are not seen by a person or investigator naked eye and only spotted later on photographs or video, both unavailable in the time places like the Myrtle's Plantation had sightings. Perhaps they did not have the technology to capture them on modern devices where orbs show up, but ghosts seem to be shy about.
| If we are to prove the existence of either of these phenomena, if that is indeed the point of the investigations, our measuring equipment may need a facelift. Hauntings are not a modern phenomena, but over the years our equipment has changed and improved, so if we were to improve our devices to detect something more, or something else, maybe we'll be able to shut the book on ghosts and orbs once and for all. |  |
----
In the paranormal community a belief in ghosts is pretty common place. If they are, or if they have a connection to, "orbs" seems to be divided.
Numerous photographs seem to exist showing both phenomena. Ghosts are typically a hazy humanoid transparent against the background of the picture in whatever dress the deceased would wear during their time of death. Orbs show up as small balls of light moving about in an environment or seem to be some type of photographic imperfection. To my knowledge, a ghost has never been caught on film as they appear in their pictures, while orbs have been seen moving everywhere and sometimes even appearing to open doors.
There is sure to be a connection between ghosts and orbs as some manifestation of someone who once lived and still seems to be earthbound. The disagreeance is if orbs really exist or if they're dust, photo or camera imperfections, or some other things indiscernable in the frame, such as small bugs. Photographs can be hoaxed as can video, so while it is our strongest admissable evidence in courts of law, it really doesn't give much proof to the paranormal community knowing hoaxers are out there.
Well known haunted places may give a clue as to the validity of ghosts and orbs in spite of the general public's resistance to video evidence now because of hoaxers. Places like the Myrtle's Plantation have had sightings of the typical transparent ghost spotted long before paranormal mania seemed to sweep the public in TV shows and specials. However, orbs often are not seen by a person or investigator naked eye and only spotted later on photographs or video, both unavailable in the time places like the Myrtle's Plantation had sightings. Perhaps they did not have the technology to capture them on modern devices where orbs show up, but ghosts seem to be shy about.
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Robert Kreuk is an independant paranormal investigator. Swing by the site he's at Featured Author in the paranormal topics or discuss this and other topics at their Paranormal Forum.
The Imaginary Friend - A Real Ghost Story
The Imaginary Friend - A Real Ghost Story
By Patrick Rafferty
I’ve looked for and found tons of articles debating the existence of ghosts. Some say they are real, others call it a psychological phenomenon. I would argue that they are real in one form or another. When an otherwise sane person has a terrifying mystical experience, they tend to become believers.
This is why I am a believer.
It was twenty years ago now at the time I’m writing this. My family had just moved into a new apartment in Saco Maine. The place was pretty nice actually, spacious, a large back yard that was fenced in, behind which was a huge and well kept cemetery. It was a wonderful place for an afternoon stroll with the kids. They would run around hiding behind the bushes and gravestones, jumping out yelling “Boo!” when the adults finally caught up.
However, it didn’t take long for us to realize that there was something very strange going on in there. It all started when my four year old son Michael, started playing with an imaginary friend who he called Emma. At first it was cute and we didn’t think much of it, figuring that it was just a vivid imagination brought on by the change in living space.
Over time, however these occurrences increased. After a few months, there was absolutely no shortage of strange happenings. There were cupboard doors opening and closing, items falling off counters or shelves in other rooms, etc. There was a thing for spoons. We couldn’t leave a spoon on the counter or a table ever. It would end up on the floor with a clank. We would come home and things would be moved. One time we even called the police because we thought that someone had broken into the place. The police found no evidence of a break in though.
Michael would often be there to say “Emma did it. Emma did it.”
At several points my wife would say, “Ok Michael, enough about Emma. She is not real.”
But she was real alright, either that or we were both crazy, because after a year of living there, we were convinced. The creepiest thing that would happen, you see, was every now and then, late at night, there would suddenly be the pitter patter of little feet running down the hallway. Both of us would hear it at the same time.
My wife and I would get up, in a sort of tired frustration from a long day, asking which kid is up now? Only to find out that both were sound asleep in their beds. This began happening more and more often.
It was enough to drive you nuts.
Michael was just about to turn 6 when we moved. We told him that we were going to live in the new house. He said “Bye Emma,” as we left.
And then all of this stopped.
Imagine that.
----
Patrick Rafferty is otherwise known as The Blogmaster of www.VoodooWhoDo.com. The scariest blog on the web
By Patrick Rafferty
I’ve looked for and found tons of articles debating the existence of ghosts. Some say they are real, others call it a psychological phenomenon. I would argue that they are real in one form or another. When an otherwise sane person has a terrifying mystical experience, they tend to become believers.
This is why I am a believer.
It was twenty years ago now at the time I’m writing this. My family had just moved into a new apartment in Saco Maine. The place was pretty nice actually, spacious, a large back yard that was fenced in, behind which was a huge and well kept cemetery. It was a wonderful place for an afternoon stroll with the kids. They would run around hiding behind the bushes and gravestones, jumping out yelling “Boo!” when the adults finally caught up.
However, it didn’t take long for us to realize that there was something very strange going on in there. It all started when my four year old son Michael, started playing with an imaginary friend who he called Emma. At first it was cute and we didn’t think much of it, figuring that it was just a vivid imagination brought on by the change in living space.
 | At night, every now and then we would be sitting there, reading a book or watching television when we would hear something fall off the counter in the kitchen. At first you didn’t think much of it. |
Over time, however these occurrences increased. After a few months, there was absolutely no shortage of strange happenings. There were cupboard doors opening and closing, items falling off counters or shelves in other rooms, etc. There was a thing for spoons. We couldn’t leave a spoon on the counter or a table ever. It would end up on the floor with a clank. We would come home and things would be moved. One time we even called the police because we thought that someone had broken into the place. The police found no evidence of a break in though.
Michael would often be there to say “Emma did it. Emma did it.”
At several points my wife would say, “Ok Michael, enough about Emma. She is not real.”
But she was real alright, either that or we were both crazy, because after a year of living there, we were convinced. The creepiest thing that would happen, you see, was every now and then, late at night, there would suddenly be the pitter patter of little feet running down the hallway. Both of us would hear it at the same time.
My wife and I would get up, in a sort of tired frustration from a long day, asking which kid is up now? Only to find out that both were sound asleep in their beds. This began happening more and more often.
It was enough to drive you nuts.
Michael was just about to turn 6 when we moved. We told him that we were going to live in the new house. He said “Bye Emma,” as we left.
And then all of this stopped.
Imagine that.
----
Patrick Rafferty is otherwise known as The Blogmaster of www.VoodooWhoDo.com. The scariest blog on the web
Horoscope Compatibility Tests - Is It All Hype?
Horoscope Compatibility Tests - Is It All Hype?
By Jack Moundon
There are some people these days go through all the trouble just to follow the things that are said or written in their zodiac compatibility guide. They believe that by following the advice on their astrological signs, they and their partner would have a smooth relationship, or in some cases the bond with their friends would last for eternity.
Take this for instance, Joe, who is a peculiar Virgo, has a sibling that is a Capricorn. In reference to expert astrologers, the Virgo must adjust with the Capricorn. What we don’t know is that, Joe and his sibling characteristics are wholly opposite, yet, the two share the same ideas. And the other would know if its counterpart is in some kind of trouble. The two would contact one another, not knowing but feeling that the other badly needs advice or help. Consciously, the two do not know that they have this peculiar bond with each other and think that it is quite normal for siblings to have that type feeling. It can be quite strange but some people do have this type of feeling not just to its siblings, but to friends also.
Next we have this woman who just got divorced by her husband. The woman’s zodiac sign is Libra; she keeps blaming herself for the failed marriage, and why is that? Mainly because the astrology guide that she keeps on reading tells her that, her sign is very much incompatible with her husband’s zodiac sign. She let the negative comment affect her life, followed the advice by heart, and as a result ended up unhappy.
It is important to remember that astrology should be treated lightly. Do not let it affect what you want to do, what makes you happy and what is the right thing to do. Bear this in mind, astrology zodiac compatibility guides are supposed to be fun. Do not let it be the one to guide your life. However, if you find the advice somewhat enlightening, go ahead, but do not let it be the one to control you. If there are some things that baffles your common senses, maybe a little help from astrology zodiac compatibility guide can help you explain the things that baffle you and help you communicate to your friends and love ones a lot better. Reading horoscopes once in a while is not a bad thing to do, just remember not to let it control you.
----
Jack Moundon is the author and writer of http://www.astrology-answers.com/, A collection of articles on Astrology, facts and information about elements in astrology, astrological predictions, chinese elements, and articles about your zodiac signs.
By Jack Moundon
There are some people these days go through all the trouble just to follow the things that are said or written in their zodiac compatibility guide. They believe that by following the advice on their astrological signs, they and their partner would have a smooth relationship, or in some cases the bond with their friends would last for eternity.
Take this for instance, Joe, who is a peculiar Virgo, has a sibling that is a Capricorn. In reference to expert astrologers, the Virgo must adjust with the Capricorn. What we don’t know is that, Joe and his sibling characteristics are wholly opposite, yet, the two share the same ideas. And the other would know if its counterpart is in some kind of trouble. The two would contact one another, not knowing but feeling that the other badly needs advice or help. Consciously, the two do not know that they have this peculiar bond with each other and think that it is quite normal for siblings to have that type feeling. It can be quite strange but some people do have this type of feeling not just to its siblings, but to friends also.
Next we have this woman who just got divorced by her husband. The woman’s zodiac sign is Libra; she keeps blaming herself for the failed marriage, and why is that? Mainly because the astrology guide that she keeps on reading tells her that, her sign is very much incompatible with her husband’s zodiac sign. She let the negative comment affect her life, followed the advice by heart, and as a result ended up unhappy.
It is important to remember that astrology should be treated lightly. Do not let it affect what you want to do, what makes you happy and what is the right thing to do. Bear this in mind, astrology zodiac compatibility guides are supposed to be fun. Do not let it be the one to guide your life. However, if you find the advice somewhat enlightening, go ahead, but do not let it be the one to control you. If there are some things that baffles your common senses, maybe a little help from astrology zodiac compatibility guide can help you explain the things that baffle you and help you communicate to your friends and love ones a lot better. Reading horoscopes once in a while is not a bad thing to do, just remember not to let it control you.
----
Jack Moundon is the author and writer of http://www.astrology-answers.com/, A collection of articles on Astrology, facts and information about elements in astrology, astrological predictions, chinese elements, and articles about your zodiac signs.
Three Tarot Cards Interpreted: The Emperor - Star - and Lovers
Three Tarot Cards Interpreted: The Emperor - Star - and Lovers
By Lance Marcos
The Emperor stands for leadership & control. The Emperor is that character who gave the Fool his inspiration, his new guiding light in his quest for happiness: control of the mind to balance the workings of the heart.
As such, the Emperor Tarot Card touches the enthroned ruler that lies within each of us. We are, after all, still masters of our own fate.
It is the card that forces us questions like, Who rules over you? What else would you like to be in control of? Whom do you rule? What kind of boss are you? Who would you rather rule over you?
You may not know it but you could be a benevolent leader, an incompetent ruler, OR even a ruthless tyrant in your workplace, in your home, in your health, in someone's heart.
Sometimes, it takes a humble ego to reinvent one's self.
* * *
The Star Tarot card
A woman kneels by a pool under a sky lit by eight stars. An urn in each hand, she pours out water from one urn into the pool, and onto the earth, from her other urn. She is both replenishing the thirsty pool and bathing the arid earth.
The Star Tarot Card is a card that tells of good things to come, a welcome insight into the future.
It symbolises mostly positive things: help on the way, soothing calm, a good quench and nourishment, relief, hope, spiritual awareness and psychic illumination, as provided for us by two basic elements--water and gentle (star)light.
On the negative aspect, the Star Tarot Card warns us of self-doubt and disbelief that hinder us in our happiness.
* * *
The Lovers Tarot Card
Originally called just Love, the Lovers' card has an angel (Raphael) or cupid, a man and a woman, two trees (in Waite, it is Adam & Eve under an apple tree with a serpent). In some decks, one tree is flowering, but the other has fruit. Also in some decks, there are two women for the man to choose from.
After a tiring, aimless journey, the Fool arrives at a tree which beckons him to stop, rest for a while, and decide his next move/mission. The blossoming all-knowing tree is supposed to be his landmark, but lo and behold, a Woman is there waiting, as if for him.
It is not coincidental that before the Fool arrives at the fruit-bearing tree, he had visited the Emperor first. The Emperor signifies control, power, being on one's guard, stiffness, and structure—everything that is the opposite of what the Fool is about to find out in love.
For love is a surrender to all power. And in that surrender, a new power is energized—one that braves all odds. More than anything, the Lovers tarot card is not just about Love, but also Choice. And realising that he is equipped with Choice, the Fool knows better to follow his heart.
-----
Neoli Lance Marcos writes for PsychicGuild: online provider of tarot reading, dream interpretation and astrology reports.
By Lance Marcos
The Emperor stands for leadership & control. The Emperor is that character who gave the Fool his inspiration, his new guiding light in his quest for happiness: control of the mind to balance the workings of the heart.
As such, the Emperor Tarot Card touches the enthroned ruler that lies within each of us. We are, after all, still masters of our own fate.
It is the card that forces us questions like, Who rules over you? What else would you like to be in control of? Whom do you rule? What kind of boss are you? Who would you rather rule over you?
You may not know it but you could be a benevolent leader, an incompetent ruler, OR even a ruthless tyrant in your workplace, in your home, in your health, in someone's heart.
Sometimes, it takes a humble ego to reinvent one's self.
* * *
The Star Tarot card
A woman kneels by a pool under a sky lit by eight stars. An urn in each hand, she pours out water from one urn into the pool, and onto the earth, from her other urn. She is both replenishing the thirsty pool and bathing the arid earth.
The Star Tarot Card is a card that tells of good things to come, a welcome insight into the future.
It symbolises mostly positive things: help on the way, soothing calm, a good quench and nourishment, relief, hope, spiritual awareness and psychic illumination, as provided for us by two basic elements--water and gentle (star)light.
On the negative aspect, the Star Tarot Card warns us of self-doubt and disbelief that hinder us in our happiness.
* * *
The Lovers Tarot Card
Originally called just Love, the Lovers' card has an angel (Raphael) or cupid, a man and a woman, two trees (in Waite, it is Adam & Eve under an apple tree with a serpent). In some decks, one tree is flowering, but the other has fruit. Also in some decks, there are two women for the man to choose from.
After a tiring, aimless journey, the Fool arrives at a tree which beckons him to stop, rest for a while, and decide his next move/mission. The blossoming all-knowing tree is supposed to be his landmark, but lo and behold, a Woman is there waiting, as if for him.
It is not coincidental that before the Fool arrives at the fruit-bearing tree, he had visited the Emperor first. The Emperor signifies control, power, being on one's guard, stiffness, and structure—everything that is the opposite of what the Fool is about to find out in love.
For love is a surrender to all power. And in that surrender, a new power is energized—one that braves all odds. More than anything, the Lovers tarot card is not just about Love, but also Choice. And realising that he is equipped with Choice, the Fool knows better to follow his heart.
-----
Neoli Lance Marcos writes for PsychicGuild: online provider of tarot reading, dream interpretation and astrology reports.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Debris Found From 1947 Air Force Crash Adds To UFO Mystery
Debris Found From 1947 Air Force Crash Adds To UFO Mystery
By Bill Knell
Wreckage from the first crash of an Air Force Aircraft on August 1, 1947 seems like something that only the military might be interested in. Or maybe not. Much of the original wreckage was left to rust in the forest and no recent attempts have been made to relocate or recover it by any branch of the Military. Instead, civilians have been looking for pieces from the crashed B-25 for years. That's because the crash site near Kelso, Washington, may contain material that's simply out of this world.
After ten years of searching, Jim Greer located pieces from the B25 in a ravine near Goble Creek east of Kelso. He has turned some of the material over to the Museum of Mysteries in Seattle. Their interest is in the paranormal aspects of the crash. That’s because the aircraft was carrying two Officers that participated in the investigation of a Washington UFO incident and material from that investigation.
1947 is a memorable year for UFO enthusiasts. The saucer sightings by Kenneth Arnold in the State of Washington and UFO crash or crashes in New Mexico tend to dominate our attention. It’s easy to forget that over 850 sightings of a credible nature were reported by U.S. Newspapers. These include amazing events alleged to have occurred near Maury Island in Washington. Real or imagined, those events and their aftermath reveal a stunning cover-up that has never been fully investigated or explained.
Harold Dahl, his son Charles, the family dog and two crew members were on a patrol boat looking for salvage logs in the Puget Sound on June 21, 1947. They were just off Maury Island (today called Vashon Island) when the UFO incident began. The group witnessed six ‘donut-shaped’ craft above their position. Harold said that the objects were about one hundred feet in diameter and had a ‘bright metallic’ appearance.
Five of the crafts were circling a sixth which Dahl said was ‘wobbling’ and seemed to be in distress. After some sort of an explosion, the sixth craft discharged a large quantity of debris. The debris resembled cooled volcanic lava, had an aluminum-like appearance and fell in the form of large flakes. These flakes hit and damaged their boat, injured Charles and killed the family dog. Afterward, all the objects rose rapidly into the sky and took off in the direction of the ocean.
Dahl headed to Maury Island where he stopped to assess the damage to his boat and take photos. Finding more debris, he collected it and then proceeded to Tacoma. After taking his son to the emergency room, Dahl reported the entire incident to Fred Crisman, the harbor patrol supervisor. Crisman didn’t believe him, so he returned to the area on Maury Island which Dahl described.
Crisman found what seemed like tons of the strange material along the shoreline. While picking up some of it, he said that an object appeared and dropped more. Meanwhile, Dahl was visited by a "man in a dark suit" the next day. The man told Dahl that he saw something he was not supposed to see and warned him not to discuss it.
United Airlines Captain E. J. Smith was a friend of Kenneth Arnold, but initially skeptical of his sighting until he had one of his own. During a flight from Boise, Idaho, to Tacoma, Washington on July 4, 1947, Smith noticed a formation of saucer-shaped objects near his aircraft. They first appeared just after 9pm, then vanished and reappeared several times for over forty-five minutes. Captain Smith, Co-Pilot Ralph Stevens and Stewardess Marty Morrow all saw them.
The importance of the Arnold and Smith sightings cannot be stressed enough. These witnesses were experienced pilots, not starry-eyed civilians looking at something in the sky that a trained observer might immediately recognize as commonplace. That would make any opinions they had about the Maury Island UFO incident all the more important.
Their involvement began with a letter to Ray Palmer from Fred Crisman. Palmer quickly contacted Arnold and asked him to investigate the Maury Island story. Arnold agreed, but asked Smith to help. He also contacted the military and requested that they send investigators to be present during the initial interviews.
Arnold and Smith arrived in Tacoma and met with Harold Dahl at the Winthrop Hotel on July 31, 1947. Also present were a Captain Davidson and 1st Lt. Frank Brown. Crisman showed up with cereal boxes filled with material from the Island which he presented to the Military Officers. In a hurry to return to Hamilton Field for Air Force Inauguration Day, Davidson and Brown left the hotel just after midnight. Air Force Inauguration Day was the day that the Air Force officially became a separate branch of the military.
After the session with Dahl was completed, Arnold returned to his hotel room. He almost immediately received a call from Ted Morello, a United Press reporter. Morello seemed to know everything that went on in the hotel room where the impromptu investigative had taken place and wanted a comment about it. Arnold was upset and suspected a hidden microphone had been used to obtain the information. That wasn’t the only surprise Arnold was to experience during the next twenty-four hours.
According to witnesses, Captain Davidson and Lt Brown boarded a B-25 with a box of material from their investigation and took off from McChord Field with two other crew members. Shortly afterward, their left engine caught fire and the fire fighting system malfunctioned. After ordering the other crew members to bail out, Davidson and Brown were trapped when the aircraft began to collapse around them. Both perished in the crash.
This was the very first crash of an Air Force plane because it happened on the day that the Air Force officially separated from the Army. It’s ironic that the crash may have been directly linked to the UFO phenomenon. An article in the Tacoma Times claimed that the B-25 was shot down by a 20mm canon or sabotaged to keep the material salvaged from the Maury Island event from being examined at Fort Hamilton.
After the B-25 crash and the Men in Black incident involving Dahl, the two witnesses became concerned for the safety of their families. When Arnold and Smith came to view the boat that Dahl said was damaged by the falling debris, Captain Smith expressed some doubts. He felt that repairs on the vessel were inconsistent with the kind of damage that was originally reported.
Rather than explain that whole sections were replaced, Dahl simply told Smith that he was no longer going to cooperate with the investigation and just wanted to be left alone. Some reports say that the two witnesses admitted it was all a hoax, but neither Dahl or Crisman ever admitted making such statements. Another report said that the material Dahl and Crisman presented to the investigators was just worthless slag from a local smelter.
Apart from the fact that there was nothing in it for Dahl or Crisman to create a hoax and both had more to lose than gain, there is some evidence to support their side of the story: - FBI Teletype from J. Edgar Hoover, 8/14/47: “It would also appear that Dahl and Crisman did not admit the hoax to the army officers…”
- Return Teletype to Hoover from Special Agent George Wilcox: "Please be advised that Dahl did not admit that his story was a hoax but only stated that if questioned by authorities he was going to say it was a hoax because he did not want any further trouble over the matter."
- In the January 1950 edition of FATE Magazine, Fred Crisman called allegations that he admitted the case was a hoax a “bald-faced lie.”
- Neither Ray Palmer or Kenneth Arnold ever said the case was a hoax.
Even stranger were the events that occurred after the investigation by Arnold, Smith, Davidson and Brown:
- The crash of the B25 is surrounded by allegations of sabotage or downing by friendly fire.
- The crash of Kenneth Arnold’s airplane under mysterious circumstances on August 3, 1947. He was almost killed and later claimed his aircraft had been sabotaged.
- The untimely and mysterious death of Paul Lance, the Tacoma Times Reporter who claimed that the B25 might have been purposely brought down by government operatives. He died two weeks after the article appeared in print. No actual cause of death could be determined.
- The sudden death of Ted Morrello, the United Press reporter who called Arnold just after the Dahl Meeting claiming full knowledge of the proceedings.
- The closing of The Tacoma Times which went out of business shortly after the article about the B25 was published.
Unlike most hoaxes, the Maury Island UFO incident is not unique among sighting or physical evidence cases. The scene originally described by Dahl has been repeated many times. Several objects are seen together, one crashes or is in distress and others assist. Strange material is ejected, dropped or simply deposited. The material can be metallic, fibrous or even biological. There are many reasons for anyone interested in UFOs to take a second look at this case. Including the military response to the crash.
Robert Davenport of Kelso, Washington, was one of the first people to view the B-25 crash site. He said that small fires were still burning due to all the unused fuel when he and a few others found the wreckage. When the military arrived they expelled everyone, sealed 150 acres around the crash site and took over the area for about a week. They used part of Davenport’s land as a base camp.
Despite combing through debris and moving some larger pieces to an open field for further inspection, the bulk of the crash material was left behind. This seems strange for an investigation involving the very first crash of an Air Force plane. It appeared that they were more interested in looking for something in the aircraft than trying to determine the cause of the crash.
It’s doubtful that the validity of the Maury Island UFO incident will ever be resolved to anyone’s satisfaction. It’s also unlikely that any of the material from that event will ever be recovered from the B-25 crash site. However, it’s important to remember that Maury Island occurred before the Arnold sighting, before Roswell and is certainly surrounded by unusual circumstances and unresolved issues. Whether the actual sighting occurred or never happened, you have to be amazed by the response of the government within a government.
---
Author: Bill KnellAuthor's Email: billknell@cox.netAuthor's Website: http://www.billknell.com/Terms To Use Article: Permission is granted to use this article for free online or in print. Please add a link to or print my website address: http://www.billknell.com/
For more about UFOs and other paranormal topics, please visit http://www.ufoguy.com/
By Bill Knell
Wreckage from the first crash of an Air Force Aircraft on August 1, 1947 seems like something that only the military might be interested in. Or maybe not. Much of the original wreckage was left to rust in the forest and no recent attempts have been made to relocate or recover it by any branch of the Military. Instead, civilians have been looking for pieces from the crashed B-25 for years. That's because the crash site near Kelso, Washington, may contain material that's simply out of this world.
After ten years of searching, Jim Greer located pieces from the B25 in a ravine near Goble Creek east of Kelso. He has turned some of the material over to the Museum of Mysteries in Seattle. Their interest is in the paranormal aspects of the crash. That’s because the aircraft was carrying two Officers that participated in the investigation of a Washington UFO incident and material from that investigation.
1947 is a memorable year for UFO enthusiasts. The saucer sightings by Kenneth Arnold in the State of Washington and UFO crash or crashes in New Mexico tend to dominate our attention. It’s easy to forget that over 850 sightings of a credible nature were reported by U.S. Newspapers. These include amazing events alleged to have occurred near Maury Island in Washington. Real or imagined, those events and their aftermath reveal a stunning cover-up that has never been fully investigated or explained.
Harold Dahl, his son Charles, the family dog and two crew members were on a patrol boat looking for salvage logs in the Puget Sound on June 21, 1947. They were just off Maury Island (today called Vashon Island) when the UFO incident began. The group witnessed six ‘donut-shaped’ craft above their position. Harold said that the objects were about one hundred feet in diameter and had a ‘bright metallic’ appearance.
Five of the crafts were circling a sixth which Dahl said was ‘wobbling’ and seemed to be in distress. After some sort of an explosion, the sixth craft discharged a large quantity of debris. The debris resembled cooled volcanic lava, had an aluminum-like appearance and fell in the form of large flakes. These flakes hit and damaged their boat, injured Charles and killed the family dog. Afterward, all the objects rose rapidly into the sky and took off in the direction of the ocean.
Dahl headed to Maury Island where he stopped to assess the damage to his boat and take photos. Finding more debris, he collected it and then proceeded to Tacoma. After taking his son to the emergency room, Dahl reported the entire incident to Fred Crisman, the harbor patrol supervisor. Crisman didn’t believe him, so he returned to the area on Maury Island which Dahl described.
Crisman found what seemed like tons of the strange material along the shoreline. While picking up some of it, he said that an object appeared and dropped more. Meanwhile, Dahl was visited by a "man in a dark suit" the next day. The man told Dahl that he saw something he was not supposed to see and warned him not to discuss it.
 | Just three days after the Maury Island incident, Kenneth Arnold reported seeing a formation of strange looking objects traveling at incredible speeds near Mount Rainer, Washington. Because Arnold was a former military aviator and well-respected private pilot, the press jumped all over his sighting. Arnold was later contacted by Ray Palmer, editor of Amazing Stories. The two discussed his sighting, became friends and forged a working relationship. |
United Airlines Captain E. J. Smith was a friend of Kenneth Arnold, but initially skeptical of his sighting until he had one of his own. During a flight from Boise, Idaho, to Tacoma, Washington on July 4, 1947, Smith noticed a formation of saucer-shaped objects near his aircraft. They first appeared just after 9pm, then vanished and reappeared several times for over forty-five minutes. Captain Smith, Co-Pilot Ralph Stevens and Stewardess Marty Morrow all saw them.
The importance of the Arnold and Smith sightings cannot be stressed enough. These witnesses were experienced pilots, not starry-eyed civilians looking at something in the sky that a trained observer might immediately recognize as commonplace. That would make any opinions they had about the Maury Island UFO incident all the more important.
Their involvement began with a letter to Ray Palmer from Fred Crisman. Palmer quickly contacted Arnold and asked him to investigate the Maury Island story. Arnold agreed, but asked Smith to help. He also contacted the military and requested that they send investigators to be present during the initial interviews.
Arnold and Smith arrived in Tacoma and met with Harold Dahl at the Winthrop Hotel on July 31, 1947. Also present were a Captain Davidson and 1st Lt. Frank Brown. Crisman showed up with cereal boxes filled with material from the Island which he presented to the Military Officers. In a hurry to return to Hamilton Field for Air Force Inauguration Day, Davidson and Brown left the hotel just after midnight. Air Force Inauguration Day was the day that the Air Force officially became a separate branch of the military.
After the session with Dahl was completed, Arnold returned to his hotel room. He almost immediately received a call from Ted Morello, a United Press reporter. Morello seemed to know everything that went on in the hotel room where the impromptu investigative had taken place and wanted a comment about it. Arnold was upset and suspected a hidden microphone had been used to obtain the information. That wasn’t the only surprise Arnold was to experience during the next twenty-four hours.
According to witnesses, Captain Davidson and Lt Brown boarded a B-25 with a box of material from their investigation and took off from McChord Field with two other crew members. Shortly afterward, their left engine caught fire and the fire fighting system malfunctioned. After ordering the other crew members to bail out, Davidson and Brown were trapped when the aircraft began to collapse around them. Both perished in the crash.
This was the very first crash of an Air Force plane because it happened on the day that the Air Force officially separated from the Army. It’s ironic that the crash may have been directly linked to the UFO phenomenon. An article in the Tacoma Times claimed that the B-25 was shot down by a 20mm canon or sabotaged to keep the material salvaged from the Maury Island event from being examined at Fort Hamilton.
After the B-25 crash and the Men in Black incident involving Dahl, the two witnesses became concerned for the safety of their families. When Arnold and Smith came to view the boat that Dahl said was damaged by the falling debris, Captain Smith expressed some doubts. He felt that repairs on the vessel were inconsistent with the kind of damage that was originally reported.
Rather than explain that whole sections were replaced, Dahl simply told Smith that he was no longer going to cooperate with the investigation and just wanted to be left alone. Some reports say that the two witnesses admitted it was all a hoax, but neither Dahl or Crisman ever admitted making such statements. Another report said that the material Dahl and Crisman presented to the investigators was just worthless slag from a local smelter.
Apart from the fact that there was nothing in it for Dahl or Crisman to create a hoax and both had more to lose than gain, there is some evidence to support their side of the story: - FBI Teletype from J. Edgar Hoover, 8/14/47: “It would also appear that Dahl and Crisman did not admit the hoax to the army officers…”
- Return Teletype to Hoover from Special Agent George Wilcox: "Please be advised that Dahl did not admit that his story was a hoax but only stated that if questioned by authorities he was going to say it was a hoax because he did not want any further trouble over the matter."
- In the January 1950 edition of FATE Magazine, Fred Crisman called allegations that he admitted the case was a hoax a “bald-faced lie.”
- Neither Ray Palmer or Kenneth Arnold ever said the case was a hoax.
Even stranger were the events that occurred after the investigation by Arnold, Smith, Davidson and Brown:
- The crash of the B25 is surrounded by allegations of sabotage or downing by friendly fire.
- The crash of Kenneth Arnold’s airplane under mysterious circumstances on August 3, 1947. He was almost killed and later claimed his aircraft had been sabotaged.
- The untimely and mysterious death of Paul Lance, the Tacoma Times Reporter who claimed that the B25 might have been purposely brought down by government operatives. He died two weeks after the article appeared in print. No actual cause of death could be determined.
- The sudden death of Ted Morrello, the United Press reporter who called Arnold just after the Dahl Meeting claiming full knowledge of the proceedings.
- The closing of The Tacoma Times which went out of business shortly after the article about the B25 was published.
Unlike most hoaxes, the Maury Island UFO incident is not unique among sighting or physical evidence cases. The scene originally described by Dahl has been repeated many times. Several objects are seen together, one crashes or is in distress and others assist. Strange material is ejected, dropped or simply deposited. The material can be metallic, fibrous or even biological. There are many reasons for anyone interested in UFOs to take a second look at this case. Including the military response to the crash.
Robert Davenport of Kelso, Washington, was one of the first people to view the B-25 crash site. He said that small fires were still burning due to all the unused fuel when he and a few others found the wreckage. When the military arrived they expelled everyone, sealed 150 acres around the crash site and took over the area for about a week. They used part of Davenport’s land as a base camp.
Despite combing through debris and moving some larger pieces to an open field for further inspection, the bulk of the crash material was left behind. This seems strange for an investigation involving the very first crash of an Air Force plane. It appeared that they were more interested in looking for something in the aircraft than trying to determine the cause of the crash.
It’s doubtful that the validity of the Maury Island UFO incident will ever be resolved to anyone’s satisfaction. It’s also unlikely that any of the material from that event will ever be recovered from the B-25 crash site. However, it’s important to remember that Maury Island occurred before the Arnold sighting, before Roswell and is certainly surrounded by unusual circumstances and unresolved issues. Whether the actual sighting occurred or never happened, you have to be amazed by the response of the government within a government.
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Author: Bill KnellAuthor's Email: billknell@cox.netAuthor's Website: http://www.billknell.com/Terms To Use Article: Permission is granted to use this article for free online or in print. Please add a link to or print my website address: http://www.billknell.com/
For more about UFOs and other paranormal topics, please visit http://www.ufoguy.com/
UFO's - Fact or Fiction?
UFO's - Fact or Fiction?
By Sacha Tarkovsky
One subject that fascinates millions of people worldwide is do UFO's exist? There are comelling facts that point to their existence and here we will look at evidence in more detail.
Although a well-known subject for literally thousands of years (indeed mentioned in the earliest known writings) the subject of UFO's continue to fascinate us.
The S.E.T.I. project, countless private investigators, national organizations in avariety of countries are devoted to researching the existence of UFO's and the ET phenomena all give a certain credence to the existence of such objects and entities.
The physics of getting from point “A” which is even a few thousand light years away to point “B” has been considered even by the greats such as Einstein and Oppenheimer.
Interestingly enough, their theories and now mathematical substantiation would imply that space travel is possible, but indeed, not too practical. So, worm holes, time warps and other devices have been used to explain the possibility further.
The subject of countless films and books and needless to say, a whole industry, has sprung up, making the subject economically attractive.
The ancients however were quite used to the phenomena and knew exactly what it was, and perhaps, still is.
The ancient Indians were quite used to flying by non-mechanical methods on carpets, or machines. The Pushpa mentioned in the Sacred Writing of the Mahabharata (India’s timeless epic) was used to fly all over India and other places.
Indeed, the Rama’s journey back from Sri Lanka after a war was described in detail from the air, and no less than it seems about 5,000 meters!
The Arabian Nights, another classic and perhaps much more than just fables and stories, mentions non-mechanical flight on carpets and other objects.
Distances are transversed at the speed of light (thought), with entities that appear as people, but not just really.
Some are huge and terrifying, some are smaller and beautiful. These are the race of Jinn, or Geniis.
Evidence of UFO’s
To apply today’s UFO phenomena to some ETs from somewhere is easy enough, but also, the quotable phenomena of lights in the sky, abduction of people, livestock mutilation, crop circles, and objects appearing and disappearing from nowhere are mentioned time and again in stories of the Genii.
These are not new ideas either. In the stories of Solomon, he too moves about all over Arabia (how did he do that?), gains control over the Jinn (Geniis) by magical means, confines the really evil ones to small bottles stopped with his Seal (which today is wrongly called the Star of David). The work of the Geniis can be easily attributed to the phenomena of the UFO when looked at in that light.
These “stories” from the Bible, the Koran. Mahabharata, Avesta (ancient Zoroastrian – Persian Sacred Writings), Egyptian and Ancient Chinese texts, could be just “so much smoke”. Logically however, where there is so much smoke, there had to be fire. Indeed there are so many stories, having been heard by, and in so many ages and tongues, that some of it must be true.
The Genii assume any shape and they need or wish to. They fly both visibly and invisibly. The abduct, have relations, heal and kill people. They are sometimes beneficial and sometimes very malicious, especially the ones of the air (called Ifrits) and appear to delight in confounding human beings. They can be religious (some were Jews, some were Muslims), or purposefully evil, and akin to demons.
All of these activities, when looked at in an objective way, could be attributed to the UFO and ET themes.
The Christian Church, over the Middle Ages, and all the way through to the Victorian age, had a great deal to do with suppressing this kind of knowledge. Today, we are free to go back and examine our pasts, and with it, perhaps, the Genii too are liberated once more to contribute, react, and continue to confound the human race.
-----
For more FREE info on UFO'S and other alternative subjects visit =>http://www.net-planet.org
By Sacha Tarkovsky
One subject that fascinates millions of people worldwide is do UFO's exist? There are comelling facts that point to their existence and here we will look at evidence in more detail.
Although a well-known subject for literally thousands of years (indeed mentioned in the earliest known writings) the subject of UFO's continue to fascinate us.
The S.E.T.I. project, countless private investigators, national organizations in avariety of countries are devoted to researching the existence of UFO's and the ET phenomena all give a certain credence to the existence of such objects and entities.
The physics of getting from point “A” which is even a few thousand light years away to point “B” has been considered even by the greats such as Einstein and Oppenheimer.
Interestingly enough, their theories and now mathematical substantiation would imply that space travel is possible, but indeed, not too practical. So, worm holes, time warps and other devices have been used to explain the possibility further.
The subject of countless films and books and needless to say, a whole industry, has sprung up, making the subject economically attractive.
The ancients however were quite used to the phenomena and knew exactly what it was, and perhaps, still is.
The ancient Indians were quite used to flying by non-mechanical methods on carpets, or machines. The Pushpa mentioned in the Sacred Writing of the Mahabharata (India’s timeless epic) was used to fly all over India and other places.
Indeed, the Rama’s journey back from Sri Lanka after a war was described in detail from the air, and no less than it seems about 5,000 meters!
The Arabian Nights, another classic and perhaps much more than just fables and stories, mentions non-mechanical flight on carpets and other objects.
Distances are transversed at the speed of light (thought), with entities that appear as people, but not just really.
Some are huge and terrifying, some are smaller and beautiful. These are the race of Jinn, or Geniis.
Evidence of UFO’s
To apply today’s UFO phenomena to some ETs from somewhere is easy enough, but also, the quotable phenomena of lights in the sky, abduction of people, livestock mutilation, crop circles, and objects appearing and disappearing from nowhere are mentioned time and again in stories of the Genii.
These are not new ideas either. In the stories of Solomon, he too moves about all over Arabia (how did he do that?), gains control over the Jinn (Geniis) by magical means, confines the really evil ones to small bottles stopped with his Seal (which today is wrongly called the Star of David). The work of the Geniis can be easily attributed to the phenomena of the UFO when looked at in that light.
These “stories” from the Bible, the Koran. Mahabharata, Avesta (ancient Zoroastrian – Persian Sacred Writings), Egyptian and Ancient Chinese texts, could be just “so much smoke”. Logically however, where there is so much smoke, there had to be fire. Indeed there are so many stories, having been heard by, and in so many ages and tongues, that some of it must be true.
The Genii assume any shape and they need or wish to. They fly both visibly and invisibly. The abduct, have relations, heal and kill people. They are sometimes beneficial and sometimes very malicious, especially the ones of the air (called Ifrits) and appear to delight in confounding human beings. They can be religious (some were Jews, some were Muslims), or purposefully evil, and akin to demons.
All of these activities, when looked at in an objective way, could be attributed to the UFO and ET themes.
The Christian Church, over the Middle Ages, and all the way through to the Victorian age, had a great deal to do with suppressing this kind of knowledge. Today, we are free to go back and examine our pasts, and with it, perhaps, the Genii too are liberated once more to contribute, react, and continue to confound the human race.
-----
For more FREE info on UFO'S and other alternative subjects visit =>http://www.net-planet.org
The Truth Behind Roswell
The Truth Behind Roswell
By Francesca Black
The city of Roswell boasts a population of nearly 50,000 residents, a healthy economy, and a reputation for being a haven for UFO enthusiasts. The most famous of all UFO and alien stories is that of Roswell, made legend in movies, television shows and hundreds of books.
Because of all the media attention, documentaries, books, papers, TV programs, videos, motion pictures, etc., Roswell has become a household name symbolizing flying saucers. Ironically, Roswell is most famous for an incident that happened more than 50 years ago: the alleged crash of an alien spacecraft in 1947. Debate about the Roswell incident has gone on for years. There is a lot of speculation and belief about aliens. The city of Roswell, among others, aims to cash in on it.
How did it all start? Eyewitnesses saw something from the sky crash. A few hours later, someone issued a press release stating emphatically that Roswell had in its possession an alien spacecraft, a flying saucer. These claims emanated from a number of alleged eyewitnesses at the crash site or at Roswell AAFB.
It made the papers, but as soon as the military got wind of it, they moved in to correct the news reports. The Military announced that the crash was officially the wreckage of a downed weather balloon that had been misidentified by officers at Roswell. But, according to the report, the cover story blew up in the government's face, as reporters flocked to the site.
Roswell represents a controversy that extends far beyond the relatively narrow confines of the so called UFO community. Conspiracies began to evolve from this event, and citizens of Roswell have come forward and claimed that they were coerced into silence.
Many believe that Roswell was a massive Government cover-up. A number of books have been written about the incident, and it is considered by UFO buffs to be the biggest cover-up in US Today, the controversy involving the mysterious crash, the alleged recovery of alien beings and the presumption of a massive military cover-up rages on.
Some are inclined to think it was some exotic military experiment gone awry, while others feel we were truly visited by aliens. Others still claim there is zero credible evidence to support a crash of alien spacecraft anywhere, much less in Roswell, NM.
Theorists believe that Government is covering up the crash of an extraterrestrial spaceship. They say that the degree of engineering sophistication found at the Roswell crash site had never been seen in this country.
Why Cover Up? In short, maintaining national security, or at least the appearance of it would be motive enough to hiding the events of Roswell. Others feel the religious, economic, and social structures were reason enough to hide the truth. Still others feel that the motives of the government were less pure and that they had been testing some top secret military equipment and did not want other countries to learn of the weapons and jets existence.
The interest of the public was aroused and the Roswell incident has been at the forefront of Ufology ever since. Opponents say that the arguments being made against Roswell simply to not stand up under close scrutiny. Others think that the myth that now surrounds the Roswell event bares little resemblance to the actual facts. The fact is that more than sixty years later the truth is unknown.
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Copyright 2006 Francesca Black
Francesca Black a long time science fiction buff, manages content for UFO Gifts http://www.ufo-gifts.com and Science Fiction Corner http://www.science-fiction-corner.com
By Francesca Black
The city of Roswell boasts a population of nearly 50,000 residents, a healthy economy, and a reputation for being a haven for UFO enthusiasts. The most famous of all UFO and alien stories is that of Roswell, made legend in movies, television shows and hundreds of books.
Because of all the media attention, documentaries, books, papers, TV programs, videos, motion pictures, etc., Roswell has become a household name symbolizing flying saucers. Ironically, Roswell is most famous for an incident that happened more than 50 years ago: the alleged crash of an alien spacecraft in 1947. Debate about the Roswell incident has gone on for years. There is a lot of speculation and belief about aliens. The city of Roswell, among others, aims to cash in on it.
How did it all start? Eyewitnesses saw something from the sky crash. A few hours later, someone issued a press release stating emphatically that Roswell had in its possession an alien spacecraft, a flying saucer. These claims emanated from a number of alleged eyewitnesses at the crash site or at Roswell AAFB.
It made the papers, but as soon as the military got wind of it, they moved in to correct the news reports. The Military announced that the crash was officially the wreckage of a downed weather balloon that had been misidentified by officers at Roswell. But, according to the report, the cover story blew up in the government's face, as reporters flocked to the site.
Roswell represents a controversy that extends far beyond the relatively narrow confines of the so called UFO community. Conspiracies began to evolve from this event, and citizens of Roswell have come forward and claimed that they were coerced into silence.
Many believe that Roswell was a massive Government cover-up. A number of books have been written about the incident, and it is considered by UFO buffs to be the biggest cover-up in US Today, the controversy involving the mysterious crash, the alleged recovery of alien beings and the presumption of a massive military cover-up rages on.
Some are inclined to think it was some exotic military experiment gone awry, while others feel we were truly visited by aliens. Others still claim there is zero credible evidence to support a crash of alien spacecraft anywhere, much less in Roswell, NM.
Theorists believe that Government is covering up the crash of an extraterrestrial spaceship. They say that the degree of engineering sophistication found at the Roswell crash site had never been seen in this country.
Why Cover Up? In short, maintaining national security, or at least the appearance of it would be motive enough to hiding the events of Roswell. Others feel the religious, economic, and social structures were reason enough to hide the truth. Still others feel that the motives of the government were less pure and that they had been testing some top secret military equipment and did not want other countries to learn of the weapons and jets existence.
The interest of the public was aroused and the Roswell incident has been at the forefront of Ufology ever since. Opponents say that the arguments being made against Roswell simply to not stand up under close scrutiny. Others think that the myth that now surrounds the Roswell event bares little resemblance to the actual facts. The fact is that more than sixty years later the truth is unknown.
----
Copyright 2006 Francesca Black
Francesca Black a long time science fiction buff, manages content for UFO Gifts http://www.ufo-gifts.com and Science Fiction Corner http://www.science-fiction-corner.com
Tarot Readers
Tarot Readers
By Ken Marlborough
Tarot is a system of guidance as well as divination that people can use to process dilemmas pertaining to career, family or relationships. Tarot readers are experts who can interpret the meaning of the cards picked by the inquirers and guide them towards a possible and probable solution. Tarot card readers are well acquainted with the meanings of the cards and Tarot spreads that are used while performing a tarot reading.
Tarot readers can be approached to gain a better perspective of the situation that the inquirers may find themselves in. They put forward their queries in front of the Tarot card reader one at a time. For each question, the reader asks the inquirer to pick up a few cards, which the reader lays face down in a pattern, known as the Tarot spread. There are hundreds of tarot spreads that the reader can choose from, including self-created ones. The cards are then placed in the same sequence as they were on the designated positions. The Tarot card reader now turns the cards over and interprets the overall picture presented by the combination of cards picked, their positions on the spreads and the numbers depicted in each of the cards.
People approach professional tarot card readers to inquire about various aspects of their lives. The main responsibility of a tarot card reader is to offer insights to people who have to seek answers for their seemingly overwhelming problems. Tarot shows possibilities and projections and offers advice, and does not conform to any writing on the wall.
It is advisable for people to ask specific questions to the Tarot card readers as loosely formed questions usually fetch vague responses. It is not necessary for people to approach a professional tarot card reader every time. They can buy any popular deck that appeals to them and can do a reading for them. People can also go online and get free as well as professional reading through various websites.
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Tarot provides detailed information on Tarot, Free Tarot Readings, Tarot Reading, Tarot Cards and more. Tarot is affiliated with Reading Tarot Cards.
By Ken Marlborough
Tarot is a system of guidance as well as divination that people can use to process dilemmas pertaining to career, family or relationships. Tarot readers are experts who can interpret the meaning of the cards picked by the inquirers and guide them towards a possible and probable solution. Tarot card readers are well acquainted with the meanings of the cards and Tarot spreads that are used while performing a tarot reading.
Tarot readers can be approached to gain a better perspective of the situation that the inquirers may find themselves in. They put forward their queries in front of the Tarot card reader one at a time. For each question, the reader asks the inquirer to pick up a few cards, which the reader lays face down in a pattern, known as the Tarot spread. There are hundreds of tarot spreads that the reader can choose from, including self-created ones. The cards are then placed in the same sequence as they were on the designated positions. The Tarot card reader now turns the cards over and interprets the overall picture presented by the combination of cards picked, their positions on the spreads and the numbers depicted in each of the cards.
People approach professional tarot card readers to inquire about various aspects of their lives. The main responsibility of a tarot card reader is to offer insights to people who have to seek answers for their seemingly overwhelming problems. Tarot shows possibilities and projections and offers advice, and does not conform to any writing on the wall.
It is advisable for people to ask specific questions to the Tarot card readers as loosely formed questions usually fetch vague responses. It is not necessary for people to approach a professional tarot card reader every time. They can buy any popular deck that appeals to them and can do a reading for them. People can also go online and get free as well as professional reading through various websites.
----
Tarot provides detailed information on Tarot, Free Tarot Readings, Tarot Reading, Tarot Cards and more. Tarot is affiliated with Reading Tarot Cards.
Palmistry - Can Hand Analysis Predict the Future?
Palmistry - Can Hand Analysis Predict the Future?
By Kenneth Lagerstrom
The practice of using palm reading to predict the future dates back thousands of years, and continues to be very popular today. Yet one of the most common questions that many people still have about it is: "Can palmistry really predict the future?" The answer to this is a definite "No".
The reason that the hands cannot be used to make accurate predictions is because the palmar lines and other characteristics do change somewhat over time. Only the dermatoglyphics (fingerprints) remain the same. (You can verify this by making a photocopy of your palms each year.) What this means is that any predictions made based on the hands would change along with the normal changes in the lines. Perhaps palmistry can predict a future or the probable future, but certainly not THE future.
Many people will continue to argue against this point, claiming anecdotal evidence that proves the accuracy of palmistry predictions. An examination of these claims, however, usually reveals them to be nothing more than the results of random chance, the Forer Effect and Subjective Validation.
If palmistry cannot accurately predict the future, then what about reading the personality, the soul's purpose, or past lives? P. T. Barnum once said "There's a sucker born every minute", and traditional palm reading is a great example of this. Take a group of 10 or so normal middle-aged adults and give each one this same identical reading in private: "Your marriage or romantic life has been rather difficult at times, and occasionally you now feel quite isolated. You have 3 children. You don't get to spend as much time with your children as you'd like to, which is one of your biggest concerns. The other big concern you have is to do with money, how to earn more and how to save more." Make each statement with complete confidence and without hesitation.
Give this exact reading to 10 different people in private, and here are the likely results:
Five people will be neutral, because most of the reading was too vague, and they do not have 3 children. On the other hand, they feel that perhaps they have been given some things to think about. A healthy scepticism keeps them from making too much out of this.
One person will disregard the reading as being quite inaccurate, and will pay little thought or attention to it afterwards.
One person will be very unimpressed, and will treat the reading as sheer foolishness.
One person will be absolutely amazed by the accuracy and specific importance of their information.
Based on these reactions, you can easily understand how palm readings can stay so popular. The first 5 people have a neutral reaction, so they discuss their reading with friends until another topic of interest comes along. The next 2 people are impressed enough to start believing that "maybe this actually works", even though their reading could have been better. One person disregards palmistry, and another treats it as naive foolishness -- Neither one of these two ever talk much about it afterwards. The last person, however, is so impressed that they become an advocate and continue telling others about the accuracy. This last person is the only one out of the group who keeps talking about their reading years later.
So what is palmistry good for? The hands can accurately reveal a wealth of information about our present lives, including health problems and damaging lifestyle choices. The dermatoglyphics can almost certainly be used to identify genetic defects and predisposition to many diseases. There are countless good uses for hand analysis, but unfortunately too many people still want to pay good money for cheap fortune-telling. When it comes to palm reading, educate the public and you'll elevate the art -- Until that happens, not much will change.
----
Kenneth Lagerstrom is a human hand expert with 30 years of study. He provides hand analysis and palm reading services for both private and corporate functions, as well as instruction in tai chi, meditation, and self defense. For more information or to view Lagerstrom's websites please visit http://www.humanhand.com and http://www.internalkungfu.ca
By Kenneth Lagerstrom
The practice of using palm reading to predict the future dates back thousands of years, and continues to be very popular today. Yet one of the most common questions that many people still have about it is: "Can palmistry really predict the future?" The answer to this is a definite "No".
The reason that the hands cannot be used to make accurate predictions is because the palmar lines and other characteristics do change somewhat over time. Only the dermatoglyphics (fingerprints) remain the same. (You can verify this by making a photocopy of your palms each year.) What this means is that any predictions made based on the hands would change along with the normal changes in the lines. Perhaps palmistry can predict a future or the probable future, but certainly not THE future.
Many people will continue to argue against this point, claiming anecdotal evidence that proves the accuracy of palmistry predictions. An examination of these claims, however, usually reveals them to be nothing more than the results of random chance, the Forer Effect and Subjective Validation.
If palmistry cannot accurately predict the future, then what about reading the personality, the soul's purpose, or past lives? P. T. Barnum once said "There's a sucker born every minute", and traditional palm reading is a great example of this. Take a group of 10 or so normal middle-aged adults and give each one this same identical reading in private: "Your marriage or romantic life has been rather difficult at times, and occasionally you now feel quite isolated. You have 3 children. You don't get to spend as much time with your children as you'd like to, which is one of your biggest concerns. The other big concern you have is to do with money, how to earn more and how to save more." Make each statement with complete confidence and without hesitation.
Give this exact reading to 10 different people in private, and here are the likely results:
Five people will be neutral, because most of the reading was too vague, and they do not have 3 children. On the other hand, they feel that perhaps they have been given some things to think about. A healthy scepticism keeps them from making too much out of this.
 | Two people will be somewhat impressed, because the reading really seems to apply to them. They have between 2-4 children, so it appears fairly accurate, but not as exact as they would have liked. |
One person will disregard the reading as being quite inaccurate, and will pay little thought or attention to it afterwards.
One person will be very unimpressed, and will treat the reading as sheer foolishness.
One person will be absolutely amazed by the accuracy and specific importance of their information.
Based on these reactions, you can easily understand how palm readings can stay so popular. The first 5 people have a neutral reaction, so they discuss their reading with friends until another topic of interest comes along. The next 2 people are impressed enough to start believing that "maybe this actually works", even though their reading could have been better. One person disregards palmistry, and another treats it as naive foolishness -- Neither one of these two ever talk much about it afterwards. The last person, however, is so impressed that they become an advocate and continue telling others about the accuracy. This last person is the only one out of the group who keeps talking about their reading years later.
So what is palmistry good for? The hands can accurately reveal a wealth of information about our present lives, including health problems and damaging lifestyle choices. The dermatoglyphics can almost certainly be used to identify genetic defects and predisposition to many diseases. There are countless good uses for hand analysis, but unfortunately too many people still want to pay good money for cheap fortune-telling. When it comes to palm reading, educate the public and you'll elevate the art -- Until that happens, not much will change.
----
Kenneth Lagerstrom is a human hand expert with 30 years of study. He provides hand analysis and palm reading services for both private and corporate functions, as well as instruction in tai chi, meditation, and self defense. For more information or to view Lagerstrom's websites please visit http://www.humanhand.com and http://www.internalkungfu.ca
Crystals Made Simple: a Review of "The Crystal Handbook"
Crystals Made Simple: a Review of "The Crystal Handbook"
By Lisa Koosis
A few years ago, for research purposes for something I was writing, I was searching for a comprehensive book on crystals, their properties and applications. After poring through the New Age sections of bookstore after bookstore, I was getting frustrated. Most of the books I found were instruction manuals of sorts, books that went into depth on a single focus of crystals: healing, divination, channeling.
Finally, I pulled a small mass market paperback from the shelf. It was "The Crystal Handbook," by Kevin Sullivan, and what a wonderful little book it was.
"The Crystal Handbook" has a little bit of everything for those interested in crystals. What the handbook is, essentially, is a small encyclopedia of crystals with a great deal of related information.
The encyclopedic section of the is an alphabetical listing of crystals. From familiar stones such as the opal, to less commonly heard of crystals such as chrysocolla, each page has a wealth of information on the stone's properties, uses, origin, and sometimes even folklore surrounding the stone. Each blurb is interesting as well as informative.
Beyond the encyclopedia, "The Crystal Handbook" offers up chapters on subjects such as choosing a crystal, body work with crystals, and even a chapter on pets and crystals. With an easy to follow writing style, Kevin Sullivan makes the information accessible and understandable.
The handbook also includes charts for quick reference, which I find particularly handy. There are charts that list stones by color, zodiacal affinity, along with charts that recommend crystals based on criteria such as profession. There's also a glossary.
What's nice about "The Crystal Handbook" is its size. Small enough to tuck into a pocketbook, it's perfect for someone who's looking for a book to keep along with them as a reference when shopping for crystals.
Of course, the validity of a book such as "The Crystal Handbook" relies a great deal on each individual's unique belief system. "The Crystal Handbook" is not, by any means, going to convince a skeptic that crystal healing is for real and send them scurrying for the nearest crystal shop. But for those interested in researching or reading up on the subject, or for those who believe in crystals, this is a great little book.
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Lisa is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Poetry.
By Lisa Koosis
A few years ago, for research purposes for something I was writing, I was searching for a comprehensive book on crystals, their properties and applications. After poring through the New Age sections of bookstore after bookstore, I was getting frustrated. Most of the books I found were instruction manuals of sorts, books that went into depth on a single focus of crystals: healing, divination, channeling.
Finally, I pulled a small mass market paperback from the shelf. It was "The Crystal Handbook," by Kevin Sullivan, and what a wonderful little book it was.
"The Crystal Handbook" has a little bit of everything for those interested in crystals. What the handbook is, essentially, is a small encyclopedia of crystals with a great deal of related information.
The encyclopedic section of the is an alphabetical listing of crystals. From familiar stones such as the opal, to less commonly heard of crystals such as chrysocolla, each page has a wealth of information on the stone's properties, uses, origin, and sometimes even folklore surrounding the stone. Each blurb is interesting as well as informative.
Beyond the encyclopedia, "The Crystal Handbook" offers up chapters on subjects such as choosing a crystal, body work with crystals, and even a chapter on pets and crystals. With an easy to follow writing style, Kevin Sullivan makes the information accessible and understandable.
The handbook also includes charts for quick reference, which I find particularly handy. There are charts that list stones by color, zodiacal affinity, along with charts that recommend crystals based on criteria such as profession. There's also a glossary.
What's nice about "The Crystal Handbook" is its size. Small enough to tuck into a pocketbook, it's perfect for someone who's looking for a book to keep along with them as a reference when shopping for crystals.
Of course, the validity of a book such as "The Crystal Handbook" relies a great deal on each individual's unique belief system. "The Crystal Handbook" is not, by any means, going to convince a skeptic that crystal healing is for real and send them scurrying for the nearest crystal shop. But for those interested in researching or reading up on the subject, or for those who believe in crystals, this is a great little book.
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Lisa is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Poetry.
Chinese Zodiac System: Some Interesting Details
Chinese Zodiac System: Some Interesting Details
By Joann Grant
Before switching to the regular solar calendar of the western origin, the Chinese used to follow their own calendar which was based on lunar cycles. So, Chinese astrology is based on the conventional lunar calendar, which has twelve cycles of the moon.
There are twelve different animals in Chinese zodiac. Each zodiac period consists of full moon cycle, from new moon to full moon. Therefore, twelve full lunar cycles are there in a Chinese Zodiac year. However, one animal stands for a whole year. So, a Chinese cycle goes round for twelve years before starting all over again. Unlike in western system, where your zodiac comes around every year, in the Chinese system you can celebrate your zodiac birthday only once in twelve years.
There are several legends associated with the creation of the Chinese calendar. One of them has it that the gods wanted to test which of the animals could reach their position the fastest. So, they asked all of them to compete by swimming through a river. The order of their reaching is reflected in the Chinese zodiac. According to another legend, before leaving earth, Lord Buddha asked the animals to visit him. And when they went to meet him, he named the moon cycles according to the order of appearance of the animals. This makes the Chinese zodiac a circle with twelve equal parts much like a pie sliced into twelve parts.
There are specific characteristics associated with every zodiac animal in the Chinese system. The animals are ox, rabbit, tiger, rat, snake, sheep, horse, monkey, rooster, boar, dog and dragon.
So, if you fall under ‘rat’, you are supposed to be aggressive, charming, perfectionist and a little secretive. You are also party loving and somewhat stubborn. Those who belong to the ‘rat’ zodiac may also be somewhat mean at times. Therefore, each zodiac represents a complete personality with both positive and negative traits.
Chinese zodiac system is much different from the solar-based western zodiac system we are all so familiar with. However, many a time the traits you are supposed to have under western system are much the same as those under the Chinese system. That’s quite amazing. This, however, may not happen in all cases.
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To get more information on astrology, astrology predictions and astrology readings visit http://www.your-astrology.com/
By Joann Grant
Before switching to the regular solar calendar of the western origin, the Chinese used to follow their own calendar which was based on lunar cycles. So, Chinese astrology is based on the conventional lunar calendar, which has twelve cycles of the moon.
There are twelve different animals in Chinese zodiac. Each zodiac period consists of full moon cycle, from new moon to full moon. Therefore, twelve full lunar cycles are there in a Chinese Zodiac year. However, one animal stands for a whole year. So, a Chinese cycle goes round for twelve years before starting all over again. Unlike in western system, where your zodiac comes around every year, in the Chinese system you can celebrate your zodiac birthday only once in twelve years.
There are several legends associated with the creation of the Chinese calendar. One of them has it that the gods wanted to test which of the animals could reach their position the fastest. So, they asked all of them to compete by swimming through a river. The order of their reaching is reflected in the Chinese zodiac. According to another legend, before leaving earth, Lord Buddha asked the animals to visit him. And when they went to meet him, he named the moon cycles according to the order of appearance of the animals. This makes the Chinese zodiac a circle with twelve equal parts much like a pie sliced into twelve parts.
There are specific characteristics associated with every zodiac animal in the Chinese system. The animals are ox, rabbit, tiger, rat, snake, sheep, horse, monkey, rooster, boar, dog and dragon.
So, if you fall under ‘rat’, you are supposed to be aggressive, charming, perfectionist and a little secretive. You are also party loving and somewhat stubborn. Those who belong to the ‘rat’ zodiac may also be somewhat mean at times. Therefore, each zodiac represents a complete personality with both positive and negative traits.
Chinese zodiac system is much different from the solar-based western zodiac system we are all so familiar with. However, many a time the traits you are supposed to have under western system are much the same as those under the Chinese system. That’s quite amazing. This, however, may not happen in all cases.
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To get more information on astrology, astrology predictions and astrology readings visit http://www.your-astrology.com/
My Amazing Experiece With A Fortune Teller
My Amazing Experiece With A Fortune Teller
By Morgan Hamilton
Are you anxious about your future? If you are, let me tell you about a strange experience I had with a fortune teller. About a decade ago, while I was window shopping with my best friend, I suddenly saw a sign for a fortune teller.
Since I was deeply religious and my minister always told us to shun people who are involved in magic and similar arts, I was a bit apprehensive. But curiosity won me over and we entered the shop nervously. The mood inside was fascinating, goose bumps suddenly sprung all over my body making me want to leave.
Then the fortune teller appeared behind a curtain, wearing strange robes that are normally seen in movies. She was a mature woman with a kind face and gentle voice that reassured me and my friend. We told her that we wanted to know about our futures and she told us to make ourselves comfortable and to show her our palms.
The fortune teller stared to read my best friend’s palm and I listened to her predictions. I was a bit skeptical with what she said because they seem too vague and can happen to just about anybody. She told her that she would marry a tall man with red hair and that they will have three children.
When it was my turn to have my palm read and she told me that I was going to marry a dark skinned man and would only have one child. I thought that her prediction were highly unlikely. You see my father grew up in the south and is a bit biased with other races. I’m also very found of children and I always dreamt of having a large family.
I lost touch with my best friend after high school because we went to different universities. My encounter with the fortune teller was lost among loads of memorable experiences. I got married to a brilliant mind soon after my graduation. He and I were very compatible and we are very happy in our relationship.
At first my father did not approve of him because he was Hispanic. However after spending some time with him my husband won him over and my father was full of pride as he walked me down the aisle. I gave birth to a perfect angel about a year after our marriage. My pregnancy was very difficult however and I needed an emergency C-section to deliver my child.
Luckily it had not affect n our daughter but unfortunately my doctor sadly informed us that having more children would be dangerous for me. My husband and I worked out that having more children is an unnecessary risk and so we decided that our only daughter was enough.
I was reunited with my best friend during our last high school reunion. We shared stories about our lives and proudly introduced our families to each other. She seemed to be excited when she met my husband and my daughter.
Later when we were alone she reminded me about the fortune teller’s predictions. I was stunned when I realized that the predictions have indeed come true, in my case, and I was all the more surprised when I also realized her husband was tall and had red hair and that she was currently pregnant with her third child.
My experience gave me new respect or fortune tellers and their craft. Of course, it may have been just a coincidence, but still, even coincidences can be really surprising.
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Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Fortune Teller. Visit our site for more helpful information about Fortune Teller and other similar topics.
By Morgan Hamilton
Are you anxious about your future? If you are, let me tell you about a strange experience I had with a fortune teller. About a decade ago, while I was window shopping with my best friend, I suddenly saw a sign for a fortune teller.
Since I was deeply religious and my minister always told us to shun people who are involved in magic and similar arts, I was a bit apprehensive. But curiosity won me over and we entered the shop nervously. The mood inside was fascinating, goose bumps suddenly sprung all over my body making me want to leave.
Then the fortune teller appeared behind a curtain, wearing strange robes that are normally seen in movies. She was a mature woman with a kind face and gentle voice that reassured me and my friend. We told her that we wanted to know about our futures and she told us to make ourselves comfortable and to show her our palms.
The fortune teller stared to read my best friend’s palm and I listened to her predictions. I was a bit skeptical with what she said because they seem too vague and can happen to just about anybody. She told her that she would marry a tall man with red hair and that they will have three children.
When it was my turn to have my palm read and she told me that I was going to marry a dark skinned man and would only have one child. I thought that her prediction were highly unlikely. You see my father grew up in the south and is a bit biased with other races. I’m also very found of children and I always dreamt of having a large family.
I lost touch with my best friend after high school because we went to different universities. My encounter with the fortune teller was lost among loads of memorable experiences. I got married to a brilliant mind soon after my graduation. He and I were very compatible and we are very happy in our relationship.
At first my father did not approve of him because he was Hispanic. However after spending some time with him my husband won him over and my father was full of pride as he walked me down the aisle. I gave birth to a perfect angel about a year after our marriage. My pregnancy was very difficult however and I needed an emergency C-section to deliver my child.
Luckily it had not affect n our daughter but unfortunately my doctor sadly informed us that having more children would be dangerous for me. My husband and I worked out that having more children is an unnecessary risk and so we decided that our only daughter was enough.
I was reunited with my best friend during our last high school reunion. We shared stories about our lives and proudly introduced our families to each other. She seemed to be excited when she met my husband and my daughter.
Later when we were alone she reminded me about the fortune teller’s predictions. I was stunned when I realized that the predictions have indeed come true, in my case, and I was all the more surprised when I also realized her husband was tall and had red hair and that she was currently pregnant with her third child.
My experience gave me new respect or fortune tellers and their craft. Of course, it may have been just a coincidence, but still, even coincidences can be really surprising.
----
Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Fortune Teller. Visit our site for more helpful information about Fortune Teller and other similar topics.