AOZ Fall 2014
History of a Haunting Matrot Castle, Topeka KS
Art of Business Matryoshka Tattoo
AOZ Fashion Show
The White Witch
Consciousness
Dinner - Show - Shopping
Rose Hall, Jamaica
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AOZ
Art - History - Fashion C o n s c i o u s n e s s
It is not just about having the knowledge about a part of our existence, it is about what you will do with that knowledge to our existence. There is so much to say with so little pages to put it on. This is exactly how it feels to be an artist. To figure out how to convert your perpetual interpretations into a tangible object that others can perceive is the allure and the magic of art. It only takes one to create a reaction, one that can cause an awakening of the soul, one that will change the way you think. These are the moments I love, the journeys that adhere to your DNA, making you who you are. It is revealed in our art, in our fashion, and ultimately our history. This issue includes so many great moments in the present, the past, and in the days coming with amazing new events and places to indulge in. Making a personal experience with all of the individuals and their unique pursuits in business and celebrations is exactly how AOZ Magazine is composed, from the advertisers to the artists. Making connections with other positive and creative people is always so rewarding, and it is how I prefer to balance work and play so that they are the same. I hope to continuously spread the word about fascinating ideas, people, and authentic places to venture to in Kansas, around the world, and beyond. Thank you and enjoy!
Amber O’Dell~ Founder
amberodell24@hotmail.com
I will always strive for accuracy and honesty, but I am only human and can not be held responsible for errors. AOZ is intended for readers over the age of 21. AOZ Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any form without permission is prohibited.
AOZ • Fall 2014 Art
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Contents White Witch of Rose Hall | 02 NOTO Human Experience | 06 AOZ Art - Fusion Collection | 09 AOZ Fashion Show | 10 Two Wolves Studio | 14 The Resurrection - I.O.O.F. | 16 Custom Electric 2014 | 23 Scholars of AOZ Swimsuit Calendar | 28 Art of Business - Matryoshka Tattoo | 30 History of a haunting - Matrot castle | 34 As Told By Ashley | 38 Consciousness -Laura Eisenhower | 42 Thoughts worth spreading | 44 Creation Stories | 46 P h o t o g r a p h y , A r t, M a k e u p, a n d a r t i c l e s b y A m b e r O ’ D e l l A special thank you to Ashley Tierce, Katy Everitt, Erin Wynkoop, Pricsilla Riddle, and Alexander Lancaster for your efforts in creating this Fall 2014 AOZ Issue!
The white Witch Rose
Hall,Jamaica
Built in 1770 by John Palmer, Rose Hall eventually became the residence of their grandnephew, John Rose Palmer and his wife Annee, a beautiful and demented girl who created a living nightmare for any man or slave that set foot at the Great House. John was quite unaware that his young wife possessed “black magic” powers that would eventually take his life while in his own bed. The deranged mistress of the plantation also did away with two more husbands and countless lovers, leaving behind a horrifying tale of death and destruction.
A candle-lit evening tour of the Rose Hall Great House is an enchanting experience for visitors of Jamaica. Ghostly sightings have been reported over many years and now the home has been beautifully restored with 18thcentury decor and antiques for all to see. The eerie tales come to life as you walk through the very places where her victims endured punishments and executions. You can also visit the dungeon, now transformed into a tavern called Annee’s Pub. It is tradition to drink the rum cocktail “Witches Brew” to helps banish the spirits of ghosts or black magic that still lingers in the mansion.
Myself at the front entrance to Rose Hall.
Walkway to the Great House.
Annee Palmer’s questionable grave.
In the 1800s Annee Palmer moved to the beautiful island of Jamaica to be the wife of a powerful man who owned Rose Hall and thousands of acres of sugar plantation. It is said that she greatly missed the bright lights of Paris, and found life at the Great House to be difficult and miserable. She was born in England, and then raised in by her nanny after her parents died in Haiti before coming to the island of Jamaica. Annee’s slaves learned to fear her immensely. She would show her demands with public whippings, torture in the dungeon, or even death. She started her day by stepping to her balcony and issuing her orders to her 200 slaves in the yard, which often included punishments of execution. She even put bear traps in the bushes surrounding the property to cut off the feet of run away slaves. Soon Annee started sleeping with her slaves, and any chosen man would know that it was only a matter of time before she would tire of him, have him killed, and then buried in an unmarked grave. She even had to keep all the knives in the house locked up so that her slaves would not try to kill her in return. Voodoo was the greatest strength Annee had to keep a strong hold on her plantation and it’s inhabitants. Annee’s childhood nanny was a Voodoo Priestess and taught her everything she knew about the black magic. These rituals included human sacrifice, especially of infants, whose bones she used in practicing the black magic. Soon Annee was known across the seas as “The White Witch of Jamaica”. Her reputation and magic powers served to keep her safe from pirates and outside invaders. She was eventually strangled and killed by a slave lover in 1831 at the age of 29, and was found dead in her bedroom at The Great House. In Jamaica there are over 700 Great Houses, and 685 were burned in the 1830’s during the uprising of the slaves. The slaves did not burn down the Rose Hall Plantation for fear that Annee’s spirit would haunt them forever. The other remaining 15 Great Houses survived because the owners treated their slaves well. Rose Hall also consisted of 365 windows, 52 doors, and 12 bedrooms making it a calendar house. It is said that the owners of the Rose Hall estate suffered early and tragic deaths, leading to the estate being unoccupied for over 130 years. The basis for most of the White Witch legend seems to come from H.G. de Lisser’s 1928 novel “The White Witch of Rose Hall”. This was a popular novel telling the story of Annee Palmer, but these stories are very different presented by the records available from the time. In the mid-1970s the country music singer Johnny Cash bought the Cinnamon Hill Great House on the Rose Hall Plantation from his friend John Rollins. Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash were part-time Jamaica residents for more than four decades. Intrigued by the legend of “White Witch of Rose Hall,” Johnny Cash wrote the “Ballad of Annee Palmer.”
The bedroom of Annee Palmer.
Annee Palmer in red stood only 4 feet 8 inches.
Entrance to the tortured dungeon.
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merchant
w w w. t h e m e r c h a n t o n l i n e . c o m
the 913 South Kansas Ave Downtown Topeka KS 785-357-1444
Featured Artist Ian
Young
www.iyoungfineart.com iyoungfineart@gmail.com
Monday-Friday 10:00-5:00 Saturday 10:00-4:00
BUY - SELL - TRADE We BUY men and women’s clothing, shoes, jewelry, handbags, decor, and art BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.
Twister - 48”x48” Acrylic On Canvas 2013 - $5500
Guess Who - 48”x48” Acrylic On Canvas 2012 - $6000
Adult Candland - 36”x48” Acrylic On Canvas 2012 - $6000
I began studying art seriously at the age of 21 under the guidance of my father, fine art master Michael Young. My Dad used to hold solo shows in New York, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Dallas, Miami and more. In 2009 I completed my first large scale painting series, “Immature Psychotherapy”, my second in 2011 titled “Special Education”, and am working on my third series, “Friendly Competition”. My game series is composed of classic board game parodies, video games parodies, and invented games of my own, many of which can actually be played. All of them take at least 100 hours to complete, and many of the bigger ones clock in at over 200 hours. I’m planning on doing the game series for at least a few more years or as long as I can stand to, as they have made me very popular. Kansas City and Topeka are the two cities I show in the most!
Featured Artist Brit ta
McKee
www.tobiasjewelrydesigns.com www.rawartists.org/tobiasdesigns facebook.com/tobiasjewelrydesigns twitter.com/TobiasDesigns instagram.com/tobiasdesigns
Not long after graduating from the University of Kansas in 2005 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Britta McKee started her jewelry business hunched over a work bench in a cramped garage in Topeka. From those humble beginnings, “Tobias Designs” earrings, necklaces and cufflinks now reside in seven shops across four states at least until a new owner makes them their own. McKee began, and remains active, in local and regional art and craft shows which offered her the opportunity to expose her work to the masses as well as earn her custom design orders. As her client base grew so did her list of accolades. Magazines and local models show off Tobias Designs jewelry, as does the Topeka Capitol building after commissioning McKee to design and create jewelry using recycled copper panels from its iconic dome. Her passion and dedication to her hand crafted work earned the 2013 Kansas City Accessory Designer of the Year and Kansas City Peoples’ Choice - Accessory Designer of the Year award! Drawing inspiration from nature, raw materials and her rambunctious son, Britta McKee, owner of Tobias Designs, invites patrons to interpret her work in any way their perspective offers. Utilizing layers of colors, detail, shapes and schemes, McKee masks and re-imagines her original design intents. The “straightforward complexity” ensures that wearers of her jewelry make it their own while, at the same time creating an identity for her work that strives for people to recognize, “That’s a Tobias Design piece.”
N O T O Human Experience If you could go back in time and worn yourself about one thing, what would it be? Not getting married. It don’t work.
What is one of your favorite childhood mistakes? That’s an easy one. So, we were on our way to the movies, we stopped off at 711. Unfortunately, my mom told me “no” I cannot go inside when I really wanted to go inside. I was in the back seat, so I cracked the door open thinking I could sneak out. However, her boyfriend came back sooner than I had a chance to sneak out, but I forgot to shut the door. So as he is putting it in reverse, and we are backing out of the parking lot, the door flies open, and so do I. So I fall out the back of the car, and we did not have a chance to make it to the movies, because one, I was in trouble, and two, I was hurt.
What are you holding onto that you need to let go of? Wow. That is a question that I wasn’t expecting at all. Anger, probably. This is like a counseling question or something. I would say that anything that makes me angry is always something that I always want to let go of and never have with me. I like to avoid using the word hate. I always avoid that kind of thing, trying to keep positive, so anger is my weakness. Yeah, that would be it.
What was the last Magical Moment you had? I have no idea. There’s too many. I’m always magical. My future. I don’t know what to say. I really don’t. Traveling, oh yeah. I’ve been everywhere. I’ve been all over the world. My favorite was Paris. Agriculture, everything, the art, the buildings, just being there, the people, it was awesome.
What is it that makes you unique? Oh wow. I grew up in the Philippines, I was born there and we moved when I was five, so I guess compared to a lot of people I’m really grateful about like everything that I have and just grateful that I am alive, and that I have access to so many different things that a lot of people really don’t… and I love to learn and grow. 06
What has life taught you recently? Well, I’m old enough that life has taught me lots of things, and the one thing that is the most important is that you can be happy if you choose to be.
Have you had a spiritual or paranormal experience that changed your perspective on life? I mean one time, I was in the mountains in Colorado, and I’m pretty sure I saw some UFO’s in the sky, 3 flashing lights, no joke. And they disappeared and they came back. And I was crying I was so scared, I really thought it was UFO’s. I mean I would definitely talk with them, they probably have some really great beauty creams or something of the future to bring us back from mars.
What do you want the most? There is actually a Depeche Mode song that says peace will come to me, so I suppose I’d prefer some peace and happiness instead of being so restless and discontent all the time, so I’d probably go with that. Cause I think once you have peace you’re going to be happy and most people say Oh, I want happiness, so I’ll just go with the precursor.
If you could give advice to those 1000 years in the future, what would it be? Do for others, and you do for yourself, because we are all one. Meditate towards all beings and send love and get it back.
Do you know what your calling is? Well I’ve been called a serial momtrepreneur, mostly because I’m a horrible employee, so if you’re reading this at work, via adversion behavior, you should quit and go start your own business or two or three or four right now. I like to be able to take my strange ability to turn simple things into a business and then take that business and barf it onto other people and make them successful.
IF you had complete control over where you go and what you become when you die, describe what it is like. Oh wow, that is something. I would like to go to K-State’s football field, and be a ghost that haunts every opposite team that plays my wildcats.
What do you wish you spent more time doing 5 years ago? I wish I would have spent more time making music so I could possibly be rich! One of my goals as a father and husband, would to be able to have a hobby at the same time while supporting my family and make it work, and I’ve been doing pretty good at that.
Featured Artist Lisa
Adame
Yeldarb Gallery 909 N. Kansas Ave. Topeka, KS www.lisaadame.com lisaada meart@gmail.com
Lisa Adame is married with three kids and two granddaughters. She is also a second grade teacher at Topeka Collegiate School. She is originally from Texas but moved to Kansas 10 years ago, and started painting 5 years after that. The first time she showed her art was at the Aaron Douglas Art Fair. In 2012, she was named ADAF featured artist and then a few months later she became one of NOTO’s funded core artists located above Yeldarb Gallery. Her art has been displayed with RAW Kansas City, Stonewall Gallery, Yeldarb Gallery and most recently received the Professional 2D award at the 2014 Aaron Douglas Art Fair.
Jack 24x36 Acrylic and gels on canvas $500
My Blue Guitar 24 x24 Acrylic, pumice, gels on canvas $275
the Three of Us 36x48 acrylic and gels on canvas
Amazing Pieces.........
837 N Kansas Ave Topeka, Kansas 66608 (785) 220-4129 info@4girlsgarage.com facebook.com/4GirlsGarage
Sunshine 36x36 acrylic, gels, paper on canvas $400
......at Amazing Prices!
Thu - Fri: 10:00am - 5:30pm Sat: 10:00am - 4:00pm
A O Z Art
Immergence Collection
Shamawna
Kratina
Tracerie
Mashley
Racholly
These pieces have been fused together with two women, creating a new being, one that can see the world as a united force that pulls from both sides of its creation.
Photos courtesy of Jay Bachman, Keith Horinek, and Derek Schweitzer.
The first AOZ Fashion Show was at the enchanting Ramada Downtown Topeka inside Uncle Bo’s Jazz Bar. We had an amazing night prepared for everyone, including an exquisite dinner prepared by Chef Mark, a musical journey, along with a soulful solo by the talented Riley Voth, Topeka’s finest fashion and models, and a shopping experience that is straight to you from the runway. For me, fashion, art, and music all have these qualities in common. They invoke emotions, create moments in time, and release expressions into the world. They connect us all regardless of what race, religion, age or origin you may have. It is what keeps us united here.
Here was the lineup of our featured fashion vendors: The Merchant, specializes in one of a kind, new and gently worn designer clothing, handpicked for style and quality. Express yourself with quality clothing, shoes, handbags and accessories. Boho Mojo, is the retail face of its family’s custom apparel business, Reliant Apparel, LLC. They wanted to nurture their bohemian side and provide a unique shopping alternative. They love Fair Trade and most of their merchandise comes from artisan workshops from around the globe. Shoe Fetish, has an incredible selection of one of a kind shoes for men and women. The selection in this store is truly unique as they only carry one style of shoe in one size. No two pairs of shoes are alike. Goddess Dresses, are free sized colorful and timeless dresses. Most stretch from a size 0-18 and are all priced at $20! At a goddess dress party you will see over 100 different dresses and fun accessories to choose from. Try them on and take home what you like that night. Plato’s Closet, is NOT your typical resale, consignment or thrift shop - they buy only the hot brand labels that you would buy yourself. They buy clothes, shoes, purses, accessories and men’s items everyday with CASH on the spot! They have everything from classic pieces to designer denim including Seven, Big Star, and Miss Me. MAC Cosmetics, is the leading professional makeup authority servicing professional makeup artists and consumers supporting all ages, all races, and all sexes. Go to MAC Topeka for a customized experience, from soft and sweet everyday beauty looks to a full on glam transformation and everything in-between. Strandz Hair Studio, is a full service salon that offers nails, waxing, cut, color and styles, and my favorite hair stylist, Lindsey Webb! Findables with Midland Hospice, is an upscale resale store offering men’s and women’s clothing fashion, from vintage to wedding. They also carry art, collectibles, antique glass, décor, and unique items of all sorts. All of the proceeds from Findables benefit not-for-profit Midland Care Hospice, serving 14 counties in NE Kansas, House 2 Home with LeAnn Dolsky has brought her unique designs to clothing, jewelry, and accessoires with her line Bad Ass Bling 4U. Now sporting a new company name.....“FME Design, Inc.,...where Functionality meets Extraordinary”, LeAnn will continue offering product and design at affordable prices and have a boutique that offers something different.
Heaven Scent Flowers
and Tuxedos
We offer something that everyone can afford,
$9.95
cash and carry roses EVERYDAY. Whether you’re “In trouble” or just for “preventive maintenance”, we provide fast, friendly delivery, usually the same day. Free delivery to North Topeka Funeral Homes Unique concrete angels, Memorial plaques, and benches. One stop shop for your Prom & Wedding flowers and
tuxedos
$40 off the retail price of tux rental
Groom is free with 5 paid full tux rentals
Styles have changed and so have we, but our goal hasn’t......
Cake!
30
Years
1802 NW Topeka Blvd Topeka, KS 66608 785.232.3961 topekaheavenscentflowers.com
......make someone’s day special!
go urm e t
and Pastries
E l e gan t T e m p t a t i ons
301 SW Gage Blvd Suite 121 Topeka, Kansas 66606 785.969.7917 eleganttemptations1@gmail.com facebook.com/Eleganttemptationstopeka Elegant Temptations provides the highest quality of cakes and pastries, using buttercream, imported jam and fine liquors. Elegant Temptations was established in 1995 by Pastry Chef Carlos Serrano. Our goal is to bring the quality of our ingredients to the forefront and allow our patrons to experience culinary classics. We are proud to become a part of our patrons’ celebrations. Our bakery is capable of catering events of any size. By placing an emphasis on classic techniques, we are able to replicate European-style cakes and pastries.
The 6th Avenue Ballroom is an elegant historic venue for:
WeddingReceptions Ceremonies CorporateEvents Seminars andConferences HolidayParties Reunions
Fundraisers Concerts ShowsandPerformances Dances CocktailParties BirthdayandAnniversaryParties
We offer full service catering, a plentiful bar with exceptional staff, and the essentials for all event planning.
the
downtown topeka Advertising Cooperative Association
Downtown get down town
Sharing events, sales, and more!
Bachelor,
Bachelorette,
Bridal Party
631 S Kansas Ave. Topeka, KS 66603 785-783-8622
T-Shirts & Gifts Customize your own unique style, art, and humor!
Screen Printing Embroidery Heat Transfers Digital Direct Printing Promotional Products Custom Rhinestones
Tw o W olv e s S t u d io _________________________ & Artist Den
837 N Kansas Ave, Topeka, KS 66608 (785) 851-8101 Two Wolves Studio is owned and operated by Artist Alexander L. Lancaster, located in the heart of the NOTO Arts District in the mezzanine of 837 N. Kansas Ave. Two Wolves Studio and Artist Den is a shared workspace, gallery and collective that provides an atmosphere for artists to thrive in, as well as a community in which artists can share their vision and collaborate with others who share the same interests and passion for their craft.
Two Wolves Studio & Artist Den received the People’s Choice ARTY AWARD for 2014 Favorite First Friday Artwalk Location! The Guerilla Art Raids are a night on the streets in the NOTO Arts District with live music, food and drinks, and is FREE to all the vendors, artists, and patrons. This is a great opportunity to sell and buy local arts and crafts. It is an all ages event with activities for kids and adults. Most Guerilla Raids are from 4:00 until dark. Look for upcoming Guerilla Raids at WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/TWOWOLVESSTUDIO
Our Artist Den is always interested in adding new artists! There are 3 Membership levels to choose from. The 1st will start with your work being displayed in the exhibition space, hanging fees, discounts on workshops and drawing sessions, and opportunities to collaborate with other Artist Den Members. The 2nd will also include access to the workspace for up to 16 hours a month, and the 3rd will grant you full access to the Artist Den, green room, and dry bar for meetings and get togethers.
To apply simply use our online form and schedule a tour. Send an email to
Airbrush.alx@gmail.com
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with your short bio and 3 images of your artwork. Musicians send a link to 3 of your samples.
The name Two Wolves Studio comes from a old Cherokee story that Alexander can relate his art to: “An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, “Let me tell you a story. I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times.” He continued, “It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way. But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing. Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit.” The boy looked intently into his Grandfather’s eyes and asked, “Which one wins, Grandfather?” The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, “The one I feed.”
The
Resurrection Cover model Kiley sampsel
Mirror Courtesy of: 4 Girls Garage
Those who entered the third floor of 837 N Kansas Ave in the early 1880s had a fantastic code of ethics. This was the original site of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall in Topeka, a following that by all means sounds like those of guardian angels. On September 20, 1851, IOOF became the first national fraternity to accept both men and women when it formed the Daughters of Rebekah.
The command of the I.O.O.F. is to “visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan.� Here are a few of the membership standards: To improve and elevate the character of mankind by promoting the principles of friendship, love, truth, faith, hope, charity and universal justice. To help make the world a better place to live by aiding each other in times of need and by organizing charitable projects and activities that would benefit the less fortunate, the youth, the elderly, the environment and the community in every way possible. To promote good will and harmony amongst peoples and nations through the principle of universal fraternity, holding the belief that all men and women regardless of race, nationality, religion, social status, gender, rank and station are brothers and sisters. To promote a wholesome fraternal experience without violence, vices and discrimination of every form.
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The Independent Order of Odd Fellows The Odd Fellows are a fraternal organization that aims to provide an agenda that promotes personal and social development. In the I.O.O.F., there are lodge degrees, which are used to improve and elevate each person to a higher, nobler plane. These degrees are teachings of principles and truths by ceremonies and symbols: Friendship, Love, Hope, Faith, Truth, and Charity. A widely used and notable symbol of the I.O.O.F. is the three-link chain with the three initials ‘F’, ‘L’, and ‘T’, meaning Friendship, Love and Truth.
I.O.O.F. Lodges also provide an international social network of brothers and sisters that extends to more than 26 countries worldwide. If traveling is an interest, membership can provide a valuable network that will very much welcome an international visitor, and assist in their enterprises, and certainly their travels wherever possible. While not a religious institution, many of the rituals and practices are based upon teachings from the holy bible. As initiation rites, the Odd Fellows used skeletons. The skeleton is a symbol of mortality, which was a treasured relic used in their initiation, and was one of their most solemn and secret rituals. The pledges would be blindfolded and linked with chains as they were led into a dark room, to be left standing face to face with a skeleton lit by candle light. In Topeka, above Two Wolves Studio at 837 N Kansas Ave, was home to the Odd Fellows. There is a cabinet constructed to fit the size of an adult coffin in the back room, and a few odd and ends of trinkets and mysterious robes that have been left behind to age with the withering wallpaper and falling ceiling pieces.
Lewis, Kansas I.O.O.F. Lodge No 504 in 1913.
Skeleton found to be composed of many individuals in Warrensburgh, NY.
The membership card of Wyatt Earp from March 3rd, 1909.
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The Vampire of Meadow Lake a s tol d by J a s on M Pe t t y
Re v ie w
by
Er in
W y nk o op
There is a very endearing quality about every single character introduced in Jason M Petty’s 2012 novel The Vampire of Meadow Lake . Not necessarily likeable, nor even enjoyable, really. But they are charming, interesting and make for good character development throughout the entire novel. They are the kind of characters that the reader will love to hate and absolutely hate to love. Within the first few chapters, the main characters are established and we have a clear understanding of the plot: a murder-mystery theme involving a bunch of high-school teens coping with the death of a troubled acquaintance and friend. Amy Walker and Jenny Logan are a double trouble, partner in crime duo until Amy’s tragic and unsolved murder. Jenny is left distraught and unable to cope, turning to booze to deal with her deep depression, because it is very clear that her family members are not to be relied on for any emotional support. An alcoholic father, a skeezy brother and a mother who tries to forget she is the matriarch of a family of low-lifes. Jenny’s friends are not the best of company either and are not the kind of buddies someone can count on to lend a helping hand, or a shoulder to cry on. One character we learn about early on in the novel is John, Jenny’s boyfriend and wannabe knight in shining armor. Yes, he is kind of an idiot and she isn’t really very nice to him at all, but he tries. As we read on and get deeper into the book, the plot twists and turns and at some points the setting becomes a flashback or a dream sequence –which is a little confusing at first, until you have a second look at a paragraph or two. We eventually get to a pivotal moment where the story line takes a drastic turn and it becomes more and more difficult to put the book down. The ending is a complete surprise and there is never a “saw that one coming” moment. Vampire novels are becoming all too common in modern literature. There are great tales of historic vampires, those that are read by tweenyboppers with vampires that sparkle and vampires that end up on HBO. Jason M. Petty’s The Vampire of Meadow Lake is interesting, enjoyable, holds the attention of the reader and doesn’t suck the life out of you!
Featured Artist DeAna
Morrison
aMUSEd Gallery, Gifts & Artistic Services 115 NW Laurent Street Topeka, Kansas 66608 785-845-5227 www.imsoamused.com
DeAna Morrison is originally from central Kansas and has found her way back to the state by way of New York City and St Louis. She attended Lindenwood University in St Charles just outside the St Louis area and it was here she fell in love with sculpture. While in school she studied 3D design, art history and education. Always a creative person, she didn’t let motherhood and a busy life prevent her from adding a flair to the world around her even though life’s responsibilities took her away from pursuing her artistic interests fully. Finding more time as her children got older and using her artwork as a journal of sorts she began a couple of years ago experimenting with mixed media painting and sculpture. Fascination of the ability of a static object to convey movement and emotion is what drives much of what she creates. Most recently it is the idea of not being in control of the potential outcome of a situation regardless of our need to try to do so. This is seen mostly in the “drip” series of paintings. DeAna currently owns and is the artist in residence at aMUSEd Gallery in Topeka. When not covered in paint or promoting fellow artisans, she can be found pursuing any one of numerous hobbies or hanging out with her gaggle of daughters.
“The Dawning” Mixed Media 5’x4’ $800
“Journey” Mixed Media 5’x4’ $700
“A Little Rain Must Fall” Mixed Media 60”x36” $500
“Spring Loaded” Acrylic 16”x20” $250
Show opening receptions on the Last Saturday of each month you can meet our artists and view special exhibits/demonstrations
2 Floors of art by 50+ local artists with exhibits changing monthly. Artist Studios available on 2nd floor and in adjoining building at 907 N Kansas.
909 N Kansas 785-215-8900 Thursday and Friday 11 - 6 and Saturday 11 - 5 F ir s t F r id ay A rt Wa l k e v e r y m on t h t il l 8 : 3 0
Wine Notes
- Grant Holthaus
Borsao Tinto 100% Grenache
Cherry red with violet nuances. Has a ripe fruit nose with floral tones. Full bodied wine, spicy and with a complex and long aftertaste.
Food Pairing: Beef Stew or Christmas Turkey J Lohr Riesling 94% Riesling 65% Gew端rztraminer
Aromas of apricot, tangerine peel, apple and sweet lavender. Refreshing cool acidity, a touch of natural sugars, and a slight spritz.
Food Pairing: Sushi or Caribbean Jerk Chicken Peachy Canyon Incredible Red 100% Zinfandel Raspberries, cherries, and strawberries on the nose. As you taste this, you get mocha, spice, and cedar.
Featured Artist Jennifer
Bohlander
902 N. Kansas Topeka, KS 66608 matryoshkatattoo@gmail.com 785.408.1501
Jennifer Bohlander is passionate about the body art industry and the world of art and artists. She has been tattooing for over 20 years and painting her entire life. Before becoming a tattoo artist, she was a Russian linguist in the U.S. Army. Studying the Russian language and culture brought her an appreciation of different world perspectives and approaches to art. Her vision of how to bring this passion to others has resulted in Matryoshka, which represents all that she finds beautiful about differences in people and how what you see on the surface may not be the whole story.
How has your artistry changed over time?
Once I learned to the technical aspects, I became more comfortable with trusting my instinct to incorporate what I know about painting and how I paint, into my work. I also try not to let people bully me into doing something I know will not look good.
What is your favorite medium for your art?
I prefer to paint in acrylic, oil, and watercolor (in that order). I like to change it up on a regular basis to keep things interesting and depending on technique I want to try. I like acrylic best because my style involves faster painting and I like how fast acrylic dries.
How do you feel when people interpret your artwork differently?
I am amused. Honestly, I do not paint for social commentary or for some hidden agenda. I paint because I like the way it makes me feel. It is like scratching an itch. Every day I am driven by the urge to create. Sometimes I paint because I have an idea or a theme, other times it is because I want to try to accomplish something I never did before or capture a look or feeling. I paint for me, if people like it, good. But, there is nothing to interpret ;)
What inspires you to begin an art piece?
Scratching that itch. I paint almost every day. Sometimes I start two or three paintings and sometimes I go to finish one I started a while back. Then there are times I begin a piece because I have to (deadlines, promises made, etc) I don’t like to paint because I have to, but because I want to.
Can you remember one of the first things you drew/painted? What makes it memorable?
I did a painting of a whale when I was very young. I remember it because we were really poor and moved all the time, but my mom hung it up in the kitchen and it made it feel like a home, that we had a sense of permanency in that place as if that painting claimed a spot and that made it so. The fact my mom thought that painting was important enough to do that, meant a lot to me.
What qualities do you look for in people you work with or other artists?
Who can I learn from? Who can open my mind even more? I like the kindred spirits and people who have a passion for what they do and are driven to create. Jennifer is currently working on more nudes and some macro portraits of more organic things as she has finally figured out after all these years that these are her strong suits and what she really enjoys the most. Additionally, she was challenged not too long ago to make miniature paintings and found it to be very rewarding so she hopes to do several more and create a collage of all of them. You can check out more of Jennifer’s art at her tattoo store and gallery, Matryoshka Tattoo in NOTO Arts District of Topeka Kansas.
Mary
Julie
Jane
Freckles and Flowers
Framed 22x30 oil Painting $400
Framed ~18x22 acrylic, NFS
Framed 22x30 Oil Painting $400
Framed ~30x30 Oil Painting $300
e l e custom r i c
Creating a piece that is in harmony with our bodies is such a spellbinding destination. We have all been given the opportunity to exist in the bodies we have right now, and right now is where you will always be. I am able to escape the home inside my body and expand my energy out in every direction, becoming distinctly aware of the distance I can achieve with my consciousness. It puts into affect how large the universe can be, how many possibilities exist, and how I am connected and will effect each one.
We already exist multi-dimensionaly. Our bodies exist physically, creating sensors to experience the life around us. Our souls exist spiritually, creating awareness to the worlds around us through consciousness. The real wonder is how two dimensions are linked together to create what we perceive. And if all dimensions can be linked then you will always exist in another dimension if you cease to exist in this one.
model: casey hughes
Art of Women model: Holly Wade Negril, Jamaica
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scholars of aoz swimsuit calendar
The Scholars of AOZ is thrilled to represent strong, intelligent, and courageous women who are determined to help out their community. This year our 13 amazing swimsuit models helped to raise money for the ace gainst reast ancer!
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The Race Against Breast Cancer, Inc (RABC) was established to pay for a full range of screening/diagnostic mammography services to women who live and work in Northeast Kansas who are in need of financial assistance. Breast cancer impacts not only women, but also their families, friends, workplace, and community. The annual RABC 5K Run/Walk is held each fall to raise funds for mammography services as well as to promote awareness of the program. All monies raised for the RABC remains in Northeast Kansas. Simply put, the RABC is supported by those who share the desire to see breast cancer caught in its earliest stages. For more information about how to donate or obtain a RABC mammogram please go to
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Counselman & Wade
C h i ro p r ac t i c 1408 SW Topeka Blvd Topeka, KS 66612 785-234-0521 w w w. c o u n s e l m a n wa d e c h i r o. c o m
Looking for a drug free , non-surgical treatment for musculoskeletal pain? Try the leading health care professionals at Counselman & Wade Chiropractic Clinic. Gary L. Counselman, D.C.
Brett L. Counselman, D.C.
Dennis D. Wade, D.C.
w w w. R a d i a n t D a n c e S t u d i o . c o m
Bree Stewart Director
1401 SW Gage Suite B Topeka, Kansas 66606 (785) 817-9199
Radiant Dance Studio will offer JAZZ, HIP HOP, CONTEMPORARY, and BALLET classes for student’s ages 5-19. Classes will cater to students to come and have fun and a more serious classes catered to students wanting to compete in the surrounding areas with the Radiant Dance Company.
New Studio Room Addition
Art of Business M at r y o s h k a Tat t o o 902 N. Kansas Topeka, KS 66608 785.408.1501
matryoshkatattoo@gmail.com
I had the pleasure of just recently receiving my beautiful tattoo from the wonderful Jennifer Bohlander, and it came at just the right time. It is a magical symbol of where I am in my life, and where I am going from here. Sometimes we need those moments that stop time, and allow you to levitate in the now. Choose your path knowing that every experience you create carves a magnificent symbol into a tattoo on your soul. 30
How would you describe what you do?
I make visual/personal/emotional connections. I try to listen and understand what someone is trying to say or accomplish and then do my best to create the permanent imagery that resonates with them.
What is the most unique tattoo you have ever done?
I am asked this quite often and am completely dumbfounded by any suitable answer. I am not sure if the answer someone is looking for is funny, profound, or just odd. Sometimes the most unique to one person is not to another or they don’t understand the reasoning behind it, when it is only the canvas that needs to understand.
What was your first tattoo experience like? (for me getting tattooed) Terrifying! I try to remember it every day so that I can alleviate fears and make people more comfortable. It was in what would be considered a “scary” and “stereotypical” tattoo shop many, many years ago.
(for me doing my first tattoo) Terrifying!! It took forever and I was so worried about messing up something so permanent, and hurting a person (who happened to be my husband). Once I got comfortable I was so focused for a few years of showing what I was capable of and trying out new things that I lost sight of the moral responsibility of the permanency of what I was doing. It wasn’t about me showboating, it was about what the client wanted and what made them feel good.
Have you ever tattooed yourself?
No. I am afraid I couldn’t hold still AND still do a good job. Good thing I know lots of tattoo artists!
What has been your favorite moment in your career so far? It used to be the accolades from my peers (awards, magazine articles, etc.). With maturity I have realized that every moment I make someone happy, I am happy. That contributes so much more to my overall well being and willingness to learn and improve.
What seems to be the top reasons for your clients wanting a tattoo?
Honestly, I think a lot of people want personal control over how their body looks. Beautification seems like the right word, but it is more than that. It is also a way of making a statement or something that brings them joy. Society deems it necessary to place meaning and weight to such permanent decisions but if most people were honest with themselves, they would admit....they want it because it makes them feel a certain way and it was their choice. Followed closely behind, is the sentimental or memorial reason. The urge to mark a moment in time, a person’s memory, a milestone...is a strong driving force.
What kind of problems do you encounter?
I sometimes struggle with what is best for me (and my career) and what the client wants. I would love to only do images that I like or that translate well with the public. I would hand pick what I like to do or what would make me look good, but then I realize that making a person happy is more important. In the long run, that makes me happier.
What advice would you give to those wanting a tattoo? Think long term. Don’t worry about what is cool right now. Listen to your gut and really weigh the options and decisions.
In Loving Memory of Gary Counselman 1945-2014
To all the wonderful memories you gave us and all the healing energy you created. Here’s to the Seven Liquor Ass Kicker who will forever live in our hearts.
History of a Haunting M at r ot Topeka,
Castle Kansas
Seraphin Matrot was a nineteenth century French immigrant who barely escaped the guillotine before fleeing with his wife, Antoinette, and their three children. It is estimated that 30,000 Parisians, most of them middle class men, women, and children, were tortured and killed. Thirty eight thousand were arrested and held in concentration camps, and over 7,000 were banished to deserted French islands. Matrot was sought by French authorities due to his political affiliations in Paris during the mid to late 1800s. He escaped to Topeka sometime around 1873 to avoid persecution from the notoriously brutal insurrection of 1870-71, a massacre known as the “Semaine Sanglanta”, or “The Bloody Winter”. The classic novel and stage play entitled “Les Miserables,” was based on these brutal acts of political warfare. One such account describes what Matrot successfully avoided:
…Prisoners were formed into long chains… so as to form one body, in convoys from Paris to the camps. It looked like the population of a city was being dragged away by fierce hordes. Panting, covered with filth, idiotic with fatigue, hunger, and thirst, burnt by the sun, the convoys dragged themselves along for hours …harassed by the cries, the blows from the mounted chasseurs … The captives who fell were sometimes shot and thrown into the carts that followed … There were no doctors, gangrene attacked the wounded; opthalmia broke out; deliriousness became chronic. In the night were heard the shrieks of the fever stricken and the mad...” Matrot relocated his family 7,500 miles from Paris to the seclusion of rural Topeka, Kansas for these very reasons. He specifically chose one of the most remote locations in the West due to his paranoia of being found and executed. Matrot’s background was as a Paris wine merchant, and a member of the Paris Police Force. The castle is said to be identical to the home he left in France, as a gesture to his wife, but the most dazzling aspect of this medieval castle’s architecture is that it was built to protect those on the inside. The windows in the three story turrets faced in three directions, and contained holes through which to fit the barrels of firearms. The walls of the castle were a full foot thick, sufficient to repel a small army, and well beyond what was needed to protect his family from a Kansas tornado. The most impressive feature of Matrot’s security system was a secret tunnel that extended from the wine cellar, beneath the grape crops, to a ravine 500 yards northwest of the property. The wine cellar itself, with it’s high arched brick ceiling, was built to hide a family of five in the event of an attack on the fortress. Prohibition came to Kansas in 1881. Kansas was the second state to constitutionalize the prohibition of intoxicating beverages, and one of the last states to repeal it. This was a big problem for Matrot and his wine endeavors, but many believed that he continued his production through underground bootlegging. Many wineries and breweries evaded the prohibitory law by taking advantage of the exception it created for alcohol prescribed by physicians. This loophole gained national attention; the Boston Transcript noted in 1882 that “Kansas physicians help the droughty ones to get around the prohibitory law by prescribing liquor for every illness.”
Kansas Paranormal Research Society k s p a r a n o r m a l r e s e a r c h s o c i e t y. c o m
Matrot passed away on the second story of his home, in May 1898. According to his neighbors, since he was known to be an atheist his funeral was held in his upstairs bedroom. Newspapers report that his coffin could not be navigated up or down the narrow spiral staircase, so a second story window had to be removed in order to hoist the coffin up and down. This also suggests that by the time his body was found and tended, rigor mortis prevented the transport of his body down the staircase as well.
All of the inhabitants of the house are absolutely convinced that there are ghosts in residence. They have many stories of furniture moving, doors opening and closing, pounding noises coming from the living room floor, the sound of phantom footsteps when no one else was present, and other poltergeist type events. Another resident that lived later in the castle in the 1970’s was a banker named Brad Miller. His wife was found dead in the hot tub of an overdose of barbiturates. He later married a widow named Douglas who also committed suicide.
In recent years, the grounds of Matrot Castle were so unkempt that Matrot’s grapevines were indistinguishable from weeds. The property was so overgrown when Jerry Wittmer bought the property about twelve years ago that the castle, at 6242 S.W. Huntoon, was difficult to see from the street, he said. Jerry restored every inch of the castle inside and out, and currently uses the castle and grounds to provide office space for his Midwest Management Group Inc. and the nonprofit Kansas Heritage Foundation. The Matrot name is used on a wine made by Davenport Orchard Vineyard & Winery in Eudora. On weekends, the castle’s wine cellar is open for tastings of the Matrot label wine and other Davenport wines. Davenport winery is the first legal winery to open in the Matrot Castle!
Not many question the Madam Antoinette’s misery during her years at Matrot Castle. She longed for her life back in Paris and filled herself with animosity toward the drinking habits of her husband. She was also uneasy about the Shawnee Indians that he retained, paid with wine on site, to literally build the castle up around her and her family.
The Matrot Family was just the beginning of many departed souls, most of them women, that dwelled within the walls of this historical castle. First was the death of their 2 year old daughter which has never been explained, then it was Seraphin Matrot himself, followed by the intentional and unintentional suicides of both Mr. Miller’s wives.
AOZ
HAUNTED REENACTMENTS
The evidence from the KPRS Team investigation was astounding. There is audio from the basement that sounded like an old pipe organ playing, and this is exactly where a previous owner had added a pipe organ that was not well maintained and became unplayable until more recent owners had it removed. One of the team members was speaking in French during the investigation in hopes of initiating contact, and they have an EVP from the second floor bedroom that appears to be a young child speaking in French. They made contact with a spirit using the K2 meter, there is audio of sounds that resembled walking in empty rooms, balls of light circling 3 of the members viewed live on their monitors over the infrared night vision camera, members feeling that something was touching their heads, multiple EVPs of a woman saying “yes�... and at the end of the evening when one of the members went upstairs where a Halloween casket was to retrieve the night vision camera and the casket moved almost a foot from the wall, sliding across the floor right before his eyes!
model: Katie Raab
Fashion
Fun
Fair Trade
BOHOmojo supports Fair Trade! Fair Trade represents an ethical approach to working with artisans in developing countries. It is a hand up vs hand out approach, supporting the empowerment of women, decent working conditions, a commitment not to use child labor as just a few of the values underlying the Fair Trade principles. Visit us to see the eclectic, fun mix of fashion and fair trade.
New Location !
6 31 S Kan sas 785.783.86 2 2
b o h o m o j o k s . c o m
Think quirky contemporary meets bohemian cool.
As told by Ashley......................... ‘Why We Need to
Ditch Wedding Diets’ by Ashley Tierce
Don’t you love this time of year? The leaves are changing in the crisp air, the pumpkin spice lattes are brewing, and most importantly, wedding season is almost over! No more harassing your friends and family to hoard mason jars and burlap. Soon, we can all go back to binge-eating Taco Bell while binge-watching Netflix every weekend without making a pit stop at Hobby Lobby. However, I’m sure some of you have recently got engaged (Congratulations!) and are just getting started on this exciting yet stressful journey. Take some advice from a recent bride, and when the going gets tough, just say ‘Fuck it!’ Why? Because that is exactly what will happen. Things won’t go as planned. Rather than getting all worked up, we should learn to chill out instead. Before I go any further, I want to take a minute to point out that I was inspired to write this piece after reading Megan Ebert’s article on Huffington Post titled “My Wedding ‘Diet’ ”. I stumbled upon it just a few weeks before my wedding this past June, while feeling extra stressed and irritable, especially about my appearance. I mean, it’s only the ‘most important event of your life’, so how could any bride not feel pressured to look perfect on her wedding day? Strategically planning appointments for haircuts and highlighting, make-up and nail treatments, tedious spray tans and painful waxes.. The list goes on. If you know me well, or at least follow my adventures on social media, you know that I’ve never had a real problem with my body. I wouldn’t call my lifestyle overly unhealthy by any means, I’m just an ‘average’ woman who happened to put on a few extra pounds once she started working in an office environment. However, it’s hard to exude confidence when you can barely think of the word ‘wedding’ without thinking of the word ‘diet’, and soon your Pinterest feed is filled with images of Cameron Diaz’ arms. What I love about Ebert’s piece is that she compiled a list of real, actual suggestions for wedding dieting and then modified them in her own way. Take this one, for example: “Tape a picture of a model in a bikini on your fridge. Tape a picture of art that you created on your fridge. Make something. Your invitation. Your thank you cards. Your luggage tags. Whatever it is it doesn’t matter. But spend your time creating something that will last and will remind you of the process you underwent before you got married. Not a physical process. Not a shifting in size or appearance but an eternal shifting that made a small slit in the side of your heart and carefully stitched it to the heart of someone else. That process should make you want to remember.” I think what both Megan and myself are trying to get at is that it is okay to want to look great for your wedding day. But at the end of the night, it’s all about you and your significant other. Chances are that if they asked you to marry them or agreed to marry you, they already love the way you look. So why feel the need to dramatically change your appearance?
Photo by: Keith Czechanski
In this excerpt, Ebert said it best: “But there are the pictures!” you cry, typing loud warnings to me through your keyboards. Yes, there are pictures. Pictures that should look like you. The you who got engaged. The you who will be a wife. Not a skinnier you, or thin version of you. Just you.” Viewing my wedding photos, not only do I love the way they turned out, but I feel so happy looking at myself in the dress that perfectly hugged all my curves. I squeal inside knowing that my dimples were captured perfectly. I look back and see how ecstatic my husband is to
have his arms around me. It is with pride rather than embarrassment that I admit I did not lift any weights or do a single push-up during the year leading up to my big day. Sure, I might have modified my diet a little, but I still enjoyed my weekly Big Mac.
Just because life throws new obstacles our way, doesn’t necessarily mean we have to give up who we are and what we enjoy most. If you are a new bride or know someone that is, I challenge you to change your way of thinking when it comes to preparations. Before freaking out, take some time to think about what matters and focus on what makes you happy.
Topekas Comedy Scene Spotlight on Dominique Davis by Ashley Tierce
There’s no doubt that Topeka has started branching out when it comes to nightlife and entertainment. This was bound to happen after so many groaning young adults complained about having “nothing to do”. Seriously, instead of sitting in the Best Buy parking lot or going to the same bar every weekend, you should expand your horizons and try something new. There are museums and art walks and wine tastings and plays and parades and concerts and as of recently: comedy shows! That’s right, you don’t have to travel to have a good laugh! I sat down with local comedian Dominique Davis to give me the inside scoop and share his experiences in regards to Topeka comedy.
AOZ: How did you get started? Davis: It was a dare by my ex-girlfriend.
I posted it on Facebook to see if I could get so many likes, and ended up doing an open-mic at The Break Room. The Break Room, located at 911 S Kansas Avenue, hosts Comedy Collective ‘So U Think U R Funny’, otherwise known as SUTURF, fronted by Topeka comedians such as Joshua Shore and Vicky Trembly. The group was recently nominated for a Performing Arts Award at ArtsConnects’ ‘Arty Awards’ ceremony at Topeka Performing Arts Center this past August.
AOZ: So, how did it go your first time? Davis: It went really well, and they told me to come back out the month after that. And then I started doing the open-mics in Lawrence, those guys told me about Stanford and Sons in Kansas City, and now it has just really turned into a career for me.
AOZ: What comedians, famous or otherwise, do you look up to? Davis: Most influential to me would be my dad Ed Davis, as well as Richard Pryor and Kevin Hart.
AOZ: What can someone expect when they come to see you perform? Davis: You’re going to see a lot of movement. I don’t really like
standing still, so you’re going to have to pay attention because there’s going to be some physical comedy involved as well. It’s really high energy, and a lot of my jokes come from a younger perspective that a lot of comedians, due to age.
AOZ: Have you ever ‘bombed’? Davis: Yes, I’ve definitely done that.
One of the comedians from Kansas City was there, Lucas Wright. He told me that it eventually happens to everybody and he thought my jokes were good, it’s just that this audience wasn’t who those jokes were intended for.
AOZ: Tell me more about the comedy scene in the Topeka area. Davis: There is open-mics at The Break Room the last Wednesday of every month. It’s also a writing session, so if there are any comedians that are looking to be around others to feed off of, this would be an awesome opportunity. First Fridays are the So U Think U R Funny showcases, and First Saturdays there are shows that I run at the Hookah House.
AOZ:
How did you come up with the idea to start doing shows at Hookah Houses? Davis: When I go out to comedy clubs or bars, there is not a high number of young people there. But when you go to a Hookah House, the age range is normally 18 to 25. When it comes to the older crowd, a lot of them don’t understand what hookah is. It’s a tobacco, but you smoke it out of something that looks like paraphernalia. Basically, I’m trying to bring comedy to young people who want hookah, and introduce hookah to the older crowd that wants comedy. Topeka Hookah House, located at 1507 SW 21st St, Suite 201, hosts Davis’ ‘Smokin’ with Comedians’ show.
AOZ: What advice would you give to aspiring comedians? Davis: As a warning, don’t expect this to be fast.
It’s entertainment. There are probably millions and millions of people just in the U.S. that think they can be a comedian, a rapper, etc. It’s going to take a lot of work and for a long time, you’re not going to get paid. I almost stayed in college to graduate with a Business Management degree, but I left, to do this, because it’s what I’m passionate about. 2939
Album Reviews Lana Del Rey, ‘Ultraviolence’ Album Review by Ashley Tierce Ultraviolence, Lana Del Rey’s new album which released June 17, 2014, is all about money, drugs, bad boys and sad girls. Selling 182,000 copies and topping the Billboard 200 list its first week, you would think that Miss Del Rey, formerly known as Elizabeth Grant, wouldn’t have much to be sad about. She first came on to the indie-blogger music scene in 2011 with the hit ‘Video Games’, whose music video includes clips of herself that she filmed on her own webcam. Her debut album, Born to Die, released in January 2012 and sold 77,000 copies its first week. However, she isn’t much of a promoter. She’s only done a handful of interviews and hasn’t appeared on American television in over two years. No one can seem to figure out this pouty, mysterious girl, and she seems to be alright with that. Though with her mysterious, racy, Calvin Klein perfume commercial-esque video clips, you can’t help but grow to love the selfproclaimed “gangsta Nancy Sinatra”. Similar to the book A Clockwork Orange, where the term “ultraviolence” originated, the title track suggests hanging on to an abusive relationship. “He hit me and it felt like a kiss”, she coos. In “Pretty When You Cry”, she reassures herself that she’s at least still pretty, even when her man lets her down and turns to drugs. Don’t let that vulnerability fool you, though. “I’m fucking crazy, Del Rey admits in Cruel World”. In “Money Power Glory”, she demands she’s done being a pushover, and warns some rich chump he “should run, boy, run” before she squeezes him of all his “dope and diamonds”. Speaking of riches, the track “Old Money” is reminiscent of vintage microphones and material possession, a la F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. “I’ll run to you, I’ll run, run, run”, she vows. Closing the album with “The Other Woman”, a cover of Nina Simone’s 1959 classic, Del Rey’s voice quivers as she reveals being someone’s mistress isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. “The other woman will always cry herself to sleep, will never have his love to keep”. Though she may have plenty of haters and gossipers, perhaps “Fucked My Way Up To the Top” is Lana’s way of responding to them. “This is my show”, she brags. Overall, I found Ultraviolence extremely enticing and moody, in the best possible way. There’s really never a dull moment as the melancholy yet cocky glamour-queen drags us through addictions, failed relationships, and American dreams.
Banks, ‘Goddess’ Album Review by Ashley Tierce Could you imagine what it would sound like if The Weekend and Alanis Morissette were to record an album together? With Banks’ debut album Goddess, you can get a pretty good idea. Otherwise known as Jillian Banks, the 26-year-old comes to us from London. You might not have heard of her, because she got her start uploading tracks to Sound Cloud. It wasn’t until August 2013 that entities such as iTunes and Spotify got word of her talent, and dubbed her the latest “artist to watch”. Since Goddess released September 9, 2014, she has received a lot of positive feedback. But she doesn’t seem to be one for the limelight (yet). Take a look at the ‘About’ section of her Facebook page. It reads: “Hello world! I like making connections outside of a computer screen. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have never really been my thing. So my manager is going to run the Social Media stuff. If you ever want to talk call me – (323) 362 – 2658 – BANKS”. Whoa – how often do you see celebrities personally reaching out to fans like that? Not many, at least not since Mike Jones infamously spit out his phone number in one of his hit singles circa 2004. Perhaps Banks intimate nature is what makes her debut album so gritty and raw, yet comforting. The theme seems to revolve around doomed relationships and their gloomy afterthoughts. On ‘Before I Met You’, she sings ‘Everyone knows I’m right about one thing/You and I don’t work out’. In my personal favorite, ‘Fuck Em We Only Know’, her lyrics sounds as if she’s reading straight from her diary or a love letter. She reveals details like ‘I know exactly just how many kisses fit between your eyes’. The album’s mood shifts from coy and timid to sexy and unapologetic in no time. ‘Fucking with a goddess and you get a little colder’, she advises on the title track. However, she isn’t afraid to admit her flaws, specifically on ‘Beggin for Thread’: ‘I know my disposition gets confusing/My disproportionate reactions fuse with my eager state’. Personally, I’m more than intrigued to see what else this newcomer has up her sleeves. With a debut album this good, it seems there’s nowhere for Banks to go but up. ‘Goddess’ is available on iTunes and in stores now.
Featured Artist Jordan
Brooks
Jordanboardan@hotmail.com jordanebrooks-com.webs.com society6/JordanBrooks.com
Jordan E. Brooks is influenced by a wide variety of work ranging from the classical to comic book greats from the 90’s. Brooks’ work focuses on the concept of social awareness and overriding power of social media on our environment. Brooks’ work aims to remind people of their inherent humanity. I’ve Iived in Topeka and Lawrence, Kansas all my life. Heavily influenced from the campus of KU and an older under lining hippie vibe of that area, my surroundings have effected a lot of my artist purpose, to inspire and create. My website has allowed me to display my own mix of the academic design with my own modern, conceptual, provocative, socially conscious thought drive. In 2011 I had my first international group exhibition at the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada. I was honored to become a part of their permanent collection with “Gallery of Hearts”. This only inspired me to move forward! Last year 2013, I was blessed to be a part of 100 international contemporary artists from all over the world in my first New York City Art exhibition in Historical downtown Harlem. “Power of Perception” was the publication produced by this inspiring collection. I am currently working on a number of illustration projects and my first artist book titled “C.O.L.O.R.S.” due WINTER 2015!!! I am very excited about my first artist book that will display my own arrangement of creative talents from drawing, illustrations to layout and print. I guess you could say it’s like a mixtape of my best work in the last few years. Despite any struggles I may have in the future, I know the best is yet to come!
“Social networking” Acrylic on Canvas 24x32in
“Gallery of Hearts” Acrylic on canvas 16x20in
“Companion Lines” “Lady Scarletta” Mixed Media 18x24in Charcoal on cotton paper 24x18in
Consciousness L aura Eisenhower c o n t a c t i n t h e d e s e r t. c o m
I am very excited to have had the opportunity to connect with Laura Eisenhower, and to ask her some very heavy questions I feel should be approached and reflected by those who have a larger perception of our existence. Laura reveals the influence of the false matrix and works to conquer the hidden agendas that are affecting our freedom. Laura is the great-grandaughter of Dwight David Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States who was raised in Kansas, and is on a profound mission to complete his legacy and the Magdalene legacy.
What do you feel is the real purpose to the human experiment here on Earth? The experiment from the benevolent founder races, are for us to achieve Ascension. Before, our existence had much more to do with having physical experiences as advanced beings with 12 strand DNA potential and more. When the racial strains were divided into Lemurian and Atlantian, some of the fallen angelic races which digressed (free-will Universe), began to infiltrate and mix their genetics with higher races, which led beings into more digression. Many galactic Wars played out and we sank in density which then initiated the experiment that is playing out today. When the original higher dimensional Earth collapsed into a lower Harmonic Universe, this Earth body was created. Many wars were fought over this re-seeding of the human race and many lower digressed races took advantage of us and sought total control and dominion over this gradual process. This eventually led to the necessity of life, death and reincarnation and learning the lessons necessary to guard against control forces. This is about soul and spiritual development and how we can learn to align our Ego nature with Spirit, rather than the negative Ego that is more self-absorbed and greedy. Negative beings feed on this as well as fear and dis empowerment. The hope is that we would stay in touch with the potential of restoring ourselves back into balance. Their goal for us is to understand Unity Consciousness and how to thrive through working with Cosmic and Natural laws. Our DNA connects with the Zodiac and the Stargates on Earth. Hopefully we have had enough experiences to be able to use our free-will wisely and advance ourselves, so that we can initiate this shift back into Higher Earth energies and be free of the life/death cycle. The fallen races, Anunnaki, Draco Illuminati forces don’t want us to succeed in this. They have been tinkering with us for a long time so that they can be the rulers with the advanced technologies and control over nature and our minds which is basically an enslaved planet. There is more than one controller group, some want our extinction. Our job is to know the difference and help this experiment succeed, through truly understanding our galactic history, our DNA potential and what we are truly made of. We need to get in touch with Soul Alchemy and the power of Spirit and call our attention back to the inner work and letting life be the teacher, as it gives us everything we need to find ourselves, if we can just bypass the manipulations and the external false authority structures, who like to dictate to us how we should do it.
How can one connect with benevolent stellar beings to become a part of a galactic society that strives for positive awareness? It is important to set the intention and find as much neutrality as possible so that a connection can be made. It is important to be balanced and open to receive through paying attention to ones own intuition and connection to Spirit. It is important to understand the energies of these benevolent beings through understanding our galactic history and to also understand the dangers of dark and manipulative beings - that seem to be of the light. Don’t give your power away, stay in your own center... Meditation and ceremony are good, but be aware of trying too hard or falling into judgement about the results. Many people believe they must be lacking something if they can’t make contact, so just be patient and do the inner work while also getting a better understanding of what you feel most drawn to making contact with, and work on having discernment and boundaries to all beings that you wouldn’t want to invite into your field. There are many beings around us and working with us and they may not feel you are ready to see them yet because perhaps in fact you yourself are not ready even if you feel you are -- so create a dialogue with your guides and write whatever messages you are getting from them, especially if you feel unsure and can’t really hear a message. When we write, the unexpected can emerge from us.
How do we the people start to pull away from corrupt governments and stop feeding our energy to false beliefs? Pay attention to your life-style, relationships and health and begin to ask yourself if what you have attached yourself to, even serves you any longer. Don’t get absorbed into television and all the fear propaganda to the point of taking your life force and creative freedom away. Let the weapons they use against us, become a tool for your empowerment. That is the only way to defeat dark forces. Seeking justice is important, but keeping our vibration high is as well. Move away from people who drain you, limit you or undermine you. Build a healthy relationship with the self. Expose truth, but don’t hang on to what others think of you. As you expose truth, be on a true healing path that keeps you in a positive and empowered frame of mind and recognize the larger picture and that we are multi-dimensional beings with great power and incredible DNA potential. Don’t look outside of the self too much. Be willing to reclaim your own power through releasing programmings, belief systems that are limiting, and work to get rid of negative Ego tendencies. Clear, purge and purify - the Earth responds to us. Be willing to go into the dark
night of the Soul to break free...
Be willing to go into the wounds or afflictions to recover what it is you are truly longing for, knowing it exists within you. Reach deep into the true Source for nurturing if you didn’t get it from your biological family. Recognize yourself as beyond the stories and know that for
everything you are able to overcome, you gift the planet with the wisdom to be able to do the same.
Don’t let the wounds and afflictions keep you stuck in suffering, pain, misery or being a victim to all of this. This is where we are manipulated the most to go on pharmaceuticals and to doctors, where we often lose touch with our own capacity to heal. Watch out for fear of survival and low vibrational thinking - be willing to push the envelope a little to discover your own innate abilities that we must awaken and call forth right now. If needed have the help of a doctor, but also do what it takes to understand yourself more fully and what you can shift and heal all on your own.
Birth and death is a part of everyones path, what do you hope to experience from your death and beyond? I have died many times in this body and so feel very acquainted with death already. My path is about lifting the veil between life and death and helping to guide souls on the organic Ascension timeline. I hope to experience our spiritual abilities and gifts again and to be
able to come and go from the physical as we please.
My hope is to succeed in my personal mission which follows me life time to life time. My hope is to be done with my mission here and to help souls to move on to the next experience into higher Earth energies. My goal is to make it there myself and go home to the Pleroma and to assist those who may be compromised or unable to get there or anywhere they would like to be.
If you could plant a seed inside all of us that are listening, what would you want us to know and what new knowledge is important? Don’t buy into the lies and deceptions and stay clear of patriarchal behavior patterns in yourself and others, its all about personal empowerment but not control. Awaken the power of the inner feminine and help her to have her rightful place restored so that the wisdom body of the Goddess can guide us forward - whether you are in a male or female body. Men need to humble their egos and find their emotions and women need to honor their power and be the Warrior and not abuse it or fall into the patriarchy trap of trying to be like a man. Sometimes it is women who need to mellow the Egos and it is men who need to honor their power - it is not always gender specific. It is important we pay attention to how we work with our male and female energies. The objectification of the feminine and the misuse of sexual energy needs to stop and the Divine nature within us needs to take the helm. We need to understand and protect the sacred energies of life and be authentic, not just open to any new trend or movement. The more we know ourselves, the more we know what is healthy or right for us... Work on relationship with self and your connection to Nature and true empowerment will follow. When we are balanced, parasitic and archonic forces cannot get in, when we are out of balance, we are easily controlled and manipulated and we easily give in to addictions and unhealthy patterns - be willing to change your lifestyle!
cosmicgaia2012.com
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Thoughts worth Spreading The Rendlesham Forest Incident Nick Pope used to run the British Government’s UFO project at the Ministry of Defence. While working on the MoD’s UFO project Nick Pope also looked into alien abductions, crop circles, animal mutilations, remote viewing and ghosts. He is now recognized as a leading authority on UFOs, the unexplained, and conspiracy theories.
The British Ministry of Defence has declassified its UFO files and released them to the National Archives. Nick Pope worked on these files and has been involved in the release programme. In late 2007 the MoD made a policy decision to release its entire archive of UFO files for multiple reasons, including the fact that the French government had released their UFO files in 2007, setting a precedent that would have been difficult to ignore. Britain’s most famous UFO sighting is the Rendlesham Forest incident. It took place in December 1980 over a series of three nights. Most witnesses were United States Air Force personnel based at the twin bases of RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge, in Suffolk. In the early hours of 26 December 1980, military personnel at the twin bases saw strange lights in the forest. Thinking an aircraft might have crashed, they went out to investigate. What they found was a small triangular-shaped craft that had landed in a clearing in Rendlesham Forest. One of the security police officers, Jim Penniston, got close enough to touch the side of the object. When Sgt. Penniston put his hand on the etched symbols everything became a brilliant bright white. He could neither see nor hear. He somehow initiated a download of information when he touched the pictorial glyphs. Jim was “seeing” 1’s and 0’s in his minds eye and felt compelled to write them down in his notebook, all 16 pages worth! He and another of the airmen present, John Burroughs, attached sketches of the craft to their official USAF witness statements. Soon after Sgt. Penniston lifted his hand from the craft it started to turn a vivid bright white color. So bright in fact, Sgt. Penniston thought it was going to explode. He took a defensive position nearby as the craft was engulfed in the light. The craft then lifted off approximately four feet from the ground, maneuvered between the trees, ascended to tree top level and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Two nights later, the UFO returned. Despite his initial plan to “debunk” the UFO sighting, the Deputy Base Commander, Lt Col Charles Halt and his team then encountered the UFO, which at one point fired beams of light down at his party and at the Woodbridge facility. “Here I am, a senior official who routinely denies this sort of thing and diligently works to debunk them, and I’m involved in the middle of something I can’t explain”, he subsequently commented. The MoD’s case file on the Rendlesham Forest incident was released in 2001 under the Code of Practice for Access to Government Information.
Jim Penniston’s official USAF sketch of the UFO
Jim Penniston’s official USAF sketch of the symbols
Notes deciphered to be Binary
Binary Decode by Professional Binary Code Expert Joe Luciano
Are human time travellers from the year 8100 making contact with us? nationalarchives.gov.uk/ufos Brad Olsen is an award-winning travel writer, the founder and event producer of the How Weird Street Faire in San Francisco, and wrote a line of books called the “Esoteric Series”.
Have you ever had the feeling that everything you thought you knew was a lie? Everything from history, science, government, banking, money, law, economics, farming, energy production, water treatment, health care, even spirituality. As we awaken to truth, we’re realizing that beneficial information in all these areas has been suppressed and revised in order to keep us enslaved and dependent upon a corrupt debt based system we can never pay off. Run by several private families, corrupt banksters invest in global wars to perpetuate the debt, control essential resources and keep up value for themselves. Chronicling what he calls the “alternative narrative,” Brad Olsen gets down to the middle of it all.
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bradolsen.com
Erich Von Däniken was born in 1935 in Zofingen, Switzerland and was educated by the study of the
ancient holy writings. He wrote his first book, Chariots of the Gods, which was an immediate bestseller in the United States, Germany, and later in 38 other countries. His books have been translated into 32 languages, and have sold 65 million copies worldwide. Fluent in four languages, Erich von Däniken is an avid researcher and a compulsive traveller, averaging 100,000 miles each year to remote spots of the Earth. This enables him to closely examine the phenomena about which he writes. It is because of pioneers like Erich von Däniken that we can question our religious history and find a new perspective to the stories that have been translated into narrow symbolism. We can expand our understanding of the scriptures by reevaluating the descriptions from a modern day point of view. The writers of biblical times were at a disadvantage in describing sophisticated technology. For lack of a better term, they resorted to their own known word for a vehicle of transportation, the ”chariot.” The Book of Enoch is a great illustration of the relationship between humanity and the extraterrestrials. Today it is obvious that if someone described a loud craft that emitted fire and caused a strong wind gust that it was some sort of aircraft or spacecraft. In biblical times that would have been understood to be the Lord ascending or descending from heaven in a chariot.
facebook.com/erichvondanikenfans
Foster Gamble created THRIVE, an unconventional documentary that lifts the veil on what’s
REALLY going on in our world by following the money upstream, and uncovering the global consolidation of power in nearly every aspect of our lives. Weaving together breakthroughs in science, consciousness and activism, THRIVE offers real solutions, empowering us with unprecedented and bold strategies for reclaiming our lives and our future. Though it is a 2 hour documentary, it is so worth watching all the way through. It can really catch you up to speed with what has been kept from us as living beings on this planet, and what we should start to once again make common knowledge in our purpose of thriving, and not just surviving.
thrivemovement.com
Peter Joseph, is an American filmmaker, author and social activist best known worldwide as the
creator of the award-winning “Zeitgeist Film Series” and founder of the “The Zeitgeist Movement”, a social sustainability advocacy group which currently operates across the world. He also founded and curates the Annual Zeitgeist Media Festival for the arts and is on the committee for “Project-Peace on Earth”. These films will take you on a free-thinking visual, religious, historical, political, and economic roller coaster!! Get ready to be blown away by how much faith humanity has put into it’s establishments, and how much suppression there is to keep us in the dark. It takes a very brave person to not follow the norm and to question why we do what we do, and why we believe in what we believe in. This information has a tendency to tear you down, to make you face what is behind the curtain, and can be empowering and depressing all at the same time. The best way to surface after being enlightened is to take what resonates with you, use it to create a better experience for yourself and those around you, and to seek authority in truth, not truth in authority. This is how change begins. There is a lot to take in with “The Zeitgeist Film Series”, and once you learn more you only walk away with more questions. One will never be able to correct all the history that has been covered up, or the future that will continue to baffle our beliefs. Just remember that at the center of the universe is love, and that all of the games played in this existence will lead back to that.
Zeitgeistmovie.com
Creation Stories Veiwing our origins as a whole shows many different strokes to one elaborate painting. I don’t claim to be a scholar in religion, or to be religious in any way. I find religion fascinating and these are the stories that I have picked up along the way...
The most widely described creation depiction is that the primal universe was in the form of an egg, containing the potential for everything within its undeveloped shell. In all mythologies the initial meaning of creation is the appearance of separation and plurality in place of oneness. The first stage is duality, or the splitting into two, often depicted as heaven and earth, male and female, chaos and order, and life and death. Genesis, the first book of the Jewish Torah and the Christian Bible, contains two origin stories, both of which are thought to be accepted as the creation of the world by today’s Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths. In the first, God says, “Let there be light,” and light appears. In six days, he creates the sky, the land, plants, the sun and moon, animals, and all creatures, including humans. To all he says, “Be fruitful and multiply,” which they do. On the seventh day God rests and gives himself a good evaluation. In the second story, God creates the first man, Adam, from the earth. He makes a garden in Eden for Adam, but forbids him to eat fruit from the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” God saw that Adam needed a woman. Some say that the earth was worried and asked. “How shall I feed all her children?” God replied, “Fear not, together we shall find food”. So Lilith was made from the dust, also in God’s image. But Lilith would not live with Adam and went her own way. So God anesthetizes Adam and takes one of his ribs to create Eve. A talking serpent (sometimes know as Lilith) persuades Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, and she convinces Adam to do likewise. When God finds out, he drives them from the garden, making them feel sinful for being naked, makes man mortal, and blocked the entrance to the Garden with a great fiery sword so that no one could enter back in.
The Creation of Man
Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo
Adam and Eve from Maragheh in Iran
Adam and Eve
by Peter Paul Ruben
Garden of Eden
by Lucas Cranach der Ältere
Burney Relief of Lilith Babylon (1800-1750 BCE)
Since they were made in God’s image and given power over all living things, Christians believe that humans are the most important of God’s creations. Christians use the story of ‘the fall’ from Eden to explain why suffering and death have entered the world but they believe that God will create a new and better world where those who have tried to live as God wants, will live forever. The Jewish calendar is dated from the supposed year of the Creation. This is indicated by the letter ‘AM’ after each year, meaning ‘Anno Mundi’, Year of the World. Judaism sees its origins in the Act of Creation and its own inceptions as being part of the Divine plan. Although God made humans superior to the rest of creation, Muslims believe that this means humans have been given everything on earth to care for and look after. The world is not ours to do with as we want. The Quran teaches that Muslims should be thankful for all living things, for God is the creator of all life. When people obey or submit to God then life is good. The word ‘Islam’ means submission. According to Islamic teachings, God revealed the creation of three intelligent species: angels, jinn, and humans. Both jinn and humans have been granted free will to choose between good and evil. The angels do not have free will and cannot sin because they were not granted the freedom by God to disobey. Muslims say that God ordered the angels to go to the earth, and to bring seven handfuls of soil, all of different colours, from which he could model man. God took the seven kinds of earth and moulded them into a model of a man. He breathed life and power into it, and it immediately sprang to life. This first man was called Adam. God took Adam to live in Paradise. In Paradise, God created Eve, taught Adam the names of all the creatures, and then commanded the angels to bow down before him because he was proclaimed “the Best of Creation”. All the angels did so but Iblis refused to obey. For this God cast Iblis out of paradise, and intended to punish him on Judgement Day. Iblis obtained permission from God and vowed that he would use this time to lead all men and women to Hell. From then on he was called “Shaytan” (Satan). When Adam and Eve were cast out of Paradise they were sent to Earth to live, meaning that paradise was not on Earth to begin with. Life was created on another planet or plane of existence.
Symbol of Confucianism
Confucius (551-479 BC)
Taoism Symbols of Balance
The Endless Knot - One of the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism
“To halt the cycle of reincarnation through truth and non-violence.” Jainism Hand Symbol
Three concepts of thought and practice flow into making traditional Chinese belief. These are Taoism, based on the teachings of the book ‘Tao Te Ching, Confucianism, taught from the ethics of K’ung Fu tzu, and Buddhism, enlightened by Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism who was born as a prince in 624 BC, 500 years before Christ. All three speak of the yin and yang, the dark and the light, as being the creative power which sustains all life. Yin and yang are not to be seen as gods or deities in any sense. They are the natural forces behind nature and the gods. A cosmic egg floated within the timeless void, containing the opposing forces of yin and yang. After eons of incubation, the first being emerged. “Let it be told of a time when there was nothing but chaos, and that chaos was like a mist and full of emptiness. Suddenly, there came a great colorful light and from this light all things that exist came to be. The mist shook and separated, that which was light rose up to form heaven and that which was heavy sank, became solid, and formed the earth. From heaven and earth came forth two strong forces combined to produce yin and yang. Each of these forces is full of great power. Left alone they would destroy the world with their might and chaos would return. Together they balance each other and keep the world in harmony. From them came forth everything.” The belief in the balancing forces of yin and yang lies at the heart of the Chinese philosophy and influences the way the Chinese people treat their environment. They see the earth as a living being which must be cared for properly, kept in order, so that the powerful forces of yin and yang are kept in balance. Buddhism is a religion of practice and experience rather than belief. Buddha taught us NOT to accept teachings without testing them first. Instead of believing in teachings, we practice the teachings to realize the truth of them for ourselves. Buddists say that the beginning of this world and of life is inconceivable since they have neither beginning nor end. In the eyes of the Buddha, the world is nothing but Samsara, the cycle of repeated births and deaths. It is meaningless to single out anything as the beginning.
Jainism is one of the oldest religions in the world and their scriptures reject God as the creator of universe.
The Jains conclude that the universe had no beginning. It had always been there, infinite and it will continue that way. It is self sustaining, without any support. One of the most important portions of Jainism is non-violence. Anēkāntavāda is another main core in Jainism. It refers to the principles of pluralism and multiplicity of viewpoints, and to the notion that truth and reality are perceived differently from diverse points of view, no single one of which is complete. They believe the
universe is an entity that is alive, always existing in varying forms with no beginning or end.
Hinduism cosmology contains many myths of creation.
The earliest Vedic text tells of a gigantic being, Purusha, possessing a thousand heads, eyes, and feet. When the gods sacrificed Purusha, his body produced butter, which engendered the birds and animals. His body parts transformed into the world’s elements, and the gods, man, animals, and plants. One of the major Hindu beliefs is reincarnation. According to Hindu scriptures our origins may be millions of years old. This is not the first world, nor is it the first universe. There have been and will be many more worlds and universes than there are grains of sand in all the beaches on earth. The universes are made by Lord Brahma the Creator, maintained by Lord Vishnu the Preserver and destroyed by Lord Shiva. All universes must be destroyed before they can be recreated. Brahma appears in a lotus sprouting from the navel of the sleeping Vishnu. Brahma creates the universe, which lasts for one of his days, or 4.32 billion of the years that we know. Then Shiva destroys the universe and the cycle restarts. How long is the life of a universe? Its length is beyond imagination. Every night when Lord Brahma sleeps the world is destroyed. Every morning when he awakes it is created again. This belief in reincarnation, in the cycle of life, strongly influences the lifestyle of may Hindus. It can best be explained by the terms ‘dharma’ and ‘karma’. Dharma may be translated as ‘duty’ and for Hindus, part of that duty is to respect and care for all living things. The belief that after death we are reborn in another body, not necessarily human, leads to a great respect for all life and results in many cases of vegetarianism. Karma is the result or product of what we do. If we do our duty, then we create good karma, since the next life we may have is directly related to the actions of our present life. To the Hindu, everything is part of the Supreme One, and thus every living thing is equally important in the great cycle of life. The natural cosmos of the Native American Indians was born of catastrophe. The heavens literally crumbled to pieces. The earth mother fell and was fertilized, while her children were torn apart, and scattered throughout the universe. The mother of the Aztec creation story was called “Coatlique”, the Lady of the Skirt of Snakes. She was created in the image of the unknown, decorated with skulls, snakes, and lacerated hands. There are no cracks in her body and she is a perfect monolith. Coatlique was first impregnated by an obsidian knife and gave birth to the goddess of the moon, and to a group of male offspring who became the stars. Then one day Coatlique found a ball of feathers, which she tucked into her bosom and then realized that she was again pregnant. Her children, the moon and stars did not believe her story. Ashamed of their mother, they resolved to kill her. A goddess could only give birth once, to the original litter of divinity and no more. During the time that they were plotting her demise, Coatlique gave birth to the fiery god of war. With the help of a fire serpent, he destroyed his brothers and sister, murdering them in a rage. He beheaded the goddess of the moon and threw her body into a deep gorge in a mountain, where it lies dismembered forever. Southeastern Indian traditions indicated their belief in an Upper World, a Lower World, and This World, where they, the animals and plants, lived and thrived. Early on in This World, some extraordinary humans and animals came down to visit from Upper World. Later, they returned to their previous world, where they felt more comfortable. Mankind of This World in time learned to resolve frictions and to maintain some order between themselves and the other two worlds. In the beginning, all of the animals could talk with one
another. All animals and people were at peace.
Iroquois Creation Myth says that long before the world was created there was an island, floating in the sky, upon which the Sky People lived. They lived quietly and happily. No one ever died or was born or experienced sadness. However one day one of the Sky Women realized she was going to give birth to twins. She told her husband, who flew into a rage and pushed her towards the waters below. Two birds saw the Sky Woman fall and just before she reached the waters they caught her and brought her to the other animals who helped to spread mud onto the back of Big Turtle. The mud began to grow and grow until it became the size of North America. The woman gave birth to twin sons, one gentle and kind, the other cold and full of hate. They grew quickly and began filling the earth with their creations. The Iroquois people hold a great respect for all animals. Without the animals’ help the Sky Woman would not have created the land on the earth. The indigenous people say the Ancient One spoke to the Earth, the Elements, the Animal, and Insect, and Tree, and Sky, Moon, Sun and stars and all of the other Spirits and said, “Have you given the people a vision?” And they all said, “Yes, a special gift for each one, but the people were so busy speaking and arguing about which way is right they could not see the gift we gave each one of them.” Ancient One thought this was very sad. He called Red People, Black People, Yellow People, and White People to him and said “The ways taught to
you by your Elders, and your Mothers and Fathers, and Teachers, and Books are sacred. It is good that you respect those ways, for they are the ways of your ancestors. But the ancestors no longer walk on the Face of the Earth Mother. You have forgotten your own Vision. Your Vision is right for you but no one else. Now each of you must pray for your own Visions, and be still enough to see them, so you can follow the way of the heart. It is a hard way. It is a good way.”
The “Om” Symbol of Hinduism The sound of creation
Swastika
Symbol for Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism
Creation Turtle Petroglyph Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
Star People Pictograph
Horseshoe (Barrier) Canyon, Utah
The Biggest
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