Keepers of the UnderWorld April 2012 by Keepers Of The Underworld Magzine

Issue 22

Contents:

Page:

Welcome Monthly Correspondence God & Goddess of the month This Months Horoscopes And Chinese Astrology Tarot Events for April Crafts and Rituals Paths and Disciplines Meditation Knowledge and Principals The Green Witch Poetry Featured Stories Personal Journeys Around the News Verse Persephone's Movie Review UnderWorld's Music Box Recipes Pagan UnderWorld Member Articles Pagan UnderWorld Featured Member Pagan UnderWorld Featured Groups Earth Monster World Member Articles

4 6 28 32 57 63 74 86 91 96 130 132 136 146 150 152 156 162 168 188 191 194

Earth Monster World Groups Urban and folk legends Truth Portal Featured Sites Metal shows Events

215 218 226 241 250

Lifestyles

Forever Gothic Tool Queens Fetish Balls and Events Fetish Article's LGBT Credits Disclaimer and Complaint dept

265 270 286 295 298 301

Welcome everyone This months Issue is dedicated to some one very special in my life and to many of our readers. Sweet dark Angel this Issue is for you & for all that you have done and all the wonderful & beautiful memories you have given me, From all of us Happy Birthday and know we all love you and all that you do for us, you mean the world to me and many others as well. For you are the inspiration of this magazine and an inspiration in my life as well, once more Happy Birthday and may all your dreams and wishes come to be!!!

Love and Light; Sweet Dark Angel, Persephone, & Andrew

by: Sweet Dark Angel & Andrew

Moon Phases Full Moon

4/06/2012

Last Quarter 4/13/2012 New Moon

4/21/2012

First Quarter 4/29/2012

Correspondence for the Month of April By: Sweet Dark Angel & Andrew

April Correspondences Nature Spirits:

Plant Faeries

Herbs:

Basil; Chives; Dragons Blood; Geranium & Thistle

Colours:

Crimson Red & Gold

Flowers:

Daisy & Sweet pea

Scents:

Bay; Bergamot; Patchouli & Pine

Stones:

Ruby; Garnet & Sard

Trees:

Pine; Bay & Hazel

Animals:

Bear & Wolf

Birds:

Hawk & Magpie

Deities:

Anahita; Bast; Ceres; Hathor; Ishtar; Kali & Venus

Power Flow:

Balance to the Nerves; Check Anger; Creating and Producing; Self Confidence & Take advantage of opportunities

The Angel of April - Asmodel The spirit of rebirth. April is a time for new life to spring forth and therefore a time for new ventures. We are encouraged by Asmodel to look and consider new ventures which will help us grow as a person. This angel teaches us to delight in each sign of awakening, in nature and in ourselves.

Archangel Samael - Angelic & Planetary Correspondences

Name of Planet under rulership

Mars

Planet Name in Hebrew

Ma'adim

Hebrew Meaning

Red and Mankind

Teaching Angel

Samael. Also Known As: Azazel, Sammael and Samil

Correct Pronunciation

sam-A-El

Celestial Title

Warrior of God

Tradition - Angel identified in

Judaism and Christian

Hebrew Letter

Peh

Egyptian Angel

Set and Horus

Station

Archangel and Teaching Angel

Ruler of

The Fifth Heaven - Machon

Guardian Angel of Planet

Seraphim

Greek/Roman God of Planet Aries, Mars Metal

Bronze, Iron, Brass

Day

Tuesday

Hours of Day (Tuesday) Ruled

1st and 8th hours of the day. 3rd and 10th hours of the night

Month Ruled

Not identified

Cycle of Results

7 Days

Orbit

Fast

Fixed Stars (Scorpio)

Alphecca

Fixed Stars (Aires)

Caput Andromedea, Baten Kaitos and Mirach

Days to Aviod working with Archangel Samael

None

Gems

Bloodstone, Diamond, Garnet, Jasper, Ruby or Topaz

Ritual Candle Colour

Red

Planetary Colour

Scarlet or Bright Red

Harran / Hermetics Colour

Orange-Red

Complimentary Colour

Green

Colour of the Pentacles of Mars

Red

Astral Colour - Aries

White and Pink

Astral Colour - Scorpio

Brown and Black

Symbol

Five Pointed Star

Colour

Red

Tarot Card

The Tower Struck by Lightening XVI

Planetary Numbers

4, 16

Talisman Size/Sides

Numbers of Mars

5, 25, 65, 325

Magical Note

Direction Ruled

Not identified

Degree

Not identified

Angelic Thought form

Red Radish

Fruit

Not identified

Tree

Acacia, Horse Chestnut, Hawthorn, Holly, Mistletoe, Monkey Puzzle Rowan, Tree and Thorn

Flowers/Herbs

Belladonna, Cardamom, Daisy, Devil's Claw Root, Nettle, Poppy, Plantain, Red Rose, Rue, Thistle, Thyme, Wormwood, Wild Rose and Woodbine

Insect

Scorpion, All stinging insects except Bees

Animals

Rams, Sheep, Horse, Bear, Wolf

Anatomy Governed

Right Arm and Hand, and Muscular System

River Ruled

Western and Southern

Letter Composition Aries

White Paper, Red Ink

Letter Composition Scorpio

White Paper, Red Ink

Magical Script

None in particular

Planetary Spirit

Graphiel

Planetary Demon

Bartzabel

Olympic Spirit

Phaleg

Demon of the Day

Fristmost alias Nambroth

Incense, Oils, Perfumes and Inks: General Incense: Incense 1: Dragon's Blood, Black Peppercorns, Wormwood, Rue, Siamese Benzoin, Geranium, Euphorbia, Lodestone, Sulphur, Hellebore, Pepper, and Tobacco.

Incense 2: Dragon's Blood, Patchouli, Lignum, Plantain and Pepper.

Incense 3: Tobacco, Pepper and Dragon's Blood Talismanic Incense: Wormwood, Black Peppercorns, Dragon's Blood and Rue. Talismanic Incense: Ambergris, Balsam, Cardamom, Frankincense, Mace, Orris Root, Saffron, Fig, Oak, Pomegranate Seeds, Poplar.

Magical Oils: Anointing Oil: Mineral Oil - Dragons Blood, Rue, Peppercorns, Basil, Coriander and Ginger. Essential Oil: Citronella.

Perfume: Ingredients: Hellebore, Patchouli, Carnation, Asafetida, Basil, Calamus, Caper, Cardamom, Catmint, Coriander, Dragon's Blood, Garlic, Ginger, Hyacinth, Myrrh, Opoponax, Onion, Pepper, Turmeric, Wormwood, Sulphur and Lodestone.

Magical Ink: Lampblack (soot), Waters (Spring), Dragon's Blood, and Gum Arabic.

Related Astrological Correspondences: Aries Astrological Dates (Aries)

March 21st - April 19th

Astrological Symbol Element

Fire

Mode

Cardinal

Astrological Plants/Herbs

Geranium, Gorse, Sage, Tiger Lily, Thistle and Wild Rose

Tree

Holly and Chestnut

Metal

Iron

Power Gems

Bloodstone or Diamond

Gems

Ruby, Red Jasper or Garnet

Colour

Scarlet, White or Pink

Number

7 and 9

Day

Tuesday

Season

Spring

Tarot Card

The Emperor (IV)

Animal

Ram

Bird

Magpie, Owl and Robin

Symbolic Creature

Ram, Owl, Bull

Anatomy Governed

Head, Brain, Neck and Face

Body System

Cerebral, Head

Scents/Oils

Pine, Cowslip, Wormwood and Geranium

Incense

Dragons Blood

Harmonious Signs

Sagittarius and Leo

Geomantic Number

Geomantic Ruler

Bartzabel

Gods/Godesses

Isis, Athena, Shiva, Mars, Minerva

Age Governed

28 to 35 years of age

When to Moon is in Aries the rituals which will have added power involve those that address leadership issues, authority, spiritual matters and willpower. Healing rituals will include those that involve the head and brain.

As Aries, the Ram, the Emperor naturally follows the pregnant Empress. Aries is the infant, the first sign of the Zodiac. Like an infant, he is filled with enthusiasm, energy, aggression. He is direct, guileless and all too often irresistible. Unfortunately, like a baby he can also be a tyrant. Impatient, demanding, controlling. In the best of circumstances, he signifies the leader that everyone wants to follow, sitting on a throne that indicates the solid foundation of an Empire he created, loves and rules with intelligence and enthusiasm. But that throne can also be a trap, a responsibility that has the Emperor feeling restless, bored and discontent.

Related Deities: Freya, Gwydion, Kali, Odin, Vulcan, Woden. Miscellaneous Information: Archangel Samael: Appears as a strong muscular young man wearing a tunic on the style of the Romans with a flowing cloak. He has long red hair tied into a pony-tail. In his right hand he hold a short sword, again in the Roman style. Some say on his breast is a bronze plate engraved with a pentagram. Reputed to be the Angel of death & destruction who is often equated with Samael incorrectly, in the Book of Revelation this Angel is as Apollyon. One of the Angels of the Apocalypse together with; Orifel, Anel, Zachariel, Raphael, Michael and Gabriel. Ruler of the Fifth Heaven. One of the Angels of Creation together with; Orifel, Anael, Zachariel, Raphael, Gabriel and Michael. Angelic Signature:

Signs & Symbols Related - Archangel Samael and Mars: Archangel Samael appears as a strong muscular young man wearing a tunic on the style of the Romans with a flowing cloak. He has long red hair tied into a pony-tail. In his right hand he hold a short sword, again in the Roman style. Some say on his breast is a bronze plate engraved with a pentagram. (The Pillars of Tubal-Cain p256. - Nigel Jackson & Michael Howard, Capall Bann Publishing. UK. 2003). Remember Angels are personal to you and tend to correspond to your mental image of them.

The Tarot Card related to the Archangel Samael and the planet Mars is The Tower (XVI), Death (XIII) and The Emporer ((IIII) Sudden unforeseen calamity, whether the card is revered or not. The Tower represent the Biblical Tower of Babel. Signify's the end and the beginning. The Emporer represents Kingship, Leadership and Government in the material World. . (The Prediction Book of The Tarot. - page 110, 102 & 76- Madeline Montalban. Javelin Books UK. 1986.)

Archangel Samael's symbol consists of a sword and a pentagram. The Kabbalistic sign for the Archangel Samael and the planet Mars.

The Kabbalistic signs for Mars, indicated on the right, has had a number of variations. To the left are some of the alternative symbols used for the planet in the past.

. Geomantic Symbol (Aries) Geomantic Symbol (Scorpio)

Sign of the Planet ( Mars).

Character or Seal of Mars.

Bartzabel - Sign of the Demon of Mars. Aries Astrological Sign of Mars Scorpio Astrological Signs

The Olympic Spirit of the Mars - Phaleg.

The Sign of the Spirit of Mars Graphiel.

Hebrew Letter "Peh"

The Alchemical sign of Iron, metal of Mars.

The Archangel Governs: Magical Intentions: Physical courage and overcoming enemies. Projects related to war - success, prevention and cause. Disrupts friendships and causes discord. The energies of this day best harmonize with efforts of masculine vibration, such as conflict, physical endurance and strength, lust, hunting, sports, and all types of competition. Use them, too, for rituals involving surgical procedures or political ventures. Courage, Physical Strength, Revenge, Military Honors, Surgery and the Breaking of Negative Spells, Matrimony, War, Enemies, Prison, Vitality and Assertiveness Rulerships: Police matters, war, sports, engineering, machinery, male sexuality, surgery, physical strength, courage, protection, help in overthrowing enemies, aggression,ambition, arguments, competition, conflict, destruction, energy, goals, lust, medical issues, sports, strength, strife, struggle, surgery, upheaval,

victory. Negative aspects: Anger, violence. Note: According to Peter de Abano, “…. that the first hour of the day, of every Country,and in every season whatsoever, is to be assigned to the Sun-rising, when he first appeareth arising in the horizon: and the first hour of the night is to be the thirteenth hour, from the first hour of the day ....” According to occult law a day starts at daybreak, not at midnight.

Finger Correspondence The thumb represents power and therefore is aligned to Mars.

Related Elemental Correspondences:

Fire Element Ruled by

Leo

Fire Guardian Angel

Archangel Michael. (Some traditions shown as: Ariel)

Fire Angel

Aral

Fire Ruler

Seraph

Fire King

Dijin

Direction

South

Time Ruled

Noon

Zodiac

Aries, Leo and Sagittarius

Wind

Notus

Qualities

Hot and Dry, Light and Active

Hours of Day Governed

Noon

Season Governed

Summer

Alchemical Symbol Magical Phrase

Velle, to dare

Magical Tool

Fire, Lamp, Wand

Tattivic Symbol

Red Triangle. (Tejas)

Tattivic Tide

March 21st to June 21st

Symbolic Creature

Lion

Elemental Symbol

Flowering Rod of Aaron

Elemental Spirit

Salamander

Element Colour

Orange, Scarlet

Gem

Fire Opal

Incense

Olibanum

Animal

Dragon and Lion

Tree:

Alomd ( especially when in flower)

Element Plant

Nettle

Elemental Tarot - Major Arcana

Judgement (XX)

Elemental Tarot - Minor Arcana

Wands

Talismanic Elemental Angels

Hitsael

Geomantic Number

Sefira Number

Body System Ruled

Head

Positive Aspects

Enegetic, Faithful, Daring and Enthusiastic

Negative Aspects

Angry, Violent, Stibborn, Greedy, Jealous and Aggressive

Astrological Personalities

People born under the signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are thought to have dominant fire personalities. Fire personalities are believed to have good leading qualities, and also tend to be extroverted, rebellious, passionate and enthusiastic; however, they can also be moody, hot-tempered, snappy, uncontrollable and angry.

Related Kabbalistic Correspondences: Angelic Order

Seraphim

Order of Angels

Seraphim

Chief of Angels

Not identified

Archangel

Samael - Khamael. The Angel of Strength and Courage, Chamael. Burner of God

Biblical Name of God

Elohim Gevor

Personal Dedication

Not identified

Spiritual Experience

Vision of Power

Sefirothic Form

Warrior driving chariot

Sefira/Sephira

Sephirah 5 Geburah

Sefira Meaning

Strength

Pronunciation

Gevura

Sub Creature

Basilisk

Element

Fire

Planet

Madim (Mars.)

Colour

Red

Number

Symbol

Pentagon

Illusion

Invincibility

Obligation

Courage and Loyalty

Virtue

Courage

Vice

Cruelty

Spiritual Experience

Vision of Power

Tarot

The four fives

Animals

Basalik, Wolverine, Badger, Bear and Boar

Gems

Ruby and Bloodstone

Perfumes

Tobacco, Dragons Blood and Pepper

Weapons

Sword, Spear and Scourge

Correspondences of the Moon

Growing Moon

April is the time of spiritual cleansing and planting new seeds, it is a time of rebirth and growth. As they say April showers bring may flowers, let this month be that of planting new seeds not just in the physical but in the spiritual as well. Also known as: Hare Moon, Seed or Planting Moon, Planter's Moon, Budding Trees Moon, Eastermonath (Eostre Month), Ostarmanoth, Pink Moon, Green

Grass Moon Nature Spirits: plant faeries Herbs: basil, chives, dragon's blood, geranium, thistle

Colors: crimson red, gold

Flowers: daisy, sweetpea

Scents: pine, bay, bergamot, patchouli

Stones: ruby, garnet, sard

Trees: pine, bay, hazel

Animals: bear, wolf

Birds: hawk, magpie

Deities: Kali, Hathor, Anahita, Ceres, Ishtar, Venus, Bast

Power Flow: energy into creating and producing; return balance to the nerves. Change, self-confidence, self-reliance, take advantage of opportunities. Work on temper and emotional flare-ups and selfishness.

This is the best time to work magick that involves authority, rebirth, spiritual conversion, or will power. Healing rituals for illnesses of the face, head, or brain are also done during this time.

Farmers Almanac for April

Farmers Almanac-April 2012

Skywatch: Use binoculars to see dazzling Venus visit the Pleiades star cluster on the 2nd and 3rd.Jupiter is visible in the evening twilight early in the month,then sinks and vanishes into the Sun's glare.Saturn comes closest to Earth on the 15th and it's out all night.It's rings have now opened up to our view to create it's brightest opposition since 2008 a stunning sight through backyard telescopes.Venus reaches greatest brilliancy(magnitude -4.7)late in the month;it floats spectacularly near the Moon on the 24th.Orange Mars continues retrograding through Leo.It loses half of it's light by month's end yet creates a nice color contrast with blue Regulus to it's right.The Moon stands below them both on the 30th.

Weather rhyme. Smart fellas carry umbrellas. This is criminal:Sunshine's minimal. It's moister in the cloister;dank in the bank. Thanks! At last it's spring,at last it's fine!

Fling your laundry on the line!.

Moon phases. Full Pink.6th,rises at 7:57 p.m.Sets at 6:02a.m. Last quarter.13th,rises at 2:32 a.m.Sets at 12:14p.m. New moon.21st,rises at 5:59 a.m.Sets at 8:40p.m. First quarter.29th,rises at 12:37 p.m.Sets at 2:04a.m. Meteor shower. Name.Lyrid. Best viewing.Predawn. Point of origin.South. Date of maximum.April 22nd. No.per hour.10. Associated comet.Thatcher. We have a Friday the 13th this month.... April cold with dripping rain Willows and lilacs brings again.-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Kali Kali is considered the goddess of time and change. Kali is the Hindu goddess associated with eternal energy. The name Kali comes from kale, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kala - the eternal time, Kali, his consort, also means "the Time" or "Death" (as in time has come). Although sometimes presented as dark and violent, her earliest incarnation as a figure of annihilation still has some influence. Various Shakta Hindu cosmologies, as well as Shakta Tantric beliefs, worship her as the ultimate reality or Brahman. She is also revered as Bhavatarini (literally "redeemer of the universe"). Comparatively recent devotional movements largely conceive

Kali as a benevolent mother goddess. Kali is represented as the consort of Lord Shiva, on whose body she is often seen standing. She is associated with many other Hindu goddesses like Durga, Bhadrakali, Sati, Rudrani, Parvati and Chamunda. She is the foremost among the Dasa Mahavidyas, ten fierce Tantric goddesses.

Freja Freja (Freyja, Freya) - Freya is one of the major Goddesses of Norse Mythology. Equal in prowess to Thor, Freya is nearly the equal of Odin, the Allfather. The northern Europeans called their lusty Goddess Freya (pronounced fray'ya), which means, "mistress", and gave her name to the sixth day of the week, Friday. Freya – also Freyja or Freia – is the daughter of Niord and sister of Frey. She is one of the Vanir but came out of Vanaheim to live with the Aesir along with her father and brother. Her hall, Sessrumnir, is built in the field of Folkvang in Asgard, the realm of the Gods. She is the Goddess of Love and Beauty, one of the original fertility goddesses of the region. Patron of young lovers, Freya is viewed as a force for good in the world – protector of the weak, healer, granter of magic and source of love and peace. She listens to the prayers of men and women seeking love and helps them when she can.

Beautiful, blue-eyed, golden-haired â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Freya generally appears as the most desirable woman in the Nine Realms. She always wears Brisingamen, a wonderful necklace made from gold and amber that she received from dwarves. Often appearing unclothed to her followers, she is always described as the most beautiful of women. The goddess Freya's passions were abundant, vigorous, and unrestrained. Clothed or not, she is usually shown in sensual poses. Freya didn't discriminate in her choice of lovers: All Gods were fair game. When Freya appeared draped in her feathered cloak and wearing nothing but her magic amber necklace, none could resist her. She is often depicted riding her golden chariot through the skies, the chariot pulled by two large blue cats who were a gift from the Norse god Thor. Freya was a spectacular beauty known for her appreciation of romantic music and stunning floral arrangements. That was her softer side; she was also known as the goddess of war and death. Freya leads the Valkyrie, the Choosers of the Slain. These warrior maidens ride over battlefields on winged horses, taking the souls of noble warriors killed in battle to feast in Valhalla, Odinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hall. Freya claims half of the warriors for her own hall in Folkvang. This martial province makes Freya a more fully dimensioned goddess than most fertility deities. Freya taught magic to the Aesir, Odin in particular. Freya's magic is termed Seidr - a type of trance magic whose fully realized forms include shape shifting and astral projection. Freya herself has a falcon cloak which allows any who wears it to become a bird. Cats are particularly sacred to Freya. In addition to the two large cats who pull

her chariot, other cats are generally associated with this kind and loving Goddess. Whether it's their grace, their beauty or their fierce nature when provoked, cats are the special darlings of Freya, often carrying messages for her. (Of course, sometimes they take a nap while enroute...) The goddess Freya reminds us to explore and acknowledge all of our emotions, longings, and traits, even those we wish we didn't possess. If you feel awed by the wonder of veins in leaves in the lush green trees and feel your knees go weak at the joy of being alive, the passionate goddess of love is working in you. Freja's gifts are those that make us overjoyed to be alive! Freja loves all things that give pleasure, she indulges in love, romance and lovemaking - always walking in harmony and beauty. Her power brings men and women together to create new life, and she is the gentle goddess who ends life in order to perpetuate the circle of life with love and trust. According to Nordic myth she was also the Warrior Goddess who was hostess to fallen war heroes in her great hall.

You'll probably be interested by a small flirtation. It would be prudent not to take it seriously, for the astral aspects concerning love life seem rather unfavorable. Under the prevailing difficult economic circumstances, show utmost vigilance so as not to fall into the traps of swindlers and rip-off merchants of all kinds. Your anguishes in face of the idea of death, disease, want, loneliness, and so on will perturb you somewhat; but why at the same time bear the burden of this month and that of the whole future?

Risks of disputes or quarrels between you and your family entourage. These incidents will be without dramatic consequences but will be sufficiently irritating to cause you a very bad mood. Excellent chances of stabilization of your love life. However, don't get excited too soon at the material perspectives which a marriage could offer you! Don't let your dreams take precedence over reality; if you want to succeed in any undertaking, always have the courage to face things squarely and to act consequently.

The stars will make you see life through rose-colored glasses: no more useless concerns, no more anguishes. Everything will seem to you easy, merry, sunny. Try to preserve this state of grace as long as possible and make a good provision of optimism for gloomier days. You won't be at all on the same wavelength as your children, and this will worry you profoundly; no need to make desperate efforts, rather let things straighten themselves out.

The stars will advise you to look for moderation in all things. Resist your penchant for perfectionism and extremism: this treacherous penchant is apt to exhaust you and to render you always dissatisfied. Certain easy-goingness toward life is indispensable to your happiness. If you want to begin a new love story, you must show much patience. Love at first sight will be totally out of the question. Don't take risks on the financial plane, particularly by standing bail for friends or even members of your own family concerning important loans.

You're certainly a little disappointed by the turn taken by recent events. You had expected much from them, and yet there were only delays in your projects. The sense of contact, which is inherent in your sign, will be reinforced; profit by it to present certain delicate requests or to hasten the conclusion of certain affairs. The worries and nervous tension due to your disorderly activities will end with provoking perturbations in many ways: sensitiveness of the head, risks of dizziness, sudden fevers and well as neuralgias of the face and teeth.

Patience et serenity won't be the prominent traits of your character; you'll have the clear impression that all things are conspiring against you so as to delay your projects and complicate your life. Don't lose heart, everything will turn out well! In order to fight against aging, use cosmetic products containing vitamin E. This vitamin, playing the role of an anti-oxidizer, delays the cellular withering. On can also find it in great quantity in wheat germs, salads, cabbages, spinach, water cress, and raw vegetal oils.

Be on your guard; beware particularly of advertisements which praise the merits of weight-reducing products with purportedly miraculous effects, or of gadgets which would bring chance in love and money. The professional domain will be subject to important questioning; this won't necessarily provoke a brutal upheaval, but a turn will surely be rounded. Try to be more open, more frank in your approach of people and things for, it should be admitted, it's not always easy to deal with you.

You've until now had much difficulty making real friends. But this time you'll spare no effort so as to know true friendship; you'll preserve it very carefully because, for you, it will double your joys and reduce your sorrows by half. Nothing will stop you because you'll be so much motivated to reach your professional objectives. Your temperament will be more fiery than ever; nevertheless, as you'll often let yourself be swept away by your momentum, you'll run the risk of committing some notorious errors in the sentimental and amorous field.

Put all the winning cards on your side, the smallest as well as the most essential ones. The friendship of those who appreciate you at your just value will be operative. Luck will favor you. This time important things will take place in the affective and sexual fields. Your ardor will be constant, and you'll know how to declare your love with irresistible forcefulness. Try to limit your needs, otherwise you may spend your life running after something and be unable to enjoy the true charms of life.

Good professional progress in view. But don't waste everything by suddenly adopting too blunt an attitude or by taking excessive risks. You'll have the right to moments of amorous ecstasy. This astral climate will grant you a life free from dramas as well as new and sympathetic relations. The family environment won't lack charm. You'll need an intense physical activity so as to fight against certain morose thoughts which are threatening to invade you.

You can achieve very interesting projects in the company of good friends. But if it's a travel, examine the situation well so as to know exactly whether you've the means of your plans. The stars promise you sure supports which will help you fulfill your desires. However, be so cautious as not to jeopardize your relationships by an excess of critical sense, of which you've the secret. Be doubly prudent at your driving wheel or in the use of dangerous tools. Wait some more time before signing an important contract. Postpone for two days all move aimed at obtaining a job or financial support.

Moved by a strong desire to charm and an increased need of sociability, you'll feel attracted to all that's brilliant or spectacular, to pleasures, the arts, and hobbies. If you undertake a new hobby, your enthusiasm will be immense and your learning greatly made easy. This astral climate will evidence the necessity of revisions; but of course, it's always painful to have to question what seemed to you very solidly established. In the professional field, you won't be immune to difficulties.

At your work, you'll plant solid stakes on the road to success. A secret happiness, a profound and fascinating attraction will light up your emotional life. You'll enjoy fairly good health; but your ears will be sensitive, and it'll be necessary to avoid too high noise levels. With your friends, you'll have excellent contacts. It won't take too long for your family entourage to understand that you're decided not let yourself be pushed around: any opposition will only tend to reinforce your attitude.

Obligations and constraints of married life will burden you; take courage, look at the good side of your situation. Very positive changes should intervene in your career. You'll probably catch a small cold, but you'll easily overcome this problem by taking vitamin C and by drinking much hot water. Your friendly relations will be in the limelight, mainly because you have proved to be an honest and sincere friend; you'll lay out many projects with your friends.

Risks of professional rivalry; try to defuse the situation by keeping a low profile. A renewal of vitality; it will be an ideal month to undertake a diet or to follow a fitness program; don't let yourself become rusty. Ask yourself if you haven't somewhat neglected your children; they do need your presence. You'll have the possibility to make very safe investments and to manage your family finances efficiently; this month will be particularly favorable to the sale of a plot of land or a house.

Problems and frustrations on the sentimental plane; increase your efforts to make good understanding reign. Think of reducing your weight if you suffer from a notable overweight; eat lighter and do exercises. Workwise, you'll be able to profit from favorable circumstances. Favored real-estate transactions. These astral aspects will make you nervous and will lead you to disorderly reactions; try all the same to show yourself sufficiently responsible in order to avoid discords and quarrels.

This time you'll be out of shape; take more time to relax and rest. At work, beware of distraction; concentrate yourself on what you're doing, otherwise you're likely to make a serious mistake. Your love affairs won't give you all the satisfactions you wish because you'll lack imagination. Being a sugar daddy/mom, you won't be able to refuse anything to your children; however, your spouse won't share your point of view and arguments are likely to arise between you two on this subject; show yourself conciliatory.

Sufficiently good health; but those who suffer from a chronic disease will have to be watchful more closely. You'll benefit from a pay raise, an upgrade, or will find a work according your liking. It will be in your interest to treat your beloved one with the utmost care, for he/she could react violently. Here come money worries! After a favorable period, you'll find yourself once again at grips with pecuniary problems; however, by imposing yourself severe saving measures, you'll be limit the damages.

This month will be favorable to confirmed and unconfirmed singles; they'll make promising encounters. You'll enjoy astral support on the psychic plane, which will speed up the healing of an existing illness of psychosomatic origin. At work, your merits will be well recognized, and you'll obtain an attractive promotion or a fine pay increase. This month will favor contacts with foreign countries or foreigners; you'll have the opportunity to become acquainted with interesting and pleasant people coming from afar.

Your professional qualities will be fully recognized. Love will suddenly seem more vital to you than the air you breathe, and you'll be entirely willing to do everything to appease your heart. Your immune defenses will be weakened: avoid close contact with sick people. Occupy yourself more with your home. Concerning your intuition, you'll be pampered by the Moon: your flair will be infallible, especially to detect the lack of authenticity in others; you'll clearly make windbags understand that they don't interest you.

If you give the best of yourself, professional success will be at your arm's reach. Your vitality will decrease significantly; eat better balanced foods. You'll be confronted with a difficult sentimental problem, but the help of a friend you'll get you out of it. To get rid of the blues, it'll be essential to take things with detachment. You'll be able to carry out profitable financial transactions; this month will be a particularly favorable moment to proceed to the purchase or the sale of a plot of land or a country house.

Your love relations will be subject to doubt, to anguishes, but a dazzling encounter is more than probable. With your children, try to be cooler in spite of their provocations. At work, it'll be sufficient to believe in yourself, and you'll pull off miracles beyond your hopes. You'll be able to round angles in your relationships with your friends. You'll be in general good shape, but you'll be vulnerable to increased hepatic and renal frailty; control your food more closely, especially if you suffer from a chronic disease.

You'll let yourself burst out, you'll live at the rhythm of your emotions and your heart beats. But at your work, beware of hesitations! Nervous disorders and anemia will be in regression; on the contrary, risks of wounds to the head and the feet. Take care of your children with a firm but gentle authority. Good money entry. Your relationships with others will prove to be complex and disconcerting: whether it's with your spouse, your associates or your collaborators, you'll be on the defensive all the while showing aggressiveness.

New prospects of alliance, association, or contract will be offered to you. In your love life, you'll be prone to a severe crisis of possessiveness and jealousy. You'll have the possibility to start solving your overweight problem efficiently. Good family agreement; you'll enjoy this warm and cozy ambiance. Financial matters will once more be highlighted; a project which has been postponed on several occasions will this time find its conclusion in an unexpected way: you'll be able to start making considerable profits.

Cards used: Dark Angel Tarot (Angel Spread)

Cards 1,2,&3 are the secret heart Theses cards will illuminate the question, they show the secrets that form the basis of the query, its importance in the life of the questioner and its reverberation through their lives.

Card 1: The Sun~ As the light dies, and the sun fails, the angel of light clings to the dance of life. Clutching them to her heart she caresses them, for the light of life will never die while it is remembered and loved.

Card 2: The Moon~In the darkness of an endless night, the angles join the mortals in begging the moon for the blessing of her power. They welcome her light into their bodies BUT it is the shadows of the towers that touch them most deeply.

Card 3: King Of Disks~The Angelic king will take what he desires and damn the consequences.

Cards 4,6,&8 The Wing of Darkness These cards show the tears that the secret generates, the doubts that hold the questioner back from answering the questions Card 4: Devil~The devil hides behind a mask, waiting to tempt the unwary. Sometimes the temptation is worth the price it costs, sometimes the chains are made of gold and sometimes they are made of love.

Card 6: Judgement~The angel blows the last trumpet and calls the souls of the living and the dead home to judgement. Those that are guilty are right to be afraid. Those that have fallen will be judged.

Card 8: Tower~At the end of all things, when everything falls beneath the flames of the apocolypse, the aincient destroyer burns what can be burned and revels in the destruction. Mourn it not, for it is gone.

Cards 5,7,&9 The Wing Of Light These cards reveal the hopes that the secret generates, the desires that spur the questioner on towards asking the question

Card 5: Chariot~ The angel of victory rides the chariot of triumph through the gateway of death. There can be no victory without war, no war without bloodshed, and the angel of peace prays for the fallen.

Card 7: Knight of disks~Riding with care through the dead, the angel protects his burden.

Card 9: 7 of cups~Visions of impossible rewards torment those who are alone.

Card 10 The Head This card shows the resolution of the question, the path of harmony between the hope and the fear, and how the answer to the question may be achieved through the understanding of the secret that dwells within the heart.

Card 10: 8 of swords~ The unexpected delays and restrains, self doubt restricts movement.

All Fools Day April 1 2012 April Fools' Day: Origin and History The uncertain origins of a foolish day by David Johnson and Shmuel Ross April Fools! April Fools' Day, sometimes called All Fools' Day, is one of the most light-hearted days of the year. Its origins are uncertain. Some see it as a celebration related to the turn of the seasons, while others believe it stems from the adoption of a new calendar. New Year's Day Moves Ancient cultures, including those of the Romans and Hindus, celebrated New

Year's Day on or around April 1. It closely follows the vernal equinox (March 20th or March 21st.) In medieval times, much of Europe celebrated March 25, the Feast of Annunciation, as the beginning of the new year. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar (the Gregorian Calendar) to replace the old Julian Calendar. The new calendar called for New Year's Day to be celebrated Jan. 1. That year, France adopted the reformed calendar and shifted New Year's day to Jan. 1. According to a popular explanation, many people either refused to accept the new date, or did not learn about it, and continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1. Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sending them on "fool's errands" or trying to trick them into believing something false. Eventually, the practice spread throughout Europe. Problems With This Explanation There are at least two difficulties with this explanation. The first is that it doesn't fully account for the spread of April Fools' Day to other European countries. The Gregorian calendar was not adopted by England until 1752, for example, but April Fools' Day was already well established there by that point. The second is that we have no direct historical evidence for this explanation, only conjecture, and that conjecture appears to have been made more recently. Constantine and Kugel Another explanation of the origins of April Fools' Day was provided by Joseph Boskin, a professor of history at Boston University. He explained that the practice began during the reign of Constantine, when a group of court jesters and fools told the Roman emperor that they could do a better job of running the empire. Constantine, amused, allowed a jester named Kugel to be king for one day. Kugel passed an edict calling for absurdity on that day, and the

custom became an annual event. "In a way," explained Prof. Boskin, "it was a very serious day. In those times fools were really wise men. It was the role of jesters to put things in perspective with humor." This explanation was brought to the public's attention in an Associated Press article printed by many newspapers in 1983. There was only one catch: Boskin made the whole thing up. It took a couple of weeks for the AP to realize that they'd been victims of an April Fools' joke themselves. Spring Fever It is worth noting that many different cultures have had days of foolishness around the start of April, give or take a couple of weeks. The Romans had a festival named Hilaria on March 25, rejoicing in the resurrection of Attis. The Hindu calendar has Holi, and the Jewish calendar has Purim. Perhaps there's something about the time of year, with its turn from winter to spring, that lends itself to lighthearted celebrations. Observances Around the World April Fools' Day is observed throughout the Western world. Practices include sending someone on a "fool's errand," looking for things that don't exist; playing pranks; and trying to get people to believe ridiculous things. The French call April 1 Poisson d'Avril, or "April Fish." French children sometimes tape a picture of a fish on the back of their schoolmates, crying "Poisson d'Avril" when the prank is discovered. Read more: April Fools' Day: Origin and History â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aprilfools1.html#ixzz1pZbYb7jM

Good Friday 4/06/2012 Good Friday Good Friday, anniversary of Jesus' death on the cross. According to the Gospels, Jesus was put to death on the Friday before Easter Day. Since the early church Good Friday has been observed by fasting and penance. In the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican traditions, the celebration of the Eucharist is suspended; liturgical service involves veneration of the cross, the Passion narrative from the Gospel of St. John, and communion using bread and wine consecrated the previous day, Maundy Thursday. Other forms of observance include prayer and meditation at the Stations of the Cross, a succession of 14 images, usually on wooden crosses, depicting Christ's crucifixion and the events leading up to it. Read more: Good Friday â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0821267.html#ixzz1pZgVc8od

Easter 4/08/2012 Easter Symbols and Traditions A brief history of the spring holiday's celebrations by David Johnson and Shmuel Ross Christians celebrate Easter to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some aspects of modern Easter celebrations, however, pre-date Christianity. Ancient Spring Goddess According to the Venerable Bede, Easter derives its name from Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. A month corresponding to April had been named "Eostremonat," or Eostre's month, leading to "Easter" becoming applied to the Christian holiday that usually took place within it. Prior to that, the holiday had been called Pasch (Passover), which remains its name in most non-English languages. (Based on the similarity of their names, some connect Eostre with Ishtar, the Babylonian and Assyrian goddess of love and fertility, but there is no solid evidence for this.) It seems probable that around the second century A.D., Christian missionaries seeking to convert the tribes of northern Europe noticed that the Christian holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus roughly coincided with the Teutonic springtime celebrations, which emphasized the triumph of life over death. Christian Easter gradually absorbed the traditional symbols.

Easter Eggs In Medieval Europe, eggs were forbidden during Lent. Eggs laid during that time were often boiled or otherwise preserved. Eggs were thus a mainstay of Easter meals, and a prized Easter gift for children and servants. In addition, eggs have been viewed as symbols of new life and fertility through the ages. It is believed that for this reason many ancient cultures, including the Ancient Egyptians, Persians, and Romans, used eggs during their spring festivals. Many traditions and practices have formed around Easter eggs. The coloring of eggs is a established art, and eggs are often dyed, painted, and otherwise decorated. Eggs were also used in various holiday games: parents would hide eggs for children to find, and children would roll eggs down hills. These practices live on in Easter egg hunts and egg rolls. The most famous egg roll takes place on the White House lawn every year. Different Traditions Orthodox Christians in the Middle East and in Greece painted eggs bright red to symbolize the blood of Christ. Hollow eggs (created by piercing the shell with a needle and blowing out the contents) were decorated with pictures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and other religious figures in Armenia. Germans gave green eggs as gifts on Holy Thursday, and hung hollow eggs on trees. Austrians placed tiny plants around the egg and then boiled them. When the plants were removed, white patterns were created.

Artistic Creations The most elaborate Easter egg traditions appear to have emerged in Eastern Europe. In Poland and Ukraine, eggs were often painted silver and gold. Pysanky (to design or write) eggs were created by carefully applying wax in patterns to an egg. The egg was then dyed, wax would be reapplied in spots to preserve that color, and the egg was boiled again in other shades. The result was a multi-color striped or patterned egg. The Easter Bunny Hares and rabbits have long been symbols of fertility. The inclusion of the hare into Easter customs appears to have originated in Germany, where tales were told of an "Easter hare" who laid eggs for children to find. German immigrants to America -- particularly Pennsylvania -- brought the tradition with them and spread it to a wider public. They also baked cakes for Easter in the shape of hares, and may have pioneered the practice of making chocolate bunnies and eggs. Easter Cards Easter cards arrived in Victorian England, when a stationer added a greeting to a drawing of a rabbit. According to American Greetings, Easter is now the fourth most popular holiday for sending cards, behind Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day. Easter Parades After their baptisms, early Christians wore white robes all through Easter week to indicate their new lives. Those had already been baptized wore new clothes instead to symbolize their sharing a new life with Christ.

In Medieval Europe, churchgoers would take a walk after Easter Mass, led by a crucifix or the Easter candle. Today these walks endure as Easter Parades. People show off their spring finery, including lovely bonnets decorated for spring. Read more: Easter Symbols and Traditions â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/spot/easterintro1.html#ixzz1pZeZEs9Q

Awareness For the Month of April

Months - April Health Current Events 2012 Awareness Event

Nation

Related Organization

Cesarean Awareness Month

Worldwide

International Cesarean Awareness Network

IBS Awareness Month

Worldwide

IFFGD

National Autism Awareness Month

United States

Austism Society

National Oral Health Month

Canada

Canadian Dental Association

Parkinson's Awareness Month

Canada

Parkinson Society Canada

Sarcoidosis Awareness Month

Worldwide

National Sarcoidosis Organization

Weeks - April 2012 Observances

Event

Date

Nation

National Public Health Week

Mon 2nd Apr - United States Sun 8th Apr 2012

American Public Health Association First Monday Of April

Parkinson's Awareness Week

Mon 16th Apr Sun 22nd Apr 2012

Parkinson's UK

National Infant Immunization Week

Sat 21st Apr - Sat United States 28th Apr 2012

National Allergy Week

Mon 23rd Apr Sun 29th Apr 2012

United Kingdom

Organization

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

United Kingdom Allergy UK Date

Days - April Health Current Events 2012

Event

Date

Nation

Organization

National Alcohol Screening Day

Thu 5th Apr 2012

United States

Screening for Mental Health

World Health Day

Sat 7th Apr 2012 Worldwide

World Health Organization

World Parkinson's Day

Wed 11th Apr 2012

Worldwide

European Parkinson's Disease Assocation

World Hemophilia Day

Tue 17th Apr 2012

Worldwide

World Federation of Hemophilia

5 Easy Crafts for Kids Fun Activities M.S. Beltran ____________________________________________________ Eggshell Candles these candles are easy to make and pretty to look at. You Will Need: Raw eggs Wax beads Birthday candles Egg dye (optional) Craft scissors Knife

Tap the egg gently but firmly on the top, "pointed" end. Peel back a small section of shell and allow the egg to fall out. Try to keep the bottom 3/4 of the egg intact. Reserve the eggs for recipes. Rinse the inside of the eggshells very carefully with very hot water. Set them on a rack to dry. If you like, take a craft scissor and trim around the broken edge, or break off pieces by hand for a more jagged look. At this point, if you want to dye the egg shells, you can do so. Again, be careful with the delicate shells. Set them again on a rack or paper towel to dry. Fill the candle Â˝ to 3/4 of the way with craft wax beads. Insert a birthday candle into the center for an easy wick. If necessary, trim off the bottom of the birthday candle so that it is even with the wax beads, or you can just let it burn down. Set it in an egg holder or a candle holder where it fits snugly.

Mini Eggshell Planters Another great craft for the ritual altar or to decorate a sunny windowsill, these little eggshell planters are perfect for the season. You Will Need: Carton of eggs Growing medium Cotton balls Knife Scissors Plastic spoons seeds Egg Dye Permanent Markers Tap eggs on the top "pointed" end with the knife until they crack. Peel back a small section of shell and allow the egg to fall out. Try to keep the bottom 3/4 of the egg intact. Reserve the eggs for recipes. Wash eggs carefully with hot water and rinse thoroughly. Set on a rack to dry. If you like, you can carefully trim around the edges of the egg with a craft scissors, or peel it back for a jagged look. Remember to keep about 3/4 of the egg intact. If you like, at this point you can dye the egg shells carefully. Another cute option is to draw a face on the shell, so that the plants growing out look like hair. Just make sure your colors and decorations are dry before proceeding. Place the egg shells back into their carton, open-side up. Put a cotton ball into each eggshell. Spoon some growing medium into the eggshells. This can be potting soil, soil-less potting mixture, or peat moss.

Sprinkle some grass or herb seeds onto the soil. Sprinkle with water to just moisten the soil, and dribble with a little water each day to keep it moist, but don't over-water. You can leave the eggs in their carton and set them right on a sunny windowsill. Transfer them to a basket with a grassy/cottony bedding and be careful not to tip them. Alternatively, place them into egg holders. The plants will begin growing out of the top of the eggs. If you would like to transplant them into the garden or a bigger pot, just crack the egg first so the roots can push through. Then pop them right into the soil. The calcium in the egg shell will be good for them. Seed Mosaic This is a great way to use old seeds not suitable for planting. If you don't collect seeds, just post a request for them in your local chapter of free websites such as www.freecycle.org or www.craigslist.org, or ask some farmers at the local farmer's market if they have any. You Will Need: An assortment of seeds Paper (blank or with a picture) Extra paper to "catch" seeds White craft glue Paint brush Cups or bowls Sort the seeds into separate cups or dishes for easy use. Seeds come in so many different sizes, shapes and colors

Give the child a piece of plain craft paper, or give them a print out or coloring page so they can follow the image with their mosaic. Show the child how to paint some white craft glue onto a section of their picture, and then sprinkle seeds onto the section. After a minute, tilt the page to allow the excess seeds to fall off onto a separate piece of paper. Return them to their proper bowl. Seed mosaics can be as simple or elaborate as the child likes.

Sun/Moon Masks At the equinox, night and day are in perfect balance. These fun masks remind us of that. They can be hung on the wall, or worn during revelry. You Will Need: One round 12" balloon Strips of newspaper 2 tbsps white craft glue 1/4 cup all purpose flour Â˝ cup of water Tempra paints Paint brush Paper plate Scissors Page reinforcers Glitter (optional) Ribbon Cheap plastic table cloth or drop cloth Mix the flour and water in an old disposable container until it has a glue-like

consistency. Add two tablespoons of craft glue, which helps the paper mache stiffen better. Blow a balloon up to be approximately the size of the child's head. Then make it just a little bigger. Tie it off to secure it. Dip the newspaper into the glue mixture and layer it onto one half of the balloon. Do three to four layers overlapping each other. Make the mask oval-shaped, about the size of the child's face. Allow the paper mache to dry thoroughly before continuing. Pop the balloon and remove it from the mask. Trim the edges around the mask to make them neat if you like. Place the mask against the child's face and estimate where the eyes will be and gently make a mark with pencil or crayon. Also make marks about Â˝ inch from the side edges of the mask, just higher than the ears, on each side. These will be where the tie will go to tie it around the child's head. Remove the mask from the child's face and cut out eye-holes with the scissor. Punch holes with a paper puncher (or poke through with a scissor) to make the holes for the ties. Put stick-on page reinforcers over the holes to strengthen them. One half of the face will be the sun, the other half will be the moon. Cut a paper plate into triangles and glue them to the "sun" half of the mask with plain craft glue. Allow it to dry. This will look like the rays of the sun. Paint the mask. Paint the sun half with reds, yellows and orange flaming colors. Paint the moon half with a silver or white. Sprinkle glitter on it and draw symbols or features. Let the child decorate the mask however he would like. Allow the mask to dry.

Thread the ribbon through the holes and tie it around the child's head, letting the holes rest on the child's ears.

Rituals Spring Cleaning for the Kitchen Witch

Kitchen witchery is more than just kitchen hocus pocus; it also makes housework more enjoyable and places importance on the annual spring clean! Spring encourages people to reach for their brooms and undertake annual chores. For the kitchen witch, spring-cleaning is more than physical cleaning; it is also a ritual for new beginnings and positive change. What Does Spring Mean to the Kitchen Witch? What is the essence of kitchen witchery? Finding sacred in the everyday. Spring symbolises new beginnings, rebirth from the dead of winter, and a time for implementing change. Spring-cleaning, therefore, goes beyond scrubbing neglected corners. Spring is the time to put new ideas into action, and cleaning can create powerful rituals, symbolism and magic.

Out with the Old, In with the New What better way to sweep out old ideas or unpleasant situations, than with the simple act of sweeping out dirt with a broom? Think of the things you wish to be rid of in the coming year, from draining relationships to negative thought patterns. Visualise people, situations or concepts being swept out of your life as you sweep. You can apply this to numerous household rituals, such as clearing clutter from the home. Let go of any negative associations, feelings or situations that have attached themselves to the object, or the person who gave it to you. Attract New Opportunities To experience opportunities, you have to let them in. Throw open the windows to let the fresh air of spring breathe new life into the home, dispersing stagnant energy. Visualise your dreams flying in on the currents of the breeze. Bake fresh food from scratch to symbolise the birth of new ideas, and grow plants to symbolise their growth. List your desires for the coming year. Take a ribbon for each one and weave them together to represent the coming together of those dreams. Hang them in a window, attaching a bell, windchime, or sun catching crystal, so that you are constantly reminded of your desires and can visualise them drifting in abundantly. Make Cleaning Fun The kitchen witch finds joy and meaning in even the most mundane of chores, because she sees them as a way of honouring the home, and in turn,

the goddess. She is also adept turning them into inspiring, fun activities. Why not try: Creating a magical apron or enchanted crown to clean in Playing inspiring, motivational music to boost your mood while you clean Adding essential oils to your cleaning water, to create beautiful and mood-boosting scents throughout your home Making your tools and utensils more meaningful by attaching ribbons, stickers or gems, carving or painting special symbols on them, or anointing them with essential oils. Kitchen Magic for the Home Turn everyday cleaning rituals into magical rituals! Using the tools of the house, already deeply connected to both you and your home, can create powerful spells. Chant a spell or goddess song while you work, to invoke the goddess and focus on a goal or desire Give the house a spiritual clean as well as a physical one. Conduct a house blessing with smudge sticks, singing bowls and chanting, to clear stagnant energy. Draw magical symbols in the air and create a circle of protection around the home to keep it from harm. Be innovative with your cleaning. Create a magic circle or magical symbols with dust, before sweeping or polishing it away to be given up to the goddess to manifest. Divine with mirrors as you clean them, or cast a banishing spell as you flush the toilet after cleaning! With a little dedication and imagination, what was once perceived as everyday drudgery can be transformed into magical manifestation!

Read more at Suite101: Spring Cleaning for the Kitchen Witch: Cleansing the Home with Kitchen Magic and Spring Ritual | Suite101.com http://louise-heyden.suite101.com/spring-cleaning-for-the-kitchen-witch-a99 413#ixzz1pcZHrwUT

The Omnil Formula By Andrew Omnil is a combination of the two Latin words omnis (everything) and Nihil (nothing). Out of the emptiness out of the nothing, everything can develop, everything I can create. In this so-called phase-zero, we experience the same distance to all forms of existence. The formula is a method for centering and for recognition at the same time, it serves to create of ones own universe. The Universe “The Everything” is created out of nothingness and in between is where magick and all of life itself takes place. So the 1st thing we need to do is realize our Nihil potential called “chaos” in chaos magick before we can start applying it to truly become god/dess, which is the goal of most magical systems. The 1st step is reaching the “Nihil” is to thoroughly banish everything that has no meaning or place in our universe, because the power of chaos can only develop fully and freely in complete emptiness. Therefore we have to start at zero if we want to turn our magical cosmos into reality, because if the remains of the other cosmos are still floating around, this will muddle our creation and it wont be entirely our own. This is

described quit clearly with the ritual question, “what is the most of all?” God/dess. What is more important than God/dess? Nothing is more important than God/dess. Therefore let nothing come before god/dess. We now see the esoteric significance of the injunction to! Have no other god before me. That is not a comment to abolish idols or other God concepts than IHVH but a positive instruction to start from the Nihil or zero-point before any concept of deity whatsoever. (Note: I feel I need to elaborate a bit more on this, for so many may read this and say that this is being one sided or that it implies that we can not believe in any other God/dess, that is not what it is saying at all, it is just saying that we need to start at a point where there is no God/dess for if you think on it has a whole we are the creator and are creating our own personal universe, so there for only put in it what you believe and what has meaning to you. As far as God/dess goes best way to look at it is “There are many face’s and names of God but they are of all the one true God” A very wise druidic saying, for in all things there is a duality, both male/female, light/dark, love/hate, and the list goes on, so do not limit your self, for by do so you are denying yourself and your spiritual growth.) In a place where you wont be disturbed, stand facing east or north, focus your attention on the Supreme (divine) above you and to the life that exists below you. With the energy of your awareness now focused, draw a horizontal circle around you. This circle is zero-time. You may use a wand or dagger if you want…lol…. But then again if we want to do his right then use the one you where born with, that’s right your hand. Now draw a lateral circle at the Zenith (the top of your head) to the right continue to the Nordic and then back up along the left side until you reach the Zenith again. This is zero-space. Then draw a vertical circle starting at the Zenith and down in front of body going back up your back till you reach the Zenith again. This is zero-event.

Make sure you draw all circles clockwise. Ideally you should draw or project all three simultaneously. Which will become easier each time you practice. After a little practice, the whole exercise shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take more than a split second. It is extremely powerful. I will only give you a few aspects of this formula; concentration aid, for centering yourself also in large rituals as well part of the LBR, and it also hardens the aura. It can be also used with the IAO vibrating powerfully and respectively as each circle is drawn.

Bahá'í faith

The Bahá'í Faith regards the conventional description of heaven (and hell) as a specific place as symbolic. The Bahá'í writings describe heaven as a "spiritual condition" where closeness to God is defined as heaven; conversely hell is seen as a state of remoteness from God. Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, has stated that the nature of the life of the soul in the afterlife is beyond comprehension in the physical plane, but has stated that the soul will retain its consciousness and individuality and remember its physical life; the soul will be able to recognize other souls and communicate with them. For Bahá'ís, entry into the next life has the potential to bring great joy. Bahá'u'lláh likened death to the process of birth. He explains: "The world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the womb of its mother." The analogy to the womb in many ways summarizes the Bahá'í view of earthly existence: just as the womb constitutes an important place for a person's initial physical development, the

physical world provides for the development of the individual soul. Accordingly, Bahá'ís view life as a preparatory stage, where one can develop and perfect those qualities which will be needed in the next life. The key to spiritual progress is to follow the path outlined by the current Manifestation of God, which Bahá'ís believe is currently Bahá'u'lláh. Bahá'u'lláh wrote, "Know thou, of a truth, that if the soul of man hath walked in the ways of God, it will, assuredly return and be gathered to the glory of the Beloved." The Bahá'í teachings state that there exists a hierarchy of souls in the afterlife, where the merits of each soul determines their place in the hierarchy, and that souls lower in the hierarchy cannot completely understand the station of those above. Each soul can continue to progress in the afterlife, but the soul's development is not entirely dependent on its own conscious efforts, the nature of which we are not aware, but also augmented by the grace of God, the prayers of others, and good deeds performed by others on Earth in the name of that person.

Beliefs Three core principles establish a basis for Bahá'í teachings and doctrine: the unity of God, the unity of religion, and the unity of humankind. From these postulates stems the belief that God periodically reveals his will through divine messengers, whose purpose is to transform the character of humankind and develop, within those who respond, moral and spiritual qualities. Religion is thus seen as orderly, unified, and progressive from age to age.

God

The Bahá'í writings describe a single, personal, inaccessible, omniscient, omnipresent, imperishable, and almighty God who is the creator of all things in the universe. The existence of God and the universe is thought to be eternal, without a beginning or end. Though inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of creation, with a will and purpose that is expressed through messengers termed Manifestations of God. Bahá'í teachings state that God is too great for humans to fully comprehend, or to create a complete and accurate image of, by themselves. Therefore, human understanding of God is achieved through his revelations via his Manifestations. In the Bahá'í religion God is often referred to by titles and attributes (for example, the All-Powerful, or the All-Loving), and there is a substantial emphasis on monotheism; such doctrines as the Trinity are seen as compromising, if not contradicting, the Bahá'í view that God is single and has no equal. The Bahá'í teachings state that the attributes which are applied to God are used to translate Godliness into human terms and also to help individuals concentrate on their own attributes in worshipping God to develop their potentialities on their spiritual path. According to the Bahá'í teachings the human purpose is to learn to know and love God through such methods as prayer, reflection, and being of service to humankind. Religion Bahá'í notions of progressive religious revelation result in their accepting the validity of most of the world's religions, whose founders and central figures are seen as Manifestations of God. Religious history is interpreted as a series of dispensations, where each manifestation brings a somewhat broader and more advanced revelation, suited for the time and place in which it was expressed. Specific religious social teachings (for example, the direction of

prayer, or dietary restrictions) may be revoked by a subsequent manifestation so that a more appropriate requirement for the time and place may be established. Conversely, certain general principles (for example, neighbourliness, or charity) are seen to be universal and consistent. In Bahá'í belief, this process of progressive revelation will not end; however, it is believed to be cyclical. Bahá'ís do not expect a new manifestation of God to appear within 1000 years of Bahá'u'lláh's revelation. Bahá'í beliefs are sometimes described as syncretic combinations of earlier religious beliefs. Bahá'ís, however, assert that their religion is a distinct tradition with its own scriptures, teachings, laws, and history. While the religion was initially seen as a sect of Islam, most religious specialists now see it as an independent religion, with its religious background in Shi'a Islam being seen as analogous to the Jewish context in which Christianity was established. Muslim institutions and clergy, both Sunni and Shia, consider Bahá'ís to be apostates from Islam, which has led to Bahá'ís being persecuted. Bahá'ís, themselves, describe their faith as an independent world religion, differing from the other traditions in its relative age and in the appropriateness of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings to the modern context. Bahá'u'lláh is believed to have fulfilled the messianic expectations of these precursor faiths.

Human beings The Bahá'í writings state that human beings have a "rational soul", and that this provides the species with a unique capacity to recognize God's station and humanity's relationship with its creator. Every human is seen to have a duty to recognize God through His messengers, and to conform to their teachings. Through recognition and obedience, service to humanity and regular prayer and spiritual practice, the Bahá'í writings state that the soul becomes closer to God, the spiritual ideal in Bahá'í belief. When a human dies, the soul passes

into the next world, where its spiritual development in the physical world becomes a basis for judgment and advancement in the spiritual world. Heaven and Hell are taught to be spiritual states of nearness or distance from God that describe relationships in this world and the next, and not physical places of reward and punishment achieved after death. The Bahá'í writings emphasize the essential equality of human beings, and the abolition of prejudice. Humanity is seen as essentially one, though highly varied; its diversity of race and culture are seen as worthy of appreciation and acceptance. Doctrines of racism, nationalism, caste, social class, and gender-based hierarchy are seen as artificial impediments to unity.The Bahá'í teachings state that the unification of humankind is the paramount issue in the religious and political conditions of the present world.

Seven Steps Buddhist Breath Meditation Buddhist breath meditation one. Start out with three or seven long in-and-out breaths, thinking bud- with the in-breath and dho with the out. Keep the meditation syllable as long as the breath. Buddhist breath meditation two : Be clearly aware of each in-and-out breath during this meditation. Buddhist breath meditation three : Observe the breath as it goes in and out, noticing whether it's comfortable or uncomfortable, broad or narrow, obstructed or free-flowing, fast or slow, short or long, warm or cool. If the breath doesn't feel comfortable, change it until it

does. For instance, if breathing in long and out long is uncomfortable, try breathing in short and out short. As soon as you find that your breathing feels comfortable, let this comfortable breath sensation spread to the different parts of the body. To begin with, inhale the breath sensation at the base of the skull and let it flow all the way down the spine. Then, if you are male, let it spread down your right leg to the sole of your foot, to the ends of your toes, and out into the air. Inhale the breath sensation at the base of the skull again and let it spread down your spine, down your left leg to the ends of your toes and out into the air. (If you are female, begin with the left side first, because the male and female nervous systems are different.) Then let the breath from the base of the skull spread down over both shoulders, past your elbows and wrists, to the tips of your fingers and out into the air. Let the breath at the base of the throat spread down the central nerve at the front of the body, past the lungs and liver, all the way down to the bladder and colon. Inhale the breath right at the middle of the chest and let it go all the way down to your intestines. Let all these breath sensations spread so that they connect and flow together, and you'll feel a greatly improved sense of well-being. Buddhist breath meditation four : Learn four ways of adjusting the breath: a. in long and out long b. in short and out short, c. in short and out long,

d. in long and out short. Breathe whichever way is most comfortable for you. Or, better yet, learn to breathe comfortably all four ways, because your physical condition and your breath are always changing. Buddhist breath meditation five : Become acquainted with the bases or focal points of the mind--the resting spots of the breath--and center your awareness on whichever one seems most comfortable. A few of these bases are: a. the tip of the nose, b. the middle of the head, c. the palate, d. the base of the throat, e. the breastbone (the tip of the sternum), f. the navel (or a point just above it). If you suffer from frequent headaches or nervous problems, don't focus on any spot above the base of the throat. And don't try to force the breath or put yourself into a trance. Breathe freely and naturally. Let the mind be at ease with the breath--but not to the point where it slips away. Buddhist breath meditation six : Spread your awareness--your sense of conscious feeling--throughout the entire body. Buddhist breath meditation seven : Coordinate the breath sensations throughout the body, letting them flow together comfortably, keeping your awareness as broad as possible. May your Meditation bring you inner peace and harmony.

Healing Meditation Please try this meditation to relax and heal the body mind and soul. Sit in a comfortable position Start to imagine that your body is slowly filling with light, starting from the feet and slowly moving upwards As the light is moving up your body ----- feel that this light is relaxing the muscles and your mind. Now imagine that any areas of disease or pain in your body is surrounded by a dark shadow which represents the unhealthy area. I feel the light moving upwards until my entire body is filled with light and every muscle of my body is feeling relaxed. Now feel that your body of light is radiating the light out from your eyes, the light is shining as if a torch is shinning out from your eyes. Now feel that you are directing the light towards any area of the body that is giving you pain or discomfort, represented as a shadow on your body. Feel that you are sending extra light to this area that is in pain or discomfort. Imagine that the diseased or painful areas have dark shadows surrounding it. Now feel that you are shinning a loving healing light to the diseased or painful areas so that the darkness is removed.

I radiate my shining light to my body and fill my bodies with this warm healing light. I now radiate this healing light to the world. I begin to feel that this healing light is returning me to health and vitality Perfect health is available to me now.

Christians have no right to wear cross at work, says European Government What are your thoughts on this? Perse Christians have no right to wear cross at work, says Government Christians do not have a right to wear a cross or crucifix openly at work, the Government is to argue in a landmark court case.

By David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent 9:00PM GMT 10 Mar 2012 In a highly significant move, ministers will fight a case at the European Court of Human Rights in which two British women will seek to establish their right to display the cross. It is the first time that the Government has been forced to state whether it backs the right of Christians to wear the symbol at work. A document seen by The Sunday Telegraph discloses that ministers will argue that because it is not a “requirement” of the Christian faith, employers can ban the wearing of the cross and sack workers who insist on doing so. The Government’s position received an angry response last night from prominent figures including Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury. He accused ministers and the courts of “dictating” to Christians and said it was another example of Christianity becoming sidelined in official life. The Government’s refusal to say that Christians have a right to display the symbol of their faith at work emerged after its plans to legalise same-sex marriages were attacked by the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in Britain. A poll commissioned by The Sunday Telegraph shows that the country is split on the issue. Overall, 45 per cent of voters support moves to allow gay marriage, with 36 per cent against, while 19 per cent say they do not know.

However, the Prime Minister is out of step with his own party. Exactly half of Conservative voters oppose same-sex marriage in principle and only 35 per cent back it. There is no public appetite to change the law urgently, with more than three quarters of people polled saying it was wrong to fast-track the plan before 2015 and only 14 per cent saying it was right. The Strasbourg case hinges on whether human rights laws protect the right to wear a cross or crucifix at work under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. It states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance.” The Christian women bringing the case, Nadia Eweida and Shirley Chaplin, claim that they were discriminated against when their employers barred them from wearing the symbols. They want the European Court to rule that this breached their human right to manifest their religion. The Government’s official response states that wearing the cross is not a “requirement of the faith” and therefore does not fall under the remit of Article 9. Lawyers for the two women claim that the Government is setting the bar too high and that “manifesting” religion includes doing things that are not a

“requirement of the faith”, and that they are therefore protected by human rights. They say that Christians are given less protection than members of other religions who have been granted special status for garments or symbols such as the Sikh turban and kara bracelet, or the Muslim hijab. Last year it emerged that Mrs Eweida, a British Airways worker, and Mrs Chaplin, a nurse, had taken their fight to the European Court in Strasbourg after both faced disciplinary action for wearing a cross at work. Mrs Eweida’s case dates from 2006 when she was suspended for refusing to take off the cross which her employers claimed breached BA’s uniform code. The 61 year-old, from Twickenham, is a Coptic Christian who argued that BA allowed members of other faiths to wear religious garments and symbols. BA later changed its uniform policy but Mrs Eweida lost her challenge against an earlier employment tribunal decision at the Court of Appeal and in May 2010 was refused permission to go to the Supreme Court. Mrs Chaplin, 56, from Exeter, was barred from working on wards by Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust after she refused to hide the cross she wore on a necklace chain, ending 31 years of nursing. The Government claims the two women’s application to the Strasbourg court is “manifestly ill-founded”. Its response states: “The Government submit that… the applicants’ wearing of a visible cross or crucifix was not a manifestation of their religion or belief within the meaning of Article 9, and…the restriction on the applicants' wearing of a visible cross or crucifix was not an ‘interference’ with their rights

protected by Article 9.” The response, prepared by the Foreign Office, adds: “In neither case is there any suggestion that the wearing of a visible cross or crucifix was a generally recognised form of practising the Christian faith, still less one that is regarded (including by the applicants themselves) as a requirement of the faith.” The Government has also set out its intention to oppose cases brought by two other Christians, including a former registrar who objected to conducting civil partnership ceremonies for homosexual couples. Lillian Ladele, who worked as a registrar for Islington council in north London for 17 years, said she was forced to resign in 2007 after being disciplined, and claimed she had been harassed over her beliefs. Gary McFarlane, a relationship counsellor, was sacked by Relate for refusing to give sex therapy to homosexual couples. Christian groups described the Government’s stance as “extraordinary”. Lord Carey said: “The reasoning is based on a wholly inappropriate judgment of matters of theology and worship about which they can claim no expertise. “The irony is that when governments and courts dictate to Christians that the cross is a matter of insignificance, it becomes an even more important symbol and expression of our faith.” The Strasbourg cases brought by Mrs Chaplin and Mr McFarlane are supported by the Christian Legal Centre which has instructed Paul Diamond, a leading human rights barrister. Judges in Strasbourg will next decide whether all four cases will progress to

100

full hearings. If they proceed, the cases will test how religious rights are balanced against equality laws designed to prohibit discrimination. Andrea Williams, the director of the Christian Legal Centre, said: “It is extraordinary that a Conservative government should argue that the wearing of a cross is not a generally recognised practice of the Christian faith. “In recent months the courts have refused to recognise the wearing of a cross, belief in marriage between a man and a woman and Sundays as a day of worship as ‘core’ expressions of the Christian faith. "What next? Will our courts overrule the Ten Commandments?” Growing anger among Christians will be highlighted today by Delia Smith, the television chef and practising Roman Catholic, who will issue a Lent appeal on behalf the Church’s charity, Cafod, accusing “militant neo-atheists and devout secularists” of “busting a gut to drive us off the radar and try to convince us that we hardly exist”. ICM Research interviewed an online sample of 2,001 adults between March 7 and March 9. Interviews were conducted across the country and results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9136191/Christians-have-no-right-to-wear-cross-at-w ork-says-Government.html

Replies to This Discussion Reply by Jennifer Burlock on March 11, 2012 at 19:02

101

To me it seems that this has become a very touchy subject, and one to watch and see what happens. I fear things are going to only get worse, and more political as the days go by. 路 Reply Reply by Persephone on March 11, 2012 at 19:12 Agreed, no doubt we all have our own stories and thoughts but wow what a subject. 路 Reply Reply by DEbbie Schnackenbeck on March 11, 2012 at 21:51 id say screw you im wearing it, and i wear my pentagram in my doctors office, and in any where else, i cant believe and european government wont let them i think its BS, people should do what they want where ever what country you are from. 路 Reply Reply by Candice Christiansen on March 11, 2012 at 21:58 So, Christians can't show their religious pride either? On the one hand, there's a nagging feeling in my head that wants to say "serves them right," on the other hand, it looks like the government is trying to say that no one can be different, everyone has to be the same or else. 路 Reply Reply by Qnuan on March 11, 2012 at 23:14

102

In light of that maybe different religions should come together and fight together on this matter, else I foresee we all will end up leaving our symbols of faith at home. 路 Reply Reply by Lillaine on March 12, 2012 at 0:07 What a switch christians being discriminated for wearing the cross!I guess the shoe is on the other foot.They have discriminated against other people wearing symbols of their religion for so long that , I just cant garner any smpathy for them.Since its not against a christians religion to NOT wear a cross,as it would be for a muslim woman to not wear her scarf I dont see why an employer cant tell them what the dress code is . 路 Reply Reply by Ziva on March 12, 2012 at 0:07 Another step towards us all becoming homogenized workbots...sickening. But on the other hand, anything that knocks the Christians out of the catbird seat does make me smile a bit. And, lets face it, the death cross is SO not the symbol Jesus would really want representing him. IMHO 路 Reply Reply by Qnuan on March 12, 2012 at 1:10 I agree with that! :-) 路 Reply

103

Reply by Purplefairywitch on March 18, 2012 at 17:08 Yeah, like Christ wants a reminder of what killed him. We also know that the cross is a pagan symbol of death. Hundreds of pagans were killed this way long before Christianity came around and during the time of Christ. Nailing someone to a cross was a pagan punishment meant to send a message. Don't mess with us. 路 Reply Reply by Quasizoid, SFW on March 12, 2012 at 0:13 The DailyTelegraph is a socialist boulevard newspaper that likes to pull this kind of subliminal controversy mongering. They are also anti-EU. The truth is countries like England and Holland have had constant constitutional issues with the growing Muslim population and the nanny state handling of religious freedom of expression. The failure to define the limits of religious authority especially where Sharija laws are concerned, has turned a blind eye to fanatical religious groups openly harassing the public (and believe me it's gotten really bad there). Needless to say, when your average Christian reads this article they're bound to feel quite betrayed by the conservative government. As far as Christians are concerned in those countries, there's two stories there as well; namely it has allowed such fanatics as the Jesus Army to openly harass people on the streets, usually in front of pagan and esoterica shops. These countries are old monarchic constitutions in which the church has say in the affairs in the state, and have not yet fully adapted to the EU outlines on such matters, so rather than dirty their hands, have left it to the EU courts to decide. You'll notice, however, that the British news media will say very little, if anything, of the ongoing Muslim riots, descration of churches, or violent attacks on women in their areas.

104

路 Reply

Reply by Silvershoe (!) B.W. on March 12, 2012 at 1:01 There are various symbols that are misconstrued as a Symbol of faith. the most controversial is the Burka then the hijab. they are not symbols of faith. and is not mentioned anywhere in the Koran. Just as the bible does mention a womans head must be covered which is a symbol of faith and actually has a requirement. yet when people go into various shops, and other places. the Hoodies scarf, cap or motorcyle helmet has to be taken off. Personally i have no care whether someone has to have an object of support of their faith. A Cross means just as much to me as a Pentagram and various or Objects of decoration. I have no need of trinkets to advertise My Belief nor have any need for those that take extreme measures To water down the Human rights. there is a big difference between the Various religious organisations worldwide that incarcerate,injure and Kill to suppress human rights If your faith requires you to advertise what you are then that faith is just another form of suppression. what right to life does the wearing of any form of religious icons affect. should we then also Ban anyone from having a lion rampant on their national flag because it promotes christianity. or a pentagram because it promotes Devil worship(unless you believe in

105

devine intervention and devils cannot pass) Many folk have watched too many movies where a symbol means something. If i was there i would go to work with a bigger Cross saying its a Symbol of my faith and guarantees against attack by demonic spirits as does the vesica pisces or the triple concentric circle. what about the heathen or a hindu wearing a Swastika does that mean thier human rights have been suppressed all this time. And agreeing with Quasi when the beltane Fire festival proccession in Edinburgh is on they dont show the Christians with their banners screaming go home, you will burn in hell, jesus saves, nor when a pagan procession happens in Glastonbury where Salt is thrown to get rid of the unpure. 路 Reply

Reply by Purplefairywitch on March 18, 2012 at 17:10 I wear a pentacle around my neck but under my shirt. I don't know about some people like Laurie Cabot and her gang but I don't need to show off my pentacle to prove that I'm pagan. I like it hidden and out of sight. It's suppose to be a protection charm and your not protected that well if witch haters see it.

Reply by DEbbie Schnackenbeck on March 19, 2012 at 15:28 I would never hide my pentacle from anyone, i wear it everyday, i w2ouldnt care what people thought of me being pagan, if your friends cant understand that then they got a problem, I would never hide it from anyone at all, geez

106

· Reply Reply by Bliden on March 19, 2012 at 15:39 One never has to hide who they are and as some of us believe that jewelery doesnt make one witch or otherwise its who we are on the inside that matters most. Its a choice. I wear a pentacle and know I dont need it so to me whether its inside or outside my clothes is irrelevant. I know it doesnt define me so in the regards of friends, yes you are absolutely right. if they cant understand its their problem not yours, but as far as strangers goes? Well that can be a different story. · Reply

Reply by Christopher Stewart on March 12, 2012 at 2:42 won't stop them from « thinking Christian » so what's the point ? the separation of church and state is a nice idea in theory, but in practice, people have their faith anyhow... and it informs their decisions, whether consciously or not... faith cannot be controlled... unless means such as brainwashing are evoked, thus maybe... but then again, i bet it eventually grows back afterwards... three cheers to the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind... ;o) · Reply

Reply by Quasizoid, SFW on March 12, 2012 at 5:52

107

It's already constitution in Germany, since decades now, stating clearly that no religious institution has the right of political authority over anyone, and that how one chooses to evolve one's beliefs and ethics is the democratic right of individual, provided it or the group involved does not violate the criminal code. In essence, no proselytizing on the streets or door to door. Those that were baptized and wish to rescind it can make an official application at the local council office. 路 Reply

Reply by Christopher Stewart on March 13, 2012 at 8:22 thanks for the information, but i believe you miss the point... and the point is : no matter what the laws say, in practice, people get to know their beliefs as they get to know themselves... it cannot be controlled because it cannot be helped... when enough people realize that such laws restrict their freedom of expression, and thus their freedom of conscience, then the laws will change... interaction between people of different faiths is part of the natural process through which everyone grows, and through which the light that is at the core of our beings reaches everywhere... thus, trying to keep people from expressing their faith is bound to fail eventually, as that essential light will find other ways to achieve its loving function... in other words, if tolerance is among the quality we are impelled to earn, then attempting to hide our differences can only delay the process, which will necessarily culminate into the realization of the futility of the restrictions...

108

路 Reply

Reply by Qnuan on March 13, 2012 at 11:51 :-) I like that, and I think that is the point, Steward. People always want to control everything, and control it to please them so they can be more comfortable with what's familiar to them. If anyone has to do ill deeds to promote their beliefs, it means there is a flaw in the person. The belief maybe fine, but this is an indication that the person does not yet understand or care for his belief. If anyone holds their belief is supreme, why so aggressive, why fear, why hate. Let your god or belief work for you; a good faith doesn't need defending from an (apparently) weaker faith. For Christians Love is rule number one, yet it seem their so often diverted by other considerations. 路 Reply Reply by Christopher Stewart on March 15, 2012 at 1:40 :-) I like that, and I think that is the point, Steward. thank you, but Stewart with a 芦 t 禄 please... ;o) If anyone has to do ill deeds to promote their beliefs, it means there is a flaw in the person (...) For Christians Love is rule number one, yet it seem their so often diverted by other considerations. i suggest that it's simply because everyone is evolving on their own path... in other words, i believe it is a mistake to assume that, if someone claim to be of such and such faith, then it means they must be master at it, and that they must always behave according to its principles... the actuality of things simply

109

has to have more shades of grey than this... more likely, everybody is learning, no matter which path they are on... everybody makes mistakes, Christians included, and thus everybody can be forgiven for being human, Christians included... from my own experience, i can testify that remaining constantly on the mark is a particularly demanding exercise... thus, i can understand how others might have difficulty with it too... 路 Reply Reply by Quasizoid, SFW on March 13, 2012 at 11:54 Sorry but my rose-tinted shades kinda turned black after I saw how people like Scientology and the Solar Temple made use of their freedom of expression and tolerance. Aside from that, we are 738,523,843 people packed in a space a third the size of your country. If we didn't have restrictions, I'd be living in a bunker right now. As the saying goes, good fences make good neighbours. 路 Reply Reply by Christopher Stewart on March 15, 2012 at 2:22 Sorry but my rose-tinted shades kinda turned black after I saw how people like Scientology and the Solar Temple made use of their freedom of expression and tolerance. i believe it is pretty obvious that the abuses of some don't justify restrictions for the whole... with that kind of logic, all forms of self-expression should be prevented because they could be used as channels for bad influence, and also,

110

as i am sure you know, because there are some who seem to derive pleasure from being systematically antagonistic to others, no matter how well-intended they might be... yet, stars keep shining and black holes constantly attract light... it seems to be an unavoidable part of nature... and might i respectfully suggest that no one but yourself forces you to keep shades, of any tint, on ? If we didn't have restrictions, I'd be living in a bunker right now. As the saying goes, good fences make good neighbours. some also say, we can only know of others what we know of ourselves... 路 Reply Reply by Quasizoid, SFW on March 15, 2012 at 3:05 Who said that self- expression should be prevented? I said it has its limits here, especially where the violation of personal privacy is concerned. That means, for instance, the JWs can stand on the streets holding their issues of Watchtower but are not allowed to approach and preach at you, nor do the door to door thing, or telephone promotions. In much of Canada I noticed this is not the case, always some idiot in street or malls trying push some kind of nonsense at you. As for my tinted shades, they fell off at the age of 14 in communist Prague, 1968, thank you. 路 Reply Reply by Purplefairywitch on March 18, 2012 at 17:11

111

Wish I lived in Germany. 路 Reply Reply by Wyrdy on March 12, 2012 at 5:50 Maybe the Xians should turn the other cheek like the meek should always do.

To view the rest of the cooments or to leave your own please vist http://pathsofpaganunderworld.com/forum/topics/christians-have-no-right-to-wear-cross-at-wo rk-says-european-gove?id=3359215%3ATopic%3A445890&page=1#comments

Letters From The Earth by: Mark Twain (1909)

112

The Creator sat upon the throne, thinking. Behind him stretched the illimitable continent of heaven, steeped in a glory of light and color; before him rose the black night of Space, like a wall. His mighty bulk towered rugged and mountain-like into the zenith, and His divine head blazed there like a distant sun. At His feet stood three colossal figures, diminished to extinction, almost, by contrast -- archangels -- their heads level with His ankle-bone. When the Creator had finished thinking, He said, "I have thought. Behold!" He lifted His hand, and from it burst a fountain-spray of fire, a million stupendous suns, which clove the blackness and soared, away and away and away, diminishing in magnitude and intensity as they pierced the far frontiers of Space, until at last they were but as diamond nailheads sparkling under the domed vast roof of the universe. At the end of an hour the Grand Council was dismissed. They left the Presence impressed and thoughtful, and retired to a private place, where they might talk with freedom. None of the three seemed to want to begin, though all wanted somebody to do it. Each was burning to discuss the great event, but would prefer not to commit himself till he should know how the others regarded it. So there was some aimless and halting conversation about matters of no consequence, and this dragged tediously along, arriving nowhere, until at last the archangel Satan gathered his courage together -- of which he had a very good supply -- and broke ground. He said: "We know what we are here to talk about, my lords, and we may as well put pretense aside, and begin. If this is the opinion of the Council -- " "It is, it is!" said Gabriel and Michael, gratefully interrupting. "Very well, then, let us proceed. We have witnessed a wonderful thing; as to that, we are necessarily agreed. As to the value of it -- if it has any -- that is a

113

matter which does not personally concern us. We can have as many opinions about it as we like, and that is our limit. We have no vote. I think Space was well enough, just as it was, and useful, too. Cold and dark -- a restful place, now and then, after a season of the overdelicate climate and trying splendors of heaven. But these are details of no considerable moment; the new feature, the immense feature, is -- what, gentlemen?" "The invention and introduction of automatic, unsupervised, self-regulating law for the government of those myriads of whirling and racing suns and worlds!" "That is it!" said Satan. "You perceive that it is a stupendous idea. Nothing approaching it has been evolved from the Master Intellect before. Law -Automatic Law -- exact and unvarying Law -- requiring no watching, no correcting, no readjusting while the eternities endure! He said those countless vast bodies would plunge through the wastes of Space ages and ages, at unimaginable speed, around stupendous orbits, yet never collide, and never lengthen nor shorten their orbital periods by so much as the hundredth part of a second in two thousand years! That is the new miracle, and the greatest of all -- Automatic Law! And He gave it a name -- the LAW OF NATURE -- and said Natural Law is the LAW OF GOD -- interchangeable names for one and the same thing." "Yes," said Michael, "and He said He would establish Natural Law -- the Law of God -- throughout His dominions, and its authority should be supreme and inviolable." "Also," said Gabriel, "He said He would by and by create animals, and place them, likewise, under the authority of that Law." "Yes," said Satan, "I heard Him, but did not understand. What is animals, Gabriel?"

114

"Ah, how should I know? How should any of us know? It is a new word." [Interval of three centuries, celestial time -- the equivalent of a hundred million years, earthly time. Enter a Messenger-Angel.] "My lords, He is making animals. Will it please you to come and see?" They went, they saw, and were perplexed. Deeply perplexed -- and the Creator noticed it, and said, "Ask. I will answer." "Divine One," said Satan, making obeisance, "what are they for?" "They are an experiment in Morals and Conduct. Observe them, and be instructed." There were thousands of them. They were full of activities. Busy, all busy -mainly in persecuting each other. Satan remarked -- after examining one of them through a powerful microscope: "This large beast is killing weaker animals, Divine One." "The tiger -- yes. The law of his nature is ferocity. The law of his nature is the Law of God. He cannot disobey it." "Then in obeying it he commits no offense, Divine One?" "No, he is blameless." "This other creature, here, is timid, Divine One, and suffers death without resisting." "The rabbit -- yes. He is without courage. It is the law of his nature -- the Law

115

of God. He must obey it." "Then he cannot honorably be required to go counter to his nature and resist, Divine One?" "No. No creature can be honorably required to go counter to the law of his nature -- the Law of God." After a long time and many questions, Satan said, "The spider kills the fly, and eats it; the bird kills the spider and eats it; the wildcat kills the goose; the -well, they all kill each other. It is murder all along the line. Here are countless multitudes of creatures, and they all kill, kill, kill, they are all murderers. And they are not to blame, Divine One?" "They are not to blame. It is the law of their nature. And always the law of nature is the Law of God. Now -- observe -- behold! A new creature -- and the masterpiece -- Man!" Men, women, children, they came swarming in flocks, in droves, in millions. "What shall you do with them, Divine One?" "Put into each individual, in differing shades and degrees, all the various Moral Qualities, in mass, that have been distributed, a single distinguishing characteristic at a time, among the nonspeaking animal world -- courage, cowardice, ferocity, gentleness, fairness, justice, cunning, treachery, magnanimity, cruelty, malice, malignity, lust, mercy, pity, purity, selfishness, sweetness, honor, love, hate, baseness, nobility, loyalty, falsity, veracity, untruthfulness -- each human being shall have all of these in him, and they will constitute his nature. In some, there will be high and fine characteristics which will submerge the evil ones, and those will be called good men; in others the evil characteristics will have dominion, and those will be called bad

116

men. Observe -- behold -- they vanish!" "Whither are they gone, Divine One?" "To the earth -- they and all their fellow animals." "What is the earth?" "A small globe I made, a time, two times and a half ago. You saw it, but did not notice it in the explosion of worlds and suns that sprayed from my hand. Man is an experiment, the other animals are another experiment. Time will show whether they were worth the trouble. The exhibition is over; you may take your leave, my lords." Several days passed by. This stands for a long stretch of (our) time, since in heaven a day is as a thousand years. Satan had been making admiring remarks about certain of the Creator's sparkling industries -- remarks which, being read between the lines, were sarcasms. He had made them confidentially to his safe friends the other archangels, but they had been overheard by some ordinary angels and reported at Headquarters. He was ordered into banishment for a day -- the celestial day. It was a punishment he was used to, on account of his too flexible tongue. Formerly he had been deported into Space, there being nowhither else to send him, and had flapped tediously around there in the eternal night and the Arctic chill; but now it occurred to him to push on and hunt up the earth and see how the Human-Race experiment was coming along.

117

By and by he wrote home -- very privately -- to St. Michael and St. Gabriel about it. [ Don't be upset if you find the need to re-read this post several times to get the full meaning and symbolism in it ... I know I did! ] POSSIBLE TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION: What do you figure was Mark Twain's motivation or reason for writing this manuscript so late in his life? Twain seems to portray the Archangels, Gabriel and Michael, as weak, timid, and even benign. Yet he portrays Satan, not as being Evil, but as child-like and mischievous. Why? What is "Automatic Law"? What is the "nature" of Man?

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> For those of you who do not like to read, or like me who can not read, I have taken the liberty to post "reading" videos from YouTube. However, there is an inherant problem with this idea: The videos are exactly 10 minutes in length and therefore do not follow the Letter's format. Some videos stop short of completing a letter and others go well beyond and into the next letter. Because of this problem, I will post the videos ONLY after the corresponding letter is complete. Some letters will have NO video, while others may have one or even two or more. The videos are being narrated by Larry Gott (largo64), a self-proclaimed and died-in-the-wool Atheist! Please keep this point in mind should Larry ever interject his own opinions or slant into his readings.

118

Find more videos like this on WETS WORLD

Replies to This Discussion Reply by sweet dark angel on March 1, 2012 at 9:25am Hmm, I like, in pondering existence, and the why of it all. However, a great giant man in the sky isn't quite what comes to mine when i think of the Creator :) However The idea of life on earth being an experiment of sorts, is fascinating to me. The archangels being timid and benign isn't so much what comes to mind with me as being respectful, as if students to a teacher. The way Satan is portrayed reminds me of the same, but a student with more potential, as he dares to speak up and ask questions. I don't see him being mischievous really, but simply as having his own mind and the ability to think and act without fear. Ok, he might learn a thing or two of respect from the other two archangels, but I believe he has perhaps the ability to be more of a leader than the other two. Automatic Law is basically, the nature we are born with inside, knowing right from wrong etc, and acting on instinct. Instinct to survive, to eat, to thirst, to feel etc. Nature of man, is those aspects of ourselves that make each of us individuals some more stubborn than others, or selfish, or caring and loving. We are not all exactly the same, our Natures are different. Reply by Wet Sensations on March 1, 2012 at 12:19pm If you enjoy pondering the reasons for our existence on this rock and why we are here, then you will greatly enjoy the remainder of Twain's manuscript! You mention that your vision of the Creator as being a "great giant Man" is different from Mark Twain's depiction yet you fail to explain what your vision is. Let us know how you perceive the Creator to be.

119

Your metaphor of a student vs. teacher relationship is interesting indeed. Yet does not the same thing apply to a parent teaching a child? Being the supreme Creator, is it not safe to assume He "created" the archangels? In numerous texts, and Scriptures, God presumably refers to his creations as "His children". Would it be safe to assume that these were the early beginnings of home-schooling? LoL As a teacher, the Creator had no Principals Office to which He could send his unruly students but as a parent He could sent them to their rooms without supper - or in this case, to be "... deported into Space, there being nowhither else to send (them) ...". Though we seem to be in agreement that Mark Twain could not have made a better choice than Stan to deliver his letters back to Heaven. To use either of the two archangels would have made for some rather dull and dreary reading - who wants to read about a couple of "Yes-Angels" anyway? Yet here is where we fail to agree: You seem to think of Satan "... as being respectful, as if students to a teacher. The way Satan is portrayed reminds me of the same." In the presence of authority, the Creator, I would concur with you. But behind the Creator's back, Satan is anything but respectful! Twain noted that Satan had a "split tongue" - or in the vernacular of the American Indian, a "forked tongue" meaning that he could not be trusted; that he was prone to saying one thing to your face and something entirely different behind your back. You go on to state that "... I don't see him (Satan) being mischievous really, but simply as having his own mind and the ability to think and act without fear ...". That is true, Satan displays no fear - except in the presence of the Creator. Fear is a good thing, it helps to make us who we are and is a basic instinct to which our bodies and our minds are finely tuned. Without fear in the world there would be total chaos! I fear that if I drive drunk I may not make it home and I also fear that if I spend more time on this response I may

120

get nothing more accomplished today. LoL Fear is what keeps Society in line, fear is what teachers use to motivate students and what parents attempt to instill in our children. :Fearless" children are often banished for a Celestial Day (a thousand years) to the Arctic cold and darkness of the outer reaches of the Universe (their bedrooms). If Satan has no fear, then it goes to follow he has little respect! That is portrayed by the fact that he has been banished, time and time again, to the outer reaches of the Universe. It may have been his lack of fear that caused Satan to be disrespectful and sarcastic towards the Vreators newest inventions. In closing, "Automatic Law" and the "Law of Nature" may be similar but are not one and the same ting. Whereupon lies the difference? Reply by sweet dark angel on March 1, 2012 at 12:41pm not saying fear is bad necessarily, but it does sometimes stunt our growth intellectually, or even spiritually, if we are too afraid to ask questions, or to speak up such as in this discussion, than how shall we benefit and learn? It has its benefits and shortcomings of course, as nearly everything has a positive and negative aspect to it, including man, energies around us, and all of existence, oops im jumping into a new subject, sorry hehe, and to clarify i did state Satan could learn a thing or two of respect from the other two archangels, however, I thought of him as a better student because of his willingness to question and talk things out, which the other angels were to afraid to do... Reply by Wet Sensations on March 1, 2012 at 3:40pm There is no doubt that 'fear' is a two-edged sword! It not only do we fear the unknown and that which we do not understand, but also fear repercussions from society and those who govern us or have control over us. Yet fear is why er strive to succeed and progress, the fear of being thought of as "stupid"

121

propels our intellect, and the "fear" of being wrong is what makes us question our judgement, surroundings and Universe. Besides, fear is what keeps us from jumping off tall buildings! LoL I sense that Satan fears little, including the wrath of his Creator. Though I concur that Satan, under normal circumstances, would be a better student by questioning everything. But let us take a closer look ... at his MOTIVES! Be it animal or vegetable, no living thing does anything without a motive! Plants strive for sunlight and moisture to stay alive and produce seeds to propane their species. Animals do much of the same. You might call it "instinct" but nonetheless they are still motives. Now let's take a closer look at what we may perceive to be Satan's motives: Do you perceive Satan's willingness to ask questions due to a motive to better himself? ...to expand his horizons? ...to become more knowledgeable? ...to be a better student? In many regards, he is asking questions to which he himself already knows the answers. Satan used his two tongues to intimidate his fellow archangels into discussing the Creator's latest inventions. Not to gain foresight and expand his knowledge but to be afforded yet another opportunity for him to be sarcastic abut it. Sarcasm, which when reported back to Headquarters, caused him once again to be banished for yet another Celestial Day. He had been banished so many time he obviously no longer feared it. Satan's need to question the Creator, I surmise, was not out of the need to beccome a better student, but the motivation to gain more control. Much like the small unruly and mischievous child who responds to everything you say with the well-worn response of "but why?", they realize that sooner or latter they will, no doubt, experience your wrath .... but they fear not!

122

Reply by randy degonia on March 3, 2012 at 2:44pm but but not into hell but into space yes i see what you mean not hell yet but just space right right Reply by randy degonia on March 2, 2012 at 5:03pm well this could be a hard groupi just hope nobody gets mad i keep a open mind about things myself but to me satan job is not so much to be astudent like he is acting to be and asking questions satans job is to put dought in our minds that a creator which i call god one god and he will always be there trying to create dought he even goes to chruch and is right beside you all the time trying to make you not believe that god created the animals and us all for a reason but our main reason i feel god created us was to serve him and also to see if we could really do what he wanted us to do which really wasnt that hard in the beginning but even eve with a lil thing about the apple couldnt obey him that long she was told dont eat the apple can you imagine how great it would have been if that apple was never eaten i myself have no dought where i came from i didnt come from a ape im a decindent of adam and eve we all are but if your not abeliever ill repect that but i myself have felt gods sprit i have no dought he is real but to ponder now i dont or am not sure here thats what mark twain was talking about i will need to read this a bit more before i can really say what he was speaking of but it seems hes speaking alot of the power of the stronger one over the other wheather it be animal or human but i will reread it several times before i can really say for sure this is a lil harder then i thought it be im amazed i never even knew he wrote these things im reading i really didnt its really cool to read that and try to figure it out you all might be teaching me what hes saying before its over im just a lil old 9 grade drop out so i guess i really did miss out on alot i should of been studying but now im here to learn so teach me people im not a snob im here free willing to see what others feel about this to i just hope we dont argue about this i wont im here to seek knowedge about this its really fasanating ty for inviting me i will be

123

checking this out more Reply by Wet Sensations on March 3, 2012 at 1:24pm I doubt, Randy, that there is anyone in our Group who would feel offended enough by discussing Mark Twain to start a war or get angry over it. After all, it is only one man's opinion - right or wrong, as some of us may perceive it to be. However, YOU my friend, have brought to light an interesting and important point to ponder. That being, that Satan is attempting to cast doubt not only upon the Creator's newest inventions but upon the Creator Himself. After all, religion truly IS a "belief" system. Science can neither prove nor disprove the existence of God, or of Heaven, or even of Hell. It is what each of us chooses to "believe". It makes sense that Satan's prime directive is to cause dis-belief and spread doubt. But why did he attempt it in the presence of the Creator and risk his wrath? Would it not have been simpler, and safer, for Satan to claim he dis-believed the Creators inventions in PRIVATE to the other archangels? The end result would have been the same to the reader of the story. Interesting ........... Reply by randy degonia on March 3, 2012 at 2:27pm well number 1 he cant hide anything from god as healready knows whats hes thinking even before he thinks it so it wouldnt do any good to hide it plus he knows what more can god do to me hes already cast me into hell heck what can be worse is he going to send me to a chuckie cheese party with no booze lmbo hmm even i like that lol but now thats me i believe he knows it before we even think it you know what i mean but yes do watch me i will get a headof myself lol im so surprised to read this story that he wrote im really finding it interesting i wish my friend linnie from kennysworld of rock 2 washere shes a book reading nut she would love this group ill have to tell her about it i had a

124

book group in my old site this is like a book club i like it ok well when i get more time ill read more to see what i can figure out but till we get the next part i dont at least not yet see where we can go much farther yet ty bro enjoying the group Reply by randy degonia on March 3, 2012 at 2:28pm opps no no he hasnt been bamished yet im sorry getting a head again lol sorry Reply by randy degonia on March 3, 2012 at 2:38pm no wait wet it does say here he was bandished so many times he just wasnt worried about ewhat he could do to him so see i was right he was bandished then Reply by Wet Sensations on March 3, 2012 at 10:04pm Well Tandy that is both right and wrong the Creator bannished Satan for a DAY (one thousand Earth years) according to Twain but he was still an archangel and had his wings it is like you dending your unruly son to is room for an hour he can come out an hour later and does not have to spend eternity there it isn;t until much later in the story that the Creator bannishes Satan from Heaven FOR EVER Reply by randy degonia on March 3, 2012 at 2:40pm see likeit said here i show you where i got thatSatan used his two tongues to intimidate his fellow archangels into discussing the Creator's latest inventions. Not to gain foresight and expand his knowledge but to be afforded yet another opportunity for him to be sarcastic abut it. Sarcasm, which when reported back to Headquarters, caused him once again to be banished for yet another Celestial Day. He had been banished so many time he obviously no longer

125

feared it

Reply by Wet Sensations on March 3, 2012 at 10:07pm ..... now you got it! :) Reply by randy degonia on March 3, 2012 at 2:41pm so there for he just no longer feared being punished Reply by Wet Sensations on March 3, 2012 at 10:08pm it seems that way he had been punished so many times before that it no longer botherd him Reply by randy degonia on March 2, 2012 at 5:12pm i so agree wet thats it satan has that spit tongue hes only there to confuse you that is his job but ibn fact at one time satan was one of gods angels who he kicked out of heaven and he will get control of earth for a short time but only because gods allowing it or it would never happen and in the end he will put satan back in his place well ill say more i want to reread this a lil more before i go on and also read what others have to say also Reply by Wet Sensations on March 3, 2012 at 1:38pm You might be getting a bit ahead of yourself, Randy. In this part of the text, Satan till IS an archangel - God has not yet bannished him out of Heaven for eternity. This can be read in the first paragraph where Twain wrote: " "At His feet stood three colossal figures, diminished to extinction, almost, by

126

contrast -- archangels -- " Reply by randy degonia on March 3, 2012 at 2:46pm yeah i reread it not banndised into hell but he was into space im sorry we both saw it different well i did lol Reply by Wet Sensations on March 3, 2012 at 10:10pm Not a problem Randy that is why I suggest to people to re-read it and then go back and read it some more ....lol Reply by randy degonia on March 2, 2012 at 5:57pm and oh yes for sure satan is a very cunning one he knows more then he puts on he's not stupid hes' acting like it to seek more plus to be the leader if he can and to put doubt in your mind make you go hmm could he be right that's where he wants you oh yes he's very smart never underestimate satan he knows just what he's doing he is setting the trap he will even let you think it was you who came up with the but what if or why questions o he can put the doubt in your mind his idea to start with you aren't in control he is if we let him be that's why we must stay on guard satan didn't get to the power he has because he is stupid he never was but yes god created the animals where one could eat the other so they could service such as we do we must eat to survive so we eat the animals that we are able to kill same as the animals kill the weaker ones to eat so they may survive so here we do know that's part of it we are in that food chain with the animals and of course we want them on the lower end not us to be on the menu i hope not i don't want to be a tigers lunch but that is simply survival there in that case now to figure where it goes from that so i guess i've got that far if im following right lol so your turn im out till i study a lil more

127

Reply by sweet dark angel on March 3, 2012 at 9:45am just wanted to clarify something... not saying satan is good, to be honest, i don't believe in him, though I do believe in our Creator, I was just going off of the short passage I read, as if pretend the name wasn't Satan at all, but Fred, ya, can we call him Fred for a moment? Fred was asking more questions Than the other two students, this passage in the story did seem to be an experiment of sorts, like in a classroom, thats all I was saying... Peace ;) Reply by Wet Sensations on March 3, 2012 at 12:28pm Hmmmm, interesting theory. But if you don't believe in "Fred" then you must not believe in Evil. It would follow then that Good has no one to fight with. Evil does seem to exist as it is all around us and in the world nearly every day. Even the Creator stated that there were 'Good Men' and 'Bad Men" and that was their Nature. The question remains, which one is "Fred"? Yes, i must agree that Fred was a more diligent "student" when compared to the others yet I still can not refrain from questioning his motives. This has, no doubt, been a very stimulating discussion. But let us see what twists and turns develop as we post more "Letters From the Earth" back to Heaven ....... Reply by sweet dark angel on March 3, 2012 at 1:00pm i believe good and bad, positive and negative exist in all things, even the creator, i don't feel the need to attach it to a separate entity as it is part of all things.... I believe in duality, and that without it there would be no balance, we need negative to see what is positive darkness to see the light... I believe The creator Is Both Male and Female, and made us in his image. I believe the original story has been changed over the ages, as we discussed the other day

128

bruce, into different versions, with opinions inserted in by those rewriting and translating, parts left out, etc.... Reply by sweet dark angel on March 3, 2012 at 1:01pm the negative in the creator being his wrath...Anger, oh wait, isn't that one of the seven deadly sins?? just a thought....

To view more of the comments or to add a comment please visit here and follow this discussion in all it's up coming chapters http://wetsworld.ning.com/group/letters-from-the-earth/forum/topics/letter-i-prologue

129

Herbalism for the HedgeWitch by Bliden

These two Ancient healing arts compliment each other, both in methodology and origin. They both rely on nature, specifically plants and sound vibrations for healing. In ancient times individuals that practiced Hedge craft and Herbalism were revered, and often sought after for medical, and spiritual relief. Names given to such a practitioner would be Shaman, Medicine Man, Mystic Healer, Witch, Wizard, and/or Wise Man/Woman. One who practices Hedge craft today is known as a Hedge witch, and one who practices Herbalism is called an Herbalist. Hedge is often thought of as the ‘edge’ or border of something, which is proper for the practice, due to the fact that the “Hedger” will be using eclectic means to heal, which are beyond the normal boundaries of western medicine.

130

For instance one of the methods of the Hedge witch would be a constant drumming that induces altered states that are required for the healing, which can sometimes open the door as to speak to other realms or possibilities beyond the Hedge or borderline of reality, which is known as “crossing the Hedge.” This type of magical healing also has an earth based center through Herbalism, Which is another reason why they both compliment each other. The shaman based Hedge craft can take you to new heights spiritually and renew life force energy. Herbalism can help cleanse your bodies system and help ground you in preparation, during, and after a Hedge witch has worked on you. Guided by the spirits of nature most Hedge witches choose to use Herbalism in their practice, but not all will choose that path. Others choose to use mostly energy and symbols such as used in Reiki. The adept Hedge witch would probably agree that Herbalism is essential to energy practice, and the Hedger choosing against it, is definitely missing out. Plants in their own rite have been of use to mankind in the healing arts. A good Hedger will know plants so well they can spot a species in the wild. Sadly today there is a stigma on the word “witch” so there are not many men involved in the movement. Some things die hard, yet we have come a long way.

131

TIME ETERNAL By: Andrew

A burning fire, Full of Desire, As two lovers meet, Passion brims with a soft cry of entreat, To a rhythmic beat, As two souls join as one, Time becomes eternal, With each sensual touch, They slip further into bliss, And awakening their inner lust, Their hearts beat as one, With each pulsating kiss,

132

As they seek a new height of desire, Reaching for the heavens, There bodies start to quiver, As a flood of passion erupts, Their inner fire burns even hotter, For their love has become eternal, And sealed forever in time.

DREAMING OF A SHOOTING STAR By: Andrew

Dreaming of a full moon nite, And a warm soft gentle breeze, Embracing the one that I love, As the moon, & stars shine down a pawn us, Kindling our hearts & fueling our love, Just waiting for the first shooting star to make a wish, That this nite will last forever, & our love sealed for all eternity, With our kiss the heavens shine bright, The moon & stars illuminate us with there light, The inner glow within pulsates, as time stands still, The beat of our hearts is as one, Our breath is in harmony, As we look into each others eyes, We see our love reflected within each other,

133

And for the first time we see, That our souls are as one, Pulsating with each passionate kiss, I do not wish to let go, As tears start to glisten, & fall gently down, For I know soon I will awake, And my heart will yearn to be back in your arms, Wishing a pawn that shooting star, That this dream will become alive, And you'll be there in my arms with the moon & stars.

To Look Upon this World By: Andrew

As I walk within this world that seems to no longer care, I find myself lost and without hope once more, My heart is heavy, my soul weary, I feel empty once more, from a life lived in vain. People see something in me that I can no longer see, But I still hold on to what, I do not know, Driven by sorrow now, for that is all that remains, Just an empty vessel waiting for a time and place. Looking a pawn this world, you can still see those that care, Hidden from all, immersed in societies decay, Looking for those that will guide there way,

134

But also believing that they have been forgotten, We live in a time where life seems to have very little meaning, But yet it still has a future if we give it a chance, Doing what we can, here and there, Maybe in time our voices will be heard. Maybe this is what drives me each and every day, Or maybe it is just what was meant for me to be, In the end, what can be said, It's time that we live by a new creed & seize the moment that is before us. Look upon those around you, Those like you and me, for they feel the same & are just as lost, Be the messenger of hope & faith, And give them a future dream, for all is not lost as long as there are a few of us that care. Now is the time Don't lets this moment pass you by, It is our world that needs us now, So live by this and seize the day.... CARPERE DIEM!!!

135

Norse Stories Retold from the Eddas chapters I & II by Hamilton Wright Mabie

CHAPTER I THE MAKING OF THE WORLD [1] E IGHT hundred years ago, when the galleys of the bold Norsemen were scudding through storm and mist far into the unknown western seas, or, in the soft summer of the Mediterranean, riding at anchor in the ports of Italy and Northern Africa, the old stories of the battles of the gods and the giants

136

that had been repeated for hundreds of years by Norse firesides in the long winter evenings were brought together by Saemund the Wise in Iceland, and were known henceforth as the Elder [2] Edda; and a hundred years later Snorre Sturleson retold the same old stories, with others equally marvellous, in the Younger Edda. These ancient books, which a brave and noble race carried in its heart through all its wide wanderings and conquests, take one back to the beginning of time, and tell of the birth of the worlds and the coming of the gods to rule over them. Norway faces the sea with a line of cliffs so massive that their foundations seem everlasting. Islands without number rise out of the tossing waves; the deep, tranquil waters of the fjords, overhung with fir-covered mountains, and bright at night with the quenchless splendour of the stars, flow through narrow channels to the outer ocean; and against the sky great mountains stand vast and im- [3] movable, as if from eternity to eternity. No Norseman, steering his adventurous galley along these rocky shores, seeing, perhaps, the mighty rush of the polar seas against the North Cape, and hearing the long reverberation of Thor's hammer roll from mountain peak to mountain peak, would have believed that these things had not been as he saw them from the very beginning, if the Eddas, wiser than any wisdom of man, had not told him of a time when even the gods had not begun to live, and in the vast space where no worlds hung and no heavens shone there was nothing but the unseen spirit of the great All-father, solitary and silent in the depths. Not even the Eddas are able to reveal his thoughts or to describe his life in the awful solitariness of a si- [4] lent universe; they can only declare that in his own good time he began to build the worlds, and far in the north Niflheim rose out of the depths, the land of eternal winter wrapped in fogs and mists, and far in the south Muspelheim, the land of quenchless fire, glowing with unspeakable heat and overhung with clouds and fiery sparks, in the midst of whose blinding heat and light sat Surt, guarding the kingdom of fire with a flaming sword. Between the land of ice and the land of fire yawned the

137

bottomless abyss, Ginungagap, black and fathomless, and into it the rivers of Niflheim poured with soundless fury, and as the icy streams fell into the darkness they congealed and hung in great masses from the northern edges of the abyss; and over the awful chasm and the silent cataracts [5] icy fogs gathered and bitter winds swept. Against the whirling snows and shifting fogs of Niflheim glowed the wandering flames and floating fires of Muspelheim, throwing broad beams of light far into the sunless abyss, and sending a wide glow through the drifting snow. Glittering sparks shot into the silent space above and floated far off towards the north like stars that had wandered from their courses; and as the icy mist met the burning heat in the upper air, it hung motionless for a brief moment and then fell drop by drop into the abyss, and there, out of heat and cold, fire and fog, in darkness and solitude, the giant Ymer grew into life. To give him food the cow Audhumbla was made, and as she stood nourishing the giant [6] with her milk, she licked the icy stones which were covered with salt, and straightway the head of a man began to take shape, grew larger, and on the third day the man stood upright, fair of face and mighty of stature; and his name was Bure. Now Bure had a son, whom he called Bor, and Bor, in turn, became the father of Odin, Vile, and Ve, the first of the gods. The giant Ymer also was the father of many children who were frost-giants and enemies of the gods. At last they fell upon him and slew him Ymer grew to such vast size, and was so full of evil, that Odin, Vile, and Ve could not live in peace with him, and at last they fell upon him, and slew him, and the blood poured in such torrents from his great body that all the giants, save Bergelmer and his wife, were drowned; these two alone [7] escaped on a chest, and from them the whole race of the frost-giants sprang. The gods dragged Ymer's body into the centre of the abyss, and there they fashioned the world out of it. They wrought with divine beauty and power, spreading out

138

the great plains, cutting the deep valleys through the hills, filling the wide seas and sending the waters far up into the deep fjords; and over all they stretched the bending heaven, and north, south, east, and west set a dwarf to keep it in place; and they caught the great sparks that floated out of Muspelheim and set them in the sky, until the splendour of the stars shone over the whole earth. Around the world lay the deep sea, an endless circle of waters, and beyond it were the dreary shores of Jotunheim, the home of the frost-giants. [8] To the giantess Night, and to her beautiful son Day, whose father was of their own number, the gods gave chariots and swift horses that they might ride through the sky once in every twenty-four hours. Night drove first behind the fleet Hrimfaxe, and as she ended her course at dawn bedewed the waiting earth with drops from his bit; Day flew swiftly after his dusky mother, the shining mane of his horse, Skinfaxe, filling the heavens with light. There was also one Mundilfare, who had a son and daughter of such exceeding beauty that he called the one Maane, or Moon, and the other Sol, or Sun; and the gods were so angry at his daring that they set the one to guide the Sun and the other the Moon in their daily courses around the world. So day and night, [9] summer and winter, seed-time and harvest, were established. In the very centre of the earth rose a lofty mountain, and on the top of it was the beautiful plain of Ida, overlooking all lands and seas. Here the gods came when their work was done, and looked upon all that they had made and saw that it was fair; the earth, green and fruitful, blossomed at their feet, and the heavens bent over them radiant with sun by day and filled with the soft splendour of moon and stars by night. And they chose the plain of Ida for their home, and built the shining city of Asgard. In the midst of it stood a hall of pure gold, whose walls were circled with the thrones of the twelve gods, and they called it Gladsheim. There was a noble hall for the goddesses also, and homes for all the [10] gods. They made ready a great smithy, and filled it with all manner of tools, anvils, hammers, and tongs, with which to forge the weapons that were to slay the giants and keep the world in order. From earth

139

to heaven they stretched Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, over which they passed and repassed in their journeyings. When the work was done, and Asgard shone like a beautiful cloud overhanging the world, there came a time so peaceful and happy that it was called the Age of Gold. The gods had endless sport in games of skill and strength on the plains of Ida, and day and night the fires blazed in the smithy, as, with wonderful skill, they fashioned all kinds of curious things. There was no care nor sorrow anywhere; no clouds [11] darkened the sun, no blights fell on the growing fields, no mighty tasks pressed on the hearts of the gods summoning them out of ease and pleasure to great enterprises and awful perils. At last the happy time came to an end, for one day the Norns, or fates, the three terrible sisters, Urd, Verdande, and Skuld, who determined the course of events and shaped the lives of things, took their abode at the foot of the tree Ygdrasil, and henceforth not even the gods were free from care. The earth was fruitful, but no one tilled its field or crossed its seas; the shouts of children at play and the ringing voices of the reapers and harvesters were never heard. So the gods took the earth-mould and out of it they made the dwarfs and set them to work in the veins of metal [12] and in dark caverns under ground. It happened also one day that Odin, HĹ&#x201C;ner, and Loder were walking together along the shore of the sea, and they came upon an ash and an elm, two beautiful trees, straight and symmetrical and crowned with foliage. Odin looked at them long, and a great thought came into his mind. "Out of these trees," he said at last, "let us make man to fill the earth and make it fruitful, and he shall be our child, and we will care for him." And out of the ash and the elm the first man and woman were made, and the gods called the man Ask and the woman Embla.

140

CHAPTER II GODS AND MEN [13] A GREAT many hundreds of years after the creation of the world, there ruled in Sweden a wise king whose name was Gylfe; and the wisdom of this king, like all wisdom, was in part knowledge and in larger part goodness. He knew how to give as well as how to receive. A wayfaring woman once found shelter at his hands, and, in return told him many wonderful stories; which so pleased the king that he gave her, as a reward, as much land as four oxen could plough in a day and a night. Now this woman was of the race of the gods and her name was Gefjun. She took four great oxen from Jotun- [14] heim, who were the offspring of a giant, and set them before the plough and drove them forth into the Land which the king had set apart for her. And the plough, being drawn by giants, cut so deep into the soil, that it tore away a great piece of land, and carried it into the sea to the west, and there left it. Gefjun called this new country which she had taken from the mainland, Seeland; and the place from which the land was taken was filled by the sea and formed a lake which is now called Logrinn. This was but the beginning of King Gylfe's acquaintance with the gods; for he was a seeker after wisdom and he who searches for wisdom must go to the gods to find it. He saw the wonderful things which the gods did and the marvellous ways in which their will was done in Asgard, [15] and upon the earth, and he thought much upon their power and wondered whence it came. He could not make up his mind whether these gods, of whom he had heard and whose mighty works he saw, were powerful by reason of the force in themselves, or whether they were made strong by other and greater gods. After thinking much about these things and finding that no man could answer the questions which he was continually asking himself, Gylfe assumed

141

the form of a very old man and made the long journey to Asgard, thinking to learn the secrets of the gods without letting them know who he was. The gods know all things, and they not only knew that the old man who one day came to Asgard was Gylfe, but they knew that he [16] was to make the journey long before he had so much as thought of it. They received him, however, as if they thought he was what he appeared to be, and he learned as much as he could understand; which is as much as a man ever learns. The gods have often visited men, but men have rarely visited the gods, and the King's coming to Asgard was the beginning of a new wisdom among men. No sooner did he enter the home of the gods than he found himself in a great hall, so high that he could hardly see over it. And the roof of this hall was thatched with shields of gold in place of shingles: Thinking thatchers Thatched the roof; The beams of the burg Beamed with gold. [17] When Gylfe came to the door of this great hall he saw a man playing with swords with such wonderful quickness and skill that he kept seven flashing in the air at one time. When this player with swords asked his name, the king speaking as an old man, answered that he was Ganglere, or the Walker, that he had come a long distance and that he begged a lodging for the night; and he asked, as if it were a very unimportant matter, who owned the hall. The man, who was a god in disguise, replied that it belonged to their king and that he would take Ganglere to him. "You may ask him his name yourself when you see him," he added. Then the man led the way into the hall and no sooner were they [18] within its walls than the doors were shut. There were many rooms under the shining roof and every room seemed to be full of people, some of whom were playing

142

games, and some were drinking out of great horns or cups, and some were fighting with different kinds of weapons; and Gylfe did not understand half of the things he saw. He was not at all frightened by his ignorance, however, and he said to himself: Gates all, Before in you go, You must examine well; For you cannot know Where enemies sit In the house before you. When Gylfe had looked about him he saw three seats or thrones and upon each of these a man sat [19] high above the throng which played and drank and fought. "What are the names of these kings?" he asked. And the man who led him into the hall answered that he who sat on the lowest of the three thrones was the king and was called Har, and that he who sat on the throne next above him was called Jafnhar, and he who sat on the highest throne was called Thride. Now these three gods were as many different forms of Odin, and Gylfe was really seeing one god when he seemed to be seeing three. Then Har, or Odin, spoke in a deep and wonderful tone and asked Gylfe who he was, and why he had come there, and bade him welcome by inviting him to eat and drink as much and often as he chose. But Gylfe was so bent upon learning the [20] secrets of the gods that he did not think of food or drink, nor did he stop to answer Har's questions. He replied boldly that he wanted to find a wise man if there were one. Then Har answered him, as the gods often answer men, in words which were so full of meaning that he did not understand them until long afterwards: "You shall not go from this place unharmed unless you go wiser than you came."

143

It is dangerous to seek the gods, unless we profit by what they tell us; for it is better to be ignorant than to possess knowledge and not live by it. Gylfe stood boldly before Odin Then Gylfe stood boldly before Odin,—a man standing in the presence of God and seeking for knowledge,—and asked many and deep questions about the gods and their ways and power; and about the [21] giants, and their homes; and about the making of the world and the creation of man; and about the sun and moon and stars; and about the seasons and the wind and fire. And Odin answered his questions and told him the things which men are eager to know, but cannot learn unless the gods teach them. When Odin had told Gylfe all that a man could understand of these deep mysteries he refused to answer any more questions and bade the questioner make the best use of what had been told him, and when Odin had spoken these words Gylfe heard a great noise and found himself standing alone in a great plain, and the hall and Asgard had vanished utterly. Then, filled with wonder by all he had heard and seen, he went home to his own kingdom, and told of the [22] marvellous things which had befallen him on his journey to the home of the gods; and what he said was remembered by those who heard the wonderful stories and told again to their children and their children's children to the latest generations. Now Gylfe was not the only man who talked with the gods; for Æger, who lived on the island called Hler's Isle and was also a man of great wisdom, made the journey to Asgard and the gods knew of his coming before he came and prepared a great feast for him. When the feast began Odin had swords brought into the hall and these swords were of such brightness that they lighted the hall without the aid of fire or lamps; and the hall was hung with glittering shields. The gods sat on their thrones and ate and drank with Æger, and [23] Brage told him strange and wonderful tales of the things which had

144

befallen the gods. And this is the way in which men came to know the stories which are told in this book.

145

Iran's female ninjas: fighting for sexual equality

In a country where women's rights â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including what they wear â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are severely

146

curtailed many have come up with a new way of channeling their rage.

In a country where women's rights – including what they wear – are severely curtailed many have come up with a new way of channeling their rage. Iran's female ninjas: fighting for sexual equality In a country where women's rights – including what they wear – are severely curtailed many have come up with a new way of channeling their rage For those times when Betty Friedan just isn't enough ... ninjutsu is here to help. Photographer Caren Firouz has been taking pictures of some of Iran's estimated 3,500 female ninja-warriors-in-training. It turns out that when you're denied basic human rights, restricted in your ability to dress how you want and mix with the people you choose, and when your legal testimony is officially recognised as being worth exactly half that of a man's, you develop – if these images are anything to go by – a lot of rage.

147

For Iranian women, martial arts are an increasingly popular way of channeling it and ninjutsu one of the most popular choices within that. Purists argue that modern ninjutsu (which came to prominence in the 1970s) is not a martial art at all but a meaningless mishmash of moves and practices that have no connection with the covert arts of war practised by the true ninjas of ancient Japan. Of course, it's a miracle that any of said purists made it through the Teenage Mutant You-Know-What years, so they should probably be left to mutter to themselves in peace.

148

For those of us less concerned with Japanese feudal history than with systematic depredations against the rights of women, the pictures seem to offer a more uplifting view of the situation in various parts of the Middle East than is offered in the traditional media narrative. Let's hope they represent only the tip of an iceberg of resistance and refusal to be cowed by a regime that surely seeks to render women so subservient that even the possibility of hurling a throwing star at someone's jugular ought to be unthinkable. More power to your shuriken-chucking elbows, ladies. More power to them.

149

Early diagnoses, intervention keys when autism suspected

April is National Autism month and has been in the new lately with a study that has shown that Autism has increased and more cases than ever before have been seen.

(A new federal study says one-in-88 children has at least some symptoms of autism, many more than previously thought. Bob and Suzanne Wright, who founded Autism Speaks in 2005 after their grandson was diagnosed with the disorder, talked to Rebecca Jarvis about the challenges faced by families with kids with autism. Bob Wright is the former chairman of NBC Universal.) I ask that every one whatch this video http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7403850n&tag=mncol;lst;1

From personal experience there isn't enough going on to find ways to deal with Autism, many schools are not properly staffed to deal with children that

150

have Autism and now the cost of care is going up making it that much harder on families to deal with getting the help they need. There needs to be more focus and support for not just Autism but all the awareness and more research done to find cure's. It seem we live in a day of age where government has forgotten about our children and their well being. Every budget cut has been to education and research companies, instead of making them primary focus, they put it on the big corporations that raise the price's of health care and seem to only care about making money instead of making sure that every family has the proper care and access to the proper education and health policies to ensure that they are getting the very best for their loved one's. My heart goes out for those that have to deal with this every day and the worry of how they are going to get the proper help and how they will afford the cost. It should not be this way, if they want to cut spending and budgets then they should cut there own not the ones that affect our children and love one's and it is long time we stop focusing on other countries problems and deal with our own, What about our homeless and our children that are not getting the proper education and the right health coverage. Our children are our future don't leave them by the way side, there not some toy that can be placed a side and forgotten!!!

151

Thin Red Line The Thin Red Line is far more sensory and far less conventional than Spielberg's offering. Malick explores jungle vegetation with the same intensity he brings to battles, and he brings alive the tormented mental musings of more than a dozen major characters no less vividly than their physical ordeal. The film is so full of delicately powerful images and privileged moments that you feel as if Malick saved up his cinematic ideas over the past 20 years and poured them all into this one film. The result is at once abstract and visceralâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;an overwhelming, troubling, and overreaching masterpiece.

152

Ostensibly the film centers on two soldiers: Pvt. Witt (Jim Caviezel), who has gone AWOL to experience the South Seas idyll of a small native village; and First Sgt. Welsh (Sean Penn), the cynical NCO who runs Charlie company and saves Witt from court martial. But Malick's platoon's-eye view of WWII is so sweeping and inclusive that he soon cuts the narrative loose from these two, wandering through the experiences of more than a dozen soldiers and officers. After a characteristically Malickian dreamy prologue, C-for-Charlie company—led by the frustrated career officer Lt. Col. Tall (Nick Nolte)—strikes at the Japanese troops dug in on the remote island of Guadalcanal. Among the soldiers whose minds and experiences are plumbed by Malick during the ensuing battle are Pvt. Bell (Ben Chaplin), who embraces the memory of his wife in repeated flashbacks, Capt. Staros (Elias Koteas), who risks insubordination to save his men from certain death, and Tall's prot·, Capt. Gaff (John Cusack), who rises to the call of leadership only to see the failings in his mentor. Visually, the film is a tour de force, packed with unforgettable images. A gliding camera, surfing along the white tips of a hill covered in waist-high grass, is all flowing elegance and dispassionate observation as it depicts soldiers torn apart and splayed in death, victims of the snipers concealed in the grass. In the midst of this sensual order, the climactic battle on the hilltop devolves into a chaotic free-for-all, with staccato editing and jiggling you-are-there camerawork orchestrating the confusion and heightening the shock for the viewer. EVEN WHEN THE FILM bogs down in a weeklong reprieve from the battle—an admirable, if misguided, attempt to show the men lost in inactivity—there is more substance in that 20-minute sequence than most American features can muster in their entire running time. Malick's gift is his ability to deliver powerful "moments," and The Thin Red Line delivers them

153

constantly: A soldier plays violin below deck before the attack; the sun comes out and turns dull green grass a vibrant spring color just before the charge up the hill; red coals glow through a spire of smoke as it rises from a burning hut. Between battles, Malick turns inward to the musings of the soldiers, whose voice-overs and off-camera dialogue overlay the camera's images as it takes stock of their jungle surroundings. Next to the army green and muddy faces of the soldiers who have come to deliver death, the verdant jungle teems with life, and the most devastating images in the film turn out to be not of the dying troops but of the effect of their strife on the life around them: a blade of grass smeared with a single swath of human blood, a dying baby bird struggling across the jungle floor. . . . Malick has always had more feeling for the natural world than the human one, and this keeps him from connecting properly with the human drama in The Thin Red Line. He's so busy exploring the immediacy of each character's experience that he neglects to ground any of them in a life, to make any of them fully human. Only Pvt. Bell, with his memories of marriage, has any connection to a world outside the war. With nary a "Where you from, soldier?" the rest of the cast are no better than enigmas, fascinating bundles of contradictions rather than fully realized characters. Malick's reach is epic and ambitious, taking on such well-worn and challenging themes as the struggle between man and nature, and the transient ferocity of war set against the eternal majesty of paradise lost. This is not typical war-film fare, and it proves to be more than Malick can accomplish in his 170-minute-thick Thin Red Line. But even with a narrative that is too disconnected from reality to connect properly with the audienceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;too disconnected within itself, for that matter, to bring all its elements together properlyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the cinematic experience it delivers is overwhelming. Malick has masterfully layered the sounds of war with the cacophony of human voices, interlacing Hans Zimmer's moody score with cinematographer John Toll's

154

lush images and beautiful shots. The result is one of the richest and lushest films ever to emerge from Hollywood.

155

In This Moment is by far the best Metal band out there which features powerful Lead female volcuals by Maria Brinks and heavy guitar and drum work that just leaves you memorized and wanting to just forget all your worries and problems and just let go and be free from this world. There last album Star Crossed Waste Land (The Promise) showed how powerful and talented this group is with lyrics that just speaks to your soul and that you just want to hear over and over again. They have just finished recording there new album last week and we look forward to the release date and title of there new album.

156

BIO One group that has definitely paid their fair share of dues is the Southern California based quintet IN THIS MOMENT who, through hard work, resiliency and an undying worldwide touring schedule have propelled themselves to the top of the heap of the metal pantheon. They have now returned with their most dynamic and focused offering, which quickly proves that this unit has greatly matured well beyond their years. IN THIS MOMENT spent the early part of 2010 at The Wolve’s Den studio once again with acclaimed producer Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Five Finger Death Punch) recording A Star-Crossed Wasteland, an album hailed by Alternative Press as “One of The Most Anticipated Releases of 2010.” The group are extremely excited to be performing on this summer’s much anticipated Rockstar Mayhem Tour playing on the Mayhem Festival Stage alongside Korn, Rob Zombie and Atreyu. This tour will mark the start of the group’s official, massive worldwide touring cycle. Chris Howorth (guitars) further states: “The writing process for A Star-Crossed Wasteland was different than on our previous records. This time we had more of a plan and we knew we wanted to write darker heavier songs while still keeping our melodic side. We started working on new music last August right after Warped Tour ended and wrote continuously for five months to get as many song ideas on tape as possible. We ended up with about 15 demo songs. Once we got into the studio with Kevin we dissected everything again to make sure everyone was happy with the arrangements and then started tracking.

157

“For us, using Kevin Churko was a no brainer, we had such a great experience making The Dream that we didn't even consider using anyone else. I've said it before and I will say it again, Kevin is the man. He is like the Gandolf the Grey or Yoda of producing. He has so much knowledge and is so creative musically we feel like magic happens when we work together. “I am extremely happy with the end result. We made a record that shows who we are and what we are really about. We feel like it's our defining statement. We really put a lot of effort into making sure the guitars were massive and the drums were slamming while still retaining the depth and melodic layers in the songs. Vocally and lyrically Maria was very emotional and coming from a darker place than on previous albums, and she really poured her heart out and as usual you can tell that it’s 100% genuine.” One always hears the same old adage growing up: “believe in your dreams, because dreams really do come true.” Well, this statement perfectly defines the life of IN THIS MOMENT’s frontwoman, Maria Brink, who always believed that she would become a rock star, and overcome all of the obstacles that stood in her way while having to escape an overall non-positive environment. Brink, an Albany, NY native, refused to let any of this deter her from achieving her lifelong goal and soon embarked for Los Angeles to begin her musical career. After a number of odd jobs and failed creative partnerships her life soon took a sudden turn upon meeting guitarist Chris Howorth in 2005, as the two immediately realized that they had something special together. This union would soon be rounded out by Jeff Fabb (drums), Blake Bunzel (guitars) and Jesse Landry (bass) to form IN THIS MOMENT, who just three years later performed to a sold-out crowd at the renowned Madison Square Garden opening for Ozzy Osbourne, ultimately proving dreams do come true.

158

Their invigorating mixture of metal and hard rock quickly caught the attention of metal and hard rock fans alike. The diversity and depth was refreshing and simply undeniable. In 2010, they continue to carve out their own unique and exhilarating chapter in the hard rock genre, laying the foundation for an extremely bright future. Original bassist Jesse Landry left the band after Warped Tour in 2009 to pursue non music related endeavors but Kyle Konkiel quickly joined the fold and instantly became a perfect fit. This group is collectively defined by their undying belief in themselves and this confidence and strength is conveyed perfectly through their new material. For IN THIS MOMENT, the dream was always to become a worldwide phenomenon and that is something that will never fade, especially with this new effort. If you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t heard of IN THIS MOMENT, it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be long until you do because this band is at the brink of greatness.

Genre Rock / Metal / Alternative Members Maria Brink - Vocals Chris Howorth - Lead Guitar Travis Johnson - Bass Randy Weitzel - Guitar Tom Hane - Drums Record Label Century Media General Manager In De Goot Entertainment Contact Info Website http://www.myspace.com/inthismoment http://www.facebook.com/officialinthismoment Press Contact jay[at]indegoot.com

159

Up Coming Tours MAY 8 Arkansas Music Pavillion Arkansas Music Pavillion Fayetteville, Arkansas - 7:00 PM MAY 9 Cotillion Ballroom Cotillion Ballroom Wichita,, KS - 7:00 PM MAY 11 Jake's Backroom Jake's Backroom Lubbock, TX - 7:00 PM MAY 12 Dos Amigos Dos Amigos Odessa, TX - 7:00 PM MAY 13 The Green Room The Green Room San Antonio, TX - 7:00 PM MAY 14 Trees Trees Dallas, Texas - 7:00 PM MAY 15 Scout Bar Scout Bar Houston, TX - 7:00 PM

160

MAY 17 Exit/In Exit/In Nashville, TN - 8:00 PM MAY 19 Columbus Crew Stadium Columbus Crew Stadium Columbus, OH , US - 11:00 AM MAY 21 Summit Music Hall Summit Music Hall Denver, Colorado - 7:00 PM MAY 22 Black Sheep Black Sheep Colorado Springs, CO, us - 7:00 PM MAY 23 Top Deck Top Deck Farmington, New Mexico, US - 6:30 PM MAY 24 SLOPSHOTS BILLIARDS SLOPSHOTS BILLIARDS GALLUP, New Mexico - 6:30 PM MAY 25 Martini Ranch Martini Ranch Scottsdale, Arizona - 6:00 PM MAY 26 Orpheum Theater Orpheum Theater Flagstaff, AZ - 7:30 PM

161

Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary

Ingredients 1/4 cup honey 2 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon lemon zest 3 cloves garlic, minced 5 pounds whole leg of lamb 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

162

Directions In a small bowl, combine the honey, mustard, rosemary, ground black pepper, lemon zest and garlic. Mix well and apply to the lamb. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place lamb on a rack in a roasting pan and sprinkle with salt to taste. Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and roast for 55 to 60 more minutes for medium rare. The internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) when taken with a meat thermometer. Let the roast rest for about 10 minutes before carving.

Nutritional Information Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary Servings Per Recipe: 7 Amount Per Serving Calories: 790 Total Fat: 55.4g Cholesterol: 224mg Sodium: 541mg Total Carbs: 11.6g Dietary Fiber: 0.2g Protein: 58.2g

Easter Breakfast Casserole

163

Ingredients 1 pound bacon 1/4 cup diced onion 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 8 eggs 2 cups milk 1 (16 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 7x11 inch casserole dish. Fry the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble. In a large bowl beat together eggs and milk. Mix in cheese, bacon, onion and green pepper. Stir in the thawed hash browns. Pour mixture into prepared casserole. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes until eggs have set.

Nutritional Information Easter Breakfast Casserole Servings Per Recipe: 12 Amount Per Serving

164

Calories: 281 Total Fat: 21g Cholesterol: 188mg Sodium: 538mg Total Carbs: 9.9g Dietary Fiber: 0.6g Protein: 18g

Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs

Ingredients 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 2 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar 1 cup creamy peanut butter (optional) 1 cup flaked coconut (optional) 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (optional) 2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces 2 tablespoons shortening or vegetable oil (optional) Directions In a large bowl, mix together the butter, vanilla, and cream cheese. Stir in confectioners' sugar to make a workable dough. For best results, use your hands for mixing. Divide the dough into four parts. Leave one of the parts plain. To the second part, mix in peanut butter. Mix coconut into the third part, and cocoa powder

165

into the last part. Roll each type of dough into egg shapes, and place on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate until hard, at least an hour. Melt chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth. If the chocolate seems too thick for coating, stir in some of the shortening or oil until it thins. Dip the chilled candy eggs in chocolate, and return to the waxed paper lined sheet to set. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour to harden.

Nutritional Information Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs Servings Per Recipe: 48 Amount Per Serving Calories: 206 Total Fat: 9.6g Cholesterol: 10mg Sodium: 58mg Total Carbs: 30.9g Dietary Fiber: 1.5g Protein: 2.4g

166

Energetic Strawberry Smoothie

Ingredients 1 (8.3 ounce) can citrus flavored energy drink (e.g. Red Bullâ&#x201E;˘) 2 cups frozen strawberries Directions In the container of a blender, combine the energy drink and frozen strawberries. Blend until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add some water if blending is difficult. Pour into 2 big glasses.

Nutritional Information Energetic Strawberry Smoothie Servings Per Recipe: 2 Amount Per Serving Calories: 133 Total Fat: 0.2g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 106mg Total Carbs: 34.4g Dietary Fiber: 4.6g Protein: 1g

167

Featured Articles Entering The Mysterious Dimensions Of Shadow World

Entering The Mysterious Dimensions Of Shadow World By Brad Steiger 3-1-8

Ever since Shadow World (Anomalist, 2007) was released, I have received dozens of remarkable accounts from individuals who claimed that they had experienced encounters similar to those reported in my book. They, too, had interacted with mysterious multidimensional beings who have entered our dimension of reality for purposes that as yet appear to be beyond our present capacity to understand.

168

Certain of my correspondents inquired whether or not I had any accounts of individuals, such as they, who had somehow entered the strange dimensions of Shadow World and returned. As I read through the fascinating new accounts, I found many comparable cases in my files. In February of 1971, shortly after an article of mine on Time Travel had appeared in Saga magazine, I received a letter from a gentleman named Al Kiessig, who claimed the ability to walk through "doorways" between dimensions. In subsequent correspondence, Kiessig, whom I found to be an open and sincere man, shared numerous extraordinary experiences. It was in Missouri that Kiessig fonnd the "West Door," the door of evil, and the "East Door," the entrance into the Spirit World. According to Kiessig: "At the West Door, the wanderers of the spirit world can leave and enter our world clothed so as to be seen as one of us--and no human eye can detect the difference. ''There are two places, one in Missouri and one in Arkansas, where I walked into this next door neighbor of ours. It is very silent. It looks like our world, but there is no sound, no wind, no sun, even though it looks like the sun is shining. "In the state of Missouri I found two fields that had doors, or what I call 'vortexes': No matter where you walked you would come back to your starting place, and if you hit the center of the vortex, then you would come out from a mile to two miles beyond the place you entered in a section that would be unrecognizable to you until you stopped and regained your inner balance. Then the surroundings would gradually become familiar. "Each door is different, but it is my belief that if one conId recognize these door openings, one could pick the door in Arkansas that would permit me to

169

step into your front yard in Iowa. "In the region of the Ozarks, it was nothing for me to see into this other dimension. I could not enter, but I could see into it, as if through a large window; and I could see the people, live people, who entered our world or dimension, using the same mode of transportation so as not to give themselves away as aliens. The question is who are they? "I have entered these 'doorways' while driving and saved myself hundreds of miles of driving. Unfortunately, the reverse has also happened to me. "Some of these doors to other dimensions open like an elevator door with no elevator there to step into. Others open into a land of no life. Some take you back into the past, and some take you into the future on this world. Then there are doors that open into chambers that send the body to a distant star. "This world we know as Earth is not the only world inhabited by people like us. We must keep our minds open wide. "There is no way that I can prove any of the events stated in this letter," Kiessig closed in one of his long letters to me. "My word, which is well known hereabouts to be good as gold, must do." Is it possible that some men and women may have a peculiar psychic make-up which permits them to transgress the boundaries between this plane of reality and other dimensions? Can these men and women be possessed of abilities which enable them to travel to realms of being normally unobtainable to those in the physical body? As Al Kiessig admitted, he had only his word to substantiate his claims, and even though his friends and neighbors in Arkansas might swear by his

170

promises and his oaths, such testimonials do not stand up well under the critical scrutiny of the scientific testing laboratory. In the September, 1956, issue of Fate magazine, Miriam Golding related an experience which occurred to her in the fall of 1934 when she stepped out of an elevator into another plane of existence. Miriam and her fiance were riding a crowded elevator in a Chicago music store when she inadvertently got off at the wrong floor and found it impossible to push her way back into the crowded car. Miriam sighed, prepared to await the elevator car's return. Then looking around her, she was astonished to see that she was not in a downtown music store at all, but a large railroad station. She watched crowds of travelers hurrying about. Railroad announcers gave times of departures and arrivals. People bought tickets, grabbed sandwiches and snacks from lunch counters, idled impatiently in waiting rooms. Miriam approached the Information Booth, but stalked away indignantly when the girl seemed to completely ignore her repeated inquiries. At last Miriam noticed a to-the-street sign and followed its direction into the open air. It seemed to be a beautiful, mid-summer afternoon. A new red brick building was being constructed across the street from the station. Crowds of people jostled by on the streets. But everyone ignored Miriam and she had no idea where she was. She wandered aimlessly for several minutes until she noticed a teenaged boy standing near the center of the sidewalk, staring in all directions. She approached the blond boy, hardly daring to hope that they might establish contact with one another. Then he noticed her and smiled: "I guess they let you off at the wrong stop, too."

171

Miriam immediately understood that however fantastic, the same thing had happened to both of them. Their mutual plight created a bond between them, and they continued together down the broad avenue. The boy explained that he had been playing tennis in Lincoln, Nebraska. He had gone into the locker room to change his shoes, and when he came back out to the courts, he found himself in that same railroad depot. The two of them marveled at whatever strange force could transport a tennis player from Lincoln and a shopper from Chicago to the same unknown train station. Eventually they found themselves in the open country where, amazingly, Miriam saw her fiance's sister on a sandbar with a number of other girls. They noticed her, too, and they began to call her name and wave at her. Her new friend became very excited. Perhaps the girls formed some kind of connection or link between dimensions. He hurried out of his clothes until he stood only in his tennis shorts. "It's not far to swim," he told Miriam. "They see us! I know I can make it to them in a few minutes." The figures of the girls remained on the sandbar, but the teenager, even though he was a strong swimmer, could get no nearer to the girls and the hoped for link between worlds. Exhausted, he returned at last to shore and fell to the sand in complete discouragement. When they looked again at the sandbar, it had disappeared. Miriam felt despondent. Would she be forever trapped in this other plane of existence? Then she became suddenly enveloped in darkness. She felt as if she were floating through space. With a jolt she found herself on a stool in the music store, a magazine spread

172

out before her. A clock was signaling closing time, and the clerks were directing impatient glances her way. Miriam looked about for her fiance, but she could not see him. She decided to go directly to his home, but this time she would take the stairs and avoid the elevator. "'When I got to my destination," Miriam Golding wrote, "my fiance opened the door. He certainly looked relieved. He said he'd lost me on the elevator. After stepping out on the main floor, he had been unable to locate me. Thinking I had gotten off on some other floor, he had waited for a while, then decided to go home." Miriam entered the home and was surprised to see her fiance's sister with the same friends she had seen on the sandbar. The sister smiled and teased her that she had seen her in town, "but you were so engrossed in each other you didn't even hear us!" Where had Miriam Golding been during those strange hours away from conventional reality? What distortion of Time and Space made downtown Chicago appear to be a river and a sandbar? How had the girls been able to serve as a kind of link between dimensions, so that at least some kind of communication, even though false (they saw her with her fiance rather than a blond teenaged boy; she saw them on a sandbar rather than a crowded Chicago street), had been established?

Mr. R. W. Balcom of Live Oak, California, contributed a personal experience shared with his wife. According to Balcom, the two of them were traveling to Lake Tahoe during the early morning hours. A few miles east of Placerville on Highway 50, they stopped to eat at a quaint and rustic-styled restaurant,

173

which neither of them had ever noticed on any of their previous trips to the region. The food was excellent, and the waitress and cook were so friendly that the Balcoms truly meant their promise to stop back again. They tried to do so on their return drive from Lake Tahoe, but the restaurant was nowhere to be seen. The Balcoms traveled that route three successive weekends in 1962, searching for the friendly little restaurant with the good food that had simply vanished into nothingness. "Since then we have journeyed over Highway 50 to Lake Tahoe many times," Balcom concludes, "never again finding the little restaurant路

Frances E. Peterson of Keokuk, Iowa, remembered the Sunday afternoon in 1935, when she, her husband, and their four children were returning from a weekend visit in Missouri. They decided to take a shortcut on a dirt road. They drove down a hill into a valley, then as they reached the rim of the valley, they were astonished to see a well where women in sun bonnets and long, full skirts covered by large aprons were drawing in a wooden pail by a windlass. Other women were carrying the water in pails balanced on wooden yokes across their shoulders. Bearded men, who were tending sheep and gathering wood, wore loose-fitting tronsers, smocks, and large black hats. The Petersons had never heard of such a settlement in the area of St. Patrick, Missouri, and as it turned out, no one else had either. "Many times since then we have looked for this lovely Old World settlement," Mrs. Peterson commented. "We have inquired of old settlers and relatives in

174

the area, but no one knows of such a valley. Did we ride backward in time?" (Fate, April, 1959) The men and women who have had the experiences cited above may always wonder whether or not they had some kind of collective psychic experience or whether their physical bodies somehow managed to pass into another dimension. For other individuals the answer becomes a bit more clearly stated, although no more clearly defined or explained, for they were left with undeniable physical evidence that they had been confronted with some force as yet beyond the grasp of orthodox science. Thirteen-year-old Michael Helferty of Picton, Ontario, Canada, was last seen walking along Lake Street toward Ontlet Beach to go swinnning on July 30, 1960. Then he disappeared. By the time he was found sleeping in a nest of grass alongside the Canadian National Railway tracks west of Picton five days later, his frantic parents had posted a five hundred dollar reward for information on his whereabouts and police, friends, and volunteer searchers had painstakingly combed the area. Michael was unaware that any more than a few hours had passed since he set out to go swimming, and he had no memory of where he had been. He showed no signs of exposure, sunburn, hunger, or thirst. He was fresh and alert and not the least bit tired. The Helferty family physician declared him well-nourished, well-cared for, and clean. Strangely enough, his clothes were perfectly dry, even though there had been a heavy dew during the night. The only thing at all unusual was that Michael was wearing his swim trunks, rather than his underwear, under his trousers. Since he had set out to go swimming with his trunks in his hand, it appears that he at least may have entered the water.

175

Michael himself found it difficult to believe that he had "lost" five days, and he insisted that he had no knowledge or memory of where he had been. His father could only shake his head and utter: "It's a mystery, but somebody's taken care of him, that's for sure." Michael Helferty swore that he had no conscious memory of where he had spent his strange five-day vacation. Little Kathy Cramer may have remembered where she disappeared, but she was not telling anyone. The six-year-old girl disappeared from her home on Park Street in Wood's Hole, Massachusetts, about 7:00 P.M. on August 15, 1960. Local police officers, state police, firemen, a crew of volunteers, and two police bloodhounds meticulously scoured a two-mile area, while a Coast Guard vessel patrolled the adjacent water front. At 9:00 P.M. two hundred airmen from nearby Otis Air Force Base initiated a search-march for the missing Kathy Cramer. It goes without saying that the Cramer household was carefully searched before the original alarm concerning Kathy's absence had been issued. In addition, Falmouth Deputy Police Chief Antone Morgardo and Rev. Wilkin J. Kingwell, rector of St. John's Church in Newtonville, testified that they had carefully explored the house three times. Yet, incredible as it may seem, the six-year-old object of the massive search was found at 3:00 A.M., peacefully sleeping on her bed. When gratefully weeping yet stunned and incredulous parents asked Kathy where she had been, the six-year-old stubbornly announced that she was not telling.

176

Stern police officers, solicitous neighbors, coaxing relatives all got the same answer: "I'm not telling'" Had some kidnapper decided better of his dangerous gambit and returned the child, desperately making a game of it all with her, making her promise not to tell where they had been? Or had some cosmic, interdimensional being removed the child for a time for some purpose of its own, then brought her back to our plane of reality with a promise not to betray the "Good Fairy's" secret? There may be a number of other possible explanations, but one that we should consider is that the child herself may have discovered the marvelous, albeit awesome, secret of psychically "crawling" through the cracks and crevices between spheres of existence. In 1953, a schoolboy in the Philippines was seen by many to disappear from closed rooms, then, incredibly, to reappear in another section of his city of Manila. In 1965, United Press International correspondent Vicente Maliwang interviewed Cornelio Closa, the famous "Invisible boy," who was then a twenty-five-year-old married man, the father of two children, in order to record his impressions of the astounding events which had taken place in his life thirteen years before. The strange, frightful experiences began for Cornelio in September of 1951 when he was a sixth-grader at the Zamora elementary school. One day he met a beautiful girl dressed in white with long blonde hair reaching down to her waist. She was barefooted, about Cornelio's age, but the boy noticed she floated, rather than walked, when she moved beside him.

177

Although the girl did not open her smiling lips, Cornelio was able to "hear and understand" what she said. When she touched his hand, he felt different, very light. He became unaware of his surroundings. The beautiful blonde girl came often. Cornelio remembered that the things around him looked real and natural, but somehow he had the feeling that he was no longer real. "There were many times when the girl and I would float around and go to many places in the city," Cornelio told the reporter. "We went many times to movie houses and visited the International Fair that was being held in the city. When I was with her, I didn't feel exhausted or hungry." The strangest thing, Cornelio recalled, was that nobody seemed to notice them. Soon, Cornelio's schoolteacher complained to his parents that he had been skipping school. Father Closa put the law down to his son, but even an enforced march to school would not prevent the ethereal girl from snatching the boy away from his classroom. The girl would appear before him in school. She would hold out her hand. Cornelio would feel some "sensation," then there would be no other thought in his mind but to go with her. "Even with the door closed," Cornelio remembered, "I was able to go through it, just walk through it as if it were open. Then I would hear my classmates shouting, 'Cornelio is gone!'" At home, the Closa family would lock all the doors and windows, but to absolutely no avail.

178

"I kept on seeing the girl, and I was able to go out with her despite the closed doors," Cornelio said. "Sometimes I would be gone as long as three days, although I had no knowledge of my own how long I had been away." Finally his despairing parents sent Cornelio to a mental institution, then to a welfare institution. Authorities said that he was a normal boy who would be better off living with his parents, so Cornelio was sent home. The drastic measure had accomplished the cessation of the strange girl's visitations to the young boy, however. Two pastors added to the separation by intense prayers, and Cornelio's nightmare was over. Although Cornelio Closa's bizarre adventures came to an end, we are still left with the great mystery--where had he been? One would write the schoolboy's "lovely blonde girl" off to an energetic adolescent imagination if it were not for the fact that he really did disappear from closed classrooms, surrounded by classmates and teacher, and locked doors and windows, ringed in by members of his family. An item in the Lock Haven, Pennsylvania Express for June 7, 1956, told of the fantastic experience of Thomas R. Kessell, a brewery worker from Johannesburg, South Africa, who regained consciousness walking a street in New York City with no memory of how he had come to be on that particular scene beyond a dim recollection of exiting from a Johannesburg tavern in April. Is it possible that a human being can walk around a dimensional "bend" and find himself mysteriously transported to a place far from his destination? The shortest distance between two points may not be a straight line, after all. It would be quite understandable why someone such as Thomas Kessell who had undergone such an experience as interdimensional transport, would

179

undergo a loss of memory. Perhaps an amnesiac reaction would be necessary for survival. Charles Fort tells in one of his books of a naked man who suddenly appeared on High Street, Chatham, Kent, England, on January 6, 1914. People walking on the same street testified that the man had quite literally appeared from nowhere. He was just suddeuly there, confused, frightened, without a stitch on a bitterly cold day. In Lo!, Fort writes that six people were discovered wandering on the streets or near the small town of Romford, Essex, England, between January 14, 1920, and December 9, 1923. None of these mentally distraught individuals were able to tell how they had got there or anything else about themselves. The enigma of Thomas R. Kessell and his claim that he suddenly "found" himself walking a street in New York City after leaving a pub back in Johannesburg, is reinforced by the problem of just how the man could have entered the country unnoticed. The man did not recover his memory until he had undergone a couple of psychiatric sessions. He had no passport, yet he could not have boarded either a ship or an airplane without one.

I could not finish this article without including an account of a being who appeared to come from within the darker dimensions of Shadow World and walked about on some undisclosed mission until she was suddenly found out. Joseph Kerska of San Francisco told of the incident involving seventeen-year-old Carmen Chaney on one hot summer day in Fresno, California, in 1936(Fate, January, 1961). Carmen Chaney first noticed the strange old lady in black as she crossed Tyler Street at the intersection. The old woman moved slowly, with difficulty, as if

180

her legs were not functioning properly. Assuming that the lady must be ill, Carmen and her aunt Frankie ran out into the street to help her. When the old lady saw the two solicitous women approaching her, her reaction was far from that of relief at sighting succor on the way. In fact, she reacted with panic, as if she wanted no one to approach her. Kerska writes: "Only 20 feet from her now, they were fascinated by her large, blazing eyes, set deep in a chalk-white face, the skin of which appeared to be stretched tightly over her skull. She was about four feet, 10 inches tall, thin and scrawny: snow white hair showed in wisps under her large black hat; she wore a highnecked, long-sleeved dress and high button shoes of a decade gone by. The black of her hat, which was pulled down low over her face, as well as that of her dress, was old to the point of decay, as both had turned greenish. She carried no bag or purse. Altogether she was a pathetic figure." By now several of the neighbors on the block were watching the strange old lady retreating from the two well-meaning young women. The old lady hobbled into an alley, then she looked around helplessly, as she realized that more than thirty people were intently observing her bizarre behavior. "She stopped for a brief moment," Kerska said, "then she vanished. Disappeared in the blink of an eyelash!" The many witnesses to the fantastic disappearance excitedly exchanged opinions and speculations. Police officers who were summoned to the scene chose to believe that the old woman had been ill and had simply stumbled out of sight of her observers. But an extensive search of the alley and the houses on either side revealed no such person of that unique description. Who might these "angels" or "devils" be who walk about in our very midst, while we either entertain or reject them, totally unaware of their true nature

181

or their true purpose? Whether there truly are "holes" and "doorways" between dimensions of reality, whether there may exist kidnappers or interlopers from other planes of being, whether swirling vortexes may snatch up unsuspecting men and women and send them spinning into another Space-Time continuum, remain among the many challenges to be explored in these encounters with the Shadow World. http://www.rense.com/general81/dimen.htm

The Pagan & Wiccan Community and Shifting Paradigms

There is more in this world than us and our connection to the Divinity (in whatever way we choose to view divinity). There are many layers, flavors, and textures of entities, beings, or energy forces. It is this understanding that makes Paganism and Wicca a mystery belief system, not the traditions, books, or acknowledgements from others. There is more than just black and white. There are shades of grey, if you will for an analogy, between and beyond our own perceptions. As such, we stretch and strive for a deeper understanding beyond the perceptions and, thus, expand the very boundaries of perceptions further and further. We strive to change our own individual paradigms so that in time we can become mystics.

182

Just as the forest has a bio-spirit overlaying the individual spirits of the trees, so does our Community have a singular bio-spirit that is the essence of the Community itself that work in tangent with bio-spirits of smaller groups that in turn work in tangent with individual spirits. For those with a more scientific viewpoint, it could be considered an energy wave with a unique signature attuned to the individual energy fields of the various members within that Community. For those with a more “Lord of the Rings” view, it is the Ent of the forest. Lol. Even what we perceive to be our individual body is a bio-spirit to a vast number of beings and entities. On a physical level, we constantly have yeast, bacteria, and microscopic organisms on and within us. We don’t often think about it, but to these small beings, we are their guardians for their spirituality and their well-being as we oversee the running of the whole body for the well-being of the whole body. Seldom do we spend our time even thinking about each type of smaller beings, much less one individual cell. We spend the majority of the effort on the duties of the entire body and how that body relates to other whole bodies and events. If we have an imbalance that prevents our progress, then we turn our attention to that imbalance. Sometimes it means providing medication, better nutrition, exercise, or even destroying a small section (such as a gangrene toe), so that harmony is restored and we can continue to progress on our way. Sometimes, other smaller beings step in (such as white cells) to restore balance in the body and we don’t even realize this process is happening. It is not any individual microorganism or cell that runs the totality, although there are some that can destroy or harm the totality. This is the way of nature. The Community bio-spirit has a similar function for the Community. It seldom focuses on one microscopic person or group or event, but rather the overall healthiest functioning of the Community so that it can work in the best manner for enlightenment and survival within the spiritual and mundane worlds. The Community consists of many groups that consist of individuals

183

as well as individuals working. The majority work in harmony to the greater good. Some are harmful chaos workers that need to be contained. Some are harmonic beings reestablishing balance. However, no one person or group runs the totality or can claim to be the full essence of the Community. The Community strives to be the body going forth into the world for its own evolution not to be the servant of one or a few of its microorganisms (individual or group). I want to turn a moment towards the history and sociology of the Community. Like any group of people going forth into the wilderness (in our case, the mundane), you must develop certain survival skills. The first is to “round up the wagons” at the first sign of danger against your tribe. This would be individuals and covens of the Old School. The majority of them stayed to themselves and saw to their own needs.) When you find your place in the wilderness, you set up the group and go about the business of providing for the group’s food, water, fire, shelter, etc. At this point, the group has to almost barricade itself from the unknown (the mundane and others) until it is established. As time passes, the group becomes more secure and the basics are in place, you start to venture out for small distances to become more familiar with the territory (“Scouts”) and see how you fit into the lay of the land (earlier witches entering into the mainstream such as Gardner, Buckner, Saunders, etc.) These scouting parties then into other groups of people (either indigenous or settlers like or unlike themselves). Then the groups start interacting on a group-to-group basis forming alliances (similar to the earlier festival emergence into the 1980’s and 1990’s). After these tribes start interacting with more groups, then you have a newly formed “Village” mentality emerging. At this point, most of the basic needs (including genetic needs) of the Village are being met from the interaction, trading, and marriage arrangements between the Tribes.

184

Even though the process up to this point has been difficult, a horse of a whole other color comes into the picture. The forming of Villages into larger alliances with other Villages into a “State”. As we indicated, the basic needs of the individual Villages are being met, so the purpose of forming a “state” or what we now called “the Community” is (1) learning and sharing knowledge including technology and spirituality, (2) possible luxury trading and expanding inventions, and (3) the greater security of the Villages. This is where we are now – in the cohesion of the Community. THE POINT – The point is that the survival skills we needed as a small tribe going into the wilderness are not the same skills we now need as a Community. The basic needs of the smaller Tribes have been met. We have means of access to information now. We have lines of communication open between tribes and villages. We have a certain amount of security (we don’t get bricks thrown through the windows as much and we can wear pentagrams) and we have the means to defend ourselves from attacks. Is it perfect? Nah, but nothing is in this manifested world and they are evolving. There was a time when it was important for our survival to defend ourselves against other tribes. Some tribes are put in positions of feeling they have to take, steal, or conquer the resources of another tribe in order for their own to survive. BUT this was before the Villages and the Community were established. In time, those tribes that continue with the same old survival methods are brought to heel by the Villages and the Community if they cause unnecessary harm. We ALL need to sit down and give this some serious thought as to where we are in the Community and PERSONALLY decide which skills are still necessary and which skills are now only causing harm to the Community as well as other tribes and villages striving to live in harmony and peace. It’s time to shift our paradigms to serve the greater good, but we all must choose how it will occur for ourselves so that it supports and serves the greater good of the

185

Community. These survival skills include how we determine to be competitive (which is a part of our manifestation into this world). Personally, for me, I have a different type of competitive nature than others expect. If they are or do something better than me, then I react in a few different ways: First, I’m glad that the quality and caliber is increasing. The bar is being raised by effort and inventiveness rather than being lowered by tearing down the other person. I can handle the bar being raised and if I can’t, I am positive I can find a way to learn to do it. This is the challenge of evolution and self-improvement – moving forward and exploration. I don’t want to fight to remain in a survival mode of thinking about things. It’s the different between jealous competition through any means and positive inspiration by honorable means which benefits us all and it’s far less emotionally traumatic. Second, I am me. Even if someone is trying to be competitive with me and to do the same thing, they aren’t me. No matter what they do (a website, a coven, a class, etc.), they can’t do it like I do it. It doesn’t matter to me in an emotional sense whether they do it better or not. They will never be able to do it like I do it unless they steal from me, but that’s another discussion. Third, if the Great Divinity in All Its Forms chooses for someone else to think, do, write, act, or be something else better or faster than I can, in order to best serve the Great Divinity in All Its Forms, then who am I (a microorganism of that entity) to say that it is unjust or inappropriate? This is called faith. Our whole lives from the moment we are conceived including our health, progress, growth, and progress has been and is determined by the Great Divinity in All Its Forms (for me, the Goddess). I have to rely on the Goddess for every breath I take, drink of water, and piece of bread from the moment I was born. She sees the Great Picture that I cannot. So, I accept and trust. I

186

have faith in Her for those things I cannot see and I cannot understand. In fact, I have no choice but to go where the body decides to go. Oftentimes, later down the road, I come to understanding of why that particular conjunctional event was necessary, but for the moment, I have to have faith and not serve any unnecessary residual survival skill. This IS the essence of living a faith driven life rather than an ego-driven life. Brightest of Blessings, Mead http://pathsofpaganunderworld.com/forum/topics/the-pagan-wiccan-commu nity-and-shifting-paradigms-by-meadmuse

187

Featured Member Qnuan About Qnuan I’m a philosopher, a mystic. I like writing my own spells, and I love working with language. I’m very stubborn and inquisitive when it comes to status-co, I question everything, but I don’t attack, or judge people in a condemning manner. I’m also a grate listener, and love to give aid to those who ask. I have a diverse taste in music, ranging from Beethoven to Evanescence; it is the same with movies, though I can watch almost any thing, I’m more drawn to fantasy and horrors. I don’t read very often, but when I start off I may read an entire saga. I believe fantasy and mystery is one of the most important cornerstones, for they teach us to think outside of the box and help us to see

188

what we would normally be blind to. Beliefs/practices Christian witch, although I’m developing my own belief system called Quixèïty Tell us a moment of pure enjoyment in your life? My moments of sheer joy is the feeling of creating something new, like a legend, or poem; it’s like I’m living in the fantasy, being able to see it with my naked eyes. Writing a poem is liberating, as it frees you from the bonds of in-expression. Some of the music I listen to has the same effect; it transports you away into a world without any boundaries. When I meditate and speak to my God, Quixè, she lifts me up, especially when I’m in silence, and everything is quiet. It is like the silence itself is speaking to me, but not speaking; it’s more like hosts are singing from a great oratorio a song without words, which is like the primordial soup, which I can harvest from freely. http://pathsofpaganunderworld.com/profile/Qnuan

189

190

Featured Group Shadow Walker

Shadow Witches walk the worlds and deal with nature in all its aspects. In this group we will learn more about these Witches. "Shadow Witches" Rede For those who walk a shadowed path, For whatever reason, because it is a path in your soul that calls too you, A particular goddess of dark paganism that calls too you or who you are, Trust your heart and follow what it speaks, as it will never be wrong. We are Witches, We Are Ancients, Those that stand out among shadows.Judge and Jury And This is our Creed.

191

Do not Offend, But Defend Give your kin a house if they have no home Remember in all forms are we the goddesses children in one way or another She is the weaver, the threader and the cutter of Life No matter what name she is called, she is the great mother, The All, The Source Know the Great dance and the Spiral is never ending and your day's Walk long, and most often someone will try and break your paths But when the wolves tear at your heels, remember only the hardest Paths are the paths worth Walking. Life will not be without troubles, fights, hardships And we are not witches too get nor gain For that is but an empty path that leads too greed and the ruin of your soul. We are the witches, singers, shamans, dreamers, weavers, healers and Warriors of the wild winds, in the storms and in the fury of the storm And of Life. Our knowledge is all knowing, yet we continue too learn Things everyday, as is our right. Treat your kin with as much respect as you wish too be treated and you Can not be lead astray. Treasure everyday as it were your last, cherishing the beauty of all Life and all things. Protect this rugged earth mother as best you can. Honor her. Even if It is but a Rock, know that it too has its own spirit. Life is Everywhere, and magick can be breathed in as its purest essence. Know as the Goddesses child, no matter what you call her she is always There beside you, inside you and with you. Believe this always and you

192

Will never be forsaken, even when there is a lesson too be learnt that She must teach you, even if that lesson whips you across the face, it Has purpose and reason. Keep your eyes and your ears open, and listen not only with the Physical eye, but the astral ones, for their are signs in all things. In the wind, the rain, the sky and the deep earth. Never look back on your past until you feel you are ready, and remember We have a long way too go. There is Strength in the Darkness, In Shadows and also in The Light, And shadows can not exist without Perfect balance of Light and Dark. We are the Children of Grey Magick, and its Power is Thine too Wield! http://hedgetohearth.blogspot.com/ http://pathsofpaganunderworld.com/group/shadow-walkers

193

Featured Member Articles To Work W/Elements of Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Spirit, Dark, & Light (SPIRITS) by Drez Ariel *Admin*

To Work W/Elements of Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Spirit, Dark, & Light (SPIRITS) I shared this over @ the "Magickal Secrets School" group that everyone can join, for reference materials and other thing's concerned with the "Book of Shadows" group here within ...

194

What U can do, is this. In us all their are latent spirits and angels that we all work with some call them spirits but, they each have names that we've called them over the years. What can be done is simple. If, U want a Magickal Script a language of your very own that has great power and authority when U use it. U can also, do this for whatever U need to learn. U can also, ask the Spirit of the Flame how to proceed with the other Elements and what is needed for each. This spirit is the easiest to work with at first. Their is a way to communicate with those spirits. Whether they're of Flame, Water, Air, Earth or Spirit, darkness or even Light. To begin, for the spirit of the Flame. What u'll need is : One Candle of your choosing, any color will do. A Candle holder, and incense, burner. If U don't have Incense, sage & patchuoli will do for burning. Matches, lightier. Pen, Pencil. Either lined paper / a notebook, / blank parchment paper. A comfortable chair (U might be sitting fore hours. Depends.) And, a place where U will not be disturbed. Next, if u'r in a room cover the windows, with something, so their won't be

195

much light coming in on U and no one will disturb U too. Pen and Paper in front of U. with the Candle in behind the paper. Light the candle. And, burn the herbs or incense. Next, Take 3 deep breathes, 1st one breathe in through your nostrils, and exhale out through your mouth, do the same with the 2nd and 3rd breathes, by the time your done you should be relaxed. Now, look into the candles flame, and watch it. look around within it. now speak to the candles fire spirit to appear within the flame, and speak to you. All the while you are looking for the way in to the candles doorway, and when you've found the enterance, look for the exit, before you enter in to the candles flame through your minds Eye. Reaching within the flame. When, you've found it ask the Fire Spirit if its ok to enter in to talk with (Him/Her) remember only ask those questions you want this spirit to answer. Ask it its Name, what abilities it can teach you. And, anything else you want to know. Such as a Language and a Magickal Alphabet of Power and Authority that they know and will work for you when you use it and how you use it. Know how they want you to use it. (Remember that, its the key to everything you will learn when working with any spirit being, Demons, Entities, Deities, Fallen Angels/Archangels, Divine Angels/Archangels. when your done, depart the way you can leave through the exit that you've found from the beginning. Thank the Spirit with the Name it gave U and Remember Write down everything the spirit said to you.

196

Blessing's You can do this with every Element. (Look you can always make your own Paper with, leaves and stems and flowers and such)

Wild Medicine for the Cold and Flu Season by Christine *Admin* Cold and flu season is in full swing and it seems like everybody I know is sick right now, all across the country, from Maryland to Oregon. In case it’s affecting you or someone you know, too, I thought I’d share my favorite remedy. This has worked for me and for more friends and neighbors than I can count. I usually see significant results within 24 hours and full or near-full recovery within two to three days. My Kickass Antiviral Tea is dried wild leaves of: * Lemon balm, Melissa officinalis * Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis * Mullein, Verbascum thapsus Tinctures I include: * Oregon grape root, Mahonia spp. <– for general ickiness or

197

* Elderberry, Sambucus nigra <– specifically for flu Optional additions: * Yarrow (tea leaves or tincture), Achillea millefolium <– for colds * Pine (needles for tea), Pinus spp. <– for colds * Wild cherry (bark tincture), Prunus virginiana <– for sore throat * Lemon juice (fresh squeezed from an organic fruit) * Honey, ideally local and organic I generally drink some version of the above tea 3 to 4 times a day and include 2 droppersful of the tincture per cup.

THE WATCHERS Posted by Galina *Head Admin*

Every culture has myths of so called visitors from the stars, in reality the Dark Lords. In the book of Jubilees, the Book of Enoch, and the Book of Daniel, they are known as Watchers. They appear in the myths of many diverse cultures, and folklore, sometimes passing themselves off as beings that came from the stars, even calling themselves star gods. The emperors of Japan, the Kings of the Aztec’s, and Mayans, are said to be descendants of the star gods, or Dark Lords. The Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, and all ancient cultures, recorded a race of beings displaying great powers of intellect, huge size and great strength.

198

The word “Egregore” is from the Greek egrgoroi, “The Watchers” and appears in the septuagint translation of the Book of Lamentations, as well as the Book of Jubilees and the Book of Enoch. An egregore is an angel, sometimes called watcher; in Hebrew the word is ir, and the concept appears in The Book of Enoch. Thus, Irim, the city of the Nephilim is again linked with the Book of Enoch, since the Nephilim, according to that Book, were the sons of the Irim (the egregores). The Watchers are also considered the fallen angels which are called forth in ceremonial magic, the beings who guard portals that link worlds together. Within such systems they are viewed as a spiritual race, a set of deities, or as spirits of the four elements. The Watchers are associated with the four quarters of north, east, south, and west. In some Traditions the Watchers are associated with the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water, they are also linked to each solstice and equinox, as well as to a specific star. In the early stellar cults of Mesopotamia there were four “royal” Stars (known as Lords) which were called the Watchers. Each one of these stars “ruled” over one of the four cardinal points common to Astrology. This particular system would date from approximately 3000 BC. The star Aldebaran, when it marked the Vernal Equinox, held the position of Watcher of the East. Regulus, marking the Summer Solstice, was Watcher of the South. Antares, marking the Autumn Equinox, was Watcher of the West. Fomalhaut, marking the Winter Solstice, was Watcher of the North. In the star myths the Watchers themselves were depicted as gods who guarded the Heavens and the Earth. Their nature, as well as their “rank”, was altered by the successive lunar and solar cults that replaced the older stellar cults. In one version, a group of fallen angels described in Biblical apocrypha mated with mortal women, giving rise to a race of hybrids known as the Nephilim, who are described as giants in Genesis 6:4. A different idea of the Grigori appears in some traditions of Italian witchcraft where the Grigori are said to

199

come from ancient stellar lore. References to angelic Grigori appear in the books of Enoch and Jubilees. In Hebrew they are known as the Irin, “Watchers,” found mentioned in the Old Testament Book of Daniel. In Jewish legendary lore, the grigori are a superior order of angels in both the 2nd and 5th Heavens (depending on whether they are the holy or unholy), they resemble men in appearance, are taller than giants and are eternally silent. According to The Book of Jubilees, the watchers were sent by God to instruct the children of men, but they fell after they descended to earth and started co-habiting with mortal women. In Enoch I there is mention of 7 watchers, and here the story is that they fell because they failed to appear on time for certain tasks apportioned to them. Some versions of rabbinic and cabalistic lore speak of good and evil watchers, with the good watchers still dwelling in the 5th Heaven, the evil ones in the 3rd Heaven (a kind of Hell-in-Heaven realm).

In the recently discovered A Genesis Apocryphon, Lamech suspects his wife, Bat-Enosh of having had relations with one of the watchers and that Noah is the seed of such a union. Bat-Enosh swears “by the King of the worlds” that

200

the fruit is his (Lamech’s). The cause of Lamech’s suspicion is the fact that when Noah was born, he immediately started conversing with “the Lord of righteousness” and that his likeness was “in the likeness of the angels of Heaven.” Lamech hastens to his father Methuselah for enlightenment. Methuselah in turn appeals to Enoch for the truth. Since the Apocryphon breaks off here, we shall probably never know what Enoch told Methuselah. In Daniel 4:13, 17, the Hebrew prophet speaks of a watcher whom he saw in a vision coming down from Heaven with “a decree of the watchers.“ According to the Book of Enoch, the Grigori numbered a total of 200 but only their leaders are named: “These are the names of their chiefs: Samyaza, who was their leader, Urakabarameel, Akibeel, Tamiel, Ramuel, Danel, Azkeel, Saraknyal, Asael, Armers, Batraal, Anane, Zavebe, Samsaveel, Ertael, Turel, Yomyael, Azazyel (also known as Azazel). These were the prefects of the two hundred angels, and the remainder were all with them.“ n Enoch, the Watchers are angels apparently dispatched to Earth simply to watch over the people. They soon begin to lust for the human women they see, and at the prodding of their leader Samyaza, they defect en masse to marry and live among men. The children produced by these relationships are the Nephilim, savage giants who pillage the earth and endanger humanity. Samyaza, Azazel, and the others become corrupt, and teach their human hosts to make metal weapons, cosmetics, and other necessities of civilization that had been kept secret. But the people are dying and cry to the heavens for help. God sends the Great Flood to rid the earth of the Nephilim, but sends Uriel to warn Noah so as not to eradicate the human race. The Grigori are bound “in the valleys of the Earth” until Judgment Day. The Watchers story in Enoch is derived from Genesis chapter 6. Verses 1-4 describe the “Origin of the Nephilim” and mention the “Sons of God” who beget them:

201

"When men began to multiply on earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw how beautiful the daughters of man were, and so they took for their wives as many of them as they chose. Then the Lord said: “My spirit shall not remain in man forever, since he is but flesh. His days shall comprise one hundred and twenty years.” At that time the Nephilim appeared on earth (as well as later), after the sons of God had intercourse with the daughters of man, who bore them sons. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown.” (Genesis 6:1-4) Here, the “sons of God” are given no specific name or function; they could represent fallen angels, or simply heavenly beings that mate with women.

202

The Book of Jubilees adds further details about the Watchers. While “Watchers” or “Sentinels” are mentioned alongside the “holy ones” in the Book of Daniel, angels were fairly popular in Jewish folklore, which often describes them as looking like large human beings that never sleep and remain forever silent. Earlier mystical Hebrew sects organized the Watchers into an Archangel hierarchy. According to this system the Watchers were ruled over by four

203

great Watchers known as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Auriel. In the Old Testament (Daniel 4: 13 17) there is reference made to the Irin, or Watchers, which appear to be an order of angels. In early Hebrew lore the Irin were a high order of angels that sat on the supreme Judgment Council of the Heavenly Court. In the Apocryphal Books of Enoch and Jubilees, the Watchers were sent to Earth to teach law and justice to humankind. The most common associations found in various texts on Medieval magic regarding the Watchers are as follows: 1.Araqiel: taught the signs of the earth. 2.Armaros: taught the resolving of enchantments. 3.Azazel: taught the making of weapons of war. 4.Barqel: taught astrology. 5.Ezequeel: taught the knowledge of the clouds. 6.Gadreel: taught the art of cosmetics. 7.Kokabeel: taught the mystery of the Stars 8.Penemue: taught writing. 9.Sariel: taught the knowledge of the Moon. 10.Semjaza: taught Herbal enchantments. 11.Shamshiel: taught the signs of the Sun. It is these same angels who are referred to as the Sons of God in the Book of Genesis. According to Christian belief their sins filled the Earth with violence and the world was destroyed as a result of their intervention. Christian theologians joined the Watchers to an evil class of fallen angels known as the principalities of the air. St. Paul, in the New Testament, calls the Fallen Angels “principalities”: “for we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers…against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in High Places”. It was also St. Paul who called Satan “The prince of power of the air”, and thus made the connection of Satan (himself connected to “a star”, Isiah 14: 12 14) and etheric beings, for they were later

204

known as demons and as principalities of the Air. The concept of beings existing between Humans and Angels and associated with the Elemental natures of Earth, Air, Fire and Water was taught by certain Gnostic sects in the early days of Christianity. Clement of Alexandria, influenced by Hellenistic cosmology, attributed the movement of the Stars and the control of the four elements to angelic beings. Partial List of Grigori and Their Sources ·Armaros (also Amaros) in Enoch I taught men the resolving of enchantments. ·Araqiel (also Arakiel, Araqael, Araciel, Arqael, Sarquael, Arkiel, Arkas) in Enoch I taught humans the signs of the earth. However, in the Sibylline Oracles, Araqiel is referred to not as a fallen angel, or Grigori, but as one of the 5 angels who lead the souls of men to judgement, the other 4 being Ramiel, Uriel, Samiel, and Aziel. ·Azazel in I Enoch taught men to make knives, swords, shields, and how to devise ornaments and cosmetics. ·Baraqel (Baraqiel) taught men astrology (from Enoch I). ·Chazaqiel taught men the signs of the clouds (meteorology) in Enoch I. ·Kokabiel (also Kakabel, Kochbiel, Kokbiel, Kabaiel, and Kochab), in The Book of the Angel Raziel, is a high-ranking, holy angel but, in general apocryphal lore and also in Enoch I, he is a fallen Grigori, resident of nether realms, and commands 365,000 surrogate spirits to do his bidding. Among other duties, he instructs his fellows in astrology. ·Penemue in I Enoch 69.8 “taught mankind the art of writing with ink and paper,” and taught “the children of men the bitter and the sweet and the secrets of wisdom.” ·Sariel (also Suriel, Zerachiel, and Sarakiel) is one of the 7 archangels originally listed in the Enoch books as Saraqel. Apocryphally, he is the governor of the zodiacal sign of Aries. In the Enoch books, he also teaches of

205

the courses of the moon (at one time regarded as forbidden knowledge). ·Samyaza (also Shemyazaz, Shamazya, Semiaza, Shemhazi, Semyaza and Amezyarak) is one of the leaders of the fall from heaven and is referred to in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Vocabulaire de l’ Angelologie. ·Shamsiel, once a guardian of Eden, in the Zohar, served as one of the 2 chief aides to the Archangel Uriel (the other aide being Hasdiel) when Uriel bore his standard into battle, and is the head of 365 legions of angels and also crowns prayers, accompanying them to the 5th heaven. He is referred to in Jubilees as one of the Grigori. In I Enoch he is a fallen angel who teaches the signs of the sun. http://hermesphilus.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/the-grigori/

HELEN OF TROY by Galina *Head Admin* Helen of Troy and the Trojan War were central to the early history of ancient Greece. Helen is the object of one of the most dramatic love stories of all time and one of the main reasons for a ten-year war between the Greeks and Trojans, known as the Trojan War. Hers was the face that launched a thousand ships because of the vast number of warships the Greeks sailed to Troy to retrieve Helen. The poems

206

known as the Trojan War Cycle were the culmination of many myths about the ancient Greek warriors and heroes who fought and died at Troy.

HELEN OF TROY - FAMILY OF ORIGIN The Trojan War Cycle is based on a story from the legendary period of ancient Greece, a time when it was common to trace lineage to the gods. Helen is said to have been a daughter of the king of the gods, Zeus. Her mother was generally considered to have been Leda, the mortal wife of the king of Sparta, Tyndareus. In some versions, Nemesis, in bird form, is named mother. The Helen-egg was then given to Leda to raise. Clytemnestra was the sister of Helen, but her father wasn't Zeus, but Tyndareus. Helen had two (twin) brothers, Castor and Pollux (Polydeuces). Pollux shared a father with Helen, and Castor with Clytemnestra. The two brothers are called the Dioscuri. There were various stories about this helpful pair of brothers, including one about how they saved the Romans at the Battle of Regillus APPLE OF DISCORD AND THE WAR STORY

207

The Greek poet Stesichorus [fragment 192: the Palinode (D. Page, Poetae Melici Graeci)] once wrote about the goddess responsible for the Trojan War: "So once, when Tyndareus made sacrifices to all the gods, he forgot one only, the giver of blessings, Aphrodite. And she in anger with the daughters of Tyndareus made them twice married and three times married and brides who deserted their husbands." The three goddesses (Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite) asked Zeus to present the apple of discord -- a beautiful gold sphere -- to the one who deserved the title kallista 'most beautiful'. I know some of the other gods were surprised Zeus couldn't bring himself to admit the obvious, but I understood. How could he

208

choose an adopted daughter over the product of his own body or his wife? His home life would have been unbearable. And don't give me any of that beauty is in the eye of the beholder stuff: Aphrodite was exquisite. No two ways about it. Even if she weren't, her magic girdle would have made everyone see her as such. But honor was never Zeus' strong suit. Torturing mankind was. He decided the task was perfect for a simple-minded prince who thought he was a shepherd. Paris would never understand the ramifications and Zeus could pretend his hands were free of bloodshed. Besides, so well did Zeus understand psychology that by this ruse he could make sure the one who really deserved the apple got it. Aphrodite knew she deserved it, but she didn't know what her rivals were up to and she certainly didn't know how malleable the shepherd-prince was. But it didn't matter. The situation provided her with excuse for continuing to torture Tyndareus. Remember Tyndareus? He was the repeatedly cuckolded step-father of Helen. His sin was a onetime failure to offer the proper sacrifices to Aphrodite. Every year he made generous contributions to her temples and every festival day (with the one exception), he made the most lavish sacrifices and offerings to the goddess of love. But for that one moment of preoccupation, Aphrodite decided to use him as a warning to mankind. (And they think my natural consequence style of punishment unfair!) Her punishment was to make his daughters, shall we say, less than virtuous. Aphrodite claims she had nothing to do with his wife's carryings on, but since she's queen of adultery, I find it hard to believe. Hephaestus, Hera's son, was the crippled laughingstock of the gods when he

209

married Charis (Grace). His work was very skilled, though, and over time he earned respect. Achilles' mother asked him for a shield that is almost as renowned as the Iliad. Zeus sought his help in crafting the first woman of Athens. Anyway, Hephaestus had lusted after Aphrodite for many years and finally wore her down. Putting Charis aside, he married the goddess of love. Marriage was a bit confining to Aphrodite, so they maintained separate residents, she on Olympus, he in his forge. On Olympus she was in frequent contact with Hermes and Ares who provided handsome contrasts to her husband. It didn't take long before she and Hermes got together. As a result, Aphrodite gave birth to a boy she named, not too imaginatively, after its two parents. He was called Hermaphrodite. She didn't even pretend Hephaestus was the father. Hephaestus was not very happy about it. Helios saw him moping and promised he'd look out for the craftsman's interests. So, when Helios, riding his sun chariot one morning, caught Ares and Aphrodite flirting with each other, he dutifully warned his friend. Hephaestus concocted a plan and hastily crafted a net to capture the love birds when they consummated their love. It worked, Ares and Aphrodite were startled in their love making by a net falling on them. For about a moment they were embarrassed by the eyes of all the lusting gods upon them. Embarrassed they may have been, but they continued to have relations and produced quite a brood. Anyway, like Athena and Hera, Aphrodite went along with Zeus' plan, but in

210

her case, it was because she could use it to remind Tyndareus of his transgression: She promised Tyndareus' adopted daughter Helen to Paris if he would choose her. Since Helen, my daughter, was the most beautiful woman anywhere, Paris could not and did not resist. After Paris awarded Aphrodite the apple, he and Helen eloped back to his homeland, Troy, and the Trojan War began. The ten years of bloodshed were all Aphrodite's (and Zeus') fault, yet all she suffered was a little flesh wound when Diomedes nicked her milk white." But here is one more adorable story.........

THE JUDGEMENT OF PARIS

The story is almost formulaic, and reminds me strongly of the story of Sleeping Beauty - but instead of an evil fairy named Maleficent, the main character is the sinister Goddess of Discord and Strife: Eris. Thetis, basically the most eligible bachelorette of the Gods (until it was prophesied that her son would be far greater than his father, and then kill his father), was marrying Peleus. Everyone who was ANYONE was invited, but Eris, Ares' annoying and dangerous sidekick, was left off the guest list. It wasn't any kind of accident the Gods knew that Eris' love of mischief would totally ruin the wedding reception. But Eris showed up anyway, and she was PISSED! She had brought

211

with her one of her beautiful and shiny Golden Apples. The shiny Apple of Discord. This was no wedding gift to the bride or groom. Eris threw the apple into the room, between the three Goddesses Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena. On the beautiful apple was inscribed the simple words "to the fairest." All three fell to the charm of the apple's beauty and her own divine vanity - they all demanded the apple. When they couldn't reach a consensus (shocker!), they went to Zeus. Wow. Sucks to be him. He decided to delegate that question to someone else, because he knew that whichever Goddess was chosen, the other two were going to inflict some serious revenge. The poor kid who was chosen for answering the question was Paris (also called Alexander). Sweet little Paris was just chilling on Mt. Ida, shepherding, because it had been prophesied that he would cause the Trojan War and Troy's downfall. Zeus descended and explained the situation, and then the three Goddesses came down in all their beauty and glory, and demanded the apple. Paris made a little choking noise and almost started crying. How could he, a mere mortal, decide which of the most beautiful women he would EVER see were the most gorgeous. He couldn't decide. But he knew he had to make a decision. The Goddesses pretty much decided that for him. Each one offered him a gift, letting him give the apple to the one with the best gift.

212

Hera, the queen of the Gods, offered Paris power. She filled his head with images of thrones and conquering, and promised him that he should have all of Asia at his feet. Now, that sounded pretty damn good to Paris, but being a reasonably intelligent mortal - and very capitalistic - he decided to hear the others out and go with the highest bid. But he wasn't to get any more offers of power. Each of the Goddesses had her own domain, and her gifts corresponded appropriately. Athena went next. She offered him great wisdom, almost equalling her own, and promised him great luck in battle. She swore to make him the best strategist ever. Again, Paris was ALL about the idea, but he decided to wait and hear what Aphrodite had to say. That was the problem. Paris may have been smart, but he was a guy with normal hormones. Waiting to hear what the Goddess of Lust had to say pretty much screwed him over. Aphrodite told him two things: 1) that he would have the BEST body ever 2) that he could have the most beautiful woman in the world as his

213

mate. And I have no doubt that she promised it in her most seductive voice painting visions of ecstacy in his mind. Paris decided to go with Aphrodite. Here his wit failed him in more than one way. Helen of Troy was the most beautiful woman in the world - but she was already married, and married to an important king, no less. HE was already married to a nymph named Oenone. Oenone had learned the art of prophesy from Rhea, and forsaw a gruesome death for Paris should he try to take Helen. She begged him to stay, but Paris was entangled in the sexuality Aphrodite had left in his mind, and would not listen. In one more area did Paris' logic fail him. He had angered the Goddess of War and Wisdom and the Queen of the Gods who commanded power. He had no idea what he'd gotten himself into.

Paris did indeed steal Helen away - but not without cost. The theft/kidnapping/rape began the Trojan War - just as the prophesy at his birth had proclaimed. With Athena and Hera deadset against Troy, they were in for a run for their money. Troy eventually fell, and Paris was mortally wounded. His wife, Oenone, could have saved him - but she was so bitter from his betrayal that she refused. A few days later she changed her mind, but by then, it was too late, and when she found Paris dead, she hung herself. That is the story of the Apple of Discord - don't mess with Eris.

214

Featured Groups The Witches Library Corner of Magic

Created by Moonshadow (Moonie *Co-Creator* Take the load off your feet, and curl up with a book. Remember Knowledge is Power. http://bill3626.ning.com/group/witcheslibrarycornerofmagic

This is a great group to come and relax and find a great book to read, the collections of books is just mind blowing one could spend months just reading great lititure that is found in this group so come check it out for there is something there for every one...

Book of Shadows

215

Created by helela http://bill3626.ning.com/group/bookofshadows

I must say the information found in this group is one of the best I have come acrossed, and diffently is a true Book of Shadows and one that can give people a good idea of what should be in their Book of Shadows and you will find things covering all aspects of magic within this group....

Monster's Survival Kit

Created by Galina *Head Admin* http://bill3626.ning.com/group/monsterssurvivalkit

This group is about alternative medicine,natural,authentic and folk ways of healing,sharing and discussing ways to be healthy aside from official medincine. This group is truly a marverlous group in which one can learn how to use traditional (alternative) medicines and truely live a better life and a much healthier one. This group is a must see for your self for words can not begin to discrib the wealth of information and knowledge you will find here....

216

217

History of April Fool's Day aka All Fool's Day April Fool's Day is the 1st day in April. It is celebrated in the United States, England, France, Scotland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Germany and Norway. Because the day evolves around whimsy and tomfoolery, the origin of this day varies also. The custom of shouting "April Fool!" was brought to the United States by English settlers in the early 1600's. One theory to it's origin goes back to Noah, who is said to have mistakenly sent the dove out to find dry land after the flood began to recede on April 1st. Another has to do with the change in the Gregorian calendar, in which under the old calendar New Year's Day was celebrated around time of the Vernal Equinox in late March. But, because this occasionally coincided with (or came

218

close to) Easter, church officials back then moved New Year's day to April 1st. But, when the Gregorian calendar was officially adopted in 1582, New Years Day changed from April 1 to January 1. Some people forgot about the change, and continued to make their New Year visits on April 1. Otehrs paid mock visits to friends and neighbors shouting "April Fool!" to those who took them seriously. Some historians believe that the Scottish and French customs of pulling pranks in a way reflect the old ancient feelings of spring and well, sexual license. Blend that in with a smidge of the Druid priest's trying to deceive evil spirits (which seems to always be their priority from how I read this book) so that they won't interfere with fertility during the planting season, the sprouting season and the mating season. Think about it, that's basically ALL year round these Druid priests are trying to fend off evil spirits. Anyway, another theory is that April Fool's Day and pulling pranks started with Lord of Misrule's ceremonies. Appropriately name, he is said to have organized some wild and unruly feasts and masquerades with people dressed up as mythological beasts or some kind of exotic animal as a form of rebellion against the church. Another theory is of course to blame it on the Romans. This theory states that the Roman festival of "Cerealia" held around the beginning of April, started it. The story is that the goddess Ceres hears the echo of Prosperpina (her daughter) screaming as she's carried off to the lower worlds by Pluto. Ceres then goes in search of her daughter's voice. But Cere's search is a fool's errand for it is impossible to find an echo. Yet other scholars believe that April Fool's Day began as a part of an original spring Celtic festival. You know the saying, "In spring a young man's thoughts turn to love", well the Druid priests were once again working on fooling evil spirits so they won't interfere with fertility during all this spring mating (whether people, animals or plants). Thus, it was believed that by pulling

219

pranks all ill-doers and evil spirits would get so confused they were null and void. And so the Druid priest's ritual was considered a success! Another theory relates it to the Hindu festival of Holi (or Huli) which of course is another spring fertility festival done with fire. This festival lasts for 5 days, including a continual outdoor bonfire and dancing. This brings people into an estatic mood. So how does April Fool's fit in? On the LAST day of this festival (which happens to be March 31) people are sent on worthless errands to everyone's amusement. There are a lot of folk stories in which people are sent on witless missions (or impossible ones). The common thread is that most of this is done in the Spring and is related around love. And, as some scholars say, when it comes to love even the most reasonable people go crazy and conduct themselves in a silly manner when they fall in love. So, April's Fool's Day is often associated with romantic craziness and fooling around. April Fool's Day was brought to the United States in the 1600's by the English, Scottish and French settlers. It is believed that France helped influence when this day was celebrated because they changed their calendar in 1564 (King Charles IX) which changed the New Year from March 25 to January 1. April Fools' Day is also called Huntingowk Day or Gowkie Day in Scotland, because an April Fool is called a gowk. In England it's often referred to "All Fools Day" or "April Noddy Day" because in England a fool is referred to as a 'noddy.' But, all of these names originate from the "Feast of Fools" which was a popular medieval festival during which social roles were reversed and rules were deliberately broken. The men would dress up as women, eat and gamble at the altar, burn old leather sandals in the censors and engage in other unthinkable activities normally. The Feast of Fools was really popular in France, where April Fools' Day is widely observed.

220

Fish And, no one knows why in France the hoax is an "April Fish" a Poisson d'avril. Those who love to fish say that April has the best fishing. Others say it's because it's during that time that the zodiacal sign of Pisces rules. Today, in France, chocolate fish are sold in candy stores for April Fool's Day. And, friends send one another anonymous postcards (with some silly dialogue) with fish pictures. Other people try to pin a paper fish on someone's back without being caught. This is similiar to the US prank of pinning a paper sign on someone's back saying "Kick me." Here's a funny story why the Dutch celebrate April Fool's. Spain's King Philip II ruled the Netherlands back in 1572. Rebels opposed to his rule were called "Geuzen" after the a French word (Guex) that meant beggars. Den Briel (a small town on the coast) was seized by the Geuzens on April 1, 1572, beginning a civilian uprising against Spanish rule that spread throughout the Netherlands. Commander of the Spanish army was the Duke of Alba, and was powerless to stop the Geuzens. The Dutch word for glasses is "bril." And, apparently during this uprising, the Duke of Alba lost his glasses. Because the Dutch enjoy this silly mishap, they use it to commemorate April Fool's day.

Not always April 1 In Mexico and Spain, April Fool's Day is on December 28 (called Day of the Holy Innocents). According to their custom, it is very foolish to lend someone anything (especially money) on that because it doesn't have to be returned. Instead, the borrower sends the lender a box of candies with a note that he's been fooled. In Germany and Norway, April Fool's day is celebrated twice: On April 1 and on April 30. (Note: Thanks to Devon Amaro for letting me know I did a typo.

221

I had April 31 above, which doesn't exit. I guess April Fools on me, huh? )

How to do an April Fool's Joke The most common prank is of course to make someone run a "fool's errand." If not a complete errand, then an unnecessary action, such as checking for an open zipper or missing button. To be a good April Fool prankster, one must have a cool persona and good timing. A good prankster gets his victim as early as possible before he realizes what day it is. Tradition has it that if a prankster waits too late in the day to pull the prank then he is called the April Fool. It is said that when people pull pranks on one another it is just another way of saying that they care. April Fool's pranks are usually first experienced in one's home with other family members. And, then it will grow to outside social circles of friends, classmates, co-workers etc. However....please stop and think! Not everyone enjoys being embarrassed. And, if you play a prank on someone that you really do not have an emotional respect for, then do not do it. It can often be viewed as expressing anger, hostility, resentment, bigotry, sexual harassment etc. April Fool's Phobias Aphrilophobia is the fear of April Fool's Day. Many of the phobias associated with this day are termed social phobias because they pertain to being embarrassed in public or worse. Katagelophobia - Fear of Ridicule or Embarrassment Neophobia - Fear of something new

222

Scopophobia - Fear of being stared at Ereuthophobia - Fear of blushing Mythophobia - Fear of making a false statement Traumatophobia - Fear of being emotionally wounded or injured

April Fool's phobias range from mild anxiety to full-blown panic attacks, where people will literally refuse to go to work on April 1st. Ironically, it is rumored that talk show hosts actually fear a "no-guest-a-phobia" on April 1. This is a fear of guest canceling out at the last minute.

Why Do We Celebrate April Fools Day?

There are many different theories about the origin and history of April Fools Day. However, most of them are just theories. There is no real evidence to point to any single individual or event. The 16th Century French Calendar One theory is that it originated in France. In 1564, the government decided to move the New Year from March 31 to January 1. Whether it was by decree or just something the people thought of, jokes and pranks were concocted on those who refused to adjust or forgot the new date.

223

The most popular prank was to place paper fish on the rear of these folks. They were known as Poisson dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Avril (April Fish). The history of April Fools Day thus began in France, according to this theory. Spring Festivals Some researchers feel that its origins can be traced to the spring festivals celebrated by various ancient cultures. In ancient civilizations it was marked by playfulness, merry making and jokes. Roles of masters and servants were reversed and the roles of parents and children interchanged. These practices may have originated in Roman times. Eventually it spread to Europe and became the event we know today. Some of the Roman festivals that may have influenced it could have been the Saturnalia, which was marked by drinking and dancing and the Feast of Fools. Roman Myths There are some researchers who trace the history of April Fools Day in mythology. One theory is that it originated in Roman myths. Some have suggested that when Persephone (Proserpina) was abducted by Hades, she screamed for her mother Ceres. Ceres didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize that her daughter was in the Underworld and searched for her fruitlessly on Earth. Thus the foolish search became the basis for the event. British Origin Some believe that the practice began in Britain. In the 1630s, the law stated that wherever King John walked, the land would automatically be turned into a public property.

224

One day the King was headed for the town of Gotham. The citizens were terrified to lose their lands. When the King sent soldiers ahead of him, they reported strange activities. According to this version of the history of April Fools Day, the locals pretended to be insane. The King fell for their antics and decided not to go there anymore. According to legend, their jokes became widely known and copied. Other Theories There are some who suggest it began in Germany. In 1530 financial leaders were supposed to meet and discuss monetary issues in Augsburg. It never happened. But some people had wagered it would happen and lost a lot of money. They were laughed at. Another theory places its origin in the Netherlands. On the first day of April in 1572, the Dutch were able to take back the town of Den Briel away from the Spaniards. According to lore, pranks were played by the Dutch to recall the embarrassment of the Spaniards in losing. The origin and history of April Fools Day is complex. Studying it can lead one into blind alleys. Regardless of how it started, it seems destined to become even more popular around the world.

225

What Is The Threat Of Solar Flares,Storms,Is Our Government Doing Anything. by SteamPunkRebel

A report by NASA says such a storm today would lead to a 'planetary disaster'.Our 21st century way of life relies to heavily on technology,but scientists all say this has left society at risk of such a Disaster

226

The planet Must Take Space Storm Threat Seriously, Experts Warn.

An X2.2 flare erupted from the sun's active region 1158 (at lower right) at about 0150 UT or 8:50 pm ET on Feb. 14, 2011. An X2.2 flare erupted from the sun's active region 1158 (at lower right) at about 0150 UT or 8:50 pm ET on Feb. 14, 2011. CREDIT: NASA/SDO/GFSC WASHINGTON â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Space weather could pose serious problems here on Earth in the coming years, the chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Saturday (Feb. 19). A severe solar storm has the potential to take down telecommunications and power grids, and the country needs to work on being better prepared, said NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco here at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Lubchenco is also the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. "This is not a matter of if, it's simply a matter of when and how big," Lubchenco said of the potential for a dangerous solar flare. "We have every reason to expect we're going to be seeing more space weather in the coming years, and it behooves us to be smart and be prepared." The space weather threat is becoming more dire as our sun ramps up toward its period of solar maximum, predicted for around 2013. Activity on the sun

227

fluctuates on a roughly 11-year cycle, and our star has been relatively dormant for a while. That's clearly starting to change, though, as evidenced by a class X solar flare â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the strongest kind â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that erupted from the sun Feb. 14. "I think the events of this week certainly underscore how important it is for us to be paying attention to space weather and to be prepared to respond to, and mitigate, potential impacts," Lubchenco said. "As we enter into a period of enhanced solar activity it seems pretty clear that we are going to be looking at the possibility of not only more solar events but also the possibility of some very strong events." The Feb. 14 flare unleashed a wave of charged particles that streamed immediately toward Earth, as well as coronal mass ejections, or blobs of plasma, that took days to arrive here. When they did, they interacted with Earth's magnetic field to cause geomagnetic storms that wiped out radio communications in the Western Pacific Ocean and parts of Asia, and caused airlines to reroute some polar flights to avoid radio outages. Next time could be worse However, experts say we got off fairly lucky with this recent solar storm, and that future eruptions could cause worse damage, particularly to the sensitive transformers and capacitors in power grids. If some of these were harmed, there could be power outages for days, weeks, months, or even, in the case of severe damage, years, experts warned. "It turned out that we were quite well protected this time, so not much happened," said European Space Agency scientist Juha-Pekka Luntama. "In another case things might have been different."

228

Space weather hasn't posed quite such a threat before, because during the last solar maximum, around 10 years ago, the world wasn't as dependent on satellite telecommunications, cell phones and global positioning system (GPS) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all technologies that could be disrupted by solar flares. "Many things we take for granted today are so much more prone to the effects of space weather than was the case during the last maximum," Lubchenco said. The problem is likely to get even worse as the world could likely become more technologically dependent by the time the next solar maximum rolls around, and the next. Slightly scary Other experts agree that the risk must be addressed. "It is slightly scary, and I think properly so," said John Beddington, the U.K. government's chief scientific adviser. "We've got to be scared by these events otherwise we will not take them seriously." He and other European officials said the world needs greater international cooperation to meet the threat of dangerous space weather. "There are few emergency scenarios today that require such close cooperation across the Atlantic as a geomagnetic storm," said Helena Lindberg, director general for the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB). We have an "urgent need to start sharing expertise and connecting our systems for warning and for response," Lindberg said. "This cooperation has to be put in place before a disaster hits." Despite the risk, though, some experts stressed that there's reason to be optimistic. There is work being done to improve our ability to forecast solar

229

storms in advance, equip more satellites with radiation shielding and fortify power grids with resilient transformers and capacitors. "Please don’t panic," said Stephan Lechner of the Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. "Please don't leave the room and tell everybody that space weather will kill us tomorrow." Don't you just love how they try and down play,just how really serious this is (Steampunkrebel)

Location: Between Nevsehir and Nigde, Turkey. Grid Reference: 38° 24' 20" N, 34° 45' 27" E.

Derinkuyu: (Underground City).

230

Carved from the living rock, Derinkuyu is one of five inter-connected underground complexes with a total estimated capacity of 100,000 people. The historical region of Cappadocia where Derinkuyu is situated, contains several historical underground cities, carved out of a unique geological formation, many of which were largely re-used by early Christians as hiding places. Over 200 underground cities at least two levels deep have been discovered in the area between Kayseri and Nevsehir, with around 40 of those having at least three levels. The cities at Derinkuyu and Kaymakl路 are two of the best examples of underground dwellings. (2) (Map of site - How to get there) Derinkuyu ('Deep Well'): Melagobia, Malakopi. The largest of the Cappadocia underground complexes is multi-storey (18 storeys, 85m deep), with fresh flowing water, ventilation shafts and individually separated living quarters or 'apartments', shops, communal rooms, wells, tombs, arsenals and escape routes. It has the potential to house up to 20,000 people. The complex was air conditioned throughout, with 52 air shafts discovered so far, one of which is 55m deep.. some wells were not connected with the surface, presumably in order to protect the dwellers from poisoning during raids. (1) Derinkuyu underground settlement was opened to visitors in 1965, but so far only 10% can be visited. Entry is through tunnels that force one to almost crawl on occasion in order to force invaders into single file... One tunnel on the third level of Derinkuyu is said to connect to the nearby underground city of Kaymakli (5km distant). (3)

231

The massive circular doors - These circular doors are visible at all the local underground sites. They were rolled across the passages and sealed the citadels from the inside. At Derinkuyu Each level could also be sealed individually. The following photos highlight the scale of the earth-works...

Of the 18 storeys, only 8 are currently open to visitors. When were they constructed? Wikipedia says of it: 'First built by the Phrygians in the 8th-7th centuries B.C according to the Turkish Department of Culture, the underground city at Derinkuyu was enlarged in the Byzantine era. The oldest written source about underground cities is the writings of Xenophon (ca. 431 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 355 BC). In his Anabasis he writes that the people living in Anatolia had excavated their houses underground, living well in accommodations large enough for the family, domestic animals, and supplies of stored food'. (Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derinkuyu) Alternatively, they were believed to have 'been constructed at around 1,400 BC by the Hittites'. http://chopsueyblog.wordpress.com A Hittite connection is confirmed by archaeology, but the exact date remains elusive:

232

In origin, the cities are thought to date back to Hittite times at least (1900â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1200 BC). Hittite-style seals have been found during excavations and other Hittite remains, such as a lion statue, have turned up in the area. It is possible that the underground rooms were used as shelters during the attacks of 1,200 BC, when the Hittite Empire was destroyed by invaders from Thrace. Later the complexes were enlarged by other civilizations, and the presence of missionary schools, churches and wine cellars would seem to indicate that they were used by Christian communities. http://www.roughguides.com Other Local Underground Constructions: There are another 200 subterranean settlements in the area although only a few are open to the public. (2) Kaymakli (Ozluce) Roughly 10 kilometres to the north of Derinkuyu, is smaller and less excavated but 5 levels are accessible. Ozluce Underground settlement is different from the others in terms of its geological formation and architectural features. The underground settlement has tufa of different colours. There is only one floor in this underground settlement which has not been completely opened; however, it covers a very large area. At the entrance is a place with two intertwining arches made of basalt. Access to the main tufa stone can be gained through a 15 m long passage, made of rubble stone. The stone places, which lead to the underground settlement, are more recent than the rock hollowed places that form the underground settlement. At the end of this passage there is a millstone door which is made of hard granite and is 1.75 m in diameter.

233

Being the largest area in the underground settlement, the main space at the entrance consists of two parts. To the right of the main space are storage rooms, and to the left are living areas. On the sides of the long corridors are cell-like rooms and on the floor are traps. (1) Tatlarin (The Castle). - Christianised underground settlement. The village of Tatlarin, located 10 km north of the town of Acigol, is one of the interesting places in Cappadocia because of both its underground settlement and churches and the architecture of its houses. Its underground settlement, located on the hill called ‘the castle’ by the locals of the village, was first discovered in 1975 and opened to the public in 1991. The size of the chambers in the underground settlement, only two floors of which can be visited; the presence of the toilets, which also can only be found at the Guzelyurt Underground Settlement; the abundance of the depots for food and of the churches make one think that this place was either a garrison or a monastic complex rather than an underground settlement. (1) Özkonak (Avanos). A smaller version than that at Derinkuyu. Built on the northern slopes of Mt. Idis about 14 km northeast of Avanos in Turkey has many strata made up of volcanic granite. The larger areas of the city are connected to each other by tunnels. Özkonak had a built in communication system of pipes to each of its levels, unlike Kaymakli and Derinkuyu which have no such communication systems. Each carved out room had ventilation provided by holes when the city was closed against enemies.

234

Ă&#x2013;zkonak was discovered in 1972 by a local farmer named Latif Acar, who was curious about where his excess crop water was disappearing to. Latif discovered an underground room which, when later excavated, revealed a whole city which could house an incredible 60,000 people for up to three months. Although only four floors are now open, the complex contains a total of ten floors, to a depth of 40m. (Other Prehistoric Turkish sites) (Other Underground sites) References: 1). http://www.cappadociaonline.com/ 2). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derinkuyu 3). Tracy T. Twyman, Richard Metzger. The Arcadian Mystique. 2005. Dragon Key Press. If you want to get original buyer's guide for pandora bracelets and long leather jacket, take a look at our fitted leather jacket, mens bomber

235

Derinkuyu: (Underground City). Caves like these could be a life saver,having a fall back position like this will enhance your survival.

236

This extreme ultraviolet image from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the sun as it unleashed an X5.4-class solar flare on March 6. The flare appears as the bright spot in the upper left 3/8/2012 3:12:03 AM ET 2012-03-08T08:12:03 The biggest solar storm in five years is battering our planet right now, and may cause disruptions to satellites, power grids and communications networks over the next 24 hours, space weather experts say. Two strong solar flares erupted from the surface of the sun late Tuesday, blasting a wave of plasma and charged particles toward Earth. This eruption of material â&#x20AC;&#x201D; called a coronal mass ejection, or CME â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sped through space at 4 million mph (6.4 million kilometers per hour). The storm is expected to create strong disruptions due to an odd combination of intense magnetic, radio and radiation emissions, making it the strongest overall solar storm since December 2006, even though the flare that triggered it was not the largest, space weather officials said. Early predictions estimated that the CME would likely Earth as early as 1:25 a.m. ET Thursday, with the brunt of it arriving at around 7 a.m. ET. The storm is not hitting Earth head-on but is instead delivering a glancing blow to the planet.

237

The CME will probably trigger geomagnetic and solar radiation storms, which could interfere with satellites in space and power grids on the ground, said Joseph Kunches, a space weather scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center. Aircraft that fly over the Earth's polar regions may experience communication issues as well, and some commercial airliners have already taken precautionary steps, Kunches said. "There is the potential for induced currents in power grids," Kunches told reporters Wednesday. "Power grid operators have all been alerted. It could start to cause some unwanted induced currents." The effects of this solar storm will likely last for 24 hours, and may possibly linger into Friday, Kunches said. "There is the potential for induced currents in power grids," Kunches told reporters Wednesday. "Power grid operators have all been alerted. It could start to cause some unwanted induced currents." "Such a CME could result in a severe geomagnetic storm, causing aurora at low latitudes, with possible disruption to high frequency radio communication, global positioning systems (GPS) and power grids," NASA scientists said in a statement. Experts also predict that the magnetic storm will likely enhance normal aurora displays (also known as the northern and southern lights). As the CME reaches Earth, these stunning light shows will be especially visible for people in northern latitudes, though the full moon of March, which also occurs Thursday, may interfere with the display. "Skywatchers at all latitudes should be alert for auroras," astronomer Tony Phillips wrote on his website Spaceweather.com, which monitors space weather events.

238

The recent solar storm in March,"We were extremely lucky".

The March 1989 geomagnetic storm was a severe geomagnetic storm that caused the collapse of Hydro-QuĂŠbec's electricity transmission system. It occurred during solar cycle 22. The geomagnetic storm causing this event was itself the result of a coronal mass ejection on March 9, 1989. Three and a half days later, at 2:44 am EST on March 13, 1989, a severe geomagnetic storm struck Earth. The storm began on Earth with extremely intense auroras at the poles. The aurora could be seen as far south as Texas. As this occurred during the Cold War, many worried that a nuclear first-strike might be in progress.[4] Others considered the intense auroras to be associated with the Space Shuttle mission STS-29, which had been launched on March 13 at 9:57:00 AM. The burst caused short-wave radio interference, including the disruption of radio signals from Radio Free Europe into Russia. It was initially believed that the signals had been jammed by the Soviet government. As midnight came and went, invisible electromagnetic forces were staging their own pitched battle in a vast arena bounded by the sky above and the rocky subterranean reaches of the Earth. A river of charged particles and electrons in the ionosphere flowed from west to east, inducing powerful electrical currents in the ground that surged into many natural nooks and crannies. Some satellites in polar orbits lost control for several hours. GOES weather satellite communications were interrupted causing weather images to be lost.

239

NASA's TDRS-1 communication satellite recorded over 250 anomalies caused by the increased particles flowing into its sensitive electronics. The Space Shuttle Discovery was having its own problems. A sensor on one of the tanks supplying hydrogen to a fuel cell was showing unusually high pressure readings on March 13. The problem went away after the solar storm subsided.

In August 1989, another storm caused a halt of all trading on Toronto's stock market.

On September 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2, 1859, the largest recorded geomagnetic storm occurred. Aurorae were seen around the world, most notably over the Caribbean; also noteworthy were those over the Rocky Mountains that were so bright that their glow awoke gold miners, who began preparing breakfast because they thought it was morning. People who happened to be awake in the northeastern US could read a newspaper by the aurora's light. Telegraph systems all over Europe and North America failed, in some cases even shocking telegraph operators. Telegraph pylons threw sparks and telegraph paper spontaneously caught fire. Some telegraph systems appeared to continue to send and receive messages despite having been disconnected from their power supplies.

240

http://rainbowconstruction.ning.com/

Rainbow Construction is by far thee best theme site that I have ever seen and one that we are happy to support and be a part of. It has some of the best themers's on the web. But what makes this site so much more is that everyone there is willing to help and teach and will always answer any of your questions and give you advise and tips. So for those that want to learn this is the place to be, for those that want a place to show off there work, this is were you want to be. All there groups are for helping you with

241

ideas to code tweaks, even to finding the right site to find pic's and cursors. You will not find any site out there that as everything you need to create a work of art and the help and support that will help you as you go along and learn. They also have themes in many categories that you can use for your ning pages some may need there codes updated so just follow this saying and you will have a perfect theme for your page: "Seasons change and so do codes so if you have an issue with a theme please let the creator know and they will fix"

So please stop by and check this wonderful site out if your looking to learn or show off your work then this site is for you..... One thing we do ask is that if you join please be respectful for the people that are there are serious and dedicated to there work, and if you join just to use themes that are available please send a thank you or leave a comment for it does mean a lot to all of them.....

view theme

242

Bikers Against Child Abuse International Breaking The Chains Of Abuse http://bacaworld.org/about/mission/

MISSION BACA Mission Statement Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) exists with the intent to create a safer environment for abused children. We exist as a body of Bikers to empower children to not feel afraid of the world in which they live. We stand ready to lend support to our wounded friends by involving them with an established, united organization. We work in conjunction with local and state officials who are already in place to protect children. We desire to send a clear message to all involved with the abused child that this child is part of our organization, and that we are prepared to lend our physical and emotional support to them by affiliation, and our physical presence. We stand at the ready to shield these children from further abuse. We do not condone the use of violence or physical force in any manner, however, if circumstances arise such that we are the only obstacle preventing a child from further abuse, we stand ready to be that obstacle. How BACA Works Bikers Against Child Abuse, Inc. (BACA) is organized with a central contact person to receive calls from referring agencies and individuals. A recognized, authorized agency with which the child has had contact determines that the child is still frightened by his or her environment. The agency representative contacts BACA, or refers the individual to contact BACA and the name and address of the child is given to our BACA/Child

243

Liaison. The Liaison determines that the case is legitimate, meaning that the authorities have been contacted, and the case in being processed within the system. The Liaison contacts the family and an initial ride is organized to meet the child at their home or in some other location. The entire BACA chapter rides to meet the child and he/she is given a vest with a BACA patch sewn on the back. The child is free to wear the vest or not, and we support their decision. The child is also given bumper stickers, and other gifts that are generally donated by the public. These initial visits generally last about a half an hour. Following this initial contact, the child is given the name and number of two BACA members residing geographically closest to them, who then become the child's primary contact person(s). Prior to becoming the primary contacts for the child, the bikers are cleared for participation by clearing an extensive background check, have ridden with the Chapter for at least a year, and have received special instructions from the Licensed Mental Health Professional. Anytime the child feels scared and feels the need for the presence of his new BACA family, the child may call upon these bikers to go to the child's house and provide the necessary reassurance to feel safe and protected. BACA members and supporters also support the children by: providing escorts for them if they feel scared in their neighborhoods; riding by their homes on a regular basis; supporting the children at court and parole hearings; attending their interviews, and; staying with the children if they are alone and frightened. The BACA members never go to the child's house alone and never without the knowledge or permission of the parents. Our mission is not to be permanently engaged as the child's power. Our mission is to help the children and their families learn how powerful they can be. Our presence will be available as long as the child needs us. BACA also holds other functions for the children such as Bar-B-Ques, and parties. Level 1 Intervention Will consist of the organization deploying a ride, uniting as many BACA members as are able to attend. We will ride as a group to the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house where the parent(s) / Guardians will be present to assist us in

244

presenting the child with a patch, stickers, and a photograph of the child with his/her new biker family. If the child is afraid, it is our hope the child will use the photograph as a comfort to convey the message “I am not alone, and you don’t want to mess with my family.” Level 2 Intervention If Level one is not sufficient to deter further abuse or harassment, several BACA members will be sent for further exposure. This group of BACA members will create a presence at the home of the child, being visible at times when the family might be the most vulnerable. The purpose of BACA’s presence is to deter further abuse and to protect the children and the family, if necessary. Level 3 Intervention If the physical presence of our BACA members at the residence of the child’s home does not deter the abuser, a formal letter will be drafted by the Chapter President or Vice-President in the area in which the abuser lives. This letter will be written on BACA letterhead. The substance of the letter will be to explain to the perpetrator that we are prepared to take whatever steps are necessary to become the obstacle to further abuse. Level 4 Intervention While it is against the purpose of BACA to purposely engage a perpetrator, we will ask for the general geographical location of the offender, and conduct a “Neighborhood Awareness Ride” in which we will ride to the general location given to us and go door to door letting people know who we are, hand out stickers to kids, and distribute our literature regarding our mission and how we function. If the location or address of the perpetrator becomes known to any BACA Member, we will immediately withdraw our physical presence to avoid any contact. BACA does not condone, support or participate in the use of aggression, violence or physical force in any manner. If, however, ANY person should seek to inflict harm on one of our BACA Members, we will respond with commitment and loyalty to protect our Member.

245

Our Court Appearances We also attend court with our wounded friends. The sole purpose for our physical presence is to assist the child in being less intimidated and frightened, and subsequently give an accurate testimony regarding his/her abuse. If the child requests our presence in the courtroom, the parent or guardian for the child must petition the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attorney, who then will intercede on behalf of the child to the presiding Judge. Absolutely no physical confrontation of the perpetrator will be tolerated by BACA, and anyone acting in such a manner will be acting outside of the scope of BACA and will be held completely and solely accountable for his/her actions. When possible, the two bikers assigned to the child as his/her primary contacts should be in attendance. Given that it is not always possible for the primary contact bikers to be in attendance, a petition may be made to the general membership for their attendance and support. A listing of the court dates and times will be kept and updated on the BACA hotline at all times. BACA Creed I am a member of Bikers Against Child Abuse. The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I wont look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past has prepared me, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by the faith in my works, and lean on the strength of my brothers and sisters. I love with patience, live by prayer, and labor with power. My fate is set, my gait is fast, my goal is the ultimate safety of children. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are tried and true, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought,

246

compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I wont give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and showed up for all wounded children. I must go until I drop, ride until I give out, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me, for He will see my BACA backpatch and know that I am one of His. I am a member of Bikers Against Child Abuse, and this is my creed. Chapters

United States

Select a state (states in gray do not yet have a BACA chapter): • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connectic ut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachus etts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

247

http://wetstags.ning.com

http://globalconspiracytheories.socialparadox.com/main

http://roadhouserockers.ning.com/

248

http://shadowheartandsouloftheblackrose.ning.com/

http://bill3626.ning.com/

249

Korn

Saturday Apr 21, 2012 12:00 PM Buzzfest feat. Korn, Evanescence and Blue October Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion - Spring, TX Tickets Monday Apr 23, 2012 8:30 PM Korn The Palladium Ballroom - TX - Dallas, TX Tickets

250

Tuesday Apr 24, 2012 7:00 PM Korn Pharr Events Center - Pharr, TX Tickets Friday Apr 27, 2012 7:00 PM Korn Concrete Street Ampitheater - Corpus Christi, TX Tickets Sunday Apr 29, 2012 11:00 AM Welcome to Rockville feat. Korn Jacksonville Metro Park - Jacksonville, FL Tickets Monday Apr 30, 2012 8:00 PM Korn Tennessee Theatre - Knoxville, TN Tickets

251

Hellyeah & Clutch

Saturday Apr 14, 2012 6:30 PM Hellyeah and Clutch House of Blues Atlantic City - Atlantic City, NJ Tickets

252

Sunday Apr 29, 2012 Hellyeah and Clutch Boulder Theatre - Boulder, CO Tickets

Marilyn Manson

Wednesday Apr 11, 2012 6:30 PM Revolver Golden Gods Awards feat. Marilyn Manson, Slash and Evanescence Club Nokia - Los Angeles, CA Tickets

253

Friday Apr 27, 2012 9:00 PM Marilyn Manson Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel - Providence, RI Tickets Saturday Apr 28, 2012 8:00 PM Marilyn Manson Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom - Hampton, NH Tickets Sunday Apr 29, 2012 8:00 PM Marilyn Manson The Paramount - Huntington, NY Tickets Tuesday May 1, 2012 8:00 PM Marilyn Manson The Fillmore Silver Spring - Silver Spring, MD Tickets Wednesday May 2, 2012

254

8:00 PM Marilyn Manson Wellmont Theatre - Montclair, NJ Tickets

Tuesday Apr 3, 2012 7:30 PM Devildriver Knitting Factory Spokane - WA - Spokane, WA Tickets Friday Apr 6, 2012 5:30 PM Devildriver House Of Blues Los Angeles - West Hollywood, CA Tickets

255

Saturday Apr 7, 2012 4:30 PM Devildriver Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ Tickets Thursday Apr 19, 2012 5:15 PM Devildriver House of Blues Dallas - Dallas, TX Tickets Saturday Apr 21, 2012 5:00 PM Devildriver House of Blues Houston - Houston, TX Tickets

256

Kansas

Friday Apr 13, 2012 8:00 PM Kansas Luckman Fine Arts Complex - Los Angeles, CA Tickets Saturday Apr 14, 2012 8:00 PM Kansas Ovations Live! at Wild Horse Pass - Chandler, AZ Tickets

257

Sunday Apr 22, 2012 8:00 PM Kansas Bismarck Civic Center - Bismarck, ND Tickets

Godsmack & Staind

Friday Apr 13, 2012 6:30 PM Godsmack and Staind Augusta Richmond County Civic Center - James Brown Arena - Augusta, GA Tickets Sunday

258

Apr 15, 2012 7:00 PM Godsmack and Staind Germain Arena - Estero, FL Tickets Tuesday Apr 17, 2012 6:30 PM Godsmack and Staind UNO Lakefront Arena - New Orleans, LA Tickets Wednesday Apr 18, 2012 6:30 PM Godsmack and Staind Cajundome - Lafayette, LA Tickets Thursday Apr 19, 2012 7:00 PM Godsmack and Staind CenturyLink Center - Bossier City - Bossier City, LA Tickets Saturday Apr 21, 2012 Godsmack and Staind Lonestar Amphitheatre - Lubbock, TX Tickets

259

Sunday Apr 22, 2012 6:30 PM Godsmack and Staind Bell County Expo Center - Belton, TX Tickets Tuesday Apr 24, 2012 6:30 PM Godsmack and Staind Ford Park - TX - Beaumont, TX Tickets Wednesday Apr 25, 2012 6:30 PM Godsmack and Staind Laredo Energy Arena - Laredo, TX Tickets

Saturday Apr 28, 2012 1:00 PM 2012 UFest feat. Godsmack, Staind and Chevelle Quail Run Park - Mesa, AZ Tickets Sunday

260

Apr 29, 2012 8:00 PM Godsmack Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort - Las Vegas, NV Tickets

Eddie Vedder

Tuesday Apr 10, 2012 8:00 PM Eddie Vedder Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort - Las Vegas, NV Tickets Wednesday Apr 11, 2012 8:00 PM Eddie Vedder Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort - Las Vegas, NV Tickets

261

Friday Apr 13, 2012 7:30 PM Eddie Vedder Comerica Theatre - Phoenix, AZ Tickets Monday Apr 16, 2012 7:30 PM Eddie Vedder Kiva Auditorium - Albuquerque, NM Tickets Tuesday Apr 17, 2012 7:30 PM Eddie Vedder The Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Center - El Paso, TX Tickets Thursday Apr 19, 2012 7:00 PM Eddie Vedder Brady Theater - Tulsa, OK Tickets Friday Apr 20, 2012 7:30 PM Eddie Vedder

262

Brady Theater - Tulsa, OK Tickets Sunday Apr 22, 2012 7:30 PM Eddie Vedder Jones Hall - Houston, TX Tickets Monday Apr 23, 2012 7:30 PM Eddie Vedder Jones Hall - Houston, TX Tickets Wednesday Apr 25, 2012 7:30 PM Eddie Vedder Lila Cockrell Theatre - San Antonio, TX Tickets Friday Apr 27, 2012 7:30 PM Eddie Vedder Bass Concert Hall - Austin, TX Tickets

263

Saturday Apr 28, 2012 7:30 PM Eddie Vedder Bass Concert Hall - Austin, TX Tickets Monday Apr 30, 2012 7:00 PM Eddie Vedder Music Hall at Fair Park - Dallas, TX Tickets

Don't forget to check out the realms huge music section of groups, we are not lacking in the metal~Realms Music Page

264

The Goth Philosophy

I'll begin by saying that I was unsure whether this page should go here or in Goth Basics, as the philosophy behind Goth is clearly a very big part of what we are, not to mention WHY we are what we are. But in the end I put it here, as you can probably tell... shall we begin? So what IS the Gothic philosophy? Well, I suppose that you could say that it is the one thing, running deeper than fashion and even music, that defines a Goth. You will find whole forums and websites (I guess you could include this one) devoted to working out what makes a Goth 'Goth' - as in, what attracts THESE people to THIS music, THIS fashion, THIS scene? I guess you could say that the Goth philosophy is lately considered a kind of

265

abstract code by which we all live - whether deliberately or not. It is what created that love of Halloween, of spooky things, of black lace and moonlit nights and ravens and cemetaries and red, red roses and ray guns (that last one was for the cybergoths). But where did it come from? Well, let's begin right back at the very beginning. The Visigoths and Ostrogoths. Yes, yes, I know that calling oneself a Goth does not mean 'I believe I am a descendant of a barbarian tribe of pre-medieval Germany'. But, this is where the name of our subculture originated from. Take A Bite, the online net.Goth handbook, says about the Goth tribes, "We like to think of them as a bunch of axe wielding, psychotic, rather good looking men and women, dressed in black riding mighty war horses into battle, and eventually (axeidently (sic)) setting fire to Rome and bringing about the collapse of civilization and then going out for a beer. Philosophically speaking we have the beer and the desire to strike terror into the hearts of mortal man in common." If you're still living at home, this is probably not the best example of Goth philosophy to explain to your parents. But it is a beginning, of sorts. Mind you, the philosophy of most of today's Goths is probably not quite so... uh... brutal (although the thing about the beer may be true). Moving on. Medieval times Again I quote Take A Bite: 'Castles on hill tops, thunder, lightning, storm clouds, knights, dragons, musical song and dance numbers? There is a strong medievalistic element in many of today's Goths. It's not an Arthurian yearning for days of chivalry and Grail quests, but rather a link with the quasi-fantastical 'romantic' aspect of the time and the genre. I think romanticism is the key here, we each have our own notion of the period and each associate it with different things.' In fact, I would say that in many cases romanticism is the backbone of Gothic philosophy - courtly love, the romanticised idea of death, etc. The Medieval period also brings us legends of magic, dark forces and the supernatural, but

266

also of death and darkness - plague and black knights and dragons and tyrants. Goths often have a strong imagination and a love of the fantastical, described by Take a Bite as 'a sort of "New Age with Attitude" tract which was further developed by some of the Romantic poets', so it's easy enough to see why the Medieval period holds such fascination for so many of us - it is a blending of darkness and light, a time when belief in the supernatural still held sway, and you could say that it is that intoxicating mix of the light and the dark that defines Goth. The Romantic period The Romantic Poets indulged in pure decadence - they fought, did drugs, drank, made flowing shirts fashionable, and even wrote a little poetry on the side. The Goth love of opulence and decadence is still very much in effect, and of course there are those in the Goth scene that do partake in hedonistic indulgence of both the legal and the not-so-legal kind. (While many Goths are anti-drugs, like any other scene there are of course those who do like to melt their brains on the weekend...) The Romantic Poets are described by Take A Bite (yes, them again) as having 'a strong sense of individuality within the identity of their peer-group'. Sound familiar? The Victorian Era The Victorian period is often thought to be more inspirational to the aesthetics of modern Goth rather than its philosophy, but I would like to disagree. Whilst the Victorians did their best to act stiff, stern and upper-class, they had a strong degree of gleeful morbidity which shows in much Victorian artwork and in various forms of entertainment (particularly for the lower classes) such as the Penny Dreadfuls and freak shows. Also, many of the books that are said to define the Gothic genre were written during this period, such as Bram Stoker's Dracula. And who could forget Queen Victoria, devoted wife and mother who wore mourning black for FORTY years after the death of her beloved husband? I would say that our philosophy takes on board Victorian-style playful

267

morbidity (for how different is collecting fake skulls to collecting Penny Dreadfuls?). Death was never far away from the Victorians - you could almost say that it dogged their every step. Many Victorian mourning traditions live on in the Goth scene today - not just after death, but at all times. For example, the wearing of black, and veils. Some Goths I know write on black-edged stationery - this was used in Victorian times to give notice of a death. Punk Well, if it wasn't for punk - and more particularly, post-punk - then the Goth scene in its current form would never have come about. Something which strikes me as strange is the fact that many of what we consider the 'original' Goth bands shun the Goth label, and even the scene itself... perhaps underlining the fact that Goth is one of the most isolated and unaccepted alternative subcultures. Punk is famed for its wild energy and anarchistic attitudes... still visible today in some areas of the Goth scene, but on the whole I can't say that we seem to have borrowed overmuch from the subculture from which we originated. Goth and punk nowadays are two very different scenes. Like distant cousins. (It gets even more confusing when you add emo to the mix - it's related to both but also very different in its music style, fashion ((mostly)) and attitudes. But anyway...) New Romantic This was more of an aesthetic thing in its relation to Goth - the visual drama and flamboyance of this scene and its members (e.g. Adam Ant) lending to the appearance of Goth in its current form. But there again is the underlying philosophy - the typical Gothic penchant for dramatics, and a love of beauty in all its forms (particularly the most unusual). Which of course brings us to - Goth Take a Bite states: 'The very crux of the Gothic philosophy, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a sense of humour! We are morbid, not suicidal and we can laugh at other people, and, just occasionally, at ourselves.We have borrowed various philosophical elements from our historical sources, but the

268

philosophical elements which are most clearly defined are: the desire to strike terror into the hearts of mortal man (or at least turn heads in the street), a romantic sense of the fantastic, the desire for pleasure in extremes (decadence and indulgence), a visual identity within the subculture, a fascination with supernature, the macabre, and the safety of being within a group where we get the in joke.' I'd say that about sums it up for me.

269

Welcome my kinky friends! And another packed month of fetish fun to keep yourselves more than amused ;)

On a personal note if anyone goes to any of these events please oh please let me know and maybe send me a pic or a little write up on it so I can let others know what's hot and what's not! Happy Playing my beloved friends TQ

270

April 5-8 Rubbout Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada www.rubbout.com

RUBBOUT 21 WEEKEND: Thursday, April 5 INVASION NIGHT

271

8PM - 1AM: Rubber Invasion, meet @ Pumpjack Pub, 1167 Davie Street. For those already arrived in Vancouver for Rubbout, after 8PM we will decide what ‘regular’ Vancouver venue we want to show up unexpectedly at and INVADE!! 9PM - 3AM: Ruff Party @ FiveSixty, 560 Seymour Street Friday, April 6 RUBBER NIGHT 4PM – 6PM: Registration/Package Pickup @ PumpJack, 1167 Davie 8PM – 10PM: EGO ASSASSIN Meat & Greet/late package pickup @ Junction Pub, 1138 Davie Street 10PM – 4AM: Exclusive MR. S LEATHERS Rubber Party @ PumpJack, 1167 Davie Street. DJ Taffi Louis Saturday, April 7 FETISH NIGHT 2PM – 5PM: KINK ENGINEERING ‘On All Fours’ Puppy Play Party & Best In Show @ Junction Pub, 1138 Davie Street 8PM – 1AM: PRIAPE and RUBBOUT present ‘Slick: Invasion’ Fetish-Fantasy Party with DJ Marcus Purnell @ PerformanceWorks, 1218 Cartwright Street, Granville Island. Shuttle Bus transportation available. Part of ticket sale proceeds will be going to the local Order of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Abbey of the Long Cedar Canoe Society. 10PM - 4AM: Slick Official After Party @ STEAMWORKS, 123 West Pender Street

272

Sunday, April 8 RECOVERY 11AM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1PM: Rubbout Celebration Brunch @ Junction Pub, 1138 Davie Street 3PM onwards: Sunday Kegger @ PumpJack, 1167 Davie Street 9PM - 2AM: Truckerdisco: Easter Sunday @ 23 West, 23 West Cordova Street, https://www.facebook.com/events/301716849883650/

April 5-8 Frolicon Atlanta, Georgia, USA www.frolicon.com

273

Sheraton Gateway Atlanta, GA Information you can use at the show:

If you'd like to go to the Sedar, please email the.sirens.call@gmail.com to RSVP. No one will be turned away regardless, but she'd like to get an idea of the head count. About Frolicon We frolic in the spring. That's what we do. Frolic. We are Frolicon. Think virgin sacrifices, live-action candyland, drag queens, art, spanking, sex, massages, pagan rituals, and parties, lots and lots of parties!! Come frolic with us. At Frolicon, you can expect parties, games, educational classes, Rocky Horror, geekery, freakery and so many more things! You just have to experience it for yourself. Special Charity Party: At the Sky Captain's Ball, once a year, while the ships' crews frequent the dives, brothels, and parties of the host planet, only the most prestigious captains and elite officers come to drink, dine, and have their every fantasy fulfilled. After long stretches of ferrying cargo, transporting the societal elites on vast interstellar cruise voyages, and carrying out missions that take them to the darkest stretches of the galaxy, here at the Sky Captain's Ball, they are able

274

to receive the utmost in pampering and sumptuous intergalactic delicacies. Only the best drinks, the rarest morsels, and the most celebrated companions provide the finest atmosphere for the finest guests. Our vision is anachronistic Steampunk/vintage pinup meets Blade Runner meets the spice trade. Think opium den meets cyber geisha tea house meets luxurious futuristic harem...meets five star hotel gala to end all galas. Come join us at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sky Captain's Ball. Online Preregistration is closed. You may register onsite starting at 2 PM Thursday April 5. $ 80 full 4 days Day Passes Thursday: $ 30 Friday: $ 40 Saturday: $ 50 Sunday: $10 Registration hours: Thursday: 2-12 Friday: 10-10 Saturday: 10-10 Sunday: 11-4, closed for con in review, 5-6 (preregistration for 2013) THERE WILL BE NO LATE REGISTRATION. MAKE SURE YOU CAN MAKE THE TIMES LISTED, OR YOU'LL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MORNING TO FROLIC!!!!

275

April 13-14 The Charm City Fetish Fair Baltimore, Maryland, USA www.charmcityfetishfair.com

General Event Information Charm City Fetish Fair is back for a third year, with more great presenters, events, and vendors lined up â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all for an economy-friendly low price. Some of our special events during Charm City Fetish Fair include: Friday Night Mixer Meet up with fellow CCFF attendees and presenters in a special social to kick off of the weekend! Fashion Show Check out the latest fetish fashions and trends during the mixer Friday night. Bootblacks Bootblacks from the Bootblack Brigade will be on hand throughout the weekend to show your leather some TLC. Please don't forget to show some TLC back by tipping your bootblack! A portion of tips will be donated to the Carter/Johnson

276

Leather Library. Education Classes We’ve lined up a variety of great topics with local and nationally recognized presenters all day Saturday -- presenters and workshop information is being updated continually, please check back often! Vendor Hall Pay a visit to our vendor hall, full of great merchandise and toys. Don’t want to have to skip education sessions to shop? Not to worry – we also have dedicated vendor hall hours Friday night, and Saturday after the education classes are over. Play Party The weekend wouldn't be complete without some quality play time! New this year -- get your kink on,without leaving the hotel. That's right, our play party will be AT the host hotel! Charity Silent Auction This year's auction will be more exciting than ever with the new "Chinese Auction" format, a second chance drawing for a wonderful mystery item, and a special drawing for a treasure chest of items donated from the vendors in our Vendor's Hall. The charities we have chosen to support with the proceeds from this years auction are the Leather Heart Foundation and Brother Help Thyself. Some examples of the high quality items in the auction are limited edition photography prints, signed BDSM-themed novels, and certificates for play sessions! The auction begins at 5:00pm Friday and ends at 6:00pm Saturday. Bidders must be at the auction drawing to win. Location & Lodging Our host hotel this year is the Inn at The Colonnade Baltimore - A Doubletree

277

by Hilton Hotel, featuring European ambiance, classic luxury and first-class service in the heart of Baltimore. Some of the many amenities offered at this hotel include: Complimentary Wireless High Speed Internet Access 42" Flat Screen TVs Granite Bathrooms Sweet Dream Bedding Onsite Dining Business Center Gym/Fitness Center Swimming Pool and Whirlpool Pets Allowed Our special CCFF rate is just $109 per night. Don't wait to register â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this special room rate ends March 14, 2012! Registration Pricing and Packages Âť Register Online Packages Price Full Event + Play Party Full event registration, Friday through Saturday, including Play Party. $75.00 Event Only Full event registration, Friday through Saturday, *NOT* including Play Party. $60.00 Event pins and tote bags are also available for purchase at the time of registration, or on-site.

278

Event pins: $5.00 Event tote bags: $10.00 Cancellation and Refund Policy To cancel a registration and request a refund, a written request must be sent to registrar@charmcityfetishfair.com, or by mail to: CCFF c/o BESS 1001 Frederick Road P.O. Box 3141 Catonsville, MD 21228 Telephone requests will NOT be honored. Refund checks and/or credits are processed weekly. However, as we get closer to the conference, refunds could take up to two to four weeks to be processed. Refund requests received or postmarked by March 13, 2012 will receive a full refund less a 20% administrative fee. Refund requests received or postmarked after March 13, 2012 will not be honored.

279

April 20-22 Rocky Mountain Olympus Leather Salt Lake City, Utah, USA www.rockymountainolympus.com

The 3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Olympus Leather Competition will be held in Salt Lake City, UT on the weekend of April 20th-22nd 2012. Please join Amadio, Mr. Rocky Mountain Olympus Leather 2011 and Stacey, Ms. Rocky Mountain Olympus Leather as they complete their title year and welcome in a new pair of winners. Contestants from our region which includes: Utah, Colorado, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming will ensure a night of fetish filled fantasies and hot sexy leather. Each contestant will be bringing with them a travel basket which will be auctioned off LIVE at the competition. The proceeds raised from the travel baskets will go to help next years winners travel and represent the title and our region. Apply to be a Competitor in this years competition To compete in the Rocky Mountain Olympus Leather Competition please download and complete the RMOL 2012 Application. Submissions are due April 2nd, 2012

280

April 26-29 Beyond Leather Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA www.beyondleather.net THURSDAY - APRIL 26

TIME

EVENT

LOCATION

2:00pm 2:30pm

Vendor, Presenter, Contest, Volunteer Registration

Main Lobby

2:30pm 9:00pm

Event Registration Opens for Attendees

Main Lobby

281

4:00pm 10:45pm

Workshops

8:00pm 9:00pm

Meet and Greet your Contestants/Judges

Atrium Bar

9:00pm 9:30pm

Feed Your Inner Spirit...Bring your drum and bells! Don't Be Late!

Cypress A/B

9:30pm 1:30am

Dungeon Play

Cypress A/B

10:00pm-1:00a m

Singles Gathering

Poolside

10:00pm-1:00a m

Hospitality Suite Sponsored by: Transcending Leather

Room 233

FRIDAY - APRIL 27 TIME

EVENT

LOCATION

8:30am 7:30pm

Event Registration

Main Lobby

9:30am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11:00pm

Closed International Pony Play Contestant Room 234 Interviews

9:30am 5:00pm

Workshops -

12:00pm 7:30pm

Vendors open for Shopping

Upper Atrium

12:00pm

MAsT Lunch Get Together

Lower Atrium

282

1:30pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3:30pm

International Power Exchange Contest Fantasy and Presentations Portion

Cypress B

5:00pm 6:30pm

Shop, relax, dress and get ready for an evening of fun!

6:30pm 7:45pm

* Dinner *

Lower Atrium

7:45pm 9:15pm

Opening Ceremonies and Keynote with Caro: Limited Seating

Cypress A/B

9:30pm 2:30am

Dungeon play

Cypress A/B

9:30pm 10:15pm

Edge Theater

Salon 1/2

10:00pm 1:00am

Hospitality Suite Sponsored by: WOLF

Room 233

10:30pm 12:00am

Cigar Social w/Miss Cami: Exquisite tasting of cigars paired w/coffee & chocolates,

12:00am

Midnight Burlesque show!

Pool Deck

10:30pm -11:15pm

Rope Theater

Salons 3/4

SATURDAY - APRIL 28 TIME

EVENT

LOCATION

7:00am 9:00am

* Breakfast *

Lower Atrium

8:30am 11:00am

Day Pass Registration

Main Lobby

283

8:30am 9:30am

Recovery in the Lifestyle

Room 233

9:30am 11:00pm

Closed International Power Exchange Contestant Interviews

Room 234

9:00am 7:00pm

Vendors & Shopping

Upper Atrium

9:30am 12:15pm

Workshops -

12:30pm 2:00pm

* Lunch*

Lower Atrium

1:30pm 3:30pm

International Pony Play Championships

Cypress A/B

1:00pm 5:30pm

Workshops

5:00pm 6:30pm

Shop, relax, dress and get ready for evening of fun!

6:30pm 7:45pm

* Dinner*

Lower Atrium

7:45pm 9:15pm

Closing Ceremony and Keynote Speech w/Master Z Dallas: Limited Seating

Cypress A/B

9:30pm 2:30am

Dungeon Play

Cypress A/B

9:30pm 10:15pm

Lube Wrestling

Theater Salons 1/2

10:00pm 1:00am

Hospitality Suite Sponsored by: Palm Beach Munch

Room 233

10:30pm 11:15pm

Fire Theater

Poolside

284

SUNDAY - APRIL 29 TIME

EVENT

LOCATION

7:00am - 9:00am * Breakfast *

Lower Atrium

9:00am - 1:30pm Vendors open for Shopping

Upper Atrium

10:00am 12:45pm

Littles Play Area and ROMP (Ruckus Or Managed PetPlay) For All Pet Types and their Handlers/Owners/Petters

10:00am 1:00pm

Workshops

1:00pm - until?

Afternoon Pool Party and BBQ (optional)

285

Cypress A

Pool Deck

Common Sense In D/s By Andrew Common Sense In Dom - sub

The bottom line to success in D/s type of relationship is the same as any â&#x20AC;&#x201C; common sense. Common sense means you think and apply logic to all you hear. It means you think, and question again and again. You trust your gut feelings. All of that is what common sense is.

286

A submissive has to remember she is a person with rights and a mind and must use it. A Dom has to remember the same thing about himself as well as the submissive. A womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;/manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s submission and respect is not owed to just any man/woman claiming to be a Dom/Domme. If you have never taken complete control of another person and experienced TPE, you are not a Dominant. But, you have dominant desires and urges, it is your nature or life experience has made you this way. Since you were not born with the knowledge, techniques, skill and imagination required to take control from a submissive. As a submissive, you have not had the experience and growth required in total surrender of all control and power with a Dom/Domme, you are not ready to take the role on without learning the basics first. Here are a few baby steps you must take without skipping to a first meet and session: 1. Ask yourself and expect to be asked by many experienced people delving questions such as: a. What do you expect to get from D/s or BDSM? b. What draws you to it? c. Why do you feel you can only fulfill your needs in a D/s relationship? You cannot possibly know what you want from another until you know what you wish to experience within yourself. 2. The next is to learn as much as possible about the choices opening up to you with BDSM. You can ask a thousand people within the community and they will give you a different answer for each question. 3. You will learn one universal truth, each couple creates their own definition of D/s and the roles they hold within their particular relationship. Do not be afraid to search for a partner who shares your views, values and philosophy of D/s.

287

4. Never settle for less than what you know you want.

You will come across websites and Emails telling you how to tell if you are a Dom or a sub. No one can tell you what you are. There are no easy answers and you should run from anyone who professes to know what you are or that they have the only definition of DS. You must decide for yourself if you are drawn to physical sensation to the point of extreme edge play or if you just want to play Tarzan and Jane. You must learn for yourself the differences between a Sadist, masochist, Dominant, submissive, Master, slave, Top, Bottom and where your needs fit into these options. And yes, there is a very large difference between them all. There are 2 kinds of people you must learn to weed through out of the legitimate men and women you will meet: Predators and wannabes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these cancers of our society are in all the chat rooms. They have found the Internet to be a happy hunting ground for the gullible and lonely. D/s is not the only areas you find them, but they are here and have picked up on just enough of the lingo to try to pass for legitimate, experienced D/s people. They want to meet you ASAP and often commit rape, assault, battery and extortion with the belief you will have trouble prosecuting a man/woman you agreed to meet in a hotel or gave all your info to. If you are married you are vulnerable as well to extortion and the like. A sadist in the purist form who has not grasped the idea of consensual play may hide under this as well. These guys also hang out in play clubs looking for an easy mark, it never changes. Many of these people (both male and female) are often pathological liars who live on the Internet spinning fantasies of their

288

experience, their love for the woman who speaks to them and basically everything to keep you hanging. The end result is they often disappear after leading the woman on for months or meet her and have sex (get blowjobs as part of your subMission) and then things fall apart afterward. Some feel they are harmless since all they do is lead you on with cyber sex and online D/s. These same people role play in rooms where they “cyber whip” and subs pour ale for their Masters. They often have profiles that sound like a passage from Dungeons and Dragons or Gor chronicles. Pretty much all they know of D/S is what they have read in books and played online. In R/T these people answer ads or run ads and often just are out to get sex from women they think are easy marks.

How do you avoid them? First thing is the warning signs: 1. Instant messages from strangers – no self respecting, experienced Dominant or submissive would PM you without ever having established some rapport in a chat room. Predators, Wannabes and bored Snerts are the ones who PM you in an attempt to talk. They find you three ways. One, they just hit the “who’s chatting” button for a room and then PM anyone they think is a female (many are too lame to read your profile). Two, they PM you from inside the chat room after they figure out who you are. Three, they do an advanced search for any and all women online with the key words “submissive,” “D/s,” “Surrender,” etc. 2. Call Me Sir! – No experienced Dom/Master will tell you to call him Master or Sir, Lord without having met you and established a D/s relationship. To many in the D/s community this is equivalent to calling a man you met online, Husband. It is a position of respect and commitment not to be thrown around lightly. If you are talking to someone who is encouraging this title use

289

and you have not met them in person and covered basics, you are with a Wannabe… period! 3. Online collaring and/or assignments – try to imagine an email sent out by a “Dom” who gives assignments to his “sub” each day with the comment that “one day, they will meet.” His contention is that if a woman does this or is attracted to doing these assignments, she is a submissive if not?

No one has any business giving you any orders or assignments without having established a foundation of trust and mutual knowledge of one another as people first. Real Doms don’t demand or even want your subMission after meeting only once. Real Doms get to know you and know that total subMission takes time. The faster you are pushed for obedience, etc., the more your “common sense alarms” should be going off. Beware of the “Mentors and Trainers” that abound on the Internet. This is another term for “let me use you without commitment.” Do you need a mentor or trainer to “date” to find a boyfriend or a husband or spouse? No – Life teaches you – and the same is true in D/s you will learn from many – to “commit” to one, even as a trainer, is a committment you aren’t ready to make. No one could have “trained” my wife/sub to surrender to me as I wish. You will find that there are many goodhearted people online who will freely share their knowledge and experience without the need for titles or blowjobs. Stear clear of those who put in their screen name and profile “trainer”… “mentor”… “protector”. Anyone who knows their true value and the contribution they are making to you does not need a title. The real teachers out there are your peers, yourself, and the right person when the time comes. If you are single, be cautious of all the married people who want a Dom/sub on the side. Use every means possible to be sure of the honesty of the person

290

before you get caught up in their life. If you are married be honest about your position and be cautious of who you reach out to. You also need to define whether you are polyamorous or monogamous. Take every step possible to know where the potential Dom/sub you are talking to is coming from on these values and others. It is not part of your subMission to sell yourself short, settle or be used. To Doms/Dommes, you must admit to your inexperience and welcome any input you may get from all you speak to. There are social groups and societies in many metropolitan areas that offer classes and seminars on techniques to assure a safe experience for both you and your sub. Do not be afraid of being with an experienced sub. Remember that there are real experienced Doms/Dommes and subs online who will catch on to any attempt to pass yourself off as well seasoned and out you to the new subs. To subs, you must listen closely to all who caution you with safety issues above all else. Pay close attention to the warning signs of predators and wannabes. There are no exceptions. No matter how nice and understanding a person seems, you got to listen to the warning signs. Beware of “Doms” who focus their search on new subs, there is a reason for it and it lacks nobility and honor. Invite a potential Dom/Domme into a chatroom where you have been a few times and let the others feel him out. Never let a “Dom/Domme” you have never met and have no committed relationship with you tell you that you cannot take IM’s, you can’t go into certain rooms and you must put that you belong to him in your profile. This would be a wannabe. Last of all, to both Dom/sub… read anything you can and watch in the rooms that do not role play. Discussion rooms that take on topics and feel free to ask questions. Good luck and be safe. Please feel free to forward this to anyone who may benefit from it.

291

292

What more temptations lie in store By Andrew Temptations leads not into darkness, But into pleasure and pain, Filling your soul with a fiery passion, As you are brought to your knees, By your Masters hands, Tempt me not with your lustful desires, For it is your darkest fantasyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that I desire, As you are bound with chains, And suspended in the air, Let me show you what true temptation is, As you feel the bull whip brushing your lush lips, As you feel it again across your bare cheeks, Lighting a new fiery desire within you, With each crack of the whip, And sting of flesh, You reel with pleasure, From the new found pain, As you are lowered to the floor, And released from your bonds, I firmly take you by the hair, And drag you to the bath, As you are bathed and teased, Your mind is at a loss, Why have we stopped?

293

Have I not pleased you Master? As I slide in next to you, Pulling you on to me, As I push your head under the water, With a driving thrust your lungs start to burn, As you are let to breath, Gasping with passionate screams, You are forced under once more, Over and over, Till you reach an orgasmic state, Cling to your Master, With tears of erotic bliss, Knowing that you pleased your Master well, What more temptations lie in storeâ&#x20AC;Ś.

294

(Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender community)

NAACP Denounces National Organization for Marriage Memo By Julie Bolcer

The NAACP denounced the “cynical agenda” on display in an internal strategy document that reveals how the National Organization for Marriage sought to divide gay, African-American and Latino communities over the issue of same-sex marriage. The previously confidential document, unsealed this week by a federal judge in Maine and circulated by the Human Rights Campaign, explains in blunt detail NOM’s plan to foment tension between the minority groups and to energize clergy members opposed to same-sex marriage. NOM called its initiative the “Not a Civil Right Project.”

295

Benjamin Todd Jealous, the president and CEO of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, denounced the strategy in a statement released Wednesday. The organization has broadened its agenda under his tenure since 2008 to include LGBT rights with more outreach and diversified leadership ranks. “This memo only reveals the limits of a cynical agenda,” said Jealous. “The truth is that no group, no matter how well-funded, can drive an artificial wedge between our communities. People of color understand what it is like to be the target of discrimination. No public relations strategy will make us forget that.”

The Edwardians: Glyn Warren Philpot

The closet door was cracked slightly open by the Aesthetes during the Edwardian era. Philpot risked his standing in society by merely presenting male nude studies. By Christopher Harrity Self-portrait, 1908 The Edwardian era in the United Kingdom, covering the reign of King Edward VII (1901-1910) allowed for more recognition of women's and laborers' rights. The class system was still very strictly defined, and any suspicion of

296

homosexuality was tantamount to social suicide. But in this period the aesthetes and writers, including Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley, E.M. Forster, and Somerset Maugham, made their mark and were no doubt early influences on Glyn Warren Philpot. Philpot's artistic life spanned the Edwardian years and into the modernity of the 1930s. His work ranged from academic religious scenes to highly skilled portraits. But the tension between his public life and his private sexual life erupted in his work. While academic works and portraits paid the bills, they allowed him to experiment with more sexual themes and studies of the male nude in private. All male nudes that were not part of a religious theme were considered homoerotic. Culturally, at the time, only men were considered patrons and critics of art. Collectors and patrons including Gertrude Stein and Peggy Guggenheim ushered in the avant-garde of the '20s and '30s and allowed for women to be included, somewhat. But the depiction of male nudes still was considered suspect, and this is why we often focus on these artists here. Rendering and presenting a male nude to the art world was a defiant act of bravery. Philpot was also very interested in depicting black men in his work, which further alienated him from the mainstream art world and society patronage. One of the best-known black models was Henry Thomas, who was also Philpot's manservant for several years. Philpot joined the Royal Fusiliers and in August 1915 attended a training course at Aldershot, where he met Vivian Forbes (1891-1937), a fellow soldier and an aspiring painter. From 1923-1935, Philpot and Forbes intermittently shared a home and studio at Lansdowne House in London. Forbes was charming, witty, and fairly

297

unstable, as evidenced by his increasing possessiveness regarding Philpot. Although a tumultuous relationship, it was a source of inspiration to Philpot as well. Gerald Heard, a gay mutual friend and writer, believed that Forbes brought out the best in Philpot. During the 1930s Philpot suffered from high blood-pressure and breathing difficulties. He passed the summer of 1937 in France where he spent time with Forbes. On December 18 he collapsed suddenly in London and died of a brain hemorrhage. Forbes returned from Paris in a highly distressed state to attend Philpot's funeral at Westminster Cathedral on December 22. The following day he took his own life with an overdose of sleeping pills. The shadow cast over Philpot's work and life left him unconsidered for many years in the art world.

298

Pagan UnderWorld

SH&S Of The Black Rose

Earth Monster World

299

Keepers Of The Realms

~That's All Folks~ If you have a site you would like featured in our next issue or would like to contribute an article contact keepersmagazine@live.com 300

~Thanks For Reading~

Disclaimer and Fair Use Disclaimer - The posting of stories, commentaries, reports, documents and links (embedded or otherwise) in this Magazine does not in any way, shape or form, implied or otherwise, necessarily express or suggest endorsement or support of any of such posted material or parts therein. The myriad of facts, conjecture, perspectives, viewpoints, opinions, analyses, and information in the articles, stories and commentaries posted in this magazine range from cutting edge hard news and comment to extreme and unusual perspectives. We choose not to sweep uncomfortable material under the rug - where it can grow and fester. We choose not to censor skewed logic and uncomfortable rhetoric. These things reflect the world as it now is - for better and worse. We present multiple facts, perspectives, viewpoints, opinions, analyses, and information. As with all controversies, we stand ready to post any and all rebuttals and responses from people mentioned in the

301

material we post. Journalism is (or used to be) the profession of gathering and presenting a broad panorama of news about the events of our times and presenting it to readers for their own consideration. We believe in the intelligence, judgment and wisdom of our readers to discern for themselves among the data which appears in this magazine that which is valid and worthy...or otherwise.

The idea of a free press in America is one that we hold in the highest regard. We believe in bringing our readers the widest possible array of information that comes to our attention. We have great trust and respect for the American people, and our worldwide audience, and believe them to be fully-capable of making their own decisions and discerning their own realities. Among the thousands of articles posted here for your consideration, there will doubtless be some that you find useless, and possibly offensive, but we believe you will be perceptive enough to realize that even the stories you disagree with have some value in terms of promoting your own further self-definition and insight. Our magazine is a smorgasbord of material...take what you wish and click or scroll right past that which doesn't interest you. We suggest you don't make 'assumptions' about our official position on issues that are discussed here. That is not what this Magazine is about. We believe it to be unwise to sweep controversy under the carpet. We also firmly believe people should not only read material which they agree with. The opinions expressed through the thousands of stories here do not necessarily represent those of the Editors. We are not going to censor the news and information here. That is for you to do.

302

We strongly recommend not 'assuming' anything. Read, consider, and make your own informed decisions. People 'assumed' the Warren Commission report was accurate. People 'assumed' the Federal Government would never conduct biochemical experiments on the general populace. People 'assumed' the world was once flat. One more time... Keepers Of The UnderWorld Magazine does not necessarily adhere to, or endorse, any or all of the links, stories, articles, editorials, or products offered by sponsors found on this magazine. All of the materials and data offered in this Magazine are for informational and educational purposes only. And remember: it's all free to you Thank you for reading. Enjoy. Sweet, Andrew, Persephone and Oak

keepersmagazine@live.com

303

304