Wednesday, December 31, 2008

A Million Prayers of Thanks



PARKER DUNCAN DICKINS
"STORMCHASER"(the first thing I saw when i went outside was a storm chasing itself across the sky)
Born December 31st, 2008, 12:12am
9 LBS 6 OZ
54 CM long


My nephew finally was born today. 5 days overdue.
He is one of the most amazing and beautiful things I have ever seen. I'm madly in love with him already! And my brother is so happy it makes my heart hurt!
I am peaceful and indescribably happy and so very proud of them.
I lit candles, offered tobacco, and prayers of thanks for this miracle as soon as I got home.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Christmas Commentary By Ben Stein

So I just received this email about a commentary Ben Stein made about Christmas, here was my response!

First off, go to this link so you can see what Ben Stein actually said, and what was added later:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/confessions.asp

It is pretty interesting. I don't agree with a good portion of it as it is written but he's got a point. I do believe that lack of spiritual faith in a country can damage that countries people and that people shouldn't be scared to discuss their spirituality. What I DO disagree with is discussing ONLY the Christian or Jewish God in schools and the like. I don't want the teachers that I will be sending my kids to to fill their heads with a single version of God. There's a reason Church and State are separated. Besides, Canada doesn't teach religion in schools and we don't have nearly the kinds of problems that America does. Their(and some of our) problems aren't strictly created from their one God not being taught in school. Anyone remember the Burning Times(The Witch Trials), The Holocaust in WW II, The Armenian Genocide? These things and things like them happened because people thought that their one God should be taught and believed and that all others were wrong. So yes, please pass this on, don't be afraid to discuss the Divine in whatever form you see it. But please don't think that suddenly allowing Christian/Jewish prayer into schools and the like is going to suddenly fix all of a countries problems. If you're going to teach children about God I think it's the parents that should be doing it, not a school. The schools don't have nearly enough time to teach the entire spectrum of Spirituality and Religions. And who are we to decide which Faith's get included in the "course"? Just look at what happened down in the South of the Untied States with the Intelligent Design Theory, go check it out at this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitzmiller_v._Dover_Area_School_District

I bet you any amount of money that if any faith besides the Big Five(Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism) wanted to be included in school they would be denied vehemently. Take my faith for example, being the "dirty old Pagan" that I am, there are still places in the United States where I would lose my children, my job, and possibly my freedom if I openly practised and tried to teach it to my children(see some links below).

http://3-116thsniper.blogspot.com/2007/04/wiccan-symbol-ok-for-soldiers-graves.html

http://www.squidoo.com/neopagan

Anyways, I think I've ranted enough about this, I guess I'm feeling vocal today! Haha! As I said, please do pass it on. Don't be afraid to call your tree a CHRISTMAS TREE not a HOLIDAY TREE, or to say Merry Christmas to someone.
I hope everyone had a great holiday and has a great New Year!
*hugs and smooches*

Ang


I can only hope we find God again before it is too late!!
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.


My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a Nativity Scene, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorist attacks, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says "Thou Shalt not Kill, thou Shalt not Steal", and "Love your Neighbor as Yourself." And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it.... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards,
Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

Okay...so I just found possibly the FUNNIEST and most WONDERFUL web page EVER created in all the Internet! It started initially as a response to the whole right wing fundamentalist squabbling that was going on down in the states. The "fundies" wanted to teach "Intelligent Design"(the Christian God Creation Myth) in science class, it was a HUGE mess in the end, court cases and such. Search for it on Google, you'll see what I mean. Either way I just stumbled across this website and HAD to share it with you all! GO CHECK IT OUT!!!

Flying Spaghetti Monster

http://www.venganza.org/

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Gluten Free Pita Bread

So here's my first attempt at a gluten free bread product. It's damn tasty but needs a few tweaks. I used vegetable oil because I didn't have any olive oil and it does taste a wee bit yeasty. I like it, but you can always bump the yeast down a bit. I used the gluten free flour recipe found here at Gluten Free Gobsmacked. These make 5 inch pita's. Next time I think I will try making them thicker and bigger. Nontheless they are really good and it makes me happy since I love my pita and hummus! When I try another recipe I will post it on here. For now enjoy this one! I also apologize for the picture, it's definitely not my best work. Next time around I'll get a better one.






Gluten Free Pita Bread

3 cups gluten free flour
3-4 teaspoons xantham gum
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 cup of warm water
pinch of sugar

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2.Combine yeast, warm water, and sugar in a bowl. Let bloom.(It will foam up)
3.Combine flour, xantham gum, and oil in stand up mixer. Mix well.
4. Add yeast/water mixture and mix until combined. You might need to add a bit of water to adjust the consistency.
3. Knead a few times on a wooden board or counter, covered with a bit of flour, until smooth.
4.Place into a lightly oiled, oven safe bowl, and cover with a damp cloth.
5.Place into oven and turn the oven off.
6.Let rise for 30 minutes and then remove from oven.
7.Turn oven up to 500 degrees. Place two sheet pan sinto oven to heat along with the oven.
8.Take ping pong size balls of dough and roll out into small circles about 1/8 of an inch thick.
9.Let rise for 15 minutes.
10.Place onto hot cookie sheets and bake 2 minutes per side.
11. You can brush with oil or ghee and cover with a towel until all are finished or just let cool on a board or rack if you want crispier pita's.

Makes about 15 small pita's


Saturday, November 29, 2008

Falling Off The Face Of The World

Ok..so I haven't had the time to come up with anything new for the blog lately and I apologize. Things have been pretty hectic and crazy in my life. So I apologize for falling off the face of the world. Look forward to a post on the upcoming Winter Solstice, that's my next project!
I am now trying to learn how to eat again...as in an ENTIRELY new diet. Must go gluten free, dairy free,avoid soy, and almost vegetarian. It's complicated. But it will make me feel much better. And I can say after only two weeks that yes, I do feel much better. It's hard though since it's totally different than how I was raised to eat. It's sad. I've been a cook for almost ten years and I am TOTALLY LOST! So I've been searching lots of websites and printing off lots of recipes and cooking lots of new stuff. Like Quinoa. Haven't decided if I like the stuff yet. My wonderful father is taking me out to go shopping at Planet Organic tomorrow so I can get some funky ingredients like gluten free flour and xantham gum. Between this diet and the Zyban though I am feeling WAY better. In fact I haven't felt this good in almost five years. SO please be patient. I'm going through a major life change...sounds like I am going through menopause! *giggles*.
If any of you are vegetarian/vegan/gluten free/etc and have any advice I would love it!
*hugs and smooches for all*

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Parade Of Lost Souls 2008

Photobucket Album

How To Get Kicked Out Of A Circle

(by "circle" I mean a ritual circle...witchy stuff!! hehe!)

How to get kicked out of a circle

1. Take the sword from the altar and say, "Luke, I am your Father" and make light saber sounds.

2. During cakes and wine, act like a wine snob and critique it.

3. When chanting the names of the Goddess, randomly add Barbie.

4. When chanting the names of the God, randomly add the names of wrestlers.

5. Invoke Satan

6. Check and send text messages to and from your friends on your cell phone.

7. Take out a bible and start evangelizing.

8. During cakes and wine, accuse the High Priestess of sexually harassing you.

9. In a sky clad circle, take pictures with your cell phone.

10. When the Gods are being invoked, lean on the altar to stretch out your legs.

11. Light cigarettes and cigars off the Goddess candle.

12. Insist that it should be your turn to flog the initiates.

13. In a sky clad circle, loudly rank everyone's boobs on a scale of 1 to 10.

14. Continuously point out loudly and often whenever you have a hard-on and ask for compliments on it.

15. Be sure never to miss an opportunity to make a farting sound when anyone bends over or sits down.

16. Ask if the good stuff is over so you can be cut out of the circle to catch the last part of American Idol.

17. When you're asked to call the quarters, go to the first point and call the quarters. Move to the second point and call the dimes, proceed on to calling the pennies and the nickles, all the while having one hand in your pocket jingling the change there as a coinage accompaniment.

18. Leave your cell phone on and arrange for a friend to call you during a moment of reverent silence or general moment of focus.

19. Polock jokes!

20. say "In accordance with the prophecy" after every sentence.

21. At key points in the ritual make "In Soviet Russia..." jokes.

22. In a skyclad circle, stand there and urinate, especially effective if done at the calling of a god or goddess.

23. Why evangelize to the pagans when you can wait a bit and start evangelizing to the gods?

24. The well placed magic words, "YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!" yelled with sudden strength and conviction at a choice moment.

25. Blot using antifreeze, motor oil or some other disgusting substance.

26. Puke in the drinking horn, chalice ect.

27. interrupting an invocation of the Horned One and saying, "I got your horny god, right here, baby!"

28. Use trick candles that don't go out.

29. During cakes and wine say "body of Christ".

30. In a skyclad circle, scratch your naughty bits with the wand.

31. If they say "As above, so below" Follow it with "ready or not, here we go"

32. Add cumin or sulphur to the incense in the cauldron.

33. Smudge someone with Right Guard.

34. Slip what looks like a roophy into the chalice, then refuse to drink.

35. Pick your teeth with the athame.

36. Use a kitten as an athame

37. Fart or belch loudly while calling the eastern quarter and then say So Mote It Be!

38. In the middle of everything start singing"swing your partner, do-se-do, almand left and a way we go!"

39. In a skyclad ritual, deffacate or urinate while walking and act offended when people give you bad looks as your proudly declare yourself a naturalist.

40. Hail Fred Flinstone. After all, he is one of your ancient ancestors, no?

41. Yell at everyone there, constantly.

42.Yell at everyone not there, constantly.

43. Ask the gods to bless your upcoming raid of Wally World.

44. Back your car into the circle in the middle of ritual.

45. Claim to be able to keep people with magic, with a touch, with a thought... whatever.

46. Ramble incoherent nonsense and swear it is Old Norse (note: do this in from of people wo'd clearly kno otherwise).

47. Throw the gods some spare change.

48. Oh hell, just throw spare change at people.

49. During ritual, come out of nowhere on a riding mower claiming to represent the Green Man.

50. Two evil words: HORNED HELMET!

51. Toss a cat. You heard me, toss a cat.

52. Perform the Lesser Banishing of Captain Crunch.

53. Claim that Alister Clrowly is attacking you in your dreams or claim to have been him in a past life, to be him now or that he is your spirit guide, etc. Then proceed to display a complete and utter misunderstanding of Thalema.

54. clean your fingernails with the athame

55. grab the wand, wave it around yelling "Curse you, Voldemort!"

56. start singing at the top of your lungs "May the circle be unbroken by and by, Lord, by and by..."

57. Claim that a spell comes from your 13th generation grandmother and make sure that it is written in improper Olde English and screw up all the thee's, thou's and thy's and warn everyone about how afraid of you they should be.

58. trying to use the High Preistesses navel as an ash tray

59. drying your hands on the High Priestesses hair

60. Insist that they use YOU to represent the south 'cause "I'm on fire!!!!' *lick finger and make hissing noise as you touch your ass.

61. Fake a medical emergency by screaming that you needs LOTS of bandaids. When they ask why, start flexing and say "For all these cuuuts!"

62. Pick up every little thing you can -- candle wax drippings, a piece of hair, a blade of grass, used napkins -- and then when you get a funny look, say, "Oh! I didn't think you would mind if I kept mementos of this circle! I'm having such a great time!", this is when you step up and say, "put down the personal poppets and leave before I shave every hair off your body and make a wax effigy."

63. Run around the circle, touching everyones head as you say,"Duck, duck, goose!!"

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Oíche Shamhna




Note:
This article does not cover all traditions associated with this holiday and includes my own Unsubstantiated Personal Gnosis

Observed By
: Irish People, Scottish People, Neopagans, Celtic Re-constructionist Pagans,

Date:Evening of October 31st to the Evening of November 1st

Related To: Hallowe'en, All Saints Day, All Souls Day

Also Known As: Samhain(Neopagan/Wiccan), Oidhche Shamhna(Scots Gaelic), Oíche Shamhna(Irish)

Pronunciation: Oíche Shamhna(Irish):ee-heh how-nah, Oidhche Shamhna(Scots Gaelic):oy-hya how-na, spoken very roughly, Samhain(Neopagan/Wiccan): sah-vwin or sow-en


Oíche Shamhna is the final harvest festival and a time for mourning the newly dead as well as venerating the ancestors. It was also known as the "meat harvest" since livestock was slaughtered for the winter at this time. So it is no surprise that death is a main component of this holiday. It comes at the time of the first frost and usually the final harvest of vegetable crops, such as pumpkins, apples, etc. This is the time of year when the veil between worlds is thinnest, some say for 3 days, October 31st to November 2nd, and is an ideal time for divination, prophecy, communing with the dead, contacting the ancestors, and starting new endeavours. This three day festival has it's routes based in the Celtic Festival of the Dead. In Ireland and Scotland, the Féile na Marbh was a 3 day period of feasting and honouring the newly dead and the ancestors. It is also considered a day if mischief as not only do the Ancestors return but so do playful if not harmful spirits. Pumpkins are carved with grotesque faces, costumes are worn, and candles are lit to ward off the restless dead. The God goes into darkness, he dies and goes to the Underworld at this time and The Crone reigns. It is considered the Witches New Year by most Neo-Pagans and Celtic based Pagan faiths, although there is no concrete evidence to suggest this at this point in time. It is also balancing kind of day for the Celtic peoples, as most of the year was ruled by strict regulation and logic, this was day for mischief and nonsense. It is also said that the modern act of carving pumpkins stems from the Celtic tradition of placing the skulls of the ancestors outside their front doors at this time of year. Originally it was turnips that were carved. Crops left in the fields at this time are considered taboo and are to be left as offerings. The Fairy Folk become very active this time of year. In Irish mythology the shield of Scathach was lowered on this evening, allowing the dead and those yet to be born to pas through and wander, the world of chaos infiltrating the world of order, the dark invading the light.

Ideas for Celebration:
- carving pumpkins/various gourds
- dressing up in costume
- Feast of the Dead, a dinner featuring seasonal foods and making sure to set a place for the Beloved Dead(make sure you give them some food and wine as well, just as if they were there in body), and don't forget to give them a chair as well.
-light two bonfires and lead yourself and any pets(or livestock if you have any) you may have between the two, a throwback to the bonfires the Celts held this time of year. The Celts would lead livestock between the two huge bonfires to purify and keep them safe from evil spirits. If you can't make any bonfires a simple candle will do, simply move the candle around the person/pets body. I believe the fire will purify no matter how big the flame.
-light a candle for the Dead and the Ancestors.
-write down a weakness on a piece of paper and throw it into the fire to be rid of it
-harvesting
-butchering
-divination
-scrying
-telling scary stories or tales of your ancestors
-leave a candle in the window to help spirits find their way home
-leave food/offerings on the front step or altar for the wandering dead
-bury apples along roadsides or paths for the dead who have no one to mourn or leave offerings for them



Symbols:
-jack o' lanterns
-fall leaves
-pumpkins, seasonal gourds and squashes
-bonfires
-masks
-brooms
-cauldrons
-waning moon
-apples/seasonal fruit
-black cats
-scythe

Herbs:
-Mugwort
-Allspice
-Broom
-Catnip
-Deadly Nightshade
-Mandrake
-Oak Leaves
-Sage
-Straw

Colours:
-red
-black
-silver
-orange
-white
-silver
-gold

Incense:
-Heliotrope
-Nutmeg
-Mint

Foods:
-turnips
-apples
-gourds
-squash
-nuts
-mulled wines
-meat

Stones:
-all black stones








Sources:
CR FAQ - Holidays
Wikipedia - Samhain
Irish Culture and Customs
Pro Z - The Translation Workplace
Pagan Pages - Samhain
The Celtic Year
Celebrate The Celtic Year
Wiccan, Pagan, and Witchcraft Holidays
Wikipedia - Festival of the Dead
Samhain

Friday, October 10, 2008

Deathways Open Doors to Unexpected Cultural Practices

Deathways Open Doors to Unexpected Cultural Practices

UB historian studies death in the New World

Contact

Patricia Donovan

pdonovan@buffalo.edu

716-645-5000 ext 1414

Release Date: October 8, 2008

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Cremation, "air burial," grave cairns, funeral mounds, mummification, belief in life after death -- death practices sacred to one culture are often considered "odd" or even terrifying by another.

The Greeks, for example, were fascinated with the historian Herodotus' description of the ancient Issedonians chopping up their dead into a mixed grill and devouring them in a communal barbeque, something entirely contrary to the Greeks' treatment of their own dead.



Please read the full article HERE

Parade of the Lost Souls - Vancouver, Canada

Parade of the Lost Souls
Starts at Britannia Oval
October 25, 2008 - 6:30pm - 10:30pm

Life and Death mix and mingle at the Parade of the Lost Souls, which will be returning on Commercial Drive at Grandview Park.



Please see the full listing HERE

Myths of the Raven

Myths of the Raven

The myths and meanings of the Tower of London ravens

raven

(FT206:30-36)

“If the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it.”

In the summer of 2004, I was in London to give a lecture in connection with the exhibition “This much is certain” at the Royal College of Art. Previously, I had researched raven lore, heard the Tower of London raven legend, and wanted to see the Tower ravens first-hand. I came upon the portentous birds just before noon, after seeing an informative display of fake torture instruments in the Bloody Tower. The ravens were to my right, just west of the White Tower. They were gathered by their cages, situated at ground level atop a grassy mound near the ruin of the Wall of the Innermost Ward. A sign was posted: “Warning: Ravens Bite.” An ominous black raven turned my way, croaked, and then casually picked up a stick in her beak.

The Innermost Ward was an enclosed area once reserved for royalty and nobles of the court. The Ward’s crumbling 13th-century rampart wall is pierced by gaping holes that once served as embrasures (narrow slits for arrows). Purportedly, a ghostly figure has been observed glaring through the apertures in the wall – vanishing only to reappear at each hole all along the deteriorating ruin. It is behind this haunted wall that the ghastly ravens make their doleful nests.

The ravens’ favourite haunt is the Tower Green, the former site of royal beheadings. In 1536, Anne Boleyn was beheaded here. After her head was severed, the executioner held it up, and for a moment the eyes and lips continued to move. It is claimed that her bluish, headless ghost still wanders the vicinity. A gruesome shadow of a huge executioner’s axe has also been seen gliding across the Green. Traditionally, ravens are thought to be prophetic birds and are associated with execution sites and graveyards. The raven coop is placed quite close to the Bloody Tower. In 1483, the Little Princes (12-year-old King Edward V and his nine-year-old brother Richard, Duke of York) were brought to the Bloody Tower, and subsequently disappeared from history; many assume they were brutally murdered. In 1647, workmen tearing up a staircase found the bones of two children purported to be the Princes. It is said that on bleak and dreary nights, the ghostly figures of the Little Princes, dressed in white nightclothes, stand silently hand in hand before slowly fading away. At times their soft weeping can be heard after dark near the raven roost.

Sir Walter Raleigh was also imprisoned in the Bloody Tower for 13 years before he finally got the axe. His phantom has been seen floating noiselessly through the various rooms. The Beefeaters from time to time even report smelling the phantom aroma of roast beef in the White Tower after nightfall. When the Tower ghosts make their appearances, the ravens become unusually agitated and will not settle down. The 1962 MGM horror film classic The Tower of London, based on Shakespeare’s Richard III, stars Vincent Price as the demented despot haunted by grim ravens and the forlorn ghosts of his victims.

According to tradition, the curious raven prophecy can be traced back to the “Merry Monarch”, Charles II (1660-1685). On 22 June 1675, the King established the Royal Observatory at the Tower of London, housed in the north-eastern turret of the White Tower. The Royal Astronomer, John Flamsteed (1646-1719), allegedly complained to the King that the birds were interfering with his celestial observations. Charles therefore ordered their demise – only to be forewarned by an obscure soothsayer that: “if the ravens left the Tower, the White Tower would collapse and a great disaster befall the Kingdom”. There are various similar versions of the legend, but all maintain that a horrible catastrophe would be visited upon the country if all the ravens quit the Tower. After hearing the warning, the King decreed that at least six ravens be kept at the Tower at all times to prevent such a calamity. Now the birds’ wings are routinely clipped so they cannot escape.

For an example of ravens forcibly expelled from a castle tower, bringing forth a dismal curse, just look at the ill-fated Hapsburg dynasty. The Hapsburgs were rulers of the Holy Roman Empire (962-1806), and they had in their possession the miraculous Holy Lance. Long ago, the castle tower of their ancestral Schlöss Hapsburg had many ravens flying about and merrily making nests everywhere, until one day the Hapsburgs cruelly exterminated every last one of them.

This was the origin of the Hapsburg Curse. From then on, the Hapsburgs were haunted by supernatural ravens called Turnfalken, whose every appearance presaged doom to members of the imperial family. Numerous times in history the foreboding Turnfalken have been seen in Vienna soaring above the Schönbrunn and Hofburg palaces. It has been claimed that in Paris the ravens were seen hovering and screeching over Marie Antoinette as she was guillotined, in Mexico when Emperor Maximilian was shot by the firing squad, at Mayerling when Prince Rudolf and his lover Countess Maria Vetsera consummated their suicide pact (although some say they were murdered), and at Sarajevo when Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated – triggering World War I and the crumbling Hapsburg empire’s final demise.

Possibly related to the London Tower legend are other raven folktales, superstitions, and legends. According to Cornish folklore, the spirit of King Arthur is said to dwell in ravens, and for this reason it is considered unlucky and even sacrilegious to kill one. An age-old superstition states if all the ravens in a wood suddenly forsake it, surely disaster will follow. Another Tower raven legend chronicled in the Mabinogion states that upon the death of the giant king Bran the Blessed (bran means raven in Welsh), his head was cut off and buried at the “White Hill” in London, (usually identified as Tower Hill) “with the face turned towards France”. This burial is known in the Welsh Triads as one of the Three Happy Concealments of The Island of the Mighty. As long as Bran’s head stays buried there, Britain will be safe from invasion. It is as if these older legends, folktales, and superstitions fused to form the current Tower of London raven legend.

It is claimed that the ravens have been at the Tower of London since the 13th century, and for the last 400 years they have been protected by royal decree. However, Geoff Parnell, the official Tower of London historian, recently scoured records dating back a millennium and found no reference to the ravens before an 1895 article in an RSPCA journal, The Animal World. One Edith Hawthorn referred to the Tower’s pet cat being tormented by the ravens, Jenny and a nameless mate. A menagerie was kept at the Tower by generations of monarchs for at least 600 years until it became the foundation of London Zoo. There were hawks, lions, leopards, monkeys and even a polar bear – but no mention of ravens. Besides, the Duke of Wellington, who dismantled the menagerie in 1835, wanted to get dangerous animals out of the way of his garrison and would hardly have tolerated six sharp-beaked ravens hanging around. Dr Parnell’s research suggests that some ravens may have been a punning gift to the Tower by the third Earl of Dunraven (1812-71), an archæologist and antiquarian fascinated by Celtic raven myths, who added ravens to his family coat of arms. Some now believe the raven legend is a Victorian invention, but we can’t be certain. Absence of evidence isn’t evidence of absence.

Ravens are now a protected species in Britain. The Tower birds are cared for by one of the Yeoman Warders (known as Beefeaters) with the regal title of Ravenmaster. The current Ravenmaster, Derrick Coyle, a former Sergeant Major, has been at the Tower for 20 years, first serving as Deputy Ravenmaster before becoming full-time Ravenmaster six years ago. Coyle’s arms are full of nasty scars, evidence of the ravens’ powerful bills and razor-sharp talons – he stoically calls them “love taps.” The birds are fed kitchen scraps, an occasional rabbit, and the odd roadkill that the Ravenmaster happens to pick up. The ravens Odin and Thor, brothers, used to mimic the Ravenmaster’s voice, including the vocalisations, “Come on then!” and “Good morning.” Sadly, however, these two birds passed away in 2003.

It has been observed (not infrequently) that when a member of the flock perishes, the birds will hold what could be called a “raven funeral” – a 24-hour event marked by raucous outcries. The Ravenmaster buries the dead bird in the Raven Cemetery located in the drained moat close to the Watergate and the St Thomas Tower. (St Thomas is the patron saint of clergy.) There is a special Raven Memorial Headstone that lists all ravens buried there from 1956 onwards. (Incidentally, in England, tombstones are sometimes referred to as “ravenstones”.) The St Thomas Tower is also known as Traitors’ Gate because it was through this Tower that condemned prisoners accused of treason arrived from Westminster. The Tower is named in honour of Sir Thomas Becket, whose apparition has been seen striking the walls of the building with a crucifix, loudly proclaiming it was not made for the common good but “for the injury and prejudice of the Londoners, my brethren”.

As I wrote this in Southern California, a raven-black crow fell from the sky and landed dead on my driveway. I buried it in the backyard (under a spare headstone originally carved for Blinky the Friendly Hen - see FT53:23). I worried about my freshly deceased feathered friend, especially since a dead crow can indicate that the West Nile Virus is in the region. Up in Southeast Alaska, a mysterious life-threatening beak deformity is now affecting crows and ravens. The deformity can cause beaks to grow up to three times their normal size and prevent regular feeding, and in many birds it leads to death. The cause of the phenomenon is unknown.

Today the Tower strictly maintains the decree-required six ravens. Their names are, appropriately, Hugine, Munin, Bran, Branwen, Gwyllum, and Cedric. (The Norse god Odin had two raven familiars named Huginn and Muninn who perched on his shoulders and told him everything they saw and heard. I wonder if the current monarchy has the same arrangement.) Each Tower raven can be identified by a different coloured leg band. Ravens can live a long time – the oldest was Jim Crow, who died at the age 44 (and by the way, there is a bourbon whiskey called ‘Old Crow’).

To anyone from the States, the name Jim Crow sounds inappropriate as a name for a raven, as it is a derogatory term for a Black person. The era of the Jim Crow laws (the “black codes,” 1877 to the mid-1960s) is one of the most appalling and shameful periods in American history – a time of racial discrimination, segregation, and lynch mobs. The term “Jim Crow” is derived from a character in an antebellum minstrel show contrived by Thomas Dartmouth “Daddy” Rice, a white actor who was one of the first to wear blackface to do stereotypical imitations of Negro performers (paving the way for such entertainers as Al Jolson). Daddy Rice did his Jim Crow song-and-dance routine to astounding acclaim from audiences in New York and London.

During World War II, the grim raven prophecy almost came to pass, as only one raven (named Grip) was left at the Tower. The other birds were killed by bombing or pined and died of shock during the Blitz. In fact, the ravens’ cages are built on the ruined foundation of the Main Guard tower (or Queen Victoria’s Canteen), destroyed on 29 December 1940 by a Nazi incendiary bomb. In 1944, the gutted Main Guard building was demolished, revealing the mediæval Wall of the Innermost Ward. When the Tower reopened to the public on 1 January 1946, there were six ravens once again.

In 1981, a raven named Grog managed to escape from the Tower after 21 years’ service and was last spotted scavenging outside the Rose and Punchbowl pub in London’s East End. The birds are treated not as pets but as military personnel. They are “enlisted” and can be “dismissed” like soldiers for unbecoming behaviour. In 1986, a raven called George, “enlisted in 1975”, was dismissed for “conduct unsatisfactory” and sent to the Welsh Mountain Zoo. He “received his marching orders” after demolishing television aerials.

A trickster raven named Rhys, a skilful mimic, used to get behind groups of people and start barking like a dog. People would look around for the dog, while Rhys would run off, cackling to himself. Then there is the sad story of the “Two Charlies”. While preparing for a royal visit by Queen Elizabeth, a bomb-sniffing dog named Charlie was sent in. A raven also named Charlie pecked Charlie the dog, who then took the bird in his mouth and bit down hard, killing him.

According to documentation released under the Freedom of Information Act in February 2005, the Tower ravens are under threat from an invasion of 200 crows a day and these common cousins are being shot to protect the ravens from diseases and competition for food. The cull takes place before tourists arrive. The RSPB said it was legal to shoot urban crows to protect the ravens, but the law was being reviewed. However, wild ravens could soon be nesting at the Tower again after being found breeding near the capital for the first time in 180 years. Nests have been recorded in Bedfordshire, Sussex, Berkshire and Hampshire. Although once common in London, where they scavenged on refuse and the bodies hanging in gibbets at the Tower, ravens last nested in the wild in Hyde Park in 1826.

My raven research was enhanced by a pamphlet given to me by FT founding co-editor Paul Sieveking, entitled Coracomancy: Raven Crow(s) Behaviour (translated from Tibetan). According to the pamphlet, “There are expressions in the language and behaviour of ravens and crows which accurately convey messages and portents. These can be interpreted, if observed and understood correctly.” By use of coracomancy, I attempted to divine the calls and conduct of the Tower ravens I encountered. A raven crowing at mid-morning until mid-day from the west means “a long distance will be travelled”. (That was certain – I faced an exhausting 10-hour flight back to Los Angeles.) While travelling near a river (the Tower is, of course, next to the Thames), a raven crowing from the right side predicts “the journey will be successful”. (My trip did go rather well.)

A raven sitting on a castle at any time means “good lodgings will be found”. (The St Margaret hotel near the British Museum proved to be quite good. St Margaret is the patron saint of queens.) A raven holding a stick or piece of wood foretells “something will be found”. (I found a flake of the Tower that had crumbled off, and I saved it as a relic.) Concerning signs by location of nests, when a raven makes its nest in a wall, on the ground, or by water, it predicts “the King (or Queen) will prosper”. (I wondered if the Ravenmaster had read the Coracomancy pamphlet and placed the ravens’ nests on the ground near a wall – precisely in the perfect position for English Royalty to prosper.) It was the raven named Munin who gave me that piercing sideways stare with her beady jet-black eyes as she crowed “ka-ka” in a high-pitched voice, which translates as “wealth will be obtained”. (Once again the raven’s prediction was flawless, as I was subsequently notified that I would receive a major research grant.) I was amazed that the raven prognostications were all right on the money.


Original article posted HERE

I'm feeling disturbed...

This is possibly on of the CREEPIEST things I have EVER seen!
I'm all for artistic expression and what not...but WHY would you want to do this???
I've read that young serial killers will play with road kill....

http://stoproadkill.org/

Saturday, October 4, 2008

deviantART

I started a deviantART page to showcase my photography and some of my art! Take a look! It's for sale too!

http://themorningstar55.deviantart.com/

Sunday, September 28, 2008

The Woman Clothed With The Sun



The Woman Clothed With The Sun
A Look at the Goddess in Christianity

Introduction
There is a gaping hole in the myth cycle of modern Christianity. The Maternal heart of the faith has been ripped apart and replaced with patriarchal and misogynist doctrine. Many women have left the faith and turned to the "Old Religions" because of this lack of femininity and female power. In this article I will be investigating "the woman clothed with the sun"1 and her possible guise as the hidden Goddess in Christianity.

"The Woman and the Dragon"

2

The image above is the classic portrayal of "the woman clothed with the sun". It was created by William Blake in the early 19th century as part of a collection of paintings done to illustrate the biblical chapter, Revelations. The original passage goes as follows:

"Revelations, Chapter 12 1-18

The Woman and the Dragon

1: A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feat, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2: She was with child child and wailed aloud in pain as she laboured to give birth. 3: Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. 4: Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. 5: She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. 6: the woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days. 7: Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and it's angels fought back, 8: but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9: The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it. 10: Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:


"Now have salvation and power come,
and the kingdom of our God

and the authority of his Anointed.

For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,

who accusses them before our God day

and night.

11: They conquered him by the blood of the

Lamb

and by word of their testimony;

love for life did not deter them from

death.

12: Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,

and you who dwell in them.

But woe to you, earth and sea,

for the Devil has come down to you in

great fury,

for he knows he has but a short time."


13: When the dragon saw that it had been thrown down to the earth, it pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14: But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly to her place in the desert, where, far from the serpent, she was taken care of for a year, two years, and a half-year. 15: The serpent, however, spewed a torrent of water out of his mouth after the woman to sweep her away with the current. 16: But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth and swallowed the flood that the dragon spewed out of its mouth. 17: Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God's commandments and bear witness to Jesus. 18: It took its position on the sand of the sea.
"3

This is the modern Catholic passage, it varies little from various Christ based faiths. The most popular interpretations of this image elude the the woman being the Church or the Israel4. She had also been interpreted as the Virgin Mary5 according to some sources. Could this be a surviving remnant of the Goddess in Christian faith? Or possibly the attempt by the Church to assimilate the Goddess into the faith besides the Blessed Virgin? Since the birth of Christianity it seems there has been strife amongst it's followers as to the power and place of women in the Church. This is exemplified in the Gospel of Mary6, one of the Gnostic Gospels, left out of the Bible at the Council of Nicaea7:

"When Mary had said this, she was silent, since the Savior had spoken thus far with her.
But Andrew answered and said to the brethren, 'Say what you think concerning what she said. For I do not believe that the Savior said this. For certainly these teachings are of other ideas."
Peter also opposed her in regard to these matters and asked them about the Savior. "Did he then speak secretly with a woman [cf. John 4:27], in preference to us, and not openly? Are we to turn back and all listen to her? Did he prefer her to us?"
Then Mary grieved and said to Peter, "My brother Peter, what do you think? Do you think that I thought this up myself in my heart or that I am lying concerning the Savior?"
Levi answered and said to Peter, "Peter, you are always irate. Now I see that you are contending against the woman like the adversaries. But if the Savior made her worthy, who are you to reject her? Surely the Savior knew her very well [cf. Luke 10:38- 42]. For this reason he loved her more than us [cf. John 11:5]. And we should rather be ashamed and put on the Perfect Man, to form us [?] as he commanded us, and proclaim the gospel, without publishing a further commandment or a further law than the one which the Savior spoke." When Levi had said this, they began to go out in order to proclaim him and preach him.
"

It is known that into the first century after Christ women played a very prominent role in the Church and it's teachings. It is unclear when the full persecution of women within the Church began, but as we know from modern times, it has continued and still continues to this 8. Could it be that the Goddess was fully recognized and supported, if not in name than in gender, by the early Church? And was it the anger of one man, Peter, that caused a cascade effect? From the persecution of Mary Magdalene, to the removal of woman from power within the Church, to the Burning Times, all the way to modern times? There are very few references left in the modern Bible of strong female figures or anything pertaining to a female aspect of the Divine. Women in modern times are reclaiming this history, this power as the "woman clothed with the sun", as the male God is described in Psalm 104:2 as “wrapped in light.”. If you read through various texts, including the bible, God never appears in such glory. He appears in the stars, as a burning bush, etc. But never a great presence in the sky for all to see. This could be a survival of Christian Goddess worship, buried within the texts to survive the hate of men governing the Church over the centuries. In Revelations 12:14, it is stated that this woman "was given the two wings of the great eagle". This passage immediately conjures of images of Isis, Ancient Egyptian Goddess of Magic and Life, or of Nike, Greek Goddess of Victory. This could just be another attempt of the Church to assimilate the Goddess or it could be a blatant reference to her original nature.

Since in most doctrine, this woman is accepted as the Virgin Mary, could this also be a revelation that the Virgin is not just the human mother of God, but the female manifestation of the Divine? Many modern Christian Intellectuals interpret the "Holy Spirit" as a female entity. This is even supported within the bible as the original Hebrew words for "spirit" from The Old Testament are feminine nouns 9. What might be a example of the growing misogyny of the Church is that in the New Testament, the word for Spirit is neutral 10. Here's an interesting thought as well, if The Virgin Mary was impregnated immaculately by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit being female, would this not point to her as the Mother of God and Christ? Not unlike the creation Goddess of most Pagan faith's, such as the Egyptian Nut or the Vedic Aditi? The fact that some branches faiths believe that Mary herself was conceived immaculately also points to her having origins in divinity 11. We see this attribute is the Wiccan Creation Myth and others 12. And seeming as how she is present at almost every major event in the life of Jesus can she not be also considered the Christian equivalent to a consort Goddess? Albeit a virginal and celebrate one, but a companion nonetheless. I hope that in the future we can see a resurgence of this feminine grace and power in these faiths. A return to a balanced and complete world where all are considered important and whole.


1 Revelations, 12:1

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

My orignal article on Lucifer. I plan to rewrite it one of these days!



Lucifer - The Morning Star

I have found no myth's that pertain strictly to Lucifer. He has some mention of being a bringer of knowledge and wisdom to mankind, a protector of humans and manifestation of divine ecstasy. He is mentioned as being a Roman God, Lucifer meaning Son of the Dawn, The "bearer of light" and God of the Morning and Evening Star. He was know as Phospheros to the Greeks, with his most common areas of worship being Italy and Western Europe. Lucifer's main reference is as the Brother of Diana and the Father of Aradia. He was the Light to Diana's Darkness, her other half and soul mate. She is his Mother, Sister, and Lover.

"Diana was the first created before all creation; in her were all things; out of herself, the first darkness, she divided herself; into darkness and light she was divided. Lucifer, her brother and son, herself and her other half, was the light.
And when Diana saw that the light was so beautiful, the light which was her other half, her brother Lucifer, she yearned for it with exceeding great desire. Wishing to receive the light again into her darkness, to swallow it up in rapture, in delight, she trembled with desire. This desire was the Dawn.
But Lucifer, the light, fled from her, and would not yield to her wishes; he was the light which files into the most distant parts of heaven, the mouse which flies before the cat.
Then Diana went to the fathers of the Beginning, to the mothers, the spirits who were before the first spirit, and lamented unto them that she could not prevail with Lucifer. And they praised her for her courage, they told her that to rise she must fall; to become the chief of goddesses she must become a mortal.
And in the ages, in the course of time, when the world was made, Diana went on earth, as did Lucifer, who had fallen, and Diana taught magic and sorcery, whence came witches and fairies and goblins--all that is like man, yet not mortal.
And it came thus that Diana took the form of a cat. Her brother had a cat whom he loved beyond all creatures, and it slept every night on his bed, a cat beautiful beyond all other creatures, a fairy: he did not know it.
Diana prevailed with the cat to change forms with her, so she lay with her brother, and in the darkness assumed her own form, and so by Lucifer became the mother of Aradia. But when in the morning he found that he lay by his sister, and that light had been conquered by darkness, Lucifer was extremely angry; but Diana sang to him a spell, a song of power, and he was silent, the song of the night which soothes to sleep; he could say nothing. So Diana with her wiles of witchcraft so charmed him that he yielded to her love. This was the first fascination, she hummed the song, it was as the buzzing of bees (or a top spinning round), a spinning-wheel spinning life. She spun the lives of all men; all things were spun from the wheel of Diana. Lucifer turned the wheel."
- Aradia or The Gospel of the Witches by Charles G. Leland

I also found this piece written by Eliphas Levi. I was quite intrigued by it. It does in a roundabout sort of way connect Lucifer with his Christian incarnation but I believe his words embody the sense of this God very well. It may not fit in exactly with the common perception of Lucifer as the Brother of Diana or of him as the Devil of The Bible, but I think it incorporates the theme and idea of both those archetypes very well.

"Lucifer, the Astral Light . . . . is an intermediate force existing in all creation, it serves to create and to destroy, and the Fall of Adam was an erotic intoxication which has rendered his generation a slave to this fatal light . . . every sexual passion that overpowers our senses is a whirlwind of that light which seeks to drag us towards the abyss of death, Folly. Hallucinations, visions, ecstasies are all forms of a very dangerous excitation due to this interior phosphorus (?). Thus light, finally, is of the nature of fire, the intelligent use of which warms and vivifies, and the excess of which, on the contrary, dissolves and annihilates. Thus man is called upon to assume a sovereign empire over that (astral) light and conquer thereby his immortality, and is threatened at the same time with being intoxicated, absorbed, and eternally destroyed by it. This light, therefore, inasmuch as it is devouring, revengeful, and fatal, would thus really be hell-fire, the serpent of the legend; the tormented errors of which it is full, the tears and the gnashing of teeth of the abortive beings it devours, the phantom of life that escapes them, and seems to mock and insult their agony, all this would be the devil or Satan indeed." (Histoire de la Magie, p. 197).......But in antiquity and reality, Lucifer, or Luciferus, is the name of the angelic Entity presiding over the light of truth as over the light of the day. In the great Valentinian gospel Pistis Sophia (§ 361) it is taught that of the three Powers emanating from the Holy names of the Three [[Tridunameis]], that of Sophia (the Holy Ghost according to these gnostics -- the most cultured of all), resides in the planet Venus or Lucifer.....There is no devil or the utterly depraved, as there are no Angels absolutely perfect, though there may be spirits of Light and of Darkness; thus LUCIFER -- the spirit of Intellectual Enlightenment and Freedom of Thought -- is metaphorically the guiding beacon, which helps man to find his way through the rocks and sandbanks of Life, for Lucifer is the LOGOS in his highest, and the "Adversary" in his lowest aspect -- both of which are reflected in our Ego. Lactantius, speaking of the Nature of Christ, makes the LOGOS, the Word, the first-born brother of Satan, the "first of all creatures." (Inst. div. Book II., c. viii., "Qabbalah," 116.)"
- Eliphas Levi( 1.)

Through recent studies I have found many links and insinuations that point at Lucifer being a demonized Goddess not a Fallen Angel, Angel, God, or otherwise. Quite a fascinating trail of facts and myths. There seems to be a lot of associations with the Goddess Diana Lucifera, which in turn leads to Hekate, Artemis, Luna, Selene, and Heket, as well as a few strictly magical associations.

I believe the following excerpt is more a selling tool for the book than anything else it still presents some fascinating ideas about Lucifer. Please read the COPYRIGHT! Everything from here down to the end belongs to this lovely lady!

All content © Lynn Picknett & Clive Prince 2006" (3.)
"The Secret History of Lucifer
‘Picknett's depth and range of knowledge is impressive... readers will encounter a thick, interesting and alternative view of an intriguing topic.’ Publishers Weekly
The sequel to Mary Magdalene: Christianity's Hidden Goddess, The Secret History of Lucifer (2005) traces the literal demonisation of the Great Goddess, once the consort of none other than Yahweh in one of her manifestations. As the patriarchal religions took hold, the ancient goddesses became hated and feared as demons that sucked the life from men, embodiments of all that is hellish.
Myths about the fall of Lucifer - once so intimately associated with the Morning/Evening Star, or Venus - permeated the thinking of medieval churchmen who were fanatically, even insanely, determined to root out what they perceived as female evil in the witchcraft hysteria.
A misogynist rout, the witch hunts also undermined the whole of society, for the ruthless undermining of the Feminine also impinges on society as a whole. And if there were few genuine witches at the beginning of the massacres, by the end there must have been many more - for even Hell and Satan himself could be no worse than the depredations of the Church.
Yet also underlying the Lucifer myth is the implicit psychopathy of Yahweh, a god so jealous and incapable of self control, so lacking in maturity that he could accept no challenge, and wreaked havoc on those who stood up to him. Is Lucifer the evil one - or Yahweh?
Lucifer, the 'Light-Bearer', the bright Morning Star - and not the hateful embodiment of evil, Satan - represents the eternally questing, challenging and evolving mind of humanity, the spirit of progress and equality. Gradually, as the Church began to lose its grip in the aptly named Age of Enlightenment, came the rise of science and esoteric groups such as the Freemasons (in the 18th century the two were inextricably entwined).
Freedom brings its own challenges, and a darker side emerged with the many quasi-satanic groups who enjoyed the thrills of black masses behind the lace curtains of suburbia. However, the 20th-century founder of the Church of Satan, Anton laVey, viewed the Christian Church in a markedly Luciferan way - although his practices were too strong for many tastes and his showmanship too brash.
Altogether more profound was occultist Aleister Crowley - also an exhibitionist given to outrageous acts - whose philosophy of 'Every man and Woman is a Star' arguably provides would-be Luciferans with the rules.
But as we enter a new millennium, the hard-won freedoms are being eroded in the west, and the bright light of Lucifer is being eclipsed...
LONG LIVE LUCIFER - BUT TO HELL WITH SATAN!
All content © Lynn Picknett & Clive Prince 2006" (3.)



Sources:

1.Sacred Texts
2.God Checker
3.The Secret History of Lucifer Review

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Keep Loved Ones Forever, as a Diamond

Keep Loved Ones Forever, as a Diamond

Source: Reuters

Posted: 09/19/08 3:25PM

Filed Under: Weird News

CHUR, Switzerland (Sept. 18) - Diamonds really are forever.

Algordanza, a small company based in the mountainous southeast of Switzerland, uses the ashes of dead people to make diamonds as a permanent memento for their nearest and dearest.

And with prices starting at less than $7,500, the jewels are not solely the preserve of the jetset.

"Some people find it helpful to go to the cemetery and grieve, and they leave their grief in the cemetery," said Algordanza Chairman Veit Brimer. "There are some people who, for whatever reason, do not want to have this farewell.

"Astonishingly these are mainly Christian people. They say: 'Why should I say goodbye? I'll see my husband in 15 years in heaven anyway,"' Brimer said in his office overlooking the town of Chur and its surrounding steep mountains.

The technology for making artificial diamonds was first pioneered by General Electric in the 1950s, and mirrors nature by subjecting carbon to huge pressure and temperature.

Algordanza -- which means "remembrance" in the local language Romansch, spoken in some parts of the Swiss canton of Grisons -- is one of a handful of companies offering artificial diamonds that have sprung up as the technology has improved.

U.S.-based LifeGem and Britain's Phoenix Diamonds, for example, also offer diamonds made from hair, which contains more carbon than ashes meaning a gem can be created from the hair of a living person, or from someone who has been buried rather than cremated. LifeGem even offers diamonds made from dead pets.


Please read the whole article HERE

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Pagans Proudly Explain All

Pagans proudly explain all

This Saturday the group wants to show the community what they are really about

Walter Cordery, Daily News

Published: Thursday, August 21, 2008

Anyone hoping to see animal sacrifices or disemboweling during Pagan Pride Day Saturday, will be greatly disappointed say two spokespeople for the Pagan church which is hosting the Nanaimo event at Kin Hut Park in Departure Bay.

"One of the main reasons we hold Pagan Pride Day each year is to debunk myths like that," said Kam Abbott of Nanaimo's Temple of the Green Leaf Cauldron Church.

Abbott said he believes people have a distorted view of paganism because of the way pagans and Wiccans are depicted in the popular media.


Please read the full article here

Pagans Proud But Not Loud

Pagans proud but not loud

No tax-exempt status yet but Wiccans gain recognition

Ron Csillag, Weekend Post Published: Saturday, September 20, 2008

Avery un-Toronto scene: In a quiet grove in a quiet park in the middle of the city earlier this month, about 50 mostly youngish people in various sorts of attire formed a rough circle on the damp grass. The area they created was a frith, a kind of sacred space. Four participants at equidistant points in the circle faced away from the others and held aloft hammers --not the claw kind from Canadian Tire but those heavy T-shaped implements the Norse god Thor would wield.

Paying tribute to the four sacred directions, each declared loudly, "Hammer in the [north, east, west, south], hallow and hold this holy site."

Please read the full article here.