#NOT A RELIGION THAT INVOLVED HUMAN SACRIFICE OUTSIDE OF MYTHS SO IT WOULD BE LIKE IF KING HENRY VIII JUST

[giantkillerjack]

HUMAN SACRIFICE WAS NOT A PART OF THE ROMAN RELIGION OCTAVIAN WTF

Video transcript:

"I have been learning about Roman history in some form or another since I was literally a child and I--I cannot [sputters for a couple seconds]

Augustus! Octavian Octavius Gaius Caesar. Mister Caesar. Augustus. Mister Augustus... sacrificed 100 Roman citizens.

Romans!!! sacrificed!!! Sometime-- before the-- some time before the Battle of Actium, and I can't-- that's-- that's not a fucking thing! I've never heard of that ever happening before and the guy who made the video I was watching said that that was not a fucking thing that people did.

And I cannot believe that after like 20 years of learning about Rome, I'm still learning stuff about Octavius Caesar that makes me go, WHAT! WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT THE FUCK OCTAVIAN?! Wha-- WHY?! OH MY GOD"

Image description: a video of the original poster, a chubby white transmasculine person in their 20s with short hair and glasses, filming himself while standing in his bathroom and speaking to the camera in a very animated way.

[y-rhywbeth2]

Elves: Philosophy and Religion

Link: Disclaimer regarding D&D "canon" & Index [tldr: D&D lore is a giant conflicting mess. Larian's lore is also a conflicting mess. There's a lot of lore; I don't know everything. You learn to take what you want and leave the rest. etc]

Physiology and quirks | Names | Clans and Houses | Pan-Cultural things | Elven 'Subraces' still a wip | Philosophy and Religion & Pantheons | Half-elves | [WIP]

• Overview: the variety found in elven religion/s. • Key spiritual philosophies that define elvendom: the Road of Life, Elamshin, and Laraelever • Creation Myths • Reincarnation and dying/Transcendence • Funerals • Holidays • Gods: a very brief overview of the very lengthy amount of nonsense about the four pantheons involved with elves which will be covered seperately (the Seldarine, the Dark Seldarine, the Seelie Court and the Asathalfinare)

Elven religion on Toril is diverse. The different subraces of elves have their own traditions and understanding of the Seldarine, the Seelie Court and the adjacent outer circle of sylvan gods, and the Dark Seldarine, and within those larger umbrellas different individual cultures may also vary.

While the elven faiths are split into the pantheons of the Seldarine and the ‘Dark Seldarine’ after the exile of Lolth, Eilistraee and Vhaeraun, dark elves and surface elves are not restricted to one pantheon vs the other. With two exceptions - Shevarash and Fenmarel - the Seldarine answers the prayers of drow worshippers and accepts them as priests (even if their mortal cousins do not), and gods of the Dark Seldarine do accept and sometimes reach out to elves who are amenable to their nature (even if most drow would call this heresy).

While it’s claimed that the drow are exiled from Arvandor, there are a few things that suggest things are more flexible than that. Firstly there's the individual drow who worship the Seldarine and Eilistraeeans who go to Arvandor after death (Eilistraee having a realm on Arvandor for this putpose), and secondly that surface elves can, through their own actions, fall out of grace and fall under Lolth’s sway without realising it. It’s also been put forth that this applies to the reincarnation cycle, as an elf’s spirit may shift between Corellon and Lolth’s sphere of influence by their actions: a drow may go to Arvandor and be reincarnated outside of Lolth's clutes, an evil surface elf who defies the Seldarine may be born again in Lolth's web.

Lolth hungers to be worshipped on the surface and often walks the streets of human cities (likely in disguise). She particularly delights in corrupting more elves, whispering in the ears of the desperate, ambitious and those lost to pain and grief – some of whom deliberately seek her out despite the great taboo of doing so.

Vhaeraun seeks to do away with the divisions of the Crown War and reunite the Tel’Quessir under his worship, which includes stealing surface elves out from under his old pantheon where and when he can.

Eilistraee doesn’t deliberately seek surface elven worship, or any form of worship since she invests all her energy into pulling the drow out of Lolth's grip, but she welcomes all into her faith regardless of origin. Due to her welcoming nature and outcast status she also tends to be popular with half-elves who face prejudice or persecution, especially bards.

Ghaunadaur will happily accept worshippers and future sacrifices from anyone – he’s patron god of gelatinous cubes, he’s not picky.

Kiaransalee, goddess of undeath and vengeance, has attempted to demand fealty from surface elves in the past.

Selvetarm is indifferent to his worshippers, so probably neither objects to surface elven worship nor cares if they don't worship him.

--

Key Philosophies:

A larger bent of religious philosophy drawing strongly on Sehanine Moonbow’s dogma, and particularly strong on Evermeet, lends itself to the concept of enlightenment and unity with the gods:

The Road of Life is a philosophy that the long life of elves is a winding path of many stages, at the end of which, if walked correctly, the elf with understand the many mysteries of elven life and the world and be presented with a choice to either ascend permanently to Arvandor and join the Seldarine or to return to Toril and guide the People as a bodhisattva-esque figure, denying yourself eternal reward in order to shepherd others towards it. Thus far there is only one elf known to have achieved this stage, Queen Amlaruil of Evermeet, who chose the latter. She recently disappeared during the Spellplague era and nobody knows what’s up with that so far.

Each road walked is unique, with many branching paths that appear when a choice can be made (some of which loop back to an earlier part of the road which need to be walked again) and many different cultural and religious opinions exist on how the road is supposed to be walked; whether its something you build for yourself by experiencing it and the journey itself is the point, or if there's a true route hidden amongst all the twists and turns that one must find and walk to reach enlightenment.

What exactly is beyond Transcendence at the end of the Road isn't explained, which is presumably why you need to spend a lifetime getting enlightened to understand it.

But by and large elves live by a combination of individuality and community: 'We are on this shared path together, but at the same time all of us are finding our own way.' Everyone's road is unique to them, and The People must support each other as a whole in order to provide the structure for an individual to walk their path.

Throughout the journey the elf develops themselves, exploring the world and their identity and their faith. Introspection and reflection on the nature of reality and divinity (and the elven place around it) develops throughout one’s life.

The first stage applies to young elves, and focuses on individualism; Exploration, chasing impulses and curiosities and travelling as they find their footing, grow to understand the world they live in, the gods they come from, and establishing an identity.

The second is a maturation stage, where the elf settles and begins to look towards their community and the People as a whole. At this stage elves have had many decades to grow and experience things and get to know themselves and are ready to commit to some field of development, dedicating themselves to their art or career (this is the point where one joins the priesthood or military, becomes a politician, or devotes their lives to study or art, etc). Either their attention turns outwards as they begin to consider the world, the gods and The People and their spiritual growth extends around and amongst them - or their full attention is devoted to one specific interest, which will consume them obsessively for the rest of their lives as they explore every part of it (don't start an elf on their special interest unless you genuinely want to be there for days while they gush over the minutia in full detail).

At the penultimate stage, when an elf finally hits old age (700+), the road takes a turn for the mystical. A ring of light – Sehanine’s titular moonbow – appears around the irises of the elf, signalling to them and those around them that they will soon be recalled to Arvandor. Their reveries begin to fill with visions and communion with the goddess of death, a process known as Transcendence, preparing them for what’s to come and presenting them with experiences that are said to be indescribable to one who hasn’t experienced them. Gradually they begin to slip into visions even during their waking hours as they slip away from the physical world. This is the time when an elf looks back at the winding threads they wove of their life and are to use it to place together ‘an understanding of elven nature and its relation to the universe,’ as the Seldarine begin to recall them to Arvandor.

As an elf dies they enter communion with the Seldarine, their awareness spreading throughout the Weave and encompassing the spirits of all elves on Toril, then into the minds of the Elders; those elves who have passed into Arvandor before them. The dying elf becomes one in communion with the Seldarine, magic and the People. The wisest are said presented with the choice to join the Seldarine or to remain in the mortal realm as a guide.

Many elves simply walk away into the woods or mountains and are never heard from again; elves outside of Evermeet usually find themselves compelled to travel to the Isle.

Sometimes elves physically fade out of existence as they die, rather than leaving a body, and Eilistraeean drow are also described doing this (Eilistraee calls her followers to her much as Sehanine calls to surface elves, where she dances alongside them until both fade into the moonlight (the Last Dance)).

Sometimes the spirit simply departs the flesh and leaves an empty shell behind which will be disposed off according to their culture.

An elf who dies to disease or violence does not experience Transcendence, and there's a strong chance their soul will be destroyed by the act of dying. In cases where it doesn't the soul is trapped, and a priest of Sehanine is tasked with seeking them and undergoing the Transcendence on their behalf to guide them to Arvandor.

(‘Wait, what about the Fugue Plane?’ Yes. Welcome, or perhaps 'welcome back,' to the land of The Writers Never Agree on Jack Shit. According to some sources the Fugue only applies to humans (and even then, only Faerûnian humans), and according to others elves will be going to the Fugue to face Kelemvor's judgement too. Up to you.)

-

On the other hand there's Elamshin, the Will of Lolth (or simply 'Destiny'). All strive for Lolth's approval; those who have it continue to live and are granted power and wealth; those who lose it suffer and perish. Chaos incarnate, how one gains and maintains this favour is not clear and one must be sharp and attentive and always ready to adapt to survive. When one cannot adapt, one has stagnated and must give way to the new growth. By living in chaos one is an adaptable and stronger being, and by better serving Lolth such the Spider Queen and her followers will overthrow the false traitor gods and rule the world, as is their right.

The rest of the Dark Seldarine do not seem to have any overarching philosophy like Elamshin or the Road of Life - Eilistraee seeks to forge a new path; Vhaeraun's church is a resistance movement more than a faith; etc.

-

The People are innately and spiritually a part of the Weave of Magic that saturates all of Toril and the Natural Balance, the later of which they have a druid-like relationship with. As they are part of other elves and their gods, they are one and a whole with the tapestry of magic and nature. The health of these things is the health of the People.

‘The Home of the Heart,’ a rough translation of the word Laraelever, the forest ‘as it should be,’ when one is living in balance with the natural cycles of the world and not burning it down or harming it out of carelessness and greed. The term can also be applied to things that are in line with this harmony, such as elven furniture and architecture grown from living trees or grown into shape and then harvested at the end of its lifespan instead of killing the tree for its wood on ones own terms. The individual shouldn't come at the cost of, nor impose harmfully on the lives of others.

Lolthites, Selvetarmites, Kiaransaleen and Ghaunadaurans don’t give a flying fuck about this, notably. Not sure about Vhaeraunites, but since he's trying to get the drow back to their pre-Descent lives it's possible something along these lines is in there... then again he does have a holy day that's just him giving the middle finger to the value the Seldarine places on nature, so maybe not.

-

Creation myths:

The most common creation myth is of course the variant where Corellon was injured in combat with the orc god Gruumsh, and the droplets of his blood became the first elves (some also add that another god – usually Sehanine or Angharradh – wept at his injury, and the mingling of blood and tears gave rise to the elves).

Some claim that Corellon created these first elves in his image by using magic to weave them physical forms from sunbeams (gold elves), moonlight (moon), the forests (green), the clouds (avariel), the seas (aquatic), and shadows (dark elves).

‘Myths discussing the natural origins of the Fair Folk are closely tied to the ability of many members of the Seldarine to assume nonelven, natural forms far greater in size than is common for their avatars.’

Reincarnation:

While lore from both the original AD&D and 5e supports elven reincarnation, and a specific form of reincarnation exists in being reincarnated into a fey guardian to take on a life of duty to nature and elvendom, a reincarnation cycle is not a universal belief amongst the Tel’Quessir.

Some do not believe in it. Of those who do, it’s believed that an elf may reincarnate as animals, plants or fey and not just elves, and this is not necessarily viewed as a punishment or reward in the fashion of karmic-like consequences. Sometimes it's even a desired outcome. Corellon and Sehanine work together to guide elves towards perfection in the cycles of life and death, Corellon watching over them and protecting them in life and creation, before handing them to Sehanine’s care in death. As the deity of transcendence, she presents elves with guides and puzzles to solve – in life, and presumably in death - as they find their way towards their final stage.

Some believe that reincarnation is only a rare occurrence that only happens as a punishment, when an elf commits a great wrong and is sent back by the Seldarine to atone before they can enter Arvandor. Others say that it’s a sign that an elf has unfinished business – usually some duty to kin and clan – and they have returned in order to complete it.

An order of rangers in the service of Sehanine (the Sentinels of the Moonbow) serves as a sort of animal wellfare group, that protects animals under the reasoning that they may be 'the reincarnated spirits of elves of ages past and that may once again assume elven form.'

Undeath - mormhaor, 'corrupted death' - is a state despised by elven faith as a breakage in the natural cycles of the universe that damages or destroys the soul of the victim. They are trapped in an abominable state, torn away from the people and unable to achieve transcendence or walk the Road. Elves tend to handle undeath badly. The acceptible alternatives; baelnorn liches and Reverend Ones (elven wraiths) are the product of white necromancy, powered by positive energy and deliberately created with the aid of the Seldarine; to become such is to make a great sacrifice and a duty to the defence and preservation of one's people or clan, postponing one's own reward to care for others. It's not an enjoyable or desirable state and it's not one entered into lightly. While their sacrifice is respected, even these undead make living elves uncomfortable

The story of Corellon’s exiling of elven souls from Arvandor due to Lolth’s manipulations, which has been introduced in 5e, clashes with previously given Realmslore* (wherein elves had already settled the Prime Material Plane in mortal forms before Araushnee’s banishment, and Corellon takes a static gender for her, not mortal elves), so while the story may exist on Toril, it’s not the mainstream version most elves believe in.

(*It's been stated in canon that depictions of deities outside of realmslore do not affect the versions of them within it, nor vice versa. A deity’s realmspace aspect is something of an independent being.

‘Once [an immigrant] deity is accepted into the pantheons of Toril, there is no difference between [native Torilian and pan-DnD gods], since each immigrant deity has a local aspect, independent of other world-based aspects he or she might possess. For example, although Labelas Enoreth and Clangeddin Silverbeard battled each other during the Time of Troubles on the isle of Ruathym, any enmity stemming from that clash does not extend to other worlds. Likewise, Lolth in some other world differs from Lolth in Faerûn’ - Faiths and Pantheons )

Funerals:

“Behold, there in the West There I see my comrades and my lovers, my childhood friends, those who have gone before me and those still to come. There I see them in the tall oaks, high in the limbs where the golden sun lights their faces. “They are calling my name. They are calling my name. They are calling me West, and there I am going.” - The elven Prayer for the Dead

Funerary customs vary greatly not only by subrace and nation but by specific communities - and each funeral is greatly customised according to the nature of the deceased.

Sun elves build elaborate tombs that also double as troves of history and lore that descendants can access; green elves bury their dead beneath or within trees, as do most copper elves. Some cremate their dead. Some elven cultures see a body as nothing but a cast off husk of no value now that the spirit has departed. Moon elves, as ever, vary greatly. Evereskans and some moon elves go for tombs, in the rest of the world some families draw more from their sylvan ancestry and go in for tree burials, others might use the customs of human settlements, etc.

I can't find anything specific on dark elven customs. Eilistraeeans have them, I assume Vhaeraunites do too. Ghaunadaurans die via self-sacrifice and get eaten. I'm pretty sure Kiransaleen and Lolthites believe in recycling via necromancy (or occasionally cannibalism, in Lolth's case). Being used to build an animate ossuary for Kiaransalee's temple also looks to be on the table. With Lolth in particular it's going to depend on which Lolthite sect you're in.

Holidays:

Not counting the impromptu revels Hanali's priests throw, Lolth's regular sacrifices, the various holy rites observed in Sehanine's name (focused on lunar cycles and phenomenon, which can occur once per decade, century or millennium), and so forth.

Cinnelas'Cor: 'The Day of Corellon's Peace' (everybody except most drow) and The Melding of the Three (moon elves) Elven new year, except it's held once every 'four snows' or 'pyesigeni' in elven (also known as Aeloulaeva), which is four years to a human.

Massive archery competitions are sponsored by the church of Solonor Thelandira, and considering these are elves one imagines that there's an incredible amount of getting drunk, dancing, flirting, and acting like idiots involved.

For moon elves this is also the holiday where they celebrate the birth of Angharradh and the peace and safety she brings.

Lateu'quor: Communion of the Crescent Moon Occurring once a month during the crescent moon phase, a celebration of creativity where elves gather in nearby glades and offer up a work of art to Corellon (a song, dance, piece of music, poetry, fine art, textiles, weapons, whatever you make)... while also dancing and partying, because elves. The creations are placed on display or preserved by Corellon's priests at his shrines and temples. Exceptional masterpieces are taken to Arvandor to be enjoyed by the elven spirits currently there. Occasionally Corellon personally blesses the revel with a spontaneous magical effect, which may involve him gifting his own work of art to the mortal elves in return.

The Secrets of the Heart Revels in honour of Hanali Celanil, occurring once a month during the full moon. A 'rosy glow' manifests within participants, highlighting their 'inner beauty' that lasts for several days. Feelings of romantic love are magically enhanced in some fashion, allowing participants to evaluate their feelings and relationships. Much like Lateu'quor, offerings of artworks are made to be taken to Arvandor and admired there. Some are returned, and these are shared around to be enjoyed by everybody. It's considered a lucky day to elope, announce engagements, and to unveil new art to the public.

Lunar Hallowings Also held during nights of a clear full moon, participants enter reverie and either mediate alone or enter communion with loved ones to commune with Sehanine. Occasionally Sehanine temporarily enjoins the spirits of all elves into a 'true sharing of the minds.' Then, of course, comes the dancing and drinking that lasts until the first rays of dawn.

Followers of Lolth celebrate the full moon by holding a religious ceremony with the sacrificing of a surface elf as the central event as a deliberate insult to Sehanine.

Nights of the new moon (Vhaeraunites) For surface dwelling Vhaeraunites, the nights of the new moon are sacred, celebrated by stag hunts through dark woodlands ending in the sacrifice of its antlers and still beating heart to their god in a manner which deliberately perverts the hunting celebrations of the Seldarine.

The Budding A dance held during the spring equinox honouring Rillifane Rallathil; the natural cycles, the life given by the world around one, and the growth of new life is celebrated with the usual dancing and feasting. The weeks leading up to the celebration is marked by fasting, broken with the ritual hunt of a hart.

The Dance of Swirling Winds A dance festival held on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, observing the changing of the seasons and venerating Aerdrie Faenya who for most elves is am agricultural deity. During the gathering there are always strong winds, and those who can't fly (via wings or magic) are granted magical flight by the goddess so that they may join the wind dance in the sky. At the end of the festivities the wind blows the participants over several miles of vistas showing natural beauty, before depositing them gently near their homes.

Midsummer Like the rest of Toril, Midsummer is a day dedicated to love. Feasting, music and dancing being the main attractions. Those with no romantic partner/s either seek them or, if they have no desire to, celebrate with friends. Partners usually wander away to find privacy towards the end of the day. Elves are usually joined in their celebrations by the local fey.

Midsummer is considered a particularly good day for marriages and betrothals.

The Transformation A holy day occurring during the autumn equinox, counterpart to the Budding. Elves seeking a major change - be this some form of spiritual rebirth, a clean break from something in their life, or anything else along those lines - gather to celebrate the promise of Rillifane and the autumn that life is an everchanging renewal: all things fade, new things grow, some old things regain their health or change.

The Graverending (Kiaransaleen) An annual rite held on midwinter eve, Kiaransalee's priestesses animate as many murder victims as they possibly can in the form of a goddess-blessed unique undead called Vengeance Hunters who will unceasingly hunt down their slayers over the course of the next 24 hour period, only stopping if destroyed or if the 24 hours ends. Once they've succeeded (or time is up) the revenants return to their graves. The vast majority of dark elves don't worship Kiaransalee, so for most drow this is just zombie assassin apocalypse day.

Midwinter: The Mystic Rites of the Luminous Cloud, also known as Ol Ahnvae Sehanine (Sehanine's Night) The elven equivalent to the Feast of the Moon, the midwinter holiday when Faerûn honours the dead. Elves assemble under the night sky and enter reverie, and are enveloped in shimmering moonlight that dissolves them and draws them into the sky. While communing, Sehanine guides the elves through visions meant to aid their spiritual development, revealing the mysteries of the Road of Life at levels appropriate to each participant's readiness. At the end of the rite the elves are returned to their physical forms in their original positions.

The Maked Lord's Embrace (Vhaeraunite) The most sacred of Vhaeraun's holy days, every follower spends 24 hours of introspection in full sensory deprivation (drow use their innate darkness and leviation spells to isolate themselves in spheres of pitch blackness, those who don't have those abilities are granted them by Vhaeraun for the day). They spend this period contemplating Vhaeraun's teachings and how they might advance the Masked Lord's cause over the coming year.

The Run (Eilistraeean) Held once a year, at an unspecified time (may be the worshipper's choice). Surface drow almost universally travel in disguise on the surface for their own safety, but on this day Eilistraeeans head into surface communities - especially amongst surface elves - and walk openly among them. Non-drow followers instead disguise themselves as drow. They are to offer charity: sharing game they've hunted with those who need it, playing music for the entertainment of the people, lending helping hands to others' tasks and so forth. During this time Eilistraeeans may not preach their faith nor attempt to gain any wealth or power for themselves - all acts must be pure charity.

The High Hunt (Eilistraeean) A night-time hunt held at the end of each season (presumably during or around Midsummer, Highharvestide, the Feast of the Moon, Midwinter and Greengrass). The priest-led hunting parties pursue a dangerous monster wielding only bladed weapons. Lay-worshippers may dress how they please, while priests forgo all forms of protection including any clothes.

The Gods:

Are getting a secondary post, because the number of them is insane. Elven religion as a whole involves four pantheons (the Seldarine (17 gods, or more, depending on who you talk to), the Seelie Court (7+), the Asathalfinare (7), and the 'Dark Seldarine' (6)), and different elven cultures have entirely different opinions on who is part of the elven pantheon and who isn't and how the pantheon works.

Suffice to say, surface elves typically worship the Seldarine, usually led by Corellon with some bickering about the fine details between cultures, and the Seelie Court - the fey gods, called 'archfey' in 4e and 5e, led by Titania. Green elven religion then goes on to incorporate a layer of animism.

Aquatic elves might pay some respect to the Seldarine as the gods of their ancestors, but primarily worship the Asathalfinare; a pantheon of deities worshipped by sea-dwelling beings led by the aquatic elven god Deep Sashelas.

The Dark Seldarine plays the role of the devil for surface elves, while for dark elves they are the only pantheon... and which member of the pantheon they worship is usually the only god in the pantheon that matters:

Dark elves vary greatly by which of the Dark Seldarine they worship. Lolth is predominant, but within her faith every drow settlement is going to differ on what Lolth's exact teachings are and how she's supposed to be worshipped, as deliberately engineered by the Spider Queen to keep chaos and conflict going.

Eilistraeeans are the least henotheistic, and the Seldarine is often worshipped alongside her. Surface elven worshippers of the Dark Maiden are uncommon and most are deeply sceptical of her and her followers, but they can be found living in some dark elven communities on the surface. While tensions between the dark elves and their cousins, and between Eilistraee and the Seldarine still exist, she does have one foot in Arvandor despite not technically being part of the Seldarine and speculation on whether she'll ever formally re-join them continues (although according to Word of God Eilistraee has no intention of joining any pantheon).

[theparanormalperiodical]

What The Hell Is Satanism? The Backstory, The Beliefs, And The A-To-Z On Devil Worshippers

4 days ago, Nike decided to sue a small indie art collective based in New York.

This isn’t news. This isn’t the first time a profit-mongering fashion-giant has targeted businesses trying to make a name for themselves. And it won’t be the last.

But this time, there’s probably something else influencing the executives reclining on their plush leather seats: they said it was because MSCHF stamped on the Nike Swoosh. But we all know what the real problem was:

These kicks were soaked with Satanic imagery - oh, and a single drop of human blood.

"MSCHF and its unauthorised Satan Shoes are likely to cause confusion and dilution and create an erroneous association between MSCHF's products and Nike”

Translation: no, we don’t want to be associated with devil worshippers.

Satan and his followers have once again hit the press following Lil Nas X’s latest viral YouTube hit and release of his custom footwear. And he does the belief system - and the LGBTQA+ community - justice.

But Satanism goes much deeper than pole dancing your way to hell.

It goes deeper than the fears of your evangelical aunt, it goes deeper than the rumours of a sacrificial ritual that happened in the woods outside of town, and it goes deeper than QAnon conspiracy theories.

Today we explore what Satanism really is. And what it really isn’t.

*twerks towards hell*

What Is Satanism?

Satanism is a group of modern religions that are centred around Satan, an entity in Abrahamic religions (e.g. Christianity and Judaism) that rebelled against God, has power over Hell and demons, and seduces humans into sin. Satan features in a vast number of major religions: he started off in Zoroastrianism, then making his way to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. But the modern followers of Satanism are inspired by the Christian fallen angel and ruler of hell.

A large proportion of Satanists follow atheistic Satanism - they don’t necessarily believe in an entity but follow a philosophy that focuses on individualism and satisfying the ego, or rebel specifically against the dominance of Christianity in Western society.

Although Satan is typically considered the embodiment of evil, most strands of Satanism are not. However, there are some groups that fit this mould like the Order of the Nine Angles: they’re neo-Nazis.

The actual worship of Satanism only began just over 50 years ago, in 1966. But the use of the term ‘Satanist’ stretches back centuries further. Calling someone a ‘Satanist’ (or something to that effect) was an insult reserved for those that disagreed with a Christian group’s beliefs.

A Not-very-brief-but-look-I-tried-ok History Of Satanism

Here’s the thing about Satanism: at one point in history, every religious group was deemed Satanist. 

You see, that’s how it all started.

Even the term ‘Satan’ originally meant ‘adversary’. It didn’t necessarily refer to a horned, evil ex-angel once scorned by the Almighty. It meant ‘other’; it was just an insult. It wasn’t created by groups of men draped in blood red robes preparing to slaughter a virgin to their ungodly master - Satanism was actually created by Christians.

The word ‘Satanism’ was first recorded in French and English literature back in the 16th century. Against the backdrop of the Reformation (when the Western Christian Church split off into Protestantism, Catholicism, and other more niche shards) rival religious groups would label each other with such terms frequently in various tracts and texts.

It was not to say that Protestants, for example, were actively worshipping Satan but were instead deviating from what Catholics thought was true Christianity. By ‘incorrectly’ serving God, they were supporting Satan’s claim to ruin the world with sin and evil.

*Disney villain laugh*

In the 19th century it broadened to encompass anyone that lived an immoral lifestyle and was thus serving Satan’s will. But in this same century it evolved yet again.

Yep, it’s time to introduce the actual Satanists: texts began to emerge that mention people that revered and worshipped Satan. It took a long 300 years for Satanists to reclaim their title. But the story doesn’t end here: this is a really important theme that runs like blood through the history of Satanism. Or, rather, the history of religious prejudice and persecution.

Throughout, well, all of human history, we have been swept up unto the belief that there is a dark, evil force lurking within our communities. The most recent example claims Joe Biden and his Democrat friends are Satan-worshipping baby-eating America-hating pedophiles. The fears of a discrete force that can hide at will fits the descriptors of the Judeo-Christian devil. And so, it had been applied to persecuted groups for centuries.

The Witch Trials and the Spanish Inquisition are the most famous examples of this. Satanism evolved in the Medieval era to scapegoat certain groups or to reinforce social norms by emphasising the apparently very real fight between good and evil.

Narratives of the French Revolution at the time were contorted with rumours of revolutionaries being part of a secret Satanic conspiracy. This revolution struck a blow to the power of the Catholic church, and some fingers pointed towards the dark lord of hell himself. Some even believed these revolutionaries had amassed supernatural powers to curse people and shape-shift into various creature ‘n’ critters like cats or fleas!

In the 20th century, another historical shift took place. And this time it (supposedly) happened from within the secret societies themselves: non-fiction authors and tabloids began to recount the allegations of people who once claimed to have been part of Satanic groups before converting to Christianity.

Doreen Irvine claimed she was given the ability to levitate amongst other witchy-powers. But Irvine’s claims sent shockwaves across the pond in the US. Much more horrific allegations were about to take centre stage. In the 1980s this would reach its climax with the Satanic Panic:

Also known as the Satanism Scare, the book Michelle Remembers (1980) detailed the alleged repressed memories of a psychiatrist’s patient which claimed they had been abused as a child for Satanic rituals. In these rituals, babies would be sacrificed and Satan would appear.

Reports of sexual child abuse for these rituals - known as Satanic Ritual Abuse - proliferated until the 1983 case made against the McMartin family. The McMartins owned a preschool in California and were allegedly sexually abusing the children in their care for ritualistic purposes. A lengthy trial ensued and the McMartins were eventually cleared of all charges.

But it was too late.

An evangelical anti-Satanism movement emerged claiming no children would lie about such claims and therefore all accused must be guilty. A conspiracy theory similar to those before emerged claiming SRA was rampant across the US, but it lost momentum by the turn of the 90s. Various investigations by the FBI and British government looked into SRA but found no evidence of Satanism or rituals in any cases of child abuse. Some lone cases of pedophiles did involve rituals, but these were isolated events that never involved Satanist groups.

The 7 Types Of Satanism

Satanism is an umbrella term to describe a vast array of religious groups. There’s a swirling sea of beliefs from the philosophical Satanists that don’t actually believe in Satan to the minority groups that are willing to sacrifice humans in the name of worshipping their god.

However, this ocean does share a common focus on individualism, self-perception, and non-conformity - traditional traits associated with the devil.

There are 3 forms of Satanism: reactive (attempts to invert Christianity and celebrates rebellion), rationalist (atheist and materialistic beliefs), and esoteric (actually worships Satan and draws upon religions like Paganism and western Esotericism).

The Church of Satan kick-started modern Satanism. Erected in 1966, Anton LaVey promoted an atheistic philosophy that focused on indulgence and an ‘eye for an eye’ ethical code that celebrated mankind as animals in an amoral world. Hate and aggression were not wrong but were advantageous for one’s survival. Yes, the seven deadly sins were actually beneficial for the individual.

The First Satanic Church was founded on Halloween night in 1999 by the daughter of Anton LaVey after his church was taken over by a new administration that Karla deemed against her father’s work.

The Satanic Temple is an atheist-activist group that stages political ‘pranks’ that rebel against the political and social dominance of Christianity. They aim to showcase religious hypocrisy in stunts such as performing a ‘Pink Mass’ over the grave of a Westboro Baptist Church goer (known for their explicit and offensive signs). They use Satan as a metaphor to rebel against a society that restricts personal autonomy and curiosity.

Luciferianism is a belief system that pivots around the characteristics associated with Lucifer. Followers believe Lucifer is the illuminated aspect of Satan, thus considering themselves Satanists. But some believe he is a more positive force than Satan. They follow the ancient myths of Egypt, Rome, and western Occultism. They consider him the true god - a destroyer but also a ‘light-bringer’ to the world.

The Temple of Set does not necessarily revere Satan by instead a being they call Set. Satan was the corrupted name of set, an entity that is the one true god. It gave humanity intellectual abilities to separate it from animals and they believe in a Setian philosophy with self-deification as the aim of all humanity.

The Order of the Nine Angles was inspired by ancient Pagan groups resident in Shropshire in the late 60s. But the founder of the group, Anton Long, is considered the pseudonym of neo-Nazi David Myatt. They encourage human sacrifice as a part of rituals and several members have joined the police and the military to do this without getting caught. The ONA is linked to several rapes, murders, cases of child abuse, and right-wing terrorism. They are also connected to several neo-nazi terror organisations.

The Joy Of Satan - contrary to its name - ain’t joyful. It’s an Occultist group that combines Satanism, Paganism, and UFO conspiracy theories. Just like the ONA, they’re Nazis. They believe Satan is one of many demonic deities which are powerful humanoid extraterrestrial beings which are equated with ancient gods. They believe Satan created humanity and brought us knowledge.

Reactivism isn’t a form of Satanism that is followed by an organised group but rather practiced on a personal, isolated level. It is considered an anti-social means of rebelling in a society dominated by Christianity. Most reactive Satanists are adolescents, mentally-disturbed, and have taken part in criminal activity associated with Satanic rituals they discovered through personal learning.

For example, in the 1970s two groups of teenagers in LA and Big Sur killed 3 people and ate parts of their corpses as a part of rituals devoted to Satan. Plotted murder and cannibalism are common traits of reactive Satanist crimes.

The A-To-Z Of Devil Worship

Baphomet

A deity that the Knights Templar allegedly worshipped. It is associated with the Sabbatic Goat which represents the equilibrium of opposites (half-man and half-goat, male and female, good and evil).

Black Mass

It is traditionally known as a requiem mass (funeral mass) in the Roman Catholic church from which the celebrants wear black clothes. However, it has been appropriated by Satanic cults. It often involves a naked woman as an altar and is the site of various Satanic magical rituals.

Cutter vs Wilkinson

A Supreme Court case which claimed federal funds cannot deny prisoners accommodations that are needed to engage in religious practices. Five residents of an Ohio prison including a member of a white supremacist Christian church, a Wiccan, and a Satanist filed the suit, claiming the officials failed to accommodate their ‘nonmainstream’ religions.

Devil

The personification of evil which shows up in many different religions. It is Satan in Abrahamic texts.

Demon

A supernatural entity often associated with evil. The original Greek word - daimon - did not have negative connotations.

Demonology

The study of demons.

Demonolatry

The worship of demons.

Goats

Satanism is always associated with goats. But why? There are several reasons: Baphomet is half-man, half-goat; the ‘infernal goat’ is depicted in many witches’ sabbats; Pagan traditions involved horned gods Christian forces deemed devilish; and the tarot card depicting the devil is a goat. In 1966, the church of Satan adopted baphomet as the sigil.

Lucifer

The name of mythological and religious figures associated with Venus. It is associated in the Christian tradition with Satan as he supposedly fell from heaven. Often called ‘the morning star’ or described as ‘light bringing’.  

Stanislaw Przybyszewski

The first guy to promote a Satanic philosophy.

What do you think?

Let me know in a comment below! And while you’re there, make sure you like and reblog this article.

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[things2mustdo]

Patriarchy has been extremely successful, despite its recent vilification. Most cultures worldwide are patriarchal – to find examples of successful matriarchal societies you either have to turn to ancient history, remote outskirts of the world or feminist fiction. However, this hasn’t stopped the feminist collective from queefing out books and even a hashtag hailing the end of patriarchy in a textbook example of incestuous amplification.

What patriarchy, after its apparent downfall, will be replaced with remains to be seen. Hamsterizations aside, there is surprisingly little data available about what life would be like in a society made up of only men or only women. An enterprising social scientist might want to perform an experiment where groups of men and groups of women are left to their own devices, having to work together to survive against the elements and build a civilization from scratch. However, this scientist would have a very hard time convincing ethical review boards that the inevitable suffering of his participants would weight up against the value of the data.

Luckily, reality television is not bound by ethical constraints and once in a while, in its never ending quest for viewer ratings, reality TV accidentally performs a very interesting experiment that social scientists would never be allowed to do.

Quite a few years ago, I had the pleasure of watching the Dutch version of Survivor (Expeditie Robinson) with my feminist roommate. That particular season would have two islands, one populated by men and one populated by women. My roommate had been promoting that particular series to me and the other students in the house for weeks because it would show us, according to her, what a society run by women – free from the evils of patriarchy – would be like.

And it did. Oh it did.

Here is what happened: initially both groups were dropped on their respective islands, given some supplies to get started and left to fend for themselves. In both groups there was some initial squabbling as people tried to figure out a local hierarchy. The men pretty much did whatever they felt was necessary – there was no leader giving orders. Men who felt like hunting, foraging or fishing did so. Another guy decided he was fed up with sitting on sand and started making benches. Others built a hut that gradually grew and evolved. Another guy cooked every night. Within days a neat little civilization was thriving, each day being slightly more prosperous than the previous one.

The women settled into a routine as well. The hung up a clothesline to dry their towels, then proceeded to sunbathe and squabble. Because unlike men, women were unable to do anything without consensus of the whole group. And because it was a group of at least a dozen women, consensus was never reached. During the next few episodes, the women ate all their initial supplies, got drenched by tropical storms several times, were eaten alive by sand fleas and were generally miserable. The men on the other hand, were quite content. There were disagreements of course, but they were generally resolved.

Eventually, the people running the program decided something had to change. In order to help the women out, three men would be selected to go to their island. In return, three women would take their place at the men’s island. The look on my feminist roommates face during this episode was priceless.

Initially, the three men selected for the women’s island were ecstatic, for obvious reason. But then they arrived at the island and were greeted by the women.

‘Where is your hut?’, they asked.

‘We have no hut’

‘Where are your supplies?’ they asked, dismayed

‘We ate all the rice’

And so on. The three men ended up working like dogs, using all the skills developed by trial and error in their first few weeks – building a hut, fish, trying to get the women to forage. The women continued to bitch and sunbathe. The three women who were sent to the men’s island were delighted – food, shelter and plenty of male attention was freely available. They too continued to sunbathe.

And that my friends, is what patriarchy is. My former roommate, unsurprisingly, is no longer a feminist.

Now this might all be a fluke, a white raven, an exceptional case not representative of society as whole. But that particular season of Dutch Survivor is not unique. CBS broadcast several Survivor seasons in the US, where men and women started off in separate groups. In most cases (the Amazon and One World), the result was the same. The men quickly got their act together, getting access to food, fire and shelter while the women spent a lot of time and energy on petty little squabbles, eating their meager supplies, getting drenched in storms and generally being pathetic. The opposite situation, where men didn’t get their act together while women quickly built a functional micro society, has not yet been observed outside of feminist fiction, and it probably never will.

https://www.returnofkings.com/27852/why-patriarchy-is-the-greatest-social-system-ever-created“

One of feminism’s irritating reflexes is its fashionable disdain for “patriarchal society,” to which nothing good is ever attributed. But it is patriarchal society that has freed me as a woman. It is capitalism that has given me the leisure to sit at this desk writing this book. Let us stop being small-minded about men… If civilization had been left in female hands, we would still be living in grass huts.” – Camille Paglia, lesbian feminist, in Sexual Personae

In the feminist creation myth, patriarchy is original sin. It is the Lucifer from which all evils flow. Without patriarchy, we would all live in a genderless role-less feminist garden of Eden.However, just as the name Lucifer actually means light-bringer, patriarchy is actually an enlightening influence which has brought humanity out of the mud into civilization. Feminism only exists in the shadow of the massive abundance produced by patriarchy. Patriarchy is not the enemy. Patriarchy is the greatest social system ever created.

The Myth of Patriarchy

Feminists ascribe all social ills to patriarchy. Like a medieval inquisitor looking for evidence of the devil, patriarchy’s influence is supposedly all around us – our media, our schools, and even our most intimate relationships. Patriarchy is responsible for domestic violence, lost promotions, mean comments on twitter – even women’s own feeling about themselves.

Anyone who doesn’t subscribe to feminist dogma is believed to be possessed by the influence of patriarchy and in need of exorcism by an ordained Priest of the Cathedral of gender studies theory. They are forced to renounce their views, or face excommunication from the public sphere. In more honest times, the dominant religion simply called freethinkers “heretics” and burned them at the stake.

Origins Of Patriarchy

In reality, there is nothing so mysterious about patriarchy. Patriarchy is a division of social roles based in natural biological gender differences.

Males and females have very obvious self-evident biological differences. Women can have babies. Men cannot. Women’s bodies are designed for nurturing, with wombs, breasts, and hormonal cycles. During pregnancy, women are unable to physically exert themselves. Men’s bodies are designed for physical exertion, and as a whole, physically stronger.

Imagine you are part of a small tribe in a survival situation. Conquest, war, famine, death – any of the four horsemen could strike at any moment. How would you divide social roles?

As Jack Donovan states in The Way of Men:

Because your group is struggling to survive, every choice matters. If you give the wrong person the wrong job, that person could die, you could die, another person could die, or you could all die. Because of the differences between the sexes, the best person for jobs that involve exploring, hunting, fighting, building, or defending is usually going to be male. This is not some arbitrary cultural prejudice; it is the kind of vital strategic determination you need to keep your group alive.

In other words, traditional roles are the basis of our survival as a species.

The Sacrifice Of Men

In patriarchy, men sacrifice their energy, their time, and sometimes even their lives for the betterment of women and children, and women give themselves to nurturing children and families.

Feminists define patriarchy as a system of dominance, in which men oppress women. This redefines men’s sacrifice as an act of control, rather than love. Many men are perfectly happy to have sex with women without offering any protection or value to the woman or her resulting children. It is an act of love that men willingly give up their freedom in order to provide for women, and their young.

Patriarchy is about love. It is about the love of human beings in families, tribes, and small communities working interdependently for the benefit of one another.

Feminism Was Created By Capitalism

Feminism in it’s modern form began in the last hundred years, when industrialization moved our economic survival from requiring hard labor to requiring skilled labor. Work used to require hours of physical lifting, now it requires sitting at a desk. This transition made it possible for even the weakest women to work.

Employees are much easier to manage as interchangeable cogs than as gendered individuals with unique needs. In fact, convincing women to work doubles the size of the work force, allowing employers to half everyone’s wages. It’s simple supply and demand. As the book Revolution From Above chronicles, early feminist movements – even Marxist feminists – were bankrolled by major capitalists in order to increase the workforce and lower wages.

Feminism is a product of capitalism. The “you can have it all” message is an attempt by corporations to swindle women out of their biological needs. If you’re a feminist, you’re a capitalist, because you’ve make work a greater priority than community, children, or love.

In families, each member is irreplaceable, but in a company everyone is replaceable. In patriarchy, women toiled for one man who loved her and the children he gave her. In capitalism, women work for many men completely indifferent to her and willing to disposes of her the moment cheaper labor appears.

Feminism Commodifies Relationships

In patriarchy, selfish relationship impulses were restrained. In capitalism, they are encouraged. Each member of a tribe of community works for the benefit of those around him, but in capitalism men and women are independent agents, with no loyalty or duty to anyone else.

Roles that were traditionally played by family are now outsourced. Group homes for the elderly, day care for the children. Even mentors and friends can be bought in the form of therapists and life coaches.

This system destroys intimate relationships. It selfishly benefits a woman to bear the children of strong lone alpha’s rather than the man providing for her. It selfishly benefits a man to impregnate every available fertile woman with no intention of further contact. Alpha fucks, beta bucks.

Feminism has created a war between the sexes with each side trying to maximize their profits in the sexual marketplace while spending as little as possible. We’re all little atomized corporations united only by the laws of bio-mechanics.

Men Have Lost Reason To Work

This new dynamic has freed men from work. In his new book Bachelor Pad Economics, Aaron Clarey advocates a minimalist approach to money – buy only what your need and using your time for your benefit rather than a corporation’s. This approach is already being taken as men drop out of the system, earn less than women, and avoid higher eduction.

The reason men worked hard was to provide for their families. Men didn’t work long hours out of self-interest. They did so out of love. Most men can subsist on very little. It’s been said that civilization was created to impress the opposite gender. Without reward, there is no reason to work. No carrot, no jump.

As a society, we’ve reached a point where technology has eliminated the need for everyone to work. Just as capitalism freed women from their natural role, it’s freed men from theirs. Masculinity has been reduced to a fashion statement.

Return To The Natural Order

While we understand that animals exists in natural groups – a herd, a flock, a pack – we forget that man is an animal too. Man’s natural group is the tribe. Humans are mammals. We learn through relationships, rather than instinct.

Children require love, attachment, and stability that can only be found in emotional bonds with present adults. They are not interchangeable cogs. You can’t buy a mother’s love or a father’s wisdom. Love cannot be outsourced. Authentic love is only possible within patriarchal community.

To a company, non-working children are a nuisance. The epidemic of single motherhood, plummeting birthrates, and mental illness is due to the rejection of traditional roles. If society wants healthy happy children and loving stable communities, it must embrace the lost values of patriarchy.

In the early tribes, humans were entirely dependent on one another. Now they are independent and unsatisfied. Returning to traditional roles means living interdependently, and align with the natural order not because we have to, but because we choose to. We could exist alone, but we are fulfilled together.

Of course, feminists will call this oppressive. They want you to be free – free from community, free from belonging, free from love. A mass of apes fighting over the highest value mate behind a gilded cage.

[momentous000]

Americanized: A struggle with identity and culture

This is a reflective essay I wrote for my first semester college english class. It was the first college essay I was assigned to write  and I found it intimidating, realizing that my writing skills will finally be put to the test. I wanted to share my story because I know that I am not alone in struggling with these experiences. I am still struggling with balancing two cultures and learning to make peace with feelings of frustration and shame. 

As first-generation immigrants, my parents are unfamiliar with the American education system, specifically, college in its entirety. While my parents have been supportive of my education, they do not have the knowledge or time to guide me along the process. As a result, I was forced to become independent within my academic journey. In becoming self-reliant and navigating through The Academy on my own, I struggled to balance my cultural and academic identity.

Growing up, my parents instilled in me the importance of education as a foundation for success. The guidance they provided was limited to: “Be a good student,” which meant, “earn good grades.” To please my parents, I finished my homework, studied dutifully, and earned fridge-worthy grades throughout my academic career. They congratulated me on every report card, with the same phrase: “Good job, anak, keep doing well,” my father would always write on every report card. With every A I brought home, they sounded like a broken record, it started to feel like they were mocking me. Their response was so superficial, so focused on the letter grade. I graduated high school with a 4.2 GPA, decorated with cords. According to my parents’ definition, this proved I am a good student. They were proud of me.

Nevertheless, I know a good student is not defined by the grades they earn. I consider myself a good student because I value and apply the knowledge I learn beyond the classroom setting. But, the more I learned, the more I withdrew myself from my family to focus on my studies. In prioritizing my academics, I struggled to balance my Filipino identity. The more serious I was about perfecting my academic skills, the more I held my parents accountable for the same standards they placed on me. While dealing with my perfectionism and familial expectations, I feel compelled to further conform to the academic standards of the Model Minority Myth. A model minority is a racial group whose members are perceived to have a higher level of success compared to others. The media often portrays Asians as a poster child for this myth, using seemingly positive stereotypes, such as “all Asians are good at math.” Not only does this have detrimental effects on diverse Asian ethnicities, but also race-relations in general.

As a result, the Model Minority Myth and my parents’ expectations forced me to bolster my sense of agency. Both conditioned me to attach my self-worth to my academic accomplishments. As a second-generation college student, would I become another prized possession, a trophy, for my family? My older sister, fortunately, went through the college experience before me, attending Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) and successfully transferring, and graduating from the University of Virginia (UVA). Despite our similar paths, the future of my education solely rests in my hands. I must have exigence because if I do not, how will I repay my parents for their sacrifices, if not for an educated daughter destined to pursue a better life than theirs?

For this reason, I adopted the habits that eventually isolated me from my family, such that of Rodriguez in Scholarship boy: “with ever-increasing intensity, I devoted myself to my studies. I became bookish, puzzling to all my family. My ambition set me apart.” Like Rodriguez, when I was in high school, I would come home every day armed with knowledge I was eager to share with my parents. My eyes lit up, almost alarmingly, chattering on about Crime and Punishment. Yet, as I was rapt in my speech, my mother’s eyes glazed over. She curtly commented on how all the books we were reading were too old, too Eurocentric:

“Fyodor… ano? Russian, talaga? Why do they make you read those books?”

“It’s a classical novel, mom. It brilliantly explores morality and religion—”

“He murdered someone? Wow! Don’t start thinking like him!” “The author didn’t commit a murder. Raskolnikov is a complex character that—” “Why all the books you talk about are old? No modern or Asian?”

“Well, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad—”

“Do you have to write an essay on it?”

“Yes.”

I started to feel contempt against my parents’ way of life. Their philosophy was “not only different but starkly opposed to that of the classroom,” as stated by Rodriguez.

While I am adopting the identity of a scholar, according to my parents, I am becoming Americanized. In his song Kuya Derrick, Nak, a Filipino-American rapper, shares his similar struggles with maintaining his identity: “Our parents wanted us to grow up in America without becoming American.” My parents assumed American education was stripping me of my native culture because they claim The Academy has a standard, monolithic, mindset. Despite explaining The Academy’s emphasis on not only diversity in ethnicity, but as well as in thought, I do agree with them: I am struggling to be proud of, to retain, my Filipino identity while simultaneously becoming a member of The Academy.

In our image exercise in class, I chose the image with a group of people surrounded by thought bubbles and collaboration. I interpreted the frenzy of intellect as an example of scholars sharing their insights in The Academy. As an introvert, I see myself as the first person from the right, the one listening and contemplating the ideas they learned. While I do not see my introversion as a problem, my analytical thinking exacerbates my shyness and self-criticism. These issues not only hinder my contributions, but growth in The Academy. Currently, I am weighed down by the “Panic Monster.” To guarantee my successful transfer to UVA, he is always awake in my mind, pressuring me to confine myself in the yellow walls of my aunt’s attic, suffocating me with the constant transfer of knowledge. The only way to shut him up is to obey his orders: study and the “Panic Monster” takes a nap. To make the most of my college experience and to better engage in The Academy’s frenzy of knowledge, I plan to become more confident in my skills and embrace a hint of extraversion.

Now that I am paying for my education, I feel a profound sense of determination to take advantage of my resources. I do not want to be a passive student, just dutifully doing their work and waiting for two years to go by. I will participate in class discussions, connect with my professors, and take honors courses to grow further as a scholar. I will exhaust this campus of its resources by taking advantage of the tutoring centers, getting free merchandise from Student Life, and joining campus clubs such as the Honors Club and the Pride Alliance. To refrain from wasting the precious days of my “Life Calendar,” as Urban explains, I will further challenge my shyness by becoming involved outside of NVCC’s campus. I will explore Annandale, instead of constantly being cooped up in my aunt’s attic, and meet new people from various backgrounds in one of the most diverse colleges in America.

My parents, like most immigrants, wanted me to succeed and pursue the opportunities they missed. They were living their American Dream vicariously through me. I should be grateful for their sacrifices. While they do not have the same intellectual curiosity as I do, I take for “granted their enormous native intelligence,” as Rodriguez confessed. While I have an English accent in Tagalog, my parents can fluently write and speak in our native tongue. While I am forgetting the language, they manage to speak both English, Tagalog, and even a regional dialect, though they have an accent. While I can quote classical literature, they can cook a variety of traditional Filipino cuisine that I enjoyed eating growing up and still do today. While I held contempt for them, imagine how heartbroken they felt when they witnessed their child becoming increasingly disconnected and foreign from their family. I want to learn more about my roots, I want to study my history.

I strive to express gratitude towards my parents’ strength in moving us here after political persecution and extrajudicial killings of human rights advocates in the Philippines forced us to flee and seek refuge in America. I strive to reclaim my Filipino identity and culture by being less judgmental, and truly understanding my parents’ way of life, our culture’s way of life. I must not let the rules of The Academy and my Eurocentric education consume my identity. I aim to learn how to cook traditional meals, learn our rich native history, and respond to my parents in Tagalog.

footnotes:

A reference to the first Academy, founded by Plato. It is also used to describe the overall intellectual work and environment of colleges or universities.

anak means child in Tagalog, the main language of the Philippines.

“What”

“Really”

“Older brother”

The name Tim Urban coined for upcoming deadlines during his TEDTalk on procrastination.

[aion-rsa]

Raised by Wolves: Mithraism and Sol Explained

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The following contains spoilers for Raised By Wolves.

HBO Max’s new sci-fi series Raised By Wolves, created by Aaron Guzikowski and executive produced by Ridley Scott, sees humanity (and their androids) reduced to two warring religious factions; Atheists, and the “Mithraic”, who follow a religion dedicated to the sun god Sol.

The Mithraic get their name from an ancient religious cult of the god Mithras. The god Mitra originally came from ancient Persia (modern Iran). At the height of the Roman Empire, he began to be worshipped as Mithras in a Roman mystery cult. The cult became very popular, especially with soldiers. The sun god Sol was originally a separate god, but Mithras was often worshipped together with “Sol Invictus”, the conquering sun. This is why in the show, the two gods have been blended into one and the Mithraists, or “Mithraic”, worship a single god called Sol, who is associated with “the Light”. It’s also why the Mithraic characters wear sun emblems and sun pendants in the same way Christians might wear crosses.

Why did the creators of Raised By Wolves choose Mithriasm as the basis for their futuristic religion? Well, the show makes no secret of the fact that the “Mithraic” are standing in for strands of Christianity. Much of their imagery is drawn straight from Roman Catholicism – the priests’ robes and the long, belted robes worn by the young boys assisting them are clearly based on Roman Catholic robes for priests and altar boys and girls. In Episode 2, we see characters Caleb and Mary being offered what looks like Roman Catholic communion, in the form of round wafers of unleavened bread and a drink (presumably wine) from a silver chalice.

The cult of Mithras is a particularly useful choice for a comparison with Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism, because several elements of Mithraic religion were adopted by early Christians (the clue is in the name – it’s a Roman religion!). Ancient Mithraists shared a ritual meal of bread and wine, just like early Christians (though the Christian detail of the unleavened bread comes from the Jewish Passover). Both Mithras and Jesus were associated with light and the sun. The early Christians deliberately took over Mithras’ birthday on the 25th December to celebrate the birthday of Jesus instead, a date conveniently close to the Roman winter festival of Saturnalia (17-23 December), though nowhere near where the Christian gospels would place the birth of Jesus (if there were shepherds out all night watching sheep and lambs, it must have been spring). And, like most mystery cults, Mithraism offered personal salvation in this life and the next, just as Christianity did. In 1882, a historian called Ernest Renan actually suggested that if Christianity had not taken over the Roman world, Mithraism would have done – most modern historians would disagree with that, but the association has stuck.

However, some elements of the “Mithraic” religion in the show would be completely unrecognizable to an ancient follower of Mithras. Ancient Mithraism was not a monotheistic religion. The mystery cults included cults to the Egyptian goddess Isis, the Anatolian goddess Cybele, the Greek god Dionysus and the Greek hero Orpheus, and they weren’t rivals to ancient pagan religion in general; they were add-ons. Everyone in the Roman Empire (except Jews) was expected to worship the main state gods – Jupiter, Juno, Neptune and so on – as well as the cult of the emperors who had become gods (i.e. the ones who hadn’t been assassinated).

We call them “mystery cults” because the rituals they practiced, the “mysteries” or “secret rites”, were kept secret from anyone who wasn’t initiated into the cult. They were members-only clubs, which you had to pay to join, and go through an initiation ritual. We don’t know exactly what these were like because, of course, they were a secret! Only members could learn the secrets of the god or goddess and take part in the secret ceremonies. Like modern Freemasonry, ancient Mithraism also allowed members to rise through the ranks of the cult, gaining different levels as they went. Also like Freemasonry, and unlike the other mystery cults, membership was usually restricted to men.

All this means that a lot of the attitudes of the “Mithraic” on the show would sound completely weird to ancient Mithraists. They would be especially confused by the Mithraic reliance on a book of “Scriptures”, since it was forbidden on pain of death to write down anything about the sacred mysteries or the secrets of the cult. Most of what we know about ancient Mithraism, we’ve put together from images and inscriptions from inside the secret chamber of the Mithraeum. This was a place of worship designed to look like a cave, which only people who had been initiated into the cult were allowed to enter, so no one outside the cult would see the images or know the cult’s secrets. The idea that any group would only be allowed to hear stories from “Scriptures” represents an extreme minority even for Christianity, but would have been completely confusing to ancient Mithraist.

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Raised by Wolves Review (Spoiler-Free)

By Natalie Zutter

Ancient Mithraists were also extremely unlikely to get involved in any kind of holy war. Because the cult was an add-on to the worship of many gods, the members of the cult would be involved in worshipping lots of other gods anyway, with Mithras as an added personal extra. Ancient people often weren’t too keen on atheists, as any refusal to sacrifice to the gods might endanger everyone if the gods got angry about it, so a holy war against atheists might be more likely than one against another religion, but it wouldn’t be because they thought the atheists should all worship their one specific god.

Although they didn’t start any holy wars, a lot of members of the cult of Mithras were in the army. It was against the law to meet in small groups unless it was for religious purposes in the Roman Empire, because the emperors were afraid that people might conspire against them. So if a group of soldiers all joined the same cult, they could meet together and socialize and bond in a way that was more difficult without the excuse of religion. In Raised By Wolves, all human survivors are expected to be “Mithraic”, but there is still a heavy military sense to it, thanks to the fact they’ve been fighting a war.

Whether the “Mithraic mysteries” that their prophet is expected to lead them to will have anything in common with the ancient mysteries remains to be seen. Mithras’ myth centred around the killing of a bull – in fact, this was the symbol shown in all the Mithraeums in a similar way to images of Jesus on the cross in Catholic churches, so really a bull might have been a better choice of emblem than a sun! Watch out for references to bulls in later episodes, and listen out for everybody’s names, too. When Mother gives her name in Episode 1, she says it’s Lamia, a child-eating monster from Greco-Roman mythology, so that’s something to bear in mind!

If you’re interested in learning more about ancient Mithraism, we’d recommend The Roman Cult of Mithras, by Manfred Clauss, translated by Richard Gordon, which is available for Kindle or in paperback from Amazon.

The post Raised by Wolves: Mithraism and Sol Explained appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[cargopantsman]

Rambling on About Liminal Spaces - a draft

A recent post triggered some embryonic thoughts on liminal spaces, and here’s where I’m going to try and get them to something of at least a stage of fetal thoughts.

The term “liminality” was coined in the field of anthropology by Arnold van Gennep back in 1909 while studying rites of passage in small, tribal communities. The term “liminal” stemming from the Latin for “threshold” or “entrance,” denotes that the experience of liminality is an in-between/transitional event. This is where we get our term “preliminary” and the less often used “postliminary.”

While the term may have been coined in relation to specific rites involving an individual, for instance, leaving childhood and being initiated into the society as an adult, or a rite for an active adult entering a stage of retirement, modern usage of the term is predominantly associated less with periods of change within one’s life stages and more with spaces where things feel “off.” The common examples typically involving big box mega-stores, particularly 24-hour facilities sometime around the “witching hour.” Being in a Wal-Mart at 2am is indeed an awkward experience. A Target, even in a busy afternoon, can feel like a different dimension. Other examples being lone gas stations in the middle of nowhere. Truck stops that are more like small villages dropped on an open stretch of expressway. The gigantic mall with only three small stores, one department store and a Taco John’s still operating. The second-run movie theatre on the outskirts of a college town.

The contrast brought up in the original post was that these are typically high-traffic areas that we stumble upon in empty situations, so that the lack of human activity would be what makes it seem off. While in many of these instances one could rest comfortably in that conclusion, there are enough outliers in things that count as liminal spaces that drove me to ponder on this a bit more. A gas station in the middle of the desert isn’t necessarily strange because we expect high activity and see none, rather the opposite that in a large expanse of nothing we have a little bit of “something.” It’s an oasis. Similarly would be the ramshackle motel with half functioning lights inviting you to rest from an encompassing dark emptiness.

Two things popped into my head within moments of recognizing these differences; wayside shrines and cathedrals.

First point is that irresponsible leap of logic to link an empty Home Depot to, say, Chartres Cathedral. Our civilized human brain decries a Wal-Mart as a bastion of corporate evil and greed, abusing workers from point of production all the way to point of sale. While valid from a moral/ethical judgment standpoint, there is something that I think resonates with us on a monkey-brain level. It would be a fair assessment to say that many of us live our day-to-day lives in rather confined conditions. Our homes, whether a house, condo, or apartment are made of small rooms each sectioned off and filled with clutter and knick-knacks of various purpose from utilitarian to aesthetic to “where did this even come from?”. Our jobs may well put us in cramped stores, cubicles, offices, or vehicles. But a big-box store late at night is wide open, with aisles stretching on, that lacking a rush of a crowd would seem like miles. The vaulted ceilings of a Gothic cathedral have taken on the form of corrugated steel roofs interspersed with, instead of chandeliers, fluorescent fixtures that hum and drone on like a choir chanting an infinite AUM. Our personal bubbles can relax. All objects are neatly arrayed and organized (within reason for any retail establishment). There is nothing pressing in on us physically. The cacophany of daily life is absent. There is a stillness that we do not experience very often in the outside world.

The monkey-brain, that psychological architecture with a foundation laid a million and a half years ago that was awestruck by vast chambers in caves that our ancestors sanctified with images of all sorts of beasts, responds to this. The random flickering of torches replaced by steady 60Hz pulses of light that we can sometimes see if we aren’t paying attention to it. The monkey-brain that was driven to erect stones in large circles to carve out a certain space in an even larger field responds to this, the columns of basalt replaced by a ring of clearance signage. The monkey-brain that crafted its mythology into stain-glass windows responds to this, the iconography of age now being displayed on a wall of flat-screen televisions.

While our civilized brains rebel at the forced participation in late-stage capitalist consumerism, a quiet mega-store gives us a sense of peace and our needs are fulfilled, at least on a material, practical level.

Similarly, the neon lit rest stop on a highway 100 miles from anything is a wayside shrine, a holy grotto. As we travel through the wilderness we find a place of respite, of recuperation. An oasis with some level of hospitality that you won’t find in the plains or steppes or mesas. Two fuel pumps and a shack with an assortment of snacks is the modern grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. A resting point on a pilgrimage. A familiarity jutting out of a foreign world. A comforting reminder of what you are used to that makes you homesick. The cheap roadside motel that exists in an uncanny valley of imitating home, pantomiming domesticity. You can rest, but you are not home. In fact, you are only reminded of how far from home you are.

So I have compared Wal-Mart to a temple, rest stops to shrines. I have no doubt that anyone reading this could at this point discount me as a madman. But as I let these thoughts rattle and ramble around the neurons, I can vividly see these examples as sacred spaces, not by any innate virtue of the locales or management of these places, but merely by what they can represent to a generation that, on the whole is surviving in a world that is lacking in community driven social order, religion, and mythology. Based solely on casual observation, not necessarily ardent research, I see a world that is starving in spiritual terms. The past few generations, at least in America, have been failed by any given form of Christianity, which I will use as my example here based on the fact that it is supposed to be the dominant religion in the USA, and that I can’t in good faith try to account for how Judaism or Islam fares within their respective communities. (Though I would hazard they fare far better than Christianity given that they HAVE respective communities based both on matters of faith as well as cultural and ethnic commonalities among their members.)

The connotation, that Rorschach first response, that I think a lot of people have to the term Christianity is “straight whites.” And straight whites are starting to become the minority, insofar as more POC are starting to gain not just demographic prominence, but even prominence in media. And also that, as society starts to come to terms with non-binary and non-hetero genders and sexualities, the straight aspect is beginning to, publicly, decline. And Christianity, generally speaking, does not want to adapt to this at all. Many members of the Millennial generation and whatever arbitrary name for this newest generation has come up can very well be triggered by a church. That crucifix comes to mind and instead of any reflection on the sacrifice of a savior figure, all that can come to mind are recollections of discrimination, shame, punishment, etc., etc. I don’t think it a coincidence that since the days of Stonewall there has been marked increase in the interest of pagan studies (again, a conclusion based on casual observations, not ardent research. I work for a living, sadly). But it makes for this sound bite, that polytheism has grown along with polyamory. (I really do think it clever, let me have this.)

What do these conclusions sketch out? A people scrambling around, digging into ancient cultures and mythologies, some of which had been pronounced dead centuries ago, resurrecting deities in a hope that they’ll have power still. And many individuals find these deities and find they still have power. Others find not deities but practices, philosophies. Witchcraft, whether by Wicca or any other name, is ambiguous when it comes to naming any powers. The strength there is indeed in flexibility, in working with core concepts of mythological and spiritual thinking. Westerners still try to come to grips with Hindu and Buddhist philosophies, but that’s another can of worms. Short version being that there are individuals each finding their own sources of spiritual refreshment, but finding it very difficult to form communities. For the sake of an attempt at brevity I’ll just leave this point as no one in our generation(s) can just head down to the park district every Wednesday night and talk about how awesome Odin is. So while on an individual level we can survive spiritually, it is very difficult to get any kind of social validation of our spiritual accomplishments (which has historically been important for a society of individuals).

But what does this have to do with liminal spaces? What, pray tell CargoPantsMan, are you getting at?

Let’s go back to the anthropological use of liminality; a threshold, a ritual in-between experience. What is a ritual? It is a ceremony. It is a choreographed experience relating to a relevant myth. The purpose of a ritual being to put one in a mindset in accord with mythological thinking, with a mindset open to a transcendent experience. A ritual is meant to take you out of your day to day, domestic routines (rituals) and put you outside of all that “reality,” to put you in the company of your god(s)(esses)(ess). A ritual can be ecstatic, with the pounding of drums and yelling and singing and dancing and jumping, whether you’re on the savannah with the Massai or in an abandoned warehouse with ravers. A ritual can be boring, with sitting crossed-legged thinking about nothing or staring out on the ocean, where your daydreams spin out and in the complete absence of any outside stimuli you stumble upon god.

Our day-to-day lives, with their errands and economic concerns and social obligations and politics and so on are, in this sense preliminary. They are on this side of “the threshold.” A ritual is “liminary,” it is the threshold, the doorway to eternity, the gods, the powers. A ritual, and the temples and shrines and open air plains and stone circles which host rituals, are all doorways and pathways to a “postliminary” experience of the soul. To, for a moment, experience eternity, to realize and relive a spiritual slice of the infinite, the transcendent. To fast-charge our battery. Being human though, having a physical presence that needs to be fed, cleaned, cared for, we cannot stay there long. All rituals have a close, where we are to leave the way we came in and return to our “preliminary” lives, but changed! Having learned something, realized something, with new energy and fulfillment.

“When people sing, I dance. I enter the earth. I go in at a place like a place where people drink water. I travel a long way, very far. When I emerge, I am already climbing. I’m climbing threads. I climb one and leave it, then I climb another one. Then I leave it, and I climb another. When you arrive at God’s place, you make yourself small. You come in small to God’s place. You do what you have to do there. Then you return to where everyone is. You come and come and come and finally you enter your body again. All the people who have stayed behind are waiting for you. They fear you. You enter, enter the earth, and you return to enter the skin of your body. And you say A-a-i-i-e-e That is the sound of your return to your body. Then you begin to sing. The ntum-masters are there around. They take hold of your head and blow about the sides of your face. This is how you manage to be alive again. Friends, if they don’t do that to you, you die. You just die and are dead. Friends, this is what it does, this ntum that I do, this ntum here that I dance.” - From a description of a !Kung bushmen ceremony.

The liminal spaces that we experience these days. Those unsettling places and times where everything seems just a little off. The roadside diner, the dead mall, the quiet mega-store. These are places with heavy domestic associations of familiarity, safety, supplication of the means of our physical survival, yet they have tenuous similarities with sacred spaces from our collective past. Each has echoes that our primitive minds resonate with. Subtle aspects that bring about a “nostaglia of the soul.”

These liminal spaces ARE doorways, they ARE thresholds.

Except they open to a brick wall.

And that’s why we panic.

[wazafam]

There are a lot of misconceptions about Satanism in mainstream media— even documentaries such as The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness can get the facts wrong about this misunderstood religion. As true crime documentaries gain popularity, they get the facts about serial killers wrong, often in order to make the story more dramatic. Even back in the 70s, the great moral panic surrounding Satanism means a great amount of information was sensationalized to capitalize on the fear and excitement; at the center of the "Satanic Panic" was the Son of Sam case and Maury Terry.

David Berkowitz, also known as the Son of Sam and The .44 Caliber Killer, ran a reign of terror throughout New York City, shooting 13 people and killing six between 1976 and 1977. Berkowitz became one of America's most infamous serial killers for claiming that his former neighbor, Sam Carr, had a dog who told him to kill because he desired the blood of pretty girls. Berkowitz went through several other reasonings over time, claiming he was possessed by a demon and that he was a member of a satanic cult. He also wrote letters to the police and reporters which contained multiple references to Satanism.

Related: Everything We Know About Ryan Murphy’s Jeffrey Dahmer Netflix Series

Maury Terry, a rookie journalist at the time, began to string pieces of information on Berkowitz into a theory that involved a nationwide, satanic network. The issue was that much of his work surrounding Satanism was built on misconceptions, and the documentary does little to challenge them. As Terry fell down the rabbit hole of satanic cults, it became clear that he was chasing the thrill of the sensation that was the Satanic Panic. Using a reference to "Sons of Sam" in one of David's letters, Terry traced what he believed to be connections between Berkowitz, Satanic cults, the Process Church, Charlie Manson, and the murder of Arlis Perry.

There are two main factions of Satanistic religions: The Satanic Temple and The Church of Satan. The Church of Satan was founded in April 1966 and was the predominant Satanic organization of the time. The Church has facets that each member is expected to uphold that directly conflict with Terry's theories and mainstream misconceptions. Most importantly, a vast majority of Satanists do not believe in a literal Satan, nor do they worship him — Satan is merely viewed as a symbol of individuality and the rejection of the traditional.

The Sons of Sam's "Devil's Hole" was said to contain the bodies of mutilated German Shepherds, yet the Church of Satan's Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth states that there should be no killing of animals barring self-defense or hunting. Ritualistic animal killing is not a facet of organized satanic religions; while it can be found in small, reactive groups of those who claim to worship Satan, Satanists who subscribe to the Church are taught to be proponents of animal rights. A prison informant claimed that Berkowitz described ritualistic drug use and murders that were satanic in nature; yet again, the Church of Satan has long rejected the use of illegal narcotics and other illegal acts. The Church's official website warns practitioners to "beware of cults offering sex orgies and drugs, or killing animals in the name of Satan," so the depiction of Satanists as serial killers and animal murderers is one even modern Satanists are fighting.

Another facet of Terry's theory relied heavily on The Process Church of the Final Judgement, a religious offshoot of Scientology that started in the United Kingdom. Terry connected Berkowitz to the Process Church through the Carrs, the neighboring family who owned the infamous "talking" dog. Because Satan was one of the four deities the Church recognized (Lucifer, Satan, Jehovah, and Christ), some saw it as a satanic religion, but its practices more closely aligned with Christianity and Scientology. The Process believed that each person possessed a combination of two of these deities depending on their personality and that none of these deities were inherently evil, but a different facet of humanity. They had a heavy belief in the end times, which would occur when the four deities united in love; their talk surrounding the end of the world led society to believe their teachings were more satanic than they were, as myths turned them into serial killers. Unlike the Satanic religions of the period, the Process did not practice magic and they strongly opposed causing pain to animals, meaning Terry's theory that they could be involved in animal sacrifices, especially of German Shepherds, which were revered by the Church, is highly unlikely. Some ex-members even claim the group treated their dogs better than they did the children. Urban legends surrounding the group linked them to the Charles Manson murders, though there was never any evidence to support this claim. The Process split due to infighting in 1974, two years before the start of Berkowitz's murders, making their connection to these killings highly unlikely.

Related: Every Horror Movie Inspired By Serial Killer Ed Gein

Arlis Perry, 19, was murdered in the Stanford Memorial Church on October 12, 1974. Her body was laid out by the altar, and the positioning and staging of her body had some convinced Satanists were to blame – some even said satanic symbols were drawn on her body. When Berkowitz mentioned the case in writing in 1979, Terry immediately began to draw connections between "Satanist" activity and Perry's murder. Terry theorized that Perry was killed by the security guard who claimed to find her (and he was correct there), but there has never been any other evidence to link Perry's murder to Terry's theory that her death was part of a satanic ritual. The only connection in Terry's theory between Berkowitz and Perry was Berkowitz's note in a copy of The Anatomy of Witchcraft by Peter Haining which read, "Arliss Perry, hunted, stalked and slain. Followed to California. Standford Univ." Outside of vague mentions of the case, Berkowitz never gave the details he claimed to have, so it's likely he really had no information at all. While urban legends of satanic cults buzzed on the Stanford campus, DNA has since concluded that Perry was killed by Stephen Blake Crawford, and investigators believe any "satanic" element was likely staged to set the police off of Crawford's tail— a tactic that investigators say was likely used often during this period of Satanic Panic when Satanists made easy scapegoats. Unfortunately, The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness doesn't bother to clarify anything in regard to how much misinformation the sensationalized case of David Berkowitz put out about Satanism.

Next: Where To Watch My Brother The Serial Killer Online (On Netflix, Hulu Or Prime?)

What Sons of Sam Gets Wrong About Satanism | Screen Rant from https://ift.tt/2PRJXIv

[josephinegalbraith95]

How Much Do Reiki Masters Make Best Useful Tips

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Karuna Reiki Symbol Iava

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Reiki Healing Japan

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[dancing-under-the-hunters-m-blog]

Druidic Cosmology: Sacrifice

This is part of a series of posts in which I will be sharing my work from the ADF Cosmology course. 

Summarize each of the five contexts of sacrifice in Rev. Thomas’ “The Nature of Sacrifice” paper in your own worlds. Explain the effect of sacrifice on the cosmos and on the participants.

Much of ADF ritual practice revolves around the importance of sacrifice, but we do not use the term in the sense of giving something up. Rather, we use the term sacrifice in its more ancient, pre-Christian sense of giving to or making sacred (Thomas). From this understanding of sacrifice, we know that what we offer, we transform from something mundane into something sacred. In its transformation, it is no longer part of this world but part of the Otherwords. The sacred energy that becomes part of the Otherworlds help sustain them and the energies and beings within them. These energies and beings of the Otherworlds in turn help to sustain us (Thomas). As we use it in ritual, sacrifice creates a bridge between the worlds, each one empowering, enlivening, and nourishing the others. Through this connection, each world is allowed to thrive. When this bridge becomes thin, all worlds fail to thrive. We sacrifice to allow for sacred and divine beauty to flourish in our own world as well as others.

The five contexts of sacrifice:

             i. Maintaining the cosmic order

Indo-European creation myths often contain a theme of a primordial being whose life is sacrificed and whose body forms the universe. When we offer sacrifices, we reenact this ancient theme. We metaphorically kill our offering, possibly by throwing it in a fire, or even just by marking it as something no longer of this world and putting it into a sacred state. Its death in this life feeds the cosmos, as the first death created them. We also reenact the cycle of life and death, as the death of one being, whether it be plant or animal, feeds and sustains lives of others (Thomas).

             ii. Delivering services through gifts

Ritualistic gift exchange is an important part of many cultures, ancient and modern. This context allows us to develop relationships with the kindreds that are based on mutual exchange. We give gifts and therefore can reasonable expect to receive gifts in return. The relationships we form with the kindreds might be understood as a patron-client relationship, in which the kindreds are the patrons who have more and therefore are able to give more, and we are the clients who support our patrons through offering and services. Within this context there are several ways of sacrificing that may have been used in ancient times but would be inappropriate within our cultural context, such as human and animal sacrifice, but others are well-suited to our contemporary practice, such as the offering of harvested grain and fruit often given in the form of libations (Thomas).

             iii. Providing Protection                      

Offerings can be made to keep unwanted forces away (Thomas). This type of outsider offering is always made at Black Bear Grove’s rituals, where we leave an offering to any who would disrupt our work and ask them to take it and go their way. Sacrifices have been used to protect people from harm or spiritual pollution by cleansing the area in which they live or the people themselves (Thomas). A sacrificial offering might be exposed to the pollution in the area so that it carries the negative energy of the area, and then it is sacrificed. Although this probably would have been a person or animal in other times, this concept could still be used today with a non-living object. This type of sacrifice can also be made to bind an oath, with the promise of destruction or other poor outcome for an oath-breaker, thereby increasing chances of the oath being held, protecting those to whom they take their oath and instilling that oath with greater significance (Thomas).

             iv. Commensality (Community)

In the ancient practices, meals were often shared with the gods. This provided a way to connect and commune with the gods. In the ancient context, this shared meal might involve a sacrificial animal (Thomas). While in our contemporary practice, this would not have the same meaning, we can also learn from this ancient practice. In our modern food environment, we can be removed from the processes that brought our meals to our table, rarely having a hand in cultivating and harvesting the crops let alone in taking the life of the animals that nurture us. But what is sacrificed is acknowledged for its inherent worth and sanctity. Life is honored. It is a respect much deeper than is usually given to most of the food that feeds us. We can learn from this ancient context of sacrifice of life. The life, whether it be flora or fauna, which sustains our lives is sacred; this sacred life is so valued by the gods that we honor them by offering it, and we do service to honor and acknowledge what we have taken.

             v. Mitigating Order with Chaos (the modern idea)

Order can become rigid and stagnant. Religions with too much emphasis on order can become boring, dogmatic, and hollow. Too much order can create inflexible expectations, attempting to mold mere mortals into something more than human. This is a living religion, a religion that can bend without breaking and that embraces our humanness as something sacred rather something to be surmounted. This religious path, like many others, seeks to maintain order but does not seek to destroy or suppress the chaos. Order and chaos are two sides of the same coin, one of our most primal dualities. Order cannot truly exist without chaos. So, while we seek out order, we allow for enough chaos to keep it alive, flexible, rich and vibrant (Thomas; Serith). In our religious practice, we allow for the beauty that comes with spontaneity, imperfection, and a willingness to accept and adjust to the changing of the winds. We allow room for the sacred expression of our own humanness and of life in the natural world around us.

References

Dangler, Rev. Michael J. "Nine Central Tenets of Druidic Ritual." ADF. https://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/nine-tenets.html. Web. 1/12/2016.

Mann, Raven and Carrion "Reclaiming the Indo-European Sky Father." ADF. https://www.adf.org/articles/gods-and-spirits/general/skyfather.html/. Web. 2/7/2016.

Newberg, Brandon. "Step Eleven: Calling (Asking) for the Blessings." Core Order of Ritual Tutorial. ADF. https://www.adf.org/members/training/dedicant-path/articles/coortutorial/step-eleven.html. Web. 1/12/2016.

---. "Step Five: (Re)Creating the Cosmos." Core Order of Ritual Tutorial. ADF. https://www.adf.org/members/training/dedicant-path/articles/coortutorial/step-five.html. Web. 1/12/2016.

---. "Step Six: Opening the Gate(S)." Core Order of Ritual Tutorial. ADF. https://www.adf.org/members/training/dedicant-path/articles/coortutorial/step-six.html. Web. 1/12/2016.

---. "Step Three: Honoring the Earth Mother." Core Order of Ritual Tutorial. ADF. https://www.adf.org/members/training/dedicant-path/articles/coortutorial/step-three.html. Web. 1/12/2016.

---. "Step Two: Purification." Core Order of Ritual Tutorial. ADF. https://www.adf.org/members/training/dedicant-path/articles/coortutorial/step-two.html. Web. 1/12/2016.

Serith, Ceisiwr. "Sacrifice, the Indo-Europeans, and Adf." ADF. https://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/sacrifice-ie-adf.html 2000. Web. 1/12/2016.

Thomas, Kirk. "The Nature of Sacrifice." ADF. https://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/nature-of-sacrifice.html. Web. 1/12/2016.

[emeralta]

http://sananda.website/message-to-humanity-and-the-earth-it-is-time-by-james-gilliland-november-1st-2017/ Sananda Love is our new reality - MENU -HomePerspective On The New RealitySanandaMeet-ups Around The WorldAbout usQuestions and AnswersContact  Message to Humanity and the Earth: It is Time by James Gilliland, November 1st, 2017  Per Staffan November 5, 2017 James Gilliland  November Update Message to Humanity and the Earth: It is Time by James Gilliland November 1, 2017 We are going to reveal some information that will be similar too and as controversial as a message delivered over 2000 years ago. Yet this message will not be in fables and allegory it deals with facts  We are going to reveal some information that will be similar too and as controversial as a message delivered over 2000 years ago. Yet this message will not be in fables and allegory it deals with facts. This story goes back over 460,000 years. It is time for America and the World to wake up, grow up and end the ignorance in beliefs that have nothing to do with God or the origins of Humanity. You no longer have the luxury of remaining in ignorance and acting outside of Universal Law. What is being done in the name of God and Country is an abomination. Now at the expense of being labeled as spiritually and politically incorrect, which is another mind control program we are going to drop some heavies on you. Only when you know the truth, only then can you break the chains that bind you. The chains consist of a long history of lies and deceptions upon which people depend upon to base their reality. You no longer have the luxury of remaining in ignorance and acting outside of Universal Law. What is being done in the name of God and Country is an abomination.  The Earth has been visited and colonized many times going back over 600 million years.  Anunnaki means those who came from Heaven to Earth. Some operated under Universal Law and were in service to Creation others were self-serving taking advantage of primitive people There were many attempts to colonize Earth and many Star Nations were involved. The Earth has been visited and colonized many times going back over 600 million years. Yes, artifacts have been found proving advanced humans lived on the Earth over 600 million years. Human foot prints alongside of dinosaurs not to mention Trilobites crushed by boots worn by early off world explorers are part of the archeological record. This also includes advanced vehicle parts and jewelry a minimum of 500 thousand years old. Anunnaki means those who came from Heaven to Earth. Some operated under Universal Law and were in service to Creation others were self-serving taking advantage of primitive people. There were many attempts to colonize Earth and many Star Nations were involved. They have come and gone due to great wars, cataclysms such as pole shifts, meteor impacts and massive volcanic eruptions not to mention tsunamis. Some were multiple events happening at once.  In the Vedic Scriptures they talk about great ships, some physical, some pure energy, even magnetized light ships along with Merkabas, spiritual masters appearing as light ships. They gave explicit descriptions of their weapons heat and sound seeking missiles, along with what can only be described as atomic weapons. There are great sheets of glass where this technology was unleashed in the Gobi Desert and in India. When some of these weapons were unleashed according to ancient accounts forests were set ablaze, armies were destroyed, the flesh melted off of elephants and the ground is till radioactive to this day. Your pyramids and other stone monuments some beneath the sea are a testimony to these people. This includes the latest uncoverings in Greenland and Antarctica. Archeologists and Geologists are aware of these major cataclysms and ancient civilizations. Governments and religions also know about this so why has it been kept hidden? To keep you ignorant, divided, and maintain the status quo.  The real question one should be asking is who is behind the separation game? Who stands to profit?? The real question one should be asking is who is behind the separation game? Who stands to profit? This is going on to this day with Antifa, Black Lives Matters, Open Borders, major religions and political organizations all funded by the very same people. We have said many times the right wing and the left wing is the same bird yet what we are missing is who is the head of the bird and it is global. Everything else is a very destructive distraction. People are having their own victim patterns used against them manipulated into emotional storms of hatred and violence serving the very people they profess to be against totally ignorant of their handlers. Do you know what is feeding on these energies? Take a guess. Who are the dividers? Who sits at the top of the war and disease profiteers? They own your religions, your politicians, your lame stream media, even most of your monetary systems. What many do not understand is they own your mind and the last thing they want is for you to take the red pill. This information is the red pill. Even when you think you know the truth there are usually layers of twists and turns, psyops operations designed to manipulate your beliefs. They have done such a good job of creating division and separation over the years including financing both sides of every war since Napoleon many are so busy judging, fighting and fearing each other they never stop for a moment and ask where did their grudges and racism come from? Their history was all one big manipulation. Including religions that demonize and sponsor actions that bring harm to others. Actions outside of Universal Law which supersedes your religions. People are having their own victim patterns used against them manipulated into emotional storms of hatred and violence serving the very people they profess to be against totally ignorant of their handlers.  This all began 460,000 years ago when the Anunnaki who were ancient Lyrans – a very large race came to Earth. Upon arriving they found a knuckle dragger known as the Denisovan man and added their DNA to his/hers. This was one of the ancient humans that were evolving naturally. They needed them to mine the gold to save their planet which was degenerating every time it looped around our sun every 36,000 years. What began as a win/win situation, higher genetics and an evolutionary quantum leap on the Earth human side and getting the gold, they needed to save their outpost, Nibiru devolved when some of the Anunnaki fell. Many began breeding with the hybrids, Enki the scientist and creator god also began upgrading the hybrids to create a more perfect human and Enlil, the general wanted the experiment to end once they got their gold.  The story of Adam and Eve has merit when you know the science and the players. Did you know the one in charge of taking care of the new hybrids was named Mama? Is it starting to come together? This is one of the origins of your image of the all loving all forgiving creator and the jealous wrathful genocidal god. I am using little g for a reason. The jealous, wrathful genocidal god was the image Jesus came to erase when he brought the new covenant the image of an all loving all forgiving God. He came to erase the images of the past and heal the collective trauma and ignorance as to the true nature of God. It is the one consciousness that encompasses all consciousness on all planes and dimensions throughout the multiverses, the Creator within all Creation and the access point is within. It is not external as so many of your religions would like you to believe. It is the spark that sits in the seat of the soul next to the heart which can ignite into the full flame when accessed and activated. These bearded Gods were the origin of many of your religions and myths of old. The demigods were the offspring of the gods mating with the upgraded versions of the more primitive man/woman. Many of the Egyptian leaders were demigods, half Anunnaki half Human. The second generation coming from the failed colonies of Atlantis and Lemuria. Now before you scream blasphemy hear this out.  It is the solution to world peace. An end to war if you awaken to how things truly unfolded on Earth. You have to know your real history of Earth to end the separation game between you, God and the Creator within all Creation. How can you or anyone else be separate from Omnipresence, the unified field of consciousness and energy? How did this separation game begin and who were and are now behind it? Who is perpetuating fear, guilt, unworthiness, class separation, hierarchies of power and wealth? It all goes back to your true ancient history. Marduk, one of the sons of Enki, wanted total supremacy over the Earth even if it meant warring on his own people. He made a pact with the Draconians or Reptilians along with other fallen ETs then waged war only to be eventually betrayed when no longer needed. To this day we have been under Draconian Law or what some call the Archon or Draconian Grid. This next question has but one answer. Why is there so much inhumanity, satanic child sacrifice, pedophiles, war, disease, racism, pain suffering and senseless death? Could the inhuman acts possibly be planned, sponsored and set into motion by non-human entities? Do you really think we got here with all the wars, disease, pollution, inhumanity and what looks like an all-out war on creation by ourselves? It’s time to wake up, grow up, dispel the ignorance and put an end to this separation game. It is the solution to personal freedom. The gross uneven dispersal of wealth, the manufactured lack and enslavement through dependency, the planned obsolescence, the withholding of clean fuel-less energy, the cures for most disease, the all-out war on creation all points back to a network at the top of which are unseen entities some call Archons, demons, reptilians, malevolent greys and fallen Anunnaki. Forget about your need to be right, your religions, your politics, transcend your cultural and religious programs unify and address the real problem. That is the solution.  The real problem is you have been manipulated for eons by some very dark unseen negative influences, the puppet masters behind the mega elite, the banksters, most political and religious leaders and others who in ignorance do their bidding. You have been brainwashed into playing the separation game. The good news is this is about to come to an end.. The real problem is you have been manipulated for eons by some very dark unseen negative influences, the puppet masters behind the mega elite, the banksters, most political and religious leaders and others who in ignorance do their bidding. You have been brainwashed into playing the separation game. The good news is this is about to come to an end. The Earth is in the boondocks, in the outer most corner of the Milky Way virtually ignored by the rest of the multiverse which had its problems. Many of you, most reading or listening to this newsletter have had lives where great wars were fought and won in the Orion System.Spiritually and technologically advanced artistic people were devastated by these invaders often caught off guard due to their peaceful nature. Most of these wars were in the 4th dimension. These Draconian wars spilled out into other systems as well bringing into the conflict the Pleiadeans, Arcturians and Andromedans. The inner worlds closer to galactic core have been cleaned up and now it is time for Earth. It is the last hold out for these destructive, self-serving entities seen and unseen. The unseen negative forces have been cleaned up within the fourth dimension, most of the puppet masters on Earth have been dealt with down to less than one percent. The Archon or Draconian grid is down, a new 5d grid is in place. In the next two months, you are going to see a great unraveling of all that was aligned with the Archon or Draconian grid. This is a trans dimensional war in consciousness and it has already been won. The armies of God are not just Ascended Masters, Angels, Saints and Sages. They are multidimensional and they have their ships You need not worry about the ETs and ships that are coming it’s the ETs and Ships that have always been here. The armies of God are not just Ascended Masters, Angels, Saints and Sages. They are multidimensional and they have their ships. As described in your ancient text, some are physical, some energy, some magnetized light ships. Some have beings which are physical, some pure energy and some also have magnetized light bodies such as the Andromedans many mythologically call Arch Angels. You need not worry about the ETs and ships that are coming it’s the ETs and Ships that have always been here.  The benevolent Anunnaki that continued to evolve are returning. They are within the 6th to the 9th dimension. There is a recall so to speak of all the fallen Anunnaki that stepped out of Universal Law. They are having to stand before the Higher Council and explain themselves. Some will be rehabilitated, some will be recycled back to Source. The reptilian energies they were working with will experience the same fate. Most have already left back to their home world where they are isolated so as to never return. The Andromedans in the 7th dimension the council of which most others go to for advice are also helping with this matter. The Arcturians are also assisting. The Orion Council of Light who have the most experience in dealing with these entities are playing a paramount role in the planetary liberation of Earth. Great battles were fought and won in the Orion system. The Pleiadians who have the greatest stock in human, plant and animal genetics which were major tera-formers in the past creating the colonies of Atlantis and Lemuria will also play a major role in the restoration process. The Earth was never meant to go in this direction, it was created to be an Eden where all life could evolve to its highest potential. It was hijacked. This is about to be reconciled.  They are having to stand before the Higher Council and explain themselves. Some will be rehabilitated, some will be recycled back to Source. Many are already observing the ships coming in on many different levels depending on their sensitivity. NASA is fully aware of massive ships miles long in various shapes and sizes. Do not forget they are a part of the network as well and if you base your beliefs and trust on what little they have shared with you again you are placing severe limitations on yourself. They, the debunkers and planned opposition controlling the narrative within the UFO and science community are about to have major egg on face. Those within the Government, the press all will soon have some major explaining to do considering the fact that ships have been here and have been coming and going before Egyptian times. What is going to happen when they suddenly appear in mass. They have already been appearing despite the censorship over major cities to acclimate the people yet something very big is about to happen. Most likely you are a part of it knowingly or unknowingly. People in all walks of live are being initiated, activated and coming into remembrance of why they came to Earth. They are remembering other lives, other civilizations some of which they incarnated in the past. They are waking up to the fact that something just isn’t right, never has been right and the real reason why they never fit in. They were never supposed to fit in. They are the ground crew and are here to liberate humanity and the Earth from a very sick controlling elite. An elite that has been influenced, taken over and in some cases in total submission to these unseen negative influences. This is the core issue make no mistake. The only question now to ponder is who do your serve? You don’t have the luxury of continuing on the wrong side of the fence  The Earth is ascending to the next level. What most of you call Inner Earth Beings are assisting along with Ascended Masters, Saints, Sages and what some call Ultradimensionals or Off Worlders, spiritually and technologically advanced beings. The puppet masters most of which have been removed is leaving their puppets to flounder. The draconian grid is gone giving virtually no support to the puppets, the bankster elite war and disease profiteers, disempowering and deceiving religious leaders, crooked self-serving politicians, the child sacrifice and pedophile network is being exposed and let’s not leave out the shenanigans of Holy Wood. Everything that does not align with Universal Law which is pressing in along with the 5th dimensional energies enforced by what some call the armies of God/Great Spirit/Creator will come to an end. The days of tyranny, predators and parasites are coming to a close. Everything that is not frequency specific to the new 5th dimensional energies, Universal Law, what some call Unity consciousness must transform or come to an end. Put that on CNN. A very short-lived network. You will see very shortly a complete overhaul of global economics. You will see the fuel-less energy devices, frequency healing devices and the suppressed cures to most disease coming forward. What many call the swamp will be drained globally. Universal Law what can easily defined as Universal Peace, Brother/Sisterly Love, Individual Freedom and Prosperity for All will be the law of the land. The Star Nations will be instrumental in cleaning up the environment and with their advanced technology it will happen very quickly. This is your destiny. It is Earth’s destiny. It is supported by the Beautiful Many Masters, Saints, Sages, including the Spiritually and Technologically Advanced Off World beings, your ancestors some of which are referred to as Ultradimensionals. It is by edict of the real God/Goddess, Creator/Great Spirit whatever name you wish to call it. The sacred circle of life will be honored, the hoop mended. This is an individual and collective experience. How you participate is up to you however I would advise not to go against Universal Law nor hinder the awakening and healing process within yourself or others. Karma is being exponentially accelerated. All will be revealed. The ground crew is being activated. People from all walks of life are coming forward. The real invasion happened a long time ago when advanced beings heard the call and chose to incarnate and assist in the awakening and healing process. It is still happening with the young masters coming in despite all efforts to suppress them. The soul activation is on, the switch flipped, everything is in place and the end of the tyrants seen and unseen is unfolding as we speak. That is the Big Event. Despite any false flags, attempts to create WW3, suppress individual freedom, unleash death and destruction and create chaos the tyrants will fail. It is their destiny. Let’s all do our part by adhering to Universal Law, refusing to participate in anything which would cause harm to humanity and the Earth and hold the leadership, political, business, and religious to the same standard. You are not alone. The greater force is with you. What is all boils down to is: Are YOU creating Heaven on Earth? Are YOU living according to Universal Law?   Pass this on far and wide, it is a solution. 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First Reading Summary, Dragon Myths

February 2, 2017

Dragon Myths, UMass Amherst

Main African Myths

Seismic activity, odd snakes and fish, and Jurassic bones could all be clues to what lead to some terrific dragon myths all over the continent of Africa.Grootslang defies common gender norms by disguising himself as a maiden to lead men to their deaths. Usually dragons go for damsels. Why is this? Many huge dinosaur nests have been found in the area he inhabits. Dahomey mythology included androgyny both give backstory to Aido Hwedo. Maybe that is why it is called rainbow? Is Aido Hwedo in pain because pain is a part of being a warrior, and warriors were respected in this culture?

Apparently one of the oldest dinosaur nests to ever been found is in the Karoo area of Southern Africa. Which is close by to modern day Benin. A Massospondylus nesting site has been found, with eggs and embryos. This dinosaur is a sauropod morph weighing approximately 14 tons and being 13 feet long. With it’s long swiveling neck and huge thigh bones, if someone in ancient times had found a fossil or an egg it would have seemed like a serpent mixed with an elephant or a huge dragon. Dinosaur deposits could explain many of the dragon folklore in South Africa, such as the Grootslang. But then what about some monsters like the Ninki Nanka? Which lives in Gambia and has a horse head, horns, and a giraffe’s neck, but is considered a dragon because of its’ crocodile-like-body.

Grootslang protects the treasures of a diamond mine from all who dare get close. He could possibly signify indigenous people fighting back against colonizers and conquerors whose impacts to this day have killed many locals in draining areas with diamond mines of their labor and natural resources. Grootslang lives in the “Bottomless Pitt” or “Wonder Hole.” Peter Grayson is not the only foreigner to be tempted by the earth’s wonders and to be scared away or slain by this big snake. Apparently a prospector named Travis survived exploration of Grootslang’s lair, but little information could be found on his experiences. Freshwater and land pythons inhabit this area and many odd reptilian cave dwellers with even odder eyes are have been found in caves in the surrounding areas.  

The Zambezi River God, also called Nyami Yamninga Ninga, is a protector of the Tonga people. The name means pieces of meat because he lets his people cut parts of his flesh off to eat in times of famine. Which is interesting considering how many of the other dragon myths in make out these serpents to be more nefarious, but the selection looked at in class is 50/50 of protectors verses vile magical beasts. The Tonga have survived in Zimbabwe for over 900 years, making them one of the main tribes around the Zambezi Valley. Tonga society is patriarchal and wealth can easily be measured in term of cattle. In two different marriage traditions of the area, the daughter’s family is to receive 5-8 cattle or the sum of money that would translate into. This is interesting because Nyami Nyami has a wife whose name I could not find. What is her name? Unlike her husband, no famous sightings have been recorded of her. Why is she so elusive, yet is a key part in the Kariba Dam legend. If Nyami is also portrayed as female, is she a lesbian?  

The host of the show River Monsters thinks that a large endemic catfish called the Vundu could be a possible influence for the Nyami cryptid. This huge freshwater fish can reach over 5 feet and has a serpentine body with powerful jaws. It is strong enough to kill a human. In addition it can survive outside of water. Imagine seeing these wandering around on land? There are other fish that are serpent-like that can survive out of the water that live in freshwater, for example the mudfish is very common to Mid-West Africa.

A cryptid is a creature that may or may not exist, and there are many different snake monsters in the continent of Africa that are cryptids. Some have been carried mainly by oral history, but Mehen is a dragon found in a famous Ancient Egyptian text, The Book of The Dead. In addition there are many paintings of Mehen in tombs and an Old Kingdom board game based on this great serpent. Egyptian Eels and large crocodiles occupy The Nile River and could possibly be one source for imagery of this water goddess who protects Ra. The Egyptians had a specific hieroglyph for Serpent which is used to describe Mehen. She is also an Ouroboros, sometimes depicted eating her own tail in jewelry and in mastaba-tomb imagery. Another Egyptian deity is Nehebu-Kau, a two-headed snake originally showen with both upper and lower kingdom ruler’s headdresses. This creature has the world resting on top of it, similar to Aido Hwedo.

Why is Aido Hwedo rainbow? This myth comes out of Yoruban stories telling of a ouroboros that is similar to Atlas in that  he holds the world on his back and is hurting because of the weight. Looking further into the Dahomey culture that helped form this dragon myth can give some insights into subverting gender norms considering this culture had an all female military unit. These women were known for their bravery. In addition a practice existed where castrated men would be “royal wives” for the king. These practices are based on older kingdoms in the area such as the Vodun. This beast was created by the dual-gendered god Mawu-Lisa which are twins birthed from an androgynous parent named Nana-Buluku. In addition Mawu-Lisa has a child named So, which is also a gender-nonconforming deity. What about him disliking heat? Is this and explanation for why snakes are cold blooded?

Ouagadou-Bida came out the ancient Kingdom of Ghana, a trade hub north of the Niger river. It was a wealthy kingdom with a patriarchal society that was very stratified. The head being cut off many times in this myth might symbolise the invasion by Almoravids on the capital, Koumbi Saleh. And then the 200 years of smaller invasions by neighboring kingdoms and how the loss of trade and being absorbed into what became the Kingdom of Mali. This story involves a more typical western dragon who wants a female sacrifice once a year. A warrior, who is apart of one of the higher-up classes in Ancient Ghana is able to slay this dragon, but causes a draught. There could have been a terrible drought that shrank the Niger river making trade harder?

Isa Bere could just be crocodiles killing people and the Dragon of Silene could just be a colonization myth. These are options for origins of these two slain beasts. Isa Bere is also another name for the Niger River. Is he just a river spirit? Is this the Niger creation story? These could be explanations for bad times in both cultures. Both also could reinforce the state. For example, King Samba apparently killed 80 rival chieftains. Could these fallen leaders be the reality of Isa Bere?   

Sources Used: (not all of these are academic or source checked)

Biological Sciences - Evolution - Physical Sciences - Geology: Robert R. Reisz, David C. Evans, Eric M. Roberts, Hans-Dieter Sues, and Adam M. Yates

Oldest known dinosaurian nesting site and reproductive biology of the Early Jurassic sauropodomorph Massospondylus PNAS 2012 109 (7) 2428-2433; published ahead of print January 24, 2012, doi:10.1073/pnas.1109385109

Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology

By George M. Eberhart

http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/1998/09/20/ent_239491.shtml#.WJFyVWQrIy5

World heritage encyclopedia

With uplifted tongue stories, myths and fables of the South African Bushmen, told in their manner.

Women and World Religions - Lucinda Joy Peach

https://owlcation.com/humanities/Gay-Themes-in-Ancient-Mythology

http://kitweonline.com/kitweonline/discover-kitwe/culture/ceremonies/marrying-the-tonga-way.html

SOUL SEX: Queer & Androgynous Deities Excerpt from Soul Sex: The Alchemy of Gender and Sexuality by Drake Bear Stephen BA, CHT

The Secret Saturdays episode "Something in the Water" starts off with a depiction of grootslang

http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/river-monsters/fish-guide/vundu-catfish/

http://dinosaurs.about.com/od/herbivorousdinosaurs/p/massospondylus.htm

http://www.mastersofgames.com/rules/mehen-rules.htm

http://allaboutfunandgames.com/how-to-play-the-ancient-egyptian-board-game-of-mehen

http://wozzaworks.com/nyaminyami.asp

https://books.google.ca/books?id=GKrACS_n86wC&pg=PA156&vq=Groot+Slang&source=gbs_search_r&sig=ACfU3U0hksfmkdlcjayAuYh1IE4tPG2SXw&hl=en#v=onepage&q=Groot%20Slang&f=false

http://mieliestronk.com/rivierdam.html

https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Waterslangverhale+in+Afrikaans%3a+die+relevansie+van+mitisiteit.-a0123122232

http://www.ushistory.org/civ/7a.asp

http://www.ancient.eu/Ghana/

http://www.mythologydictionary.com/samba-mythology.html

http://www.thaliatook.com/AMGG/aidawedo.php

[sjohnson24]

Legends of Owls

When humans were looking around at the new world to understand who we were supposed to become, we naturally analyzed the animal kingdom as well, as we are looking everywhere for the correct answers. The purpose of family, friends and survival soon became evident. How did other species act to survive the wild Earth? Where did their spirits go? This and many other questions evolved into the birthplace of shamans and magical peoples, believing that the spirit world and nature would give us the answers to the riddles left around us. Animals can be admired for their positive and negative characteristics, much like people. Some myths show how humans may want to acquire the powers of certain animals and ways to perhaps achieve this such as eating owl’s eyes to see in the dark.

We know that although medically and scientifically, this may not work and that is why it is spiritual. You are feeding your soul the intention and the message. You are symbolizing the desire to acquire vision in the dark, knowledge in the lost world; there are many different ways to see this. It is important to hold onto the thought processes and spiritual connotation to learn about ourselves now and in the future. A dream, a thought, a visualization is the first voice of creation, suddenly pulling your thoughts into a physical existence.

The soft sounds of a nearby owl can evoke emotions of magic. The owl is a very mysterious and nocturnal creature that has stood as a symbol for legendary peoples such as the goddess Athena and also the Great Spirit.

Evidence of owls has been found dating back to over 60 million years ago in fossils and the design of the owl has not changed much. Because of this, the owl has been used in magic as well dating as far back and widespread touching all cultures and religions. The spirit of the owl is ancient, and beautiful.

In Appalachian cultures, the owl comes down to eat spirits on Samhain night. It enjoys the souls of the dead. This may be related to how an owl can eat something whole and regurgitate the bones at a later time.

It has strong associations with the dead. This is a very unique animal in this sense.

The owl is an eerie creature, nocturnal for the most part although some species of owl such as the burrowing owl are awake at daytime. An owl that lives outside of one’s home is said to be the telltale sign that there is a powerful sorcerer within. An owl can be a guardian for a witch, protecting her home from unseen visitors. There are many different types of owl and they each have their separate mythologies. Overall, the owl is a great symbol for mystery, death, knowledge and wisdom.

Barn Owl A barn ow is a beautiful rustic colored bird that has a stunningly white face. This has earned the bird many nicknames such as ghost bird or demon face. The white color of the bird’s face reflects very brightly in a dark night and can be quite eerie to see when you are not expecting it.

Burrowing Owl The burrowing owl is said to be the symbol of the God of the dead in native mythologies. It is also known as a warrior’s protector. The burrowing owl hides itself into the Earth, giving it a natural source of enigmatic energy to thrive on. Touching the earth is called grounding, and so this owl is absorbing magic from the Earth.

Chinese In China the owl is considered to be the masculine and positive force of the yin, yang (the yang). It is considered where there is too much light, goodness and masculinity. The owl is a powerful symbol as well and was used on royal emblems.

Feathers The Roman’s believed that you could assemble owl feathers in a certain way to protect against the evil eye. Those cursed by the evil eye would experience evil misfortunes and bad luck sure to last a lifetime. The Roman’s placed a very negative connection onto the owl. The owl was supposed to have foretold the deaths of many emperors.

A feather can also keep away evil spirits and illness from evil intentions. This feather must be found and not stolen from the owl in order to work properly. It must be hung upon a doorway or placed in bed with the person who needs protection.

Native America In Native American mythology, the owl is a symbol of death. Apaches believe that dreaming of one can bring death. The calling of an owl through your window if you are ill is an omen of your passing. A symbol of an owl may be placed onto rocks to mark fishing spots. Cherokee culture speculates that the owl is really a ghost or spirit of a loved one.

Owls are killed throughout the world each year for those believing in the magic. The unfortunate part is that some species has almost become extinct by doing this. A spirit who holds a specific animal sacred is one who would not want to see the owl become hurt, so murdering an owl will not protect you it will only bring severe karmic offenses against you. Not only is it evil to kill owls or other animals for magic, it will only bring harm upon everyone involved, including yourself. There is no reason to sacrifice animals to please a god, even if using black magic this is a myth. It is very unwise to make rash decisions when performing magic because magic was not intended to be used by everyone, only shamans and other magical peoples of the world. Please do not perform magic ceremonies unless you were gifted to do so by the Gods and Goddess and have the proper knowledge for protection. This is very much like driving a car, if you get behind the wheel of something you have not learned or practiced to use, it can be dangerous to your life and others.

My soulmate by Jodi Lynn Meyer Stinson Each night, I sit and wait to hear The footsteps of my soulmate, dear

To many men have come and gone, They’re on a frightful quest, I fear

The footprints they have placed upon my soul Reminds me to keep the good book near

A special love is hard to find, every time The pain makes me think I have found mine

I do not wish to die alone I always think the end is near

I place my trust in one good friend who Doesn’t understand the pain I’m in

Dear friend please don’t leave again I know now that you don’t really care

All I need is to make my house a home…

Deanna Jaxine Stinson aka The Black Rose Halo Paranormal Investigations (HPI International) https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/HPIinternational/