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Radio1 - The Body  Provided By: Achriel Composer: Ozzy Osbourne Title: Close My Eyes Forever Radio2 - The Mind
Radio3 - The Soul  Subject: Deo Shadow Authour: Matt Habermehl
Length: 0:00
Title: episode33
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A long and wicked life followed by five minutes of perfect grace gets you into Heaven. An equally long life of decent living and good works followed by one outburst of taking the name of the Lord in vain - then have a heart attack at that moment and be damned for eternity. Is that the system?
-- Robert A. Heinlein
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· Using Witchvox – a walkthrough
(Sep 02, 2009)
· Nutritionist Stephen Heuer Arrested in FDA Raid
(Jan 19, 2009)
· Spelling it like it isn't
(Aug 09, 2008)
· Funding the pagans
(Mar 08, 2008)
· Giuliani gets Robertson Endorsement
(Nov 12, 2007)
· The Dangers Of Feminism
(Aug 30, 2007)
· The secrets behind crazy airfare prices
(Aug 27, 2007)
· Petition To Rename Stretch Of 401 'Highway Of Heroes'
(Aug 24, 2007)
· Mummified Toronto child a newborn boy
(Jul 27, 2007)
· Quick Summer Meals without all the heat!
(Jul 18, 2007)
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Further Considerations on Godhead Assumption
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Posted by: Makarios on Friday, July 30, 2010 - 08:00 AM 8 Reads
By Frater Barrabbas
I have been in communication with a number of individuals who have presented to me their various opinions about my previous article on this subject. I believe that I have presented the truth about these practices, since many have agreed with what I have said. Others in the ceremonial magickal discipline have been surprised, perhaps even shocked, to learn that there are some folks who engage in mediumistic godhead assumptions for their coven-stead congregants, while acting in a leadership role within that group. While these exclamations of surprise only show the differences between a religious and magickal perspective on these practices, those who find it an incorrect application of magickal practice have some basis of truth for their opinions. However, there is a place for this kind of practice in modern pagan organizations, but only as long as certain strictures are followed.
An open ended godhead assumption done in a coven setting as a means to obtain communion, healing, blessings and prophecy from the gods is probably not only hazardous to the coven members, but also to the coven leaders as well. This methodology not only goes against many basic teachings in the arena of ritual and ceremonial magick, but it’s not supported by pagan practices in the greater community. Whether one examines practices in antiquity or even in present day heathen rites, such a practice is not found. For a spiritual leader in a small group to also assume a nameless godhead (as The Goddess or The God) in an open ended assumption rite is not only quite wrong, but it also is very likely a source of corruption and the very opposite of a proper godhead alignment. After reflecting on what I have written previously and what others have shared with me, I find the whole proposition somewhat disturbing. I think that this paradigm should be changed, and I have some compelling reasons why it should be changed.
Read the complete article: Talking About Ritual Magick
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Anglo-Saxon Birth Rituals
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Posted by: Makarios on Thursday, July 29, 2010 - 04:00 PM 29 Reads
By Swain Wodening
Not much information survives on birth rituals. Going by Germanic folklore, the father was definitely expected to be present at the birth of a child, and to provide the mother moral support and help ease the pain during the birth its self. This is seen especially in the Scandinavian countries. An old German practice that has been preserved was for the midwife to lay the newborn after birth, on the floor or ground, where upon the father picked it up. This seems to have meant that the father claimed the child and it was not to be exposed. In the Norse areas this seems sometimes to have been incorporated into the naming rite, and done on the ninth day.
Within the lore its self, most brith rites deal with the goddesses and Idesa (Disir). Sigrdrífumál verse 9 advises “Biarg-(help-) runes thou must know, if thou wilt help, and loose the child from women. In the palm they must be graven, and round the joints be clasped, and the Dísir prayed for aid. (Thorpe Translation)” And in Óddrúnargrátr verses 7 and 8 we are advised “Then speech the woman so weak began, Nor said she aught ere this she spake: “So may the holy ones thee help, Frigg and Freyja and favoring gods, As thou hast saved me from sorrow now.” (Bellows translation). Modern Heathens therefore should be ready to pray to Frige (Frigga) and Freo (Freya) during the birth, and invoke the Idesa (Disir) prior to it as well.
Read the complete article: Swain Wodenings Blog
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La religion des femmes en Grèce ancienne: mythes, cultes et société
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Posted by: Makarios on Thursday, July 29, 2010 - 12:00 PM 38 Reads
Reviewed by Marietta Horster
The papers in this volume are based on a colloquium organised in Cork in honour of (more or less) 20 years since the publication of Pierre Brulé's "La fille d'Athènes. La religion des filles à Athènes à l'époque classique. Mythes, cultes et société" (Paris 1987). One of the very interesting and innovative aspects of Brulé's publication was the combination of various approaches and views on girls in classical Athens, exploring not only the contexts of cult, religion, myths, and ritual, but also of biology or, for example, physiology.
The first section of the conference-volume deals with female divinities and heroines. V. Sebillotte-Cuchet (p. 19-32) focuses on the Carian Artemis of Halicarnassus (Hdt. 6.68, 7.99-8.93) and questions the construction of an 'historic' heroine whose glory and memory was promoted by her fellow-citizens but who received no cult. The second paper deals with Callisto, a nymph of Artemis until she was metamorphosed into a bear and later into the constellation of the 'Great Bear'. Sandra Boehringer (p. 33-50) is mostly interested in one of the variants of the myth of Callisto. It is the one in which Zeus, who raped Callisto, was able to come close to her and kiss her because he had transformed himself into the goddess Artemis. Boehringer argues that, because this female contact (the kiss of 'Artemis' and Callisto) was supposed to create positive feelings and not arouse suspicion, it demonstrates the predominance of a positive or at least neutral vision of female homosexuality in Greek culture. Philippe Monbrun (p. 51-64) compares the discourses on the beauty of the straight and high palm-tree on Delos, the straight and tall beautiful girl Nausikaa, and the parthenos Artemis, and the connections between the 'virginity' of palm trees, girls and goddess. The conclusions are rather weak; however, the connections among the assembled material are evident. Artemis is also one of the main subjects of Pierre Brulé's paper (p. 65-80) in which he pursues Artemis' various epicleses, connecting them with local variants of Iphigenia stories and Artemis myths. Artemis' myths and epicleses are also the focus of Claude Calame's examination of the material, mythological and narrative landscape of the Brauron sanctuary (p.83-92).
Read the complete article: Bryn Mawr Classical Review
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Our Plunder of Nature Will End Up Killing Capitalism
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Posted by: Makarios on Thursday, July 29, 2010 - 08:00 AM 45 Reads
By Joe Bageant
To anyone who is paying attention, things look doomed. Fortunately for American capitalism, nobody is paying attention. They never have.
As an Anglo European white guy from a very long line of white guys, I want to thank all the brown, black, yellow and red people for a marvelous three-century joy ride. During the past 300 years of the industrial age, as Europeans, and later as Americans, we have managed to consume infinitely more than we ever produced, thanks to colonialism, crooked deals with despotic potentates and good old gunboats and grapeshot. Yes, we have lived, and still live, extravagant lifestyles far above the rest of you. And so, my sincere thanks to all of you folks around the world working in sweatshops, or living on two bucks a day, even though you sit on vast oil deposits. And to those outside my window here in Mexico this morning, the two guys pruning the retired gringo's hedges with what look like pocket knives, I say, keep up the good work. It's the world's cheap labor guys like you -- the black, brown and yellow folks who take it up the shorts -- who make capitalism look like it actually works. So keep on humping. Remember: We've got predator drones.
After twelve generations of lavish living at the expense of the rest of the world, it is understandable that citizens of the so-called developed countries have come to consider it quite normal. In fact, Americans expect it to become plusher in the future, increasingly chocked with techno gadgetry, whiz bang processed foodstuffs, automobiles, entertainments, inordinately large living spaces -- forever.
Read the complete article: AlterNet
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Science Was Wrong, by Stanton T. Friedman and Kathleen Marden
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Posted by: Makarios on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - 04:00 PM 67 Reads
Startling Truths About Cures, Theories, and Inventions 'They' Declared Impossible
Reviewed by John Harney
The main theme of this book is concerned with how scientific and technological progress has been retarded by authoritative persons who have declared innovations and inventions be either wrong or of no practical use. The authors deal with the emergence of a number of new technologies, most of which, with the benefit of hindsight, one would have thought would have been immediately adopted. Some of the other subjects considered, though, are highly controversial, such as global warming, paraspsychology and UFOs.
We are shown how most of the "experts" were wrong about the possibilities of first aviation and then space travel, and other technological developments. We are also told how progress in medicine was hampered by some doctors who just could not grasp the importance of such basic hygienic procedures as hand washing.
There is a chapter on the Eugenics Movement in America, inspired by Charles Davenport, of Harvard University, who was "the driving force behind American social Darwinism". The basic idea was that humanity could be improved by selective breeding, like cattle or horses, but of course it only encouraged social divisiveness and racism, and opposition to it grew after initial enthusiasm wore off. However, these ideas took root in Nazi Germany in the 1930s, with disastrous results.
Read the complete article: Magonia Blog
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Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook, by Deborah Blake
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Posted by: Makarios on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - 12:00 PM 73 Reads
Reviewed by Rebecca Elson
<Snip> Some practitioners love big books of spells to read over and use, some love books of spells for inspiration and innovation in their practice, some think that any spell you cast should be written personally, and many more mix and match on any variation of those themes. I don’t practice any magic myself, so I can’t speak on the topic with authority. What I can tell you is that I love reading spell books! For a person who has never cast a Circle, sparked some sage, or called the Corners, I have a hefty selection of spell books. I find them informative and entertaining. Each author brings a different sensibility to their spell book. Truth be told, I think you can tell a lot about an author by the way they discuss their spell work, and Blake’s “Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook” is no exception.
So what do we learn about Deborah Blake when reading “Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook”? Quite a bit. First, as I learned from her book “The Goddess is in the Details”, Blake is not a part-time Witch. There is no halfway, there is no subterfuge, Deborah Blake is a committed Witch and carries her spirituality with her in every thing she does, including in writing this book. How can I tell this from her book? How can you be sure I’m not just saying this because I know her? How many questions will I ask before finally quoting the author? The answer is three, and here’s the quote, “This is a spellbook for the everyday Witch: the one who lives their Pagan beliefs all day, every day, 24/7.” This mission statement guides the selection of spells the book contains. When you live in the spiritual space that Blake does, you find that you need some of the classics, such as spells to open yourself up to finding love, and some more mundane and little discussed ideas such as a spell for easing PMS.
Read the complete article: The Magickal Buffet
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The Truth About Vegetarianism
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Posted by: Makarios on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - 08:00 AM 80 Reads
By Lierre Keith
I was a vegan for almost 20 years.
I know the reasons that compelled me to embrace an extreme diet, and they are honorable — even noble. Reasons such as justice, compassion and a desperate, all-encompassing longing to set the world right. To save the planet — the last trees bearing witness to ages and the scraps of wilderness still nurturing fading species, silent in their fur and feathers. To protect the vulnerable, the voiceless. To feed the hungry. At the very least, to refrain from participating in the horror of factory farming.
These political passions are born of a hunger so deep it touches on the spiritual. They were for me, and they still are. I want my life — my body — to be a place where the Earth is cherished, not devoured; where the sadist is granted no quarter; where the violence stops. And I want eating — the first nurturance — to be an act that sustains rather than kills. This is an effort to honor our deepest longings for a just world. And I now believe those longings — for compassion, for sustainability, for an equitable distribution of resources — are not served by the philosophy or practice of vegetarianism. Believing in this vegetarian myth has led us astray.
Read the complete article: Mother Earth News
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A Deeper Look at the Progressed Moon and Saturn Cycles
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Posted by: Makarios on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 - 04:00 PM 81 Reads
By Amy Herring
The phrase "planetary cycle" refers to a planet’s relationship to itself as it moves from its location at the time of your birth around the entire chart, returning to its original birth placement as it moves across the sky. When comparing transiting planet A to natal planet B, such as transiting Jupiter conjuncting natal Mars, any two people will experience that aspect at completely different times in their life, perhaps one at 3 years old and another at 8 years old. One person may experience Pluto conjunct the Sun at age 21 where another person might never experience that aspect. It all depends on where the differing planets started to begin with.
But a planetary cycle, comparing moving planet A to natal planet A (a planet’s relationship to itself) will always happen at roughly the same age for everyone. No one experiences their Saturn return at age 35, for example, because it is the reality of celestial mechanics that Saturn will find itself returning to the place it was twenty-nine and a half years ago regardless of where it started. No matter when we are born, we will experience Saturn’s return at the same age as our parents did, as our grandparents did, and as our neighbor, friend, teacher, child will. Therefore, they are powerful trackers of overall human development.
This principle can be taken a step further to compare two planetary cycles to each other and recognize their resonance with each other because of a similar length of cycle. One example is the progressed lunar cycle and the Saturn cycle. The progressed moon takes about twenty-eight years to make it all the way around the natal chart and return to its original location, while transiting Saturn takes about twenty-nine and a half years to return. They pace each other throughout our entire lives and especially closely during the first thirty years of life.
Read the complete article: Llewellyn Journal
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Legends and Lore of Lammas (Lughnasadh)
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Posted by: Makarios on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 - 08:00 AM 88 Reads
By Patti Wigington
In many cultures, there are different legends and lore surrounding Lammas (Lughnasadh). Here are a few of the stories about this magical harvest celebration from around the world.
• In Israel, the festival of Shavout commemorates the beginning of the harvest, as well as honoring the date that Moses received the Torah on Mt. Sinai. The final sheaf of wheat is brought to the rabbi for a blessing, synagogues and homes are decorated with flower, and a great feast is prepared for all to enjoy.
• The festival of Onam is celebrated in India, and people dress up in their finest clothes and give food to the poor. Onam is celebrated in honor of King Mahabali, who was a ruler of Kerala. In one story, the god Vishnu approached Mahabali dressed as a beggar, and asked for land, which Mahabali gave him. Mahabli ended up buried under the earth by Vishnu, but was allowed to return once a year, symbolizing the planting of the seed and the subsequent harvest.
Read the complete article: Pattis Paganism
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Magickal Colors: Yellow
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Posted by: Makarios on Monday, July 26, 2010 - 04:00 PM 108 Reads
By Phoenix
The sun shines bright upon us as it reaches the climactic stage of its progress above us (or we around it, to be more accurate). This will happen at 11:28 GMT on the 21st of this month, and is the longest day of our year. Litha, Midsummers Eve, Summer Solstice, Ukon juhla- No matter what you call it, this day is a catalyst for celebrations everywhere. In honor of it, I have chosen yellow as the subject of this article.
Upon Litha, we celebrate the abundance of nature and the joys of summer in full bloom. This is considered an excellent time for divination, handfastings, and speaking with the spirits, as the veils are said to be thinner upon that night. There was a tradition that involved staying awake for a full 24 hours to see the Fae as dusk broke on Solstice Night.
Yellow represents the sun’s lifegiving force. Just as the Sun is the center of our solar system, the solar plexus chakra (also yellow or golden) falls directly in the middle of our bodies, right around the navel. This is called the Manipura. It is said to govern the realms of personal power as well as spiritual expansiveness and growth. In older stories of out of body experiences, this chakra (as well as the brow) was said to house the cord connecting one’s soul to their body.
Read the complete article: Pagan Pages
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Lughnasadh Crafts and Activities for Children
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Posted by: Makarios on Monday, July 26, 2010 - 12:00 PM 108 Reads
BAKE SOME BREAD
There is no activity more suited for Lughnasadh than bread baking. Lughnasadh is the first of the harvest festivals, and the predominant symbol of the season is the ripening grain.
Try any basic bread recipe and add your own seeds and dried herbs into the mix, such as sage, sunflower seeds, lavender, thyme, rosemary, and fennel. Everyone should take turns (or take a portion of the dough) and knead it together. As you knead, chant a harvest prayer, such as, “The Sun God is never really dead; he’s always living in our bread.” The kneading and chanting works up a positive energy that will permeate the loaf, and be a powerful blessing upon those who consume it.
Read the complete article: Essortment
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A Question of Claiming Time
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Posted by: Makarios on Sunday, July 25, 2010 - 04:00 PM 111 Reads
By Mama Donna Henes
Dear Mama Donna,
I think rituals are very important, and I feel their lack in my own life very strongly. But the fact is that I can never seem to find the time to actually plan special ceremonies. I am always too busy, too tired. I would appreciate some advice.
Time Deprived and Pooped in New York City
Dear Typical New Yorker,
In a culture, which defines itself in terms of clocks and dollars, (and the Big Apple is certainly the epicenter of such consciousness) it is difficult to claim the time and mental space to devote to an occupation that results in no visible product. Non-product and nonproductive are definitely not the same thing, however.
We may think of ritual, ceremony, contemplation, and meditation as not doing anything, but down time is not negative, it is not not doing something. What we are doing when we step off of the rat race treadmill is resting, reflecting, ruminating, regenerating, rejoicing, receiving, re-sourcing; re-centering, and renewing our energy, our essential spiritual selves.
Read the complete article: Pagan Pages
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Top Ten Non-Pagan Pagan Movies
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Posted by: Makarios on Sunday, July 25, 2010 - 08:00 AM 157 Reads
By Bronwen Forbes
Hollywood has a long illustrious history of not being very kind to us Pagans/Witches. In 1939, The Wizard of Oz gave the world (and the creators of Halloween decorations) the notion that we’re all supposed to have green skin. Later, films like the original Wicker Man, Practical Magic, The Witches of Eastwick and Hocus Pocus gave the movie-going public the impression that we as a people are, in turn, amoral killers, amoral teenagers, amoral housewives and amoral idiots. None of which is true, of course, and not the impression we’d like people to have about our chosen faith!
However, despite its best efforts, the film industry has actually managed to produce some movies that, while they don’t specifically mention Pagans or other magical folk, have something of value for us. If you’re looking for a way to enhance your Pagan lessons while consuming mass quantities of salt and greasy butter-flavored corn product, here – in no particular order – are my top ten favorite non-Pagan yet somehow Pagan movies:
1. The Secret of Roan Inish. (1994, directed by John Sayles. Rated PG) An Irish family with purportedly selkie blood loses a child when he and his cradle float out to sea. In their grief and pain, they abandon their cottage on Roan Inish Island and move to a city on the mainland. The child’s older sister tries to bring the family back together by restoring the old cottage on Roan Inish, and in the process finds her baby brother. Irish folk customs and selkie lore – what’s not to love?
Read the complete article: Witchvox
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Druids: A Very Short Introduction, by Barry Cunliffe
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Posted by: Makarios on Saturday, July 24, 2010 - 04:00 PM 144 Reads
Reviewed by BadWitch
Much has been written about the Druids and their place in history and it can be a bit bewildering to know what books to buy if you want to read up about them.
Druids: A Very Short Introduction, by Barry Cunliffe would be my recommendation as one good place to start. It is short, succinct, well written and – more to the point – looks at fact rather than fiction.
And Barry Cunliffe should know his facts when it comes to Druids, Celts and anything else to do with Ancient Britain. He is Emeritus Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford University, Commissioner of English Heritage and has been a Trustee of the British Museum, Governor of the Museum of London and President of the Society of Antiquaries. He has also written numerous other books on that area of history including Europe Between the Oceans: 9000 BC to AD 1000,The Ancient Celtsand The Celts: A Very Short Introduction.
Read the complete article: A Bad Witchs Blog
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