Spiritual Wanderlust

Brene Brown quote

2011-11-21T16:39:00.000-06:00

“We make everything that is uncertain, certain. Religion has gone from a belief in faith and mystery to certainty: ‘I’m right, you’re wrong--shut up.’ This is what politics looks like today. There’s no discourse anymore, there’s no conversation. But there is another way…. To let ourselves be seen, deeply seen, vulnerably seen…. To love with our whole hearts even though there is no guarantee… To practice gratitude and joy in those moments of terror…. To believe that we’re enough, because when we work from a place that says 'I’m enough,' we stop screaming and we start listening. We’re kinder and gentler to the people around us, and we’re kinder and gentler to ourselves.” ~Brene Brown

Lure the Goddess

2011-09-30T06:47:00.000-05:00

Lure the Goddess

Story of Compassion: Alison Wright, USA

2011-01-22T20:19:00.000-06:00

alison wright

2011-01-22T20:16:00.000-06:00

A Note From Mom and Dad

2011-01-16T00:09:00.000-06:00

This is several years old, but I love it!

A letter from *Mom* and *Dad*

From: God and Goddess

To: Our Children of Earth

Re: Idiotic Religious Rivalries

Dear Children (and believe us, that's all of you), We consider ourselves pretty patient folks. For instance, look at the Grand Canyon. It took millions of years to get it right. And about evolution? Boy, nothing is slower than designing that whole Darwinian thing to take place, cell by cell, and gene by gene.

We've been patient through your fashions, civilizations, wars and schemes, and the countless ways you take Us for granted until you get yourselves into big trouble again and again.

We want to let you know about some of the things that are starting to tick Us off.

First of all, your religious rivalries are driving Us up a wall. Enough already! Let's get one thing straight: These are YOUR religions, not Ours. We're the whole enchilada; We're beyond them all. Every one of your religions claims there is only one of Us (which by the way, is absolutely true). But in the very next breath, each religion claims it's Our favorite one.

And each claims it's scriptures were written personally by Us, and that all the other scriptures are man-made. Oy Vey. How do We even begin to put a stop to such complicated nonsense?

Okay, listen up now. We're your Father AND Mother, and We don't play favorites among Our children.

Also, We hate to break it to you, but We don't write. Our longhand is awful, and We've always been more of "doers" anyway. So ALL of your books, including those Bibles, were written by men and women. They were inspired, remarkable people, but they also made mistakes here and there. We made sure of that so that you would never trust a written word more than your own living heart.

You see, one human being to Us, even a bum on the street, is worth more than all the Holy Books in the world. That's just the kind of folks we are.

Our spirit is not a historical thing. It's alive right here, right now, as fresh as your next breath.

Holy books and religious rites are sacred and powerful, but not more so than the least of you. They were only meant to steer you in the right direction, not to keep you arguing with each other, and certainly not to keep you from trusting your own personal connection with Us.

Which brings Us to Our next point about your nonsense. You act like We need you and your religions to stick up for Us or "win souls" for Our sake. Please, don't do Us any favors. We can stand quite well on our own,thank you. We don't need you to defend Us, and We don't need constant credit. We just want you to be good to each other.

And another thing, We don't get all worked up over money or politics, so stop dragging Our names into your dramas. For example, We swear to Us :::smile::::, that We never threatened Oral Roberts. We never rode in any of Rajneesh's Rolls Royces. We never told Pat Robertson to run for president, and We've never, EVER had a conversation with Jim Baker, Jerry Falwell, or Jimmy Swaggart! Of course, come Judgment Day, We certainly intend to....

The thing is, We want you to stop thinking of religion as some sort of loyalty pledge to Us.

The true purpose of your religions is so that YOU can become more aware of Us, not the other way around. Believe Us, We know you already. We know what's in each of your hearts, and We love you with no strings attached.

Lighten up and enjoy Us. That's what religion is best for. What you seem to forget is how mysterious We are.

You look at the petty differences in your Scriptures and say, "Well, if THIS is the truth, then THAT can't be!" But instead of trying to figure out Our Paradoxes and Unfathomable Nature, which by the way, you NEVER will, why not open your hearts to the simple common threads in all religions.

You know what We're talking about. Love and respect everyone. Be kind, even when life is scary or confusing. Take courage and be of good cheer, for We are always with you. Learn how to be quiet, so you can hear Our still, small voice. (We don't like to shout).

Leave the world a better place by living your life with dignity and gracefulness, for you are Our Own Children. Hold back nothing from life, for the parts of you that can die surely will, and the parts that can't, won't. So don't worry, be happy. (We stole that last line from Bobby McFerrin.)

Simple stuff. Why do you keep making it so complicated? It's like you're always looking for an excuse to be upset. And We're very tired of being your main excuse. Do you think We care whether you call Us.... Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah, Diana, Wakantonka, Brahma, Cerridwen, Father, Mother, God, Goddess or even the Void of Nirvana? Do you think We care which of Our special children you feel closest to, Jesus, Mary, Buddha, Krishna, Gerald, Mohammed or any of the others? You can call Us and Our Special Ones any name you choose, if only you would go about Our business of loving one another as We love you. How can you keep neglecting something so simple?

We're not telling you to abandon your religions. Enjoy your religions, honor them, learn from them, just as you should enjoy, honor, and learn from your parents.

But do you walk around telling everyone that your parents are better than theirs? Your religion, like your parents, may always have the most special place in your hearts, We don't mind that at all. And We don't want you to combine all the Great Traditions in One Big Mess. Each religion is unique for a reason. Each has a unique style so that people can find the best path for themselves.

Know that Our Special Children, the ones that your religions revolve around, all live in the same place, (Our heart), and they get along perfectly, We assure you.

The clergy must stop creating a myth of sibling rivalry where there is none. Our blessed children of Earth, the world has grown too small for you pervasive religious bigotries and confusion. The whole planet is connected by air travel, satellite dishes, telephones, fax machines, rock concerts, diseases, and mutual needs and concerns.

Get with the program! If you really want to help, then commit yourselves to figuring out how to feed your hungry, clothe your naked, protect your abused, and shelter your poor. And just as importantly, make your own everyday life a shining example of kindness and good humor. We've given you all the resources you need, if only you abandon your fear of each other and begin living, loving and laughing together.

We're not really ticked off. We just wanted to grab your attention because We hate to see you suffer. But We have given you free will to choose your own paths, and We just want you to be happy.

In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust,

________________________________________

The 12 Chinese Animals

2011-01-04T14:31:00.001-06:00

The 12 Chinese Animals

An article on Chinese Astrological Animals by Cora Wen

The Lotus Sutra: Parables in this and Other Sacred Texts

2010-12-28T23:53:00.000-06:00

Importance of Your Sikh Name

2010-12-18T07:02:00.001-06:00

Sikh Women and Turbans

2010-12-18T07:02:00.000-06:00

Winter Holidays and Tolerance

2009-12-22T18:36:00.003-06:00

Whatever beliefs you may follow, may you have a blessed holiday and may it be filled with love and joy.

That said, here comes the gripe. I get very irritated when we use religion to be jerks. I dislike hearing Christians saying they are the one true and only way, with no room for anyone else. Now, not very many that I know will force their beliefs on someone else, but a few do. Please refrain. Then again, quite a few of the Pagans I know think that because they have been the persecuted in recent years that it is quite alright to trash and denigrate Christians. Sorry, I don't accept that either. If we are going to use bigotry and discrimination as a reason to retaliate in kind, we are never going to break the cycle. All belief systems have at one time or another faced persecution. Many still do. Don't think you are a better person because you think you have the right to tear down another. I won't even say it's childish, because quite frankly, children even act better than that.

I cannot even begin to list all the holidays and celebrations of this time of year. Yes, Christ is the reason for "Christmas," but then you have Hanukkah, Yule, Solstice, Kwanzaa, etc. Do not get mad if someone does not greet you or wish you in regards to your particular faith. If you do not extend the same in return, why should you be greeted so in the first place. On the other hand, people, quit throwing hissy fits when a community wishes to celebrate publicly the one(s) that they know. The responsible thing to do is suggest recognition of other paths. Not in the same display, mind you, but maybe in the same area.

We can all learn from each other's celebrations, each other's faiths. Shut up, be still, and listen. Quit throwing eggs in each other's faces. Be a good example for future generations. Honor your own, respect all others. Learn about them. You might just be surprised at how more alike we are than different.

Grow up...

PRI.ORG | Youssou N'Dour and Sufism

2009-06-16T18:29:00.001-05:00

PRI.ORG | Youssou N'Dour and Sufism

Shared via AddThis

Tricycle's Daily Dharma: August 24, 2008: Boredom, Impatience, and Fear

2008-08-24T15:27:00.001-05:00

August 24, 2008
Tricycle's Daily Dharma

Boredom, Impatience, and Fear
If we do a little of one kind of practice and a little of another, the work we have done in one often doesn't continue to build as we change to the next. It is as if we were to dig many shallow wells instead of one deep one. In continually moving from one approach to another, we are never forced to face our own boredom, impatience, and fears. We are never brought face to face with ourselves. So we need to choose a way of practice that is deep and ancient and connected with our hearts, and then make a commitment to follow it as long as it takes to transform ourselves.

--Jack Kornfield in A Path with Heart
from Everyday Mind, edited by Jean Smith, a Tricycle book

Asatru

2008-08-24T15:09:00.002-05:00

Asatru
Posted by: "Grannulus1 at [childrenofgaia]
Sat Aug 23, 2008 4:50 pm (PDT)

Asatru (Norse Heathenism)

History:

Asatru is frequently regarded as one of the Neopagan family of religions.
That family includes _Wicca_ (http://www.religioustolerance.org/witchcra.htm),
_Celtic Druidism_ (http://www.religioustolerance.org/druid.htm), and
re-creations of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and other ancient Pagan religions. However,
many Asatruers prefer the term "Heathen" to "Neopagan" and look upon their
tradition as "not just a branch on the Neopagan tree" but as a separate tree.
Unlike Wicca, which has gradually evolved into many different traditions, the
reconstruction of Asatru has been based on the surviving historical record.
Its followers have maintained it as closely as possible to the original
religion of the Norse people.

Asatru or Ásatrú is an Icelandic word which is a translation of the Danish
word "Asetro." Asetro was "first seen in 1885 in an article in the periodical
"Fjallkonan". The next recorded instance was in "Heiðinn siður á Íslandi"
("Heathen traditions in Iceland.") by Ólafur Briem (Reykjavík, 1945)." It means
"belief in the Asir," the Gods. "Asatru" is a combination of "Asa" which is
the possessive case of the word Æsir (Aesir) and "Tru" which means belief or
religion.

Throughout Scandinavia the religion is called Forn Siðr (which means the
Ancient way or tradition), Forn sed (the Old custom), Nordisk sed (Nordic
custom), or Hedensk sed (Pagan custom). Other names are:
Norse Heathenism, Germanic Heathenism, the Elder Troth, the Old Way, Asetro,
Vor Si r (our way), Forn Si r (Ancient way), Forn sed (the old custom),
Nordisk sed (Nordic custom), or Hedensk sed (Pagan custom), Odinism or Folkish
Ásatrú.

The religion's origin is lost in antiquity. At its peak, it covered all of
Northern Europe. Countries gradually converted to Christianity. In 1000 _CE_
(http://www.religioustolerance.org/ce.htm), Iceland became the second last
Norse culture to convert. Their prime motivation was economic. Sweden was ruled
by a Pagan king until 1085 CE.

Icelandic poet Gothi Sveinbjorn Beinteinsson promoted government recognition
of Asatru as a legitimate religion; this status was granted in 1972. Since
the early 1970's, the religion has been in a period of rapid growth in the
former Norse countries, as well as in Europe and North America.

Corruption of Asatru:

It is not unknown for otherwise decent religions to become corrupted by
incorporating racist, sexist, anti-semitic, and homophobic beliefs. For example:
The _Christian Identity_ (http://www.religioustolerance.org/cr_ident.htm) movement is one wing of the Christian religion which has adsorbed such
beliefs. During the early part of the 20th Century, The National Socialist Party
in Germany under Adolf Hitler attempted to pervert Asatru by grafting parts
of the religion onto the Nazi racist beliefs. This blasphemy died by the end
of World War II, although some neo-Nazi groups -- largely in the U.S. -- are
now attempting to continue the practice.

This type of activity is in no way related to the restoration of Asatru as a
legitimate Heathen religion. There is a very strong anti-racist, anti-Nazi
stance among national Asatru groups in the Scandinavian countries. This is also
found in almost all Asatru groups in English speaking countries. They
typically have a clear rejection of racism written into their constitutions.
Unfortunately, some anti-racism groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center and
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (in its Megiddo report) have mistakenly
accused the entire religion of racism.

Many people are exposed to the name "Asatru" through _role playing games_
(http://www.religioustolerance.org/d_a_d.htm), such as Mage: The Ascension.
Unfortunately, the Asatru of these games bear little resemblance to the real
religion.

Asatru Beliefs:
Asatru is a polytheistic religion. There are three races of Deities in the Norse pantheon. They are all regarded as living entities who are involved in human life:

The Aesir: These are the Gods of the tribe or clan, representing Kingship, order, craft, etc.

The Vanir: These represent the fertility of the earth and forces of nature. They are associated with the clan but are not part of it.

The Jotnar: These are giants who are in a constant state of war with the Aesir. They represent chaos and destruction.

At the battle of Ragnarok, many of the Gods will die, the world will come to an end and be
reborn.

Specific Gods:
Some of the more important are:

Thor is the Thunderer, who wields Mjolnir, the divine Hammer. His chariot racing across the
sky generates thunder. Thursday (Thor's Day) was named after him.

Odin is the one-eyed God; he gave up one of his eyes in order to drink from the
Fountain of Knowledge (some sources say Fountain of Wisdom). He is a magician. He
learned the secrets of the runes (Northern European alphabet) by hanging
himself on the tree Yggdrasil for nine nights.

Frey (a.k.a. Freyr) is the God of fertility, the weather and farming. He was born on the _Winter Solstice_ (http://www.religioustolerance.org/w_solsti.htm) , typically December 21. His
father was Njord.

Specific Goddesses:
Some important ones are:

Freya (aka Freyja) is the Goddess of love, beauty and sexuality, and perhaps a dozen other attributes. She leads the Valkyries who take the souls of slain soldiers to Valhall (Odin's great hall).

Frigg is Odin's wife. Her name has been secularized to a slang term which refers to sexual intercourse. She is the patroness of the household and of married women.

Skadi is the Goddess of independence, death, hunting and skiing. Scandinavia may have been named after her.

Ostara, is a Goddess of fertility who is celebrated at the time of the Spring equinox. She was known by the Saxons as Eostre, the Goddess of Spring, from whom we have derived the word Easter. Ostara's symbols are the hare and the egg.

Other Entities Other Deities are Aegir, Balder, Bragi, Forseti, Heimdall, Hel, Loki, Njord, Ran, Tyr, Ull and Vithar.

Followers of Asatru also honor the Landvaettir (land spirits) of the forest, earth and streams.

Life Values: Asatruars in North America have created a list of Nine Noble Virtues: Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-Reliance and Perseverance.

The family is greatly valued and honored. They reject any form of discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, language, nationality, race, sexual orientation, or "other divisive criteria".

Origins: Humanity is literally descended from the Gods. Three brothers, Odin, Vili, and Ve created people from two trees and gave them the names Ask and Embla. One deity, Rig visited the earth and established the social classes.

Od: This is the gift of ecstasy provided to humans by the Gods. It is what separates humanity from other animals, and is our eternal link with the Gods.

Creation Story: A poem Voluspa (Prophecy of the Seeress) contains an Asatru story of the creation of the universe. Between Muspelheim (The Land of Fire) and Niflheim the Land of Ice was an empty space called Ginnungigap. The fire and ice moved towards each other; when they collided, the universe came into being. Odin, Vili and Ve later created the world from the body of a giant that they had slain.

After death: Those who die in battle will be carried to Valhall by the Valkyries. There they will eat Saehrimnir (a pig that is daily slaughtered and resurrected) with the Gods. The Goddess Hel (who's name has been borrowed by Christians) rules over dishonorable people (oath breakers)
and those who die ingloriously of old age. Niflhel is the the abode for all others.

The end of the world: Ragnarök (a.k.a. Ragnarøkkr, Ragnarøk, Ragnarok; literally the fate of the Gods) is the anticipated apocalypse. It involves a great battle between the Gods and the Jötnar -- a race of giants with superhuman strength. Unlike Revelation in the Christian Scriptures, prophecies of Ragnarök are very specific: the events leading up to the battle, the timing of the battle, who will kill whom, etc. are all known. Wolves will eat the sun and moon. The stars will stop shining. Mountains will fall; trees will be uprooted; "Fumes will reek and flames will burst, scorching the sky with fire. The earth will sink into the sea." Most of the Gods will die. Only one woman and one man, Lifthrasir and Lif, will survive. Their offspring will
eventually repopulate the world and live in peace. 13

Mabinogian Study Forum link

2008-08-24T14:53:00.000-05:00

http://208.84.148.188/cgi-bin/mabinogistudy/YaBB.pl

Catholic Group Calls for More Women in Mass Texts

2008-08-24T10:40:00.000-05:00

Friday August 22, 2008
Catholic Group Calls for More Women in Mass Texts

By Mallika Rao

c. 2008 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) A letter was sent from Ohio to Vatican City this month with a message for Pope Benedict XVI backed by thousands of women from around the world.

"We want women to stop being invisible in the church's proclamation," said Sister Christine Schenk, executive director of Cleveland-based FutureChurch. "If you try to make it look like God likes men better than women, people just aren't going to buy it."

FutureChurch, an independent Catholic renewal group that counts some 5,000 members worldwide, is broadcasting a plea ahead of a key Vatican meeting this October. The group wants more Bible passages featuring women to be read at Catholic Masses throughout the world.

So far, FutureChurch has sent more than 18,000 e-mails and letters to bishops, including Benedict, who will preside over the synod on "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church."

"When we heard that the synod was going to focus primarily on Scripture we knew that we had to raise awareness about the hidden women of the lectionary," said Schenk, a member of the Cleveland-based Congregation of St. Joseph.

The body of scriptural texts read at Mass every day, known as the lectionary, is determined by the Vatican. For churchgoers who seldom read the Bible, those extracts may comprise their only knowledge of the holy book, Schenk said.

And women are conspicuously absent from the lectionary, she added.

"When you can show a systematic exclusion of biblical women leaders in the text," she said, "it sends a really unhealthy message to our daughters and our sons."

Schenk's argument appears to be bolstered by a 1996 article in the American Benedictine Review. The article's author, Sister Ruth Fox, cites Mass readings that stop just before a woman's vital role is mentioned, or leave her out altogether.

For example, Fox writes, take Exodus 15:20-21, in which Miriam, sister of Moses and Aaron, is identified as a prophet and leads a liturgy of thanksgiving after the crossing of the Red Sea. That passage is not in the lectionary.

And Phoebe, a woman who in the Greek translation of the New Testament is called a "deaconess," does not appear once in the daily readings.

Likewise, the role of Mary Magdalene, who according to the Gospels is the first to witness Jesus' resurrection, is never recounted on Sundays, Schenk said, while "we hear about doubting Thomas every single year."

At a time when women hold powerful political offices worldwide, the lectionary seems, at best, outdated, the sister said.

The one woman the lectionary does mention is Mary, the mother of Jesus, who, as a virgin and a mother, is "a pretty hard act to follow," Schenk said. "And it's not all women can be. We also need to hear about women leaders who evangelized, proclaimed the gospel and founded churches."

Monsignor Anthony Sherman, of the Secretariat for Divine Worship at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said FutureChurch is not alone in questioning the Mass readings.

The world -- and the status of women -- has changed drastically since the current lectionary was approved in the 1960s, Sherman said.

But the lectionary has not. "It's been around for 40 years, since Vatican II. A lot of people have problems with it."

He said FutureChurch has a shot at achieving its goal, as long as bishops are persuaded to speak.

Schenk said most bishops have responded positively. Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., met with FutureChurch women, she said, and other bishops say they are interested. None, however, have committed to bringing the topic to the synod.

Even if the issue gets play in October, Sherman said, rewriting the lectionary is a "monumental" task. But that doesn't mean the Bible's women will necessarily go unheard.

As Sherman pointed out, "There's nothing preventing Catholics from owning and reading a whole copy of the Bible themselves."

Copyright 2008 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.

Five Religions You've Never Heard Of

2008-08-24T10:00:00.002-05:00

From Beliefnet.com: Five Religions You've Never Heard Of

Yeah, right, if they can name 5 I've never, ever heard of, I'll be surprised...may not know much about, but I'll bet I've heard of them...

Five Religions You've Never Heard Of

Beliefnet Community members represent more than 120 faith traditions. In addition to a wide array of Christian denominations, and major world religions like Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, we also host faith communities for an astonishing variety of belief systems that are widely practiced and historically grounded... even though you may never have heard of them.

Here are five of our most interesting Beliefnet faith communities, and some of their members to tell you why they chose their faith. Visit them and ask them about their beliefs--they will be happy to answer your questions.

Whatever your beliefs, Beliefnet welcomes you!

Asatru: Faith of the Vikings

Asatru is a modern revival of the beliefs in the ancient Gods of the Germanic and Nordic peoples: Freya, Thor, Odin and others. For many Asatruar, embracing this faith feels like being called home to the way of their ancestors. Although a small number of white supremacists have claimed to follow Asatru, generating controversy in the news, they are not representative of Asatru at large. Following a moral code, Asatruar believe that life is good and should be lived with boldness and enthusiasm, and value courage, honor, industriousness, and personal responsibility. Gathering by "hearths" and "kindreds" they honor the Gods, ancestors, and tribal connections to family and kin.

"Asatru fits like a comfortable pair of jeans. It's intrinsic and natural. The honor code appeals to me as well; chief among these the concept of personal responsibility. I also like the rootedness of it. That being how it connects me to my European and Northern Isles ancestors." --Beliefnet member Rimes_Glimmer

"I was always very fascinated with mythology, especially Norse. I kept on reading and also began to notice my thoughts start to change from 'what a load of...' to 'well that's interesting' and then finally to 'well that's just plain awesome.' I started to get more and more interested in Asatru and eventually found I was calling myself one." --Beliefnet member Jonny

"I will face my challenges with a grin, accept nothing less than victory until death, and face my gods and ancestors secure in the knowledge that I made the most of the life they gave to me, and that my children and neighbors will face less danger and strife for my efforts." --Beliefnet member John_T_Mainer

Visit Beliefnet's Asatru community

Yep, heard about this one, and know a few people who believe in this one.

Sant Mat: Heaven Within

"Kabir" posted by agochar Sant Mat, which means "teachings of the saints," teaches that everything lies inside us and that God is within. Revived in 1891 from a 13th century practice, spreading to North America and Europe in the 1950s-1960s, Sant Mat is a practical path of spiritual self-development based on Sikh traditions, with Sufi influences. Through a simple version of Yoga known as Surat Shabd Yoga, practitioners learn to listen within for the Inner Light and Sound of God. Sant Mat is a solitary practice done in one's own home for 2 1/2 hours each day, while remaining in one's present religion (Sant Mat teaches that all major world religions are rooted in the same Divinity). Followers are strict vegetarians and do not consume alcohol or recreational drugs. Sant Mat emphasizes an ethical lifestyle, selfless service, nonviolence, truthfulness, and love for all.

"I find this approach of inner seeing and hearing to be extremely logical and necessary in order to explore the 'Kingdom of the Heavens that are within' or Inner Space. I am very happy with this direct path to God here and now via contemplative meditation." --Beliefnet member agochar

Visit Beliefnet's Sant Mat community

Okay, so they got me, I have never heard of this one...(above)

Eckankar: Dream Better

Eckankar is an offshoot of Sant Mat, founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965 following his studies with Sant Mat masters from India and Tibet. Like Sant Mat, Eckankar emphasizes meditation to listen to the Inner Light and Sound of God, but also teaches lucid dreaming, past life discovery, and soul travel as ways of hearing God. Eckists describe the Inner Sound as "the voice of God calling us home" and the Inner Light as "a beacon to light our way." Through chanting, contemplation, meditation, singing, trance work and visualization, Eckists seek to reunite the soul with God.

"Eckankar had all the answers that I had found elsewhere, all in a coherent form, consistent with itself so I didn't have to keep changing gears all the time. Eckankar is literally beyond your wildest dreams, because it teaches you how to understand your dreams and to dream better, as it were. It teaches you how to find and listen to the voice of God in your life. What could be more rewarding than that?" --Beliefnet member charlesnotprince

Visit Beliefnet's Eckankar community

Okay, heard of this one (above) but don't know much about.

Ahmadiyya: Heretics or Reformers?

The Ahmadis are a messianic Muslim sect based in Pakistan, with perhaps eight million members in seventy countries. The Ahmadi movement was founded in 1876 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a Punjabi Muslim believed by his followers to have been the Mahdi or Messiah, sent to reform and purify Islam. Members of the movement are considered heretics by most Muslims and are barred entry to Mecca. In the Ahmadi version of religious history Jesus escaped from the cross and made his way to India, where he died at the age of 120.

"Our philosophy, attitude and approach towards the spread of our faith is tolerant, progressive, rational, and liberal and meets the needs of our times in the modern age, which allows us to live peacefully among all religions and nations and peoples of the earth." --Beliefnet member Muhammad_Ahmad

"Ahmadiyya is something new, something I enjoy learning about, and teaches many beliefs I hold myself." --Beliefnet member TheMungunjiasticMan

Visit Beliefnet's Ahmadiyya community

Okay, got me again, never heard of this one either, geesh.

Maltheism: God vs. Humanity

Maltheism is the belief that God does exist, and that God is evil. Maltheists see God as the true spiritual enemy of humanity, and oppose God because of this. The Maltheist movement was founded by Paul Zimmerman, who was active on Beliefnet until his death in 2003. His motto was "God against Humanity: choose a side!" Maltheists believe the most important thing is how we treat each other as human beings, and support the self-empowerment of the human race.

"I think living in a world where we get to define the meaning and purpose of our lives is something extremely positive that generates hope, not hopelessness." --Beliefnet member Maltheist (Paul Zimmerman)

"I came to believe in God through a personal spiritual experience, and came to hate God through personal hardships, tragedies and disappointments. I wish there were a benevolent God who wanted happiness for the human race, but experience tells me that God is really a egomaniacal control freak who craves worship and suffering... We are simply a group of people who share a negative view of God." --Beliefnet member Mohanchous

"Maltheism allows me to criticize and question God. Maltheism allows me to consider myself a imperfect but still valuable decent human being. I can reject completely the label that I am a worthless sinner who deserves eternal damnation. Maltheism makes more sense of the condition of the world and the nature of religious conflict than anything else to me." --Beliefnet member Whichone

Visit Beliefnet's Maltheism community

Never heard of this one either, but geesh, really?

Okay, so I really knew of 1.5...amazing.

Catholics Will No Longer Recite "And Also With You"

2008-08-19T13:23:00.002-05:00

Commentary
Catholics Will No Longer Recite 'And Also With You'

by James Martin

Some Mass Changes

The changes to the Roman Catholic Mass announced Aug. 4 won't take effect for a few years. In the meantime, new prayer books will be printed and distributed to dioceses, parishes and priests. Below, a few of the old responses, followed by the new:

"The Lord be with you"
Old : "And also with you."
New : "And with your spirit."

Before Communion:
Old: "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed."
New: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed."

The refrain, "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again" has been deleted.

All Things Considered, August 11, 2008 · The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Aug. 4 released the official text of a new English-language translation to the Roman Catholic Mass. It's the first time the Mass will change since the 1960s — though the changes will not take effect for a few years. Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest, reflects on the changes.

What's your response to the following: "The Lord be with you."

If you said, "And also with you," you're probably a Catholic who goes to Mass on Sunday.

Not so fast. That response is about to change, along with other familiar parts of the Mass.

Overall, the language in the new English translation, just released by the bishops, is more elevated than before.

Critics of the old translation thought that the language was too conversational to be reverent. On the other side were those who thought that conversational language helped people to pray to God more naturally.

One easy place to see the change is when the priest prays a blessing over the bread and wine.

Here's the old translation: "Let your Spirit come upon these gifts, to make them holy."

Here's the new one: "Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall."

And the familiar refrain, "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again"? That's been deleted. Frankly, those two changes I'm not too crazy about.

But here's one I like.

Right before Communion we say this: "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed."

Pretty soon we'll say, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." That sounds odd until you realize it's from the Gospels, when a centurion tells Jesus that he's not worthy to have him come under his roof.

By the way, the new response to "The Lord be with you" is "And with your spirit."

That means one of my favorite jokes goes by the wayside. A priest starts shouting into the microphone saying: "Is this thing on?"

He makes lots of noise and finally says: "Something is wrong with this mic!" And the congregation replies: "And also with you!"

Language is important in the spiritual life: The way you relate to someone influences the way you speak to someone, and vice versa. It's the same with God. The way you relate to God influences how you speak to God in prayer. And your language will influence your image of God.

What does all this mean? Well, for a few months, maybe even a few years, most Catholics aren't going to know what to say in Mass. Some parishioners will be delighted, others annoyed, others just confused. For a time, the most familiar thing in many Catholics' lives will become, at least in parts, unfamiliar.

But overall the upgrades are small. I don't mean to minimize the changes, or the change in tone, but in the end, Catholics will get used to the new Mass.

And I believe that, happily, God hears everyone's prayers, whether they're in conversational language, elevated speech, through tears or through laughter, or even in the midst of dewfall.

James Martin is a Jesuit priest and author of A Jesuit Off-Broadway: Center Stage with Jesus, Judas and Life's Big Questions.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93419478

The Lord's Prayer: toddler-wise

2008-08-18T18:26:00.000-05:00

This little girl is just so adorable. No matter what your religious beliefs, you have to admit that it is amazing that she remembered the whole thing to near perfection and had all the notes pretty much right too! Just too too cute!

James Vanderkam - The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls

2008-08-17T15:00:00.000-05:00

The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Their Significance For Understanding the Bible, Judaism, Jesus, and Christianity by James Vanderkam

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
needs more in depth reading, more that I can get out of it with a library check out. Of all the books at the library dealing with the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammuradi Library, this one seemed the best and the easiest to read or comprehend.

Added to wish list so I can peruse more thoroughly.

View all my reviews.

Denise Linn - Altars

2008-08-17T14:56:00.001-05:00

Altars by Denise Linn

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very interesting in that it gives you ideas for a personal altar and pictures. Just a "gives me creative ideas of setup" guide.

Wish List

View all my reviews.

Ari Elon - Trees, Earth, and Torah: A Tu B'Shvat Anthology

2008-08-17T14:51:00.000-05:00

Trees, Earth, and Torah: A Tu B'Shvat Anthology by Ari Elon

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another library book that needs more in depth reading. Very interesting. Earth centered Judaism.

View all my reviews.

Richard D. Bank - 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Judaism

2008-08-17T14:47:00.000-05:00

101 Things Everyone Should Know About Judaism: Beliefs, Practices, Customs, And Traditions by Richard D. Bank

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Very basic, rather easy to understand fundamentals that you would need/want to know about Judaism.

Added to wish list, checked out of library.

View all my reviews.

2008-08-17T14:41:00.000-05:00

Historical Atlas of Religions by Karen Farrington

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Checked this out of the library. It is really just a "primary" level book, but it does cover some lesser knows beliefs, and some interesting articles. Rather non-biased too, and I do appreciate that. Of course it covers Judeo-Christian-Islamic beliefs and origins, but also covers Hinduism, Buddhism, Tao, Confucianism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism,Shinto, the beliefs of the Australian Aborigines, Native Americans (north, central and south- I believe), Rasta, Voodoo, Old Norse, Old Greek/Roman, Egyptian, Maori, Easter Island, Quakers, Reformation, Moon, Theosophy, and several more.

Like I said, it's just an overview, introductory book, but a good simple format.

View all my reviews.

St. John of the Cross: Dark Night of the Soul

2008-08-14T17:26:00.000-05:00

Dark Night of the Soul: A Masterpiece in the Literature of Mysticism by St. John of the Cross by St. John of the Cross

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
First heard of this work thru a song by Loreena McKennitt, who based a song on it. I love it. Very moving and very, well don't really know the word. A must read, if at least once. And find the song by Loreena McKennett as well, it is just slightly different, but beautiful and haunting.

View all my reviews.

Interesting blog entry about...

2008-08-04T11:33:00.001-05:00

the author of The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan:

http://rollanscensoredissuesblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/unexpected-kathleen-mcgowan.html

~~~~~~

Time, 1961: Massacre of the Pure

2008-08-04T11:22:00.001-05:00

Time Magazine
Friday, Apr. 28, 1961
Massacre of the Pure

"These heretics are worse than the Saracens!" exclaimed Pope Innocent III, and on March 10, 1208, he proclaimed a crusade against a sect in southern France that became one of the bloodiest blots in European history.

The heretics called Cathari (from the Greek word for pure), or Albigenses, from the town of Albi, one of their centers in Languedoc, were stamped out in 35 ruthless years of fire and sword. But as the centuries rolled on, they have had a measure of revenge against the Roman Catholic Church. The hatred generated by the crusade prepared the way for Protestantism. And in modern France, where popular apostasy from Catholicism is today wider and deeper than anything Pope Innocent could have imagined, the ancient heresy of Catharism is enjoying a remarkable revival of interest.

The long-lived tradition of anticlericalism in southern France, which recruited the Huguenots in the 16th century and fueled Communism in the 20th, is finding a new outlet in a spreading bush fire of enthusiasm for the vanished sect whose 750-year-old lost cause against the church gave anticlericalism its biggest beachhead in France. Some 30 books have been published during the last 15 years about their beliefs and practices and their slaughterous persecution—most of them highly favorable to the heretics and critical of the church. Several plays have been written about them, and literary reviews have published long articles. Hundreds of weekenders are climbing the 4,000-ft. rock atop which stands Montségur, the holy citadel of Catharism, where 300 soldiers and 200 unarmed, pacifist Cathari stood off an army of 10,000 for ten months before being burned at one huge stake for their "pure Christian" beliefs.

How to Be Perfect.
Catharism was not an isolated phenomenon. It was part of an ancient heresy that flowed like an underground stream beneath the surface of Christianity and burst forth in many forms during the church's first 1,000-odd years. Gnosticism, Manichaeanism, Paulicianism, Bogomilism and the Albigenses all had basic characteristics in common: 1) rejection of the world of matter as a trap imprisoning the divine "spark," 2) the concept of the Saviour as a heavenly being merely masquerading as human to bring salvation to 3) the elect, who often have to conceal themselves from the world, and who are set apart by 4) their special knowledge and personal purity (sexual intercourse is usually forbidden as serving the ends of the evil creator-god).

Thanks to recent research, an increasing amount is known about Catharism. It began to spread through southern France and northern Italy in the 11th century; as early as 1022 in Orléans, 13 Cathari (ten of them canons of the church) were condemned to the stake. The heresy was aided by the corruption of the clergy of the time—against whose wenching and venality the puritanism of the "Pure'' was an attractive contrast. The inner circle of Cathari were the "perfect," who had received the "consolation"—a rite performed by another "perfect" in the laying on of hands and the placing of the Gospel of John on the head of the candidate. The "perfect" eschewed sexual intercourse, taking oaths, practicing war, owning property, eating meat or dairy products (since they are the products of the act of reproduction). Some of them carried their asceticism as far as the endura—suicide by self-starvation. Most of the Cathari, however, remained among the "believers," free to live ordinary lives in the world in the hope of salvation without the rigor of living as a "perfect."

The Cathari built no churches; they worshiped in private houses without the sacraments (being material, they were evil) or the cross (because Christ had no real body and died no real death). They read the Scriptures—especially the Gospel of John—listened to a sermon, said the Lord's Prayer (in native Languedoc dialect rather than Latin) and shared a common meal. The clergy wore black robes—until Pope Innocent's crusade began.

In July 1209, an army of crusaders marched down from northern France into Languedoc and besieged the city of éeziers. When the city fathers refused to hand over 222 Cathari heretics, the crusaders broke in and massacred every man, woman and child—priests included—of Béziers' 20,000 inhabitants. Before the massacre one of the crusaders is said to have asked his leader, Abbe Arnaud Amalric, head of the Cistercian monastic order, how to distinguish between the heretics and the faithful. "Kill them all," was the abbot's alleged reply. "God will recognize his own!" From then on, the crusade became a war without mercy, in which almost any southern Frenchman was assumed to be a heretic. Historians estimate the total number of casualties at 1,000,000.

A Period of Darkness.
The enthusiasm of these new-style heretic hunters is being fanned by a number of antiquarians. Dean of them all is tall, gaunt Déodat Roche, 79, a former magistrate of Arques, whose lifelong dedication to spreading the Cathar gospel, organizing pilgrimages to Montségur, and following the strict vegetarian regimen of his heretic ancestors has earned him the nickname "the Cathar Bishop." More active is Sociology Professor René Nelli of the University of Toulouse ("the vicar of Catharism"), who lectures on the subject all over France and has been commissioned by the French government to collect relics and documents for a Cathar museum-in the fortified city of Carcassonne.

Neo-Cathar Nelli explains the growing interest in the medieval heresy: "First the continued retreat of Roman Catholicism. Rome fails to answer people's questions. Secondly, the crusade's sites are admittedly picturesque, and the drama has an appealing epic character. Finally, we are living in a period of darkness, anguish, desperateness, wars, massacres, torture, atomic bombs. Isn't science itself satanic? People will talk about Catharism more and more unless we enter a period of 50 years of peace and prosperity. And that isn't likely."

Click to Print
Find this article at:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,897752,00.html

Book review: Kathleen McGowan: The Expected One

2008-07-30T18:49:00.001-05:00

The Expected One: A Novel by Kathleen McGowan

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
NOTE::::: not for those who won't accept the possibility of MM and Jesus having a bloodline that still possibly exists.

Started this book, decided after reading the afterward and author's notes that I need one to highlight. So will return to library and keep an eye out for my own copy.

Okay, now half-way thru,changed my mind about buying it for myself...will just read the library book and when the sequels come out will do the same.

It is pretty well written, and rehashes some "theories" already out there, but a little different take than The DaVinci Code. Definitely harsh on Paul (in my mind that's okay by me, don't care for him anyhow), John the Baptist, and several others. Also doesn't idealizes DaVinci like the other book did.

I guess learning a bit more about the author has tinted my view of the book, as I was actually enjoying it before googling her and then "hearing" some of her actual beliefs from her own posts...I actually suppose that if I could speak to her face to face she wouldn't seem so....out there. But to read it without tone and inflection, she sounds a little loony. But her right and that's okay. She actually sounds like people I used to hang around a lot with before I moved to "small-town" America.

Some of the plot themes are now hindering my enjoyment of the book as well, but if it had been written about entirely fictional characters, would not be bothering me...so I adjust my thinking for that.

I don't want to turn anyone off the book, it isn't bad at all. Just my own preconceived notions block my complete enjoyment of the book.

I can accept the possibility of MM and Easa being wed and having children, that, in my mind, is NOT outside the realm of possibility. Nor is the presumption that she may have held a more "pure" interpretation of Easa's teachings. That also is firmly entrenched in my brain as not only acceptable, but probable.

But for the executions of Marie Antoinette and Louis as part of a grand scheme to wipe out the bloodline, ordered by the RC church seems just a wee bit farfetched...but that's okay too...whatever moves the plot along. And I know that some believe all the "theories" surrounding the legend of MM. But bits and pieces of it bug me, and I cannot explain why.

So read the book, make your own mind up...but it is most assuredly NOT FOR the most conservative christian mind.

Update:::: 1 August 2008

Finished book. Enjoyed it so much better there at the last half of the book. While it does go over SOME of the same material as DaVinci Code, it takes quite a few sudden turns away from it as well. As noted before, the issue of DaVinci is quite a bit different.

The author relates in the AUTHOR'S NOTE at the end of the book that it is based much on her own experiences. This is where I had a minor problem. Not a problem for me now, but it was while in the midst of reading it. Despite that, if even half of what she puts forward in this book is, in fact, well, factual and real, then it is impressive and hopeful. I am looking forward to the next part of the series.

The ONLY reservations I had with this book is the fact that I am overly skeptical when I cannot discern tone and intent because of no "face to face" interaction. Many of her, for lack of a better word, theories I do hold with. A lot of them I grew up believing, in some depth or another.

I have always had a problem with the church's stance on women's roles, Paul's theology, the lack of info on the female's in Jesus' life, and the dismissal of even the possiblity that Jesus could have married and had a family. Being a Jew of the times, it would have been strange if he did not. And Pope Gregory, I think it was, that made Mary Magdalene a prostitute did a great disservice to her. She was the one, the only one, who witnessed Jesus' return after the crucifixion. She was also termed the Apostle to the Apostles. And Jesus' closest companion. I believe these are all mentioned in the accepted form of the Bible. For her to be so denigrated as she has been for 2000 years is reprehensible and disgraceful. Not only for her, but for the church and for women everywhere.

I still am a bit skeptical of the author's assertions about Marie Antoinette, the Borgia's and various artists, but then I've never really done much research on the aforementioned people due to lack of interest.

Read this book with a somewhat open mind. The author writes a good story, whether or not you believe it is a fictional account of her own experiences.

View all my reviews.

An interesting new blog discovered

2008-07-30T12:02:00.000-05:00

new to me anyhow...he has some interesting reads.
http://www.andrewgough.com/index.html

Rennes-le-Château Research and Resource

2008-07-30T11:31:00.000-05:00

site on Rennes-le-Château

http://www.rlcresearch.com/

seems rather objective instead of propounding all sorts of mythos...

Books on Cathars and the Cathar Wars

2008-07-30T10:25:00.002-05:00

from the site: http://www.renneslechateaubooks.info/languedoccathar/

Books on Cathars and the Cathar Wars

The following are books in English dealing with the Cathars, the so-called Cathar heresy, and the Crusade against the Cathars of the Languedoc.

These are all books worth reading, the modern ones selected for their objectivity and historical accuracy; the medieval reprints and translations purely for their historical interest. The star rating represents the webmaster's personal view.

Massacre at Montsegur: a history of the Albigensian Crusade
Zoe Oldenburg

Highly recommended. Not specifically about Montsegur but rather about the history of the Cathars in the Languedoc. Excellent introductory text.

The Original version is in French, but the English version is well translated so you'd never guess.
Zoe Oldenburg was originally a novelist, but this is a sound work of nonfiction (and built her an instant reputation as an historian).

The Cathars in The Languedoc
Malcolm Barber

An excellent book, but probably for academics and those who already know something about the Cathars.

Covers the area well, with interesting information on Catharism in Italy, the larger religious context, and modern Catharism. It traces the origins and spread of dualist ideas, assesses their attraction, and describes the reaction of the ecclesiastical and lay authorities in the form of preaching campaigns, crusades, and inquisitorial investigations.

A fascinating account of the development of religious belief and attempts to suppress it, touching on the nature of evil, the ethics of warfare, and the use made of history by later generations. The book will appeal to those interested in medieval perceptions of the world, the Crusades and the Inquisition.

Malcolm Barber is Professor of History at the University of Reading. He is the author of two books on the Templars, The Trial of the Templars (1978) and The New Knighthood (1994) (Both also highly recommended).

Paperback: 256 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.75 x 9.00 x 6.75 ; The book is illustratedPublisher: Pearson Longman; (July 27, 2000); ISBN: 0582256615

The Cathars
Malcolm Lambert

Another excellent text which traces the origins and spread of Dualist ideas, assesses their attraction, and describes the reaction of the ecclesiastical and lay authorities in the form of preaching campaigns, intellectual refutation, crusade, and inquisitorial investigations.

Though richly illustrated, this is for the enthusiast rather than the general reader. The author takes a chronological and regional approach (covering doctrinal material as the need arises). He covers heresy in Western Europe before the eleventh century and the Bogomils and early appearances of Catharism in the Rhineland. He goes on to the rise of Catharism in the Languedoc and the Roman Catholic Church's response to it (Innocent III, the crusade, and the Inquisition).

The book extends to the revival of Catharism around the beginning of the fourteenth century, and also deals with Italian Catharism, and the fate of the parent Bosnian Church.

Lambert notes that in Italy, unlike the Languedoc, conflicts over doctrine split Cathars into separate camps, and their survival for so long was largely attributable to the unwillingness of independent city-states to grant church authorities the powers needed to exterminate what the Roman Church saw as heresy.

Malcolm Lambert was a Reader in Medieval History at the University of Bristol in the U.K. He retired in 1991 but continues to write excellent history.

The Perfect Heresy: The Revolutionary Life and Death of the Medieval Cathars
Stephen O'Shea

This account of tale of the Cathars of the Languedoc and their destruction is sympathetic, evocative and sometimes witty.

Catharism is presented as "a pacifist brand of Christianity embracing tolerance and poverty". Rejecting the authority of the Church, and claiming a series of contrary beliefs, it was considered "perfect heresy" ie complete and utter heresy.

Nobles, monks, popes and kings star in this story of the "abattoir Christianity" of conflict encompassing religious and secular motivation over decades. The book's recreations of of siege warfare are particularly good. Operational methods of the Inquisition are clearly explained.

This is an accessible text for non-specialists, but it is sound history, drawing on modern scholarship and providing good notes.

Stephen O'Shea is a Canadian historian, who was inspired to write this book after traveling in France.

Montaillou: village Occitan, 1294-1324
Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie

A century after the Crusade against the Cathars, a local Catholic bishop discovered that that Cathars were still flourishing. He had a whole village arrested and interrogated in his role as Inquisitor. Unusually, he was actually interested in the truth and recorded a wealth of detail about his unfortunate victims. This Inquisitor, Jacques Fournier, was promoted from Bishop of Pamiers to Archbishop of Narbonne and later elected Pope. His records found their way into the Vatican archives, where they were studied in the twentieth century by the French historian Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie. Le Roy Ladurie has produced an astonishing, gripping, unique, work of history by collecting details about ordinary village life of a fourteenth century rural community.

The Albigensian Crusade
Jonathan Sumption

Excellent history, and a brave attempt at making the case for the behaviour Roman Church.
This book by the well know historian and English barrister takes a much more informed view of the international politics of the period than most other works available.

The Yellow Cross: The Story of the Last Cathars, 1290-1329
René Weis

A century or so after the start of the first Cathar wars there was a short lived resurgence of the Cathar faith in the areas around Foix. (Another aspect of this resurgence is related in Montaillou - see above). Weis's book is about this resurgence.

The yellow cross of the title is a reference to to the yellow crosses that Cathars were obliged to wear by the Inquisition as a mark of public penance - similar to the yellow badges that Jews were obliged to wear as a mark of infamy, and a contrast to the red crosses worn by heroic crusaders.

One of the saddest and most moving parts of the story is that concerning a man called Belibast, the last known parfait in the area. Having led a colourful life, and having failed to live up to the high standards expected of a parfait, he nevertheless opted to die a most appalling death at the hands of the Roman Catholic Church rather than recant his faith, and spent his last days on earth trying to reconvert the erstwhile friend who had betrayed him to the Inquisition.

The Cathars and the Albigensian Crusade
Michael Costen

A good all round work on the subject, though some reviewers have criticised it for an alleged pro-Catholic bias in its presentation and selection of sources.

The Song of the Cathar Wars.
William of Tudela and an Anonymous Successor (J. Shirley, translator,)

A contemporary history of the Albigensian Crusade. This is a poem, originally written in Occitan and later translated into French. This version is the first translation into English of this key text.
This is a prime source of information about the First Cathar Crusade, the House of Toulouse, medieval warfare and early heraldry.

If you try to compare the English and French translations, beware that the French translations are rather free, while the English one tries hard to remain faithful to the original, while still retaining the rhyme scheme.

The History of the Albigensian Crusade / Histoire Albigeoise
Peter des Vaux de Carney (W.A. & M.D. Sibly, translators)

This is a contemporary account of the Cathar wars, written by a cleric sympathetic to the crusader cause. It is interesting as much as anything as a demonstration of how badly twisted the religious mind can become by unthinking adherence to the misconceptions that motivate it. As one reviewer put it "Reading his History of the Albigensian Crusade, was a revolting experience. Peter seems like the sort of man who could easily today have written justifications of Stalinist / Nazi mass murder."

There are several French translations.

The English translators' extensive footnotes convert this work from a piece of medieval bigotry into a superb historical resource.

Chasing the Heretics: A Modern Journey Through the Medieval Languedoc
Rion Klawinski

Montsegur and the Mystery of the Cathars
Jean Markale

Histoire des Cathares
Michel Roquebert & Catherine Bibolleet

Cathares
Yves Rouquette

Montségur, Les cendres de la liberté

Michel Roquebert

The Chronicle of William of Puylaurens
Author: W.A. Sibly

Cathar Castles, Fortresses of the albigensian Crusade 1209-1300
Marcus Cowper, illustrated by Peter Dennis

An invaluable little guide to the so-called Cathar Castles of the Languedoc. Recommended for anyone planning a visit to one or more of these ruined fortifications.

A great advantage is that booklet steers well clear of the usual inaccurate hysterical tourist guff. Cowper is a medieval historian with a good grip on the intricacies of medieval warfare and of events during the Wars against the Cathars.

Illustrations by Peter Dennis are also excellent. Historically accurate and useful as a field guide.

Power and Purity: Cathar Heresy in Medieval Italy
Carol Lansing

Catharism was popular throughout Occitania, including areas that we now regard as part of Italy as well as those we now regard as parts of France.

This book explores the place of cathar heresy in the life of the medieval Italian town of Orvieto, as well as Florence and Bologna. Based on archival research, it details the social makeup of the Cathar community and argues that the heresy was central to social and political changes of the 13th century.

According to this book, the late 13th-century repression of Catharism by a local inquisition was part of a redefinition of civic and ecclesiastical authority.

Power and Purity will appeal to historians of society and politics as well as religion and even "gender studies".

Light reading.

Carol Lansing is Professor of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

• © Sanjil Tolosa, 2008 • Contact • Links •

Edain McCoy: Celtic Myth & Magick: Harness the Power of the Gods and Goddesses

2008-07-29T20:30:00.001-05:00

Celtic Myth & Magick: Harness the Power of the Gods and Goddesses by Edain McCoy

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Some people don't like Edain McCoy's books, they relegate them to "fluffy-bunny" status. I personally despise that term and think that the ones who use it are self-important wanna be know-it-alls. There, I said it, LOL. Whatever level ANYONE is in their own search for faith and spirituality should never be demeaned and condescended to as these people who use such a term tend to do.

I liked this book, it was more of a dictionary for me of some of the lesser known (to me) deities and figures in celtic mythos. The rituals would be helpful to those who use them, I personally would only use someone else's to build upon to make my own, if I were so inclined. But this is her, McCoy's, path and choice. She did a pretty decent job in this book.

Although the elitist crowd will still look down on her work, if you are just beginning your studies into Celtic Myth, then this is a good reference.

Also look into Patricia Monaghan!

View all my reviews.

WHO WAS MARY MAGDALENE?

2008-07-27T18:12:00.003-05:00

Links to articles at beliefnet.com...a joint effort with ABCNews

WHO WAS MARY MAGDALENE? WAS JESUS MARRIED? CHRISTIANITY'S HIDDEN GODDESS GOSPEL OF MARY GNOSTICISM THE DA VINCI CODE

Who Was Mary Magdalene?

Mary, Mary, Extraordinary

She was an important disciple and witness for Jesus, but there is no historical evidence for a more intimate relationship. By Ben Witherington III

Bible Verses About Mary Magdalene

All New Testament references to the woman from Magdala

Letting Mary Magdalene Speak

Tradition is not fixed. Newly discovered texts like the Gospel of Mary let us hear other voices in an ancient Christian debate. By Karen King

A Quite Contrary Mary

Like Jesus, Mary Magdalene is now the subject of a cultural makeover. What agenda do feminist scholars have in mind? By Kenneth L. Woodward

Quiz:

Mary Magdalene in the Bible and in pop culture

Poll:

Which image of Mary Magdalene is most meaningful to you?

Audio:

"Woman with the wild thing's heart," a poem about Mary Magdalene

Discussion: What did you think of the show?

Could Jesus Have Been Married?

Was Jesus Married?

A new novel forces people to confront a biblical puzzle. Was Mary Magdalene Mrs. Jesus?By Deborah Caldwell

Jesus Was Single

If we ask what the hard evidence is that Jesus was married, there really is a very short answer. There is none. By Darrell Bock

Why Jesus Didn't Marry

He may have been too poor to support a family. By John Dominic Crossan

Poll:

Was Jesus Married?

Discussion: Does it matter if Jesus was married?

Christianity's "Hidden Goddess"

Mary Magdalene's Secret

Was she a Benjamite heiress destined to carry on a sacred bloodline?By Margaret Starbird

A Goddess for Every Need

How divine figures from world religions, including Mary Magdalene, can help you in your daily life.By Laurie Sue Brockway

Discussion: Are You Inspired by Mary Magdalene?

The Gospel of Mary

The Gospel of Mary of Magdala

An ancient manuscript, a radical interpretation of Jesus' teachings--written in the name of a woman.By Karen L. King

Link:

Read the Gospel of Mary

Discussion:

Have you read the Gospel of Mary?

Gnosticism

Ask the Bible Scholar: What Are the Gnostic Gospels?Matthew, Mark, Luke ...and Thomas?

What would Christianity be like if gnostic texts had made it into the Bible?Interview with Dr. Elaine Pagels, author of "Beyond Belief"

The Shaky Foundation of "The Da Vinci Code": Gnostic Texts

Gnostic gospels were never taken as historical documents. Why are they now in vogue?By James Hitchcock

Poll:

Are noncanonical texts like "The Gospel of Mary" legit?

Discussions:
Nag Hammadi and Gnosticism
What did Gnostics think of Mary Magdalene?

Mary Magdalene Saint or Sinner?

2008-07-27T18:06:00.001-05:00

Monday, Aug. 11, 2003

Mary Magdalene Saint or Sinner?
A new wave of literature is cleaning up her reputation. How a woman of substance was "harlotized"
By DAVID VAN BIEMA

The gorgeous female cryptographer and the hunky college professor are fleeing the scene of a ghastly murder they did not commit. In the midst of their escape, which will eventually utilize an armored car, a private jet, electronic-surveillance devices and just enough unavoidable violence to keep things interesting, our heroes seek out the one man who holds the key not only to their exoneration but also to a mystery that could change the world. To help explain it to them, crippled, jovial, fabulously wealthy historian Sir Leigh Teabing points out a figure in a famous painting.

"'Who is she?' Sophie asked.

"'That, my dear,' Teabing replied, 'is Mary Magdalene.'

"Sophie turned. 'The prostitute?'

"Teabing drew a short breath, as if the word had injured him personally. 'Magdalene was no such thing. That unfortunate misconception is the legacy of a smear campaign launched by the early Church.'"

Summer page turners tend to sidestep the finer points of 6th century church history. Perhaps that is their loss. The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown, now in its 18th week on the New York Times hard-cover fiction best-seller list, is one of those hypercaffeinated conspiracy specials with two-page chapters and people's hair described as "burgundy." But Brown, who by book's end has woven Magdalene intricately and rather outrageously into his plot, has picked his MacGuffin cannily. Not only has he enlisted one of the few New Testament personages whom a reader might arguably imagine in a bathing suit (generations of Old Masters, after all, painted her topless). He has chosen a character whose actual identity is in play, both in theology and pop culture.

Three decades ago, the Roman Catholic Church quietly admitted what critics had been saying for centuries: Magdalene's standard image as a reformed prostitute is not supported by the text of the Bible. Freed of this lurid, limiting premise and employing varying ratios of scholarship and whimsy, academics and enthusiasts have posited various other Magdalenes: a rich and honored patron of Jesus, an Apostle in her own right, the mother of the Messiah's child and even his prophetic successor. The wealth of possibilities has inspired a wave of literature, both academic and popular, including Margaret George's 2002 best-selling historical novel Mary, Called Magdalene. And it has gained Magdalene a new following among Catholics who see in her a potent female role model and a possible argument against the all-male priesthood. The woman who three Gospels agree was the first witness to Christ's Resurrection is having her own kind of rebirth. Says Ellen Turner, who played host to an alternative celebration for the saint on her traditional feast day on July 22: "Mary [Magdalene] got worked over by the church, but she is still there for us. If we can bring her story forward, we can get back to what Jesus was really about."

In 1988, the book Mary Magdalene: A Woman Who Showed Her Gratitude, part of a children's biblical-women series and a fairly typical product of its time, explained that its subject "was not famous for the great things she did or said, but she goes down in history as a woman who truly loved Jesus with all her heart and was not embarrassed to show it despite criticism from others." That is certainly part of her traditional resume. Many Christian churches would add her importance as an example of the power of Christ's love to save even the most fallen humanity, and of repentance. (The word maudlin derives from her reputation as a tearful penitent.) Centuries of Catholic teaching also established her colloquial identity as the bad girl who became the hope of all bad girls, the saved siren active not only in the overheated imaginations of parochial-school students but also as the patron of institutions for wayward women such as the grim nun-run laundries featured in the new movie The Magdalene Sisters. In the culture at large, writer Kathy Shaidle has suggested, Magdalene is "the Jessica Rabbit of the Gospels, the gold-hearted town tramp belting out I Don't Know How to Love Him."

The only problem is that it turns out that she wasn't bad, just interpreted that way. Mary Magdalene (her name refers to Magdala, a city in Galilee) first appears in the Gospel of Luke as one of several apparently wealthy women Jesus cures of possession (seven demons are cast from her), who join him and the Apostles and "provided for them out of their means." Her name does not come up again until the Crucifixion, which she and other women witness from the foot of the Cross, the male disciples having fled. On Easter Sunday morning, she visits Jesus' sepulcher, either alone or with other women, and discovers it empty. She learns — in three Gospels from angels and in one from Jesus himself — that he is risen. John's recounting is the most dramatic. She is solo at the empty tomb. She alerts Peter and an unnamed disciple; only the latter seems to grasp the Resurrection, and they leave. Lingering, Magdalene encounters Jesus, who asks her not to cling to him, "but go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father ... and my God." In Luke's and Mark's versions, this plays out as a bit of a farce: Magdalene and other women try to alert the men, but "these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them." Eventually they came around.

Discrepancies notwithstanding, the net impression is of a woman of substance, brave and smart and devoted, who plays a crucial — perhaps irreplaceable — role in Christianity's defining moment. So where did all the juicy stuff come from? Mary Magdalene's image became distorted when early church leaders bundled into her story those of several less distinguished women whom the Bible did not name or referred to without a last name. One is the "sinner" in Luke who bathes Jesus' feet with her tears, dries them with her hair, kisses them and anoints them with ointment. "Her many sins have been forgiven, for she loved much," he says. Others include Luke's Mary of Bethany and a third, unnamed woman, both of whom anointed Jesus in one form or another. The mix-up was made official by Pope Gregory the Great in 591: "She whom Luke calls the sinful woman, whom John calls Mary [of Bethany], we believe to be the Mary from whom seven devils were ejected according to Mark," Gregory declared in a sermon. That position became church teaching, although it was not adopted by Orthodoxy or Protestantism when each later split from Catholicism.

What prompted Gregory? One theory suggests an attempt to reduce the number of Marys — there was a similar merging of characters named John. Another submits that the sinning woman was appended simply to provide missing backstory for a figure of obvious importance. Others blame misogyny. Whatever the motivation, the effect of the process was drastic and, from a feminist perspective, tragic. Magdalene's witness to the Resurrection, rather than being acclaimed as an act of discipleship in some ways greater than the men's, was reduced to the final stage in a moving but far less central tale about the redemption of a repentant sinner. "The pattern is a common one," writes Jane Schaberg, a professor of religious and women's studies at the University of Detroit Mercy and author of last year's The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene: "the powerful woman disempowered, remembered as a whore or whorish." As shorthand, Schaberg coined the term "harlotization."

In 1969, in the liturgical equivalent of fine print, the Catholic Church officially separated Luke's sinful woman, Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene as part of a general revision of its missal. Word has been slow in filtering down into the pews, however. (It hasn't helped that Magdalene's heroics at the tomb are still omitted from the Easter Sunday liturgy, relegated instead to midweek.) And in the meantime, more scholarship has stoked the fires of those who see her eclipse as a chauvinist conspiracy. Historians of Christianity are increasingly fascinated with a group of early followers of Christ known broadly as the Gnostics, some of whose writings were unearthed only 55 years ago. And the Gnostics were fascinated by Magdalene. The so-called Gospel of Mary [Magdalene], which may date from as early as A.D. 125 (or about 40 years after John's Gospel), describes her as having received a private vision from Jesus, which she passes on to the male disciples. This role is a usurpation of the go-between status the standard Gospels normally accord to Peter, and Mary depicts him as mightily peeved, asking, "Did [Jesus] really speak with a woman without our knowledge?" The disciple Levi comes to her defense, saying, "Peter, you have always been hot-tempered ... If the Savior made her worthy, who are you to reject her? Surely, the Savior loves her very well. That is why he loved her more than us."

Them's fightin' words, especially when one remembers that the papacy traces its authority back to Peter. Of course, the Gnostic Gospels are not the Bible. In fact, there is evidence that the Bible was standardized and canonized precisely to exclude such books, which the early church leaders regarded as heretical for many non-Magdalene reasons. Nonetheless, feminists have been quick to cite Mary as evidence both of Magdalene's early importance, at least in some communities, and as the virtual play-by-play of a forgotten gender battle, in which church fathers eventually prevailed over the people who never got the chance to be known as church mothers. "I think it was a power struggle," says Schaberg, "And the canonical texts that we have [today] come from the winners."

Schaberg goes further. In her book, she returns to John in light of the Gnostic writings and purports to find "fragments of a claim" that Jesus may have seen Magdalene as his prophetic successor. The position is thus far quite lonely. But it serves nicely to illustrate the way in which any retrieval of Magdalene as a "winner" inevitably shakes up current assumptions about male church leadership. After Pope John Paul II prohibited even the discussion of female priests in 1995, he cited "the example recorded in the Sacred Scriptures of Christ choosing his Apostles only from among men ..." That argument would seem weakened in light of the "new" Magdalene, whom the Pope himself has acknowledged by the once unfashionable title "Apostle to the Apostles." Chester Gillis, chair of the department of theology at Georgetown University, says conventional Catholics still feel that Mary Magdalene's absence from many biblical scenes involving the male disciples, and specifically from the ordination-like ritual of the Last Supper, rule her out as a priest precedent. Gillis agrees, however, that her recalibration "certainly makes a case for a stronger role for women in the church."

Meanwhile, the combination of catholic rethinking and Gnostic revelations have reanimated wilder Magdalene speculations, like that of a Jesus-Magdalene marriage. ("No other biblical figure," Schaberg notes, "has had such a vivid and bizarre postbiblical life.") The Gnostic Gospel of Philip describes Magdalene as "the one who was called [Jesus'] companion," claiming that he "used to kiss her on her [mouth]." Most scholars discount a Jesus-Magdalene match because it finds little echo in the canonical Gospels once the false Magdalenes are removed. But it fulfills a deep narrative expectation: for the alpha male to take a mate, for a yin to Jesus' yang or, as some neopagans have suggested, for a goddess to his god. Martin Luther believed that Jesus and Magdalene were married, as did Mormon patriarch Brigham Young.

The notion that Magdalene was pregnant by Jesus at his Crucifixion became especially entrenched in France, which already had a tradition of her immigration in a rudderless boat, bearing the Holy Grail, his chalice at the Last Supper into which his blood later fell. Several French kings promoted the legend that descendants of Magdalene's child founded the Merovingian line of European royalty, a story revived by Richard Wagner in his opera Parsifal and again in connection with Diana, Princess of Wales, who reportedly had some Merovingian blood. (The Wachowski brothers, those cultural magpies, named a villain in The Matrix Reloaded Merovingian, filming him surrounded by Grail-like chalices. His wife in that film was played by Italian actress Monica Bellucci, who will also play Magdalene in Mel Gibson's upcoming Jesus film ... Sorry, this stuff is addictive.) The idea that Magdalene herself was the Holy Grail — the human receptacle for Jesus' blood line — popped up in a 1986 best seller, Holy Blood, Holy Grail, which inspired Brown's Da Vinci Code. When Brown said recently, "Mary Magdalene is a historical figure whose time has come," he meant a figure with a lot of mythic filagree.

Ellen Turner was 48 years old when she first learned that Mary Magdalene was not a whore. Through Catholic school and a Catholic college, she attests, "I thought about her in the traditional way, as a sinner." But eight years ago, the 56-year-old technical writer tapped into a network of neo-Magdalenites through her connection with the liberal Catholic groups Call to Action and Futurechurch. The discovery that, as Turner puts it, Magdalene "got the shaft" started her thinking about how to change the situation. She was happy to find that the two organizations, which see Magdalene's recovered image as an argument for their goal of a priesthood open to all those who feel called, coordinate celebrations around the world on her feast day.

Last month Turner and her husband Ray played host to such a celebration at their home in San Jose, Calif. About 30 participants drove in from as far away as Oakland. After meeting and greeting and strolling the meditation labyrinth in Turner's backyard, the group held something resembling a church service, with an opening hymn, a blessing over the bread and wine and readings about Magdalene from the four Gospels. There was no priest, but Turner herself read what, if this were a Mass, might be a homily. "From the beginning," she intoned as the sun sank over Silicon Valley, "her view has been ignored, unappreciated. The first to see the risen Lord — those with more power have sought to marginalize her. Yet she is faithful. She remains. She cannot be silenced."

Reported by Lisa McLaughlin

Copyright © 2003 Time Inc. All rights reserved.Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
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Curious Site

2008-07-27T17:24:00.003-05:00

Don't know what to make of it yet, or whether I find them credible or not, but will have to read more in depth before I make up my mind. Beyond that, here is the site address and you can make your own mind up. Polite, civil comments appreciated. Rude ones will be deleted.
http://www.thenazareneway.com/index.htm

India's New Buddhists

2008-07-27T15:31:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, Jul. 15, 2008

India's New Buddhists
By Jyoti Thottam

Neha Mohan was 24 years old and living the new Indian dream, with a job at a New Delhi marketing firm that hitched her wagon to the country's chugging economy. And then she let it all go. "I wasn't satisfied," she says over a cappuccino in a shopping mall on the city's southern fringe. Mohan decided to ditch business and study French. With a widowed mother to support, Mohan says her family couldn't understand why she would turn her back on so much opportunity. "There was a lot of pressure," she says. But like many other urban, educated Indians, Mohan, now 29, has found strength and solace in Buddhism.

The faith that was started 2,500 years ago by a worldly, disaffected Indian prince, Siddhartha Gautama, is finding new adherents among the modern princes and princesses of the country's prosperous élite. They're facing some of the same tensions that have made Buddhist practice so popular in the U.S. and Europe. "As in America, there are all kinds of new pressures that are at work on people, all kinds of mental stress," says K.T.S. Sarao, a professor of Buddhist studies at the University of Delhi. The wealth created by India's technology boom has brought with it the realization that material comfort isn't the same thing as happiness. Caught in that tender trap, Sarao says, "People turn to meditation."

But while Buddhism in the West might carry with it a hint of the exotic, here the appeal has more to do with its simplicity and pragmatism. That's what has drawn so many New Delhi yuppies to Soka Gakkai, a lay Buddhist movement whose extensive land holdings and political influence have sometimes made it controversial in Japan, where it was founded. Soka Gakkai has had a tiny presence in India for decades. But the group has blossomed in the last eight years, growing from 5,000 to 35,000 members — 20,000 of them in New Delhi alone.

The core of the Soka Gakkai practice is the chanting of the phrase nam myoho renge kyo — "I devote myself to the mystic law of the Lotus Sutra" — but it is otherwise stripped of mysticism or ascetic self-denial. It teaches a mix of personal affirmation, positive thinking, and the basic Buddhist principles of peace and non-violence. Saurabh Popli, a lanky, 34-year-old architect, says he found in Soka Gakkai "a philosophy that can help us navigate these incredibly complex lives that we're living." He adds, "It doesn't require me to live in the mountains. It's a pragmatic way to live my life." Sunita Mehta, 60, a non-profit executive who's been part of the group for 13 years, says she's noticed that the newer members aren't the typical spiritual seekers: many are scientists, doctors or academics. Members chant privately, but meet regularly in each other's whitewashed apartment buildings and bougainvillea-shaded homes. They come, Mehta says, looking for a safe place to talk about their tough bosses and bad breakups. "These are not the things that you can take to the normal Hindu priest," she says.

Other established schools of Buddhist thought, like vipassana meditation and Tibetan Buddhism, are finding a newly receptive audience India as well. These new Buddhists don't convert officially; they simply take up some form of the practice, usually chanting or meditation, and often continue to observe the same holidays and family rituals they always did. That's another part of Buddhism's appeal in India, Sarao says. In a country where so much of social life revolves around religious festivals and ceremonies, Indians can enjoy the philosophical satisfactions of Buddhism without having to give up the faith they were born into. "They do not feel they're being disloyal to Hinduism in any way," he says.

Of course, that makes it difficult to know exactly how widespread Buddhist practice has become. About 1.7% of India's population, or 170 million people, were counted as Buddhist in the 2001 census, but the vast majority are the descendants of Dalits, who converted to Buddhism en masse in the 1950s as a reaction against their low status in the Hindu caste hierarchy. It was an inspiring political revolution, led by the great Dalit activist B.R. Ambedkar, but its success gave contemporary Buddhism in India the stigma of a lower-caste movement. That's changed with this recent move toward the faith among the élite. Sarao estimates that urban, affluent followers of Buddhism in India may number about 1 million.

With them, the story of Buddhism in India comes back to its beginnings. In his book An End to Suffering: The Buddha in the World, author Pankaj Mishra describes the troubled times in which the Buddha appeared. Dissatisfied with lives regimented around work, he writes, people gathered to listen to a new breed of freethinking philosopher, "India's first cosmopolitan thinkers." Those disaffected seekers came together in groves and parks built near the cities of the sixth-century B.C. Gangetic Plain. But any 21st century Delhi-ite would surely recognize the tensions driving their search for spiritual clarity.

Find this article at:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1822787,00.html

Henotheism links

2008-07-22T12:59:00.001-05:00

http://www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/henotheism.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henotheism

http://www.gotquestions.org/henotheism.html

http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/egyptmyth/g/henotheism.htm

http://www.sofiatopia.org/equiaeon/henotheism.htm

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=henotheism&start=10&sa=N

2008-07-21T13:11:00.001-05:00

How Do You Spell God? by Marc Gellman

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
First heard of this book on Good Morning America years ago. Bought it first thing, I was intrigued by a book written by both a Catholic Priest and a Jewish Rabbi. And the fact they seemed such jolly friends intrigued me as well, not that it really was a shock or disbelief, but was refreshing to see two men of differing faiths be such chums. In this day and age, I am delightfully surprised and thrilled when you can have this interfaith communion without strife.

Anyway, about the book itself, it is a good reference and question and answer book. Questions you feel kinda stupid about asking but here would be the answers.

It has been a good long while since I read the book, so cannot give a good description here. Rest assured, unless you are an atheist, this book might have something for you. Especially if you are faced with answering some questions from children and such.

View all my reviews.

2008-07-21T12:56:00.001-05:00

When God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars

View all my reviews.

2008-07-21T12:52:00.001-05:00

When Women Were Priests: Women's Leadership in the Early Church and the Scandal of Their Subordination in by Karen J. Torjesen

My review

Wow, just checked my book and it's a first edition, wouldn't ya know...

I've had this book for quite a while, started reading it a long time ago (there is a book marker in there where I took a note on a showing of Riverdance, hmmmm)

If anyone is interested in the roles of women in the early Catholic church, this would be a good book to read.

View all my reviews.

Interesting site on Lilith

2008-07-20T14:32:00.000-05:00

http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/Lilith/Lilith.php

Interesting site

2008-07-20T13:42:00.000-05:00

http://psychicmoondancer.com/wicca.html

lists different types of witch beliefs

Info from Patricia Monaghan, one of my fave authors!

2008-07-14T11:57:00.002-05:00

Aw, shucks...blush, blush.

I've been for the last six years working on a new and definitive edition of Goddesses and Heroines. It's due in December, out in hardback next year, then paperback after that. It'll be two volumes, illustrated, with all the footnotes your nerdly heart can desire! I've had a great time working on updating and expanding. So much yet to learn!

Now I resume blushing...thanks for your appreciative works...Patricia Monaghan

I love her dictionary of Goddesses and Heroines, actually own 2 copies (can't find one of them...long story) and now a new edition out next year?!~ Whooooppeeeeee!!!

Jewish Observances

2008-07-13T14:26:00.000-05:00

Jewish Observances

For Jews, religious observances are a way of turning beliefs into actions. These actions are the rituals that create religious moments in a person’s everyday life. There are several major Jewish rituals that mark the passage of time and make time holy, other rituals are directed at helping a person to “think” Jewishly, and still other rituals are designed to help Jews to act Jewishly.
The rituals that divide time and make time holy include the holy days and the special celebrations that are a part of the life cycle of the Jew.

BRIT MILAH AND NAMING

The first Jewish life-cycle celebration for the male baby is Brit Milah, circumcision. Through this symbolic act, which according to the Bible began with Abraham and Isaac, Jewish males are brought into the community of Israel, marked for life as Jews, and given a Hebrew name. The practice of brit milah is common to all religious movements within Judaism and may be performed in the home or the hospital. Among Conservative and Reform Jews (and sometimes even among Orthodox Jews), a naming ceremony in the home or in the synagogue welcomes female babies to their new Jewish identities.

BAR AND BAT MITZVAH

Around the time of their thirteenth birthday, boys and girls are initiated into adulthood in the Jewish community. The ceremony is called Bar Mitzvah for boys and Bat Mitzvah for girls—the terms are identical, one being masculine and the other feminine; both mean “Child of the Commandment(s).” It is at the age of twelve and a half for girls and thirteen for boys that young people become adults according to Jewish law. No ceremony is actually necessary, but ceremonies have been customary since the late Middle Ages. Boys (and sometimes girls as well) are called before the congregation to lead the congregation in worship and to read from the Torah, the scroll of parchment on which are handwritten the Five Books of Moses in Hebrew. This reading is often chanted to an ancient melody called a trop. Both boys and girls read also from the Haftarah, a weekly selection from the Prophets loosely connected t o the weekly Torah portion.

There are several reasons for this elaborate ceremony. First, as noted above, it marks the point at which a Jewish child becomes responsible for keeping the mitzvot (commandments) of Judaism.

Second, it marks a point in the education of the Jewish youth. Not only a rabbi but also any Jewish adult may lead a prayer service or perform a Jewish ceremony in all branches of Judaism except the Orthodox. (In Orthodox practice, only men are allowed to lead congregational worship.) So the Bar or Bat Mitzvah ceremony is a way of showing that the young person has a sufficient command of Judaism and of Hebrew to lead the congregation.

Third, Bar or Bat Mitzvah provides an important occasion for family celebration. Families typically gather at such times—cousins, uncles, aunts, and even distant relatives making special efforts to attend the ceremony. Everyone joins in the worship service at the temple or synagogue; and, usually, a party is held in honor of the Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

THE JEWISH WEDDING

Like members of other religious groups, Jewish parents encourage their children to marry other Jews. The Jewish wedding ceremony is called Kiddushin, which means “holiness.” Rabbis or cantors officiate on behalf of both the state and the Jewish people in performing Jewish weddings. According to Jewish tradition, marriage is the most holy of all human institutions. It is counted among the 613 commandments found in the Torah and traditional Jews believe that a person must be married and have children to fulfill this mitzvah properly.

In traditional circles, a Ketubah, special marriage contract, is drawn up. This is a legal agreement between the bride and the groom concerning the marriage arrangements. Many beautifully illuminated and decorated ketubah documents have survived the ages, announcing the marriage arrangements of Jews throughout history. Reform and Conservative Jews also utilize a ketubah that may be beautifully decorated but seldom has the specific legal elements of an Orthodox ketubah.

JUDAISM AND DEATH

Judaism teaches that the soul lives on after a person dies. Still, death is a sad time for Jews, as it is for all peoples. Jewish belief does not require a final rite while a person is dying. There is a brief Viddui or confession, provided that the dying person is able to speak and wishes to recite it. But if the dying person does not speak the words of the viddui, or if a rabbi is not present, no Jew feels that the soul of the deceased is endangered in any way.

According to Jewish practice, the dead are buried as soon as possible. Traditional Jews do not allow cremations of the dead, and the body of the deceased is tended with great care and respect, often by a group of Jews called the Hevrah Kadishah or “holy community.” As the term indicates, taking care of the dead is considered an act of great merit.

The week following a burial is a period of intense mourning for family and friends. The family remains at home, sitting on low stools as a sign of sorrow. Relatives and friends visit, and daily worship services are recited in the home. The Sabbath is an exception. Because mourning is not permitted on Shabbat, the family leaves its home and joins with the congregation at a synagogue or temple service.

During the first year after a death, the children of a dead parent and the dead person’s sisters and brothers attend synagogue regularly to recite a special prayer for the dead called the Kaddish, the “hallowing” or “making holy.” Each year, on the anniversary of the death, Jews recite the kaddish in memory of a dead family member. Most Jews also light a candle in their home on the anniversary as a reminder of their departed relative.

(c) 2008 by Seymour Rossel

http://www.rossel.net/basic05.htm

Jewish Holy Days

2008-07-13T14:20:00.001-05:00

Jewish Holy Days

Jewish celebrations are not limited to life-cycle events. As do all religions, Judaism sets aside certain holidays and days of remembrance as holy days. These holy days are scheduled according to the Jewish calendar.

The Jewish calendar is not based on the earth’s revolutions around the sun, as the secular calendar is. Instead, the Jewish calendar is made up of moon cycles, each month beginning with the time of the new moon. Jewish holidays fall each year on different dates according to the secular calendar, but on the same date according to the Jewish calendar. Generally speaking, however, Jewish holidays always fall in the same season each year. (Because it is a modified lunar calendar, the Jewish calendar is often in need of adjustment to match the solar year. Just as the secular calendar is adjusted once in four years by adding an additional day, the Jewish calendar adds an additional month every third or fourth year.)

THE HIGH HOLY DAYS

The Jewish year begins in the fall with the celebration of the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah (“Head of the Year”) is the official Jewish New Year’s Day, on which Jews look back over the year just passed and forward to the year about to come. The blowing of a ram’s horn in the synagogue or temple announces the coming of the new year in a memorable way. This ram’s horn is called a Shofar. The shofar was used in ancient times as a call to battle against the enemy. Used in the synagogue today, it calls Jews to battle against evil.

Jews believe that, during the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, God judges each person’s deeds, deciding who shall live and who shall die in the year to come. Therefore, Jews pray fervently, fasting for the entire day of Yom Kippur, the “Day of Atonement.” The day is devoted to praying for forgiveness for any sins which a Jew may have committed, or which the community may have committed. As the day comes to an end, the shofar is again sounded—in one long, clear blast. Then with a feeling of having a slate wiped clean and a fresh beginning, Jews enter into the new year.

SUKKOT

Five days after Yom Kippur comes the weeklong Festival of Booths, Sukkot. On Sukkot traditional Jews each build a small open-roofed booth-like building in which they may take their meals or even sleep. The roof of this “booth” (Hebrew: sukkah) is covered with green branches taken from trees and shrubs. The leafy covering does not completely cover the booth in order that the stars may be seen at night. The sukkah is said to be a reminder of the way in which the ancient Israelites lived as they crossed the wilderness under the leadership of Moses. More likely, the Children of Israel used tents rather than booths in the wilderness.

Before the Romans destroyed the Temple and scattered the Jews, Sukkot was the most important Jewish festival, outstripping even Passover and the High Holy Days. It was called, HeHag, “The Holiday.” During Sukkot, farmers and shepherds from every part of the country brought sacrificial offerings to the Temple in the hopes that God would bless them with abundant rain throughout the growing season. Their journey was commanded in the Torah, where Sukkot is listed as the first of the three “Pilgrimage Holidays”—Passover and Shavuot being the other special occasions for bringing sacrifices to the Temple. On Sukkot, in particular, Jerusalem was so overcrowded with pilgrims that temporary wooden housing was erected on every rooftop, in every alley, along every street, and on every adjoining hill. It is probably to commemorate this use of “booths” that Jews everywhere began to build a sukkah in which to celebrate the holiday.

A blessing is recited on this holiday when the Lulav (branches of palm, willow, and myrtle) and Etrog (a citron fruit), symbols of the agricultural variety of the Promised Land, are waved. These reminders of nature tie the holiday to its beginnings as an agricultural festival, a venerable ancestor of our modern Thanksgiving.

The day after Sukkot has a special meaning all its own. It is called Simchat Torah, the Rejoicing over the Torah. On this morning, Jews complete the yearly cycle of reading portions from the Torah scroll in the temple or synagogue. The concluding lines of Deuteronomy (the last book of the Torah) are recited, followed by opening lines of Genesis (the first book of the Torah)—to demonstrate that Jewish study is an everlasting process that has no beginning and no ending. Whereas, in the United States, most Jews dance in the synagogue carrying scrolls of the Torah in their arms, in Israel the dancing is done in the streets and this is one of the most colorful of all Israeli Jewish customs.

HANUKKAH

As winter sets in, the time comes for the holiday of Hanukkah, which celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian army of Antiochus Epiphanes (165 B.C.E.). Hanukkah is really an eight-day celebration of religious freedom. A Jewish legend tells that when the Maccabees drove the Syrian Greeks from Jerusalem, they cleansed and purified the Temple. When it came time to light the Temple Menorah (the seven-branched golden candelabrum God instructed the Children of Israel to design) only a small jar of pure olive oil could be found. This small jar of oil should have burned for only one night, but the legend states that it burned for eight nights instead of one, giving the Jews time to prepare new oil. The legend concludes that the festival of Hanukkah is celebrated for eight nights on account of this miracle.

Actually the legend is a later addition to Jewish folklore. According to the Book of Maccabees, the first Hanukkah was celebrated for eight days because it was a late celebration of Sukkot and Simchat Torah—the two important holidays that had not been celebrated in Jerusalem because the Temple had been in the hands of the Syrian Greeks.

A special form of the menorah is used on Hanukkah. It has nine branches: one for each night of Hanukkah and one branch used to light the others. Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting one candle (or flame) in the menorah on the first night and adding one candle each night until all eight candles are lit at once. Until recently, it was customary to give children gifts of nuts and Hanukkah gelt (token sums of money). Since Hanukkah comes around the same time as Christmas, modern Jews have taken to emulating Christian practice by giving their children more significant gifts—in some cases, one for each night of the festival.

SPRING FESTIVALS—TU B’SHEVAT AND PURIM

A minor festival, Tu B’Shevat, “the fifteenth day of [the month of] Shevat,” the New Year of the Trees, was set aside in ancient times to mark the beginning of springtime in the Holy Land. Today, Jews around the world use the holiday as an occasion to celebrate nature, to recall God’s commandment calling on human beings to care for the world, and to donate money for the planting of trees in Israel.

Also in the spring, the festival of Purim (“Lots”) celebrates an incident from the biblical book of Esther in which the Jews of Persia were saved from persecution. The entire Book of Esther, called Megillat Esther, is read on Purim. When the reader pronounces the name of the arch-villain, Haman—who threw lots to determine the day on which he would order all Jews in Persia to be killed—the congregation hisses and boos and spins Graggers (“Noisemakers”). Although Purim has its serious side as a remembrance of the importance of religious freedom, it is mainly considered a children’s holiday. Children parade around the synagogue costumed as characters from the Esther story; and special three-cornered pastries called Homentashen (“Haman’s Ears”) are baked for the occasion.

PESACH

The major spring festival is Pesach, Passover. Passover celebrates the Exodus from Egypt when the Jews were led out of slavery and into freedom. For eight days (seven in Reform Judaism), Jews eat no normal bread but only the flat, unleavened, cracker-like bread called Matzah. The Bible tells that, as the Jews made their hasty preparations to leave Egypt, they had no time to prepare bread for their journey. Instead, they placed the dough—which had no time to rise and be baked—on their backs. There the sun baked it into matzah.

Passover is one of three pilgrimage festivals. In Temple times, people brought sacrifices to Jerusalem. Yet, even then, the primary focus of Passover was in Jewish homes, where the holiday meal called the Seder, “The Order [of Service],” was held. Toward the beginning of the celebration, the youngest person present asks four questions set by tradition, and the answer is read from the Haggadah, “The Telling,” a short book telling the whole story of the Exodus from Egypt.

THE OMER PERIOD

From the second day of Passover Jewish farmers would set aside a measure of new barley called the omer. After seven weeks passed (forty-nine days), these first fruits of the grain harvest were brought as an offering to Jerusalem. The fiftieth day begins the festival of Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, the last pilgrimage holiday of the Jewish year.

During the Omer period, three Jewish holy days occur. The first is a holy day of remembrance. The most modern of all Jewish holy days, added after the end of the Second World War, Yom Hashoah, occurs just after Passover. Yom Hashoah is a memorial for the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis. In a sense, it is a holy day that is still in the process of being developed. Its celebration typically includes special prayer services and sometimes the lighting of candles, but no established form of worship yet exists.

A second modern holiday is Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, which is observed as a religious holiday by Jews outside of Israel as well as by the Israelis. Here, too, the exact form of celebration is still a work in progress.

Despite the celebration of Israel Independence Day, the Omer period is a somber time, but Lag Ba-Omer, the thirty-third day of the counting of Omer, intrudes as a day of joy and celebration. In Israel, bonfires are lit all across the countryside, casting a yellow glow on the evening sky. Lag Ba-Omer is called a “scholar’s festival” because it commemorates a time when the Romans had forbidden Jews to study the Torah, but the Jews resisted the ban by continuing to study.

SHAVUOT

The Festival of Weeks, Shavuot, comes at the time of the wheat harvest in ancient Israel. It marks the end of the counting of Omer and the beginning of summer. It is also the holiday that commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. It is the last of the three Pilgrimage Festivals. It is sometimes called Hag HaBikkurim, The Festival of the First-Fruits, since farmers would bring the first fruits of their harvest as offerings to the Temple.

Because it celebrates the giving of the Torah, the modern Reform movement gave it new meaning in the Diaspora by making this the occasion for celebrating the Confirmation of young people. A Confirmation ceremony is held in the synagogue in which the graduating class of the religious school typically leads the service for the whole community, thus “confirming” their commitment to the covenant made at Sinai. The ceremony became so popular that, in some form, it has become a standard part of Shavuot in both the Reform and Conservative movements, and even in many Orthodox congregations.

TISHAH B’AV—THE SUMMER SADNESS

As summer comes, Jews observe Tishah B’Av, the ninth day of the month of Av. According to legend, this was the day on which the Assyrians destroyed the First Temple. It is also the date on which the Second Temple fell to the Romans. And Jews in other places have encountered this date in fateful ways throughout history. Some say the ninth of Av, 1492, was the day on which King Ferdinand signed the decree permitting the Spanish Inquisition to drive the Jews from Spain. In commemoration of these and other events, Tishah B’Av is observed as a day of fasting and mourning.

With the approach of fall, the yearly cycle of the Jewish festivals comes to a close only to begin again. These holy days serve as constant reminders to practicing Jews. But more constant than any other is the most holy of all Jewish holidays—the Sabbath.

SHABBAT—THE WEEKLY CELEBRATION

Jews have long revered Shabbat, the Sabbath, as a “taste of the world to come,” a time of rest, of peace, and of contentment. From sundown on Friday night until sundown on Saturday night, observant Jews set aside time to pray and study—a day to refrain from work and everyday cares.

Jews of every religious movement practice similar Sabbath customs. Jews attend synagogue on Friday evening, where they welcome the Sabbath as if it were a visiting monarch, calling it “the Sabbath Queen.” At home, candles are lit on Friday evening, and the Kiddush, “Sanctification,” the blessing over wine, is sung, welcoming the Sabbath and its sense of peace into the family circle. Parents bless their children; and thank God for providing sustenance by pronouncing a blessing over a loaf of twisted egg-bread called a Hallah. Jewish legend even has it that on the Sabbath every Jew is given an extra soul, for the joy of Sabbath is so great that one soul could hardly contain it.

The celebration continues on Saturday morning with a worship service that includes the reading and study of the entire Torah portion for the week, along with the portion taken from the Prophets (the Haftarah). Though Bar/Bat Mitzvah can take place whenever the Torah is read (Monday, Thursday, or Saturday), Shabbat has become the most popular day for welcoming young Jews into adulthood.

A ceremony called Havdalah, Separation, is held as stars appear on Saturday evening. This closing ceremony separates the spiritual time of Sabbath from the mundane week of workdays that follows.

(c) 2008 by Seymour Rossel

http://www.rossel.net/basic06.htm

Bit of a Rant on my part

2008-07-11T22:20:00.002-05:00

Okay, I've been reading some of the posts on sites and blogs linked to this blog, as well as watching some news stories lately, and I have one question:::

Have we all gone completely nuts?

I read about one woman who partook of Holy Communion to honor the memory of a friend, and it seems that the world wants to take her apart because she wasn't Catholic. Now I know, full well being raised Catholic, that it is one of their no-no's. If you aren't of the faith, you mayn't partake. The Anglicans have no problem with sharing, neither do some other paths, and this is one of the "laws" that always confused and pissed me off about the church. (Amongst others)

Then in some groups I have lately left, many pagans continue to be anti-judeo/christian. Especially the Christian part. And when I say "anti" it is so vehement and nasty it really harkens back to the inquisition to me. If you don't hold as I hold, your evil and don't deserve to live or have any respect.

Now, any kind of out and out bigotry really burns my butt. (I really am trying to watch my language) We all have our own "laws" we retain and hold true. And many of them are very universal. But to deny others of the same respect that you yourself would like is such a hypocritical thing to do. And honestly, it makes me want to wallop you (general you, not specific you) upside the head. A good swift kick in the butt. Hard.

I walked away from the Church due to some acting in such a hypocritical way. Some of the tenets of the Christian church are quite frankly uncomfortable for me. But at no time am I "anti-christian". I am and will continue to be "anti" fanatical/rabid fundamentalist narrow-minded behavior. And that is across the board, christian, jewish, muslim, pagan (euro-centered), buddhist, hindu, etc. Anyone who professes an "I'm right, You're wrong" type of attitude will not receive respect from me past the basic civilities.

I personally am not a follower of any ONE path, though I am narrowing my search quite severely. I have studied, not in any hallowed academic hall, but of my own accord and effort, so many different paths of spiritual faith that I truly, at the core, see not much difference. The core of nearly all faiths is the same. And to couch in a phrase most know it revolves around "Do unto others as you would have done unto you", Or in eastern terms "right thought, right actions, etc".

Currently I am being led to judaism and before. And the similarities between judaic belief and zoroastrianism. But along the way, I've discovered an albeit small section of jews who are reclaiming an even older path. This truly appeals to me. That along with a strong "shamanic" tug of my ancestral roots and a little eastern thought, is where my attention is focused. I will continue to research global "mythologies" as I have been interested, almost obsessively so, since childhood. (Ironically, since my time at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Elementary School, where I was introduced to Greco/Roman, Egyptian and Meso-American mythos. Little did the Sisters know what they had started)

You want to know what else is ironic, nearly funny? As I have been on this spiritual quest, and as I learn about various paths, the church (a catholic church in N.E. Atlanta) that my mom attends has incorporated eastern thought, she also has become interested, via her bosses, in judaism. But my mom has NEVER been closed minded about religion and made sure to expose us to different ones, or at least to not close the door on any. (Except maybe some of the more hard-line ones, which she really has no use for and can hold her own against in a confrontation...which I can't seem to do. My blood pressure rises to the point that my face turns red, even if I don't say a word. Looks like my mom when she has a hot flash, LOL. And if you know my mom, who has vitiligo (sp) and no pigment in her skin, when she has a hot flash she looks like she is going to pop her top---beet red, she turns!)

Okay, I think I'm off my rant for just a bit.

2008-07-10T14:52:00.003-05:00

Reading this passage reminds me of the Political Science class I took at Oxford College, Oxford, Ga. I tended to feel just like the young man in this story...and I wonder if my professor took his teaching techniques from his Rabbi. It truly was like banging my head against a wall. So here is this story.
It is from "The Complete Idiots Guide to The Talmud" by Rabbi Aaron Parry pages 7 and 8

A young man comes to visit a noted rabbi, and expresses his desire to study Talmud.
"Do you know Aramaic?" the rabbi asks. "No," the young man answers. "Hebrew?" "No." "Have you studied the Torah?" "No, Rabbi, but don't worry. I graduated Columbia summa cum laude in philosophy and just finished my doctoral dissertation at Harvard on Socratic logic. So now I would just like to round out my education with a little study of the Talmud."

The rabbi tells the young man that he doesn't think he's ready to study Talmud. "If you wish, however, I am willing to examine you in logic. If you pass the test, I will teach you Talmud." The young man readily agrees.

The rabbi holds up two fingers. "Two burglars break into a house through the chimney. One lands inside with a clean face, the other with a dirty face. Which washes his face?"

"The one with the dirty face," the young man answers.

"Wrong," the rabbi says. "The one with the clean face washes his face. Examine the simple logic: the one with the dirty face looks at the one with the clean face and thinks his own face is clean. The one with the clean face looks at the one with the dirty face and thinks his own face is dirty. So, the one with the clean face washes."

"Very clever," the young man says. "Give me another test."

The rabbi asks the same question, to which the eager would-be pupil responds, "We've already established that the one with the clean face washes his face."

"Wrong again," the rabbi says. "Each one washes his face. Examine the simple logic. The one with the dirty face looks at the one with the clean face and thinks his own is clean. The one with the clean face looks at the one with the dirty face and thinks his own is dirty. So the one with the clean face washes his face. When the man with the dirty face sees the clean-faced man washing, he also washes his face."

"I didn't think of that," the young man says. "Test me again."

The rabbi again repeats the question of the two men and the chimney, to which the young man replies, "Each one washes his face."

"Wrong again," the rabbi says. "Neither washes his face. Look at it logically. The one with the dirty face looks at the one with the clean face and thinks his own face is clean. The one with the clean face sees the dirty face of his companion and thinks his own face is dirty. But when the one with the clean face sees the one with the dirty face doesn't was, he also doesn't wash his face. So neither one washes."

The young man is desperate. "I am qualified to study Talmud," he says. "Please give me one more test." Again, the rabbi asks the same question. And the young man gives the obvious answer. "Neither one washes his face."

"Wrong," says the rabbi. "Do you see now why Socratic logic is an insufficient basis for studying Talmud? Tell me how it is possible for two men to come down the same chimney, and foe one to come out with a clean face and the other with a dirty face."

The young many is totally exasperated and challenges the rabbi. "Now, wait a minute. Haven't you just given me three mutually contradictory answers to the same question? That's impossible!"

"No, my son," the rabbi says. "That's the Talmud."

El in the Ugaritic Texts 6th October 2003

2008-07-10T12:50:00.003-05:00

El in the Ugaritic Texts

Discovered by an Arab farmer in 1928, the Ugaritic texts - religious and devotional tablets pertaining to the pre-Jewish religion in Canaan - have shed invaluable light on the history and development of monotheistic Judaism. The Ugaritic texts are so named because they were discovered in the ancient city of Ugarit. They are written in Ugaritic, which is a Semitic language related to Hebrew which uses a cuneiform alphabet1. There is a huge corpus of writings, recorded on clay tablets. The tablets were varied and included not only literary and religious texts, but also lexical and other scholastic texts, lists of countries and towns, corporations and persons, offerings and dedications, commercial and administrative documents and letters, and they were written in the Accadian, Hurrian and Sumerian languages, as well as in Ugaritic.

The Religious Texts

The word 'El' is an important part of the vocabulary of the religious texts. These texts were inscribed between 1400 and 1350 BC, but the myths recorded on them could potentially be much older, and - in some form or other - probably go back to remote antiquity. Many divine characters appear in the texts; the Canaanites appear to have had a sizeable pantheon. Of these, El and his consort Athirat2, along with Baal are the most prominent. El is the supposed head of this pantheon, though his power is often thought to be on the wane, and he seems to have been the primogenitor of the line, often conceiving members of it with Athirat. He and Baal appear to have had some kind of an enmity, and their relationship has been the centre of much argument3. Many eminent scholars have linked El with Yahweh4, and a significant proportion claim that the latter is a later incarnation of the former, whose fellows have fallen into disregard on the route to monotheism. Certainly, the names El and Athirat appear quite frequently in the earlier books of the Old Testament.

El as a Word Meaning 'God'

The etymology of the name El is an interesting one. El is common to all the Semitic languages except Ethiopic as the general appellative meaning 'god' in the broadest sense. It is also the most frequent element of theophorous proper names5 all over the ancient Semitic world. The word el in fact appears very often in ancient texts, and does regularly simply mean god, even in the Old Testament, where it is sometimes employed to refer to the god of the Hebrews. However, from reading the Ugaritic tablets, scholars have been left in no doubt that the word was also a proper name, referring to one single, personal god, with a distinct character and his own attendant myths. How this incongruity came about is a mystery. It seems likely that el was originally an appellative, common to all gods, and that it came to represent one god over the course of time. It could be that the name could have come to be used by a tribe to describe only their own god, until such time as his original name fell into oblivion.

How El is Portrayed

The character of the god El is certainly broad. He can be seen as father, uncle, king, master, ruler, lord; he is a bull, a bear, a lion, a rock; he is light and peace; he is first, great, exalted, perfect, most high, strong, merciful, trusty, honoured; he ordains, produces, builds, commands, speaks, judges, thinks, chooses, lives, knows, remembers, increases, opens, heals, help, forgives; blesses, provides, gives, saves, rescues, hears, loves, makes happy, enriches; the worshipper is El's son, his slave, his warrior, adherent, darling; El is his shepherd, his companion, his song6. The list is exhaustive, and reflects the importance and great age of the deity in question and by the time the tablets had been carved, the cult of El was evidently both huge and quite venerable. Many of El's characteristics are expressed in the form of epithets. One especially common theme of these epithets is of El in the guise of a creator god and father. At one point, for example, he is referred to as 'creator of all creatures', and at another, 'father of man'. On occasion, he is even known as 'father of the gods'. He is clearly designated as the patriarch of the pantheon of which he is head. Another series of epithets describe El as 'the ancient one' or 'eternal one'. In one text, for instance, it says 'indeed our creator is eternal/indeed ageless; he who formed us'. He is depicted with a grey beard and vast reserves of wisdom according to Athirat,

'Thou art great O El, verily thou art wise.

Thy hoary beard indeed instructs thee'

El is often seen holding court, surrounded by lesser gods and goddesses, who play the roles of courtiers. He sits on a throne, sometimes in the role of a judge, benign in character, adjudicating fairly, and with grace. The court is described in pleasant terms; the lyre is played, and the environs are not hostile. El is evidently a good and revered god. Other aspects of El include a powerful hunter and a vigorous and prodigiously lusty old man. This second category fits in with the idea of El as patriarch: a divine progenitor in ancient religions would surely be a promiscuous one. The passages in which this comes across are certainly vivid: one excerpt sees him conceive two sons at the same time by different concubines and fairly graphic language is used. Although Athirat is his favoured consort, she is by no means the only one.

El's Current Position

Although El is nominal head of the pantheon, there are some doubts as to El's status at the time the texts are written - it seems as though his sovereignty and potency are diminishing. There is one instance in which El shows weakness in front of messengers of Prince Sea. Though he is sitting at the head of a conclave of gods, and is apparently in charge, Baal is the only member of the pantheon present who does not perform an obeisance. The text breaks off before the episode concludes, but it is obvious that El is not master of the situation, and his power and control are hardly what we would expect of the ruler of the gods. Other instances of weakness in El's authority are extant, too, which could well mean that El's power is waning by the time the texts are inscribed.

Athirat

Athirat is El's chief consort, and has an independent mythology of her own. It is she who supposedly mothered the rest of the gods with El. She appears in the Old Testament forty times, as a fertility goddess, a role from which she may have eventually been deposed by Anat in Ugaritic literature. She is much less significant than her husband, and her role is ambiguous. At times she is quite unfaithful to him, and quite unsympathetic towards him, his status and indeed his amorous advances. One instance which may point to inharmonious relations between them occurs when she enters El's abode in order to make a request on behalf of Baal, refuses his advances, and then leaves his presence. This is taken to mean that they are in some way estranged, though still cordial.

Conclusion

The Ugaritic texts are a fascinating insight into an ancient Near Eastern mythological tradition. They detail the rich religious culture of a small and now largely-forgotten city, and though this is interesting in its own right, the implications they hold for the interpretation of other religions cannot be understated either. There are distinct similarities between this culture and the myriad others that developed at a similar time throughout the ancient near-East; many of these are linked, and were borrowed or evolved from each other. Judaism is one such religion, and though it was a later developer, it still existed concurrently with the Ugaritic religion. No-one is sure as to how much influence the one mythology had on the other, but some similarities between El and Yahweh, and indeed Baal and Yahweh, are too marked to be coincidence. One must draw one's own conclusions as to the importance that this revelation might have.

1 Cuneiform is an ancient script used by several cultures and languages. The symbols that make it up are themselves made up of triangular wedges and lines imprinted in clay.
2 Also known as Asherah, amongst many other names.
3 Due to the fragmentary nature of the texts, this is not certain; a convincing case coud be proposed for Baal to be a favourite of El's, superceding him in power and significance
4 Yahweh is the sacred Hebrew name for the Judeo-Christian God.
5 That is to say, proper names (of people) derived from the names of their gods
6 This list comes from the book El in the Ugaritic Texts by Pope

Source:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1113436

Ugaritic Old Testament

2008-07-10T12:33:00.002-05:00

Hebrews adopted the Syriac Civilization

Aryold J. Toynbee wrote: {p. 423} The Hebrews (including the Moabites) adopted not only the Canaanite language but also the Phoenician alphabet for writing it. ... The discovery of the Ugarit texts shows that the Biblical Psalms, whatever their date, are indebted to a Phoenician hymnology that had a long tradition behind it. The Phoenicians also seem likely to have been the intermediaries through whom some of the Egyptian proverbs of Amenemope found their way into the Biblical Book of Proverbs almost verbatim. And the Canaanite origin of chapters viii-ix of the Book of Proverbs, on the theme of Wisdom, is attested by echoes here of themes in the Phoenician literature disinterred at Ugarit. The Sumero-Akkadian story of the creation of the World must have found its way to Palestine long before the Israelites' advent there, and must have been learnt by them from the Canaanites on whom they imposed themselves. Canaanite elements have not been detected in the eighth-century B.C. prophetic literature of Israel and Judah. But they reappear thereafter. 'There is a veritable flood of allusions to Canaanite (Phoenician) literature in Hebrew works composed between the seventh and the third century B.C.: e.g. in Job, Deutero-Isaiah, Proverbs, Ezekiel, Habakkuk, the Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Jubilees, and part of Daniel.

Source: A Study of History Volume XII Reconsiderations, Oxford University Press, London 1961.

Ugaritic Torah -- Old Testament
Introduction

The ancient Phoenician city-state of Ugarit is of utmost importance for those who study the Old Testament. The literature of the city and the theology contained therein go a very long way in helping to understand the meaning of various Biblical passages as well as aiding in deciphering difficult Hebrew words. Ugarit was at its political, religious and economic height around the 12th century BC and thus its period of greatness corresponds with the entry of Israel into Canaan.

Why should people interested in the Old Testament want to know about this city and its inhabitants? Simply because when we listen to their voices we hear echoes of the Old Testament itself. Several of the Psalms were simply adapted from Ugaritic sources; the story of the flood has a near mirror image in Ugaritic literature; and the language of the Bible is greatly illuminated by the language of Ugarit.

Note: It must be noted that in the technical sense the Torah represents the five books of Moses (the Pentateuch); however, the Torah came to be considered the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in its entirety which included oral and written tradition or revelation of God.

The Discovery of Ugarit and the Ugaritic Texts

In 1928 a group of French archaeologists journeyed with 7 camels, one donkey, and some burden bearers towards the tel known as Ras Shamra. After a week at the site they discovered a cemetery 150 meters from the Mediterranean Sea. In the graves they discovered Egyptian and Phoenician artwork and alabaster. They also found some Mycenean and Cypriot materials.

After the discovery of the cemetery they found a city and a royal palace about 1000 meters from the sea on a tel 18 meters high. The tel was called by the locals Ras Shamra which means "fennel hill". There also Egyptian artifacts were discovered and dated to the 2nd millennium BC.
The greatest discovery made at the site was a collection of tablets carved with (a then) unknown cuneiform script. In 1932 the identification of the site was made when some of the tablets were deciphered; the city was the ancient and famous site of Ugarit.

Ugarit experienced a very long history. A city was built on the site in the Neolithic period around 6000 BC. The oldest written evidence of the city is found in some texts from the nearby city of Ebla written around 1800 BC. At that time both Ebla and Ugarit were under Egyptian hegemony, which shows that the long arm of Egypt extended all along the west coast of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The population of Ugarit at that time was roughly 7635 people. The city of Ugarit continued to be dominated by the Egyptians through 1400 BC.

All of the tablets found at Ugarit were written in the last period of its life (around 1300- 1200 BC). The kings of this last and greatest period were:

1349 `Ammittamru I
1325 Niqmaddu II
1315 Arhalba
1291 Niqmepa 2
1236 `Ammitt 1193- Niqmaddu III
1185 `Ammurapi

In the period 1200 - 1180 the city steeply declined and then mysteriously came to an end.

The texts which were discovered at Ugarit aroused interest because of their international flavor. That is, the texts were written in one of four languages; Sumerian, Akkadian, Hurritic and Ugaritic. The tablets were found in the royal palace, the house of the High Priest, and some private houses of evidently leading citizens.

Ugaritic literature provides an open window on the culture and religion of Israel in its earliest period.

From the Literature of Ugarit to the Literature of the Bible

The style of writing discovered at Ugarit is known as alphabetic cuneiform. This is a unique blending of an alphabetic script and cuneiform; thus it is a unique blending of two styles of writing. Most likely it came into being as cuneiform was passing from the scene and alphabetic scripts were making their rise. Ugaritic is thus a bridge from one to the other.

One example of this is found in Proverbs 26:23. In the Hebrew text Mygys Psk is divided just as it is here. This has caused commentators quite a bit of confusion over the centuries, for what does "silver lips" mean? The discovery of the Ugaritic texts has helped us to understand that the word was divided incorrectly by the Hebrew scribe (who was as unfamiliar as we are with what the words were supposed to mean). Instead of the two words above, the Ugaritic texts lead us to divide the two words as Mygysps k which means "like silver". This makes eminently more sense in context than the word mistakenly divided by the Hebrew scribe who was unfamiliar with the second word; so he divided into two words which he did know even though it made no sense.
Another example occurs in Ps 89:20. Here the word rz is usually translated "help" but the Ugaritic word "gzr" means "young man" and if Psalm 89:20 is translated this way it is clearly more meaningful.

Besides single words being illuminated by the Ugaritic texts, entire ideas or complexes of ideas have parallels in the literature. For example, in Proverbs 9:1-18 wisdom and folly are personified as women. This means that when the Hebrew wisdom teacher instructed his students on these matters, he was drawing on material that was commonly known in the Phoenician environment (for Ugarit was Canaanite/Phoenician). In point of fact, KTU 1,7 VI 2-45 is nearly identical to Proverbs 9:1ff. (The abbreviation KTU stands for "Keilalphabetische Texte aus Ugarit", the standard collection of this material. The numbers are what we might call the chapter and verse). KTU 1.114:2-4 says-

hklh. sh. lqs. ilm. tlhmnilm
w tstn. tstnyn `d sbí
trt. `d. skr. yí.db .yrh

"Eat, o Gods, and drink,
drink wine till you are sated,

Which is very similar to Proverbs 9:5;
"Come, eat of my food and drink wine that I have mixed".

Ugaritic poetry is very similar to Biblical poetry and is therefore very useful in interpreting difficult poetic texts. In fact, Ugaritic literature (besides lists and the like) is composed completely in poetic metre. Biblical poetry follows Ugaritc poetry in form and function. There is parallelism, qinah metre, bi and tri colas, and all of the poetic tools found in the Bible are found at Ugarit. In short the Ugaritic materials have a great deal to contribute to our understanding of the Biblical materials; especially since they predate any of the Biblical texts.

The Ugaritic Pantheon

The prophets of the Old Testament rail against Baal, Asherah and various other gods on nearly every page. The reason for this is simple to understand; the people of Israel worshipped these gods along with, and sometimes instead of, Yahweh, the God of Israel. This Biblical denunciation of these Phoenician gods received a fresh face when the Ugaritic texts were discovered, for at Ugarit these were the very gods that were worshipped.

El was the chief god at Ugarit. Yet El is also the name of God used in many of the Psalms for Yahweh. Yet when one reads these Psalms and the Ugaritic texts one sees that the very attributes for which Yahweh is acclaimed are the same for which El is acclaimed. In fact, these Psalms were most likely originally Ugaritic or Phoenician hymns to El which were simply adopted by Israel, much like the American National Anthem was set to a beer hall tune by Francis Scott Key. El is called the "father of men", "creator", and "creator of the creation". These attributes are also granted Yahweh by the Old Testament.

In 2 Kings 22:19-22 we read of Yahweh meeting with his heavenly council. This is the very description of heaven which one finds in the Ugaritic texts. For in those texts the "sons of god" are the sons of El.

Other deities worshipped at Ugarit were El Shaddai, El Elyon, and El Berith. All of these names are applied to Yahweh by the writers of the Old Testament. What this means is that the Hebrew theologians adopted the titles of the Phoenician gods and attributed them to Yahweh in an effort to eliminate them. If Yahweh is all of these there is no need for the Phoenician gods to exist! This process is known as assimilation.

Besides the chief god at Ugarit there were also lesser gods, demons, and goddesses. The most important of these lesser gods were Baal (familiar to all readers of the Bible), Asherah (also familiar to readers of the Bible), Yam (the god of the sea) and Mot (the god of death). What is of great interest here is that Yam is the Hebrew word for sea and Mot is the Hebrew word for death! This is most likely so because the Hebrews also adopted these Phoenician ideas as well.
One of the most interesting of these lesser deities, Asherah, plays a very important role in the Old Testament. There she is called the wife of Baal; but she is also known as the consort of Yahweh! That is, among some Yahwists, Ahserah is Yahweh's female counterpart! Inscriptions found at Kuntillet `Ajrud (dated between 850 and 750 BC) say:

I bless you through Yahweh of Samaria,
and through his Asherah!

And at `El Qom (from the same period) this inscription:

Uriyahu, the king, has written this.
Blessed be Uriyahu through Yahweh,
and his enemies have been conquered
through Yahweh's Asherah.

That Yahwists worshipped Asherah until the 3rd century before Christ is well known from the Elephantine Papyri. Thus, for many in ancient Israel, Yahweh, like Baal, had a consort. Although condemned by the prophets, this aspect of the popular religion of Israel was difficult to overcome and indeed among many was never overcome.

As had already been mentioned, one of the more important lesser deities at Ugarit was Baal. Baal is described as the "rider on the clouds" in KTU 1.3 II 40. Interestingly enough, this description is also used of Yahweh in Psalm 68:5.

In the Old Testament Baal is named 58 times in the singular and 18 times in the plural. The prophets protested constantly against the love affair the Israelites had with Baal (cf. Hosea 2:19, for example). The reason Israel was so attracted to Baal was that, first of all, some Israelites viewed Yahweh as a God of the desert and so when they arrived in Phoenicia they thought it only proper to adopt Baal, the god of fertility. As the old saying goes, "whose land, his god". For these Israelites Yahweh was useful in the desert but not much help in the land.

There is one Ugaritic text which seems to indicate that among the inhabitants of Ugarit, Yahweh was viewed as another son of El. KTU 1.1 IV 14 says:

sm . bny . yw . ilt

"The name of the son of god, Yahweh."

This text seems to show that Yahweh was known at Ugarit, though not as the Lord but as one of the many sons of El.

Among the other gods worshipped at Ugarit there are Dagon, Tirosch, Horon, Nahar, Resheph, Kotar Hosis, Shachar (who is the equivalent of Satan), and Shalem. The folks at Ugarit were also plagued by a host of demons and lesser gods. The people at Ugarit saw the desert as the place which was most inhabited by demons (and they were like the Israelites in this belief). KTU 1.102:15-28 is a list of these demons.

One of the most famous of the lesser deities at Ugarit was a chap named Dan'il. There is little doubt that this figure corresponds to the Biblical Daniel; while predating him by several centuries. This has led many Old Testament scholars to suppose that the Canonical prophet was modeled on him. His story is found in KTU 1.17 - 1.19.

Another creature which has ties to the Old Testament is Leviathan. Isaiah 27:1 and KTU 1.5 I 1-2 describe this beast. Also see Ps 74:13-14 and 104:26.

Worship at Ugarit and in Ancient Israel

In Ugarit, as in Israel, the cult played a central role in the lives of the people. One of the central Ugaritic myths was the story of Baal's enthronement as king. In the story, Baal is killed by Mot (in the Fall of the year) and he remains dead until the Spring of the year. His victory over death was celebrated as his enthronement over the other gods (cf. KTU 1.2 IV 10)

The Old Testament also celebrates the enthronement of Yahweh (cf. Ps 47:9, 93:1, 96:10, 97:1 and 99:1). As in the Ugaritic myth, the purpose of Yahweh's enthronement is to re-enact creation. That is, Yahweh overcomes death by his recurring creative acts.

The major difference between the Ugaritic myth and the Biblical hymns is that Yahweh's kingship is eternal and uninterrupted while Baal's is interrupted every year by his death (in the Fall). Since Baal is the god of fertility the meaning of this myth is quite easy to understand. As he dies, so the vegetation dies; and when he is reborn so is the world. Not so with Yahweh; for since he is always alive he is always powerful (Cf. Ps 29:10).

Another of the more interesting aspects of Ugaritic religion which has a parallel in Hebrew religion was the practice of "weeping for the dead". KTU 1.116 I 2-5, and KTU 1.5 VI 11-22 describe the worshippers weeping over the departed in the hopes that their grief will move the gods to send them back and that they will therefore live again. The Israelites also participated in this activity; though the prophets condemned them for doing so (cf. Is 22:12, Eze 7:16, Mi 1:16, Jer 16:6, and Jer 41:5). Of particular interest in this connection is what Joel 1:8-13 has to say:

Lament like a virgin dressed in sackcloth for the husband of her youth. The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off from the house of the Lord. The priests mourn, the ministers of the Lord. The fields are devastated, the ground mourns; for the grain is destroyed, the wine dries up, the oil fails. Be dismayed, you farmers, wail, you vine dressers, over the wheat and the barley; for the crops of the field are ruined. The vine withers, the fig tree droops. Pomegranate, palm, and apple tree -- all the trees of the field are dried up; surely, joy withers away among the people.

Yet another interesting parallel between Israel and Ugarit is the yearly ritual known as the sending out of the "scapegoats"; one for god and one for a demon. The Biblical text which relates this procedure is Leviticus 16:1-34. In this text a goat is sent into the wilderness for Azazel (a demon) and one is sent into the wilderness for Yahweh. This rite is known as a "eliminatory" rite; that is, a contagion (in this case communal sin) is placed on the head of the goat and it is sent away. In this way it was believed that (magically) the sinful material was removed from the community.

KTU 1.127 relates the same procedure at Ugarit; with one notable difference -- at Ugarit a woman priest was involved in the rite as well.

The rituals performed in Ugaritic worship involved a great deal of alcohol and sexual promiscuity. Worship at Ugarit was essentially a drunken orgy in which priests and worshippers indulged in excessive drinking and excessive sexuality. This because the worshippers were attempting to convince Baal to send rain on their crops. Since rain and semen were seen in the ancient world as the same thing (as both produced fruit), it simply makes sense that participants in fertility religion behaved this way. Perhaps this is why in Hebrew religion the priests were forbidden to partake of wine while performing any rituals and also why females were barred from the precincts!! (cf. Hos 4:11-14, Is 28:7-8, and Lev 10:8-11).

The Cult of the Dead at Ugarit

In Ugarit two stela (stone monuments) have been discovered which demonstrate that the people there worshipped their dead ancestors. (Cf. KTU 6.13 and 6.14). The Prophets of the Old Testament likewise protested against this behavior when it occurred among the Israelites. Ezekiel denounces such behavior as godless and pagan (in 43:7-9).

Yet the Israelites sometimes participated in these pagan practices, as 1 Sam 28:1-25 clearly shows.

These dead ancestors were known among both the Phoenicians and Israelites as "Rephaim". As Isaiah notes, (14:9ff),

Sheol beneath is stirred up
to meet you when you come;
it rouses the Rephaim to greet you,
all who were leaders of the earth;
it raises from their thrones
all who were kings of the nations.
All of them will speak and say to you:
"You too have become as weak as we!
You have become like us!
"Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
and the sound of your harps;
maggots are the bed beneath you,
and worms are your covering.

KTU 1.161 likewise describes the Rephaim as the dead. When one goes to the grave of an ancestor, one prays to them; feeds them; and brings them an offering (like flowers); all in hopes of securing the prayers of the dead.

The prophets despised this behavior; they saw it as a lack of trust in Yahweh, who is God of the living and not god of the dead. So, instead of honoring dead ancestors, Israel honored their live ancestors (as we clearly see in Ex 20:12, Deut 5:16, and Lev 19:3).

One of the more interesting aspects of this ancestor worship at Ugarit was the "festive meal" that the worshipper shared with the departed, called the "marzeach" (cf. Jer 16:5// with KTU 1.17 I 26-28 and KTU 1.20-22). This was, to the dwellers of Ugarit, what the Passover was to Israel and the Lord's Supper to the Church.

International Relations and Seamanship in Ugarit

International diplomacy certainly was a central activity among the inhabitants of Ugarit; for they were a sea-going people. Akkadian was the language used in international diplomacy at that time and there are a number of documents from Ugarit in this language.

The King was the chief diplomat and he was completely in charge of international relationships (cf KTU 3.2:1-18, KTU 1.6 II 9-11). Compare this with Israel (at I Sam 15:27) and you will see that they were very similar in this respect. But, it must be said, the Israelites were not interested in the Sea and were not boat builders or sailors in any sense of the word.

The Ugaritic god of the sea, Baal Zaphon, was the patron of sailors. Before a journey Ugaritic sailors made offerings and prayed to Baal Zaphon in hopes of a safe and profitable journey (cf. KTU 2.38, and KTU 2.40). Psalm 107 was borrowed from Northern Canaan and reflects this attitude towards sailing and trade. When Solomon needed sailors and ships he turned to his northern neighbors for them. Cf. I Kings 9:26-28 and 10:22.

Art in Phoenicia and Israel

In many of the Ugaritic texts El was described as a bull, as well as a human form.

The Israelites borrowed art, architecture, and music from their Phoenician neighbors. But they refused to extend their art to images of Yahweh (cf. Ex 20:4-5). God commanded the people to make no image of himself; and did not forbid every kind of artistic expression. In fact, when Solomon constructed the temple he had it engraved with a great number of artistic forms. That there was a bronze serpent in the temple as well is well known.

The Israelites did not leave as many artistic pieces behind as did their Phoenician neighbors. And what they did leave behind show traces of being heavily influenced by these Phoenicians.

Conclusion

Since the discovery of the Ugaritic texts, study of the Old Testament has never been the same. We now have a much clearer picture of Phoenician religion than we ever had before. We also understand the Biblical literature itself much better as we are now able to clarify difficult words due to their Ugaritic cognates.

DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed in this site do not necessarily represent Phoenicia.org nor do they necessarily reflect those of the various authors, editors, and owner of this site. Consequently, parties mentioned or implied cannot be held liable or responsible for such opinions.

Additional references, sources and bibliography Phoenicia, A Bequest Unearthed -- Phoenician Encyclopedia
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A list of my favorite Earth-based Jewish books by Aron (agamman)

2008-07-09T22:17:00.003-05:00

A list of my favorite Earth-based Jewish books by Aron (agamman)
This is a list of the best books that have aided and continue to aid me in my earth-based Jewish practice that

1. Cooper, David A., God is a Verb - A wealth of Jewish storytelling, general concepts and meditations. I have found this to be one of the best-written practical introductions on Jewish Kabballah. It does lack historical information about Kabbalah.

2. Frankiel, Tamar and Greenfeld, Judy, Minding the Temple of the Soul – This is an excellent book for those like me who never really got into prayer because it was so focused on the words. This covers words and body momement a well as visualization that balances the more cerebral focus (at least to me) of traditional prayer.

3. Frankiel, Tamar, Gift of Kabbalah – A very good introduction to Kabbalah. This focuses more on the practical aspects of the sephirot and focuses more on the psychological aspects of Kabbalah and how to use them. It’s a good contrast to David Cooper’s book.

4. Hunter, Jennifer, Magical Judaism - The first book actually on the topic of Jewitchery. Does very well in showing the diversity of people who might fit into our "tradition" unlike many introductions to this or that that I've seen out there.

5. Patai, Raphael, Hebrew Goddess – As the title suggests, he covers most the aspects of the divine feminine in the history of Judaism, but there’s also a lot of wealth here for exploring that within your own experiences.

6. Shapiro, Rami. M, Minyan – Although this isn’t exactly Jewish Pagan, this book presented me with the first options of ways of looking at Judaism in my own ways instead of having to do it the way “normal” Jews do. The chapter on the 10 Commandments (Or the Ten Utterances as he calls them) was integral in my own interpretations of them in terms of my own philosophy.

7. Silberman, Neil Asher, Heavenly Powers: Unraveling the Secret History of Kabballah - Although there’s a somewhat sociopolitical bent to this book, it works as a historical introduction to how Kabbalah developed. This is the only book I know of that covers the history in a complete way. Most books only do a scetchy overview.

8. Winkler, Gershon, Magic of the Ordinary – This in the introduction to Jewish Shamanism, we’re been waiting for. Clear, concise explanation of an earth-honoring vision of Judaism as well as Kabbalah. Highly recommended

9. Jewish Book of Days by Jill Hammer - Rabbi Jill's one of my current most influential thinkers / writers on my own path. I think it's important to include because it comes from someone who self-describes themselves as an earth-Based Jew. A day by day look at the Hebrew calendar.

10. God in the Body by Jay Michaelson - I think the body is very important topic and one often ignored in modern Judaism if not in Ancient Israel or Ancient Judaism. Contributer to Zeek, a great magazine for Jews of an "alternative" mindset.

11. Seasons of our Joy by Arthur Wascow - Although Rabbi Wascow's more Jewish renewal than I, it's one of the few guides of the Hebrew Calender and its holidays that takes agriculture cycles and the earth in his analysis.

12. Memoirs of God by Mark S. Smith - The topic of this book is the discussion of the phenomena he describes as Israel intention forgetting its polytheistic past in the process gives a good short history of the Jews including a great conversation about the parallels between the Ugarit pantheon to the Hebrew understanding of the divine as well as the changes that went on. It helped a lot in me understanding my own "pantheon" which I make no attempt to be ancient.

from
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jewitchery
posted by
agamman

Pagans find a sometimes uneasy home among Quakers

2008-07-09T18:10:00.002-05:00

Pagans find a sometimes uneasy home among Quakers
By Matthew Streib

Kevin-Douglas Olive is a Quaker who has incorporated

elements of Paganism into his faith. Pagans are a

small but growing segment of Quakerism who say

the two traditions are completely compatible.

Religion News Service photo by Matthew Streib.

BALTIMORE -- When his partner died in 2004, Kevin-Douglas Olive reached a crossroads in his faith. Even though he had been a Quaker for almost two decades and put his trust in Jesus, he began to explore other ways of tapping into the divine.

"I had this experience of (my partner) after death, and he spoke to me and woke me up out of my sleep," Olive says. "It freaked me out, because I really didn't believe in that stuff; ... my faith in God had disappeared when my partner died."

He started to explore Wicca, a nature-based pagan religion, surrounding himself with pentacles, candles and incense. But that didn't stick. "It seemed like more make-believe on top of the Christian make-believe," he says. "I was rejecting one; I didn't want to bring in another."

Even after Olive found his way back to Jesus, he retained some elements of paganism. While he upholds the standard traditions of his local Quaker meeting hall, he privately incorporates pagan ritual into his prayer.

He's part of a small but growing movement of Quakers who also identify as pagan -- a trend that may or may not exist in other Christian traditions, but certainly not in such an organized, public fashion.

Across the board, the number of Quakers is dwindling, to roughly 100,000 in the U.S. But if Quakerism continues to catch on among the estimated half million pagans in the U.S., those who embrace both traditions predict that could reverse the Quakers' downward trend. Still, some Quakers worry about losing their own traditions through the process of accepting new ones.
In the last decade, this dual faith has sprung up around the country, including Quaker-pagan gatherings, seminars, an extensive presence on the Internet, and even explicitly Quaker-pagan congregations. There may be only several hundred Quaker pagans, but among American Quakers, their presence can be distinctly felt.

"It seems that now, in most liberal meetings at least, you can always find a few members that identify as pagan," says Stasa Morgan-Appel of Ann Arbor, Mich., who has facilitated a Quaker pagan interest group since 2002.

Quakers -- officially the Religious Society of Friends -- are divided into four main branches, three of which are explicitly Christian. Pagans have been generally joining the liberal fourth branch, the Friends General Conference, which counts 30,000 members in North America, including Morgan-Appel.

Liberal Quakers are less tied to the Christianity and instead hold established Quaker practices, such as unprogrammed pastor-less meetings, as the basis of their faith. Because of that flexibility, many liberal Quakers no longer see Jesus as divine, and some don't believe in God at all.

Paganism generally refers to nature-based religions that pre-date both Christianity and Judaism. Think witches, druids, pentacles, Wicca -- but not Satanism. Carl McColman, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism," defined it this way: People Adoring Goddess And Nature.

It may seem strange that pagans would join the Quakers, which began in the 1600s with strong anti-pagan sentiment. Founder George Fox even altered the days of the week because of their pagan roots. To this day, Quakers refer to Sunday as First Day, Monday as Second Day and so on. On the other hand, the two traditions share many similarities. Both are non-hierarchical and place a strong emphasis on internal divinity. In fact, as modern paganism rose in popularity in the 1970s, many pagan groups looked to Quakers as a model of survival without a nucleus of control.

Morgan-Appel says many pagans openly embrace Quakerism, but Quakers who espouse pagan beliefs have long operated under the radar. That may be changing, however.
"People are really having the courage to be honest and truthful about the reality of their spiritual lives," she said. "If I'm standing out there at gathering, saying, `Hi, here we are, come be yourself with us,' that provides a safe space and a lot of momentum."

But it also carries a price. Due to the accommodation of non-Christian beliefs in many meetings, many Quakers report that Christian Friends feel slighted.

Witnessing about Jesus in Olive's meeting has become infrequent. "People here come from so many different places, spiritually," he says. "Meetings can be very quiet, as many people are afraid to voice views that others might not hold to be true. We talk about God, but we don't really put a name to him or her."

In an effort to reinforce his connection to Jesus, Olive holds a monthly Christian prayer group at his house after his Quaker meeting. Morgan-Appel says that such fears are common. She has seen tensions flare between the two groups, from pagan-influenced Quaker weddings to unfair fees charged to use meeting halls for Quaker-pagan gatherings.

"I think there's a myth that it's only Christians who feel like it makes people uncomfortable when they talk about Jesus," she said. "There are definitely times when I see that there are still knee-jerk reactions from people within the Society of Friends who don't know what paganism is."

Marshall Massey, a conservative Quaker in Omaha, Neb., and co-founder of Quaker Earthcare Witness, says removing Christianity undermines the stability of the Quaker faith.

"We are an easily acculturated movement," he says, explaining that Quakers' egalitarian, non-creedal tradition makes it very susceptible to outside influences. "But Quakerism has become, on the liberal end, an indefinable refuge for people who regard themselves as mystics or experientially religious and have problems with sources of authority."

Massey said losing Quakerism's Christian heritage cuts away at its unifying belief system and makes it prone to dissolution. Nevertheless, it would be un-Quakerly to try to halt the process.

"Christ is not the sort of person who would drive people away -- I don't know that it's our job to stop it," he said. "Our job is to seek to know the will of the living Christ and to obey it the best we can. When we humans try to fix one another, we just make things much, much worse."

Surprisingly, Cat Chapin-Bishop, author of the blog "Quaker Pagan Reflections," a bastion of Quaker-pagan thought, agrees with Massey on many counts.

She says many pagans find Quakerism attractive because it allows them to appear more mainstream. Still, she worries that if their commitment doesn't deepen, that could weaken Quaker beliefs.

"I see the pagan world waking up and saying, `Wow, there's Quakers, and maybe we could be Quakers and pagans -- cool!'" she said. "If it stays on that superficial level, that's not good news, and threatens Quakerism with real dilution. But if there are some leadings and people ... take in the wisdom that people have to teach us, then it's a wonderful thing for both pagans and the Society of Friends."

http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/rnstext/pagans_find_a_sometimes_uneasy_home_among_quakers/

The groups threatening to split the Church

2008-07-08T20:40:00.002-05:00

The groups threatening to split the Church Lead

I first noticed this story while waiting for my pizza at Papa John's. I missed the majority of it then, but ran across this in the BBC News Magazine feed I just put on my blog. What I saw on CNN at the pizza joint remarked more on how the Vatican bemoan's (poor them) the fact that if they allow women to be bishops, the there will continue to be a rift between Rome and the Anglican church. While I am not surprised, it really is pathetic that in 2008 this is still an issue. Ah well, I'm not surprised with the current pope in office. While I did NOT agree with everything John Paul II stood for, I definitely had more respect and admiration for that man than this Benedict. But, as has held true with so many other aspects of "modern" society, we seem to be regressing and oppressive lately. I just hope that soon the pendulum will start to swing in the other direction again.

The groups threatening to split the Church

The debate about whether to allow women bishops in the Church of England has exposed fault lines of feeling within the denomination. But who are the different factions? It's been portrayed as a fight between traditionalists and modernisers, but the question of whether the Anglican church should appoint women bishops or not is more complex - with several groups fighting for their own interests.

The boundaries of distinction between them are often blurred, but who are the broad groups and what do they stand for?

TRADITIONALISTS

Traditionalists object to female bishops on historical and theological grounds.

They claim the Bible teaches that the leaders of the Church must be men, citing Jesus and his 12 apostles. By that logic, they say priests - who represent Christ - must be male. And they point out that an unbroken chain of male priests and bishops has led the Church since Christ.

Traditionalists, who are mostly conservative Anglo-Catholics - the Church of England is part of the Anglican Communion - insist that they cannot stay in the Church of England unless their ministry is separate from women bishops.

Traditionalists see a code as slippery, and open to change in interpretation

Paul Handley Church Times

They say some 1,300 serving and retired clergy could desert the Church if women bishops were introduced without any concessions for them. They want clergy and parishioners who do not want to be led by a female bishop to have access to a male alternative - in the form of "super bishops" that would work alongside the Archbishops of York and Canterbury.

But on Monday evening the General Synod voted to consecrate women as bishops - without providing these safeguards. However the Synod did approve a code of practice which was aimed at meeting some of the opponents' reservations.

But before the vote traditionalists said they would not be happy with a non-binding code.

"Traditionalists see a code as slippery, and open to change in interpretation," says Paul Handley of the Church Times. "They want a statutory solution which will protect them forever."

Many Anglo-Catholics insist the Church of England must be seen in a wider context - as only part of a worldwide Church which includes Rome and the Orthodox - and which therefore cannot take this decision on its own.

They say it might complicate Anglican relations with the Roman Catholic Church, which does not ordain women, and end any future union.

CONSERVATIVE EVANGELICALS

Ever since women were first ordained as priests in 1994, traditionalists have found allies among conservative evangelicals.

I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor
Timothy 1: 11-14

Although both believe that the Bible contains the core of all Christian faith and thought, traditionalists tend to talk about the tradition of the Church of England, tracing its routes back to the early church, while evangelicals support their view with specific passages from the Bible.

Some evangelicals believe that the Bible teaches a divine order of men and women known as "male headship" - which goes right back to Creation.

For this reason, they think women should not be in a position of leadership over men in the Church.

They use letters, widely believed to be authored by St Paul, to support this:

In 1 Timothy 11-14, Paul is quoted as saying: "I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor."

But on the other side of the argument, the Bible has statements of egalitarian principle.
In Galatians 3: 28, Paul is quoted as saying: "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."

"This conflict is essentially one of authority," says Stephen Tomkins, of Ship of Fools, an online Christian magazine. "Whether authority is derived from tradition or the Bible, [either] is open to interpretation."

The majority of evangelicals support women's ministry. But conservatives were likely to back opt-outs, partly to establish a precedent for them to escape a liberal bishop in the future, says Robert Pigott, the BBC's religious affairs correspondent.

THE ACTIVISTS

Traditionalists and evangelicals claim that their issue with women bishops is not one of equality or gender - even if they do support different roles for different sexes. But female priests have formed a powerful alliance with the middle ground, arguing there is no reason to exclude women bishops, especially now that women have been accepted as priests.

They said any concessions would create a secondary class of women bishops.

And before the vote they said they would rather wait longer for women bishops than have a two-tier system.

THE UNITERS

Many evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics are just concerned that the Church of England stays intact.

They favour women's ministry, but have strong connections with the conservative strains of their different traditions. For this reason, they have supported plans to keep those opposed to women bishops within the Church of England, but in separate dioceses or provinces, in the belief that the matter will resolve itself over time.

"These are people who might be in favour of women bishops, but they don't want the Church to break up," says Mr Handley.

LIBERALS

Many liberals believe the Church needs to react to its given cultural setting - and take into account the changing modes and structures of society.

For them, it is important to put faith principles in a modern context. That means pushing for female bishops with no concessions.

They, too, refer back to the Bible, citing Jesus's inclusion of women like Mary and Martha among his followers, and arguing that it was only cultural reasons at the time that prevented women having a more prominent role.

For liberals, the issue of women's ordination is a matter of justice.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7494938.stm

Published: 2008/07/08 14:19:12 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

ARIADNE

2008-06-30T17:12:00.003-05:00

ARIADNE

Greek Name Ariadnh
Transliteration Ariadnê
Latin Spelling Ariadne
Translation Most Holy (ari adnos)

Dionysus & Ariadne, Athenian red-figure kraterC5th B.C., Archaeological Museum, Naples

ARIADNE was the immortal wife of the wine-god Dionysos. There were several versions of her story. In one, Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos of Krete, assisted Theseus in his quest to slay the Minotaur, and then fled with him aboard his ship. However, when they landed on the island of Naxos, Theseus abandoned her as she was sleeping. It was here that the god Dionysos discovered her and made her his wife. Some say that she was later slain by Artemis, or else granted immortality. In another account, Ariadne's bridal with Dionysos occurred several generations before, when the god was still wandering the earth introducing his cult. But when he rode into battle against the Argives with his band of sea women, she was slain or turned to stone by King Perseus. The god then descended to the underworld through Lerna to bring her back, before ascending to Olympos.

Ariadne was often depicted alongside Dionysos in Greek vase painting: either amongst the gods of Olympos, or in Bacchic scenes surrounded by dancing Satyrs and Maenads. The discovery of the sleeping Ariadne on Naxos was also a popular scene in both vase painting and mosaic.

PARENTS

[1.1] MINOS (Homer Odysseu 11.320, Hesiod Theogony 947, Plutarch Theseus 20.1, Diodorus Siculus 4.61.5, Ovid Metamorphoses 8.175, and others)[1.2] MINOS & PASIPHAE (Apollonius Rhodius 3.997, Hyginus Fabulae 224. Ovid Heroides 4.59)

OFFSPRING

[1.1] THOAS (by Dionysos) (Quintus Smyrnaeus 4.385, Apollonius Rhodius 4.425, Ovid Heroides 6.114)[1.2] THOAS, STAPHYLOS, OINOPION, PEPARETHOS(by Dionysos) (Apollodorus E1.9)[1.3] OINOPION (by Dionysos) (Anacreon Frag 505e, Diodorus Siculus 5.79.1)[1.4] OINOPION, STAPHYLOS (by Dionysos or Theseus) (Plutarch Theseus 20.1)[2.1] PHLIASOS, EURYMEDON (by Dionysos) (Hyginus Fabulae 14)

ENCYCLOPEDIA

ARIADNE (Ariadnê), a daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë or Creta. (Apollod. iii. 1. § 2.) When Theseus was sent by his father to convey the tribute of the Athenians to Minotaurus, Ariadne fell in love with him, and gave him the string by means of which he found his way out of the Labyrinth, and which she herself had received from Hephaestus. Theseus in return promised to marry her (Plut. Thes. 19; Hygin. Fab. 42 ; Didym. ad Odyss. xi. 320), and she accordingly left Crete with him; but when they arrived in the island of Dia (Naxos), she was killed there by Artemis. (Hom. Od. xi. 324.) The words added in the Odyssey, Dionusou marturiêisin, are difficult to understand, unless we interpret them with Pherecydes by "on the denunciation of Dionysus," because he was indignant at the profanation of his grotto by the love of Theseus and Ariadne. In this case Ariadne was probably killed by Artemis at the moment she gave birth to her twin children, for she is said to have had two sons by Theseus, Oenopion and Staphylus. The more common tradition, however, was, that Theseus left Ariadne in Naxos alive; but here the statements again differ, for some relate that he was forced by Dionysus to leave her (Diod. iv. 61, v. 51; Paus. i. 20. § 2, ix. 40. § 2, x. 29. § 2), and that in his grief he forgot to take down the black sail, which occasioned the death of his father. According to others, Theseus faithlessly forsook her in the island, and different motives are given for this act of faithlessness. (Plut. Thes. 20; Ov. Met. viii. 175, Heroid. 10 ; Hygin. Fab. 43.) According to this tradition, Ariadne put an end to her own life in despair, or was saved by Dionysus, who in amazement at her beauty made her his wife, raised her among the immortals, and placed the crown which he gave her at his marriage with her, among the stars. (Hesiod. Theog. 949; Ov. Met. l. c. ; Hygin. Poet. Astr. ii. 5.) The Scholiast on Apollonius Rhodius (iii. 996) makes Ariadne become by Dionysus the mother of Oenopion, Thoas, Staphylus, Latromis, Euanthes, and Tauropolis. There are several circumstances in the story of Ariadne which offered the happiest subjects for works of art, and some of the finest ancient works, on gems as well as paintings, are still extant, of which Ariadne is the subject.

Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

ARIADNE, THESEUS & THE MINOTAUROS

Not detailed here, but for the story of Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotauros refer the MINOTAUROS

Philostratus the Younger, Imagines 10 (trans. Fairbanks) (Greek rhetorician C3rd A.D.) :"[From the description of a painting :] A troup of dancers here, like the chorus which Daidalos is aid to have given to Ariadne, the daughter of Minos. What does the art represent? Young men and maidens with joined hands are dancing."

THE MARRIAGE OF DIONYSUS & ARIADNE

Homer, Odyssey 11. 320 ff (trans. Shewring) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) :"Ariadne, that daughter of subtle Minos whom Theseus bore off from Krete towards the hill of sacred Athens; yet he had no joy of her, since, before that could be, she was slain by Artemis in the isle of Dia [Naxos] because of the witness of Dionysos."

Hesiod, Theogony 947 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) :"And golden-haired (khrysokomes) Dionysos made blonde-haired Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, his buxom wife: and [Zeus] the son of Kronos made her deathless and unageing for him."

Anacreon, Fragment 505e (Scholiast on Aratus) (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric II) (Greek lyric C6th B.C.) :"Oinopion son of Dionysos and Ariadne."
Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca E1. 9 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :"Dionysos fell in love with Ariadne, and kidnapped her [from Naxos], taking her off to Lemnos where he had sex with her, and begat Thoas, Staphylos, Oinopion, and Peparethos."
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 3. 997 ff (trans. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) :"Remember Ariadne, young Ariadne, daughter of Minos and Pasiphae, who was a daughter of Helios. She did not scruple to befriend Theseus and save him in his hour of trial; and then, when Minos had relented, she left her home and sailed away with him. She was the darling of the gods and she has her emblem in the sky: all night a ring of stars called Ariadne’s Crown rolls on its way among the heavenly constellations."

Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 3. 1074 ff : "[Medea asks Jason about her cousin Ariadne :] Tell me too about that girl you mentioned [Ariadne], who won such fame for herself, the daughter of Pasiphae my father’s [Aeetes’] sister."

Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4. 425 ff : "A purple robe which the divine Kharites had made with their own hands for Dionysos in sea-girt Dia [Naxos]. Later, Dionysos gave it to his son Thoas, Thoas left it to Hypsipyle, and she, with many another piece of finery, gave it to Iason as a parting gift. It was a work of art, a joy for ever, as pleasing to the eyes as to the sense of touch. And it still gave out the ambrosial perfume it received when the Lord Dionysos lay on it, tipsy with wine and nectar, embracing Minos’ daughter, the fair young Ariadne, whom Theseus carried off from Knossos and abandoned on the Isle of Dia [Naxos]."

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 4. 61. 5 (trans. Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.) :“He [Theseus] carried off Ariadne [from Krete] and sailed out unobserved during the night, after which he put in at the island which at that time was called Dia, but is now called Naxos. At this same time, the myths relate, Dionysos showed himself on the island, and because of the beauty of Ariadne he took the maiden away from Theseus and kept her as his lawful wife, loving her exceedingly. Indeed, after her death he considered her worthy of immortal honours because of the affection he had for her, and placed among the stars of heaven the Crown of Ariadne."

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 51. 4 : "Theseus, on his voyage back from Krete together with Ariadne, was entertained as a guest by the inhabitants of the island [of Naxos]; and Theseus, seeing in a dream Dionysos threatening him if he would not forsake Ariadne in favour of the god, elft her behind him there in his fear and sailed away. And Dionysos led Ariadne away by night to the mountain which is know as Drios; and first of all the god disappeared, and later Ariadne also was never seen again."

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 79. 1 : "To Oinopion, the son of Minos’s daughter Ariadne, he [Rhadamanthys] gave [the island of] Khios."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 1. 20. 3 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :"Beside this picture [in the temple of Dionysos at Athens] there are also represented . . . Ariadne asleep, Theseus putting out to sea, and Dionysos on his arrival to carry off Ariadne."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 10. 28. 3 :"Ariadne was taken away from Theseus by Dionysos, who sailed against him with superior forces, and either fell in with Ariadne by chance or else set an ambush to catch her."

Plutarch, Life of Theseus 20. 1 (trans. Perrin) (Greek historian C1st to C2nd A.D.) :"There are many other stories about . . . Ariadne, but they do not agree at all. Some say that she hung herself because she was abandoned by Theseus; others that she was conveyed to Naxos by sailors and there lived with Oenaros the priest of Dionysos, and that she was abandoned by Theseus because he loved another woman . . . Moreover, some say that Ariadne actually had sons by Theseus, Oinopion and Staphylos, and among these is Ion of Khios, who says of his own native city:--`This, once, Theseus's son founded, Oinopion.' Now the most auspicious of these legendary tales are in the mouths of all men, as I may say; but a very peculiar account of these matters is published by Paion the Amathusian. He says that Theseus, driven out of his course by a storm to Kypros, and having with him Ariadne, who was big with child and in sore sickness and distress from the tossing of the sea, set her on shore alone, but that he himself, while trying to succour the ship, was borne out to sea again. The women of the island, accordingly, took Ariadne into their care, and tried to comfort her in the discouragement caused by her loneliness, brought her forged letters purporting to have been written to her by Theseus, ministered to her aid during the pangs of travail, and gave her burial when she died before her child was born. Paion says further that Theseus came back, and was greatly afflicted, and left a sum of money with the people of the island, enjoining them to sacrifice to Ariadne. [For the following section see cult of Ariadne below] . . . Some of the Naxians also have a story of their own, that there were two Minoses and two Ariadnes, one of whom, they say, was married to Dionysos in Naxos and bore him Staphylos and his brother, and the other, of a later time, having been carried off by Theseus and then abandoned by him, came to Naxos, accompanied by a nurse named Korkyne, whose tomb they show; and that this Ariadne also died there. . . . [For the rest see cult of Ariadne below.]"

Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 4. 430 ff (trans. Way) (Greek epic C4th A.D.) :"Two great silver bowls those which Euneus [great-grandson of Dionysos and Ariadne], Jason's warrior son in sea-washed Lemnos to Akhilleus gave to ransom strong Lykaon from his hands. These had Hephaistos fashioned for his gift to glorious Dionysos, when he brought his bride divine [Ariadne] to Olympos, Minos' child far-famous, whom in sea-washed Dia's isle Theseus unwitting left. Dionysos brimmed with nectar these, and gave them to his son; and Thoas at his death to Hypsipyle with great possessions left them. She bequeathed the bowls to her godlike son [Euneus], who gave them up unto Achilles for Lykaon's life."

Philostratus the Elder, Imagines 1. 15 (trans. Fairbanks) (Greek rhetorician C3rd A.D.) :"That Theseus treated Ariadne unjustly--though some say not with unjust intent, but under the compulsion of Dionysos--when he abandoned her while asleep on the island of Dia [i.e. Naxos], you must have heard from your nurse; for those women are skilled in telling such tales and they weep over them whenever they will. I do not need to say that it is Theseus you see there on the ship and Dionysos yonder on the land, nor will I assume you to be ignorant and call your attention to the woman on the rocks, lying there in gentle slumber.Nor yet is it enough to praise the painter for things for which someone else too might be praised; for it is easy for anyone to paint Ariadne as beautiful and Theseus as beautiful; and there are countless characteristics of Dionysos for those who wish to represent him in painting or sculpture . . . but this Dionysos the painter has characterized by love alone. Flowered garments and thyrsoi and fawn-skins have been cast aside as out of place for the moment, and the Bakkhai are not clashing their cymbals now, nor are the Satyroi playing the flute, nay, even Pan checks his wild dance that he may not disturb the maiden’s sleep. Having arrayed himself in fine purple and wreathed his head with roses, Dionysos comes to the side of Ariadne, 'drunk with love' as the Teian poet says of those who are overmastered by love. As for Theseus, he is indeed in love, but with the smoke rising from Athens, and he no longer knows Ariadne, and never knew her, and I am sure that he has even forgotten the labyrinth and could not tell on what possible errand he sailed to Krete, so singly is his gaze fixed on what lies ahead of his prow. And look at Ariadne, or rather at her sleep; for her bosom is bare to the waist, and her neck is bent back and her delicate throat, and all her right armpit is visible, but the left hand rests on her mantle that a gust of wind may not expose her. How fair a sight, Dionysos, and how sweet her breath! Whether its fragrance is of apples or of grapes, you can tell after you have kissed her!"

Ptolemy Hephaestion, New History Book 5 (summary from Photius, Myriobiblon 190) (trans. Pearse) (Greek mythographer C1st to C2nd A.D.) :"Psalakantha was a Nymphe of the isle of Ikaros who, captured by Dionysos, helped him to obtain Ariane on the condition that he should also belong to her, and Dionysos refused; Psalakantha took herself to Ariane and the irritated god turned her into a plany-plant."

Theophilus, To Autolycus 7 (Greek Christian writer C2nd A.D.) : "In the Dionysian tribe there are distinct families . . . [each of these] families have their names [from a founding son of Dionysos]: the family of Ariadne, from Ariadne, daughter of Minos and wife of Dionysos, a dutiful daughter, who had intercourse with Dionysos in another form; the Thestian, from Thestios, the father of Althaia."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 14 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :"Phliasus, son of Father Liber [Dionysos] and Ariadne, daughter of Minos . . . Eurymedon, son of Father Liber [Dionysos] and Ariadne, daughter of Minos."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 40 - 43 :"After he [Minos] conquered the Athenians their revenues became his; he decreed, moreover that each year they should send seven of their children as food for the Minotaur. After Theseus had come from Troezene, and had learned what a calamity afflicted the state, of his own accord he promised to go against the Minotaur . . . When Theseus came to Crete, Ariadne, Minos’ daughter, loved him so much that she betrayed her brother and saved the stranger, or she showed Theseus the way out of the Labyrinth. When Theseus had entered and killed the Minotaur, by Ariadne’s advise he got out by unwinding the thread. Ariadne, because she had been loyal to him, he took away, intending to marry her.Theseus, detained by a storm on the island of Dia [Naxos], though it would be a reproach to him hif he brought Ariadne to Athens, and so he left her asleep on the island of Dia. Liber [Dionysos], falling in love with her, took her from there as his wife."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica 2. 5 :"When Ariadne wed Liber [Dionysos] on the island of Dia [Naxos], and all the gods gave her wedding gifts, she first received this crown [the crown which became the constellation Corona] as a gift from Venus [Aphrodite] and the Horae. But, as the author of the Cretica says, at the time when Liber [Dionysos] came to Minos with the hope of lying with Ariadne, he gave her this crown as a present. Delighted with it, she did not refuse the terms. It is said, too, to have been made of gold and Indian gems, and by its aid Theseus is thought to have come from the gloom of the labyrinth to the day, for the gold and gems made a glow of light in the darkness."

Ovid, Metamorphoses 8. 173 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :"The door [of the Labyrinthos], so difficult, which none of those before could find again, by Ariadne’s aid was found [by Theseus], the thread that traced the way rewound. Then Aegides [Theseus], seizing Minois [Ariadne daughter of Minos], spread his sails for Naxos, where, upon the shore, that cruel prince abandoned her and she, abandoned, in her grief and anger found comfort in Liber’s [Dionysos’] arms. He took her crown and set it in the heavens to win her there a star’s eternal glory."

Ovid, Fasti 3. 459 ff (trans.Boyle) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :"[The constellation] Corona (the Crown) of Cnossos’ girl [Ariadne] : Theseus’ crime deified her. She gave that ingrate the winding thread [of the labyrinth] and gladly swapped her perjured husband for Bacchus [Dionysos]. Pleased with her marital fate, she asked : `Why did I sob like a country girl? His lies were my gain.’ Liber [Dionysos] meanwhile conquered the coiffured Indians and returned rich from the Orient world. Among the captive girls of surpassing beauty was a princess whom Bacchus liked too much. His loving wife wept and, as she paced the curving beach, delivered words like these, dishevelled : `Come, waves, listen again to identical sobs. Come, sand, absorb again my weeping. I recall my cry, `Perjured, perfidious Theseus!’ He left me. Bacchus incurs the same charge. Now again I cry, `No woman should trust a man!’ My case is the same, the man’s name altered. I wish my fate had proceeded as it started, and at the present time I was nothing. Why did you save me, Liber [Dionysos], as I faced my death on lonely sands? I could have stopped my pain. Love-light Bacchus and lighter than the leaves hugging your brow, Bacchus known only for my tears, have you the gall to parade a whore before me and ruin our harmonious bed? O, where is your vow? Where are your many oaths? Pity me, how often must I say this? You sued to blame Theseus and call him false. That indictment makes your sin fouler. No one should know this. I burn with silent pain lest someone think I earned such deception. I especially want it kept from Theseus to prevent his delight in sharing guilt. I suppose you prefer a dark whore to my fairness. May my enemies have that complexion. But what’s the point? You like her more for that blemish. What are you doing? She defiles your embrace. Bacchus, remain faithful and prefer no woman to a wife’s love. I love a man forever. The horns of a handsome bull captured my mother [Pasiphae], and your horns me. My love flatters, hers shames. My loving should not hurt. You were not hurt, Bacchus, when you admitted your flames for me. It’s no miracle you burn me. You were born in fire, it’s said, ripped from flames by your father’s hand. I’m the woman to whom you kept promising heaven. Ah, what gifts are mine in place of heaven!’She spoke. Liber [Dionysos] had long been listening to her words of complaint, as he followed behind her. He embraces her and mops her tears with kisses, and says : `Let us seek heaven’s heights together. You have shared my bed and you will share my name. You will be named Libera, when transformed. I will create a monument of you and your crown, which Volcanus [Hephaistos] gave Venus [Aphrodite] and she gave you.’He does what he said, and turns its nine gems to fires, and the golden crown glitters with nine stars."
Ovid, Heroides 2. 75 ff (trans. Showerman) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :"Of all the great deeds in the long career of your sire [Theseus], nothing has made impress upon your nature but the leaving of his Cretan bride [Ariadne] . . . [She] enjoys now a better lord [Dionysos], and sits aloft behind her bridled tigers."

Ovid, Heroides 4. 57 ff (trans. Showerman) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :"[Phaedra speaks :] Pasiphaë my mother, victim of the deluded bull . . . [Theseus] the faithless son of Aegeus followed the guiding thread, and escaped from the winding house through the aid my sister [Ariadne] gave. Behold, now I, lest I be thought too little a child of Minos’ line."

Ovid, Heroides 4. 113 ff :"[Phaedra complains :] My sister [Ariadne] he left at the mercy of wild beasts."

Ovid, Heroides 6. 114 ff :"[Hypsipyle, grand-daughter of Ariadne, speaks :] If noble blood and generous lineage move you--lo, I am known as daughter of Minoan Thoas! Bacchus was my grandsire; [Ariadne] the bride of Bacchus, with crown-encircled brow, outshines with her stars the lesser constellations."

Ovid, Heroides 15. 23 ff :"Let horns but spring on your head--you will be Bacchus! . . . Bacchus loved the Gnosian maid [Ariadne]."

Ovid, Heroides 16. 349 ff :"Theseus, too, he who stole you, stole Minos’ daughter; yet Minos called the Cretans ne’er to arms [to recover her]."

Seneca, Oedipus 487 ff (trans. Miller) (Roman tragedy C1st A.D.) :"Naxos, girt by the Aegean sea, gave him [Dionysos] in marriage a deserted maiden [Ariadne], compensating her loss with a better husband. Out of the dry rock there gushed Nyctelian liquor [i.e. wine]; babbling rivulets divided the grassy meadows; deep the earth drank in the sweet juices, white fountains of snowy milk and Lesbian wine mingled with fragrant thyme. The new-made bride is led to the lofty heavens; Phoebus [Apollon] a stately anthem sings, with his locks flowing down his shoulders, and twin Cupides [Erotes] brandish their torches. Jupiter [Zeus] lays aside his fiery weapons and, when Bacchus comes, abhors his thunderbolt."

Seneca, Phaedra 759 ff : "Story has spread through every nation whom [Theseus] the sister of Phaedra [Ariadne] preferred to Bromius [Dionysos]."

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 43. 420 ff (trans. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) :"[Dionysos was upset at having lost the contest for Beroe's hand in marriage to Poseidon :] His [Dionysos'] brother Eros came to console him [Dionysos] in his jealous mood : `I have kept a daintier one for your bridechamber, Ariadne, of the family of Minos and your kin.'"

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 47. 265 ff : "[Dionysos] went in dainty revel to the vineclad district of Naxos. About him bold Eros beat his wings, and Kythereia [Aphrodite] led, before the coming of Lyaios [Dionysos] the bridegroom. For Theseus had just sailed away, and left without pity the banished maiden asleep on the shore, scattering his promises to the winds. When Dionysos beheld deserted Ariadne sleeping, he mingled love with wonder, and spoke out his admiration cautiously to the danceweaving Bakkhantes : `[Dionysos compares the sleeping Ariadne to various goddesses.] . . .‘Hypnos (Sleep) flew away, the poor lovelorn girl scattered sleep, awoke and rose from the sand, and she saw no fleet, no husband [i.e. Theseus had abandoned her on the island]--the deceiver! But the Kydonian maiden lamented with the kingfishers, and paced the heavy murmuring shore which was all that the Erotes (Loves) had given her. She called on the young man’s name, madly she sought his vessel along the seaside, scolded the envious sleep, reproached even more the Paphian’s mother, the sea. She prayed to Boreas and adjured the wind, adjured Oreithyia to bring back the boy [Theseus] to the land of Naxos and to let her see that sweet ship again. She besought hardhearted Aiolos yet more; he heard her prayer and obeyed, sending a contrary wind to blow, but Boreas lovelorn himself cared nothing for the miad stricken with desire--yes, even the Aurai (Breezes) themselves must have had a spite against the maiden when they carried the ship to the Athenian land.Eros himself admired the maiden, and though he saw Aphrodite lamenting in Naxos where all is joy. She was even more resplendent in her grief, and pain was a grace to the sorrower . . . At last in her tears she found a voice to speak thus : `[Ariadne laments her fate] . . .‘Bakkhos was enraptured to hear this lament. He noticed Kekropia, and knew the name of Theseus and the deceitful voyage from Krete. Before the girl he appeared in his radiant godhead; Eros moved swiftly about, and with stinging cestus he whipt the maiden into a nobler love, that he might lead Minos’ daughter to join willingly with his brother Dionysos. Then Bakkhos comforted Ariadne, lovelorn and lamenting, with these words in his mindcharming voice : `Maiden, why do you sorrow for the deceitful man of Athens? Let pass the memory of Theseus; you have Dionysos for your lover, a husband incorruptible for the husband of a day! If you are pleased with the mortal body of a youthful yearsmate, Theseus can never challenge Dionysos in manhood or comeliness. But you will say [he slew the Minotaur] . . . Not for nothing did that fleet [of Theseus] sail from my Naxos, but Pothos (Sexual Longing) preserved you for a nobler bridal. Happy girl, that you leave the poor bed of Theseus to look on the couch of Dionysos the desirable! What could you pray for higher than that? You have both heaven for your home and Kronion for your godfather . . . for you I will make a starry crown [the constellation Corona], that you may be called the shining bedfellow of crownloving Dionysos.’So he comforted her; the girl throbbed with joy, and cast into the sea all her memories of Theseus when she received the promise of wedlock from her heavenly wooer. Then Eros decked out the bridal chamber for Bakkhos, the wedding dance resounded, about the bridal bed all flowers grew; the dancers of Orkhomenos [the Kharites or Graces] surrounded Naxos with foliage of spring, the Hamadryas sang of the wedding, the Naias Nymphe by the fountains unveiled unshod praised the union of Ariadne with the vine-god: Ortygia cried aloud in triumph, and chanting a bridal hymn for Lyaios the brother of Phoibos [Apollon] cityholder she skipt in the dance, that unshakeable rock. Fiery Eros made a round flowergarland with red roses and plaited a wreath coloured like the stars, as prophet and herald of the heavenly Crown; and round about the Naxian bride danced a swarm of the Erotes (Loves) which attend on marriage.The Golden Father [Dionysos] entering the chamber of wedded love sowed the seed of many children. Then rolling the long circle of hoary time, he remembered Rheia his prolific mother; and leaving faultless Naxos still full of Kharites he visited all the town of Hellas."

THE DEATH OF ARIADNE

The accounts of Ariadne's death conflict with the tale that Dionysos brought her to Olympos to be his immortal wife. Although, like his mother Semele, he may have recovered her from Hades.

Homer, Odyssey 11. 320 ff (trans. Shewring) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) :"[Odysseus in the Underworld :] I saw lovely Ariadne, that daughter of subtle Minos whom Theseus bore off from Krete towards the hill of sacred Athens; yet he had no joy of her, since, before that could be, she was slain by Artemis in the isle of Dia [Naxos] because of the witness of Dionysos."

Aratus, Phaenomena 72 ff (trans. Mair) (Greek astronomical poem C3rd B.C.) :"Here too that Crown [constellation Corona], which glorious Dionysos set to be memorial of the dead Ariadne."

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 4. 61. 5 (trans. Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.) :"Dionysos . . . kept her [Ariadne] as his lawful wife, loving her exceedingly. Indeed, after her death he considered her worthy of immortal honours because of the affection he had for her, and placed among the stars of heaven the Crown of Ariadne."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 1. 23. 7 - 8 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :"They say that the god [Dionysos], having made war on Perseus, afterwards laid aside his enmity, and received great honors at the hands of the Argives, including this precinct set specially apart for himself. It was afterwards called the precinct of Kres (the Kretan), because, when Ariadne died, Dionysos buried her here. But Lykeas says that when the [new] temple [of Dionysos] was being rebuilt an earthenware coffin was found, and that it was Ariadne's. He also said that both he himself and other Argives had seen it."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 10. 28. 3 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :"[In a painting of the Underworld by Polygnotos at Delphoi :] Ariadne, seated on a rock, is looking at her sister Phaidra."

Plutarch, Life of Theseus 20. 1 (trans. Perrin) (Greek historian C1st to C2nd A.D.) :"Paion the Amathusian says that Theseus, driven out of his course by a storm to Kypros, and having with him Ariadne, who was big with child and in sore sickness and distress from the tossing of the sea, set her on shore alone, but that he himself, while trying to succour the ship, was borne out to sea again. The women of the island, accordingly, took Ariadne into their care . . . and gave her burial when she died before her child was born . . . Some of the Naxians also have a story of their own, that there were two Minoses and two Ariadnes, one of whom, they say, was married to Dionysos in Naxos and bore him Staphylos and his brother, and the other, of a later time, having been carried off by Theseus and then abandoned by him, came to Naxos, accompanied by a nurse named Korkyne, whose tomb they show; and that this Ariadne also died there."

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 47. 665 ff (trans. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) :"He [Perseus in his battle with Dionysos] shook in his hand the deadly face of Medousa, and turned armed Ariadne into stone. Bakkhos was even more furious when he saw his bride all stone . . . [Hermes descends upon the battlefield and addresses Dionysos :] `She [Ariadne] has died in battle, a glorious fate, and you ought to think Ariadne happy in her death, because she found one so great [Perseus] to slay her, one sprung from heaven and of no mortal stock, one who killed the Keteos (Seamonster) and beheaded horsebreeding Medousa. The Moirai’s (Fates') threads obey not persuasion . . . And your bride even in death shall enter the starspangled sky, and she will be seen near Maia my mother among the seven travelling Pleiades. What could Ariadne wish more welcome than to live in the heavens and give light to the earth, after Krete? Come no, lay down your thyrsus, let the winds blow battle away, and fix the selfmade image of mortal Ariadne where the image of heavenly Hera stands.'"

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 25. 104 ff : "[The River] Inakhos was witness to both [Perseus and Dionysos], when the heavy bronze pikes of Mykenai resisted the ivy and deadly fennel, when Perseus sickle in hand gave way to Bakkhos with his wand, and fled before the fury of Satyroi cyring Euoi; Perseus cast a raging spear, and hit frail Ariadne unarmed instead of Lyaios the warrior. I do not admire Perseus for killing one woman, in her bridal dress still breathing of love."

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 48. 449 ff : "Ariadne . . . was a stone in a foreign land like the statue of Akhaian Hera."

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 48. 530 ff : "The soul of dead Ariadne borne on the wind came, and beside Dionysos sleeping sound, stood jealous after death, and spoke in the words of a dream : `Dionysos, you have forgotten your former bride,: you long for Aura, and you care not for Ariadne. O my own Theseus, whom the bitter wind stole! O my own Theseus, whom Phaidra [Ariadne’s sister] got for husband! I suppose it was fated that a perjured husband must always run from me, if the sweet boy left me while I slept, and I was married instead to Lyaios, an inconstant lover and a deceiver. Alas, that I had not a mortal husband, one soon to die; then I might have armed myself against lovemad Dionysos and been one of the Lemnian women myself. But after Theseus, now I must call you too a perjured bridegroom, the invader of many marriage beds. If your bride asks you for a gift, take this distaff at my hands, a friendly gift of love, that you may give your mountaineering bride what your Minoian wife gave you; then people can say--`She gave the thread to Theseus, and the distaff to Dionysos. You are just like Kronion changing from bed to bed, and you have imitated the doings of your womanmad father, having a n insatiable passion for changing your loves. I know how you lately married your Sithonian wife Pallene, and your wedding with Althaia: I will say nothing of the love of Kronois, from whose bed were born the three Kharites ever inseparable. But O Mykenai, proclaim my fate and the savage glare of Medousa! Shores of Naxos cry aloud of Ariadne’s lot, constrained to a hateful love, and say, "O bridegroom Theseus, Minos’s daughter calls you in anger against Dionysos!’ But why do I think of Kekropia? To her of Paphos, I carry my plaint against them both, Theseus and Dionysos!"'She spoke, and her shade flew away like shadowy smoke. Bold Bakkhos awoke and shook off the wing of Hypnos (Sleep). He lamented the sorrow of Ariadne in his dream."

CROWN OF ARIADNE, THE CONSTELLATION CORONA

Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 3. 997 ff (trans. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) :"Remember Ariadne, young Ariadne, daughter of Minos and Pasiphae, who was a daughter of Helios . . . She was the darling of the gods and she has her emblem in the sky: all night a ring of stars called Ariadne’s Crown rolls on its way among the heavenly constellations."

Aratus, Phaenomena 72 ff (trans. Mair) (Greek astronomical poem C3rd B.C.) :"Here too that Crown [Constellation Corona], which glorious Dionysos set to be memorial of the dead Ariadne."

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 4. 61. 5 (trans. Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.) :"Dionysos . . . kept her [Ariadne] as his lawful wife, loving her exceedingly. Indeed, after her death he considered her worthy of immortal honours because of the affection he had for her, and placed among the stars of heaven the ‘Crown of Ariadne."

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 6 Fragment 4 (from Tertullian On the Crown 13. 4) : "The writer [Diodoros] gives . . . to Ariadna a wreath made of gold and precious stones from India, this wreath becoming also a distinction of Vulcanus [Hephaistos[, and then of Liber [Dionysos], and later a constellation."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 5. 19. 1 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :"[Amongst the scenes depicted on the chest of Kypselos dedicated at Olympia :] There is Theseus holding a lyre, and by his side is Ariadne gripping a crown."

Ptolemy Hephaestion, New History Book 5 (summary from Photius, Myriobiblon 190) (trans. Pearse) (Greek mythographer C1st to C2nd A.D.) :"Psalakantha was a Nymphe of the isle of Ikaros who, captured by Dionysos, helped him to obtain Ariane on the condition that he should also belong to her, and Dionysos refused; Psalakantha took herself to Ariane and the irritated god turned her into a plany; then, feeling remorse, he wanted to honour this plant by placing it in the crown of Ariane, who took her place among the celestial constellations."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica 2. 5 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :"[Constellation Corona] Crown. This is thought to be Ariadne’s crown, placed by Father Liber [Dionysos] among the constellations. For they say that when Ariadne wed Liber [Dionysos] on the island of Dia [Naxos], and all the gods gave her wedding gifts, she first received this crown as a gift from Venus [Aphrodite] and the Horae. But, as the author of the Cretica says, at the time when Liber [Dionysos] came to Minos with the hope of lying with Ariadne, he gave her this crown as a present. Delighted with it, she did not refuse the terms. It is said, too, to have been made of gold and Indian gems, and by its aid Theseus is thought to have come from the gloom of the labyrinth to the day, for the gold and gems made a glow of light in the darkness."

Ovid, Metamorphoses 8. 175 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :"She [Ariadne], abandoned [by Theseus], in her grief and anger found comfort in Bacchus’[Dionysos’] arms. He took her crown and set it in the heavens to win her there a star’s eternal glory; and the crown flew through the soft light air and, as it flew, its gems were turned to gleaming fires, and still shaped as a crown their place in heaven they take between the Kneeler and him who grasps the Snake."

Ovid, Fasti 3. 459 ff (trans.Boyle) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :"[The constellation] Corona (the Crown) of Cnossos’ girl [Ariadne] . . . He [Dionysos-Liber] embraces her [Ariadne] and mops her tears with kisses, and says: ‘. . . I will create a monument of you and your crown, which Volcanus [Hephaistos] gave Venus [Aphrodite] and she gave you.’ He does what he said, and turns its nine gems to fires, and the golden crown glitters with nine stars [the Constellation Corona]."

Ovid, Fasti 5. 345 ff : "Bacchus loves flowers. Bacchus’ pleasure in the wreath can be known from Ariadne’s star."

Ovid, Heroides 6. 116 ff (trans. Showerman) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :"[Ariadne] the bride of Bacchus, with crown-encircled brow, outshines with her stars the lesser constellations."

Ovid, Heroides 18. 151 ff :"Let another fix his eyes on Andromeda and the bright Crown [i.e. of Ariadne], and upon the Parrhasian Bear that gleams in the frozen pole; but for me, I care not for the loves of Perseus, and of Liber [Dionysos] and Jove [Zeus], to point me on my dubious way."

Propertius, Elegies 3. 17 ff (trans. Goold) (Roman elegy C1st B.C.) :"For you [Dionysos] too are not without experience [in love] : to that, carried by your lynx-drawn chariot to heaven, Ariadne bears witness among the stars."

Seneca, Hercules Furens 16 ff (trans. Miller) (Roman tragedy C1st A.D.) :"Not alone has Bacchus [Dionysos] himself or the [Semele] mother of Bacchus attained the skies . . . [but also] the heavens wear the crown of the Cretan maid [Ariadne]."

Seneca, Phaedra 663 ff : "[Phaedra prays :] `Thee, thee, O sister [Ariadne], wherever amidst the starry heavens thou shinest, I call to aid for a cause like to thine own [i.e. love for a prince of Athens].'"

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 47. 265 ff (trans. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) :"[Dionysos addresses Ariadne :] `For you I will make a starry crown [the constellation Corona], that you may be called the shining bedfellow of crownloving Dionysos.’ . . . [At their wedding] Fiery Eros made a round flowergarland with red roses and plaited a wreath coloured like the stars, as prophet and herald of the heavenly Crown."

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 48. 969 ff : "Bakkhos [Dionysos] had not forgotten his Kydonian darling [Ariadne], no, he remembered still the bride once his, then lost, and he placed in Olympos the rounded crown of Ariadne passed away, a witness of his love, an everlasting proclaimer of garlanded wedding."

THE APOTHEOSIS OF ARIADNE

Hesiod, Theogony 947 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) :"And golden-haired Dionysos made brown-haired Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, his buxom wife : and [Zeus] the son of Kronos made her deathless and unageing for him."

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 51. 4 (trans. Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.) :"Dionysos led Ariadne away by night to the mountain which is know as Drios; and first of all the god disappeared, and later Ariadne also was never seen again."

Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 4. 385 ff (trans. Way) (Greek epic C4th A.D.) :"Two great silver bowls . . . these had Hephaistos fashioned for his gift to glorious Dionysos when he brought his bride [Ariadne] divine to Olympos, Minos' child far-famous, whom in sea-washed Dia's isle [Naxos] Theseus unwitting left."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 224 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :"Mortals who were made immortal . . . Ariadne, whom Father Liver called Libera, daughter of Minos and Pasiphae."

Ovid, Fasti 3. 459 ff (trans.Boyle) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :"[The constellation] Corona (the Crown) of Cnossos’ girl [Ariadne]: Theseus’ crime deified her. She gave that ingrate the winding thread [of the labyrinth] and gladly swapped her perjured husband for Bacchus [Dionysos] . . . He [Dionysos-Liber] embraces her [Ariadne] and mops her tears with kisses, and says : `Let us seek heaven’s heights together. You have shared my bed and you will share my name. You will be named Libera, when transformed. I will create a monument of you and your crown, which Volcanus [Hephaistos] gave Venus [Aphrodite] and she gave you.’ He does what he said, and turns its nine gems to fires, and the golden crown glitters with nine stars [the constellation Corona]."

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 47. 265 ff (trans. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) :"[Dionysos addresses Ariadne :] `You have both heaven for your home and Kronion [Zeus] for your godfather.'"

CULT OF ARIADNE

Homerica, Of the Origin of Homer and Hesiod and of their Contest Fragment 1 (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic B.C.) : "The local feast of Ariadne was being held."

Plutarch, Life of Theseus 20. 1 (trans. Perrin) (Greek historian C1st to C2nd A.D.) :"A very peculiar account of these matters [the story of Ariadne] is published by Paion the Amathusian. He says that Theseus, driven out of his course by a storm to Kypros, and having with him Ariadne, who was big with child and in sore sickness and distress from the tossing of the sea, set her on shore alone, but that he himself, while trying to succour the ship, was borne out to sea again. The women of the island, accordingly, took Ariadne into their care, and tried to comfort her in the discouragement caused by her loneliness, brought her forged letters purporting to have been written to her by Theseus, ministered to her aid during the pangs of travail, and gave her burial when she died before her child was born. Paion says further that Theseus came back, and was greatly afflicted, and left a sum of money with the people of the island, enjoining them to sacrifice to Ariadne, and caused two little statuettes to be set up in her honor, one of silver, and one of bronze. He says also that at the sacrifice in her honor on the second day of the month Gorpiaeus, one of their young men lies down and imitates the cries and gestures of women in travail; and that they call the grove in which they show her tomb, the grove of Ariadne Aphrodite.Some of the Naxians also have a story of their own, that there were two Minoses and two Ariadnes, one of whom, they say, was married to Dionysos in Naxos and bore him Staphylos and his brother, and the other, of a later time, having been carried off by Theseus and then abandoned by him, came to Naxos, accompanied by a nurse named Korkyne, whose tomb they show; and that this Ariadne also died there, and has honors paid her unlike those of the former, for the festival of the first Ariadne is celebrated with mirth and revels, but the sacrifices performed in honor of the second are attended with sorrow and mourning."

Plutarch, Theseus 23. 2 : "It was Theseus who instituted also the Athenian festival of the Oskhophoria. For it is said that he did not take away with him all the maidens on whom the lot fell at that time, but picked out two young men of his acquaintance who had fresh and girlish faces, but eager and manly spirits, and changed their outward appearance almost entirely by giving them warn baths and keeping them out of the sun, by arranging their hair, and by smoothing their skin and beautifying their complexions with unguents; he also taught them to imitate maidens as closely as possible in their speech, their dress, and their gait, and to leave no difference that could be observed, and then enrolled them among the maidens who were going to Krete, and was undiscovered by any. And when he was come back, he himself and these two young men headed a procession, arrayed as those are now arrayed who carry the vine-branches. They carry these in honor of Dionysos and Ariadne, and because of their part in the story; or rather, because they came back home at the time of the vintage. And the women called Deipnophoroi, or supper-carriers, take part in the procession and share in the sacrifice, in imitation of the mothers of the young men and maidens on whom the lot fell, for these kept coming with bread and meat for their children. And tales are told at this festival, because these mothers, for the sake of comforting and encouraging their children, spun out tales for them. At any rate, these details are to be found in the history of Damon."

Sources:
Homer, The Odyssey - Greek Epic C8th B.C.
Hesiod, Theogony - Greek Epic C8th-7th B.C.
Greek Lyric II Anacreon, Fragments - Greek Lyric C6th B.C.
Apollodorus, The Library - Greek Mythography C2nd A.D.
Apollonius Rhodius, The Argonautica - Greek Epic C3rd B.C.
Aratus, Phaenomena - Greek Astronomy C3rd B.C.
Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History - Greek History C1st B.C.
Pausanias, Description of Greece - Greek Travelogue C2nd A.D.
Plutarch, Lives - Greek Historian C1st-2nd A.D.
Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy - Greek Epic C4th A.D.
Philostratus the Elder, Imagines - Greek Rhetoric C3rd A.D.
Ptolemy Hephaestion, New History - Greek Mythography C1st-2nd A.D.
Theophilus, To Autolycus - Greek Chrisitan Rhetoric C2nd A.D.
Hyginus, Fabulae - Latin Mythography C2nd A.D.
Hyginus, Astronomica - Latin Mythography C2nd A.D.
Ovid, Metamorphoses - Latin Epic C1st B.C. - C1st A.D.
Ovid, Fasti - Latin Poetry C1st B.C. - C1st A.D.
Ovid, Heroides - Latin Poetry C1st B.C. - C1st A.D.
Propertius, Elegies - Latin Elegy C1st B.C.
Seneca, Hercules Furens - Latin Tragedy C1st A.D.
Seneca, Oedipus - Latin Tragedy C1st A.D.
Seneca, Phaedra - Latin Tragedy C1st A.D.
Nonnos, Dionysiaca - Greek Epic C5th A.D.
Photius, Myriobiblon - Byzantine Greek Scholar C9th A.D.
Other references not currently quoted here: (mostly references to the story of Ariadne, Theseus & the Minotauros): Odyssey 11.322; Apollodorus 1.9.16 & 3.1.2 & E1.8; Diodorus Siculus 4.60.4; Antoninus Liberalis 27; Parthenius 1.3; Pausanias 1.3.1; Statius Thebaid 5.226

Theoi Project Copyright © 2000 - 2008, Aaron J. Atsma, New Zealand
http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Ariadne.html

Anti-Anxiety Spell - Marigold

2008-06-28T20:40:00.001-05:00

Anti-Anxiety Spell - Marigold

Use a marigold flower.
Marigolds are the flower of the sun, so it's most potent when picked at high noon.
Take your noonday blossom in hand and say,

The light of the sun shines on my heart.
Chase the shadows, all sadness depart!

Tear up the flower and release it to the Earth to release your anxiety.

From A Floral Grimoire by Patricia Telesco

The Charge of the Goddess

2008-06-27T23:04:00.000-05:00

The Charge of the Goddess
Posted by: "Katy_Ravensong"
yahoo group greenwitchgarden
Wed Jun 25, 2008 11:06 pm (PDT)

another goodie from our files (from my favorite author)

The Charge of the Goddess
by Maggie Shayne

I am darkness as well as light,
Mistress of Death but also of life,
Bow before me on this night
and worship both my black and bright!

By myriad names have I been known
I rule both Hel* and heaven's throne
I rain my love upon my own
be they en masse or one alone!

If a gift you would receive
Come to be by darksome eve,
In forest glens my altars dwell
So dance, rejoice and cast the spell!

All the secrets shall be known
The chains that held you now disown
I crush them with the force of love
For as below, so is above!

I'll teach you all the mysteries,
The circle of life and rebirth, is me!
And the only sacrifice I ask
Is that you love, that is is your task,

Love me, that you surely do,
But love your fellow humans too,
For surely as I live in thee,
I live in each of them, you see.

For every breath and every stone
and every being is mine to own
From me they come, to me they go
We all are one, As above, so below!

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Buttprints in the Sand by Ray Brumback

2008-06-27T23:01:00.001-05:00

A bit of humor ---
Posted by: "Katy_Ravensong"
yahoo group GreenWitchGarden

Buttprints in the Sand
by Ray Brumback

One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of the Goddess they were,
But mine were not along the shore.

But then some stranger prints appeared,
And I asked Her,
"What have we here?
These prints are large and round and neat,
But much too big to be from feet."

"My child," She said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."

"You would not learn, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know,
So I got tired, I got fed up,
And there I dropped you on your butt."

Because in life, there comes a time
When one must fight, and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand."

We Will Not Forget.

2008-06-27T22:54:00.002-05:00

We Will Not Forget.

We will not forget that you are our Mother, (Mother) Nature, the great womb from which all life springs.

Millions upon billions of souls have labored to enter into your world in the
hopes that eyes might absorb your majestic beauty, so that hands might touch
the tender new buds of spring ~ soft ~ weeping with mornings' dew.
Each soul waiting for that first precious sound which stirs the body to life

We ~ will not forget.

We will not forget that you are the Great Wayshower of Sacred Law.

We learn about the Great Law of Life, Death and Rebirth from surviving our
first Autumn, resplendent with crimson ~ ochre leaves floating to the earth
blanketing it from winters clinging snows. Then, miracle upon miracle,
Spring ~ and Life bursts through the last remaining snows. Skeleton trees,
death totems framed against the sky, breath with new Life flowing through
their veins and emerald buds promise a future.

We Understand.

We are the tree of life' and are reborn into your arms in the season of the soul.

The four legged's, the two legged's, the winged spirits and those who swim
through your birthing waters are one of the greatest gifts you have given
the People. We have watched our allies in wonder ~ and then ~ in understanding.

We have learned that every living being is necessary ~ for each identifies
an aspect of the psyche of the People. However, with knowledge comes some
sorrow for we have also learned that with the extinction of any species ~ so
too has one aspect of our psyche become extinct. Some potential for the
Human Soul has become Extinct.

When we endanger the existence of any living thing so to do we endanger the
evolution of our very soul. They give their lives that we may live, they
share their spirit that we may evolve. All life is sacred and we give thanks
when one of them must fall that we may live. Someday, we too will return to
the earth and feed new life.

We have learned ~ this is the Way of the Great Circle.
So we will Remember.

The Earth does not belong to the People, the People belong to the Earth.
From the Earth we are born ~ to the Earth we shall return. Your soil is
consecrated ground and we will sing our songs and tell our stories to show
our children that the dust beneath their feet is the ashes of their ancestors.

We will remember that the blood of our Ancestors course through your mighty rivers.

Your crystal waters quench our thirst, carry our canoes and their
rippling mummers speak of the memories of our People. We will show our
children that the flow of Life is Sacred and to treat the waters as we would
our own blood.

We will remember that the air is precious and through its spirit all life is supported. The winds that give us our first breath also receive our final sigh. And, if we listen, the four winds will speak to us of our past and our future ~ of what is below and what is above.

We will show our children thatthe air is Sacred and to listen to the whispering among the leaves. Above all, we will remember that all Life is connected. All that lives areallies in our beingness. There are beasts and beings that give their livesfor us and those that show us about ourselves by showing us their Ways.

We do remember ~ our blood remembers ~ for we are born of Turtle Island. We are the Warriors of the Rainbow who will lead the Peoples of the Earth into an awareness of the Sacredness of 'All That Is' and lead them into a New Age

Written by: Eutonnah V. Olsen Dunn
As Published in: 'Gatherings' ~ The En'owkin Journal of First North American Peoples As the smoke rises, Announcing our Prayers to "All That Is", Let those that may, Hear

Spell to Banish Jealousy

2008-06-27T22:17:00.000-05:00

Spell to Banish Jealousy
June 26th, 2008
Color of the day: White
Incense of the day: Nutmeg

Jealousy plagues relationships. Working with your partner or by yourself, you'll create that green-eyed monster and then banish it. The energy you put into making a doll is part of your magic. You'll make a monster; however you imagine that. Just make sure it has green eyes! While making the doll, think about jealousy. Think how unpleasant it feels,and how it harms your relationship. Think about jealous fights, and how you'd prefer not to have them. In a circle, consecrate and name the finished doll:
"You are jealousy, the green-eyed monster.
You are my/our feelings of jealousy and pain."

Greet the doll. Talk to it. Tell it about jealousy. Pour your deepest feelings of jealousy into the doll.
Say:
"I/we banish you.
Leave here and return no more!"

Throw the doll out of the circle. Close the circle. Take the doll to a dumpster or landfill.

Repeat: "Leave and return no more!"
By: Deborah Lipp

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A Welsh Charm to Banish Sickness

2008-06-27T22:13:00.000-05:00

A Welsh Charm to Banish Sickness
Posted by: "cherrywitch57
Yahoo group: Turn the Wheel
Thu Jun 26, 2008 6:22 pm (PDT)

A Welsh Charm to Banish Sickness
A charm to banish sickness is made by placing a gold coin in a glass of red wine. Put this beneath the stars and a waning moon for three nights, and each night drink one third of the wine to shrink your sickness until it's gone. This originated in rural Welsh regions, with some similar spells appearing in Scotland and England. Overall well-being. Return to wholeness of body, mind, and spirit. Strength and vitality.

Note: Health spells usually pertain to one type of sickness. So a general, all-purpose health enchantment appears below along with examples for common maladies. However, these should in no way take the place of modern medical care, especially for persistent symptoms. Let them act as a magical accent to conventional methods. Whenever health and well being are desired. Sundays. Fridays.

Rose Peace At Home Spell

2008-06-27T21:56:00.000-05:00

Rose Peace At Home Spell

If loved ones or roommates are squabbling at home, buy a bouquet of white roses. Put them in a vase in a prominent part of the home where everyone will see them, such as a kitchen table.

When you are home alone, stand before the roses and say:

White roses of peace,
Bless my living space
And all of those within.
Let me understand each other's needs,
And live serenely with each other.
Peace be with this house,
And Strife be gone.

If you wish you can also burn a peaceful home candle that you have annointed with a little rose oil.

Denise Dumars--Llewellyn's 2006 Almanac

2008-06-27T21:55:00.000-05:00

Rose Spell
2002 Spell-A-Day
2002-05-17

According to Roman mythology, Venus fashioned the rose; therefore, the flower cannot be matched in beauty, delicacy, and fragrance. The red rose today represents love and passion, while the pink rose represents happiness in love.

If you are searching for happy love, make a tea from pink rose petals and sip on it before you see your lover. When you see him or her, offer a kiss and you will both be happy in love together. Or, to generate more passion in a relationship, gather two red roses and carefully pluck the petals. Drop the petals into a warm bath, and light two red candles. Relax in the bath, and envision becoming irresistible to your lover. After draining the bath, gather the largest petals, dry them, and slip a few under your lover's doormat.

By Verna Gates

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Magical Roses (article)

2008-06-27T21:43:00.001-05:00

Magical Roses (article)

History & Folklore:

Greek legend tells us that Roses were born from Aphrodite's blood whenher foot got pricked by a thorn, but the Greek's were certainly not the first or last civilization to include this flower in myth and lore. The Rose has been the "Queen of Flowers" for over three thousand years.

Ancient stories say that Cleopatra welcomed Mark Anthony with thousands of Rose petals as a sign of her love. In Rome and surrounding regions,the Rose not only represented romance, but also Joy and Passion.

In Greece, any oath or information shared beneath a hanging rose was considered binding and secret. Teutonic tradition says Roses are protected by Faery Folk. Arabs consider them sacred to Muhammad, and they were favored by Vishu in India. Some regions of Europe consider the Rose a funerary flower, while in others its petals are observed for omens (often about a relationship.)

In much of the Orient, the Rose is the flower of Goddesses, which is why Goddess images often receive showers of Rose petals as an offering. The idea of the Catholic prayer "rosary" comes from the tradition that the beads were originally made of Rose petals, and Roses are Mary's Flowers.[Some Pagans believe that the Goddess was re-incarnated into the "MotherMary" when Christianity became the predominent religion in Europe.]

Golden Roses are said to represent spiritual perfection, white Roses represent purity, yellow Roses friendship, and eight-petaled Roses signify Re-Incarnation.

Themes:
* Death
* Enlightenment
* Faeries
* Friendship
* Happiness
* Love
* Oaths
* Offerings
* Omens
* Passion
* Prayer
* Purity
* Reincarnation

Sample Applications:There aren't many magickal procedures that won't benefit from the Rose's loving energy. Personally, I love Pink Roses and especially wild Rose Bushes. I have a beautiful Pink Rose Bush that I planted near my front doorstep, and I keep the fresh blooms on my altar for decoration and energy --- after asking the permission of Rose and the Faeries of course!It is relatively easy to make rose-scented oils, teas, and potions for magickal use simply by steeping the freshly cut petals in in warm (not HOT) water or oil until the petals are translucent. Repeat with fresh petals until you are happy with the scent. Store in a dark, airtight container (I like the colored glass bottles...) that is suitably labeled. Roses are edible and the hips are a wonderful source of vitamin C, making them serviceable physically as well as metaphysically!

Information from:
"MAGICK made Easy: Charms, Spells, Potions & Power"
Paticia Telesco.
HarperSanFransisco;1999.

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Roses and Magick

2008-06-27T21:40:00.000-05:00

Roses and Magick
from Scott Cunninghams'
Magical Herbalism:
p 109

Rose: The love oil. Used in all love operations, added to baths, and to induce peace and harmony.

Take a handful of rose buds, place them in a silver goblet. Pour one dram rose oil over them. Let soak for a week. After this, on a Friday night, burn them over the charcoal to infuse your house with loving vibrations. This is an excellent "peace" incense, and can be done regularly to ensure domestic tranquility.

cold (p. 130 "Plants that are relaxing, passive, magnetic and /or negative are cold.)

Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Associated Deities: Venus, Hulda, Demeter, Isis, Eros, Cupid, Adonis
part used: flowers
Basic Powers: Love, fertility, clairvoyance
Specific Uses: Wash your hands with rose water before mixing up love mixtures (Rose water may be purchased commercially in gourmet food shops and herb stores.) Bear the buds if you would find a love. Drink of tisane of rose petals to produce clairvoyant dreams. Burn the petals in the bedroom prior to sleep and have a completely refreshing, wondrous night. The petals are often added to healing incenses and sachets. Scatter fresh rose petals in the bed chamber on your honeymoon. To prove you love another, send him or her red roses, the flowers of love.

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The Guardian Rose

2008-06-27T21:39:00.001-05:00

The Guardian Rose

The second protection spell is great to use when you leave on vacation or you're any place where you feel insecure in your physical surroundings.

Dry out some roses. Save the petals for another purpose and cut the stems (with thorns) down to about six inches each. When you leave on vacation place a stem over your doors (and windows if you choose) and simply ask the stems to serve as guardians in your absence. You can add as much or as little ritual to this as feels appropriate. The key here is you must know at a deep level that this makes sense. No spell will work if you aren't emotionally connected to it. If you don't have roses in your yard, buy roses every time you have a chance. If you don't regard the rose as your flower then this spell probably won't work for you. I bring this up only to stress once again the true nature of magic. It's very personal and it is directly related to your beliefs, perceptions and your need.

http://www.owlsdottir.com/BOS/guardian_rose.html#The%20Rose%20Sentry%20Spell

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The Rose Sentry Spell

2008-06-27T21:36:00.000-05:00

The Rose Sentry Spell

Determine what climbing rose bushes are suited to your location and climate. You want something that needs as little care as possible, a wild rose would be best. Once you’ve obtained your rose bushes go to your power spot on your property (you’ve found that already haven’t you?) and sit down with a rose placed in each of the four corners around you. Your goal here is to find out the rose’s name. Remember the deva in the rose is alive, conscious (in the deva sense – not in our sense) and you are going to be asking that deva to help you guard and protect your property. Wouldn’t you want to be on a first name basis with someone your asking to guard your home? Once you’ve been introduced it’s time to go dig your holes and prepare the soil. You will be placing these roses so that one of them can guard the north, south, east and west of your property. While your doing this ask the earth to nourish the rose that you're going to be planting there.

When your ready to plant in the north:
(rose name) thank you for agreeing to help me guard and protect this land
Gnomes of the north, protectors of the land come join us in our task
Help us always nurture and care for this place
And keep others who would do me and mine harm far from our door.

http://www.owlsdottir.com/BOS/guardian_rose.html#The%20Rose%20Sentry%20Spell

When your ready to plant in the east:

(rose name) thank you for agreeing to help me guard and protect this land
Sylphs of the east, guardians of the Air come join us in our task
Help us always nurture and care for this place
And keep others who would do me and mine harm far from our door.

When you’re ready to plant in the south:

(rose name) thank you for agreeing to help me guard and protect this land
Salamanders of the south, guardians of fire come join us in our task
Help us always nurture and care for this place
And keep others who would do me and mine harm far from our door.

When you’re ready to plant in the west :

(rose name) thank you for agreeing to help me guard and protect this land
Sirens of the west, guardians of water come join us in our task
Help us always nurture and care for this place
And keep others who would do me and mine harm far from our door.

http://www.owlsdottir.com/BOS/guardian_rose.html#The%20Rose%20Sentry%20Spell

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Sun Magick

2008-06-27T21:15:00.001-05:00

Sun Magick

Sun Energies

* Sunrise - Babe Energy
A time of rebirth, awakening from slumber, fresh starts.

* Morning Sun - Youth Energy
A time of growth, growing energy, learning, exploration.

* Noon - Warrior Energy
Midday is a time of potent solar energy. A time for warrior magicks and spells for justice.

* Afternoon Sun - Father Energy
This is the time of day to bring home the day's bounty - a metaphor for the middle years of a person's life. This Sun represents the harvest and fatherhood.

* Sunset - Elder Energy
A time when you sit down and reflect upon the day gone by. The energies here are for reflection, wisdom and advice.

Short Sun Spells
From Everyday Magic by Dorothy Morrison

* Sunrise
Youngest Babe, so newly born,
Help me on this bright new morn.
Aid this spell with your fresh power,
And strengthen it with every hour.

* Morning Sun
Brother Sun of growing strength,
Come to me and stay at length.
Wrap this spell with intensity,
And add to it Your potency.

* Noon
Father Sun, of strength and might,
Aid this spell in taking flight
To its target, now please guide -
Increase its power as it flies.

* Afternoon Sun
Aging One of Amber Light:
Hearken! Hear me! Aid my plight!
Take this spell where it must go,
And give it power that it might grow.

* Sunset

Setting Sun of passing day,
Aid me in Your gentle way.
Take this spell, oh Ancient One;
Give it Your strength as You pass on.

resourse link

2008-06-25T13:49:00.001-05:00

http://www.mabinogistudy.co.uk/resources.html

Clues from Homer classic help date 'Odyssey' slaughter

2008-06-24T19:44:00.000-05:00

Clues from Homer classic help date 'Odyssey' slaughter

Story Highlights
Scholars may now know the date King Odysseus returned from the Trojan War
They believe the warrior slaughtered his rivals on April 16, 1178 B.C.
Experts use clues from star and sun positions cited by ancient Greek poet Homer
Scholars debate whether Homer's books reflect the actual history of the Trojan War

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Using clues from star and sun positions mentioned by the ancient Greek poet Homer, scholars think they have determined the date when King Odysseus returned from the Trojan War and slaughtered a group of suitors who had been pressing his wife to marry one of them.

It was April 16, 1178 B.C., that the great warrior struck with arrows, swords and spears, killing those who sought to replace him, a pair of researchers say in Monday's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Experts have long debated whether the books of Homer reflect the actual history of the Trojan War and its aftermath.

Marcelo O. Magnasco of Rockefeller University in New York and Constantino Baikouzis of the Astronomical Observatory in La Plata, Argentina, acknowledge that they had to make some assumptions to determine the date Odysseus returned to his kingdom of Ithaca.

But interpreting clues in Homer's "Odyssey" as references to the positions of stars and a total eclipse of the sun allowed them to determine when a particular set of conditions would have occurred.

"What we'd like to achieve is to get the reader to pick up the 'Odyssey' and read it again and ponder," Magnasco said. "And to realize that our understanding of these texts is quite imperfect, and even when entire libraries have been written about Homeric studies, there is still room for further investigation."

Their study could add support to the accuracy of Homer's writing.

"Under the assumption that our work turns out to be correct, it adds to the evidence that he knew what he was talking about," Magnasco said. "It still does not prove the historicity of the return of Odysseus. It only proves that Homer knew about certain astronomical phenomena that happened much before his time."

Homer reports that on the day of the slaughter, the sun is blotted from the sky, possibly a reference to an eclipse. In addition, he mentions more than once that it is the time of a new moon, which is necessary for a total eclipse, the researchers say.

Other clues include:

• Six days before the slaughter, Venus is visible and high in the sky.

• Twenty-nine days before, two constellations -- the Pleiades and Bootes -- are simultaneously visible at sunset.

• And 33 days before, Mercury is high at dawn and near the western end of its trajectory. This is the researchers' interpretation, anyway. Homer wrote that Hermes, the Greek name for Mercury, traveled far west to deliver a message.

"Of course, we believe it's amply justified, otherwise we would not commit it to print. However, we do recognize there's less ammunition to defend this interpretation than the others," Magnasco said.

"Even though the other astronomical references are much clearer, our interpretation of them as allusions to astronomical phenomena is an assumption," he added via e-mail.

For example, Magnasco said, Homer writes that as Odysseus spread his sails out of Ogygia, "sleep did not weigh on his eyelids as he watched the Pleiades, and late-setting Bootes and the Bear."

"We assume he means that as Odysseus set sail shortly after sunset, at nautical twilight the Pleiades and Bootes were simultaneously visible and that Bootes would be the later-setting of the two," Magnasco explained.

"It is a good assumption, because every member of his audience would know what was being discussed, as the Pleiades and Bootes were important to them to know the passage of the seasons and would be very familiar with which times of the year they were visible. Remember, the only calendar they had was the sky."

Because the occurrence of an eclipse and the various star positions repeat over time, Magnasco and Baikouzis set out to calculate when they would all occur in the order mentioned in the "Odyssey."

And their result has Odysseus exacting his revenge April 16, 1178 B.C.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
All AboutAstronomy

Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/06/24/Homerstudy.ap/index.html?eref=rss_latest

Interesting blog! Quaker Pagan

2008-06-23T21:37:00.001-05:00

found this in my wanderings:

http://quakerpagan.blogspot.com/

Interesting premise! Can't wait to learn more since I am descended from a ton of Quaker ancestors!

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I love this!!!

2008-06-23T17:18:00.001-05:00

http://mythworker.livejournal.com/372295.html

The author has an "interview" with Herne The Hunter....I just love it!!!

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Song: Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen

2008-06-22T22:16:00.002-05:00

Hallelujah lyrics

I heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth,
the minor fall, the major lift,
the baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelu----jah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof,
you saw her bathing on the roof,
her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair,
she broke your throne, she cut your hair,
and from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelu----jah

Maybe I have been here before,
I know this room; I have walked this floor,
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch,
love is not a victory march,it's a cold and its a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelu----jah

There was a time you let me know
whats really going on below,
but now you never show it to me, do you?
(and) Remember when I moved in you;
the holy dark was moving too,
and every breath we drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelu----jah

Maybe there's a God above,
and all I ever learned from love
was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
And its not a cry you can hear at night,
its not somebody who's seen the light,
its a cold and its a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelu--jah
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelu---u---jah

“The Baffled King Composing Hallelujah” Leonard Cohen, although late to the scene of song writing, has created a plethora of music that has inspired millions. In his late 40’s, early 50’s Cohen embarked on a reevaluation of his faith. This produced several songs of religious nature, one of which is “Hallelujah. Although it sings out in a melancholy tone, “Hallelujah” is a song with a positive message about God and the nature of believing. Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” was created after Cohen’s midlife journey of religious exploration as an affirmation of his faith.

Leonard Cohen was born in Montreal in 1934. He was born into a Jewish family; however his works containing religious aspects have been mostly inspired by the Christian and Protestant influence of Montreal. Around his fifties Cohen wanted to affirm his faith. He proceeded on an exploration of faith, his and in general, and at the end of the journey made the album Various Positions. Various Positions features several songs of the religious nature. After the album he continued to create songs of faith in order to reach his fans about the nature of believing.

The first verse of “Hallelujah” sets the mood for the rest of the song. “David” is King David from the second book of Samuel. It also states a question directly from Cohen to God; “But you don’t really care for music, do you?” It isn’t talking about music, specifically; it’s an overall question to God about his caring about the world. Cohen also makes mention of a “baffled king.” This is both David and Cohen himself. David is a baffled king, as in the bible when he asks for an ordeal, but also in his actions dealing with Bethsheba in the second stanza. Cohen is the baffled musician, not necessarily searching for an actual lost chord, but searching for the element that ties everything together and makes sense of existing.

The second stanza of “Hallelujah” refers to David from the second book of Samuel. The woman in the verse is Bethsheba, wife of Uriah. While strolling on the roof David comes across her. Eventually he takes her to his bed and she becomes with child. Bethsheba did tie David to a chair and did break a throne. Cohen also wanted to make note in this stanza the workings of relationships between men and women. He writes this passage with the stance that nothing can be reconciled here. There are conflicts in life and in us that don’t come with resolution. It isn’t until later, both in life and in the song, that we see any kind of conflict resolution. Between David and Bethsheba it isn’t a happy ending that we look for, but David, and Cohen, rising above the mortal coil and embracing what it is to be alive.

The third stanza ties the biblical introduction to Cohen’s experiences and feelings. This is where Cohen introduces his crisis of faith. “You say I took the name in vain” is talking about sins. Here it states the sin of taking the lord’s name in vain, however it can be broadened to refer to all of Cohen’s sins. “I don’t even know the name” is Cohen’s response to the accusations- that he doesn’t know God, or that God has not made himself known to Cohen. “But if I did, well really, what’s it to you?” is Cohen asking others why it matters to them what he believes or doesn’t believe. The final part that talks about the blaze of light in every word is saying that God is in all the words. It doesn’t matter which you’ve heard because God is in all of them.

The final stanza of “Hallelujah” is the firm statement that Cohen believes in God. “I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch” refers to Cohen’s religious exploration in the late part of his life. Cohen felt the lack of faith in his life and so sought out a path to God to feel complete. “I’ve told the truth, I didn’t come to fool you” shows his honesty and earnest searching. The “you” in the lyrics refer to God. With these words he reassured God of his pure intentions. “And even though/ It all went wrong/ I’ll stand before the Lord of Song/ With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah” is the final statement that Cohen feels his journey has been fulfilling. Despite the hardships and failures, Cohen stands before the “Lord of Song” still singing Hallelujah. “Hallelujah” is the basic sense that even though no one ever completely understands faith and God, sometimes all there is to say is Hallelujah.

Despite rumors of Cohen being a pessimist, “Hallelujah” is an uplifting song with a strong, positive message. Created after Cohen’s explorative stint in religion, “Hallelujah” is a song about the believing and having faith. It moves gracefully through Cohen’s transition from doubting to faith. With religious metaphors and imagery it captures listeners who listen to lyrics, and with its harmonizing singing and flowing melody it ensnares listeners who prefer instrumentals. “Hallelujah” is a song that helps listeners to believe and to trust in God, or merely to have faith.

song performed by Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan,

Leonard Cohen: Hallelujah! (update)

One would never wish financial hardship on anyone but 'Halleujah!' for the financial hardship that forces Leonard Cohen back on to the stage. Here Telegraph journalist Neil McCormick welcomes Cohen back with an in depth look at one of his most enduring songs. Additional material from the Independent now added at the foot of this article.

This weekend one of the most revered singer-songwriters in history arrives in Britain and Ireland for a tour that will take him from the gardens of Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin to the main stage at Glastonbury.

In 15 years away from the stage, Leonard Cohen has endured psychological crisis, spiritual transformation and the loss of his fortune in a financial fraud, yet he treats such personal dramas as the stuff of art. "We basically all lead the same kind of lives," he said recently. "Gain and loss, surrender and victory - popular music has to be about those subjects."

It is all there in one song in particular, an epic, gospel-tinged ballad of desire and rejection, love and sex, God and man, failure and transcendence, the inevitability of death and triumph of the spirit against the greatest odds. Performed by a 73-year-old man with a shattered voice, it is a song with the power to turn a rock arena into a cathedral.

The song is Hallelujah. Written and rewritten by Cohen over the years, it has come to be regarded by many as the greatest song of all time. It has been recorded and performed by more than 100 artists in a dozen different languages, including versions by Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Bono, KD Lang, Rufus Wainwright and, most famously, Jeff Buckley. It has featured on the soundtracks of dozens of films, from Shrek to the dark satire Lord of War

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Dispelling Sorrow Spell

2008-06-22T19:46:00.001-05:00

This spell is from Valerie Worth, in her book "The Crones Book Of Words."

Dispelling Sorrow Spell

When world and fate
Conspire to mark
Your life with lines
And characters dark,
Mould a tablet
Of earth or clay,
Write on it all
You would cast away-
All you regret,
All that you bear,
All that afflicts you,
All that you fear-
Break it and bury it
In the ground,
saying this charm

To heal the wound:

"Sorrow be dust
And dust dissolve:
Let my grief
Go into this grave."

When Witches Blend Torah and Tarot

2008-06-22T18:17:00.001-05:00

October 30, 2003
When Witches Blend Torah and Tarot
By Keren Engelberg
http://www.jewishjournal.com/ community_briefs/article/when_witches_blend_torah_and_tarot_20031031/

The Thursday before Halloween, Melissa Oringer participates in the traditional rituals of her Wiccan coven. She carves pumpkins and she scrys, or peforms a sort of "magick" (a spelling that differentiates it from modern associations of magic) that uses something tangible, like tarot cards, runes or other tools to delve into someone's psyche. Halloween, known as Samhain among Pagans, celebrates the Pagan New Year, the time when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is thinnest and, therefore, a day for honoring your beloved dead. Oringer's coven does so by sharing stories, or making food related to the person being remembered.

But Oringer does another ritual as well on Halloween, a more private one: she lights a yahrtzeit candle to remember her own beloved dead. The Jew and Wiccan high priestess said she melds Jewish and Wiccan traditions in a manner that she finds meaningful. "I'm Wiccan and I'm Jewish," she writes on her Web site, jewitchery.com. And she's not the only one.

There are some 200,000 Pagans in America, according to Margot Adler, author of "Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess Worshippers and Other Pagans in America Today." A fraction of this group is Jewish -- and why not? Like a growing number of Jews who personalize religion to suit their needs (think JuBus, or Jewish Buddhists), many Pagan Jews see their practice as just another niche in the wide spectrum of being "The Chosen."

But is it possible to follow both the second commandment and a religion based on polytheism? What is lacking in Judaism that causes spirituality seekers to turn away from their own traditions? And: Can Jewish Paganism be good for the Jews?

First things first: A short tutorial. Given its controversial history, it's probably most appropriate to begin with what Neo-Paganism (the official term) is not: 1) It is not a cult. 2) It does not involve Satanism or devil worship. 3) Its goal is not to visit harm on others. 4) While rituals may be performed "skyclad" (naked), it is a religion devoted to the natural world, not to sexual hedonism.

Neo-Paganism is a polytheistic, anarchic religion that elevates nature, utilizing magick and ritual to end people's alienation from nature.

In some ways at least, it's not too far from Judaism, which also fosters an appreciation of nature and of human life, and also focuses on ritual, uses a lunar calendar and celebrates seasonal holidays. Some have even argued that certain Jewish traditions stem from early Pagan practices, though their relationship is steeped in ambiguity and, therefore, controversy.

Consider the Shabbat challah: A potato version was called berches by Northern European Jews, perhaps owing to the practice among Northern European non-Jewish women of offering braided bread loaves to the Teutonic goddess Berchta. Other links have been cited between the celebration of Rosh Chodesh (the new month) and of Chanukah, which corresponds with the Pagan winter solstice. Where Paganism leaves off, however, Judaism continues to enrich, argued Rabbi Danny Landes, director for Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.

"Where Paganism sometimes gets it right is in a notion of the appreciation of the force of life, force of nature," Landes told The Journal. But, he added, "I think Neo-Pagan religions are at best an ethical hedonism in which we say 'I'll live my life and you'll live yours....' There is a lack of great desire for justice ... and for loving kindness. I'm not saying they're all evil. It just doesn't go far enough."

For Adler, it does. To her, Paganism's appeal lies in ritual. Adler's own upbringing was in an atheist Jewish household that had "almost no Jewish resonance."

"I don't think there was ever a rejection of Judaism because I didn't think of myself as having a Jewish resonance," she said. "The only thing I could really reject was atheist Marxism. But I knew there was some powerful stuff in ritual."

When she went searching in her 20s, Adler found "most of the Christian and Jewish ceremonies were, from a ritual ceremony [perspective], really boring. I wasn't exposed to Chasidism ... or Sufi dancing," she said. "I hadn't seen Jewish religious juice or Christian religious juice. So I was looking for the juice and mystery of ecstatic religious experience but without the price of losing one's intellectual integrity."

What she said she found was, "a way of living in this world and yet being attuned to this ecstatic tradition."

She'll still occasionally attend a feminist Passover seder.

"You can see Passover in this incredible civil rights and political way without looking at the religious aspects," she said.

Today, she describes her Pagan tradition as "eclectic," "polytheistic" and earth-centered, following seasonal celebrations and using the goddesses as metaphor.

"I don't know how much is real and how much is metaphor," she said.

Juicy or not, with Judaism's ban on idolatry, how much is metaphor becomes a more than minor question, at least for Pagans still claiming their Judaism, like Oringer, or Devin Galaudet, who described his practice as "a cross-section of kabbalah, and perhaps I will throw in magick, general hermetics and a little bit of Eastern philosophy."

His reconciliation goes like this: "Those different god names in the Bible all serve different purposes. I think perhaps the difference is that Judaism has the different parts, but does not embrace the parts in different ways. I think there's value in embracing the different sides that God is. It's wonderful that God is an all-powerful being or entity, but it's also nice that God makes the flowers and there's a specific part of God that does that, and makes the wind blow, and everything else."

But Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Project Next Step, warned of the dangers of polytheism within the Jewish faith.

"God doesn't like mistresses," he said. "Not that it matters to Him, but in our relationship with Him, which is what will give us happiness as Jews, putting our focus elsewhere is not going to cement our relationship with Him."

That Adlerstein uses the masculine pronouns to refer to God exemplifies Oringer's personal conflict with the Judaism in which she was raised.

"For me, the writers of Judaism didn't resonate with me. I felt left out of that because I was a woman," Oringer said.

Indeed, for a good number of Jewish Pagans, their spiritual blending can be seen as one of many varied attempts among Jewish women to reconcile a patriarchal Jewish tradition with modern feminist ideology.

In her essay, "Challah for the Queen of Heaven," in the book "Yentl's Revenge: The Next Wave of Jewish Feminism," Ryiah Lilith offers a similar position: "As buzzwords and phrases such as patriarchy, masculine God-language and blood taboo crept into my vocabulary, the lure of Orthodox Judaism diminished. In Conservative services I was distracted by the gendered and often sexist prayers and felt little connection to either Adonai or other congregants and although the Reform 'Gates of Prayer' was explicitly nonsexist, I noticed that the rabbi, cantor, congregational leadership and most of the board were men."

The feminist orientation and emphasis on the goddess led both women to the Craft. But in the end, they chose to incorporate rather than abandon their Jewishness.

Lilith writes, "there are a number of Jewish women within the Pagan community who worship the goddess and who want more feminine and feminist liturgy and ritual than Judaism currently allows."

"I have never stopped being a Jew," Oringer writes on her Web site. "That's simply who I am. It's my family, my tribe, my people. I don't always agree with them ... but they're still my family, for better or for worse. I incorporate the tools of my family into my practice (the Kiddush cup, the menorah, the braided candle, the candlesticks, the spice box, the hand of God...). I have a fondness for challah."

Jewish goddess worshippers like Oringer and Lilith may also invoke the names of goddesses like Asherah, who, according to controversial texts like Raphael Patai's "The Hebrew Goddess," was worshipped by the Israelites before Jewish idol worship ceased completely. They might also summon Shekinah, the female name of God.

"I think the crisis is Jews of all ages with insufficient knowledge of the depth and beauty of their own religion," Adlerstein said. "There's a real quest for spirituality. It's nothing new that people using misplaced yetzer tov (good inclination) rather than bad inclination often assume that the spirituality they're looking for doesn't exist in Judaism. So they look elsewhere."

Even among Neo-Pagans, Adlerstein's point rings true.

"If Jewish renewal had been around at the time [I began my approach], I might have felt differently," Oringer said. "But I certainly had nothing to identify with."

In Devin Galaudet's Cor Lucis tradition, the focus is more on ritual and meditation, and less on spellcasting. They use a framework of the classic text "The Golden Dawn," as well as the kabbalistic Tree of Life and the tarot. But he also still celebrates most of the Jewish holidays and holds a particular affinity for more ritualistic holidays like Passover.

"It's one of the holidays where the ritual is performed at home... When I go to synagogue someone else is making that connection or they're portraying the connection on my behalf, but ... it waters down the experience for me," Galaudet said.

Growing up in the Fairfax district, Galaudet considers his background as culturally Jewish, but secular. But in his 20s, he began studying Kabbalah at the Kabbalah Centre, as well as various forms of Paganism and just about every other religion before deciding on his unique combination. The things he thinks are missing from Judaism are ritual and the personal power to connect with God.

"Ultimately ... the hierarchy of Jewish temples ... doesn't seem to work for me," he said. "Rabbis aren't necessarily approachable, and frequently they don't want to answer questions. Ultimately it's a very Christian sort of power struggle. I don't need the rabbi's help to make the connection."
For Galaudet, making that connection will sometimes involve "Qabalistic" (an older variation on the spelling) tarot reading. He may have learned about the Kabbalah at the Kabbalah Centre, but, said a Centre representative, not about Qabalistic tarot reading. According to Billy Phillips, the organization's director of communications, "It's not part of the Judaic understanding of Kabbalah. Throughout history there have been countless sects that have liberated and taken from Kabbalah and tried to adapt it to their own purposes."

Adlerstein believes that this kind of dual citizenship is bad for the Jews. He placed the blame for it on a lazy approach toward religion resulting in pop spirituality.

"Part of what we're looking at are the same reason people turn to the Kabbalah Centre," Adlerstein said. "It's like fast food spiritualism -- getting it without the work, the counterculture part of it."

But Lillith still sees a place for her approach to Judaism:

"If 'Jewish' is a sufficiently expansive and flexible marker to describe the overlap or commonality -- no matter how slight -- between Reconstructionist, Israeli, transgender, Chasidic and Ethiopian Jews, then it can certainly include Goddess-worshipping Jewish witches as well."

© Copyright 2008 The Jewish Journal and JewishJournal.comAll rights reserved

Pagans mark longest day at ancient Stonehenge

2008-06-21T15:59:00.001-05:00

Pagans mark longest day at ancient Stonehenge

Story Highlights
Pagans, druids gather at Stonehenge on the longest day of the year
UK police estimate 28,000 present to greet the day amid drizzle at 0348 GMT
Gatherings have sometimes seen violent scenes, although calmer in recent years
Stonehenge, about 80 miles from London, built between 3000 and 1600 B.C.

STONEHENGE, England (AP) -- Thousands of partygoers, pagans and self-styled druids cheered and banged drums Saturday to greet the dawn at Stonehenge on the longest day of the year, the summer solstice.

Blowhorns signaled the rise of the sun over the ancient stone circle at 4:58 a.m. (0348 GMT) -- although in typical English fashion, the sunrise was barely visible through the clouds.

Still, the mist and drizzle did not dampen the spirits of revelers who gathered under umbrellas, ponchos and plastic bags to greet the dawn.

"I've done this for the last three years," said Peter Rawcliffe, 26, who cycled the 50 miles (80 kilometers) from his home in the city of Oxford. "I suppose I'm a bit of a closet druid.
"It's a really magical experience," he said.

Police estimated 28,000 revelers had made the trip, one of the largest numbers in years. They said there were 15 arrests for theft and other minor offenses.

Trevor Wyatt, 55, described the historic site as his "cathedral."

"It's been a sacred place for 6,000 years for the people of this country," he said. Wyatt, who lives in London, said he is neither pagan nor druid, "just English."

In ancient times, a druid was a member of the Celtic priesthood who would act as priest, arbitrator, scholar, magistrate and healer. They appeared in sagas and in Christian legends as magicians or wizards.

Solstice celebrations were a highlight of the pre-Christian calendar, and in many countries bonfires, maypole dances and courtship rituals linger on as holdovers from Europe's pagan past.

Zoe Neale, 48, cheerfully admitted that her visit to Stonehenge "is part of my midlife crisis." She left her West London office amid gentle teasing from her colleagues Friday afternoon to see a very English tradition.

"I've always thought it's just a bunch of old hippies. I'm just going to ignore the hippie things and think about Stonehenge and the sunrise," she said.

Throughout the night, visitors gathered in groups to dance around drummers and bagpipe players -- or to swig from cans of beer to the beat of techno music.

"We heard about it through our really studious friends, but we're going to come and get drunk," said Alison Newcomer, a 21-year-old student from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southwest of London, was built over three phases between 3000 B.C. and 1600 B.C. It is one of Britain's most popular tourist attractions, drawing more than 750,000 visitors a year.

The solstice is the one day of the year that visitors are allowed access throughout the night to the stone circle. Representatives of English Heritage, the monument's caretaker, were on hand to make sure no one climbed on or vandalized the stones.

Though the stone circle's alignment with the midsummer sunrise makes it an ideal location for celebrating the solstice, the event has a controversial past.

A clash between police and revelers at the solstice celebration in 1985 led to closure of the monument for the solstice for 15 years. During those years, riot police and people determined to celebrate the solstice often clashed.

But in 2000, English Heritage reopened Stonehenge for the solstice, and celebrations since have been peaceful, with only a few arrests for minor offenses each year.

"People generally respect the stones, and we don't have a problem," English Heritage spokeswoman Rebecca Milton said.

Exactly how and why Stonehenge was built remains a mystery. Some experts believe that it is aligned with the sun simply because its builders came from a sun-worshipping culture, while others believe the site was part of a huge astronomical calendar.

In May, researchers said new evidence suggests that the stone circle was used as a burial ground. Cremated remains found at the site date to 3000 B.C., and radiocarbon dating shows that burials continued at the site for at least 500 years.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/06/21/stonehenge.dawn.ap/index.html?eref=rss_latest

Basque: Interesting site

2008-06-15T15:55:00.000-05:00

http://www.buber.net/Basque/

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Gypsies/Romany

2008-06-14T22:04:00.001-05:00

interesting blog on/about Gypsies/Roma's

http://gypsiesroma.blogspot.com/

and another site on British Traveller's/Gypsies:

http://www.journeyfolki.org.uk/Welcome/tabid/658/Default.aspx

Self sufficiency and homesteading

2008-06-14T19:47:00.002-05:00

http://www.channel4.com/food/on-tv/river-cottage/

in an email I got someone referred to one of my favorite britcoms: A Good Life/Good Neighbors. Another person replied that this site would be of interest to anyone interested in that way of life.

Interesting site, will have to explore more.

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Llewellyn's Spell a Day: Festival of Epona: June 13, 2008

2008-06-14T19:33:00.002-05:00

Llewellyn's Spell a Day

Festival of Epona
June 13th, 2008
Color of the day: Pink
Incense of the day: Mint

Honored in the Celtic lands long before the coming of the Romans, Epona is known as theCeltic goddess of horses and the protector of all animals. With that in mind, this is an excellent day to honor our animal companions and friends.

Spend extra time with your animal companions. They need quality attention and play time just as much as human friends.

Invoke the blessing and guardianship of Epona upon them as they journey with you through life. For those who love animals and at this point in their life cannot have an animal friend of their own, consider this as an opportunity to spend time with animals who do not have human companions of their own.

Consider spending volunteer time working with animals at the local animal shelter or doing fund raising in support of no-kill shelters to help animals find their home in this world. Epona will smile upon you.

By: Winter Wren

Goddess Bless!
GrannyMoon
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TurnTheWheel/

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Faeries and You

2008-06-14T19:18:00.002-05:00

Faeries and You

The realm of faeries and elves is divided into four groups: The Earth Spirits- elves, gnomes, and trolls; The Water Spirits- nymphs, undinesand water sprites; The Air Spirits- sylphs; and The Fire Spirits-salamanders. It is important that your garden be an environment that welcomes all living beings, especially faeries and elves. These pages are designed to help you connect with the fey......enjoy!

Faery are often very shy or mistrustful of humans. Some dislike humans all together and are best avoided. Faery have many reason to distrust humans. A few reasons:

1. We are destructive. So much land and water has been destroyed,polluted or hurt in some way by humans. We cut down whole forests, dump our garbage were ever we like (so many times I've been out horseback riding on wooded trails and find abandoned vehicles and
appliances, tires and other trash) Money is usually the main factor guiding men when it comes to ripping apart our land to put in a new shopping mall or housing development. Look at all the pollution done to the seas, rivers, lakes etc. We can't claim ignorance for all that's been done.

2. There are unfortunately way to many people out there that are cruel to animals. I volunteer with a shelter and see such cruelty. Animals are beaten, starved, set on fire, killed for fun, tormented, experimented on and forced into horrible sport for our amusement
examples: horse tripping, dog and cock fighting.

3. How can faery be expected to trust us at face value when we as humans can't get along. Wars, abuse, killing, pettiness, all the manipulation, lies. Why this list alone could take pages.

These are just a few reasons fae may be distrustful of us.

I know some of what I said may have seemed harsh but it's reality. Mother Earth and her creatures are suffering and much of it's at our hands. While all that maybe true it's still possible to strike up a relationship with the fae. They are shy, perhaps deservedly untrusting and have thier own set of standards. This being so it takes a willingness, true intent, patience and perhaps a little luck to get their attention.

Some things to help in contacting them. It's easiest to see them or have contact with them in 'tween places. In a doorway, Hall, gate, crossroads, etc. Anyplace that's in between or not truly one place or another. Good times to try are dusk before the sun is truly up, noon, twilight and midnight. The veil between our world and their's is easier to pierce, so to speak. Full moon and New moon are powerful times. Your solstices, equinox's are another good time. You can purchase an almanac for this information, or look at the Witche's Calendar here on the sidebar.

Have an offering of some sort is also helpful. The faery like to be thanked, not in words but gifts. Have an area devoted to the wee folk. An area in your yard or garden. If it's not possible to have an outside location devote a space in your home. It need not be large. Having natural plants and even one of those small water fountains is helpful. Leave small stones, herbs etc. in this area. Announce to the faery this is their space.

If you have images or statues, dolls or anything fae related leave them near this spot or scattered in your home. They will be attracted to them.

Faery love music so play it often especially when working with them.!

posted by: Cherry)O(Witch
yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TurnTheWheel/

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2008-06-14T19:13:00.000-05:00

A Wedding Spell
June 14th, 2008

Color of the day: Gray
Incense of the day: Sage

Use the wild grasses growing now to create this wedding spell.
The couple who are going to be wed should perform this spell alone.
The bride and groom should go into a field and each cut a small bouquet of grasses, clover, daisies, or whatever else is in season.
Next, shape the bouquet of grasses into the form of a human figure—the bride shaping a woman; the groom a man.
Using more grass, tie the figures together and say: “Hand to hand, heart to heart. Never shall we part.”
To complete the spell, dig a round hole amid the growing grass and place the figures in the soil.
As you cover the figures with soil, in unison say: “Our love has no beginning, our love has no end. And, like the Earth is round, the Sun is round, the Moon is round, together forever we are bound.”

By: James Kambos

Tlachtga

2008-06-02T20:45:00.001-05:00

Tlachtga
by Almut Wille

Tlachtga ("Earth-Spear"), is the daughter of the blind druid/sun god Mog Ruith and Dron, and sorceress or patronness of druidic skills. She belongs to the race of the Firbolg. She learns all her magic from her father and creates several obviously magic items – a rolling wheel for a man named Trian, the stone of Forcathu, and the famous Cnamhcaill ("Bone damage"), from a part of her fathers wheel. The stone is said to kill all who touch it, blind those that look upon it and deafen those that hear it. Some think it a thunderbolt emerges from the stone, so it would be a magic weapon which could be used against Mog Ruith's and Tlachtga's enemies.

Medieval legend has it that she was raped by the three sons of Simon Magus and bore them triplets named Doirb, Cumma and Muach. She died in giving birth to them, and the hill where she died is named Tlachta hill. Later on, Tlachtga hill was the meeting point for all druids of Ireland, where the Samhain fire was kindled.

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2008-06-02T20:39:00.004-05:00

What Neopagan Druids Believe

(c) 1984 - Reprinted from "The Druids' Progress"

P. E. I. Bonewits

Here's a brief introduction to the basic beliefs that I expect will characterize most members of ADF (a Neopagan Druid organization). These spiritual beliefs are similar to most of those held by other Neopagans (see Margot Adler's book, "Drawing Down the Moon") and the similarities are far more important than whatever specific distinctions of doctrine or ethnic focus there might be between us and other Neopagans. I should also mention that not all Neopagans who consider themselves Druids will necessarily agree with every point of the following list. Nonetheless, these beliefs will be the roots of ADF's polytheology, the source of the spiritual grove we seek to plant.

We believe that divinity is both immanent (internal) and transcendent (external). We see the Gods as being able to manifest at any point in space or time, including within human beings, which they might choose, although they may often have their preferences. Often this develops among some Neopagans into pantheism ("the physical world is divine") or panentheism ("the Gods are everywhere"). We tend more towards the latter position.

We believe that divinity is as likely to manifest in a female form as it is in a male form, and that therefore women and men are spiritually equal. We insist on a dynamic balance between female and male deities honored and/or invoked at every ceremony, and a strict gender balance in whatever theories of polytheology that we eventually develop. We're "liberals" about women's rights and gay rights, but not "radicals;" that is to say, we're unwilling to subordinate all our other principles in order to promote this particular principle. People who wish to make feminism or gay activism the absolute center of all their spiritual activity will probably be happier in other groups.

We believe in a multiplicity of gods and goddesses, all of whom are likely to be worthy of respect, love and worship. Sometimes we believe in these divinities as individual and independent entities; sometimes as Jungian "archetypes of the collective unconscious" or "circuits in the psychic Switchboard;" sometimes as aspects or faces of one or two major deities (the "High God/dess" and/or "the Goddess and the Horned God"); and sometimes as "all of the above!" We feel that this sort of flexibility leads to pluralism (instead of monism), multi-valued logic systems and an increased tolerance of other people's beliefs and lifestyles. All of these are vital if our species is ever going to learn to live in peace and harmony amid a multiplicity of human cultures.

We believe that it is necessary to have a respect and love for Nature as divine in her own right, and to accept ourselves as a part of Nature and not as her "rulers." We tend to accept what has come to be known as "the Gaia hypothesis," that the biosphere of our planet is a living being, who is due all the love and support that we, her children, can give her. This is especially important in our modern era, when 3000 years of monotheistic belief that "mankind is to have dominion over the Earth" have come close to destroying the ability of the biosphere to maintain itself. Many Neopagan groups refer to themselves as "Earth religions" and this is a title which we believe Neopagan Druidism should proudly claim, and which we should work to earn. Thus we consider ecological awareness and activism to be sacred duties. If the ecology, conservation and anti-nuclear movements are ever to have "chaplains," we should be among them.

We believe in accepting the positive aspects of western science and technology, but in maintaining an attitude of wariness towards their supposed ethical neutrality. The overwhelming majority of Neopagans are technophiles, not technophobes. We tend to be better scientifically educated than the general population, and thus we have a religious duty to speak out about the economic, political and ecological uses and abuses of science and technology.

We share with most other Neopagans a distaste for monolithic religious organizations and would-be messiahs and gurus. Obviously, this places the founders of Neopagan religious traditions in a complex position: they need enough religious authority to focus the organizations they're founding, but not so much as to allow them (or their successors) to become oppressive. Since the pluralistic approach denies the existence of any One True Right and Only Way, and since Neopagans insist upon their own human fallibility, we expect to be able to steer ADF between the Scylla of tyranny and the Charybdis of anarchy.

In keeping with this, we believe that healthy religions should have a minimum amount of dogma and a maximum amount of eclectism and flexibility. Neopagans tend to be reluctant to accept any idea without personally investigating both its practicality and its long-range consequences. They are also likely to take useful ideas from almost any source that doesn't run too fast to get away. We intend ADF to be a "reconstructionist" tradition of Druidism, but we know that eventually concepts from nonDruidic sources will be grafted on to our trees. There's no harm in this, as long as we stay aware of what we are doing at every step of the way, and make a legitimate effort to find authentic (and therefore spiritually and esthetically congruent) parallels in genuine Indo-European sources first. As for flexibility, Neopagan Druidism is an organic religion, and like all other organisms it can be expected to grow, change and produce offshoots as the years go by.

We believe that ethics and morality should be based upon joy, self-love and respect; the avoidance of actual harm to others; and the increase of public benefit. We try to balance out people's needs for personal autonomy and growth, with the necessity of paying attention to the impact of each individual's actions on the lives and welfare of others. The commonest Neo-pagan ethical expression is "If it doesn't hurt anyone, do what you like." Most Neopagans believe in some variant or another of the principle of karma, and state that the results of their actions will always return to them. It's difficult for ordinary humans to successfully commit "offenses against the Gods," short of major crimes such as ecocide or genocide, and our deities are perfectly capable of defending their own honor without any help from mortal busybodies. We see the traditional monotheistic concepts of sin, guilt and divine retribution for thought-crimes as sad misunderstandings of natural growth experiences.

We believe that human beings were meant to lead lives filled with joy, love, pleasure, beauty and humor. Most Neopagans are fond of food, drink, music, sex and bad puns, and consider all of these (except possibly the puns) to be sacraments. Although the ancient Druids appear to have had ascetics within their ranks, they also had a sensualist tradition, and the common folk have always preferred the latter. Neopagan Druids try to keep these two approaches in balance and harmony with each other by avoiding dualistic extremes. But the bedrock question is, "If your religion doesn't enable you to enjoy life more, why bother?"

We believe that with proper training, art, discipline and intent, human minds and hearts are fully capable of performing most of the magic and miracles they are ever likely to need. This is done through the use of what we perceive as natural, divinely granted psychic powers. As with many other Neopagan traditions, the conscious practice of magic is a central part of most of our religious rituals. Unlike monotheists, we see no clearcut division between magic and prayer. Neither, however, do we assume an automatic connection between a person's ability to perform "miracles" and either (a) their personal spirituality or (b) the accuracy of their poly/theological opinions.

We believe in the importance of celebrating the solar, lunar and other cycles of our lives. Because we see ourselves as a part of Nature, and because we know that repeating patterns can give meaning to our lives, we pay special attention to astronomical and biological cycles. By consciously observing the solstices, equinoxes and the points in between, as well as the phases of the moon, we are not only aligning ourselves with the movements and energy patterns of the external world, but we are also continuing customs that reach back to the original Indo-European peoples and beyond. These customs are human universals, as are the various ceremonies known as "rites of passage" -- celebrations of birth, puberty, personal dedication to a given deity or group, marriage, ordination, death, etc. Together these various sorts of observations help us to find ourselves in space and time -- past, present and future.

We believe that people have the ability to solve their current problems, both personal and public, and to create a better world. Hunger, poverty, war and disease are not necessary, nor inevitable. Pain, depression, lack of creative opportunity and mutual oppression are not necessary either. What is necessary is a new spiritual consciousness in which short-sighted greed, power-mongering and violence are seen as absurd, rather than noble. This utopian vision, tempered with common sense, leads us to a strong commitment to personal and global growth, evolution and balance.

We believe that people can progress far towards achieving growth, evolution and balance through the carefully planned alteration of their "normal" states of consciousness. Neopagans use both ancient and modern methods of aiding concentration, meditation, reprogramming and ecstasy. We seek to avoid being locked into single-valued, monistic "tunnel realities," and instead work on being able to switch worldviews according to their appropriateness for each given situation, while still maintaining a firm spiritual, ethical and practical grounding.

We believe that human interdependence implies community service. Neopagan Druids are encouraged to use their talents to help others, both inside and outside of the Neopagan community. Some of us are active in political, social, ecological and charitable organizations, while others prefer to work for the public good primarily through spiritual means (and many of us do both). As Neopagan Druids we have the right and the obligation to actively oppose (physically and spiritually) those forces which would kill our planet, oppress our fellow human beings, and destroy our freedom of religion. Also, however, we have a constant need to evaluate our own methods and motives, and to make sure that our actions are coming from the depths of our spiritual beings, and not from petty or short-sighted desires for power.

We believe that if we are to achieve any of our goals, we must practice what we preach. Neopagan Druidism should be a way of life, not merely a weekly or monthly social function. Thus we must always strive to make our lives consistent with our proclaimed beliefs. In a time when many people are looking for something solid to hang on to in the midst of rapid technological and cultural changes, Neopagan Druidism can offer a natural and creative alternative to the repressive structures of mainstream monotheism. But our alternative will not be seen as such unless we can manage to make it a complete lifestyle -- one with concern, if not always immediate answers, for the problems of everyday life, as well as the grand cosmic questions. Obviously, there's a great deal more to Neopaganism in general and our version of it in particular. The details of Neopagan polytheology will take years to develop. The section of the "Druid Handbook" dealing with beliefs will consist of statements with commentaries (and even arguments) about the meanings of the statements. The purpose of this format is multiple: to emphasise that there are no final answers to the great questions of human existence; to express clearly that Neopagans can disagree with each other about subtle details of interpretation, while still remaining members of the same religion; and to allow the belief system to grow and adapt to changing cultural and technological needs. Neopagan Druidism is to be a religion of the future, as well as of the present and the past.

This article has been reprinted from "The Druids' Progress", issue #1, and is copyright 1984 by P. E. I. Bonewits. "DP" is the irregular journal of a Neopagan Druid group called "Ar nDraiocht Fein", founded by Bonewits (author of "Real Magic").

For more data, send an S.A.S.E. to: Box 9398, Berkeley, CA, USA 94709. Permission to distribute via BBS's is hereby granted, provided that the entire article, including this notice, is kept intact.

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http://www.paganlibrary.com/index1.php

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