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Post by Admin on Oct 31, 2020 14:34:32 GMT
What Day of the Dead tells us about the Aztec philosophy of happinessOctober 30, 2020 5.38pm GMT theconversation.com/what-day-of-the-dead-tells-us-about-the-aztec-philosophy-of-happiness-147552Where Day of the Dead fits in For the Aztecs, then, a happy life is achieved through balance. Individually, this means balancing one’s “face” and “heart,” but socially this involves friends, family and ancestors. Day of the Dead rituals help with this social balance. It’s important to note that the “heart” is a metaphor for all of the body’s desires. Also, the Aztecs did not distinguish minds from bodies. They believed each region of the body had its own “mind.” For example, our eyes think one way, our ears another, and our skin another way still. As the scholar Alfredo Lopéz Austin argues, the Aztecs thought of consciousness as the result of this ecosystem of minds, with each mind competing for attention and expressing its own desires. Within this ecosystem of minds, the Aztecs believed that three regions held the highest concentration of the cosmic forces that make humans living, moving beings: the heart (the physical heart, in this case), the head and the liver. The heart houses the “yolia,” which expresses one’s conscious and remembered personality. The head houses the “tonalli,” which expresses the strength of one’s character and destiny. And the liver houses the “ihiyotl,” which is responsible for our breathing and health. When we die, the Aztecs believed these three powers separate from our bodies. The ihiyotl, or breath, immediately rejoins nature. The tonalli, or vital strength, returns as energy to be called on in need. One’s yolia. or personality, however, travels to the land of the dead, called Mictlán. There, it endures a series of trials, including hunger and cold winds. To help in the journey, each person’s yolia is accompanied by a little yellow dog and whatever offerings one’s loved ones make. That’s why on various days of the year – not only during Day of the Dead – family members are supposed to help the yolia of recently deceased relatives by offering them food, drink and other gifts at their home shrines. Halloween isn’t about candy and costumes for modern-day pagans – witches mark Halloween with reflections on death as well as magicOctober 29, 2020 12.29pm GMT theconversation.com/halloween-isnt-about-candy-and-costumes-for-modern-day-pagans-witches-mark-halloween-with-reflections-on-death-as-well-as-magic-147647This Halloween, there are likely to be fewer pint-sized witches going door to door in search of candy. Concerns over the coronavirus have meant that in many places, trick-or-treating is off the menu. Even in Salem, Massachusetts, the place associated with the infamous witch trials of 1692 and the epicenter of Halloween gatherings, festivities are expected to be subdued. But for members of the minority religion of Wicca and witchcraft, part of contemporary paganism, Halloween has never been primarily a children’s holiday. As a sociologist doing research on contemporary pagans for over 30 years, I have observed how it is marked as a sacred day known as Samhain in which death is celebrated. This Halloween they might have something to teach us – both about the acceptance of death and staying safe.
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Post by Admin on Oct 31, 2020 17:52:04 GMT
31 OCTOBER, 2020 - 16:46 ED WHELAN Ireland Keeps Ancient Samhain Alive with Fiery Festivalwww.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/samhain-0014478Halloween is an ancient tradition that traces its origins back thousands of years. It is now a global festival, but this year, sadly, it won’t be observed in the usual way. However, the ancient festival of Samhain is still going to be celebrated with a spectacular event in Ireland and this is widely regarded as being the forerunner of the spooky holiday. The origins of Halloween lay in the celebrations of the Celtic peoples of the British Isles and parts of Europe. At Ancient Origins we reported that ‘The Celts held a feast called Samhain – a celebration of the harvest, the end of summer and the turn of the year’. Samhain, pronounced as ‘sow-in,’ was based on the cycle of the pagan Wheel of the Year . Samhain – The Origins of Halloween Halloween is the shortened form of ‘All Hallows Evening’ when saints and the dead are commemorated by many Christians. During Samhain, the Celts believed that the dead walked the earth, and this is echoed in the Christian festival of All Hallows Evening. Scholars believe that the Celtic festival was Christianized and that this was crucial in the development of Halloween. The pagans believed that it was possible for the living and the dead to communicate during Samhain. Feasts were held to honor the dead and this is the origin of modern practices such as eating nuts and candy at Halloween. In Ireland and many other areas, bonfires were lit in part as offerings to the spirits who walked the world during Samhain. It was also believed that the fires purified the land and gave it protection from supernatural forces. This year in Meath, Ireland people will once more light bonfires to celebrate the Celtic New Year. This is despite the fact that most of the country is under restrictions because of the current coronavirus. Samhainen.wikipedia.org/wiki/SamhainSamhain (/ˈsɑːwɪn, ˈsaʊɪn/; Irish: [ˈsˠəuɪnʲ] Scottish Gaelic: [ˈs̪ãũ.ɪɲ]) is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or "darker half" of the year. It is held on 1 November, but with celebrations beginning on the evening of 31 October,[1] as the Celtic day began and ended at sunset.[2] This is about halfway between the autumn equinox and winter solstice. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Imbolc, Beltaine and Lughnasa. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man (where it is called 'Sauin'). A similar festival was held by the Brittonic Celts, called Calan Gaeaf in Wales, Kalan Gwav in Cornwall, and Kalan Goañv in Brittany. Samhain is believed to have Celtic pagan origins, and some Neolithic passage tombs in Ireland are aligned with the sunrise at the time of Samhain. It is first mentioned in the earliest Irish literature, from the 9th century, and is associated with many important events in Irish mythology. The early literature says Samhain was marked by great gatherings and feasts, and was when the ancient burial mounds were open, which were seen as portals to the Otherworld. Some of the literature also associates Samhain with bonfires and sacrifices. The festival did not begin to be recorded in detail until the early modern era. It was when cattle were brought down from the summer pastures and when livestock were slaughtered. As at Beltaine, special bonfires were lit. These were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers, and there were rituals involving them.[3] Like Beltaine, Samhain was a liminal or threshold festival, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld thinned, meaning the Aos Sí (the 'spirits' or 'fairies') could more easily come into our world. Most scholars see the Aos Sí as remnants of pagan gods. At Samhain, they were appeased with offerings of food and drink, to ensure the people and their livestock survived the winter. The souls of dead kin were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality, and a place was set at the table for them during a Samhain meal. Mumming and guising were part of the festival from at least the early modern era, whereby people went door-to-door in costume reciting verses in exchange for food. The costumes may have been a way of imitating, and disguising oneself from, the Aos Sí. Divination was also a big part of the festival and often involved nuts and apples. In the late 19th century, John Rhys and James Frazer suggested it was the "Celtic New Year", but this is disputed.[4] In the 9th century, the Church had shifted the date of All Saints' Day to 1 November, while 2 November later became All Souls' Day. Over time, it is believed that Samhain and All Saints'/All Souls' influenced each other, and eventually merged into the modern Halloween.[5] Folklorists have used the name 'Samhain' to refer to Gaelic 'Halloween' customs up until the 19th century.[6] Since the later 20th century, Celtic neopagans and Wiccans have observed Samhain, or something based on it, as a religious holiday.[7]
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Post by Admin on Nov 1, 2020 19:43:59 GMT
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Post by Admin on Nov 3, 2020 15:31:26 GMT
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Post by Admin on Nov 3, 2020 15:39:45 GMT
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Post by Admin on Nov 3, 2020 15:40:38 GMT
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Post by Admin on Nov 3, 2020 15:43:21 GMT
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Post by Admin on Nov 6, 2020 22:02:26 GMT
Shem HaMephorashen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shem_HaMephorashThe Shem HaMephorash (Hebrew: שם המפורש, alternatively Shem ha-Mephorash or Schemhamphoras), meaning the explicit name, is an originally Tannaitic term[1] describing a hidden name of God in Kabbalah (including Christian and Hermetic variants), and in some more mainstream Jewish discourses. It is composed of either 4, 12, 22, 42, or 72 letters (or triads of letters), the last version being the most common. 12-, 22-, and 42-letter versions Maimonides thought the Shem ha-Mephorash was used only for the four letter Tetragrammaton.[1] A 12-letter variant appears in the Talmud, though it was unknown in later Kabbalah and completely absent from Jewish magic.[5] A 22-letter variant is first written down in the Sefer Raziel HaMalakh,[5][7] without interpretation, as אנקתם פסתם פספסים דיונסים (likely transliterated as Anaktam Pastam Paspasim Dionsim). Its origins are unknown, with no connection to Hebrew or Aramaic being found, and no agreement on any particular Greek or Zoroastrian origin. There are Geonic precedents for the name, indicating that the name is older than Sefer Raziel.[5] A 42-letter variant was described by Hai Gaon as אבגיתץ קרעשטן נגדיכש בטרצתג חקבטנע יגלפזק שקוצית. He wrote "Although the consonants of this name are well known, its proper vocalization is not rendered by tradition. Some pronounce its first part Abgitaẓ, and others Abigtaẓ, and the last part is sometimes read Shakvaẓit, and sometimes Shekuẓit, but there is no definite proof." This variation in pronunciation was understood by Joshua Trachtenberg to indicate that this version is quite ancient, the vowels in Hebrew being easily lost over time. It is, by some means, derived from the first 42 letters of the Hebrew Bible.[5] Like the 22-letter name, it is found in the Sefer Raziel HaMalakh.[7] Book of the Hidden Name - Magick of the Shem HaMephorash Angelsby Maximus Tyrannus Avery The Book of the Hidden Name is the angel grimoire that will transform your understanding of the world around you forever. The most comprehensive information on the seventy-two hidden Shem HaMephorash angels, and how to access them, are contained in this tome. Unleash the ability of angelic might by acquiring the powerful secrets of magick that bring miracles into your life. Through engagement with these entities, you will be empowered directly to affect your fate and alter your destiny. You will take countermeasures against attacks and learn how to perform better under pressure. It is by divine right that we may call upon angelic assistance, harnessing the spiritual beings’ power to achieve new heights of success and happiness. Anyone attempting to enlist forces on the path of enlightenment can achieve tremendous spiritual growth by invoking these angels. This is a quintessential tome for any well-stocked mystical collection. There is nothing in publication that can directly compare. This system offers a focused look at ancient magickal rites and mysteries that elevate and illuminate the practice of all magicians, regardless of their skill level. The powerful operation within this book has been developed specifically for working within this magickal current and is being published here for the first time.
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Post by Admin on Nov 11, 2020 20:27:19 GMT
The Sorceress by Jan van de Velde II (1626)publicdomainreview.org/collection/the-sorceress-jan-van-de-veldeThis remarkable engraving of a sorceress mid-conjure is the work of Dutch Golden Age painter and engraver Jan van de Velde the younger. In Van de Velde's energetic and artfully arranged scene we see a young sorceress at work above a fire and, cavorting in its windswept flames, a motley crew of various demonic “familiars”. Amid the talons, wings, and characterful faces, there are pipes-a-plenty, with two notably placed up a demon's bum and streaming with powders in elegant arcs. The Latin at the base of the print gives a clue as to the meaning of the print, which seems to be a commentary on the perils of temptation: “What evils Desire commands, in the small secluded place; who, by sweet incantation, overcomes the minds of the purest mortals, induces frenzy in everyone! But how quickly it slips by; Death overtakes brief life, brief delights. Laughing for a moment, in eternity suffering regret.” (Translation by Ross Caldwell.) The sentiment seems to be backed up by the presence of dice and cards in the foreground, symbols of the vice of gambling and fleeting pleasure. While this image may meet our eyes today in a positive and almost joyful manner, behind there lies a much darker history. Between the years 1560–1630 Europe suffered its most intense and violent period of witch-trials. The Little Ice Age decimated crops and the impoverished found their scapegoat in the figure of the witch. The Thirty Years War (1618–1648) added still more devastation and chaos into the mix. The year of this print's creation, 1626, saw the birth of some of the worst and most deadly witch-trials to occur in Europe — in Bamberg and Würzburg, and elsewhere in central Germany — which together led to the torture and murder of more than 1000 people (mostly women). Related reading: our essay “Woodcuts and Witches”, in which Jon Crabb explores the witch craze of early modern Europe, and how the concurrent rise of the mass-produced woodcut helped forge the archetype of the broom-riding crone — complete with cauldron and cats — so familiar today. Woodcuts and WitchesBy Jon Crabb Jon Crabb on the witch craze of early modern Europe, and how the concurrent rise of the mass-produced woodcut helped forge the archetype of the broom-riding crone — complete with cauldron and cats — so familiar today. PUBLISHED May 4, 2017 publicdomainreview.org/essay/woodcuts-and-witches
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Post by Admin on Nov 11, 2020 23:48:19 GMT
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Post by Admin on Nov 12, 2020 11:23:28 GMT
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Post by Admin on Nov 12, 2020 11:37:50 GMT
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Post by Admin on Nov 12, 2020 11:40:21 GMT
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Post by Admin on Nov 12, 2020 11:45:39 GMT
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Post by Admin on Nov 13, 2020 22:11:08 GMT
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