Ancient Whispers Newsletter
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Welcome to the Ancient Whispers Newsletter, a multi-cultural newsletter with a little something for everyone of any creed or religion. Here you will find inspiring quotes, irreverent jokes, crafts, and most importantly, historical and/or religious scholarship. Every Wednesday a new edition should appear on this website with reminder emails sent out the night before to those who have opted to join one of the many forums and mailing lists to which I subscribe. If you wish to share this newsletter with others, please keep it intact with the original authors' names on all the articles. Any articles or sections, to which an author or URL is not affixed, were written by Candace (with the exception of the various jokes found herein).
Questions, comments, and topical requests are encouraged and should be posted to the AskCandace open forum at yahoogroups. I'd like to start a help column for the newsletter, so if you'd like to have your problem featured in a newsletter, let me know when you post.
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Some Sites of Interest
The Dragon Stone
Modern Dragons
Lady Majicks Mystical Unicorns
Unicorns
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This Pagan Week : January
Humor : Charge of the Nice Goddess
Article : The Extraterrestrial Hypothesis
Quote : John Wooden
Craft of the Week : Snowflake
Humor : A Field Guide to Pagans
Who's Who in World Mythology : Anu
Quote : Ludwig Wittgenstein
The Magi's Garden : Aster
Cartoon
Poem : The Plaint Human
Quote : Harry S Truman
The Power of Stones : Zircon
Humor : Two Keys
A Dreamer's Guide : Glue to Gown
Quote : Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Previous Newsletters
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Some Sites of Interest
The Dragon Stone
http://www.polenth.demon.co.uk/
If dragons are your special interest, The Dragon Stone is the place for a wide range of information ranging from dragons in mythology to modern fiction.
Modern Dragons
http://www.geocities.com/dragonpez/
Modern Dragons represents one person’s collecting frenzy. You can find all sorts of dragon images and links here.
Lady Majicks Mystical Unicorns
http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Palace/9198/
Or if dragons are not your thing, try unicorns. Lots or unicorns. And more unicorns.
Unicorns
http://www.fewsite.com/unicorns.html
Or for an extensive essay on the origins of unicorns, try this site.
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The Pagan Month of January
can be found in its entirety Here. For more detailed entries, please visit the full calendar.
In our modern calendar, January marks the beginning of a New Year with new possibilities. Its guardian, the Roman god Janus, is the two faced divinity of endings and beginnings. He is the male equivalent of a version of Juno in her two faced aspect of Antevorta who looks forward and Postvorta who looks back.
January is Eanáir or am Faoilleach, the 'wolf month', in Ireland, two weeks before the festival of 'La Feile Bride'
The first Full Moon between Yule and the 25th of January is called the Disting Moon.
The first day of the first moon is the Chinese and Vietnamese New Year called Tet Nguyen-Dan in Vietnam.
The seventh day of the first moon is Nanakusa, Festival of the Seven Grasses, in Japan. Young herbs are traditionally powdered into stew.
The 14th through the 19th day of the first moon is the Tibetan Butter Festival, the climax of the New Year celebrations featuring large-scale sculptures made from butter.
The 15th day of the first moon is the Feast of Lanterns in China, the culmination of the New Year's festivals.
The First Monday of January is called Handsel Monday in Scotland.
The first Monday after 12th Night is called Plough Monday. Field workers traditionally returned to work and recieved their pay. Children would handsel for money and treats from the neighbors.
The Norse Midvintersblot, Midwinter's Offering, or the Old English Tiugunde Day ceremony was held 20 days after Yule to honor Tiu, the god of the New Year.
The last Tuesday in January is Up Shally A', a Shetland fire festival culminating in the burning of a Viking ship.
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Humor: Charge of the Nice Goddess
(As recited by in circle of the Craft of the Non-Icky)
by Rain
Listen the words of the Tasteful Mother, Who of old was called Martha Stewart, Betty Crocker, Miss Manners, and by many other really nice names:
Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month (but not *that* time of the month, as that would be icky), and never with your mouth full, you shall assemble in some tasteful place and adore My spirit, I who am Queen of All Plastic Slipcovers. You shall not be icky in your rites, and as a sign that you be not icky, you shall damn well keep your clothes on.
Sing Barry Manilow songs, dance real white, make non-funky music and non-sticky love, all in My presence, for Mine is a nice new rug and I paid a bundle. I am the soul of Tastefulness that gives neatness to the universe. I am the Doily on the Great Armchair of Life, the Barcolounger of Respectability. I give knowledge of the Proprieties Eternal, and beyond death I give you John Tesh tickets and My recipe for egg salad. For behold, I am the Mother of all things, and they should all please wipe their feet.
I call upon your soul to arise and come to Me--and are you really going to wear that?? Let My worship be in the heart that is...well...*nice*, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals except for anything involving icky bodily fluids. Let there be restraint and taste, neatness and niceness, all good things and no messy opinions among you.
And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking will avail you naught until you know this mystery: red wine goes with meat and white goes with fish. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is restrained till you FINALLY GET RICH ENOUGH NOT TO HAVE TO CARE.
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Article : The Extraterrestrial Hypothesis
from http://www.parascope.com/nb/ufo1.htm
By far the most popular opinion on the origin of UFOs is that they are spacecraft sent here from other inhabited worlds.
There are many internal variations within the extraterrestrial hypothesis, but this is the basic idea.
In this first installment, we'll examine the evolution of the extraterrestrial hypothesis from its early roots in pulp fiction to its modern incarnation. We'll also expose some of the flaws in the extraterrestrial hypothesis, and explore the possible reasons behind why we believe what we do.
H.G. Wells and the First UFOs
The notion that intelligent non-human beings live on other planets is very old, but the idea that they would build machines and cross the gulf of space to visit us is comparatively new.
In science fiction, men journeyed to other worlds by fanciful means (William Godwin's captive geese, or Cyrano de Bergerac's bottles of dew). Science fiction characters later made attempts at rational methods (Jules Verne's giant moon cannon). But it was H. G. Wells who turned the table on this dilettante dream in his 1897 novel, War of the Worlds.
Wells presents an advanced race of Martians who plot to seize the Earth from humanity. Their motive is self-preservation; Mars is drying out and dying of cold. The Martians arrive in cylindrical projectiles shot from an enormous gun (Wells' cynical reversal of Verne's technology), and there aim is not exploration but conquest.
Wells makes many obvious links between the actions of his Martians and the imperialism of his native Great Britain in Asia and Africa, but the central image of his novel is undimmed by the passing century -- that an intelligent race, superior in technology to the most advanced nations on Earth, would come here with unstoppable technology and aggressive intentions. Wells' simple cylinders are the first UFOs.
The Cold War and the Advent of "Sightings"
Into this climate of fear came the first reports of UFO "sightings." In 1946, "ghost rockets" were seen over Scandinavia. The common explanation at the time was that the Russians were launching captured German V-weapons, but this doesn't seem to be the case. (I wish some enterprising UFOlogist with good Russian connections would investigate this era in the Soviet Union and see if the they were as puzzled by the ghost rockets as the West was.)
Then in June, 1947, disk-shaped objects appeared in the northwestern United States. Kenneth Arnold, a private pilot flying near Washington's Mt. Ranier, sighted nine crescent-shaped things that seemed to be flying at some 1,700 miles per hour. This was a fantastic speed in '47. Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier on October 14, 1947, but he did it at 40,000-plus feet at roughly 700 mph. Nothing on Earth but unmanned rockets could fly as fast as 1,700 mph. So what did Arnold see?
There already existed a network of people ready to take an interest in UFO reports. Some of them were Forteans, followers of the eccentric writings of Charles Fort (1874-1932), who for decades had been chronicling erratic and unexplainable phenomena.
Others were science fiction fans. This young, mostly male group had been reading about extraterrestrials for years in such magazines as Amazing Stories and Astounding Science Fiction. The editor of Amazing, Raymond A. Palmer embraced the "new" phenomenon of flying saucers with the same fervor he'd used to promote the Shaver Mystery in the pages of his magazine (for more on the Shaver Mystery see part three, Ancient and Hollow Astronauts).
The obvious conclusion, accepting the reality that flying saucers were real objects and not hoaxes or mis-perceived mundane objects, was that they were space probes from another planet. This was an easy concept to accept for those who had grown up reading the space-spanning stories of Jack Williamson, E. E. "Doc" Smith, and Edmond Hamilton. But was it true?
Your Captain, Alien Space Brother
The extraterrestrial hypothesis fits neatly with many of the reported characteristics of UFOs. As alien spacecraft, UFOs must exhibit flight capabilities beyond that of terrestrial aircraft -- and they do. UFOs are reported as making 90-degree turns at high speed, hovering, accelerating beyond the speed of sound in seconds.
No earthly device could perform such maneuvers, given the current state of the art in materials strength and propulsion technology. No human pilot could withstand the inertia involved, the high-G forces inherent in such maneuvers would twist the human body into a pretzel.
When we consider reports of UFO occupants, the matter becomes more troubled. Numerous accounts from "contactees" claim that UFO crews are just like us in appearance, or else have minor differences -- long fingers, elongated eyes, etc., which are insignificant from an evolutionary point of view.
Such "Space Brother" aliens are usually tarred with the brush of hoaxery. When we look at the accounts of less angelic creatures associated with UFOs, the sky, so to speak, is the limit. Despite efforts of the pro-abduction movement to generalize UFO occupants as "Grays," an enormous variety of beings are reported. Here is a short list of UFO occupant types, by no means exhaustive:
-- hairy dwarfs
-- giant amoebas
-- "robots" or various sizes and shapes
-- cyclopean giants
-- silver-skinned goblins
-- child-sized humanoids
-- stinking hairy monsters
-- red-eyed winged creatures
-- hooded, eyeless bipeds
-- headless bat-winged things
-- human-size mantids
and so on, with virtually no standardization from report to report. And while the un-human nature of these reported beings suggests extraterrestrial origins, it's also one of the strongest arguments against the extraterrestrial hypothesis.
While it is possible to credit spaceships of a single race might be reconnoitering our planet, it strains credulity to believe that so many different alien races are engaged in surveying our lonely little world. One would have to believe in a universe as diverse as Star Trek in order to accept all these different UFO occupants as extraterrestrial visitors.
Conclusion: Problems With the ET Hypothesis
Another important matter that puts strain on the extraterrestrial hypothesis is the problem of interstellar distances. It's generally recognized that no planet in our solar system is capable of hosting sentient life. Even advocates of the Cydonia Mensae "Face" on Mars usually claim this controversial feature is a monument, either left by passing extra-solar travelers or by a dying Martian race.
In the 1950s, contactees like George Adamski conversed with Space Brothers from Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus. It can be confidently stated that no sapient life exists on these planets, so any UFOnauts must be coming from outside our solar system. The problem is, it's so damn far to any star capable of supporting life as we know it.
Even traveling at the speed of light, it would take hundreds of years for a craft to journey from some of the more promising home stars. At a constant acceleration of 1 G, followed by an equivalent period of deceleration, it would take a space ship six years to reach Alpha Centauri, a stellar neighbor of Sol. Six years of constant expenditure of fuel, light, heat, breathable air, water, and food. How could this be done on the scale that matches the large number of UFO sightings and landings?
Theories about faster-than-light (FTL) travel abound, but there is little hard science to support such fancies. Intermediate stages for extraterrestrial flight have also been mooted. Space stations, mother ships, or bases on a celestial body near Earth (the moon and Mars usually) are sometimes suggested, but these are shaky notions that fall into the category of ignotus per ignotum.
The extraterrestrial hypothesis remains the most popular theory of UFOs for several reasons: it is easy to understand, given the wide dissemination of science fiction stories using it as their basis; it fits with historical human behavior of exploration, colonization, and conquest; it seems to answer most of the superficial aspects of UFO encounters, and it is both exciting to contemplate and speculate on.
In most peoples' minds (even skeptics) "UFO" has come to be a synonym for "spaceship." That they may be, but not in the simplistic way implied in science fiction. Answers are seldom simple, so the search for understanding goes on.
| Quote : John Wooden |
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| If it's stupid but works, it isn't stupid. It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. |
Craft of the Week : Snowflake
You will need 8 pieces of paper, glue, and scissors
Get 8 pieces of paper. These may already be square or not. Fold each piece in half diagonally . Cut off the bottom portion if your paper was not a perfect square when you began.
Turn your paper so that the fold line is on the bottom, and the open point is at the top. Take the bottom right hand corner and fold it over to the bottom left hand corner.
Turn your paper so that the solid fold is toward you. Make 3 cuts parallel to the open edge side of your snowflake. You will cut through the solid fold side, but you should stop cutting before you get to the double fold side. Unfold your snowflake.
Take the tips of the center pieces, and roll them toward each other. Place one tip on top of the other, and glue them together. Flip your snowflake over! (IF YOU FORGET THIS STEP, YOUR SNOWFLAKE WILL NOT WORK!) Take the tips closest to the center and glue them together just like you did with the center pieces. Flip your snowflake over again and repeat the gluing process.
Flip the snowflake over one more time and glue the last two tips together. (You will need to complete steps 1-8 on all 8 pieces of paper before doing anything else.)
Lay all 8 snowflake sections side by side. Make sure that the last tip you glued together, on each snowflake, is on the right hand side. You are now ready to glue the sections together. You should glue each section together in two places, at the bottom and the middle. As you glue the snowflake together, it will start to form a circle.
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Humor : A Field Guide to Pagans
by R. Tom Dixon III (aka Walking Stick)
Anal Retentive Ceremonial: Book collection actually holds up the ceiling in places. Is studying Greek, Latin and Hebrew all at once. Does "workings" instead of "rituals". All twenty volumes of their magical diaries are in Enochian.
Distinguishing Signs: Won't go anywhere without a book. Is constantly aware of which direction is east. Dresses according to planetary conditions, or whatever was on sale at Wal-Mart.
Ravin' Pagan: Young and psychedelic. Can dance non-stop all night. Refuses to do boring Eurocentric rituals and prefers deities from sunny climes with lots of interesting local plants. Can say "Ayahuasca" ten times real fast and deliver long quotes from Terrence McKenna.
Distinguishing Signs: Dresses in color combinations that hurt the eyes unless you've taken ecstasy. Bloodshot eyes, blissful smile, never goes anywhere without ritual drum.
Dances With Bunnyrabbits: Uses animal symbolism to express nearly all opinions and feelings. Charter member of PETA. Thinks meat eaters should be publicly executed. Has many, many, many pets. Has a spirit animal. Personally owns 927 models, pictures, and other depictions of their spirit animal.
Distinguishing Signs: Not counting the pagan his/herself, how many animals can you see when looking at them? If the count surpasses five (including critters found on tattoos, jewelry, garments and undies), you've found a worshipper of beasties.
Childe Ov Kaos: Can name seventeen industrial Goth bands without pausing to think. Knows what a Prince Albert is. Personally feels that if no panicky headlines appear the day after you do a ritual, you screwed up. Painted on their jacket, engraved in their flesh and/or boldly displayed as jewelry is an emblem which resembles a combination of corporate logo and arcane symbol. If you don't know what it means, they'll think you're a dweeb.
Distinguishing Signs: Easy to picture as an alternative musician or bike messenger, difficult to visualize as a school teacher or research assistant, impossible to imagine as a TV news anchor or bank officer. Always wears black leather, even when sleeping.
Bright-Eyed Novice: You just read this cool book about a religion where there's a Goddess and a God, and they meet outside in nature, instead of some scary old building. They think sex is good not evil, and you want to know where to sign up.
Distinguishing Signs: Mispronounces god/dess names, has to think a moment about which is deosil and which is widdershins. Has a shiny new athame (rhymes with "A-frame".)
Crowley-In-A-Past-Life: Every magical gathering has at least one of these, along with several variants along the lines of Gerald Gardner, Tituba, Morgan LeFey, or somebody who was Atlantean royalty. Many of them were abducted by aliens recently, and have disturbing dreams rich with arcane symbolism that they will tell you all about, in great detail.
Distinguishing Signs: Look for the intense gleam in the eyes, the backpack rattling with various psychiatric medications, and the garments that were clearly designed and tailored on another planet.
Fairie Queen: Is he a she? Is she a he? Are they a couple, or are those two a couple or are all four of them a quadruple? If getting answers to these questions could disturb you, best stay away. If, on the other hand, these kind of questions seem overly judgmental, you might have a real good time...
Distinguishing Signs: When you look at this person, does every sex act you've ever experienced in your life seem hopelessly vanilla? If so, congratulations -- you've found a Fairie!
Grand Old Wo/Man: Actually remembers Woodstock (the first one.) Will tell you about the time they dropped acid with Kerry Wendell Thornley - or maybe it was Robert Anton Wilson. Anyway, it was somebody with three names. Or was it three people with one name?
Distinguishing Signs: Luxuriant gray locks, listens very intently, knows dish about people you've only read about.
Fundamentapagan: If it's in a book, it must be true. If it's in an old book, it must really be true. If it's in an old book that was handed down from an oral tradition of people who couldn't read, then it must really be way true. Gnashes their teeth if anyone shows up at a circle wearing a watch, glasses, or other mechanical assistance. Believes that anyone who lives in a city, eats meat or has a regular job dare not call themselves a pagan.
Distinguishing Signs: Has hissy fits when somebody brings up the old "Crowley ghosted Gardner's books" argument. Goes around correcting everyone's Gaelic/old Norse/Latin/Babylonian.
Het-Case: Insist that they aren't homophobic; they just believe that Paganism is about a goddess and a god and they do it and what could be more obvious than that? It just doesn't "work right" if you try any other way! Are secretly afraid that gays and/or lesbians are dying to jump their tender hetro bones.
Distinguishing Signs: Living spaces abound with depictions of satyrs with enormous genitals and huge-breasted, doe-eyed goddesses. Long manicured nails and wreaths of flowers (on females only -- men have big, bushy beards instead).
High Episcopagan: Do their rituals have a script, a choreographer, a stage manager, an orchestra with chorus and last at least three hours? It's a High Episcopagan! They can memorize pages and pages of Olde Englishe, have more ritual garbs than most people have socks, and consider their main pagan influences to be Gerald Gardner, Judy Garland and Busby Berkeley.
Distinguishing Signs: Book of Shadows exceeds five volumes. Knows every note of "Carmina Burana" Don't ask them about that 18th century seed pearl trim on their ritual hat unless you've got an hour to spare.
Monster Truck Pagan: Can build own house, kill own food, school own children, and brew own hootch. Owns guns. Anointing oil is 30 weight. Scrying mirror says "objects are closer than they appear".
Distinguishing Signs: Athame is a Gerber with a compass and waterproof secret compartment. Eats meat with visible twitches of pleasure. Ritual robes made from camo-fabric.
Norse Code: Heroic and Vikingly, these pagans often get into trouble with festival organizers and park rangers due to their fondness for running around with a huge battle-ax in one hand and a full mead horn in the other. They throw the best parties, but if you're a wimp, you're expressly not invited.
Distinguishing Signs: Look for the large, foreboding, biker-like persons wearing runes, with many pounds of amber dangling from their necks.
Our Lady Of Intense Suffering: Is constantly persecuted. You're probably persecuting her right now, you just don't realize it. Became a Pagan because she decided it was that most persecuted religion of all. Can't enjoy anything because it would be selfish to have any fun when so many are suffering.
Distinguishing Signs: Tales of woe. Even less of a sense of humor than Priest/ess of Political Correctness. Bristles when anyone says the words "masochist" or "whining".
Pagan Celebrity: At conventions, stays on the hotel floor that requires a special key for elevator access. Lurks around knots of conversation eavesdropping in order to see if their name is being mentioned. Arrives in helicopter especially for rituals. Starts every sentence with "I". If you ask them how it's going, they hand you a press release.
Distinguishing Signs: Always has plenty of books to autograph and will personally sell them to you at a slight discount from cover price. Never seen unaccompanied by beefy Amazonian bodyguards and doe-eyed hangers-on. Seems vaguely afraid of anyone they don't already know.
Pentacles, Inc.: Pagans have disposable income too, right? So how come they aren't buying my hand forged Venus of Willendorf necklaces -- they come in silver and gold, and each one has a genuine cubic zirconium belly button. Would you like a reading? Will that be Visa or MasterCard?
Distinguishing Signs: Has business cards featuring little embossed pentagrams. You've never seen so much Egyptian god/dess jewelry on a human being in your whole life.
Priest/ess of Political Correctness: Analyzes everything they read or hear for sexist - racist - homophobic - imperialist - Eurocentric content without paying attention to what is actually being said. Believes in personal liberty -- everyone has the right to be overbearing, dogmatic and holier-than-thou, not just the Xtian Right. Incredibly boring yet annoyingly self-righteous all at the same time.
Distinguishing Signs: Beady hyper-alert little eyes are constantly in motion, waiting for someone to do or say something _bad_. Has loud and attention attracting hissy fits when confronted with everyday things such as advertising or corporate franchises. Rudimentary sense of humor is rarely activated.
Scary Devil Worshipper: Would never be caught dead skyclad. Rarely smiles, except in a snide, knowing way which insinuates you are an ignorant peasant worthy of conquest. Secretly enjoys Rush Limbaugh and read The Bell Curve with smug satisfaction. Fascinated with Nazis. Probably has never hurt a fly, but they want you to think they're capable of vast destruction.
Distinguishing Signs: Lots of black and red. Men like goatees, women favor heavy black eyeliner. At least one inverted pentagram somewhere on their person. If you see several of them getting tanked in a bar, it would be wise to stay far away.
Sexy Pagan Nymph: Oh, they're so nice! All that warm, round, sex-positive flesh -- and you can actually carry on a conversation with them between orgasms...pant, drool...
Distinguishing Signs: Cute. Horny. Displays prominent cleavage. Will recite love poetry to you under a full moon. Likes to do it outdoors. Often destitute. All too few of them!
Womyncentric Gynocrat: A man's shadow crossed her altar once and she spent three weeks purifying it. She'll have no wands in her chalice, thank you. No boys allowed in her full-moon club. Can hold forth for hours on the magical properties of menstrual blood.
Distinguishing Signs: Tiny axes or curved knives, just right for amputating a penis, are a favored symbol and often hang conveniently from her body parts. When a man approaches she rolls her eyes and stops talking.
Corporate Closet Witch: "Hey, boss -- I'd like to take February 2nd as a personal day..." Has an entire chapter of their Book Of Shadows concerned with spells for purifying the workplace. Doesn't mind working on Christmas, especially if there's overtime involved. Quit being overtly Pagan at work since being canned by that born-again boss, but still refuses to say "Merry Christmas."
Distinguishing Signs: Can assume a properly smiley work persona at the drop of a hat. Constantly glances around the room anxiously looking for co-workers and their spies. Non-distinctive style of dress, no conspicuous tattoos.
Tree Hugging Nature Sprite: Most prized possession: one of Judi Barry's old tree spikes. Simultaneously believes in universal love for humanity AND returning the planet to a pristine, uncorrupted state. Apt to remove clothes and fondle the shrubbery at a moment's notice. Can discuss compost in great detail.
Distinguishing Signs: No meat, no fragrance, no leather, no plastic, no smoke, no drugs, no eco-exploitive products, no animal tested cosmetics, no TV, no car, but very tolerant.
I Am Not Spock (at the moment): Knows at least three facts about Cthulhu and at least forty Star Trek jokes. Has found a clever way to create simple furniture from stacks of science fiction paperbacks. Can name ninety different kinds of space ships.
Distinguishing Signs: Two fisted drinking style. Probably still lives with parents. Many cryptic buttons, badges, patches and other insignia. Too smart for their own good.
TechnoPagan: Often found discussing the best method of removing hot wax from keyboards. Seems unaccustomed to sunlight. Have had coven-mates for years whom they have never seen face to face, much less know which continent they live on.
Distinguishing Signs: Casts circle with #5 torx driver. Chalice contains Jolt. BoS is written in Perl. Refers to eclectic ritual as "cross-platforming." Thinks "naked in your rites" means a non-GUI environment.
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Who's Who in World Mythology : Anu
For past articles and the bibliography, please go to the Who's Who Archive.
According to Celtic myth, Anu (or Ana) is a fertility priestess and a Celtic culture heroine. She is honored especially in Munster where two mountains in Killarney are known as the Da Chich (N)Anann, the “Paps of Anu.” This is known as one of the homes of the Tuatha de Danann.
Anu is closely associated with Danu, the mother and deity of the Tuatha de Danann, as well as the Welsh goddess Don. Though little is known of this goddess now, some scholars feel here character was merged into that of Brighid. Aine, the moon goddess and patroness of cattle and crops, is also considered one of her aliases. She has been included in the triad of the Morrighan with Badhbh and Macha. In addition, Anu has been identified with the man-eating Black Annis, a blue-faced hag akin to the Cailleach Bheare. Black Annis lives in a cave in the Dane hills in Leicestershire.
Some sources say that Anu is the true form of the goddess of the Tuatha de Danann however, and Danu was a corruption of the original name. Danu is the niece of Dagda and daughter of his brother Delbaeth. She is mother of Brian, Iuchar, and Iucharba.
According to Babylonian myth, Anu (or An) is a sky god, the son of Anshar and Kishar. His name means “Expanse of Heaven.” He is chief in a great triad of gods which includes Enlil and Ea. Anu is usually referred to as the Supreme King of Heaven, Father of the Gods, and Ruler of Destiny. He was worshipped mainly at Uruk and Der where his chief festival was the Akitu in Babylon.
| Quote : Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) |
|---|
| If by eternity is understood not endless temporal duration but timelessness, then one lives eternally who lives in the present. - Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus |
The Magi's Garden: Aster
For past featured foliage and the bibliography, please go to the The Magi's Garden Archive.
Aster (Callistephus chinensis)
Folk Names: China Aster, Eye of Christ, Michaelmas Daisy, Star Flowers, Starwort
Description: The aster is a perennial which prefers moist meadows and marshes throughout the United states and southern Canada. They may produce a leafy, upright stem, weakly erect stems growing from a creeping stem, or form a clump. The simple leaves alternate. They may be smooth or toothed along the margins. The flowers vary from very small to two inches across with white, yellow, lavender, blue, or pink petals. The blooms appear in late fall in branching clusters or sprays at the top of a stem or in the upper leaf axils. The seeds have barbed hairs.
Effects: gentle
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Associated Deities: Venus
Traditions:
The aster is sacred to all Greek gods and was habitually placed on their altars.
Magic:
Asters are suitable for love sachets. They may also be carried or grown in the garden for the same purpose.
Aster may also be used protectively. When burned, the aster is said to ward off evil spirits and snakes.
Known Combinations:
none noted
Medical Indications: Parts Used: none noted
Nutrition: none noted
Mercantile Uses:
The flowers are often placed in potpourris.
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Cartoon
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Poem : The Plaint Human
James Whitcomb Riley
Season of snows, and season of flowers,
Seasons of loss and gain! –
Since grief and joy must alike be ours,
Why do we still complain?
Ever our failing, from sun to sun,
O my intolerant brother –
We want just a little too little of one,
And much too much of the other.
| Quote : Harry S Truman (1884-1972) |
|---|
| I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell. |
The Power of Stones : Zircon
For past articles and the bibliography, please go to the Power of Stones Archive.
Zircon, or zirconium silicate, ranges in color from red, brown, yellow, and green to gray and colorless varieties. Colorless zircon is called jargoon or Matara diamonds (19th century), and flame colored zircon may be referred to as hyacinth. It is a radioactive gem, and many specimens contain thorium, uranium, and hafnium, which slowly destroy the crystal structure through a bombardment of alpha particles. A reddish-brown variety of zircon, called cyrtolite, is indisputably radioactive. Most mined zircon is never converted into gemstones. It is used instead as an ore to harvest the thorium, uranium, and hafnium.
When looking at specimens for sale, “high” zircon refers to stones, which are presently unaffected while “low” zircon may already display signs of decay. Low zircon will have a dark, pitchy appearance and a nebulous internal structure. Heat treatment will sometimes restore low zircon, but it will eventually revert to its decayed state. The exposure to radiation of a heat-treated zircon will almost certainly cause it to revert to its natural brown stone.
Zircon is sometimes referred to as a “stone of virtue,” endowed with the ability to reestablish or realign your ethics or morals with the universal truths if you feel they are slipping. The qualities of innocence, purity, and constancy are emphasized. It also promoted unions, whether of the mind, body, spirit or emotion. Your stamina and perseverance may also be increased through the use of zircon. Yellow zircon, called ligure, was used during the Middle Ages to attract love and heighten sexuality, while orange zircon, or hyacinth, was considered a protective stone. It was used to procure the safe passage of travelers and to assure the traveler of a friendly welcome no matter where they went. Red and brown zircon healed injuries and soothed pain, and brown zircon, the most prevalent hue, is also excellent for grounding.
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Humor : Two Keys
Two keys hang in an undertaker's office - one for the organ in the chapel; the other for one of the cars in the garage.
Two small signs above the keys read "Hymn" and "Hearse."
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A Dreamer's Guide : Glue to Gown
For past articles and the bibliography, please go to the Dreamer's Guide Archive.
You have a faithful friend who you can trust if you dreamt of Glue, but if others were using glue, you are being deceived by your best friends. You will realize your ambitions if you bought glue.
You are being warned of poverty if you were a Glutton, and you can give up any thoughts of money if your relatives were gluttonous.
Losses and trouble will be yours if you saw Gnats, and loss of money is foretold if the gnats were bothering other people. A friend is secretly trying to help you if you killed gnats.
Scoring or seeing a Goal scored is a prediction of new friends and opportunities.
Seasonable weather and a fine yield of crops is augured by Goats seen wandering around a farm, but in any other context, you should be careful in your dealings if you desire a steady increase in wealth. Many goats are a sign of abundance, but if they were fighting, you will suffer. White goats are an omen of erratic luck, and black goats are symbolic of unreliable friends. If they were spotted with both colors, use caution in your activities. A kid means an auspicious time for gambling has arrived, and a female is a sign that enemies may be overcome with care and prudence.
Abandonment is indicated if you were herding goats. If you were butted by a Billy goat, guard your secrets well from rivals. Riding on a Billy goat means your reputation will suffer due to your coarse nature and conduct. If you drank goat’s milk, you will marry for money, but you will not be disappointed. If you milked the goat yourself however, be very careful to engage in activities which are only on the up and up.
Do not take any chances with your health or your reputation if you saw a Goatee.
The business climate will be unfavorable if you drank water from a silver Goblet, and offering someone a silver goblet of water denotes illicit pleasures. Goblets of ancient design indicate favors and benefits from strangers. Loss of business is augured by a broken goblet.
You will be lorded over by someone operating under the cloak of Christianity if you dreamt of seeing God, and if He spoke to you, you will face bad luck on all fronts. To dream of worshipping God is a sign that you will have cause to repent an error of your own creation. If you have Gods favor, you will be taken under the wing of a prominent and cautious person will use their position to advance yours.
Godparents, whether you saw them or were one, foretells a coming opportunity to serve the community to engage in a constructive activity which will be greatly satisfying.
Goggles are a warning of disreputable companions who will badger you into loaning money foolishly.
A Goiter is a sign that you are soiling your enjoyment of today with worry about tomorrow.
You will be unusually successful in all your endeavors if you saw Gold in your dream. You will marry a wealthy but mercenary person if you receive a present of gold. Finding gold indicates your superior skills will put you far ahead in the race for honor and wealth, but if you lost gold, you will miss a grand opportunity through negligence.
A Gold Mine is a prediction of good health. Some uneasy honor will be thrust upon you if you found a vein of gold, and working in a gold mine means you may usurp the rights of others. Misfortune is foretold if the goldmine was ore poor.
Do not interfere in the personal affairs of others if you saw Goldenrod growing, but if you picked it or it was arranged in a vase, you will have new and influential friends.
many successful and pleasant adventures will be yours if you dreamt of a Goldfish. Someone wealthy may ask you to marry him or her. If the fish were dead or dying, heavy disappointments will be your lot.
Playing Golf or watching the game means you will engage in pleasant and successful wishing, but any unpleasantness associated with golf indicates some thoughtless person will humiliate you.
A Gondola is an indication of romantic boredom.
You will be disturbed by some false alarm or illness if you heard the sound of a Gong. Someone near you will experience a life altering change if you saw a gong.
For Goose see Geese.
Gooseberries are a sign that you will escape some dreaded work, but if you gathered them, you will find happiness after trouble. You will be slightly disappointed in your expectations if you ate them, and eating green gooseberries means a mistake will be made in the coarse of your pleasures. If you made jam, void your rivals, and pie means you will be jilted by your love.
You are jeopardizing a valued relationship by taking too much for granted if you broke out in Goosebumps.
Gophers mean that trouble is lurking just under your feet. It could be in business or family, and though it will be upsetting, it will not really be serious.
Unless the Gorilla was very docile or friendly, you may soon suffer from a painful misunderstanding. A friendly or gentle ape means an unusual new friend will find his or her way into your life.
Good fortune will come your way if you dreamt of Gorse, and picking the flowers is a symbol of luck and prosperity. If others had the flowers however, you will have unhappiness.
You will be the focus of humiliation brought on by overconfidence in a friendship if you were interested in Gossip, but if you were the cause of gossip, you can expect a pleasant surprise.
Eating or serving Goulash is a forecast of happy social events.
Gourds, no matter how they were used or seen, indicate happy companionship.
You will be exasperated beyond all endurance by the silliness of some relative if you had Gout. This same person may cause you a small financial loss.
A period of uncertainty is augured by a dream involving any level of the Government. If you held a position or were offered one, you are about to engage in pleasant activities, but if others held positions, trouble is ahead.
Misfortune in love is predicted if you wore a Gown, but advancement is foretold if it was shabby, and luck and prosperity if it was torn. If you were stripped of a gown, you will have abundance.
| Quote : Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) |
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| Before you can do something you must first be something. |
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