The Ancient Whispers Newsletter

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.

The Pagan Month of January
can be found in its entirety Here. For more detailed entries, please visit the full calendar.

By our modern calendar, January first is the beginning of the New Year. It is a time filled with new possibilities. January’s guardian, the Roman god Janus, is the two faced divinity of endings and beginnings. He is the male equivalent of one among a host of versions of Juno. As the twin-faced Antevorta and Postvorta, she also looks frontward and back. Modern tradition would have us look forward only and forget the past year like a bad memory. I would advise those who follow this tradition to remember... That which is forgotten is soon repeated.

To the Irish, January is Eanáir or am Faoilleach, the ‘wolf month.’ The full moons of February and December are also sometimes referred to as Wolf Moon. The first Full Moon between Yule and the 25th of January is most often called Disting, and it shares the name Cold Moon with December. It may also be referred to as the Quiet or Chaste Moon, or the Moon of Little Winter.

Capricorn and Aquarius are the signs for January, Aquarius gaining power on or around January 20th. The flower for January is the white carnation. Garnet is the favored stone of this month, though Jacinth appears on some lists. Garnet, along with the ruby, is also the birthstone for Capricorn, while Aquarius lays claim to aquamarine. Other stones associated with Capricorn are amber, amethyst, carnelian, fire agate, green tourmaline, labradorite, peridot, and sapphire. Aquarius also holds sway over chrysoprase, garnet, labradorite, lapis lazuli, and opal.

The 15th day of the first moon is the 'Chunga Choepa' or the Tibetan Butter Lamp Festival, the climax of their New Year celebrations. Huge 'Tormas' are sculpted from butter in the form of various auspicious symbols and lamps. This was once the highlight of 'Monlam' in Lhasa, the Prayer Festival held from the 4th to the 11th day of the 1st lunar month. The Dalai Lamas would come to the Jokhang Temple and perform the great Buddhist service. The question and answer test for the highest-ranking monk of 'Lharampa Geshe' was held before the Dalai Lama during this festival. These events are now carried out in Dharamsala however where the Dalai Lama's government is in exile.

The last Tuesday in January is Up Shally A' or Up Helly Aa. This is a Lerwick, Shetland fire festival. A full-sized Viking longboat, complete with shields and oars, is towed to the beach by a torch-bearing procession dressed as Viking warriors. Three cheers are given for the builders of the longship, and after a bugle call, the galley is set alight by 800 blazing torches.

St. Agnes' Day

St. Vincent’s day

Sir Francis Bacon

Day of making way for Khnum

One Tooth Rhee Day

Braciaca Dydd

Theta-Centaurids

Day of Hathor

Cornish Tinner's and Seafarer's Day

Day of the Coming of Thoth

Alpha-Carinids

Old Disting

St.Paul's Day

Fair of Alasitas

The Sementivae Feria

The mechanics of what we call Hypnotism is as old as time immortal. The first recorded Hypnotic type of Performance was given at the court of Khufu in ancient Egypt over 5000 years ago. An account of this performance is recorded on Papyrus and stored in a British museum.

The seers and female prophets at the Greek Oracle of Delphi utilized Self-Hypnosis. Fates of entire kingdoms resulted from these prophecies.

Hypnotism isn't being used for merely entertainment anymore, but is used for important work in the fields of Medicine, Psychology, and even Dentistry.

Modern Hypnotism
Historically, modern hypnosis can only trace its roots back to the mid 1700's. It was at this time that Frederick Anton Mesmer utilized magnets to effect the human organism and cure disease. Mesmer's beliefs contradicted the established medical community and a committee was established to "study" Mesmer's treatments. Benjamin Franklin served on the committee and denounced the treatments saying that imagination was everything and magnetism is nothing. Oddly enough, the use of magnets has been proven to affect the human organism in many positive ways.

Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815)
Historically, modern hypnosis can only trace its roots back to the mid 1700's. It was at this time that Frederick Anton Mesmer utilized magnets to effect the human organism and cure disease. Mesmer's beliefs contradicted the established medical community and a committee was established to "study" Mesmer's treatments. Benjamin Franklin served on the committee and denounced the treatments saying that imagination was everything and magnetism is nothing. Oddly enough, the use of magnets has been proven to affect the human organism in many positive ways.

In 1779, Mesmer published Memoire sur la decouverte du Magnetisme Animal. It contained 27 Propositions regarding Animal Magnetism. Mesmer is said to have had a canary, which he had "Magnetized". The story goes that the canary would fly from its cage, which was always open, and perch on Mesmer's head to sing him awake every morning, except the morning after Mesmer died in his sleep. The canary would not eat, never sang again and died shortly afterwards...

Marquis de Puysegur (1751 - 1825)
One of Mesmer's prime students, the Marquis is said to have "Magnetized" a young man named Victor, who developed a second personality and then diagnose illnesses at distance. The Marquis labeled this ability as Clairvoyance.

James Braid, M.D. (1795 - 1860)
Began his journey with Mesmerism after watching a stage performance. An English Surgeon, created the term Hypnosis, from the Greek word hypnos, meaning sleep. He speculated that it was not the power of the magnetizer, or hypnotist, which produced the state, but something within the subject. Braid is known for his attempts at standardizing induction techniques, which are techniques used to induce hypnosis. He considered Hypnosis to be a form of Nervous Sleep and attempted to change the name to Monoideism, but it never caught on.

James Esdaile, M.D. (1808 - 1859)
Discovered he could induce a "deep sleep" by making specific hand passes over the patient's body. Using his system, he reportedly performed over 2,000 surgeries, without anesthesia. Producing the anesthetic condition was called the Hypnotic Coma and the term is still in use today, even though the individual is obviously not in a coma.

Jean-Martin Charcot, M.D. (1825 - 1893)
Began using magnetism after viewing a stage performance, (like Braid). He worked out of the French school at Saltpetriere, mostly with hysterical women. He classified various states of depth of the phenomenon, such as Deep Sleep and Light Sleep.

A. Leibeault, M.D. (1823 - 1904)
Worked out of the French school at Nancy and together with H. Bernheim incorporated psychology with verbal suggestion.

Emile Coue (1857 - 1926)
His book entitled Self Mastery was first published in 1922. He is considered to be the father of self-development. He taught that if the imagination and the will are in conflict that the imagination would win. He is most known for promoting the practice of autosuggestion. "Every day, in every way, I get better and better" was his most famous patter.

Edgar Cayce (1877 - 1945)
Born in Kentucky, Cayce was to become known as the Sleeping Prophet. He was affected by a throat condition, which caused him to lose his voice when he was 20 years old. At various times, stage hypnotists helped him to enter hypnosis, where he eventually diagnosed his own condition and then went on to prescribe the treatment. After his own cure, he went on to deliver over 14,000 readings, all of them while in a state of hypnosis. Many consider Edgar Cayce to have been the greatest psychic healer in the United States.

The 1890's Great Debate
During the 1890's, France had three main schools of magnetism / hypnotism: Saltpetriere, Nancy and Charity. The debate was one of methods, which were utilized to bring about hypnotic phenomenon. The school at Nancy utilized a more formal verbal method, which ultimately became the style initially utilized by Sigmund Freud and continues to be utilized to this day by hypnotic practitioners.

1889 Albert Moll
Albert Moll wrote "Hypnotism" in 1889. He was among the first to insist that hypnosis is part of Psychology. His book emphasized that the hypnotic process is continuous and flows over into the waking state. Many professionals dismissed Mesmer's findings, however, Moll insisted that they were valid.

1893 Carl Sextus
Carl Sextus wrote the book entitled Hypnotism, The correct guide to the science and how people are influenced. In the preface, he states "I have named the so called Mesmerism and Hypnotism - Puysegurian Somnambulism, because all my inquiries have shown that he was the real discover of artificial somnambulism". It is one of the most interesting historical books on hypnotism I have read.

1894 "Svengali"
In 1894, George du Maurier's book entitled "Trilby" was released. It was the story about Trilby, a young women who came to be under a hypnotist's control. The hypnotist was named "Svengali." The illustrations of Svengali show a bearded, dark haired man with piercing eyes. The name Svengali, became the buzzword for those who possessed dubious hypnotic influence. This characterization of the Evil Hypnotist is utilized, even today, in science fiction movies, books, and television.

The 1900's
As movies became more popular during the early 1900's, Hypnotism found it's way into the theatres. Trilby appeared as a movie in 1914. As the sensationalism of Hypnotism grew, the actual practice of it as a functional modality started to decline. If it wasn't for the Stage Hypnotist, Hypnotism may have died out between 1920 and 1950. The Stage Hypnotist passed on hypnotic induction methods from one Stage Hypnotist to another and kept Hypnotism alive during that time period. Some of the Stage Hypnotists responsible for keeping the Hypnotism torch lit were Franz Polgar, Arnold Furst, Harry Arons, and, of course, Ormond McGill, who is known as the Dean of American Hypnotists and has written the most authoritative books on the subject.

It is interesting to note that it was the hypnotic stage performer who grabbed the attention of many of those who, later in history, had an impact on the development of Hypnotism as a formalized methodology and tool for heightening communication, both interpersonally and intrapersonally.

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Quote : Albert Camus
All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning. Great works are often born on a street corner or in a restaurant's revolving door.

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Craft of the Week: Brighid’s Cross

These crosses were exchanged as symbols of protection in ancient times. Let the children hand these out to guests at any ritual you attend or host this Imbolc. Hang over the fireplace or stove to bring protection to your home and hearth.

Items needed:

a handfull of wheat stalks (with sheaves still attached)
warm water
clothespins
clear or red thread and needle

Soak the wheat stalks in warm water until pliable. Fold one stalk of wheat in half, leaving the kernels sticking out. Fold another one the same way, and thread through the first one. It should now look like a long L. Fold the third the same way, and insert through the second wheat stalk. It should now look like an L with a tail. Fold and insert the fourth stalk through the third. Use the clothes pins to help keep the shape as you weave more wheat.

Continue folding and threading the wheat stalks until you have several wheat stalks woven through each arm. Allow your cross to dry with the clothespins in place. Using the thread and needle, sew the stalks together. (This is cheating, but useful.)

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Humor : Enlightenment Quiz

The following is a rest of your level of enlightenment. Score one point for each correct answer, subtract one point for each wrong answer. Add your total number of right answers to the total number of wrong answers, divide by the total number of questions on the test, then wonder why you've tried to follow it this far. Select the answer which best completes the following statements: 1. Yin and... A) Yout B) Tonic C) Yenta D) Yang 2. A Zen koan is ........ A) Jewish Buddhist B) All of the above C) None of the above D) None of the above 3. Just before total God-realization I would see... A) A blue pearl B) Nothing C) Everything D) How would I know? 4. Lao-Tsu is.. A) Shrimp with fried rice B) The Atman Brothers C) A Japanese word for sneeze D) One of the above 5. Jivatman and Atman merge to become... A) Jivatmanatman B) The Atman Brothers C) Jivatman & Atman Inc. D) Mr & Mrs Atman 6. The word or words which best describes the relationship of God, Guru And Self is... A) Oneness B) Twoness C) Penpalness D) Just good friends 7. Which of the following is not a name of the Lord? A) Jehova B) Elohim C) Yahweh D) Charlton Heston 8. If you swap a Swami with a Yogi you get... A) A Swogi B) A Salami C) Yogurt D) Heartburn 9. Carlos Castaneda is: A) a flamingo dancer B) A resort near San Juan C) The 2nd baseman for The LA Dodgers D) The guitarist for Santana 10. Om Mani Padme means: A) O manny, pardon my home B) Money talks, nobody walks in Sanskrit C) If u cn rd ths msg u cn Gt a gd jb D) Never having to say you're Sorry 11. The sound of one hand clapping is: A) Very quiet B) similar to smiling with one lip C) A Zen record shop D) Like the "p" in swimming 12. Linguine is to fettuccine as Kundalini is to: A) Eenie meenie B) Halloweenie C) Harry Houdini D) Pepto-Bismol (this is a silly answer) 13. The Tao Te Ching is: A) The new premier of China B) A new record by Cheech and Chong C) I Ching's older brother D) A massage parlor in Tokyo 14. You arrive at a party and your host says, "Far out, I want to take the responsibility for creating space in your universe so you can experience your experience." He means: A) "Have a good time" B) "Don't eat the Swedish meatballs" C) "I just completed est training" D) Nothing anyone would understand 15. If three devotees can meditate for a total of nine hours, how many devotees would it take to mow the lawn? If three devotees can mow the lawn in one hour, how many stoned devotees would it take to meditate until nobody cared? 16. If shakti was rising toward the fourth chakra at a rate of 3.5 pranayamas per second, and at the same time an energy force was traveling in the opposite direction at a rate of 4.8 pranayams per second, what time would it be in Chicago if we woke up in Los Angles? True-False 17. _______Ramakrishna is a cereal made with rice and maple flavoring. 18. _______Satori is better than nirvana and samadhi except on weekends and holidays. 19. _______Sufi dancing is like square dancing only rounder. 29. _______The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a novel by Harold Robbins. Score 0-5 points: You are hopelessly attached to the wheel of life and death. Try again next incarnation! 6-10 points You are largely unconscious and stuck in worldly pleasures 10-15 points You are so-so on the enlightment scale. Keep reading the New Sun. 15-20 points You are a very conscious being; with a little good karma you could go a long way. 20-25 points You are very close to God-realization--early November at the latest.

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Who's Who in World Mythology : A-a
For past articles and the bibliography, please go to the
Who's Who Archive.

A-a or Aya is a sun goddess and mother-goddess of Mesopotamia and the western Semites. Derived from the Sumerian goddess Serida, as A-a she was based mostly among Babylonian and Akkadian peoples. Her name means “the beginning” or the “mother of all.” She is the consort of the sun god S(h)amas(h) and acts as goddess of the dawn. Their marriage was celebrated at the Babylonian New Year, and they were the parents of the gods Kittu (justice) and Misharu (law/righteousness). A-a inspired the invention of letters.

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Quote: Harry Emerson Fosdick
He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to. It is the means that determine the end.

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The Magi's Garden: Carnation
For past featured foliage and the bibliography, please go to the
The Magi's Garden Archive.

Carnation (Dianthus carophyllus)

Folk Names: Flors Jovis (Jove's Flower), Flower of Flowers, Gillies, Gillyflower, Nelka, Pinks, Scaffold Flower, Sops-in-Wine, Tunica

Description:

Effects: strong
Planet: sun
Element: fire
Associated Deities: Jupiter

Traditions:
The carnation is the flower of January.

The name Dianthus means divine flower.

Pink carnations have the most symbolic significance. According to Christian legend, carnations first appeared on Earth as Jesus carried the cross. Carnations grew from where the tears of his mother fell. Since that time, pink carnations have become the symbol of a mother's undying love. In Canada for Mothering Sunday, a red flower is worn if your mother is alive while white shows that your mother has died.

When it comes to other carnations, follow your inclination. Generally though, purple carnations indicate capriciousness. Striped ones symbolize a refusal or regret that a love cannot be shared. Light red carnations represent admiration, while dark red denotes deep love and affection. White carnations indicate pure love and good luck. Yellow is for disdain.

Magic:
From Elizabethan times onward, carnations were worn to prevent death at scaffold. Grown by Louis II of Bourbon, the flowers were often worn by his soldiers as a sign of courage. They may be used all purpose protective spells.

The carnation is also healing. The cut flowers or (preferably) living plant may be placed in convalescent rooms for strength and energy for patient. The flowers may be add to healing spells, and the fresh blossoms (especially red for vitality) are appropriate on the altar during healing rituals. The dried blossoms can also be added to healing sachets and incenses.

In Korea, at the beginning of the New Year, a young girl may put three carnations in her hair by which to tell her fortune. If the top flower dies first, her last years of life will be difficult. Should the middle flower die first, her earlier years will bring the most grief. Sadly, if the bottom flower dies first, she will be miserable her whole life.

Known Combinations:
none noted

Medical Indications: Parts Used: flowers

Nutrition:
The fresh flowers are used in vinegar, salads, and jams. They have a spicy taste reminiscent of cloves.

Mercantile Uses:
The flowers are often found in potpourris.

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Cartoon

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Poem : A Dream within a Dream
Edgar Allen Poe

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow—
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand—
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep— while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp>
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

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Quote : Blaise Pascal
Things are always at their best in the beginning.

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The Power of Stones: Bertrandite
For past articles and the bibliography, please go to the
Power of Stones Archive.

Bertrandite is a transparent crystal ranging from colorless to pale yellow in color. This stone provides smooth transition through changes. It also augments the ability to verbalize hidden thoughts, ideals, and appreciation. Business matters and promotion are enhanced.

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Humor : Steak

A Protestant moved into a completely Catholic community. Being good Catholics they welcomed him into their community. But, also because they were good Catholics they did not eat red meat on Fridays. So when their neighbor began barbecuing some juicy steak on Friday night, they began to squirm. They were so annoyed that they went to talk to him about it. After much talk they convinced him to become Catholic. The next Sunday he went to the priest and the priest sprinkled holy water on him and said, "You were born Protestant. You were raised Protestant. But now you are Catholic." And so, the next Friday, as the neighbors sat down to eat their fish, they were disturbed by the smell of roast beef coming from the neighboring house. They went over to talk to the new Catholic because he knew he was not supposed to eat beef on Fridays. When they saw him, he was sprinkling ketchup on the beef saying, "You were born a cow. You were raised a cow. But now you are fish."

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A Dreamer's Guide : Mucus to Mushrooms

For past articles and the bibliography, please go to the
Dreamer's Guide Archive.

Surprisingly Mucus represents good health, and if it was running profusely from your nose, you will find a substantial increase in your material wealth soon. Even if it came from other people’s noses, it augurs blessings on your own affairs.

Mud is a sign of good fortune and long life. Mud in the street means advancement in your position, but walking in mud indicates family strife and loss of friends. If others walked in the mud, you will hear ugly rumors of friends or employees. Your reputation is being attacked if there was mud on your clothes, but if you scraped it off, you will escape their slander unscathed. Good fortune for you is promised by mud on other people’s clothing.

Take no risks in business if things were in a Muddle. If you made a muddle of things, you will find pleasure in a reestablished relationship. If your business was in chaos, it will soon take a turn for the worse. Triumph over enemies is indicated if others were in confusion.

If you owned a beautiful Muff you will be short on cash. A life free of changes is promised if you wore a muff, but if another wore a muff, be on your guard against spiteful gossip. Someone you trust is being unfaithful if you bought a muff.

Mulberries are a warning to avoid rivals. If you ate them, you will not marry until you are older. Luck and prosperity are foretold by buying them, and a long life is indicated by picking them. Your happiness is assured if you made jelly.

You are being forewarned of sickness by a dream of a Mule. If a mule kicked you, you will be disappointed in love, but if you owned a mule, you will be disappointed in marriage. Changes for the better are foretold if a mule pulled a cart. Riding a mule is warning that you are engage in pursuits which will cause you much anxiety, but if you reach your destination without interruption, you will enjoy substantial results. A female mule means you business will profit. A white mule is a sign of marriage for wealth and not love. If you saw a mule running loose, you will have many lovers and admirers, but no offers of marriage. A dead mule predicts broken engagements and social decline.

Don’t trust your acquaintances if you were Multiplying figures. Even if others were multiplying figures, someone is still deceiving you. Watch your enemies closely if you saw anything multiplying in quantity, and plants increasing in number also mean that someone is seeking to bring you down.

A change in life is foretold by a Mummy. If it was well preserved, be confident in yourself. You will soon get married if you saw your sweetheart with a mummy, but if you saw someone being mummified, your love is in danger.

If you saw a Murder, the actions of others will cause you sorrow. Triumph over enemies is foretold if you saw a murderer, and a change is indicated if he or she was arrested. Sorrow, failure, and dishonor are foretold if you murdered anyone. An enemy is attempting to do you harm if you were murdered.

Muscat grapes indicate it is now a suitable time to pursue your mate. Deceitful friends are controlling you if you bought Muscat wine. There will soon be an engagement if you drank Muscat wine, while simply owning the wine is a sign of wealth and honors. Good times are coming if you offered the wine to others.

A sore or painful Muscle indicates emotional upset. If you or someone else was displaying their muscles, your social ambition will meet with frustration. If you were unable to move muscles in your arm, you will have sorrow, while being unable to move leg muscles means you will suffer for your won foolishness. Misfortune in love is indicated by a pain in the muscles of the neck. Shriveled muscles are a sign of your inability to follow through with your plans.

Dreaming of a Museum in any context predicts unexpected good luck through some acquaintance. If you visited a museum alone, success will be postponed, but going with a loved one indicates worries will be discarded. You will realize your high ambitions if you went with your family.

Good times are augured by cooking, eating, or serving Mush.

Mushrooms foretell the accumulation of wealth through intelligent speculation. Picking them predicts prosperity and protection, while eating them indicates improvement in status from influential friends. If you dug up only one mushroom, a partnership will be dissolved. Digging up many mushrooms means a long life.

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Quote : Earl Nightingale (d.1989)
Wherever there is danger, there lurks opportunity; whenever there is opportunity, there lurks danger. The two are inseparable. They go together.

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