Saturday, November 03, 2007
Auger has a show on the 7th, but I don't know where it is.
The Coven With Wings
Witching windows bring forth wickedness
Underneath dying steady
Black baloons burst beneath the force of the sun
Angels' tears make healing balm in Gilead
Dressed and uptight
All fancy for the evacuation
Yes I do think I'm all grown, like an aging child
My childhood was set in stone
My adult is sealed in biohazard
Pierce the placenta, open the new womb
Pick the philosophers' stone
Keep digging in the rubble of broken dreams
The fangs grew out of empty gums
The witching hour was approaching
I once wanted to be saved
Now I'm just afraid
The Coven With Wings
Witching windows bring forth wickedness
Underneath dying steady
Black baloons burst beneath the force of the sun
Angels' tears make healing balm in Gilead
Dressed and uptight
All fancy for the evacuation
Yes I do think I'm all grown, like an aging child
My childhood was set in stone
My adult is sealed in biohazard
Pierce the placenta, open the new womb
Pick the philosophers' stone
Keep digging in the rubble of broken dreams
The fangs grew out of empty gums
The witching hour was approaching
I once wanted to be saved
Now I'm just afraid
Thursday, November 01, 2007
All Saints Day
[November 1]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE COLLECT
We glorify and thank Thee, O Indwelling One, for the abiding presence among us of Thy glorious and holy saints who were and are and are to come. We humbly recognize that they indeed are the corners of our cosmos, the pillars of the perfection of mankind, and the revealers of reality. Do Thou, O Holy One, ever affirm within us Thy powers of holiness, that in the fullness of the time of our perfection we might join the ranks of thy leaders of light and become providers of purpose and helpers of Thy holy hand.
Amen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE LESSON
The lesson is taken from the Book of Enoch the Prophet:
Blessed are ye, O saints and elect, for glorious is your lot. The saints shall exist in the light of the sun, and the elect in the light of everlasting life, the days of whose life shall never terminate; nor shall the days of the saints be numbered, who seek for light, and obtain righteousness with the Lord of spirits. Peace be to the saints with the Lord of the world. Henceforward shall the saints be told to seek in heaven the secret of righteousness, the portion of faith; for like the sun has it arisen upon the earth, while darkness passed away. There shall be light interminable: nor shall they enter upon the enumeration of time: for darkness shall be previously destroyed, and light shall increase before the Lord of spirits: before the Lord of spirits shall the light of righteousness increase for ever.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE GOSPEL
The gospel is taken from the Book of the Great Mystery of the Logos:
The Apostles spoke to Jesus, saying: Speak to us O Lord, that we may hear Thee. We have followed Thee with all our heart, have left father and mother, have left vineyard and field, have left our goods, have left the king’s glory and have followed Thee, that Thou mightest teach us the life of Thy Father who hath sent Thee. Jesus, the living one, answered and said: This is the life of my Father, that ye receive your soul from the race of divine reason, and it cease to be earthly and become wise through that which I say unto you in the course of my words, that ye may contemplate it and be delivered from the ruler of this aeon and his snares, which have no end. But you are my disciples., make haste to receive my word carefully yourselves. that ye may know it, that the ruler of this aeon may not strive with you, and that ye yourselves, may fulfill my word, and I myself make you free, and you become whole through a freedom wherein there is no blemish. As the Spirit of the Comforter is whole, so shall ye become whole through the freedom of the spirit of the Holy Comforter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[November 1]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE COLLECT
We glorify and thank Thee, O Indwelling One, for the abiding presence among us of Thy glorious and holy saints who were and are and are to come. We humbly recognize that they indeed are the corners of our cosmos, the pillars of the perfection of mankind, and the revealers of reality. Do Thou, O Holy One, ever affirm within us Thy powers of holiness, that in the fullness of the time of our perfection we might join the ranks of thy leaders of light and become providers of purpose and helpers of Thy holy hand.
Amen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE LESSON
The lesson is taken from the Book of Enoch the Prophet:
Blessed are ye, O saints and elect, for glorious is your lot. The saints shall exist in the light of the sun, and the elect in the light of everlasting life, the days of whose life shall never terminate; nor shall the days of the saints be numbered, who seek for light, and obtain righteousness with the Lord of spirits. Peace be to the saints with the Lord of the world. Henceforward shall the saints be told to seek in heaven the secret of righteousness, the portion of faith; for like the sun has it arisen upon the earth, while darkness passed away. There shall be light interminable: nor shall they enter upon the enumeration of time: for darkness shall be previously destroyed, and light shall increase before the Lord of spirits: before the Lord of spirits shall the light of righteousness increase for ever.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE GOSPEL
The gospel is taken from the Book of the Great Mystery of the Logos:
The Apostles spoke to Jesus, saying: Speak to us O Lord, that we may hear Thee. We have followed Thee with all our heart, have left father and mother, have left vineyard and field, have left our goods, have left the king’s glory and have followed Thee, that Thou mightest teach us the life of Thy Father who hath sent Thee. Jesus, the living one, answered and said: This is the life of my Father, that ye receive your soul from the race of divine reason, and it cease to be earthly and become wise through that which I say unto you in the course of my words, that ye may contemplate it and be delivered from the ruler of this aeon and his snares, which have no end. But you are my disciples., make haste to receive my word carefully yourselves. that ye may know it, that the ruler of this aeon may not strive with you, and that ye yourselves, may fulfill my word, and I myself make you free, and you become whole through a freedom wherein there is no blemish. As the Spirit of the Comforter is whole, so shall ye become whole through the freedom of the spirit of the Holy Comforter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hey hey mama wolf hey hey mama wolf
Auger plays on Wed. Nov. 7th. I don't know where. Hallelujah!
Slacker pastronomy
BLUE CHEER
with
ST PHILLIP'S ESCALATOR
Admission: 18+/$15
What's goin on:
*BLUE CHEER:
Blue Cheer is a San Francisco-based rock group of the late 1960s and early 1970s, who helped to pioneer heavy metal music. According to Tim Hills in his book, The Many Lives of the Crystal Ballroom, "Blue Cheer was the epitome of San Francisco psychedelia. The band was named for a brand of LSD and promoted by renowned LSD chemist and former Grateful Dead patron, Owsley Stanley. The band's sound, however, was something of a departure from the music that had been coming out of the Bay area: Blue Cheer's three musicians played heavy blues-rock, and played it very loud.
www.bluecheer.us
www.myspace.com/bluecheer
Seth Speaks
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Free All Political Prisoners!
Free Pastor David
Free Mumia
Free Jamil Al-Amin
Free Assata Shakur
Free Leonard Peltier
Free the Angola 2
Just free all these people:
Free Pastor David
Free Mumia
Free Jamil Al-Amin
Free Assata Shakur
Free Leonard Peltier
Free the Angola 2
Just free all these people:
Ali Khalid Abdullah #148130
Mound Correctional Facility
17601 Mound Rd
Detroit, MI 48212
www.geocities.com/ppwc_uk/aboutali.html
Haki Malik Abdullah (s/n Michael Green) # C-56123
PO Box 3456
Corcoran, CA 93212
Mumia Abu-Jamal # AM-8335
SCI Greene
175 Progress Drive
Waynesburg, PA 15370
www.mumia.org (International Concerned Friends and Family of Mumia Abu-Jamal)
www.freemumia.org (Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal [SF])
www.j4mumia.org (Justice For Mumia [NY])
www.mumia2000.org
Sundiata Acoli (s/n Clark Squire) # 39794-066
PO Box 3000
USP Allenwood
White Deer, PA 17887
http://www.afrikan.net/sundiata/welcome.html and prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/sundiata-acoli
Charles Sims Africa # AM-4975
SCI Graterford, Box 244
Graterford, PA 19426-0244
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/charles-sims-africa-st.html
Debbie Sims Africa # 006307
SCI Cambridge Springs
451 Fullerton Ave
Cambridge Springs, PA 16403
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/MOVE/debbi-sims-africa-st.html
Delbert Orr Africa # AM-4985
SCI Dallas
Drawer K
Dallas, PA 18612
Edward Goodman Africa # AM-4974
SCI Mahoney
301 Morea Road
Frackville, PA 17932
Janet Holloway Africa # 006308
SCI Cambridge Springs
451 Fullerton Ave
Cambridge Springs, PA 16403
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/MOVE/debbi-sims-africa-st.html
Janine Phillips Africa # 006309
SCI Cambridge Springs
451 Fullerton Ave
Cambridge Springs, PA 16403
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/MOVE/debbi-sims-africa-st.html
Michael Davis Africa # AM-4973
SCI Graterford, Box 244
Graterford PA 19426
William Phillips Africa # AM-4984
SCI Dallas
Drawer K
Dallas, PA 18612
Imam Jamil Al-Amin (s/n H. Rap Brown # 1104651
Georgia State Prison
100 Highway 147
Reidsville, GA 39499-9701
www.ImamJamil.com
www.mindspring.com/~altafb/ImamAlAmin.html
Tre Arrow
CS# 05850722
Vancouver Island Regional Correction Center
4216 Wilkinson Rd.
Victoria, BC, V8Z 5B2
Canada
www.trearrow.org
Kalima Aswad (s/n Robert Duren) # B24120
CMSJ 106L
PO Box 2000
Vacaville, CA 95696-2000
Zolo Azania #4969
Pendelton Correctional Facility
Box 30, I.D.O.C. 6-6 D
Pendelton, Indiana 46064
www.prairie-fire.org/freezoloazania.html
Herman Bell # 79C-0262
Sullivan C.F.
Box 116
Riverside Drive
Fallsburg, NY 12733-0116
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/bell.html
Greg Boertje-Obed
Burleigh County Jail
P.O. Box 1416
Bismarck , ND 58502
www.jonahhouse.org (Weapon of Mass Destruction Here Plowshares, sentencing set for December 2006)
Nathan Block
#1663667
Lane County Jail
101 W 5th Ave
Eugene, OR 97401
supportersofnathanandjoyanna@gmail.com
Joseph "Jo-Jo" Bowen # AM 4272
SCI Coal Township
1 Kelley Drive
Coal Township, PA 17866
Veronza Bowers, Jr. #35316-136
FCI Medium C-1
P.O. Box 1032
Coleman, FL 35521-1032
geocities.com/veronzab
Marilyn Buck # 00482-285
5701 - 8th. St. Camp Parks Unit B
Dublin CA 94568
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/marilynbuck
freedomarchives.org/wildpoppies
Fred "Muhammad" Burton
AF 3896
SCI Somerset
1590 Walters Mill Rd
Somerset, PA 15510
Ruben Campa (aka Fernando Gonzalez) # 58733-004
FCI Oxford
PO Box 1000
Oxford, WI 53952
www.freethefive.org
Byron Shane Chubbuck # 07909-051
USP Beaumont
P.O. Box 26030
Beaumont, TX 77720
JACOB CONROY, # 93501-011
FCI VICTORVILLE MEDIUM I
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 5300
ADELANTO, CA 92301
supportjake.org
Marshal Eddie Conway # 116469
Box 534
Jessup MD 20794
www.freeeddieconway.org
Rodney Coronado # 03895-000
FCI Tucson
PO Box 23811
Tucson, AZ 85734
www.supportrod.org
Jorge Cruz #26318-069
FCI Edgefield
P. O. Box 725
Edgefield, SC 29824-0725
www.prorescatevieques.org and
www.nonviolence.org/nukeresister/insideandout.html
Brian DeRouen # 92459-020CI
FCI Taft
Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 7001
Taft, CA 93268
www.soaw.org (prisoner of conscience updates)
Bill Dunne # 10916-086
USP BIG SANDY
P.O. Box 2068
Inez, KY 41224
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/bill-dunne
Romaine 'Chip' Fitzgerald # B-27527
CSP-L.A. Co.-A5-230
44750 60th St. W.
Lancaster, CA 93536
Patrice Lumumba Ford # 96639-011
USP Victorville
PO Box 5500
Adelanto, CA 92301
DARIUS FULMER # 26397-050
FCI FORT DIX
P.O. BOX 2000
FORT DIX, NJ 08640
www.shac7.com/dari
Christine Gaunt
Muscogee County Jail
700 E. 10th St.
Columbus, GA 31901-2899
www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=1228
LAUREN GAZZOLA # 93497-011
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
FCI DANBURY
ROUTE #37
DANBURY, CT 06811
supportlauren.com
Ana Lucia Gelabert # 384484
GV Unit
1401 State School Rd.
Gatesville, TX 76599
Alice Gerard # 92095-020
FCI Danbury
33-1/2 Pembroke Station, Route 37
Danbury, CT 06811
www.soaw.org (prisoner of conscience updates)
David Gilbert # 83-A-6158
Clinton Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 2001
Dannemora, NY 12929
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/davidgilbert
William Gilday # W33537
MCI Shirley
PO Box 1218
Shirley, MA 01464-1218
René González # 58738-004
FCI Marianna
P.O. Box 7007
Marianna, FL 32447-7007
www.freethefive.org
Antonio Guerrero # 58741-004
USP Florence
PO Box 7500
Florence, CO 81226
www.freethefive.org
Abdel-Jabbar Hamdan
www.petitiononline.com/Hamdan/petition.html
Bashir Hameed (s/n James York) # 82-A-6313
Sullivan Correctional Facility
Box AG
Fallsburg, NY 12733-0116
www.thejerichomovement.com/bashir_hameed.htm
Joshua Harper # 29429-086
FDC Sheridan
Federal Detention Center
P.O. Box 6000
Sheridan, OR 97378
www.joshharper.org
Eddie Hatcher # 0173499
Marion Corr. Inst
PO Box 2405
Marion, NC 28752
www.eddiehatcher.org
Robert Seth Hayes # 74-A-2280
Wende Correctional Facility
PO Box 1187
Alden, NY 14004-1187
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/robert-seth-hayes-st.html
Alvaro Luna Hernandez #255735
Hughes Unit
Rt. 2, Box 4400
Gatesville, TX 76597
www.freealvaro.org
Gerardo Hernandez # 58739-004
USP Victorville
PO Box 5500
Adelanto, CA 92301
www.freethefive.org
Freddie Hilton (Kamau Sadiki) # 115688
Augusta State Medical Prison, Bldg 13A-2 E7
3001 Gordon Highway
Grovetown, GA 30812-3809
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/kamau-sadiki
James "Doc" Holiday # 86555-012
Marion USP
PO Box 2000, Route 5
Marion, IL 62959
Robert Joyner # AF 3793
SCI Graterford
Box 244
Graterford, PA 19426-0244
Alvin Joyner # AF 4296
SCI Chester
500 E Fourth St.
Chester, PA 19013
Carl Kabat
Burleigh County Jail
P.O. Box 1416
Bismarck , ND 58502
www.jonahhouse.org (Weapon of Mass Destruction Here Plowshares, sentencing set for December 2006)
Sekou Cinque T.M. Kambui (s/n William Turk) #113058
P.O. Box 56 (SCC) (B1-32)
Elmore, AL 36025-0056
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/sekou-kambui-st.html
Khalfani X. Khaldun # 874304
s/n Leonard McQuay
Wabash Valley Correctional Facility
PO Box 1111 A2 - 201 S.H.U. A/S
Carlisle, IN 47838
Yu Kikumura # 090008-050
PO Box 8500 ADX
Florence, CO 81226
James William Kilgore # 09879-000
USP Lompoc
3901 Klein Blvd.
Lompoc, CA 93436
KEVIN KJONAAS # 93502-011
UNIT I
FCI SANDSTONE
P.O. BOX 1000
SANDSTONE, MN 55072
www.supportkevin.com
Mohamman Geuka Koti, 80A-0808
354 Hunter Street
Ossining, NY 10562-5442
Jaan Laaman W41514
Box 100
South Walpole, MA 02071
home.earthlink.net/~neoludd
Ramon Labañino (Luis Medina III) # 58734-004
Beaumont USP
PO Box 26035
Beaumont, TX 77720
www.freethefive.org
Richard Mafundi Lake # 79972
Holman CF
Holman 3700
Atmore, AL 36503-3700
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/mafundi-st.html
Wopashitwe Mondo Eyen we Langa (s/n David Rice) # 27768
PO Box 2500
Lincoln NE 68542-2500
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/mondo-we-langa
and mondo.info
Maliki Shakur Latine # 81-A-4469
PO Box 2001
Dannemora, NY 12929
Oscar Lopez-Rivera # 87651-024
U.S. Penitentiary
P.O. Box 12015
Terre Haute, IN 47801
www.prcc-chgo.org/NBHRN_site/prisoners/prisoners_2.asp
and
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/oscar-lopez-rivera.html
Jeffrey "Free" Luers #13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
www.freefreenow.org
Ojore Lutalo # 59860
PO Box 861, #901548
Trenton NJ 08625
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/ojore.html
Ruchell Cinque Magee # A92051
3B-05-103
Box 3466
Corcoran, CA 93212
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/ruchel-lmagee
Abdul Majid (s/n Anthony Laborde) # 83-A-0483
Green Haven Correctional Facility
Malone, NY 12953
www.thejerichomovement.com/abdul_majid.htm
Thomas Manning # 10373-016
United States Penitentiary - Hazelton
Box 2000
Bruceton Mills, West Virginia 26525
www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Parliament/3400
Sr. Lelia Mattingly # 92460-020
FCI Danbury
33-1/2 Pembroke Station, Route 37
Danbury, CT 06811
www.soaw.org (prisoner of conscience updates)
Eric McDavid
X-2972521 4E231A
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
www.supporteric.org
Daniel McGowan #63794-053
Out on bail
www.supportdaniel.org
Masai Mugmuk # 58157
CN-861-4B12 MCU
Trenton NJ 08625
Ramiro "Ramsey" R. Muñiz # 40288-115
U.S.P. Florence
P.O. Box 7000
Florence, CO 81226
freeramsey.com
Jalil Muntaqim (aka Anthony Jalil Bottom) # 77A4283
Auburn Corr. Facility
135 State Street, P.O. Box 618
Auburn, NY 13024
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/jalilmuntaqim
Sekou Odinga # 05228-054
USP Florence ADMAX
P.O. Box 8500
Florence, CO 81226
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/sekou-odinga
Sara Olson # W94197
506-10-04L
C.C.W.F. PO Box 1508
Chowchilla, CA 93610-1508
Leonard Peltier # 89637-132
USP Terre Haute
U.S. Penitentiary
P.O. Box 12015
Terre Haute, IN 47801
www.leonardpeltier.net
www.myspace.com/freepeltier
www.myspace.com/bobinsuisse
Dan Pens # 279308
Stafford Creek Correctional Center
191 Constantine Way (H6-A11L)
Aberdeen, WA 98520
José Pérez González # 21519-069
USP Atlanta
PO Box 150160
Atlanta, GA 30315
www.prorescatevieques.org and
www.nonviolence.org/nukeresister/insideandout.html
Hugo "Dahariki" Pinell # A88401
POB 7500 SHU-D-214
Crescent City CA 95531
www.afrikan.net/dreadx1.html
Ed Poindexter # 110403
Minnesota Correctional Facility
7525 4th Avenue
Lino Lakes, MN 55014-1099
Luis V. Rodríguez # C33000
Mule Creek State Prison
P.O. Box 409000
Ione, CA 95640
www.humanrights.de/doc_en/archiv/u/usa/luis/lr1.html
Kojo Bomani Sababu (s/n Grailing Brown) # 39384-066
Victorville Med II FCI
13777 Air Express Way Blvd.
Victorville, CA 92394
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/kojo-st.html
Tewahnee Sahme # 11186353
SRCI
777 Stanton Blvd.
Ontario, OR 97914
Hanif Shabazz Bey (Beaumont Gereau) # 295933
Wallens Ridge State Prison
PO Box 759
Big Stone Gap, VA 24219
burn.ucsd.edu/~abcf/bey.html
Abdul Shakur # C-48884
PO Box 7500
Crescent City, CA 95532
Dr. Mutulu Shakur # 83205-012
PO Box PMB - D Unit 105
Altanta GA 30315
prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/mutulu-shakur and www.thejerichomovement.com/drmutulushakur.htm
Shaka Shakur # 28443
MCC
Westville, IN 46361
Tsutomo Shirosaki # 20924-016
PO Box 26035
Beaumont, TX 77720
Russel Maroon Shoats # AF-3855
175 Progress Drive
Waynesburg PA 15370
burn.ucsd.edu/~abcf/maroon.html
ANDREW STEPANIAN # 26399-050
FCI BUTNER MEDIUM II
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 1500
BUTNER, NC 27509
andystepanian.com
James "Ashante" Sullivan # AF 6772
PO Box 99901
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
Carlos Alberto Torres # 88976-024
FCI Oxford
PO Box 1000
Oxford WI 53952
www.wco.com/~boricua/POWS/carlos.htm and prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/carlos-alberto-torres.html
www.prcc-chgo.org/NBHRN_site/prisoners/prisoners_2.asp
Priscilla Treska
Muscogee County Jail
700 E. 10th St.
Columbus, GA 31901-2899
www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=1228
Daud Obida Tulam # 55657-CN-861
Trenton NJ 08625
Gary Tyler # 84156
Louisiana State Penitentiary
ASH-4
Angola LA 70712
José Vélez Acosta # 23883-069
USP Coleman
PO Box 1033
Coleman, FL 3352
www.prorescatevieques.org and
www.nonviolence.org/nukeresister/insideandout.html
Vieques resisters are listed at:
www.prorescatevieques.org and
www.nonviolence.org/nukeresister/insideandout.html
John Wade # 38548-083
FCI Petersburg Low
PO Box 1000
Petersburg, VA 23804
Herman "Hooks" Wallace
DOC #76759-CCR L/F #13
Louisiana State Penitentiary
ASH-4
Angola LA 70712
prisonactivist.org/angola
Mike Walli
Burleigh County Jail
P.O. Box 1416
Bismarck , ND 58502
www.jonahhouse.org (Weapon of Mass Destruction Here Plowshares, sentencing set for December 2006)
Gary Watson # 098990
Delaware Correctional Center
1181 Paddock Rd.
Smyrna, DE 19977
Hugh Williams # AF 2932
SCI Graterford
Box 244
Graterford, PA 19426-0244
Albert Woodfox # 72148
Louisiana State Penitentiary
CCR Upper B Cell 13
Angola LA 70712
prisonactivist.org/angola
Helen Woodson # 03231-045
www.motherearth.org/prisoner/woodson.php
Joyanna Zacher #1662550
Lane County Jail
101 W 5th Ave
Eugene, OR 97401
supportersofnathanandjoyanna@gmail.com
A Brief History of Hallowe'en
Author: Christina Aubin [a WitchVox Sponsor]
Posted: October 28th. 2007
Times Viewed: 155,670
The Celtic peoples called the time between Samhain (pronounced "SOW-in" in Ireland, SOW-een in Wales, "SAV-en" in Scotland or even "SAM-haine" in non Gaelic speaking countries) and Brigid's Day "the period of little sun." Thus, Samhain is often named the "Last Harvest" or "Summer's End".
While almost all Celtic based traditions recognize this Holiday as the end of the "old" year, some groups do not celebrate the coming of the "new year" until Yule. Some consider the time between Samhain and Yule as a time which does not even exist on the Earthly plane. The "time which is no time" was considered in the "old days" to be both very magickal and very dangerous. So even today, we celebrate this Holiday with a mixture of joyous celebration and 'spine tingling" reverence.
The Samhain Holiday begins at sundown on October 31st. The nightide was always a time to be wary of walking alone in the countryside. So much more on this Night when the veils between the worlds of humans and spirits was at its thinnest. Traditional lore speaks of the dead returning to visit their kin and the doors to the Lands of the Sidhe (pronounced "shee") or Faery Realm being opened.
"The Feast of the Dead" ("Fleadh nan Mairbh") is laid out by many to welcome these otherworldly visitors and gain their favor for the coming year. Many folks leave milk and cakes ("Bannock Samhain" ) outside their door on Samhain Eve or set a place at their table for their ancestors who may want to join in the celebrations with their kin and family.
Some Witches use a chant at the beginning of the Feast to welcome their ancestors.
One of these, for example goes like this:
And so it is, we gather again,
The feast of our dead to begin.
Our Ancients, our Ancestors we invite, Come!
And follow the setting of the sun.
Whom do we call? We call them by name
(Name your ancestor that you wish want to welcome.)
The Ancients have come! Here with us stand
Where ever the country, where ever the land
They leave us not, to travel alone;
Flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone!
Grandmothers, Grandfathers, Great be their Power!
Past ones and present-at this very hour!
Welcome within are the dead who are kin,
Feast here with us and rest here within
Our hearth is your hearth and welcome to thee;
Old tales to tell and new visions to see!
It is also customary to light a new candle for the "new year". This ritual harkens back to the days when Samhain was one of only two days- the other being Beltaine-when it was considered correct to extinguish the "hearth fire" and then to re-light it. If your fire failed at any other time of the year, it was thought to be very bad luck indeed.
Upon the rekindling of the fire in the morning, this blessing was often said:
We Call Upon The Sacred Three:
To Save... To Shield... To Surround
The Hearth... The House... The Household
This Night, Each Night, Every Night.!
Many Witches of the Old Ways, actually celebrate "two" Samhains or Halloweens (Yes, some older traditions DO use the term "halloween"!). The "Old" date for Samhain occurs when the sun has reached 15 degrees Scorpio. (As a side note, the Catholic Church has "borrowed" this same day to celebrate the holiday of "Martinmas".) So if you follow this Way, you can always celebrate the "party aspect" with your friends on one date and the "worship" part with your kin on the other.
If you are interested in learning more about Samhain traditions and customs, you can read Peg Aloi's article entitled "You Call It Hallowe'en... We Call It Samhain"
Dia de los Muertos
This is an ancient festivity that has been much transformed through the years, but which was intended in prehispanic Mexico to celebrate children and the dead. Hence, the best way to describe this Mexican holiday is to say that it is a time when Mexican families remember their dead, and the continuity of life.
The original celebration can be traced to the festivities held during the Aztec month of Miccailhuitontli, ritually presided by the goddess Mictecacihuatl ("Lady of the Dead"), and dedicated to children and the dead. The rituals during this month also featured a festivity dedicated to the major Aztec war deity, Huitzilopochtli ("Sinister Hummingbird"). In the Aztec calendar, this ritual fell roughly at the end of the Gregorian month of July and the beginning of August, but in the postconquest era it was moved by Spanish priests so that it coincided with the Christian holiday of All Hallows Eve (in Spanish: "DÃa de Todos Santos,") in a vain effort to transform this from a "profane" to a Christian celebration. The result is that Mexicans now celebrate the day of the dead during the first two days of November, rather than at the beginning of summer, but remember the dead they still do, and the modern festivity is characterized by the traditional Mexican blend of ancient aboriginal and introduced Christian features.
Generalizing broadly, the day's activities consist of visits by families to the graves of their close kin. At the gravesites family members engage in sprucing up the gravesite, decorating it with flowers, setting out and enjoying a picnic, and interacting socially with other family and community members who gather at the cemetary. Families remember the departed by telling stories about them. The meals prepared for these picnics are sumptuous, usually featuring meat dishes in spicy sauces, a special egg-batter bread, cookies, chocolate, and sugary confections in a variety of animal or skull shapes. Gravesites or family altars are profusely decorated with flowers (primarily large, bright flowers such as marigolds and crysanthemums), and adorned with religious amulets and (in smaller villages) with offerings of food, cigarettes and alcoholic beverages. Because of this warm social environment, the colorful setting, and the abundance of food, drink and good company this conmmemoration of the dead has pleasant overtones for most observers, in spite of the open fatalism exhibited by all participants, whose festive interaction with living and dead in an important social ritual is a way of recognizing the cycle of life and death that is human existance.
The traditional observance calls for a feast during the early morning hours of November the 2nd, the Day of the Dead proper, though modern urban Mexican families usually observe the Day of the Dead with only a special family supper featuring the "Bread of the Dead" (pan de muerto). It is good luck to be the one who bites into the plastic toy skeleton hidden by the baker in each rounded loaf. Friends and family members give one another gifts consisting of sugar skeletons or other items with a death motif, and the gift is more prized if the skull or skeleton is embossed with one's own name.
Two important things to know about the Mexican Day of the Dead are:
It is a holiday with a complex history, and therefore its observance varies quite a bit by region and by degree of urbanization.
It is not a morbid occasion, but rather a festive time.
The Day of the Dead can range from a very important cultural event, with definite social and economic responsibilities for participants (exhibiting the socially equalizing behavior that social anthropologists would call redistributive feasting, e.g. on the island of Janitzio in Michoacan state), to a religious observance featuring actual worship of the dead (whether Catholic priests recognize/approve of it or not, e.g., Cuilapan, Oaxaca), to simply a uniquely Mexican holiday characterized by special foods and confections (the case in all large cities.) See map of México (look for Michoacan and Oaxaca in the southwestern portion of the country).
In general, the more urban the setting within Mexico the less religious and cultural importance is retained by observants, while the more rural and Indian the locality the greater the religious and economic import of the holiday. Because of this, this observance is usually of greater social importance in southern Mexico than in the northern part of the country, which is characterized by a more dilute Indian cultural influence.
I was born immaculately
Caucious indigation followed me
My comtempt and my anxiety danced on top of my skull clumsily
So I hated this thing that represented my enemies: authority
I even struggled with the higher power
We would have long debates about piety and heresy long into the starry night
I was born a virgo
A virgin
You are a Fox! (your score: 22)
Characters: Razvin in Eyes of Crow; Elysia in "The Wild's Call"
Powers: Stealth, night vision, ability to read and manipulate others' emotions
Foxes are clever, perceptive, and shrewd. You're happiest working behind the scenes, pulling strings and watching others dance to your imperceptible tune. Independent yet highly social, you glide among your circles of acquaintance with ease, sharing your sharp wit or a delicious piece of gossip.
Best matches: Crows, Owls, Cougars
Watch out for: Bears, Swans, Horses
I always thought I was a rabbit because I've seen rabits in visions and even real ones at important junctures in my life. No one can tell you who yr power animal is really. You have to figure it out for yrself.
(pictures)
Learning (pictures)
The
Vedic Gods
During the Vedic period (1000 B.C.), when
great sages and scholars engaged in development of philosophy and
metaphysics, it gave way to a refined concepts of divinity, with
heavens, truth, sacrifice, and sanctity of birth.
Some of the deities listed in the Vedas (Hindu texts
believed to be of divine origin):
- Indra -- the administrator in chief of Heaven (pictures)
- Surya the Sun God (pictures)
- Agni the Fire (pictures)
- Vayu the Wind (pictures)
- Varuna, the God of Rains (pictures)
- Yama, the God of Death (pictures)
- Kubera, the God of Material Wealth (pictures)
- Soma the Moon (pictures)
Sons
and Relatives
Many great leaders (like Shivaji, Tilak),
in order to preserve the ancient culture and tradition,
popularized deities. The inherently plural nature of Hinduism
could easily accommodate the new forms of Gods and Indians took to
their worship in great numbers.
- Ganesh (son of Shiva and Parvati) (topics,
pictures) - Kartikeya (a.k.a. Subramaynan,Shanmuga) -- son of Shiva and Parvati (pictures)
- Krishna (son of Vasudeva, brother of Balarama) (pictures)
- Balarama (pictures)
- Ramachandra and Sitadevi (topics,
pictures) - Hanuman (son of Vayu) (pictures)
- Vasudeva (pictures)
Vishnu's
Incarnations
In medieval India, many saints fought against the
evils of casteism and gave rise to immensely popular cults of
Vaishnavism, or worship of Vishnu (see: The
Bhakti Movement). The following are the various
forms or avatars of Lord Vishnu is said to have taken to
rescue his followers.
- Matsyavatara (Vishnu as a fish)
- Kurmavatara (Vushnu as a tortoise)
- Varahavatar (Vishnu as a boar)
- Narasimhavatara (the lion-man)
- Vamanavatara (the dwarf)
- Parasurama (Rama with an axe)
- Rama (the prince of Ayodhya)
- Krishna (black tribal)
- Buddha (the completely enlightened one)
- Kalki ( the incarnation to come)
See Also:
- Who is God ? --
definitions and concept of God in Hinduism compiled from various
sources - Hinduism Potpourri --
miscellaneous topics on the ancient religion including arts and
philosophy - Why do Hindus worship idols?
- Sages, Sadhus, and Swamis -- A classification of the holy men of India. Also a fascinating potpourri of pictures
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Religions of IndiaHinduDeities
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