The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Going Back to az
20:59 Nov 15 2007
Times Read: 742

so much has happened since Iwrote a personal entry here..

I moved to fl in feb of 2007 that was a mistake I got back together with my ex and he was a major jerk..tried to kill me.. I dont know where things went wrong actually perhaps it fell apart years ago..we used to have so much in common but not anymore he has conformed to society where iam my self and live up to my ideals..

well there has been somthing interesting lately.. the person I left in az..

well I still love him and he I we are gonna try to work things out and im moving back in feb.. right now im in wi stating with ym sis cause she is ill..



well thats is for now more to follow later..

The History of Witchcraft
20:54 Nov 15 2007
Times Read: 744

Posted WITH Permission For Use By The WAM Group ONLY

http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/Witchcraft _And_Magic/

From The Website Of

http://www.paganlib rary.com/ index1.php



History of Witchcraft

Anon



As I am trying to put this all together, I hope to bring about an

understanding that Witchcraft, like any religion, has undergone it's

changes throughout the centuries. It is my personal feeling, however,

that the religion of Witchcraft has undergone far fewer changes than

any other in history.



As the song sung by Neil Diamond starts:



"Where it began, I can't begin to knowin..."



Witchcraft, sorcery, magic, whatever can only begin to find its roots

when we go back as far as Mesopotamia. With their deities for all

types of disasters, such as Utug - the Dweller of the Desert waiting

to take you away if you wandered to far, and Telal - the Bull Demon,

Alal - the destroyer, Namtar - Pestilence, Idpa - fever, and Maskim -

the snaresetter; the days of superstition were well underway.



It was believed that the pharaohs, kings, etc. all imbued some power

of the gods, and even the slightest movement they made would cause an

action to occur. It was believed that a picture, or statue also

carried the spirit of the person. This is one of the reasons that

they were carried from place to place, and also explains why you see

so many pictures and statues of these persons with their hands

straight to their sides.



In the Bible, we find reference to "The Tower of Babel" or The

Ziggurat in Genesis 11. "Now the whole world had one language and a

common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar

(Babylonia) and settled there. They said to each other, `Come, let's

make bricks and bake them thoroughly.' They used brick instead of

stone, and tar instead of mortar. Then they said, `Come, let us build

ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that

we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face

of the whole earth.' But the Lord came down to see the city and the

tower that the men were building. The Lord said, `If as one people

speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing

they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come let us go down and

confuse their language so they will not understand each other.'" It

goes on to say that the tower was never finished.



In other references, we find that the "Tower" was in fact finished,

and that it was a tower that represented the "stages" between earth

and heaven (not a tower stretching to the heaven in the literal

sense.) From this reference, it was a tower built in steps. A

hierarchy on which heaven and hell were based. It was actually a

miniature world representing the Mountain of Earth.



Each stage was dedicated to a planet, with its angles symbolizing the

four corners of the world. They pointed to Akkad, Saburtu, Elam, and

the western lands. The seven steps of the tower were painted in

different colors which corresponded to the planets. The "Great

Misfortune:, Saturn, was black. The second was white, the color of

Jupiter. The third, brick-red, the color of Mercury, followed by

blue, Venus; yellow, Mars, gray or silver for the moon. These colors

boded good or evil, like their planets.



For the first time, numbers expressed the world order. A legend

depicts Pythagoras traveling to Babylon where he is taught the

mystery of numbers, their magical significance and power. The seven

steps often appear in magical philosophy. The seven steps are:

stones, fire, plants, animals, man, the starry heavens, and the

angels. Starting with the study of stones, the man of wisdom will

attain higher and higher degrees of knowledge, until he will be able

to apprehend the sublime, and the eternal. Through ascending these

steps, a man would attain the knowledge of God, whose name is at the

eighth degree, the threshold of God's heavenly dwelling.



The square was also a "mystical" symbol in these times, and though

divided into seven, was still respected. This correlated the old

tradition of a fourfold world being reconciled with the seven heavens

of later times.



It is thought that here was the start to numerology, but for this to

have developed to the point where they had taken into consideration

the square as the fourfold world, it would have had to have developed

prior to this.



From Mesopotamia lets move over to Persia.



Unlike the Mesopotamians, and Egyptians, who believed that all was

done with either the favor or lack thereof of the Gods, the Chaldean

star religion taught that luck and disaster were no chance events,

but were controlled from the heavenly bodies (planets/stars) which

send good and bad according to mathematical laws. It was their belief

that man was incapable of fighting the will of the planet divinities.

Though, the more this system evolved, the more the wise men read

ethical values into man's fate. The will of the stars was not

completely separate from man's behaviors. The stars were important,

but not omnipotent in deciding man's fate. It was believed that the

star Sirius would carry messages to the higher gods and he returned

to announce their will.



Around the 7th Century BC Zoroaster, the Median prophet was preaching

the doctrines that evil could be avoided and defeated. He brought

about the principles of the good and evil spirits. Below, we will

look at the beliefs and influences of this man's life which created

the religion named after him.



The first of the belief structure had to do with Ormazd (Ahura-Mazda)

king of light, and his twin brother Ahriman (Anro-Mainyu) prince of

darkness.



Zoroaster brought about the belief in the "holy war" (that between

good and evil.) In this faith, the archangels (the spirits of Divine

Wisdom, Righteousness, Dominion, Devotion, Totality, and Salvation)

and the demons (the spirits of Anarchy, Apostasy, Presumption,

Destruction, Decay, and Fury) were constantly at battle with one

another. The archangels were controlled by Ormazd and the demons by

Ahriman.



This religion had it's belief that in the end, Ormazd and his demons

would prevail, but until then, Ormazd would keep the world safe.



It is interesting that the last of the demons (the demon of Fury)

holds such a hard and fast thought that it was incorporated into the

Hebrew and Christian belief structure. The last arch-demon's name is

Aeshma Daeva also know to the Hebrews as Ashmadai and to Christians

as Asmodeus.



Asmodeus was the "chief of the fourth hierarchy of evil demons",

called "the avengers of wickedness, crimes and misdeeds." He appears

with three heads, a bull's, human, and a ram. He has goose feet, and

a snake's tail. To appear more frightening, he also exhales fire and

rides upon a dragon of hell.



It is said that Asmodeus is not to be feared. When you say to

him: "In truth thou art Asmodeus," he will give you a wonderful ring.

He will teach you geometry, arithmetic, astronomy and mechanics. When

questioned, he answers truthfully.



The other demons tempt people away from the true worship of Mazda.

They are Paromaiti - Arrogance, Mitox - The Falsely Spoken Word,

Zaurvan - Decrepitude, Akatasa - Meddlesomeness, Vereno - Lust.



Much of the current day Christian beliefs were taken from this man's

religion. (That of good and evil forces, the redemption, the "savior"

factor, etc.)



From here, let us move on to Egypt where we will look at other

mystical symbols and more history of magic and the craft.



The Sphinx was a mythological creature with lion's body and human

head, an important image in Egyptian and Greek art and legend. The

word sphinx was derived by Greek grammarians from the verb sphingein

(to bind or squeeze), but the etymology is not related to the legend

and is dubious.



The winged sphinx of Boeotian Thebes, the most famous in legend, was

said to have terrorized the people by demanding the answer to a

riddle. If the person answered incorrectly, he or she was eaten by

the sphinx. It is said that Oedipus answered properly where upon the

sphinx killed herself.



The earliest and most famous example in art is the colossal Sphinx at

Giza, Egypt. It dates from the reign of King Khafre (4th king of 4th

dynasty; c. 2550 BC.)



The Sphinx did not occur in Mesopotamia until around 1500 BC. when it

was imported from the Levant. In appearance, the Asian sphinx

differed from its Egyptian model mostly in the addition of wings to

the leonine body. This feature continued through its history in Asia

and the Greek world.



Another version of the sphinx was that of the female. This appeared

in the 15th century BC. on seals, ivories and metalworkings. They

were portrayed in the sitting position usually with one paw raised.

Frequently, they were seen with a lion, griffin or another sphinx.



The appearance of the sphinx on temples and the like eventually lead

to a possible interpretation of the sphinx as a protective symbol as

well as a philosophical one.



The Sphinx rests at the foot of the 3 pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and

Menkure. It talons stretch over the city of the dead as it guards its

secrets.



The myth goes that a prince who later became Thutmose IV, took a nap

in the shadow of the half-submerged Sphinx. As he slept, the Sun-god

(whom the Sphinx represents, appeared to him in a dream. Speaking to

him as a son, he told the prince that he would succeed to the throne

and enjoy a long and happy reign. He urged the prince to have the

Sphinx cleared of the sand.



In his book on Isis and Osiris, Plutarch (AD 45-126) says that the

Sphinx symbolizes the secret of occult wisdom, though Plutarch never

unveiled the mysteries of the Sphinx. It is said that the magic of

the Sphinx lies within the thousands of hands that chiseled at the

rock. The thoughts of countless generations dwell in it; numberless

conjurations and rites have built up in it a mighty protective

spirit, a soul that still inhabits this time-scarred giant.



Another well know superstition of the peoples of Ancient Egypt was

that regarding their dead.



They believed that in the West lies the World of the Dead, where the

Sun-god disappears every evening. The departed were referred to

as "Westerners. " It was believed that, disguised as birds, the dead

soar into the sky where in his heavenly barge Ra, the Sun- god,

awaits them and transforms them into stars to travel with him through

the vault of the heavens.



The cult of the dead reached it's height when it incorporated the

Osiris myth. Osiris was born to save mankind. At his nativity, a

voice was heard proclaiming that the Lord had come into the world

(sound familiar?). But his brother/father Seth shut him up in a chest

which he carried to the sea by the Tanaitic mouth of the Nile. Isis

brought him back to life. Seth then scattered his body all over the

place. It is said that Isis fastened the limbs together with the help

of the gods Nephtis, Thoth, and Horus, her son. Fanning the body with

her wings, and through her magic, Osiris rose again to reign as king

over the dead.



The Egyptian believed that a person had two souls. The soul known as

Ba is the one that progressed into the afterlife while the Ka remains

with the mummy. The Ka is believed to live a magical life within the

grave. Thus the Egyptians placed miniature belongings of the deceased

into the tomb. Such items as images, statuettes, imitation utensils,

and miniature houses take the place of the real thing. They believed

that the Ka would use these as the real item because the mortuary

priests possessed magic that would make them real for the dead.



The priests believed that the gods could be deceived, menaced and

forced into obedience. They had such trust in the power of magic, the

virtue of the spoken word, the irresistibility of magic gestures and

other ritual, that they hoped to bend even the good gods to their

will. They would bring retribution to the deities who failed to deal

leniently with the dead. They threatened to shoot lightning into the

are of Shu, god of the air, who would then no longer be able to

support the sky-goddess, and her star-sown body would collapse,

disrupting the order of all things.



When Ikhnaton overthrew the Egyptian gods and demons, making the cult

of the One God Aton, a state religion, he also suppressed mortuary

magic. Ikhnaton did not believe in life after death.



As Christianity became a part of this nation, there is much evidence

to show where the Christians of the time, and the pagans lived

peacefully together.



In theology, the differences between early Christians, Gnostics

(members - often Christian - of dualistic sects of the 2nd century

AD.), and pagan Hermeticists were slight. In the large Gnostic

library discovered at Naj'Hammadi, in upper Egypt, in 1945, Hermetic

writings were found side by side with Christian Gnostic texts. The

doctrine of the soul taught in Gnostic communities was almost

identical to that taught in the mysteries: the soul emanated from the

Father, fell into the body, and had to return to its former home.



It was not until later in Rome that things took a change for the

worse. Which moves us on to Greece.



The doctrinal similarity is exemplified in the case of the pagan

writer and philosopher Synesius. When the people of Cyrene wanted the

most able man of the city to be their bishop, they chose Synesius, a

pagan. He was able to accept the election without sacrificing his

intellectual honesty. In his pagan period, he wrote hymns that follow

the fire theology of the Chaldean Oracles. Later he wrote hymns to

Christ. The doctrine is almost identical.



To attempt to demonstrate this...let's go to some BASIC tenets and

beliefs of the two religions:



Christian Beliefs - The 10 Commandments



1.) You shall have no other gods before me.



To the Christian, this means there will be no other God. Yet, in the

bible, the phrase is plural. I does not state that you will not have

another god, it says that you will have no other gods before the

Christian God.



In the case of the later, it could be interpreted to mean that

whereas other gods can be recognized, as a Christian, this person

should place YHVH ahead of all gods recognizing him/her as the

supreme being of all.



2.) You shall not worship idols



Actually, what it says in the New International Version is "You shall

not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above

or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow

down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous

God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third

and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to

thousands who love me and keep my commandments.



3.) You shall not take the name of the lord in vain.



This one is pretty self explanatory. When a person is calling on the

lord he/she is asking the lord for guidance or action. Thus, the

phrase "God damn it!" can be translated into a person asking the lord

to condemn whatever "it" is to hell. The phrase "To damn" means to

condemn to hell. In modern society, several phrases such as the

following are common usage: "Oh God!", "God forbid!", "God damn

it!", "God have mercy!" Each of these is asking God to perform some

act upon or for the speaker with the exception of "Oh God!" which is

asking for Gods attention.



4.) Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.



Depending on which religion you are looking at (i.e. Jewish, from

which the 10 commandments come; or Christianity, which adapted them

for their use as well.) the Sabbath is either Saturday or Sunday. You

may also take a look at the various mythological pantheons to

correlate which is the first and last days of the week...(i.e. Sun -

Sunday.. Genesis 1:3 "And God said, "Let there be light,' and there

was light., Moon - Monday.. Genesis 1:14 "And God said, "Let there be

lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night,

and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15

and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the

earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights - the greater

light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He

also made the stars." Thus the Sun was created first. With the day of

the Sun being the first in the week, then Saturday would be the 7th

or Sabbath.



5.) Honor thy mother and thy father.



This is another that is fairly self explanatory. It is any parent's

right after spending the time to raise you to expect that you respect

them.



6.) You shall not murder.



This does not say "You shall not murder...except in my name." It says

YOU SHALL NOT MURDER. PERIOD. Out of the 10 commandments, I have

found that over the course of history, this one has been the most

ignored. As we look as the spread of Christianity from around 300 AD

forward, we find that as politics moved into the church and those in

charge of man's "souls" were given more control that this one

commandment sort of went out the window.



We see such things as the Crusades, the inquisition, and the

dominating fear that was placed into the Christian "psyche" that one

should destroy that which is not like you.



Even though we here stories about the "witch trials", and the "witch

burnings" etc...There were actually very few "Witches" tried or

burned. Most of these poor souls were that of Protestant beliefs

(Against the Catholic Church) yet still maintained that they were

Christians. But...more on this later.



7.) You shall not commit adultery.



You can look up the meaning in the dictionary, and this one becomes

pretty self-evident. What it comes down to is that no person who has

ever been divorced can marry again, and you don't have sex with

someone that you are not married to.



8.) You shall not steal.



Again, enough said. However...don' t go looking at Constantine to be

obeying this one! The Pagan temples were looted to make his coinage.



9.) You shall not give false witness against thy neighbor



Again, during the times of the inquisition, this also went out the

window. Such tools as torture were used to pull confessions from

these poor people who then signed statements that the inquisitors had

written up saying that they freely signed this document. Of

course...the inquisitors stated that this person was not tortured,

but it was his clever wit that had extracted this confession.



It was also during this time that persons, refusing to take

responsibility for their own actions or accept that nature does in

fact create strange circumstances. ..(i.e. drought, flood, etc.) and

the resulting illness and bug infestations. Very often, as the Witch-

craze developed stronger, the one neighbor would accuse another of

Witchcraft and destroying the fields or making their child sick, or

whatever.



10.)You shall not covet your neighbor.



On the surface, this one is pretty self explanatory. Don't crave your

neighbor's possessions. Yes...I can relate this back to the

inquisitional times as well since most of the accused's property

reverted back to the Catholic church at this time...there were

several accused and convicted of Witchcraft simply because they would

not sell their property to the church. However...How does this effect

persons today? How far do we carry the "Thou shalt not covet..."?

This can be even so much as a want, however is it a sin to want a toy

like your neighbor has? If so...we're all in trouble. How many of

us "want" that Porsche that we see driving down the road? Or how

about that beautiful house that we just drove past? Do we carry this

commandment to this extreme? If so...I pity the person that can live

by it for what that would say is "Thou shalt not DREAM."



Wiccan Beliefs

Since the religion of Wicca (or Witchcraft) is so diverse in it's

beliefs, I have included several documents here that encompass the

majority of the traditions involved. Again, this is simply a

basis...NOT the be all and end all.



Wiccan Rede



Bide ye Wiccan laws you must,

in perfect love and perfect trust

Live ye must and let to live,

fairly take and fairly give

For the circle thrice about

to keep unwelcome spirits out

To bind ye spell well every time,

let the spell be spake in rhyme

Soft of eye and light of touch,

speak ye little, listen much

Deosil go by the waxing moon,

chanting out ye baleful tune

When ye Lady's moon is new,

kiss ye hand to her times two

When ye moon rides at her peak,

then ye heart's desire seek

Heed the north winds mighty gale,

lock the door and trim the sail

When the wind comes from the south,

love will kiss thee on the mouth

When the wind blows from the east,

expect the new and set the feast.

Nine woods in the cauldron go,

burn them fast and burn them slow

Elder be ye Lady's tree,

burn it not or cursed ye'll be

When the wheel begins to turn,

soon ye Beltane fires will burn

When the wheel hath turned a Yule

light the log the Horned One rules

Heed ye flower, bush and tree,

by the Lady blessed be

Where the rippling waters go,

cast a stone, the truth ye'll know

When ye have and hold a need,

harken not to others greed

With a fool no season spend,

or be counted as his friend

Merry meet and merry part,

bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

Mind ye threefold law ye should

three times bad and three times good

When misfortune is enow,

wear the star upon thy brow

True in love my ye ever be,

lest thy love be false to thee

These eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill;

An harm ye none, do what ye will.



One of the Pagan Oaths recognized nationally here in the U.S.



A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality



I am a Pagan and I dedicate Myself to channeling the Spiritual Energy

of my Inner Self to help and to heal myself and others.

I know that I am a part of the Whole of Nature. May I grow in

understanding of the Unity of all Nature. May I always walk in

Balance.

May I always be mindful of the diversity of Nature as well as its

Unity and may I always be tolerant of those whose race, appearance,

sex, sexual preference, culture, and other ways differ from my own.

May I use the Force (psychic power) wisely and never use it for

aggression nor for malevolent purposes. May I never direct it to

curtail the free will of another.

May I always be mindful that I create my own reality and that I have

the power within me to create positivity in my life.

May I always act in honorable ways: being honest with myself and

others, keeping my word whenever I have given it, fulfilling all

responsibilities and commitments I have taken on to the best of my

ability.

May I always remember that whatever is sent out always returns

magnified to the sender. May the Forces of Karma move swiftly to

remind me of these spiritual commitments when I have begin to falter

from them, and may I use this Karmic feedback to help myself grow and

be more attuned to my Inner Pagan Spirit.

May I always remain strong and committed to my Spiritual ideals in

the face of adversity and negativity. May the Force of my Inner

Spirit ground out all malevolence directed my way and transform it

into positivity. May my Inner Light shine so strongly that malevolent

forces can not even approach my sphere of existence.

May I always grow in Inner Wisdom & Understanding. May I see every

problem that I face as an opportunity to develop myself spiritually

in solving it.

May I always act out of Love to all other beings on this Planet - to

other humans, to plants, to animals, to minerals, to elementals, to

spirits, and to other entities.

May I always be mindful that the Goddess and God in all their forms

dwell within me and that this divinity is reflected through my own

Inner Self, my Pagan Spirit.

May I always channel Love and Light from my being. May my Inner

Spirit, rather than my ego self, guide all my thoughts, feelings, and

actions.

So mote it be



In the Wiccan Rede above, and scattered in the oath, we find words

such as Perfect Love and Perfect Trust. What are these strange words

and what do they mean?



Before one can analyze the meaning behind the phrase "Perfect Love

and Perfect Trust", one must first define the words. For this

purpose, I will use the Webster's New World Dictionary of the

American Language 1982 edition. Perfect: adj. [L. per-, through +

facere, do] 1. complete in all respects; flawless 2. excellent, as in

skill or quality 3. completely accurate 4. sheer; utter [a perfect

fool] 5. Gram. expressing a state or action completed at the time of

speaking - vt. 1. to complete 2. to make perfect or nearly perfect -

n. 1. the perfect tense 2. a verb form in this tense - perfectly adv -

perfectness n.



Love: n. [

Ra
20:40 Nov 15 2007
Times Read: 745

Re



Re (or Ra or Phra), the personification of the sun, was the ancient

Egyptian sun god. His name meant the sun, and he represented its

strength. Earlier he was identified with Atum, the creator-god of

Heliopolis that was his major cult center. Sometimes Atum, however,

was considered to have created Re, and more often Re was thought to

have emerged from Nun by the power of his own will. Two theories

concern his ascent from the primeval waters: he rose from the

primeval waters enclosed around like petals of the lotus blossom that

enfolded about him when he returned at night; or that he rose in the

shape of the phoenix, the Bennu Bird, and alighted on top of an

obelisk, the Benden stone, which symbolized a ray of the sun. The

Benden stone was the most sacred object with Re's temple at

Heliopolis because its glittering surface caught and reflected the

morning sun. The temple appeared as a primordial hill, with the House

of Benden as its center.



The evolution or genealogy of Re has became complex through myth. Re

is said to have a consort of Rat, or Iusas, or Urt-Hikeu ("Great in

Magic"), or even Hathor; but more often like Atum, he was said to

have produce alone, either by being bisexual, or by masturbation, or

through spittle, the first divine couple, Shu and Tefnut, who in turn

produced Geb and Nut whose children were Osiris, Isis, Seth (Set),

and Nephthys. Alternately, according to legend, Re was the son of Geb

and Nut in the form of a cow, who was born a calf each morning, grew

to a bull by midday, and returned to fertilize his mother as Kamephis

("Bull of his mother"), and died each night, to be reborn as his own

son the net morning. Futher beliefs were that Re hatched from an egg

formed of clay by Ptah or laid by Geb in the form of a goose.

Sometimes Hathor was said to be the child of Re as were Osiris, Set,

Horus, and Mayer.



Re was said to be the "father of the gods," for he was their head and

king, as well as the father of humanity, and all living creatures

that were believed to grow from his sweat or tears. The tears were

produced from the Eye of Re, which was separable from him with a mind

of its own. Once when it did not return, Re sent Shu and Tefnut to

get it, the Eye stubbornly resisted, and in the struggle shed tears;

from the tears men grew, perhaps this myth emerged because the

Egyptian words for "tears" and "men" share a similar sound.



There were variants of the story concerning the Eye of Re. One legend

was that the Eye was sent by Atum to search for Shu and Tefnut who

were lost in the waters of Nun; being placed on Atum's forehead

rewarded the Eye. Another story is that The Eye one wondered on its

own accord, and Re sent Thoth, the moon, to fetch it back; upon

returning the Eye discovered that it had been replaced by another

Eye, perhaps the moon. Thoth, however, mollified the original Eye,

and Re pacified it by placing it, in the shape of the uraeus serpent,

on his brow "where it could rule the whole world." The Eye, or

uraeus, would become the effective ruler of the world, and as such

would be worn by pharaohs as a symbol of their majesty and their

descent from the sun god.



Re governed by himself at first in what called the "First Time" or

golden age. It was an age in Egypt when gods and men peacefully

coexisted. The youthful Re maintained a firm rule, and the power of

the divine, Mayer, went uncontested. He discussed with Shu the

progress of earth each morning. However, occasionally the people felt

Re's close inspection was oppressive and rebelled. But normally they

were powerless, such as with the summer heat, against the mighty

king. There was the time when Apep, the serpent, conspired with Re's

enemies to kill him at sunrise, but they were defeated in an all day

battle. Then another time, Re transformed himself into a cat to

behead Apep.



As Re aged his power began slipping away; he became an old man,

incontinent, and dribbled from his trembling mouth. At times even

other deities argued with him and took advantage of him. Men began

detecting Re's incapacitations and sought to plot against him while

saying, "His Majesty is grown old. His bones are silver, his flesh is

gold, and his hair a real lapis lazuli." Re knew all of this, which

disturbed him, so He, therefore, called a secret council of the gods

that included the eye of Re, which took the shape of his daughter

Hathor or Sekhmet, a lioness. Upon the advice of the gods Re decided

to spread destruction among men; and the Eye was chosen for the task.

The goddess only performed part of her task and returned to her

father to find that he had relented, for he only wanted to restore

order to his divine creation. But the goddess had turned bloodthirsty

and Re was not able appease her for she desired to finish her task.

So in order to save the rest of humanity Re had the land covered with

a fermented red liquid that he hoped the goddess would mistake for

blood. His plan was successful; the goddess drank so much of the

liquid that she could not see clearly to destroy those even within

her reach, and part of humankind was saved.



However, Re was still unhappy with humanity and decided to leave the

boundaries of earth Nut assumed the figure of a beautiful cow. To

achieve his wish the god Nun urged him to seat himself on the cow

Nut. When in the morning, as men were still continuing their

quarrelsome ways, the cow ascended with the god on her back and was

transformed into the sky. Re was delighted when being raised so high;

but the cow became fearful and trembled in every limb. So Re ordered

other gods to support her legs and belly and they became stars. It is

believed this was how the present world evolved; the heaven and

earth, gods and men were separated.



Afterwards, Re, the sun god, abdicated his position to Thoth, the

moon god; and this was how the Egyptians explained the daily

disappearance of the sun, and the nightly appearance of the moon. Re

provided mankind with protective spells, through Thoth, to keep them

from harm on earth, and his heavenly kingdom became an afterworld

where they could hope for eternal happiness. A.G.H.



Sources:



Cotterell, Arthur,

A Dictionary of World Mythology,

New York, G. P. Putman's Sons, 1980, pp. 34-41



Grimal, Pierre,

Larousse World Mythology,

Secaucus, New Jersey, Chartwell Books, 1965, pp. 30-33



Ions, Veronuca,

Egyptian Mythology,

Feltham, Middlesex,

Hamlyn Publishing Group, Ltd., 1968. p. 41-46







__._,_.___

Druidism
20:39 Nov 15 2007
Times Read: 746




Druidism



Druidism was the religion of the Celtic people that was administered

by priests and priestesses called Druids. Remnants of Druidism still

presently exist.



The Druids were a priestly caste existing among the Celtic people.

The Celts, as they were called, were a tribal people who spread

throughout Gaul, Britain, Ireland, and other parts of Europe, Asia

Minor, and the Balkans. This migration had occurred by the 5th.

century BC. By the first century AD the Roman had launched many

attacks against the Celts that greatly dwindled their population.

Christianity dealt them their final defeat.



There is little first hand knowledge or the Druids or of their

religion. The chief reason for this is that they taught their

acolytes secret Druidical knowledge by word of mouth. None of this

trusted knowledge was committed to writing; it was all learned

through mnemonics.



The most important knowledge that exists of the Druids comes from the

writings of Julius Caesar. Caesar was not only a warrior and

statesman but a priest as well; therefore he was keenly interested in

the Druidism and the Celtic people. Moreover, he was friendly with a

pro-Roman Druid, Diviciacus, who shared with him many Druid beliefs,

especially about their gods and life after death.



Caesar mentions some of these beliefs and the behavior of the people

in his "Gallic Wars." The Gauls, he observed, treated their ordinary

people almost like slaves. There were two notable classes among them,

the Druids and the knights.



The Druids were concerned with the divine worship; they officiated

over both public and private sacrifices, interpreted ritual

questions, settled disputes and issued punishments to those refusing

to obey their rulings.



Caesar asserted several times "that Druid power originated in Britain

and that Britain remained the center of Druidism." This judgment of

the Druids was profound and also served to unite the Celtic people.

Druidic decisions were critical and were to be completely adhered to.

Caesar noted those not obeying the decisions were banished from the

tribe and even a wider community. In Gaul there were always boundary

disputes that required Druidic intervention. The suggestion that the

Druids settled boundary disputes indicates the importance of Druidic

rule among the Celtic tribes.



More evidence that the Druids and the religion of Druidism held the

Celts together were the tribal assemblies which occurred on days that

were vital in the agricultural year. The original Druidic festive

days were 'Beltain,' May 1, the beginning of summer, or the light

half of the year; and 'Samhain,' November 1, the beginning of winter,

the dark half of the year (see Sabbats). The assemblies, especially

large and important ones, took place in "sanctified" places. It was

here that people from a large area or a whole island would gather.

For example, ancient Ireland was divided into five communities, each

separate and independent of each other, but all unified on days of

great feasts.



Both on the continent and in Ireland the Druids held themselves above

the kings unless they held both offices. They held themselves in very

high esteem, which was shared for them by the people. The Druids

called themselves "creators of the universe." In Ireland kings went

nowhere without Druids to advise them. Druids believed they were the

incarnations of the gods.



What were these "sanctified" or sacred places in which the Druids

assembled? First and most important they were sacred groves of trees,

especially oak trees. The name Druid means, "knowing the oak tree" in

Caelic. It was within these groves that most assemblies and religious

ceremonies occurred. The Druids also valued the trees for curative

benefits. The mistletoe, which was seen as a sign from the Celtic

Otherworld (their name of a place where after life was thought to

exist) was used as a cure against poisons, infertility, and even used

to cure animals. It can readily be seen that it was here in these

sacred groves that the Druids dispensed their judgment and

punishments. When the people were not nearby groves they assembled by

rivers, streams, and lakes. The Celts worshipped water gods and

believed water to be sacred.



Like trees and water the Druids held some islands to be sacred too.

One is the island of Mona, (also called Mon or Anglesey); the Romans

destroyed the sanctuary there in 60 AD. It is thought that both Irish

and British Druids periodically assembled in sacred strongholds. The

Isle of Man, sacred to the sea god, Manannan, appears to have been

viewed with similar solemnity. A stone discovered in the 19thcentury

bore a Celtic inscription, written in Ogam (a cryptic writing used

mainly for commemorative inscriptions on wood and stone), which

translates: "The Stone of Dovadona, son of the Druid." This indicates

Druids inhabited Man as late as the fifth and sixth century AD, and

other discoveries and legends also indicate this. There is the

discovery of the three sons of the fifth-century Irish King Erc

buried on Iona. This preceded the coming of Saint Columba. It seems

that one of Columba's brethren was sacrificed to build a monastery

there. This indicates pagan beliefs and ceremonies still existed long

after the coming of Christianity.



According to Welsh legend such human sacrifices were recommended and

performed. During the building of Vortigen's castle the construction

was delayed because as soon as a stone was laid it disappeared. The

Druids ordered a child, born without a father, be sacrificed and its

blood sprinkled on the site to cleanse it.



There are several descriptions of Druidic human sacrifices. They were

performed within a religious and spiritual sense. Many were performed

publicly among the Celtic people especially at the celebration of

Beltain. There were also private human sacrifices. If a leader of

warriors was defeated in battle, in disgrace, he would often turn his

sword upon himself. The reverse was also true, a petition to the

gods, was sometimes accompanied by self-sacrifice.



Behind Druidical performance of human sacrifice laid the Druidic

belief in an after life. Again Caesar emphatically states

it, "Doctrinally. ..the most important Druid belief was that after

death the soul passes from one to another -- hence the Celts' bravery

in battle." This belief in reincarnation was not just in the

transmigration of the soul from one human form to another, but to

other life forms as well. This is evident in the Irish epic 'Tain Bo

Cuailnge,' "The Cattle Raid of Cooley." In it two magical bulls

possessing human reasoning, initially originating as two swineherds

of the Lord of the Otherworld, pass through a long series of

metamorphoses -- they become ravens, stages, warriors, water

monsters, demons and aquatic worms. The evidence from archaeology,

the classic writings, and vernacular tradition to the present

reinforces Caesar's assertion. In tombs have been found remains of

lavish amounts of food, hearty mead, equipment that would seem to

indicate the belief the soul would need these things in the

Otherworld.



In the poet Lucan's "Pharsalia," a verse epic about the Roman civil

war, he addresses the Druids with, "If we understand you right, death

is only a pause in a long life." The writer Posidonius states that

Celtic men were willing to have their throats cut so they could

follow their prince into death, and then into a new life.



A similar interpretation might be drawn from the sacrifice scene on

the Gundestrup Cauldron. One column of warriors are marching to the

sacrifice while another, reborn, are marching away from it. An

explanation for this might be the Celts compared men to sacrificial

vassals in which human life was offered up in exchange for another

existence.



It is known that the wheel was a Celtic symbol of rebirth. The wheel

appears on sword-sheaths and other pieces of art.



That the Celts did not fear death was not because they had a low

regard for life or a feeling of recklessness in battle, but it arose

from generations of Druid teachings. Druids taught such teachings for

countless generations, having been recited at gravesites. Many

seasonal assemblies were held at burial sites, including the

enigmatic passage graves (dolmens of the megaliths) that stud

Ireland. From these beliefs came the interweaving of the spiritual

and mundane worlds until the two could hardly be separated. Such an

attitude or viewpoint is a blending of ancient Celtic and proto-

Celtic ideals that formed the essential and archaic nature of

Druidism.



The Druids were said to be the keepers of traditional wisdom that was

concerned with moral philosophy, natural phenomena and theology. They

were skilled in the reading of omens, the interpretation of dreams,

the conducting of sacrifices, the construction of a calendar, herbal

medicine, astronomy and the composition of poetry. Some say they also

practiced sexual magic.



One way the Druids read omens was by killing a victim. "The

inhabitants employ a very surprising and incredible custom when they

want to know matters of great importance. They consecrate a human

being to death, drive a dagger into his belly, above the abdomen, and

draw conclusions about events to come from the squirming of the

victim and the squirting of his blood. They have been practicing this

since time immemorial."



The composing of poems was the chief duty of the bard, who was also

considered a priest in Druidism. In most, if not all, battles bards

went along, not to fight but to record the battle that they later

composed into verse to be sung and read to the people of their tribe

or clan. Bards were free to move about in battle without being in

danger because it was a strict rule of Druidic law that no bard

should be killed. Bards, like other priests and priestesses, were

considered gifted for their offices. Some were also seers.



Ammianus, a Roman historian (c. 330-395 B.C), said Druids "are

uplifted by searching into things most secret and sublime."



Much attention has been drawn to the Druid human sacrificial

ceremonies that usually conducted on the festive days. "Pliny

recorded that the slaying of a human being was considered a highly

religious acts among the Britons, and the eating of the flesh

regarded as a 'wholesome remedy.'" Also "the Roman historian Diodorus

Siculus states the Irish ate their enemies, and the Greek historian

and traveler Pausaniaus tells how the Gallatin Celts ate the flesh

and drank the blood of children." The Irish Celts also are said to

have washed their faces in the blood of the slain, and imbibed in it.

They drank the blood of dead relatives, a custom that existed until

the 16th century. In the Western Isles the blood brotherhood survived

until recent times. All of these cultural traditions seem to indicate

a Druidic influence.



Why was such influence so strong and prevalent, it might be asked?

Caesar gave two reasons: Druids were omitted from military service

and did not have to pay taxes. These appear to be mundane reasons

when Caesar also noted some Druids studied as long as twenty years.

The Druids, as it had been noted, seemed to possess gifts for

learning and art. Their concern for moral philosophy made them

skillful judges in rendering rewards and punishments. Their priestly

duties also enhanced their judgments, as they knew how to conduct the

proper ceremonies to the gods. There were also female Druids because

women were important in the Celtic culture.



There were many gods and goddesses Celtic pantheon. The Celtic belief

in the gods was known by their personal names that rendered three

kinds of information about an individual. This information was the

person's "own" name, his identity; his "collective" name (the

classics stated that the Celts knew themselves by the name of Keltoi,

or Celtae); and his "ancestral" name -- which would, in the early

period of these people, indicate which pagan god from which he was

descended.



Caesar said that the Gauls "all assert their descent from Dis Pater

and that it is the Druidic belief."



Three other major gods were Teutates, "god of the people," he

possessed qualities of both the Roman gods Mars and Mercury in that

he was not just a god of war, but of healing, fertility and

protection, guarding the people against disease and hostility. Though

he was guardian of the people he required his victims to be drown in

sacred wells or pools, which figured strongly among the Celts. In

such receptacles were often offered expensive weapons and ornaments

to the gods.



Esus was not a very popular god, and little wonder, since he required

his victims to be hung or stabbed. There are few inscriptions to him;

although, he was called lord and master.



Taranis, known as "Thunder," is equal to Jupiter. He was symbolized

by the wheel which was either of lightning or a solar symbol, and,

less frequently the spiral representing a lightning flash. He

required prisoners of war to be burned in wicker cages.



These three gods lead the Celtic large and complex pantheon and

played important roles in sacrificial worship ceremonies. Each, it

was believed, had given explicit instructions, known to Druid

priests, as to how their victims were to be sacrificed. The most

notable were the sacrifices offered to Taranis which was the

sacrificing of prisoners. Both the Greek biographer, Diodorus Sculus,

and geographer, Strabo, described the sacrifice. "'They set up a

colossus of wood and straw' -- it must have been something like a

gigantic basket-like plaited figure -- 'shut cattle, wild animals and

human beings in it, and set light to the whole thing.'" This ceremony

was usually held at the feast of Beltain and was referred to by

Caesar. Fires played an important role at Beltain and Samhain,

because of the threat of poor crops and a harsh winter. Diodorus

thought the human beings were slain first by a blow to the head. But

the writers agreed that the victims, however killed, were not

sacrificed so much as a cruelty, but for the sake of religiosity.

Others have written that before their deaths the victims were told

what to ask the gods for when reaching the Otherworld. This, again,

reinforces the Celtic belief in an after life. All agreed the Druids,

or "wise men" officiated at these rituals. The Roman Senate by degree

outlawed such human sacrifice in 97 BC. It was called a barbaric

practice.



Celtic warriors were known to be fierce fighters. Caesar laid this to

the fact of their Druidic belief in life after death. This not

fearing death made them braver. They were well trained and skilled in

warfare, and because of this they acquired the name of headhunters.

It was described that Celtic warriors were seen "...with whole

wreaths of victims' heads dangling from their bridles."



There is also literature hinting of homosexuality among the warriors.

One writer, Drodorus, says Celtic women were not only as tall as the

men, but as courageous as well. But despite of their charm the young

men paid little attention to them. "They longed instead for the

embrace of one of their own sex, lying on animal skins and tumbling

around with a lover on either side. It is particularly surprising

they attached no value to either dignity or decency, offering their

bodies to each other without further ado. This was not regarded as at

all harmful; on the contrary, if they were rejected in their

approaches, they felt insulted."



Such behavior was regarded to be the result of their training. Celtic

children were allowed to play what were called "sex games" so they

would be familiar with each other bodies when mating. As soon as

young men were old enough to bear arms they lived solely among men.

They trained exclusively with men; therefore, it was thought natural

they should form a likeness for each other. It was not hard in such a

situation to see how latent homo-eroticism could turn into true

homosexuality. Constant companionships developed such bonds as a

driver for his passenger, or a spear-carrier for the warrior.

Examples of this were "Achilles loved Patroclus as did Alaxander the

Great Hephaestion. Wherever there was no taboo, such relationships

understandably gave rise to a cult of the male body."



It is also stated that women that bore children were greatly

respected and won a high social status. In time of war they were

extremely courageous and fought beside of their men. By ancient

Druidic law a man was permitted to have two wives.



When thinking of Celtic women the name of Brighid must be mentioned.

There are many legends concerning her, so it is difficult to say

whether there was a real woman by such a name owning up to all the

things attributed to her, or she was just a Celtic goddess. According

to Celtic mythology the Irish Brighid is the equivalent to the

Gaulish goddess Minerva. Caesar included Minerva among the major

deities of Gaul. Both were patronesses of poetry, learning, healing,

and art or craftsmanship.



Later the Christian church made her Saint Brighid, but her pagan past

survived. Her feast day is February 1, which directly coincides to

Imbolc, the pagan festival for the celebration of spring.



The two goddesses may be thought of as one only by different names

according to other writings and legends. Brighid and nineteen nuns

guarded a perpetually burning sacred fire surrounded by a hedge

within which no male could enter. Minerva's sanctuary in Briton also

was susppose to have contained a perpetual burning fire.



There is doubt whether the pagan Brighid and Saint Brighid, or Saint

Brigit, were one and the same. Therefore, there is speculation that

the Celtic, Irish Brighid was once abbotess of a pagan sanctuary,

which later became Brighid's monastery near Kildare. It was at such

sanctuaries that men and women studied together. There were also

sanctuaries or schools for women who became Druid priestesses. This

has important historical significance because during the Dark Ages,

when the Church was busy hunting heretics, Ireland, being isolated by

itself, was left alone. During this time Ireland built great schools

and libraries at which students could study. Many of Europe's

nobility sent their sons and daughters to study in Ireland during

this period. Such institutions date back to Druidic times. The

schools for women eventually in Christian times became schools for

the sisterhoods or nuns.



Historically the Romans wanted to demolish the military and political

strength of the Druids and bring them under the control of the

Empire. This was pretty well accomplished by the beginning of the

second century AD. The Romans, though, were not too concerned about

Druidism itself during their earlier conflicts with the Celts because

Druidism and the Roman religion were both polytheistic therefore they

coexisted together. Even though the Druids lost much of their power

Druidism still lingered on. The ancient and emotional beliefs of a

culture were hard to destroy.



Such was seen when Christianity became the official religion of Rome.

Christianity was monotheistic, and most of the Emperors soon saw

themselves as godheads. There was to be no questioning of their rule

or religion, if there was, it amounted to treason. Soon on the

surface, especially in Briton and the Western Isles, the pagan

religion seemed to die and enter the Roman temples or churches. But

like other pagan religions Druidism did not completely die within its

practitioners, they just observed and hid their old and sacred

beliefs while observing Christianity as well.



It seems that the Celtic Druidism lingered on into the twentieth

century although there was evidence of it in the centuries before. An

informant of Dr. Anne Ross, a native of Perthshire, took her to the

sacred square where the rites, described by Minister James Robertson

of the same area, were performed. The informant remembered witnessing

the rituals as a young girl before the First World War. In her

description a bonfire was lit, the oatmeal pancake was made with much

care. There was the darkened area "...'resembling the mark of a huge

thumb' appeared." The cake was then sliced into pieces and placed in

a bag. Onlookers drew pieces out of the bag. The person drawing the

charred slice had to jump through the fires, and was then driven from

the area with shouts and jeers. "'He was a kind of scapegoat,' the

informant said, 'but in the old days, he or she would have been

sacrificed.' "



Dr. Ross was told a similar story in Derbyshire in 1977, when she

witnessed the lighting of the Beltain fires on May Eve under the

pretext of burning rubbish.



Traces of Druidism have been discovered throughout the centuries.

There has been much romanticizing about the Druids. In the 17th

century John Aubrey alleged the Druids constructed Stonehenge, a

theory that is thought to be inaccurate. However in the 18th century

William Stukeley endorsed Aubrey's views and became the first "Arch

Druid" and the founder of modern Druidism. Since then there have been

formations and splitting-ups of Druidic Orders.



The Druids may not have built Stonehenge but it has been significant

in their history. There is speculation that the Druids met near

Stonehenge. A half mile south of it is Normanton Down, Wiltshire, one

of the finest barrow cemeteries in Britain. It will be remembered the

Druids met at burial sites. Other aspects of Stonehenge suggest the

Druids may have used it to construct their Coligny or Bush Barrow

calendar; therefore, it is supposed they would not have used it as a

burial ground or met there.



The Bush Barrow calendar ties in with the Bush Barrow excavation of

1808. A man of considerable height and social status was discovered

under the mound eleven feet high. He was obviously a king or

chieftain. Sewn on the breast of his garment was a lozenge-shaped

breastplate, with an engraved surface. The inscriptions indicate his

possible burial was 1900 BC.



Before 1915 Stonehenge was privately owned and modern Druids met

there. With the over turning of a stone in 1900 fees began to be

charged. In 1915 the owner Cecil Chubb turned it over to the

government. For this the Druids ritually cursed him, but continued

meeting there until 1988, when spectators that their meetings

attracted stopped their meetings because of the vandalism.



The modern North American Druids have no connection with the ancient

or modern British Druids. The first group or grove, the Reformed

Druids of North America (RDNA), was formed in 1963, at Carleton

College, in Northfield, Minnesota, to protest the school's mandatory

student attendance of religious services. When the requirement was

dropped the "grove" continued not so much as a religious group but a

philosophical one. Rituals were based on discovered anthropological

materials including a non-bloody sacrifice. This group is no longer

an active organization but has independent groves scattered

throughout the country.



Several groves split off to form a separate branch, this being called

the New Reformed Druids of North America (NRDNA), which emphasized

neo-Pagan religion. One such grove was in Berkeley, California, led

by Archdruid P. E. I(ssac) Bonewits during the 1970s. In 1983 he

formed his own organization, AR NDRAfOCHT FEIN (Irish Caelic for "Our

Own Druidism"), which had about 400 members in 1988.



Some have said the spirit of ancient Druidism is dead. Others call

them headhunters in a derogatory sense. But, the importance of

ancient Druidism seems to be that it was the one thing yhat held the

Celtic people together, and these people and their ancestors

eventually civilized a major part of Europe, Ireland, Briton, and the

British Isles. For this they and their customs, though some were

crude, deserve respect and understanding.



Several of the details within this article were attained from

previously reading two novels by Morgan Llywelyn, "Bard,"

and "Druids." This writer is grateful and recommends these books and

others by this author to those interested in reading about the lives

of the Druids. A.G.H.



Sources:



Guiley, Rosemary Ellen.

The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft.

New York: Facts On File, 1989

[ISBN 0-8160-2268- 2]



Adler, Margot.

Drawing Down the Moon. [Rev. and expanded ed]

Boston: Beacon Press, 1986

[ISBN 0-8070-3253- 0]



Ross, Anne Don Robins.

The Death of a Druid Prince:

The Story of Lindow Man an Archaeological Sensation.

New York: Summit Books, 1989.



Hern, Gerhard.

The Celts: The People who Came out of the Darkness.

New York: St. Martin's Press, 1975.



Mac Cana, Proinsias.

Celtic Mythology.

New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1985.



Llywelyn, Morgan.

Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish.

Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1984.



Llywelyn, Morgan.

Druids.

New York: William Morrow and Co., 1991

Inca Devine Religions
20:38 Nov 15 2007
Times Read: 747






Inca Divine Origins



The origins of the Incas are no doubt a mixture of mythical and folk

legend. These legends appear to be accumulated in three versions. The

monarchs established and expanded the civilization on an organized

genius and technology which was comparable to the Roman. Their

imposed social hierarchy embraced the principle of divine kingship,

and the prestige of their authority was associated with the cult of

the Sun which they propagated. At the pinnacle of the hierarchy were

the rulers who were worshipped as Children of the Sun. The mythical

origins of this dynasty have been discovered in the rituals of the

cult of Huanacauri, such as the marriage of a reigning monarch to a

sister.



The first version of the creation of the Inca Empire embodies a cliff

having three small caves, or a building with three exits, from which

came four brothers and four sisters, founders of the first dynasty,

from the middle orifice. Their names vary according to the different

versions. The non-royal Inca clans emerged from the other orifices.

Gradually the appearance and dress of the brothers and sisters

differed according to the customs of the people they ruled.



The concept of human ancestors emerging from rocks and caves is a

common belief among the peoples of South America. Common in the

central Andean area are stories of cultural heroes and tribal

founders who were brothers often engaging in fratricidal strife. It

is uncertain whether some Inca legends were adapted from prior

folklore or fabricated by the Incas themselves.



In the second version the sun-god when seeing the first humans living

in primitive barbarity felt pity on them. He sent to earth on the

island in the Lake of Titicaca his two children Manco Capac and Mama

Ocllo, brother and sister, to teach the people how to live civilize.

They were to journey northwards over the Altiplano carrying with them

a long golden rod until they came to a place where the rod could be

buried entirely in the earth. They found this location when reaching

the Valley of Cuzco. Their first stop was at Huanacauri, and then

proceeded to Cuzco. There the golden rod was completely submerged

into the ground. They easily won over the natives teaching the art of

civilization and establishing the religion of the sun cult.



It is suspected that this version of the Inca Creation is possibly

linked to the flood story since prior to the flood people were

barbaric. After destroying this barbarian way of life, following the

flood the creator sun-god sent down culture heroes or founders who

taught the new race how to be civilized. This version of the creation

myth suppresses the memories of any important pre-Inca culture and

paints a picture of benevolent Inca founders bringing civilization

and culture to the people, which have currently became embodied in

the folklore and legends of the Inca people of the highland.



According to the third version, the establishment of the Inca divine

kingship originated through a cunning deception of an early Inca

king. This person dressed in a in a shinning cloak of gold or beads

and paraded himself before his ignorant subjects who were so

impressed that they began worshiping him as the offspring and

representative of the sun-god. Several chronicles mention this

incidence with varying names. A.G.H.



Sources:



Lake Titicaca.

.

Once in a blue moon
20:37 Nov 15 2007
Times Read: 748

Once in a Blue Moon - Fact & Fantasy about Blue Moons.



Full Moons — are they every really 'blue?'



"According to old folklore," some people say, the

second full Moon in a calendar month is called a

"blue Moon." They go on to explain that this is

the origin of the expression "once in a blue Moon."

But it isn't true! The term "blue Moon" has been

around a long time, well over 400 years, but its

calendrical meaning has become widespread only in

the last 20 years.



A Variety of Meanings



In fact, the very earliest uses of the term were

remarkably like saying the Moon is made of green

cheese. Both were obvious absurdities, about which

there could be no doubt. "He would argue the Moon

was blue" was taken by the average person of the

16th century as we take "He'd argue that black is

white."



The concept that a blue Moon was absurd (the first

meaning) led eventually to a second meaning, that

of "never." The statement "I'll marry you, m'lady,

when the Moon is blue!" would not have been taken

as a betrothal in the 18th century.



But there are also historical examples of the Moon

actually turning blue. That's the third meaning —

the Moon appearing blue in the sky.

When the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa exploded in

1883, its dust turned sunsets green and the Moon

blue all around the world for the best part of

two years. In 1927, the Indian monsoons were late

arriving and the extra-long dry season blew up

enough dust for a blue Moon. And Moons in

northeastern North America turned blue in 1951

when huge forest fires in western Canada threw

smoke particles up into the sky.



So, by the mid-19th century, it was clear that

visibly blue Moons, though rare, did happen from

time to time — whence the phrase "once in a blue

Moon." It meant then exactly what it means today,

a fairly infrequent event, not quite regular

enough to pinpoint. That's meaning number four,

and today it is still the main one.



But meaning is a slippery substance, and I know

of a half dozen songs that use "blue Moon" as a

symbol of sadness and loneliness. The poor

crooner's Moon often turns to gold when he gets

his love at the end of the song. That's meaning

number five: check your old Elvis Presley or

Bill Monroe records for more information.



And did I mention a slinky blue liquid in a

cocktail glass, one that requires curaçao, gin,

and perhaps a twist of lemon? That's number

six.



The Blue Moon and human behaviour



We're often asked whether the Blue Moon has any

special effect on human behaviour.



A Blue Moon, according to the current popular

definition, is simply the second Full Moon in a

calendar month.



This is no more than a chance coincidence between

the phases of the Moon, which are a natural

phenomenon, and the months of the calendar,

which is man-made.



Consequently, there's nothing special about the

second Full Moon in a calendar month: that's

something which is bound to happen once in a

while, because the average length of the lunar

month is slightly shorter than the length of most

calendar months.



If you're not convinced, consider the Islamic

calendar, which is defined by the phases of the

Moon. Each month begins with a sighting of the

new crescent Moon. Thus the Full Moon occurs,

by definition, in the middle of every month, so

it's impossible for any month of the Islamic

calendar to have two Full Moons.



As for the effect of the Moon on human behaviour,

that's a more subtle question. In the days before

electric lighting, the Moon provided the only

reliable source of illumination at night for our

ancestors. Except for the few nights around each

Full Moon, it would have been too dark to travel

about at night, so the activities of hunters

would have been linked to the phases of the Moon.



But in big cities, we hardly notice the phases

of the Moon, because the lights are on 24 hours

a day. Indeed, we have almost lost our

connection with the night sky altogether.



The Moon also causes tides, so it has an obvious

and direct effect on people who live by the coast

and who make their living from the sea.



Some creatures synchronise their breeding with

the cycles of the Moon. One example is sea turtles,

which come ashore to lay their eggs at a

particular phase of the Moon. They do this to

ensure that when the eggs hatch, the tides will

be highest at a specific time of night, and the

baby turtles won't have so far to crawl across

the beach to reach the safety of the water.



'Black' Moon



In astronomy, the term black moon is not well known

nor frequently used. As a consequence it has no

accepted definition, but seems to have occasionally

been applied to at least four different situations:



1) the absence of a new moon or dark moon in a

calendar month;



2) the absence of a full moon in a calendar month;



3) either the third or the fourth new moon or dark

moon in a season that has four of them (a season

normally has only three). This is in analogy to

the term blue moon which is the third full moon

in a season that has four;



4) the second occurrence of a dark moon or new moon

in a calendar month; this in analogy to another use

of the term blue moon which sometimes is applied to

the second full moon in a calendar month.



A black moon by the first meaning can only occur in

February, with the next taking place (according to

UTC) in 2014. In that year January and March will

each have a black moon according to the fourth

meaning.



A black moon by the second meaning can only occur

in February, with the next taking place in 2018.

In that year January and March will each have a

second full moon (sometimes called a blue moon).



The next black moon in the fourth meaning of the

term, which can occur in any month except February,

is set to occur on August 30, 2008 (19:58 UTC).

The last event occurred on December 31, 2005 (03:12

UTC).



Two New Moon's in one month



If the second Full Moon in one month has a

special name, what about the second New Moon?



Most people don't notice New Moons. It's easy to

see when the Moon is full, but the only way to

tell when a New Moon is happening is during

an eclipse.



To Wiccans, the second New Moon is called the

'Black' Moon, and any magic worked during that

period is deemed to be especially powerful.



Of course, the chances of two New Moons falling

within one calendar month are just the same as

two Full Moons, but because New Moons are

generally invisible, most people tend not to

notice the occasions when a month has two of

them.



That's not to say that New Moons aren't important

to non-astronomers. To the world's Muslims, the

date of New Moon is of great interest, since the

Islamic calendar is governed by the phases of the

Moon: the start of each month is marked by the

first sighting of the new crescent Moon