Really Retro Thoughts on Global Warming

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Robert Frost

A Dragon Swoops By In Laramie's Sky

Hooray, hurrah!! Hari-Hara!?!?!?

I shall admit I've not gone to the trouble of dating the aforementioned terms denoting and exclaiming jubilation, nor of endeavoring to uncover whatever etymological literature might exist on said subject. Nonetheless, tis not too much to infer that these interconnected English terms are derived from--be it via "dispersion" or spontaneous or "inspired" minds connected--the figure Hari-Hara, who is half-Vishnu ("Hari")/half-Siva ("Hara"), the Maintainer and the Destroyer united as one, yet delineated down the center and maintaining the integrity of two.

This incarnation as the inspiration for terms of celebration seems self-evident, as this figure shows maintainance and the destruction of sin go more than hand-in-hand, and displays the possibilities for transformations intrinsically exist in the subtle nature of the universe and humanity. As I understand it, this form expresses the direction of powers of destruction towards purification of the state of things here and now, specifically manifest to fight some demon or other in myth but more generally expressing the application of measured destruction to maintain, that humanity might continue towards truest potential without getting mired down in the muck.



The trope of yoga ("union" or "yoke") as two becoming one in body is also presented as Ardhanarishwara, Siva and Sakti as one, an idelic representation of male and female in perfect balance. There is in fact a physical condition called tetragametic chimerism which occurs when two seperately fertilized ovum join early in a pregnancy and become one person maintaining two sets of genes. In most extreme forms, those with this condition show characteristic lines of pigmentation down the center of the body. In tetragametic human hermaphroditism one half of the body is male and the other half female (see November 2008 post, "What is Marriage?").



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Hari-Hara is also known as Shankaranarayana, which is Shankara--Siva in party mode, plus Narayana--Vishnu, who's also known as Krishna and Buddha. In recognizing in what "modern science" calls a medical condition as actually indices of yoga, these ancient mythically expressed teachings show science and faith meeting in an aesthetically wholistic metaphor, in iconographic and mythic mode made accessible and rife with meaning (for another example of Hindu mythology as truly "scientific," see November 2008 post, "Ten Avatars of Vishnu: Evolution Personified"). HariHara is the potential for destruction to help maintain, for deconstruction and purification to not utterly destroy the edifice but transform and in fact strengthen. This is the hopeful proclamation that what we need is perhaps not a violent overthrow of the system, but a subtle level purge, a fire applied to temper the metal which upholds society, to renovate and remodel and dispel and dispose of corruption without need to blow-it-all-the-fuck-up!!

Anyhoo . . . "hooray and hurrah" for HariHara!!

The Story Behind "The Sound of Silence"

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As I mentioned in a previous post, President Eisenhower, decorated WWII general, warned of the dangers of the military industrial complex in his farewell address (see post titled, "Former President and WWII General Warned of the Dangerous Military Industrial Complex"). I did not mention that some have taken his warning as a concern about a specific technology that was first being developed in the 1950s that was then known as "The Sound of Silence," and has been developed and deployed as "Silent Sound Spread Spectrum." This technology was deployed by the United States military against Iraqi troops, leading to the unconditional surrender of well over 100,000 troops hidden in underground bunkers--most without firing a shot!! Some have contended that Paul Simon, whose family purportedly had military-industrial complex connections, was writing about this very nefarious technology when he penned the lyrics to the hit song.

There is concern by some that the fedies have plans to utilize these technologies on an unsuspecting populace IN OUR OWN NATION!!!! Already, other sound weapons have been openly used on peaceful protesters in this nation during the G-20 protests just a few months ago!!! This technology, called LRAD (Long Range Acoustical Device) produces sound waves at up to 50 times the human threshold for pain, and can cause permanent hearing damage.





The more frightening possibility is that very high and low frequency sound technology will be used (and perhaps already are being used) via transmitters placed alongside cellphone transmitters--or via the television set in your living room--to subliminally control peoples minds, political intentions, and even consumer choices (see link below for info.).

http://www.wariscrime.com/2008/12/15/news/digital-tv-mind-control-by-the-sound-of-silence/

Be aware, and lets not let them take our freedom of mind and thought--after all, what good is freedom of the press, the right to bear arms, etc., if they're telling you what to think by subtle sound waves while you sleep or go about your daily routines?!?!

Bhopal Went Boom With Chemical Fumes 25 Years Ago: The Dharma of Poison

On December 3, 1984, over 4,000 people died horrible and gruesome deaths as 40 tons of methyl isocyanate gas spewed into the air in Bhopal from the Union Carbide plant. Around 11,000-25,000 more would die from the residual effects of this toxin, and according to government figures, more than 500,000 others have been aversely affected by this incident, with horrible birth defects and chronic illnesses causing suffering to this day.




With this dreadful anniversary eclipsed in the environmental discourse by the ongoing wranglings regarding global warming, I have to wonder whether a clear and concise vision of global environmental priorities has been considered by policymakers. And this certainly again betrays or reveals my opinion regarding the greenhouse issue: though glad that the global warming issue is raising environmental consciousness generally, and appreciate that replacing coal-fired power plants (which spew mercury and lead and acid-rain causing chemicals as well as CO2) with wind and solar and other less impactive modes of generating electricity generally is a positive result of the discourse about global warming, I am not very concerned about the phenomenon itself. Not that I believe excessive human contribution to the accumulation of greenhouse gasses is cool, just less concerned about CO2--which life has mechanisms to deal with and is not directly toxic--than I am about mountaintop removal and other environmentally destructive modes of mineral extraction, poisons spewed into the air by the irresponsible use of chemical processes, and manmade chemical pollution generally.

As I noted in a previous post, there are historical indications (maps, narratives, etc.) that indicate the earth has been warmer in recent times (i.e., the past thousand years or two, that the ice shelves in Antartica have been ice-free in recent history ("The Truth of Global Warming: Evidences of A Warmer Side to Human History--But Coal is Still Bad to Burn"). More immediately harmful chemical and radioactive pollution, however, poison people and animals and plants, water and earth and air as soon as they are released into the environment.

As an example of the sort of irresponsibility that has been maintained by industry, there are known cancer-causing ingredients in baby shampoo and womens cosmetics, an absurd crime my younger sister Lisa has been fighting as the Breast Cancer Fund's Campaign Coordinator for the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics (http://www.safecosmetics.org/). Indeed, if we are poisoning our children from birth-on, of what consequence is a tad more CO2?!?!


(Johnson's Baby Shampoo is one of many such products shown to contain cancer-causing ingredients)

Yet here is where I must note that poisons are sometimes chosen means of purification, yet with anciently proscribed methods and modes, trial and error and meditation and contemplation brought to bear. Some sadhu and sadhvi (yogis and yoginis) intentionally ingest cyanide and other poisons to reach certain states of transcendence--an extreme "mind over matter" sorta practice that is designed to show the illusory nature of much of what is called common sense. These people intentionally take these poisons and with no intention of suicide. But for the millions and millions (if not billions) poisoned by those practices emblematic of the immature, ill considered and shallowly contemplated approach modern society and science have taken to handling substances which can kill and which poison life generally, a heinous crime cannot be denied.



Still, on a grander scale, the choice to embrace immediate convenience and innovation leading to self-poisoning might be understood as expressing humanity's ambivalence about life. Sadness and horror at suffering generally, leading to a sense of want, a gut feeling that is the disquiet of humanity in an age when solid foundations in family and tribe and nature and eternity are largely absent, and which said sometimes stupid homonids are oft given to believe can be remedied by consumer goods, which then often leads to a further poisoning of human quality of life as many aspects of the production of these goods further degrades our once good and pure relationship with nature, and thus further alienates folk from their roots.
If a person works even just eight hours a day, four or five days a week in factory or office, that is eight hours a day that in traditional society would have been spent in the field singing songs with kin and friends, at home cutting wood for the hearth fire, etc.

In a way, then, we have poisoned not only our bodies with unnatural chemicals, but our spirits with unnatural rhythms and social structures, poisoned by what in shortsighted perspective seem fixes to our problems--more or better stuff--but often turn out to reduce overall quality of life.

With this in mind, it seems at least one place to start in order to heal the relationships between people and our habitat and our spirits--clearly connected factors--is to stop poisoning earth and air and water and our children and ourselves, to take poisons of both chemical and spiritual nature as seriously as some would take "the sacred," and transform our relationships environmentally and societally to promote health and life and not mere placating shortsighted desires and consumer wants.

A recognition of the whole is necessary for a true integration of the individual, and an appropriate valuation of life and death, and those things which promote either, are necessary for health at both the micro- and macro- scale, health of the environment and of the individual. And basically, to ingest cyanide, lead, mercury, PCB or BPA or whatever potentially deadly or life-harming substance ought to be left to yogis and other conscious and willing subjects, and not broadly spread on and in an unwilling or unaware populace and animals and plants, earth, water and air.

Who Is Ho Ho Ho, Historically Yo?!?!

"santa" according to the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon:

1 santa m. = %{saMha-tala} L. ; N. of a son of Satya MBh.
2 sAnta n. (perhaps w.r. for %{zAnta}) joy L.

One of the 1000 names of Siva . . . sAnta . . . joy to the world!!!



Among various myths about the yule tree in European traditions is that the people of the village go to a hermit's cave to drag him to town to force him to grant blessings. As the village men are dragging him out of the wilderness this scruffy ascetic grabs hold of a pine tree and uproots it and holds on tight like a good tree-hugger should. Can't recall whether Scandinavian, Germanic or Alpine in origin. Nonetheless this tradition shows at least a resonant chord to sAnta as wildman ascetic in a cave in the Himalayas, if not through a traceable dispersion of traditions from East to West amongst Eurasian cultures.



And even in modern myths of Santa Claus, the underlying implication or imprint of asceticism is clear in the extreme and austere setting of this figure's abode at the North Pole--not unlike the extreme that is Kailash in the Himalayas. The idea of the ascetic blessing others who are living as householders is age old, and rooted in conceptions some might call pagan in the context of conventional European religious history, and which are encompassed in archetypal conceptualizations of Siva in the Himalayas and thereabouts, and which represent that fertility and ascetic devotion are hand in hand in maintaining health and abundance in relationships between people living on the earth and nature and cycles of the seasons and stars.




So hereagain, the cultural artifacts of the so-called "West" are rooted in more ancient stories, and Santa Claus has roots in God of ascetics and Wildness generally, Siva, who is called sAnta amongst many other names.

Return to Balance: Wild Bison, Wild People, Wilderness and Wonderful Wildness Generally

As winter approaches here in Wyoming, in the northwest corner of the state and just across the border a group of activists are preparing to do their part to protect the bison of Yellowstone. Being migratory critters, they of course try to migrate, and these millions of years old instincts lead a number of these animals out of the borders of the park and into Montana, where they are apparently not very welcome. Though the transmission of bruscellosis from bison to cattle is rare, and there are very few cattle that utilize the area the Montana Department of Livestock has made it a practice to slaughter those bison seeking to migrate to lower elevations to survive the winter.



The Buffalo Field Campaign (formerly known as Buffalo Nations) stands ground with these big bovines, else attempts to herd them back into the park to hinder the slaughter. In the winter of 96-97 (nineteen-nineties, mind you, not eighteen-nineties) eleven hundred bison were killed by the state of Montana. I chanced to meet some of the activists who worked alongside Native Americans herding and otherwise protecting these great ungulates when I was living on the Navajo (or more properly, Dine) Rez in Arizona to stand with a people who are likewise being harassed by the government, and was told by a fellow activist of the mindlessly bloodthirsty attitudes of those payed to "cull" these magnificent creatures who once freely roamed the expanse of western North America.

To find out about and help these brave folks resisting the continued slaughter of Yellowstone's bison herds, check out http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/

To connect with Black Mesa Indigenous Support's site regarding the persecution of elders and others resisting removal at Big Mountain in Arizona see http://blackmesais.org/


Anyhow, regarding the issue of the American Bison more generally, a number of years ago I came across an interesting concept devised that would seek to connect and expand a series of protected grasslands throughout the Great Plains region of the United States and Canada so the American Bison and the prairie ecosystem generally might once again abide a bit more free and naturally. Though the most well known formulation of the concept presents ecotourism as the economic justification for this use of vast tracts of the Midwest and West, I would also likewise like to see the return of traditional modes of harvesting these great beasties, where hunters on horseback with spears and bows and arrows run with the herds, as did the natives of the Great Plains in days of yore. Imagine Native American young men given the opportunity to train and guide wealthy white men to hunt a bison from horseback, like on Dances With Wolves, only the white guys are paying a premium to live out their childhood dream of playing indian on the hunt.

http://www.celsias.com/article/wild-vacations-restoration-of-the-american-buffalo/
http://www.gprc.org/buffalocommons.html

I suppose this idea wouldn't necessarily be separate from the concept of ecotourism, though indeed, it should Native American Indian control of this resource, once restored. Non-natives could pay a few thousand bucks to hunt a Bison, and natives could harvest and sell a sustainable portion of the great herds, supplanting slaughtered cattle (who are more properly used for dairy products, if kept in humane conditions) on the shelves of grocery stores and butcher shops. Indeed, to eat a wild and free till death beast seems clearly the more respectful and humane than to raise a cow from birth to death, confine it for half its life in pens standing around in their own shit, etc., not to mention the healthier content of bison meat than cattle.

Imagine herds of millions once again roaming nigh freely from Canada to Mexico along corridors designed to allow migration with minimal interference by or to traffic and agriculture and communities bordering these corridors. Imagine the pride and strength of the Plains Tribes Peoples restored, as they could once again exist in harmony with their ancestral homeland and in appropriate relationship with these wild and sacred beasts, and likewise imagine the wonderment of white folks cruising any highway passing through these corridors as a herd of hundreds of thousands of great wild humpbacked bovines cross a beastie bypass over or under a span of roadway. Green jobs and a nigh extinguished spirit of freedom and healthy lifeway restored and interacting in harmony with modern society.



Imagine herds of millions once again roaming nigh freely from Canada to Mexico along corridors connecting and expanding existing parks and preserves and protected grasslands designed to allow migration with minimal interference by or to traffic and agriculture and communities bordering these corridors. Imagine the pride and strength of the Plains Tribes Peoples restored, as they could once again exist in harmony with their ancestral homeland and in appropriate relationship with these wild and sacred beasts, and the wonderment of white folks cruising any highway passing through these corridors as a herd of hundreds of thousands of great humpbacked wild bovines cross a beastie bypass over or under a span of roadway. Green jobs and a nigh extinguished spirit of freedom restored and interacting in harmony with modern society.

Hooray for the EPA . . . Maybe

Seems the Environmental Protection Agency has decided to cast aside Bush's protections for coal-fired power plants, and will determine rules to regulate (and hopefully altogether stop) the mercury, lead, cadmium, soot, etc. pollution spewed by such facilities. Though apparently said agency has not yet determined the parameters of these regulations, they are to be finalized (and hopefully in place) by 2011. It's about time this exceedingly important agency takes on polluters!!



Please take the opportunity to thank the folks at the EPA for starting to take a stand on those issues in their parlance, and add a few words of your own, at the Sierra Club's site:
https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=3105&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr002=pw0hcr1vx2.app26a

Today is the last day of Skanda Sashti, a festival mostly observed in southern India, as well as in Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia. Skanda is a Hindu war god, and is son of Siva and either Goddess Ganga or a bed of reeds. Seems like a good idea to put the son of the God of Peace--Siva Shanti's seed Skanda--in charge of war . . . i.e., likely means as little of it as possible.

Perhaps also of note is that just across the Indian Ocean in the Zulu tradition, the son of Umvelinqangi (last syllable sounds alot like "Ganges," eh?) Unkulunkulu is born in a bed of reeds (as was Moses of Torah fame), and was celebrated in a festival sometime in the month just passed. During the Reed Dance Festival, thousands of young maidens shimmy their way to the King of the Zulu's palace carrying reeds which extend far above their heads to commemorate the birth of their main deity (see previous post, "Sanskrit and Somali").



Indeed, the seas breadth seems not just recently breached, as the world's peoples always been movin', migrating, meandering, and mingling 'round the globe, whether in search of "home" or homeland, or for adventure's sake alone . . .

Crows Trained to Clean-Up Trash?

There goes more jobs to migrant workers?!?! Yes, it seems now that crows, already trained to use coins in vending machines for the reward of some peanuts, are now potentially to be trained and deployed to pick up litter. (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/10/crowbox-wants-you-to-train-crows-to-clean-the-planet-seriously.php?dcitc=th_rss)



The best part is, only a small number of these feathered friends would have to be trained, then released. The study in question showed that these trained fowl teach these learned skills to both offspring and peers--and they'll all, quite literally, work for peanuts!! I s'pose that city worker with the bag and spiked stick will have to find work elsewhere . . .

And if you're not pissed off about more local jobs going to the birds, how will you feel when a murder of crows (i.e., like "gaggle of geese") siddle up next to you at the bar and proceed to poop in your complementary popcorn!?!?

More "Modern" Pesticides Ruled Highly Toxic

Think the ban on DDT represented a shift away from life-threatening chemicals spread throughout the land, draining into our water, floating on the dry wind? Think again, Yet another class of widely used synthetic pesticide has proven to be deadly. Endosulfan has been linked to mental retardation and death among farm workers," as well as kindey failure and reproductive system damage according to a study done by an international group of scientists (http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6299#).

Not to mention the synthetic pyrethroid pesticides that are sprayed in neighborhoods to kill mosquitos. Pyrethroids are neurotoxins!! Symptoms of permethrin poisoning include tremors, incoordination, liver damage, elevated body temperature, increased aggressive behavior and disruption of learning. This poison also inhibits immune system activity, causes chromosome aberrations, hormone disruption and is listed as a known carcinogen.

It's time to stop the chemical pollution of our land, our air, our water, and our bodies . . . NOW!!!

San Francisco Makes Composting Mandatory

Despite the fact that some neighborhoods there were built on landfill, the city of San Francisco has decreed that all food waste be composted, and in fact levying heavy fines on businesses and others who fail to seperate food and recyclables and trash. Though those who've read this blog much might imagine I'd unequivocally agree with such an ordinance--and mostly I do like composting--I have to consider all those folks living in said metropolis who dumpster-dive to find good food tossed out by big grocery stores and so forth cuz there's a blemish on one banana in a bunch or a block of cheese is one day past it's shelf date. I hope at least, in light of sympathies and empathies with my dumpster diving comrades, that the compost bins will be designed with access for those who would scavenge still useful food before the next best thing is done with it. Otherwise, a pretty good move for this progressive place, my favorite big city of those I've come to know, I must say.

Obama Becomes First American President to Light Diwali Lamp . . . May This Land And The Entire World Truly Be Led By The True Light Of Dharma

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Wow!! Obama still pretty much rocks in my book (with the primary exception being his war policies)!! It is indeed about time that both the practicing Hindu population of this nation, and all of our heritages that have origin in sanatana dharma (see posts, "Hidden Origins of the West," "Maybe Columbus Found India After All: Traces of India Amongst American 'Indians,'" "Sanskrit and . . . Somali?!?!" and "Mind Your P's and Q's: English-Sanskrit Cognates/Obvious Derivative Words") be recognized in this land.

Congress passed a resolution in 2007 recognizing Diwali in Senate Resolution 299, which recognized the "religious and historical significance of the festival of Diwali," This resolution unanimously passed November 14, 2007 in the U.S. Senate.

This recognition of the significance of this holiday which is important not only for Hindus, but also for Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists is certainly a step towards recognizing heritages other than the "Western" as important to America.

Indeed, change for the better is still in the air . . . and in fire, water and earth, too. May the real, good and pure light of truth prevail, and lead us all and each to life, purification and purity (though not puritanicalism), happiness, health, and appropriate relationships with each other and the good earth we have been blessed with . . .

Namaste,

Jeffrey Charles Archer
Dilettante Extraordinaire

Video Devotionals . . . YouTube and My Experiences This Navaratri Season

I did find one little murti of Durga at the Herb House. Other than this traditional sort of ritual use, I downloaded videos from YouTube to access visual and audible expressions of devotion to Devi Durga, and Others expressing Divine Feminine. A rather odd juxtaposition, ancient traditions of practice, yoga, from caves and deepest austerities glimpsed, meeting binary code and worldwide communications, and the culture of a video-crazed community.

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In the past, I have gone to Sivaratri festivals in Taos and Montreal, participating in a sort of experience that engages all available senses: incense burning, sitar and mridangam and harmonium and tabla and ancient chants intoned, brightly colored and beautifully adorned murti, physically manifest expressions of attributes of the divine granted offerings and devotion, prashad tasted, fire and water.

In the case of Navaratri or Durgapuja, a clay statue of Goddess that is later thrown into the Ocean . . . I left the one I utilized somewhere in downtown Laramie . . .

And She is present, thus, in and through material form, and in and through women living life, too . . . Yet downloaded on the internet? Is that sacrilege? Comes to mind, Miss Calendar--"cyber-pagan" from Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. She was pretty hot, except that time when she got temporarily possessed . . .

I made offerings of food and drink to the small murti of Durga I acquired from the Herb House for just eight dollars, burned sage and juniper, and played videos of the Gayatri mantra, Durga Chalisa, and other ditties to Kali, Parvati and Chandraghanta and the likes, and for the other tradition which includes Lakshmi and Saraswati, too, meditating on worldwide transformation . . . whilst at times gazing at a screen connected to the internet--that is likewise connecting to the world.

AUM . . . Ω . . .

Though I'd rather have experienced this year's nine nights of special devotion to Devi Durga, Kali, Lakshmi and Sarawati, and Kick-Ass Divine Feminine Generally, in some temple in India or Nepal, access to depictions of Her and songs sung in devotion to Durga and other names applicable to the festival just passed on the internet was convenient. Not unlike when I was young and would find the radio to be a means to connect to outside the walls of my dark dank basement bedroom . . .

Word Origins and Western Scholarly Lies--Cows, Devils and Divinity

As yet another example of the ineptitude, myopia or outright dissembling of "Western" scholarship, the word "devil" is tauted as deriving from the Greek word "diabolos." Yet again, the European and American scholarly community is seeking origins of their culture in a source less than half-way to the source of the real story. As Abraham, purported father of Judaism, and thus of Christianity and also of Islam, is clearly derivative of Brahma, Creator Deity in the Hindu Trimurti (see previous post "Hidden Origins of the West"), so the word "devil," supposedly derivative of the aforementioned Greek word, has much more ancient origins, likely as a perversion of the most ancient known name for either God or Goddess, Deva and Devi, if in fact the Greek is truly the origin of "the Devil."  The word "God" by the way, is clearly derived from the Sanskrit word go, which translates directly as "cow." Western etymologists have endeavored to maintain the lie that the word God comes from the Sanskrit word hu or "one who is commonly invoked," rather than to admit the more obvious and accurate recognition that "God" is derived from the Sanskrit word go.

"Mooooooo . . . AUM"


Admittedly, tracing the origins of cultural icons and artifacts through their transmissions and dispersions is by no means an easy task. Nonetheless, some of the more obvious LIES disseminated by "Western" scholarship and religion have been called to task on such issues as the origin of Abraham--Voltaire pointed out the obvious fact that Abraham and his wife Sarah are clearly derivative of Brahma and his consort Saraswati, and tauted Abraham's tribe was a band of travelling brahmin priests, yet the same old lies continued to be fomented.

Regarding the word "devil," I did once come across a reference to the notion that it was in Persia that "Deva" or "Devi" was twisted to construct the figure called "devil," though most sources want to stick to the convenient lie that said term comes from Greek or originated in the Anglo-Saxon. This Persian theory does seem to make sense, as it was the general westward movement or migration of Indian archetypal figures or figurations that led to the creation of Judaism, Christianity and Islam--all of which generally deny the truth of their origins further to the east, in the Indus Valley. Also of note is that the Trishul, symbol of the presence of Mahadeva/Siva was perverted into the "pitchfork"/trident of the Devil. It seems certain that something happened which later caused at least the better portion of the dominant cultures to the west to endeavour to "change history"--or more accurately, to lie about it. Precisely the issues at hand are not definitively clear, though I've some likely theories.

It seems very likely that a significant possibility as to why this particular occultation of the truth occurred was as an attempt to hide some "divine drama" or other, possibly the truth behind the myth of Brahma losing his "fifth head" as a result of lusting after or raping his daughter (the Jewish rite of circumcision is an obviously derivative practice of this event recorded as a widely told tale in Indian sacred lore).

Indeed, the study of history is as or more startling than any of the popularly received conspiracy stories and theories in circulation, if one gets beyond the "drum and trumpet" histories, past the overt tales of dynastic successions and even through or beyond the somewhat more valuable social analyses and cultural critiques of life in the past. If a book were writ that revealed the plot lines of these truest secret stories, the "As above . . ." that has informed and to whatever degree forms the "so below," it would read as more like science fiction or fantasy than traditional history, more like a grand and intrigue-filled romance novel than the Bible, and paint a picture that looks more like Hironymous Bosch than it resembles Rembrandt. It might appear very much like the mythologies of India--though not without various other valuable bits and pieces of the story writ throughout the world's sacred and profane traditional tales generally . . .

What a twisted tale is woven . . .

Navaratri Energy Still Flowing Strong

Blessings on this night of Devotion to Devi . . .

JAI AMBIKA DURGA!!!!
JAI AMBIKA KALI!!!!
JAI AMBIKA SARASWATI!!!!
JAI JAI JAI AMBIKA MAHADEVI!!!!!!!!

MahaDevi is wonderous, Durga, mighty even beyond the Great Gods. She is pure, compassionate, and rage beyond the heat of the sun, Great beyond the expanse of the Universe. When the Three of the Trimurti, Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Maintainer and even Siva MahaDeva the Destroyer could not defeat the demon Mahishasura (who had obtained great powers by devotion to the Gods), the three Devas of the Trimurti united their powers to manifest DurgaDevi. The nine nights of Navaratri are designated to remember Her victory over this demon, and to do devotion to the Nine forms of Her who defeated a demon even the Great Destroyer could not defeat.

I noted in my post yesterday that Navaratri is divided into three sets of three nights to do devotion to the Three Devi (Goddesses) of the Trimurti. According to another (non-conflicting) tradition, this holiday is devoted to the devotion to the Nine forms of Sakti. An important thing to understand about the religions of sanatana dharma is that they are not meant to become dogmatic or strictly interpreted. These stories, though true, are meant to express the ongoing and dynamic relationships between humans and the Divine and other beings. These modes are an artistic rendering of the beauty and terror of life and death. Though the Vedas are to be understood as more scientific, utilizing metaphoric and symbolic language to discuss natural phenomena, devotional practices are not meant to be narrow or dogmatic, but empowering through the beauty of expression and sensation, sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing (plus however many other senses there might be).



Maa Shailaputri

Daughter of the mountains, also known as Parvati, reborn manifestation of Sakti.



Maa Brahmacharini

Goddess who constantly meditates on the Supreme Being, Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma, the Creator), and is exceedingly austere in Her tapas (extreme Yoga practices, "purifying fire").



Maa Chandraghanta

Goddess who wears the Crescent moon in Her hair, and is exceedingly wrathful if provoked.



Maa Kushmanda

This form of Sakti smiled the Universe into existence. She is the energy of the egg of the Big Bang.



Maa SkandaMata

Mother of the God of War, Skanda. This form of Her is exceedingly maternal and compassionate.



Maa Katyayani

Daughter of the Katya clan, and a devoted daughter and kind Devi, She is also not somebody to mess with--She'll kick some ass if need be!!



Maa Kalaratri

This form of Devi Durga is Kali, the most violent and dangerous form of Shakti. In Her dance with Siva, the Universe is destroyed--long time from now, by the way . . .



Maa Mahagauri
This form of Sakti did an extreme tapas by sitting still until she became covered in dirt. Siva washed her with the water of the Ganges, and She became bright and pure beyond measure.



Maa Siddhidatri

Goddess who offers knowledge of the Supreme Divine, Brahman. She is worshipped by many, both Gods and demons and humans and other beings to obtain the knowledge of the Beyond of the Beyond.

A Winged Something or a Planet or Star . . . and a UFO?

So upon perusing a series of photographs I took when visiting some land I want to purchase, I noticed that one of the photos had an anomalous smudge in the sky. Upon magnifying this section of the photo, I noticed a rather odd figure in the darkening deep blue.

Another photo of the same place I downloaded from the internet had previously drawn my interest, as a particular object hovering above the cliff did not match the nearbye clouds in appearance. Upon magnifying this photo, I considered the possibiiity that the person who took this picture had captured a UFO, if rather more out of focus than the anomaly in the photo I took later.









After discovering the winged figure in the photo, a number of streams of channeled information offered numerous interpretations of what or who this figure was. I must note, that although I am certain that the traditions of sanatana dharma (i.e., "Hinduism") offer a more valid and honest explication of history, human and divine, and in fact encompass the traditions of the Judeo, Christian, and Islamic strands of history (see post titled, "Hidden Origins of the West"), I do not deny that there are valid clues as to the greater story within the texts and traditions of those religions which mimic or are eminations/dispersions of Hindu traditions regarding the Trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu (best known as in America and Europe as Krishna or Buddha) and Siva and Consorts (blessed be the names of Her: Kali, Durga, Parvati . . .). Thus I would not deny that the figure pictured is a winged being known as an "angel" in the English language rendering--though I must note, whether a "good" being or no is by no means certain, as some bits of channeled info have indicated the latter option.

Indeed, depictions of like winged beings have appeared in ancient depictions from Syria and Mesopotamia throughout the so-called Middle East, and are extant in the lore of India, too. As I have continued to maintain, traditions around the world all contain clues to the subtle history of humans and gods and various other beings, and indeed a wild menagerie is evinced and an absurdly twisted tale is woven.

Apsaras flying nymphs of ancient Indian lore

And it could be the figure in the sky is just a blurred star or planet--though the apparition as captured by my digital camera would still maintain significance, regardless of the explanation a rigidly materialistic "scientific apology" might offer. And the UFO might, likewise, be just a cloud.

Sacred Mountains

I've been thinking a good bit about sacred geographic features these days, perhaps to expand my vision to a span beyond the maddening flow of visions of persons I've known, that hover round my thoughts as I consider Devi and where She might be matched appropriate to me, whether passed by in the past, else gracing the earth with her footsteps nearer to where I sit these days.

To focus on the grand, yet tangible forms of mountains and lakes and oceans spans grants a reprieve from confusions of relationship, loves tumultuous tempest as wild as any gale or hurricane storming through my mind leaves me inclined to expand my thoughts to encompass a seemingly more expansive vista than the sound-byte-like progression of so many faces past my inner and external vision, though in truth, She and those other figures exist there, too . . .


Kailash, shown above, is perhaps the best known locale where She and Her love are known to set up housekeeping.


And this peak is expression of Her, Parvati, and Sacred AUM, too . . .




and this mountain is Her abundance overflowing, Annapurna which speaks in wind and waters flowing and rock solid truth of Durga's blessings of compassion and Mother-love to appropriately nourish those who sit beneath Her greatness, beauty and majesty . . .


This set of three peaks is known as Trishul, and is presence of Him who's Her Lover, in some figurations.




And the above shows a lesser know manifestation of a Trishul, as three mountain ranges as blades, and another as danda, or "staff."





Mount Kilamanjaro, above and below, a nearbye peak called Meru--whether the one writ of in Vedic lore or no . . .








Above and below, two peaks sacred to the Navajo, though said people are more appropriately called Diné . . .







Again going north and west, two chosen of many possible magical mountains in the Pacific Coast region, Shasta and Denali








And almost round the world from the start of this picture show, Fuji in Japan, which is also the name of a particular varietal of apples.