From Evernote:

Blog: The History Of Samhain And Halloween

For those who are interested in Magick. A detailed and well written article on The History of Samhain and Halloween by SpringWolf. Happy Samhain Eve! Enjoy!

Peace & Love - 

Tater the wise Spud

The History Of Samhain and Halloween By SpringWolf

Samhain's History Samhain (pronounced Sow-en), dates back to the ancient Celts who lived 2,000 years ago. Contrary to what some believe, is not a celebration of a Celtic god of the dead.  Instead, it is a Celtic word meaning "summer's end." The Celts believed that summer came to an end on October 31st and the New Year began on November 1st with the start of winter. But the Celts also followed a lunar calendar and their celebrations began at sunset the night before.   Many today see Halloween as the pagan holiday. But that's not really accurate. As the pagan holiday of Samhain is on November 1st. But their celebrations did and still do, start at sunset on October 31st, on Samhain Eve. During the day on October 31st, the fires within the home are extinguished. Often families would engage in a good "fall" cleaning to clear out the old and make way for the new. Starting the winter months with fresh and clean household items.   At sunset on October 31, clans or local villages begin the formal ceremonies of Samhain by lighting a giant bonfire. The people would gather around the fire to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. It was a method of giving the Gods and Goddesses their share of the previous years herd or crops. In addition these sacred fires were a big part of the cleansing of the old year and a method to prepare for the coming new year.   During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, and danced around the bonfire. Many of these dances told stories or played out the cycles of life and death or commemorated the cycle of Wheel of Life. These costumes were adorned for three primary reasons.   The first was to honor the dead who were allowed to rise from the Otherworld. The Celts believed that souls were set free from the land of the dead during the eve of Samhain. Those that had been trapped in the bodies of animals were released by the Lord of the Dead and sent to their new incarnations. The wearing of these costumes signified the release of these souls into the physical world.   Not all of these souls were honored and respected. Some were also feared as they would return to the physical world and destroy crops, hide livestock or 'haunt' the living who may have done them wrong. The second reason for these traditional costumes was to hide from these malevolent spirits to escape their trickery.   The final representation was a method to honor the Celtic Gods and Goddesses of the harvest, fields and flocks. Giving thanks and homage to those deities who assisted the village or clan through the trials and tribulations of the previous year. And to ask for their favor during the coming year and the harsh winter months that were approaching.   In addition to celebrations and dance, it was believed that this thin veil between the physical world and the Otherworld provided extra energy for communications between the living and the dead. With these communications, Druid Priests, and Celtic Shamans would attempted to tell the fortunes of individual people through a variety of methods. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.   These psychic readings would be conducted with a variety of divination tools. Such as throwing bones, or casting the Celtic Ogham. There is some historical evidence that additional tools of divination were also used. Most of this comes from writings recorded by Roman invaders, but there are stories of reading tea leaves, rocks and twigs, and even simple spiritual communications that today we'd call Channeling. Some historians have suggested that these early people were the first to use tiles made from wood and painted with various images which were the precursor to Tarot Cards. There's no real evidence to support this, but the 'story' of these tiles has lingered for centuries.   When the community celebration was over, each family would take a torch or burning ember from the sacred bonfire and return to their own home. The home fires that has been extinguished during the day were re-lit by the flame of the sacred bonfire to help protect the dwelling and it's inhabitants during the coming winter. These fires were kept burning night and day during the next several months. It was believed that if a home lost it's fire, tragedy and troubles would soon follow.   With the hearth fires lit, the families would place food and drink outside their doors. This was done to appease the roaming spirits who might play tricks on the family.   The Romans began to conquer the Celtic territories. By A.D. 43 they had succeeded in claiming the majority of the Celtic lands. They ruled for approximately four hundred years combining or influencing many Celtic traditional celebrations with their own. Two Roman holidays were merged with Samhain. Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. Pomona's Day of Honoring, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.     Samhain to Halloween With the coming of Christianity in the 800s AD, the early Church in England tried to Christianize the old Celtic festivals. Pope Boniface IV designated the 1st of November as "All Saints Day," honoring saints and martyrs. He also decreed October 31 as "All Hallows Eve", that eventually became Hallow'een.   Scholars today widely accept that the Pope was attempting to replace the earlier Celtic pagan festival with a church-sanctioned holiday. As this Christian holiday spread, the name evolved as well. Also called All-hallows Eve or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day). 200 years later, in 1000 AD, the church made November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It is celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls' day, are called Hallowmas.   November 1st or May 13th? Some people confuse Samhain being originally celebrated in May with other pagan and early Christian holidays.   Samhain comes from the Gaelic word samain. "Sam" - summer and "fuin" - end. It literally means Summer's End. The early Irish and Brythonic cultures believed the year was divided in half. The dark half and the light half. Samhain marked the end of the light half and the beginning of the Celtic new year or the dark half.   According to Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia (1979 Vol 12 p 152), The Druids originated the holiday. It was a celebration of Saman Lord of the Dead who was the God of Evil Spirits. There is some debate about this origination as the Druids were not the only, or the first spiritual pagans of Ireland.   Some of the earliest archaeological evidence of the Celts come from their trade routes with the Greeks. Their culture can be followed with great precision from the 5th Century BC through the La Tène culture. From these early records with the Greeks we know of some of their great festivals and in particular one of their biggest Samhain the new years festival. Certainly we can gain information from Julius Caesar who wrote extensively about the Gauls during his invasion campaigns in Ireland during 4th Century BC. Eventually Rome is sacked by the Celts in 3rd Century BC, around 390BC. The Romans in general wrote of their warlike inhabitants and many of their barbaric celebrations. Which included Samhain.   In most if not all of these accounts, Samhain is immersed in blood and sacrifice. Often in the earliest of times, those sacrifices were human. One Greek account states these early Celts sacrificed prisoners captured during a battle during their New Years festival of Samhain. In The History and Origins of Druidism by Lewis Spencer writes about the Druids stating they burned their victims in holy fire which had to be consecrated by a Druid priest.   The confusion of May to November 1st probably comes from the Christians and pagan Roman festivals. The Roman Empire was a pagan culture. During their reign they held many pagan festivals and celebrations, one being the Feast of the Lemures on May 13th. During this time malevolent and restless spirits of the dead were appeased and festival participants would attempt to gain the favor of the spirits. The feast covered a three day period that honored "all the dead" with food, drink and sacrifice.   At the same time Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs. This was celebrated in the west from May 13, 609 to 610. Pope Gregory III (731–741) during an oratory in St. Peter's for the relics "of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors, of all the just made perfect who are at rest throughout the world", moved All Saints Day to November 1.   This is further confused by the early Irish churches who did not celebrate All Hallows Day in November or May, but rather in early spring on April 20th during the Felire of Oengus and the Martyrology of Talaght. A festival of All Saints was already widely celebrated in the days of Charlemagne in November. But it took a decree at the insistence of Pope Gregory IV to all the bishops, that the celebration be confirmed on November 1st.   These early similar celebrations come together around 835AD. The Roman pagan festival is over taken by the early Church, the Irish Church conforms it's celebrations with Rome, and everyone seems to move their day of the dead to coincide with early Irish pagans and their celebration of Samhain on November 1st.   There's no doubt, however, that the Irish festival of Samhain has always been at the end of summer on November 1st, and has been one of the prominent harvest festivals for Celtic pagans from the past and the present.   The Evolution Of Halloween "Trick-or-treating" is a modern tradition that probably finds it's roots in the early All Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives. The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling" was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.   "Dressing up" for Halloween gets it roots from dressing up around the sacred bonfire during the original Celtic festival. Some suggest, this practice originates from England, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world on Halloween. People thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes, so to avoid being recognized people would wear masks after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. In addition, these early English people, would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter or cause harm to their homes. A tradition obviously taken from the ancient Celtic pagans.   As European came to America, they brought their varied Halloween traditions with them. Celebration of Halloween in colonial times was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies. Primarily because Celtic immigrants settled more in these regions than in the north.   As the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups meshed together a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included "play parties," public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other's fortunes, dance, and sing. Colonial Halloween festivities also featured the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds. By the middle of the nineteenth century, annual autumn festivities were common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country.   In the second half of the nineteenth century, America entered an age of mysticism. What was more often termed spiritualism. Metaphysical groups and clubs began to spring up throughout the Golden Age and the wealthier set of Americans. At the same time, America was welcoming a new group of immigrants, especially the millions of Irish fleeing Ireland's potato famine of 1846. This new cultural influence brought with it a melding of Irish and English traditions, and a new Americans culture was born. People began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today's "trick-or-treat" tradition. Young women believed that, on Halloween, they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings, or mirrors.   In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers, than about ghosts, pranks, and witchcraft. At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of the season, and festive costumes. Parents were encouraged by newspapers and community leaders to take anything "frightening" or "grotesque" out of Halloween celebrations. Because of their efforts, Halloween lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century.   By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular, but community-centered holiday, with parades and town-wide parties as the featured entertainment. Despite the best efforts of many schools and communities, vandalism began to plague Halloween celebrations in many communities during this time. By the 1950s, town leaders had successfully limited vandalism and Halloween had evolved into a holiday directed mainly at the young. Due to the high numbers of young children during the fifties baby boom, parties moved from town civic centers into the classroom or home, where they could be more easily accommodated.   Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats. A new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow.   By the 1990s, Americans have made Halloween one of the largest commercial holidays. Spending an estimated $6.9 billion annually on Halloween costumes, accessories, decorations and pumpkins.   Samhain Traditions To pagans the world over, November 1st, still marks the beginning of the New Year. To Witches and Pagans, Samhain is the Festival of the Dead, and for many, it is the most important Sabbat (Holiday) of the year. Although the Feast of the Dead forms a major part of most Pagan celebrations on this eve, and at Samhain voluntary communications are expected and hoped for. The departed are never harassed, and their presence is never commanded. The spirits of the dead are, however, ritually invited to attend the Sabbat and to be present within the Circle.   Orange and Black: The colors of this Sabbat are black and orange. Black to represent the time of darkness after the death of the God (who is represented by fire and the sun) during an earlier sabbat known as Lughnasadh, and the waning of light during the day. Orange represents the awaiting of the dawn during Yule (Dec. 21st to Jan. 1st) when the God is reborn.   Jack O'Lanterns: There is some debate about the origination of Jack-o-lanterns. One line suggests this custom originated from the lighting of candles for the dead to follow as they walked the earth. These candles were placed in hallowed out gourds and put on the ground to light the way.   Others suggest the practice originates from a Christianized Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." Stingy Jack and the Devil enter a pub to have a drink. Jack convinces the Devil to turn himself into a coin to pay for the drinks. But instead of using the coin, Jack slipped it into his pocket and next to a silver cross. The cross prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. But Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year. And if Jack should die during that year, the Devil would not claim his soul. And the Devil agreed to these terms.   Jack again tricked the Devil. This time, the Devil climbed into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down. Once again, Jacked struck a bargain with the Devil. He would free the Devil from the tree if he promised not to bother Jack for ten more years. And if Jack died during those years, the Devil would not claim his soul. And the Devil again agreed to these terms.   Not long after this, Jack did indeed died. But because of his trickery, God would not allow him into heaven. In keeping his word not to take his soul, the Devil also would not allow Jack into hell. Instead, the Devil sent Jack out into the darkness of the world between worlds with nothing but a burning piece of coal. Jack placed the coal into a carved out turnip and has been roaming the Earth ever since. The Irish began to refer to Jack's ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply as "Jack O'Lantern."   The Irish and Scottish people began making lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away the wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets were used. Immigrants from these countries brought the tradition to America where they found the pumpkin, a fruit native to America, that made the perfect jack o'lanterns.   Tricks & Treats: Treats also originated from an old custom of leaving cookies and other foods out for those relatives to enjoy as they shared this one night of feasting. The 'trick' portion of "Trick or Treat" was an invention of the Christians. The tricks were supposedly caused by the dead who didn't receive a treat of food left for them when they arrived at your door.   The Controversy of Samhain and Halloween Sad to say there have been many fundamentalists who are inciting ignorance and bigotry into the celebrations of Halloween. No longer is Halloween a religious festival here in the US. It has become commercialized as an event for kids to have fun, play dress up and be scared by ghouls and ghosts. It has become nothing more than a secular holiday.   Those who have tried to link Halloween to Samhain are also missing the boat. As Halloween, All Hallows Eve are Christian created holidays devised by the early Churches of Europe as a means to convert pagans to Christianity. The celebrations were indeed taken from pagan practices, but their purposes have long since been corrupted and are no longer pagan in nature. Right down to being practiced on October 31st.   Some one asked me if I cared that a nearby town was attempting to change Halloween from October 31st to the last Friday of each October. My response is why should I mind? Halloween is a Christian holiday, do with it what you will.   The modern celebrations of Halloween do not take away or alter the spiritual significance of Samhain for pagan practitioners. Our Sabbat is still intact and still honored with reverence and in the traditional methods practiced by our ancient pagan ancestors. Though we don't make animal sacrifices any longer, there are some who will toss a steak into a bonfire as a symbolic gesture. The main focus of the holiday for pagans is still to honor our loved ones who have passed on and to share in communication with them during this time when the veil between worlds is narrowed.   Additional articles of interests: Pagan Sabbats - High Holy Days The Celtic Samhain Fantasy & Folklore of Hallows Eve - Library Of Congress   Additional Reading: In addition to the sources listed below that were used to write this article, you might also check out the following resources: Natural History periodical - October 1983 p43-44 Pagan Celtic Britain by Anne Ross Celtic Mythology by McCane The Druids and Their Heritage by Ward Rutherford The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish Human Sacrifice by Lewis Spencer The History and Origins of Druidism by Lewis Spencer Posted http://www.paganspath.com/magik/samhain-history.htm

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From Evernote:

Blog: Why We Love to Scare Ourselves

Posted from the news desk of ilovetater.com

Happy Halloween! Enjoy!

Later -

Tater Scot

Why We Love to Scare Ourselves

Brain's Inner Workings Reveal Anatomy of Fright

By ASTARA MARCH

Scary movies allow us to experience the tonic of a good fright whenever we want one, but why do people seek out that experience?

(Cultura/Getty Images)

Dracula, Frankenstein, witches, ghosts and goblins are all around us at this time of year -- and Hollywood keeps them at our beck and call for the rest of the year as well. Scary movies allow us to experience the tonic of a good fright whenever we want one, but why do people seek out that experience?

What in your brain separates the pleasurable adrenaline high of a horror film from the traumatizing experience of someone breaking into your house?

 

The obvious answer is that you know that what's happening on the screen isn't real. According to Andreas Keil, a professor of psychology at the University of Florida in Gainesville, that knowledge starts in the visual cortex, an area at the back of the brain that processes what we see and helps link those images to personal and cultural events that put them in a context.

Like the other cortical areas of the brain (the auditory cortex, the sensory cortex, the motor cortex, and the cerebral cortex), it thinks. You see a dark spot on the floor, notice that the dark spot has projections, realize that these projections are legs, and your brain says "Spider!"

But is it a house spider, a black widow spider, or a plastic spider? You have to control your fear to find out.

How Do You Control Your Fear?

"If you are afraid of spiders, the visual cortex will alert the cerebral cortex, and it will tell your amygdala and insula, the parts of the brain that process emotion, that the threat is real," said Keil. "When it perceives a threat, the cerebral cortex produces the energizing neurotransmitters glutamate, dopamine, and serotonin to amplify your responses and get you out of danger, and you run, without checking to see what kind of spider you are dealing with."

People who control their fear respond more slowly, giving the cerebral cortex time to take in and process more information.

If the cerebral cortex realizes that the spider shape is actually a harmless plastic spider, it tells the amygdala and insula that the threat isn't real and the calming neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is produced. The brain and body stand down, and everything goes back to normal.

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Threat Signals Activate Adrenal Glands

But even when the threat isn't real, the threat signal has already gone through the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that communicates with the body's glandular system. This signal tells the adrenal glands to produce the hormone adrenaline.

Adrenaline stimulates the production of opioids, which dull the response to pain (very useful if you are being chased by a lion) and endorphins, which produce pleasure.

Endorphins are also released during exercise, sex, and the anticipation of pleasure, said Ki Ann Goosens, a neuroscientist at the McGovern Brain Institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. As long as the fear response shuts down at this point (you recognize that the spider is made of plastic), activating that response can lead to some very positive experiences.

According to Goosens, adrenaline also increases visual acuity and other sensory thresholds, making the world a more intense and pleasurable place. It speeds up the metabolism and makes people feel more alive. People who see Freddy Krueger sneaking up on a victim become alert and aroused, but in control of the experience, which is a plus.

"Many people enjoy the sense of control over their fear, turning it on and off, that an imaginary situation such as a movie produces," said Goosens.

Goosens added that everyone experiences this hormonal high differently. For some, the pleasurable sensations override the terrifying images on the movie screen. Those who don't enjoy scary movies, she hypothesized, may either have a weaker hormonal response that provides less pleasure and doesn't cancel out the negative images, or a stronger response that pushes everything to the next, very uncomfortable step.

If the cerebral cortex tells the rest of the brain that the threat is real and must be dealt with, the fear response continues and the adrenals start producing cortisol. The body goes into overdrive, suppresses insulin to create a blood sugar spike that fuels the muscles and sends everything into a higher and much more uncomfortable gear. Normal metabolic processes are suppressed and the body's homeostatic balance is thrown off. This is what happens when you hear the back door opening and know an intruder is on the scene.

Humans Have Hard-Wired Fear Reflex

"There is a hard-wired fear reflex that comes from the amygdala and the hormonal activation," said Kerry Ressler, who studies the biology of fear at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. "Your pulse rate and blood pressure go up, your mouth dries out, you sweat, and you want to escape. Some people are paralyzed by this reflex and some bring all that activation together to produce an adaptive response, such as calling 911."

We can deal with the scary parts of our world by honing our ability to master our fright -- at least in the safety of the movie theater. Perhaps that, too, is an adaptive response.

Posted from http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/love-scare/story?id=12006002&page=1 

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News: Congratulations, you may now kiss yourself

Posted from the news desk of ilovetater.com

The art of waste. Enjoy!

Later -

Tater Scot

Congratulations, you may now kiss yourself

TAIPEI | Fri Oct 22, 2010 11:58am EDT

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Chen Wei-yih has posed for a set of photos in a flowing white dress, enlisted a wedding planner and rented a banquet hall for a marriage celebration with 30 friends.

But there is no groom. Chen will marry herself.

Uninspired by the men she's met but facing social pressure to get married, the 30-year-old Taipei office worker will hold the reception next month in honor of just one person.

"Age thirty is a prime period for me. My work and experience are in good shape, but I haven't found a partner, so what can I do?" Chen said.

"It's not that I'm anti-marriage. I just hope that I can express a different idea within the bounds of a tradition."

Her T$50,000 ($5,675) wedding comes after online publicity that has netted 1,800 largely sympathetic comments.

"I think there will be more and more girls like this," said "divagirl," who did not elaborate.

Taiwanese women are marrying later and less often as their economic status advances, fuelling government concerns about a drop in the birth rate and its impact on productivity.

Only 40 percent of women surveyed earlier this year by the education ministry said they imagined married people could live better than singles, local media said.

"I was just hoping that more people would love themselves," said Chen, who will go on a solo honeymoon to Australia.

Chen said her mother had insisted on a groom at first but later jumped aboard the solo marriage plan.

But as Chen cannot officially register a marriage to herself, if she finds a man later she will wed again.

"If I had a steady boyfriend, I wouldn't do this," Chen said. "it would be offensive to him, anyway."

(Reporting by Ralph Jennings; editing by Elaine Lies)

Posted from http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69L3H720101022?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FoddlyEnoughNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Oddly+Enough%29&utm_content=Google+Reader 

From Evernote:

Blog: The 7 Principles of Hermeticism

For those who are interested in Magick. A great perspective on the 7 principles of Hermeticism. Enjoy!

Peace & Love - 

Tater the wise Spud

The 7 Principles of Hermeticism

Posted by SIN

1. Mentalism
2. Correspondence
3. Vibration
4. Polarity
5. Rhythm
6. Cause & Effect
7. Gender

Hermetics, Hermeticism: coined after Hermês Trismegistos (Thrice Great Hermes) which is basically a Graeco-Egyptian (A fusion of Greek & Egyptian belief and practice) form of Thoth. A symbol to represent 'God Wisdom'. It's aim is to blur the lines between man and 'divine'; these things are not separate but all part of the same thing.

I've mentioned on various threads, that on the atomic level we are all matter and energy. If you scattered our atoms, it's essentially the same 'stuff'. There are various religions/philosophies which create a separation of man from his divinity - and he spends his whole life attempting to re-connect with it.

*I found this image and modified it to use as visual aid.

A reason I detest phraseology such as 'balance', 'polarity' and similar ideas is because these ideas attempt to separate man from his divinity.

Don't get me wrong, I reject several ideas within Hermeticism itself, but it's basic foundation is appealing to me. TO DESTROY DIVISION.

You hear it all the time, but have you reflected on what it truly means - and means to you?

As above,
So below.
From within,
So without.

It's often used to communicate ideas about the Micro & Macro Cosms but more appropriately 'Everything is Everything'.

Now, you can study Hermeticism -- pick it apart, and make your own interpretations of it but, the basic idea is the same. We are all part of the same stuff.

Reading List:

Kybalion
Hermetic Resource Site
Hermetic Library
Hermes & Hermeticism trough the ages
Defining Hermeticism

The basic idea is that all things are attributed to Hermes (Thoth) or the 'All'; though it contains many polytheistic ideas, it's essentially a form of monism. Rather than seeing various deities, you see various faces of the same deity (to include gender).

So, how are the 7 principles used?

1. Mentalism

Consciousness. Seems this word consciousness has been an obsessive fascination for the last several hundred years. Why such a focus on consciousness? In essence the external reality is a result of internalized awareness and 'consciousness'. Mentalism would be key in personal growth, development and putting your 'divinity' or your 'personal power' to work for you.

2. Correspondence

We correspond things. The axiom 'As above, so below...' we correspond what is in the mind, is internal but also external - it's all the same thing. "The universe exists within the mind". If the mind has no correspondence, it does not exist. Again, the theme is 'consciousness'.

3. Vibration

Everything is in motion, continuous. Seasons keep changing, the wind keeps blowing, the sun keeps shining; water turns to vapor and back to water again, etc. This 'corresponds' to human emotion, the mind - you have probably used the phrase "I get good vibes" or "bad vibes" from so and so. What do you mean by that? A feeling? A sense? Or perhaps, simply the motion of their existence. Everything is reduced to a 'vibration of movement.' Remember: think ATOMIC.

4. Polarity

Sounds like opposites right? North Pole, South Pole - Negative, Positive.. in truth, they are the same thing but different sides of the coin. Like, hot and cold water - it's still just water but the minor difference is the temperature of that water. I was sharing a personal anecdote with a friend, and we got on the subject of polarity. In my personal practices, when I want to decompress a feeling of melancholy, I write it all down and send it afloat in a bottle into the ocean. I include a personal message to anyone who discovers the bottle. I had been doing that since I was a teenager. Only once did I receive contact from a person who found the bottle but the experience was profound. This person found my bottle, and a series of events in their own life because of it compelled them to contact me. We spoke by phone, and in essence I had transmuted 'sadness' to something wonderful. One thing changes into the other, the foundation is that it was an 'emotion' positive? negative? It could be either or, and this brings me to...

5. Rhythm

Patterns. You can identify the flow, the to and fro of the universe if you stop to recognize it, notice it, and use it for your own life. My sadness carried on the to and fro of the waves, to an ocean several states away to be found by another person standing by the ocean, in sadness. It's like looking at a mirror. As above, so below- becomes more profound. If we are all the same 'stuff' chances are - we repeat similar patterns, follow similar rhythms. Perhaps, on some super-conscious level I knew this and sent my 'booga booga' out there in the universe. Otherwise, why did I bother with this practice at all? Why not write it down in a journal and burn it?

6. Cause and Effect

Ah, but if I had burned it - what would really be the effect? Cause and Effect immediately sparks the idea of if I do A, B will happen. In Hermetics it's really saying that each effect, has many causes. This is where you can have a field day with a number of philosophical ideas such as Karma, You Reap What You Sow and their ilk. How can you use it? Rather than feeling beaten by an effect you didn't expect, find a cause you can use. In example, 'Well, I lost my wallet but the cash inside fed a family'. Rather than beating your fists against the wall "Why does this always happen to me!!!???" You can find a cause; therefore changing your own psychology and effects to be carried through your life. You can be a beacon, leading by example.

7. Gender

Gender is often equated to sex characteristics; however there are 'feminine' and 'masculine' qualities we each hold and the terms lose their meaning. There is no longer a separation of 'gender' no division of the species but conceptualized ideas. When you think the word 'nurture' what immediately comes to mind? A woman mothering perhaps? Why not a male nurturing? If you can destroy this 'division' you can destroy the need to separate man from his divinity.

Posted from http://www.paganspace.net/forum/topics/the-7-principles-of 

From Evernote:

Blog: A Brief History of Halloween

For those who are interested in Magick. Catherine Green give a brief history of Halloween from the ancient Celts to modern day pagans. Enjoy!

Peace & Love - 

Tater the wise Spud

A Brief History of Halloween

Oct 26, 2010 Catherine Green

Halloween and Spooky Stories - Personal Archive

Halloween is a popular holiday celebrated on 31st October every year, associated with Halloween costumes and Trick or Treating. But where did it originate?

Known as All Hallows Eve, Halloween is originally a Pagan festival of the dead. Pagans believe that the veil or energy layer between the living and the dead is at its weakest on Halloween. As a result, people can communicate with their deceased loved ones where normally they wouldn’t be able. Pagans celebrated Halloween by building bonfires, and dancing around them, believing that their own natural energy from dancing and singing would encourage the spirits of their family and friends to come forward.

Halloween and Ancient Celtic People

Halloween was celebrated by the ancient Celtic people, who held that the start of their new year and the end of summer was around 1st November. On Halloween the Celts believed that the dead would rise from their graves and wander freely on earth. These dead people could mix with the living and cause trouble for their family and friends. To prevent the spirits from recognizing them, the Celts wore Halloween costumes and disguised themselves. They lit huge bonfires to try and rekindle the dying energy of the sun god during the winter.

Halloween and the Roman People

Ancient Romans also contributed to the Halloween tradition. They celebrated the festival of Pomona, goddess of orchards and the harvest, at this time of year. Again their celebrations included large fires, dancing and singing, and lavish Halloween costumes to honour Pomona. It is thanks to the Romans that toffee apples and nuts play a central role in the festival of Halloween in today’s society. The Roman festival was very much a time for happiness and frivolity, to celebrate life and new beginnings, and the fruitful harvest.

Halloween Gains a Spooky Reputation

Over time popular folklore began to associate Halloween with the appearance of fairies, witches, goblins and spirits, alongside the traditional belief in the dead rising. It became widely believed by superstitious people that any supernatural entity could make its presence known more strongly on Halloween. This of course originates from the belief of the dead rising from their graves, and is probably aided by ghost stories and the fascination with the supernatural that grew over time in popular culture.

In England, Guy Fawkes Night, or Bonfire Night, is celebrated on 5th November. As a result it is sometimes closely related to Halloween celebrations. These include toffee apples and the central feature of the bonfire. People symbolically burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes, the man who attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London in 1605.

Halloween has been an established American festival since the 1840s, when poverty stricken Irish people emigrated to the United States. Over time Halloween has grown in popularity in the UK and parts of Europe, and is slowly becoming a more widely accepted public festival in many other cultures and countries.

Halloween for Wiccans and Pagans

For people of the Wicca and Pagan faith, Halloween, also known as Samhain, is one of their most important sacred days. Samhain is a time for fun, but also a time to honour the dead, to communicate with spirits and observe rituals. Wiccans and Pagans also believe that Halloween is a good time to make a fresh start and begin new projects.

Ultimately Halloween is a festival of celebration and fun. It is a time for people to come together with their friends and family, to wear fancy dress costumes, and play games, all in the spirit of the supernatural, something which humans seen increasingly more attracted to.

Sources:

Theresa Cheung, The Element Encyclopaedia of the Psychic World, Harper Element Publishing, 2006.

Read more at Suite101: A Brief History of Halloween http://www.suite101.com/content/a-brief-history-of-halloween-a301053#ixzz13iXrAVgd

From Evernote:

News: Bible.com investor sues company for lack of profit

Posted from the news desk of ilovetater.com

The spirit is willing but the finances are weak. Enjoy!

Later -

Tater Scot

Bible.com investor sues company for lack of profit

WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) - A shareholder of Bible.com Inc sued the company's board members, accusing the ordained ministers of failing to profit from the "goldmine" potential of the namesake Internet property, according to a lawsuit.

James Solakian filed the lawsuit in Delaware's Chancery Court against the board of Bible.com for breaching their duty by refusing to sell the site or run the company in a profitable way.

The lawsuit cites a valuation done by a potential purchaser that estimated bible.com could be worth more than dictionary.com, which recently sold for more than $100 million.

The domain name was registered by Roy Spencer "Bud" Miller, an Arizona minister who secured it in 1996 for $50. Soon after, he was offered $100,000 for the location, according to court documents.

Miller refused, stating he was entrusted to run the site for a sacred purpose, according to court documents.

Miller, along with his wife Betty, brought in a marketing firm to help them develop the site. They raised money by forming Bible.com Inc and issuing stock.

The company's business plan stated "it is the goal of the board of directors of Bible.com to become very, very profitable," according to court documents. The business was also to be governed in accordance with Christian business principles.

Solakian acquired 28 percent of the company's equity in 2001 as part of a way of settling a $400,000 business debt.

That set off a battle for control of the company and the board decided to suspend development of the site until resolving the problem of Solakian's involvement.

Bible.com currently features a crowded mix of advertisements as well as a verse of the day -- "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong" -- and offers links for Biblical answers to questions on voting and masturbation.

Betty Miller declined to comment because she said she had not seen the lawsuit.

The case is James R Solakian v Roy Spencer Miller, Betty Miller, Andrew Miller, Stacy Fornara, Edward Cude and Michael Magnant and Bible.com Inc, Delaware Chancery Court, No. 5911.

(Reporting by Tom Hals; Editing by Gary Hill)

Posted from http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69K42D20101021?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FoddlyEnoughNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Oddly+Enough%29&utm_content=Google+Reader 

From Evernote:

News: Cops - Wallet left in old jeans as new ones stolen

Posted from the news desk of ilovetater.com

Stupidity never gets a break. Enjoy!

Later -

Tater Scot

I seem to have left my ID in my other pants. At the crime scene

Cops: Man leaves wallet in old jeans at Walmart as he steals new pair

The Associated Press 

GALLATIN, Tenn. — Police said the evidence that led them to a theft suspect was right behind him.

Officers said 20-year-old Dustin Matthew Marshall tried on a new pair of jeans at a Walmart and left without paying for them. WSMV-TV reported employees found Marshall's old jeans in a dressing room — his wallet still in them, his driver license inside it.

Police caught up with Marshall and 19-year-old Lindsey Samantha Scholl on Saturday night after a couple fled a Longhorn Steakhouse without paying their bill.

A search of their home turned up evidence of auto burglaries and an apartment break-in, police said.

Marshall and Scholl were booked into the Sumner County Jail on burglary, three counts of theft from a motor vehicle, two counts of theft under $500 and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Court officials said Tuesday that neither has an attorney.

Posted from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39748092/ns/us_news-weird_news/ 

From Evernote:

Blog: Crows And Scarecrows Occult Meaning

For those who are interested in Magick. A great article about the history of the scarecrow as a farmer's tool and supernatural abilities of the crow. Enjoy!

Peace & Love - 

Tater the wise Spud

Crows And Scarecrows Occult Meaning

By SCARECROW 

Smiling Scarecrow

Let us consider the humble scarecrow. On the surface there wouldn’t seem to be any occult meaning behind the scarecrow. It was a farmer’s tool from agrarian times, used to literally scare away crows and other birds from their crops. What more could there be, outside of an occasional literary purpose (i.e. Wizard of Oz)? Today they are decorations for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Grim Reaper Scarecrow

Yet, maybe all is not as it appears. First, was the scarecrow really only a utilitarian object used for its stated purpose? In agrarian societies farmers lived close to their land and their natural world, unlike today’s modern corporate farms.  Which is why the scarecrow would seem pointless, since it does not really scare crows!  Farmers knew this.

A scarecrow can frighten birds for a brief time (maybe a week) but especially crows are very smart animals and won’t be fooled for long.  The scarecrow might have some use for a short time when the crops were just planted and vunerable. But soon the crows will be perching on the scarecrow’s arms checking out the area for danger.

 

Today we are learning anew just how intelligent crows and ravens are. There was a study done that showed crows can recognize individual human faces, and also remember if that face is associated with dangerous behavior towards them. Here is the fascinating story:

Friend or Foe? Crows Never Forget a Face, It Seems

I’d wager our farmer forefathers were aware of this. If a crow can recognize a face, for sure they won’t be fooled by a stuffed fake man suspended on a pole. With the scarecrow’s limited practical use, why would a farmer bother? There had to be additional reasons for having this effigy in their farm. Here we enter into speculation concerning the scarecrow. There is scant information so we have to make some assumptions.

A Scarecrow and Vlad the Impaler

Scarecrow posed upside down

Perhaps one possible purpose of the scarecrow was not jus to scare away birds, but to mark the land as belonging to the farmer. Or if a serf, to the land’s lord.  Stay out!  The idea of hanging bodies as a warning was used in the past. The ancient Romans left crucified prisoners to send a message to their population. The infamous Vlad the Impaler impaled prisoners of war as a gruesome warning. The scarecrow, impaled and crucified, could have served a similar, if less graphic, purpose.  Call it a Scareman.

Farms were always subject to the whims of nature, and the farmer lived at the mercy of a capricious environment. A drought or flood could result in starvation. An infestation of pests could devastate crops, a plague destroy the livestock. The scarecrow could also have served as an effigy, a form of substitute human sacrifice. The scarecrow would be offered to the natural world in place of the living, that nature might be sated.  Like the gargoyles on the gothic cathedral, the scarecrow might have been a hex to protect the farm from harm and keep evil spirits away.

A scarecrow on a cross and the Tarot's Hanged Man

The scarecrow could even be represented in the tarot. There is a tarot card called the Hanged Man, which portrays a man hanging upside down from a beam. The character is passive, accepting his fate. The card symbolizes life in a state of suspension, static and unchanging. The image of the scarecrow forever attached to his beam is very similar to this card. Both the scarecrow and the “hanged man” do not evolve and seem unaware of their sad condition. Is this only a pause before further personal evolution?

Odin's Ravens

Being hanged was the Norse god Odin’s pause before his advancement.  Odin had an experience similar to the Hanged Man. In Norse mythology, Odin hung upside down from the world-tree Yggdrasil in order to attain enlightenment. He had to suffer greatly for his wisdom. After nine days Odin achieved his goal and discovered the Runes, died and was reborn, freed from the tree but at the cost of one of his eyes.  Suffering before spiritual growth is a theme in many religions.

To complete the circle, Odin was linked to his two ravens, Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory), which travel the world giving Odin information. Here ravens represent the power of the mind as they perch on Odin’s shoulder whispering in his ears. As crows perch on the scarecrow, granting them the advantage of sight over the fields.

Flock of blackbirds in a cemetery. A bad omen?

We return to the crows. In folklore crows were considered omens of doom and death, perhaps because of their black plumage, their eerie squawk and their scavenging for carrion. Like vultures they were thought to circle the dying. Crows and ravens were viewed as mysterious beings, often associated with the trickster spirit. Some were thought to be shape-shifters and symbolized knowledge, cunning, and trickery.  If crows were considered bad omens, then using a scarecrow to banish them seems to have a metaphysical as well as a practical purpose.

Posted from http://occultview.com/2010/10/24/crows-and-scarecrows-occult-meaning/ 

From Evernote:

Blog: Tarot Theory and Practice

For those who are interested in Tarot. Barbara Moore reviews the book, Tarot Theory & Practice by Ly De Angeles. Enjoy!

Peace & Love - 

Tater the wise Spud

Tarot Theory and Practice
from Llewellyn Unbound 

by Barbara Moore

Tarot shelves at bookstores are filled with beginner level books. Do we really need so many? Aren’t they all essentially the same?

I think we do need so many and that they are not essentially the same. First, they all differ in terms of voice and presentation. People learn differently and respond better to some styles of communication than to others. Every author has his or her own voice and way of explaining things. Second, not every tarot reader interprets or reads the cards in the same way. By seeing that there are so many different methods and schools of thought, new readers are encouraged to explore until they find what works for them.

This month we will look at eight different books that might be appropriate for beginners. Today’s book is Tarot Theory and Practice by Ly de Angeles.

The title sounds almost academic but after reading the opening poem, you know you are in for a much more interesting ride than you probably imagined:

   I am the song of you that calls you to awaken;

   The archer and the bow, not just the arrow.

   She speaks for me, but I am you, forsaken;

   I am you, always was, down to the marrow—

   The and ancient future,

   I am Tarot.

This book lets the reader know that they should figure out what they believe about tarot before they start throwing around the cards, willy nilly.

The Theory section includes such intriguing promises as:

A written exercise in understanding the infinite

An exercise asking the question “what if the events predicted through the tarot would never have occurred if they had not been predicted?

A discussion on the concept of thought, how it can cause things to manifest and how tarot’s predictions work by way of this understanding.

As well as other forays into the nature of reality, perception, and the soul’s journey.

Ah, then this book is not all heady conversations and philosophical musings. No, it takes all that groundwork and helps the reader create a belief-based practice. Pretty nice. And really great for the reader who wants to understand, to the best of their ability, the “why” and “how” of things.

There are the necessary bits, like card interpretations and how to perform a reading as well as a chapter on going pro and an appendix of card pairings. To me, this book is a very cool and intriguing blend of old-fashioned tarot reading, cutting edge science and philosophy, and magic. Very unique.

It is an intense book and likely to raise controversy in some circles. It is worth reading. Whether or not you agree with the paths this book hints at, it is good to see things from this point of view, if only to sharpen your own reasoning for NOT accepting it. Reading only what you agree with is like singing to the choir. Enjoyable but not doing a whole lot of good.

Posted from http://www.llewellyn.com/blog/2010/10/tarot-theory-and-practice-2/ 

From Evernote:

News: Ministry of Justice worker made hoax bomb calls to get out of work

Posted from the news desk of ilovetater.com

Perhaps this worker should have considered using a public phone instead of the phones inside the Justice building. Enjoy!

Later -

Tater Scot

Ministry of Justice worker made hoax bomb calls to get out of work

A Ministry of Justice worker made two hoax calls claiming there was a bomb in his building because he wanted to go home early, a court heard.

 

Published: 10:25AM BST 18 Oct 2010

Andre Lake called 999 and said there was a bomb in the Ministry of Justice building before hanging up Photo: DAVID ROSE

Andre Lake, 26, who had been working as an administration officer in the Youth Justice Office for four months, posed as the building's head of security when he made his second call.

City of Westminster Magistrates' Court heard Lake admitted he had made the two 999 phone calls because he "no longer enjoyed his work, had no annual leave left and he wanted to leave early."

Prosecutor Darren Watts said: "Police received a call to the Ministry of Justice building in Petty France in relation to a bomb threat.

"A male voice said there was a bomb in the Ministry of Justice building before hanging up.

"That call was made at 7.15am and subsequent inquires traced the call to within the building.

"A second call at was received at 8.20am.

"The caller reported himself to be head of security at the Ministry of Justice, but was in fact this defendant conveying the same threat."

An investigation led by police and government security officers managed to identify the phones used to make the calls and tracked them to the fifth and seventh floors of the building.

Mr Watts said the two floors were only accessible using a swipe card and that it was quickly discovered "this defendant was the only person to have used a swipe card at those times."

Lake was arrested at 3pm the same day and told the arresting officer he had been "foolish and stupid".

Mr Watts said: "The defendant's intention was to get released early from work.

"He said that he no longer enjoyed his work that he had no annual leave left and that he wanted to leave early."

The court heard 12 bags of herbal cannabis were later found at Lake's home and he claimed he had a £200 per month addiction to the class B drug.

Hamza Adesanu, for the defendant, said: "Mr Lake seemed to have been working well. He arrived early every morning and there had been no complaints about his work."

Lake, of Harrow, northwest London admitted a charge of communicating false information about a bomb hoax and possession of cannabis.

He was bailed to appear at Southwark Crown Court for sentence later this year.

Posted from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/8070733/Ministry-of-Justice-worker-made-hoax-bomb-calls-to-get-out-of-work.html 

From Evernote:

News: 11 mysteriously jump from Paris building

Posted from the news desk of ilovetater.com

Here is an example of what NOT to do if you see the Devil. Enjoy!

Later -

Tater Scot

11 mysteriously jump from Paris building

Associated Press

PARIS - Eleven people, including several children, were injured when they jumped from the third-story window of a suburban Paris apartment building Saturday, an official said.

It wasn't known if they jumped on purpose or were forced to, the judicial official said. There was no emergency in the building at the time, such as a fire.

The victims are of African origin, possibly from Angola, and an initial investigation suggested they jumped after one of the women involved became hysterical and started shouting she'd seen the devil, the official said.

Two members of the group - a 30-year-old man and a man with a criminal record who jumped out of the window holding a 2-year-old - have been taken into police custody, the official said on condition of anonymity in keeping with her job's regulations.

All 11 victims were hospitalized with multiple traumas. No life-threatening injuries were reported, although a 4-month-old infant was been admitted to a Paris children's hospital in serious condition, the official said.

The apartment building is located in the Paris suburb of La Verriere.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/2010/10/23/20101023france-jump-from-window-ON.html#ixzz13INGPOHd

From Evernote:

Blog: Vibration - A Key to Magick

For those who are interested in Magick. This article by Donald Michael Kraig discusses sound vibration as a key to Magick. Enjoy!

Peace & Love - 

Tater the wise Spud

Vibration: A Key to Magick

from Llewellyn Unbound 

by Donald Michael Kraig

After several thousand years, scientific theory has caught up with occult theory to realize that all matter is made up of energy that vibrates. This results in the conclusion that if we can control vibration, we can control matter. Luckily, there is a relatively easy way to do this, through what is called the Law of Resonance.

There are two aspects to this law:

1. An object will naturally vibrate more loudly at certain frequencies than it will at other frequencies.

The typical example of this takes place when you sing in a shower. Some notes will simply reflect off the tile walls while others will boom out quite loudly. The frequencies of an object where that increased volume occurs are known as resonant frequencies.

2. An object that oscillates at a frequency at or near the natural frequency of another object will cause that second object to oscillate.

The typical example of this is that of you play a violin note near a piano, strings in the piano at or near the frequency of the violin note being played will start to vibrate and produce a sound. This means you can cause a change in something without physically touching it. In fact, you don’t even have to be near it.

The trick to using this law in magick is also two-fold. First, you need to be able to say something loudly enough to have an effect on something else. Second, you need to be at the right frequency (at or near the object’s resonant frequency) to have an effect of the object on which you are performing your magick.

For example, lets say you are trying to work with your heart chakra. The sound that will do this (technically known as a bija mantra) is yam (pronounced “yahm”). You need to pronounce this loud enough and at the right pitch to cause the heart chakra to vibrate in resonance to your chant. You also need to open your psychic or spiritual senses so you can detect when your heart chakra is vibrating.

In ceremonial magick, there are certain terms that are meant to be vibrated during rituals. I have seen all sorts of explanations of this concept, but the only one I’ve been able to find that is regularly effective is simple: the “words of power” are meant to be said (or chanted) loudly and with a full breath.

Vibration of Words of Power

In order to accomplish this you have to breathe correctly. When you inhale, breathe in through your nose and fill your lungs completely. Your chest will expand you you should visualize the air and energy coming in, going through your head and filling it, then filling the rest of your body down to your toes and into the earth:

INHALE

Now, as you exhale, feel the air and energy coming up from the center of the earth, through your body, your head, and then exploding out through your mouth as you vibrate the words:

EXHALE

During the exhalation, project the word or words you mean to say at full volume. Here is an example I recorded of myself vibrating the word “ah-tah,” the first word of the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP). Click on it to hear it:

Ah-tah

Now I realize that if you live in a modern apartment with thin walls, you are going to have problems with this! In that case, use what is called the Great Voice. To learn to use the Great Voice, find a place where you can practice vibrating a word at full volume. As you practice, get used to the way the vibration feels, not just how it sounds. As you practice, make sure that the object you want to resonate to your voice (the universe, with the LBRP) continues to do so as your volume gets quieter. Eventually, you should be able to vibrate a word with whispers or even silently and get the same result as with a full, loud vibration. Vibrating a word or phrase silently, while having the same result as vibrating at full volume is the meaning of the Great Voice.

How do you use the volume and pitch of your voice in ritual?
Do you pay attention to it at all?

Popout

Original audio source (Ah-tah1.mp3)

Posted from http://www.llewellyn.com/blog/2010/10/vibration-a-key-to-magick/