Search A Light In The Darkness

Sunday 30 September 2007

Shifting With The Tide


Since our lives are constantly in motion energetically, change is a constant element of our existence. As dynamic as that energy is, it is not random or haphazard in nature—the shifts in energy that are constantly taking place are the result of our choices. The formulation of intention, a change in perspective, or the creation of a goal can transform our lives in blink of an eye. We think positive thoughts and the world becomes a brighter place. Or we decide who we want to be and become that person. With each passing moment, we are given innumerable opportunities to create change using nothing more than our awareness.

In the span of a single second, our lives can change immeasurably because energy moves at a pace more rapid than anything we can consciously fathom. Though we may not at first be sensitive to the vibrational shifts taking place, our choices are ultimately at the heart of these transformations. We can typically recognize the consequences of key decisions because we anticipated the resultant energetic shifts. But many, if not most, of the choices we make each day are a product of instantaneous reactions, and these still have a significant impact on the energy of our existence. It is for this reason that we should learn to wield what control we can over these shifts. If we bear in mind that all we think and all we do will shape the existence we know, we can deliberately direct the energetic motion of our lives.

Each day, you make an infinite array of decisions that cause energy shifts in the world around you. In many cases, these transitions are almost imperceptible, while in others the change that takes place is palpable not only to you but also to those in your sphere of influence. Your awareness of the immediate energetic consequences of your thoughts and actions can guide you as you endeavor to make the most of the autonomy that defines you as an individual. The myriad choices you make from moment to moment, however inconsequential they may seem, represent your personal power, which sanctions you to transform the energetic tide of your existence with nothing more than your will. (Daily OM)

Hexagram of the Day

11 Harmony
Earth stands above heaven and heaven seems to be on earth. The gravity of matter merges with the upward radiation of the light to merge in a deep harmony.

Strong earthquake hits near Auckland Islands

A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 struck near New Zealand's sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands last night.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Honolulu, Hawaii, issued a tsunami information notice but said no destructive widespread tsunami threat existed based on historical data.

New Zealand's Civil Defence authorities said they would not be putting out a tsunami alert, but would monitor the situation. Spokeswoman Dr Jo Horrocks told NZPA previous earthquakes of the same size in the same area had not produced tsunamis. AP quoted Invercargill police Senior Sergeant Brock Davis saying that three hours after the Hawaiian centre's notice he had not received any word of a tsunami reaching southern New Zealand.

The quake was recorded at 6.23pm NZ time about 12km below the earth's surface according to GNS Science, Lower Hutt. The agency put the epicentre at 220km northwest of the uninhabited Auckland Islands which are 475km southwest of Invercargill. (Yahoo Xtra News)

Another Sighting In Morocco ....

Today the Sunday Express can reveal the huge blunders made by Moroccan police who failed to act on a possible Madeleine sighting.

Hotelier James Valarino, 65, from Gibraltar, is certain he saw the missing four-year-old in the clutches of a European man at a market in Tangiers on August 8. The sighting has given fresh hope to her parents that their daughter could still be alive 150 days after she vanished. Last night Mr Valarino said: “I was shopping near the Old Medina about five in the afternoon when I saw a man acting nervously as he carried a little girl with blonde hair. At first I thought nothing strange of it because the man looked like he was the child’s father but when I got closer I saw her face and knew immediately it was Madeleine McCann. She was barefooted and he was trying to buy some shoes from a stall. I got closer to try to call her by her name but the man saw me and rushed off. The poor little child looked distressed and unhappy. She was clearly undernourished and appeared to be frightened of the man. He was very white, overweight and about 5ft 10in with fair hair. He looked to be in his mid-30s and appeared to be from northern Europe as he was so pale. I heard him ask the stall owner about children’s shoes in English and it sounded like his native tongue. He was carrying the youngster on his hip and stood at the stall for about five minutes. I did not get the chance to see her eyes but I have followed her story from the day she went missing and I am certain it was her. I only wish I had been brave enough to say something to him.”

The father of four had to wait until he returned to Gibraltar the following day to report what he had seen because Moroccan police said they could not understand him. After making a statement in Gibraltar, Mr Valarino heard nothing more and feared the sighting had been overlooked.

Then last week four sightings of Madeleine in Morocco emerged and despite the fact that one was ruled out, private investigators working for the McCanns are believed to be following the trail in Tangiers and Marrakech, where the first sighting was made on May 9. (Sunday Express)


Quick Insight - Morocco, is there anything of significance in the sightings?'

3 of Weapons (reversed) -
Prime of Weapons -the flaming sword.
Giver of Crescents -

There appears to be clarity in the insight here. Some clear message provided. However ... it seems not to relate to an affirmative sighting of Madeleine in Morocco. However, with the appearance of the Flaming Sword ... in principle Madeleine may well have been one of the girls sighted in Morocco.

What is clear here ... are the THREE HANDS behind her disappearance. Note the Three of Weapons at the top left of the working. Three swords pierce a heart. The card relates to the separation of a loved one from its family. The subject is the disappearance of Madeleine McCann from her family. Note ... one hand holds the Flaming Sword (is in possession of Maddy) and another two hold swords which pierce the heart and are therefore involved.

Moving now to the image of the Giver of Crescents. 'The giver of illusion and deception' in other words. In the image we clearly see the three hands behind it all .... 'The Face of the Moon in the background; who is the mastermind or he who ordered the disappearance in the first instance. Then there is the Neptunian Woman in the centre of the image with Crescent held above her head ... receiving instructions from the face in the moon (seen as the collected tears). She stands within her craft driven by two of her minions within the ocean of public emotions. She is within it all. She is the hand I decree who has possession of the Flaming Sword. She is within the public ... part of it all. Then finally we have the third hand ... the robed figure with its back to the observer ... hiding its identity from the observer's gaze. This figure hides its persona because this is symbolic of the fact that this persona is perhaps in the public eye and known! The Robed Figure waits on dry land ... perhaps an actual location ... maybe he is 'the collector' ... he who Maddy will be taken to ... he who she is to be passed to when it is time for her safe release??????

Somewhere in the Morocco sightings there is some degree of truth but where? A sighting of Madeleine is suggested by the four faces which surround the Flaming Sword in the Prime of Weapons? The possibility that the sheath of restriction which currently exists around Maddy ... has been on the move. Either someone has been deliberate in their actions ... permitting Maddy to be seen on the move ... to let it be known Maddy is indeed alive. Or ... the sightings are clever deceptions created by the three hands .. with 'lookalikes' in places where they are meant to be seen; with agents told to 'act suspicious' to draw attention to themselves.... so the witnesses will report the sightings ... drawing attention to the occurrences ... by way of decoys. To permit Maddy to slip through the net ...

However, intuition shines bright ... a sighting has truly been Maddy but which one? There is a clever net of confusion here. Create confusion with 'lookalikes' to permit the real Maddy to be moved northwards ... by way of the least expected route, but not with the 'company' attributed to those routes; it is easy for operatives to be dressed to appear like the locals in truth.

Clavicula Nox

Clavicula Nox is a magical symbol, one of the key symbol in Dragon Rouge. In Latin, phrase clavicula noctis literally means key of night.

Clavicula Nox symbol is composed by Atlantis symbol – a trident placed into a circle. The trident, symbol of Neptune, Shiva and also devil, symbolise unconsciousness, the circle represent consciousness. Clavicula Nox is a symbol which means process of turning unconsciousness into a consciousness.


It is a psychological meaning of Atlantis myths. Thomas Karlsson, co-founder of Dragon Rouge, explain further origins and additional meaning of the symbol:

Neptune, Shiva and Satan are symbols of lower surface, of a dark side of existence. This symbol shows us the existence of male and female elements. It is a tantric revelation of combination a man and woman as a center to stimulate a dark power. Clavicula Nox is the astral key, which opens the gates to many different experiences. They may be found after an Dragon Rouge initiation, being at 5th level, Thagirion. Gates are called Xon, and Clavicula Nox is a map which helps to find them. Clavicula Nox is also a key. Key of Night, Nox - of spirit, of Xon gate. ” (Answers.com)

The Psychological Model of Magick

Sigmund Freud's theory of the subconscious revolutionized Western thinking in general and psychology (which he did not, as some people are wont to believe, invent all by himself) in particular. Suddenly, man was seen as a being which was only partially conscious and in control of itself. While psychology is still fighting for its academical recognition as a science, it has stamped its mark on therapeutic disciplines - and on magic.

The psychological model of magic does not purport to explain how magic works, its only premise is that the subconscious (or, as Carl Jung later retagged it, the unconscious) will do the job if it is properly addressed and/or conditioned. This again is achieved by magical trance, suggestion and the use of symbols (i.e. selective sensory input) as tools of association and as a means of communication between the magician's conscious will and his subconscious faculty responsible for putting it into effect.

Aleister Crowley dabbled a great deal in the psychological model which comes as no surprise as he not only tried to keep up with all major academic disciplines of his time but thought himself to be the world's greatest psychologist into the bargain. But all considered he remained a traditionalist exponent of the spirit model: after all Aiwass was, in his belief, a praeternatural entity. Nevertheless he did have a knack of explaining magic in psychological terms to make it sound sensible to the sceptics of his time.

A more radical approach was taken by Austin Osman Spare whose sigil magic rests on the basic tenets of the psychological model. Spare's brilliant system is in principle an inversion of Freud's theory of complexes: by actively suppressing his will in the form of a graphical sigil and forgetting it, the magician creates an artificial "complex" which then starts to work on similar lines just as suppressed, subconscious traumas will cause neurotic behaviour etc.

The psychological magician is a programmer of symbols and different states of consciousness. He is not necessarily in need of a transcendent otherworld or even subtle energies, though in practice he will usually work on the assumption that one or the other (or both) do in fact exist and can be utilized by his subconscious.

Authors such as Israel Regardie, Dion Fortune, William Butler, Francis King, William Gray and to some extent Pete Carroll subscribe to the psychological model which seems to be the primary domain of the English speaking world of magic and which has become the prevailing paradigm ever since the seventies of this century.

Favourite Places: Inchnadamph

Inchnadamph, Assynt, Sutherland

I last visited Inchnadamph which is located almost right at the top end of Scotland around 25 years ago while on holiday with family. I'd gone for a walk with my late Father and we'd ventured into a desolate land. A silent land. An awe inspiring land. There was not a single sound on the wind. No bird. No sheep. Nothing. It was just an ominous silence. It was in truth a totally 'spiritual experience'. Profound and powerful. The overwhelming feeling of presence was shared by both of us. I'd forgotten about the experience until recently. Funny, I can remember the feeling I felt that day. The goose bumps on my arms. The strong feeling of being watched. The weird experience of being in a landscape devoid of any sound ... it was total silence at the height of summer ... moments before we'd wandered across glen and moor surrounded by the cries of Larks, Gulls, distant cattle. In one single moment we'd crossed an invisible threshold ... to be transported into a silent, mystical and enchanting land.

Was It The Maid Who Took Maddy?

News of the World Headline 'Find The Maid'; says: 'British cops launched an urgent hunt for a new suspect in the Maddie McCann case — after an astonishing tip-off from the Prince OF Wales.

An anonymous email sent to the prince's official website insists three-year-old Madeleine was kidnapped from the Mark Warner Ocean Club holiday resort in Portugal by a disgruntled ex-employee.

The informant named a maid who was sacked from the apartment complex in Praia da Luz and claimed she snatched the child in a crazed revenge plot. British police are now liaising with Portuguese detectives over the dramatic new twist which is revealed 150 days after Maddie vanished. British police believe the tipster entrusted the new information to Prince Charles because he and wife Camilla came out firmly in support of Maddie's parents Kate and Gerry.

In a statement released from Clarence House in May, the royal couple said they had been following the case "closely and with deep concern" and "fervently hoped" Madeleine would be reunited with her family.

As soon as the whistleblower's email arrived on the royal website aides passed it to Scotland Yard. Officers from Leicestershire police— the McCanns' local force—are now trying to trace the writer. The detectives have already established that the named ex-employee EXISTS and the checkable details appear to be ACCURATE.


IMO - In My Opinion
Think back to Carol Everett's sketches ... on her web site. She drew someone who appeared to be in a maid's uniform? Remember? This is old, old ground. Something which was explored back in May/June. Indeed ... it needs to be revisited perhaps?


Insight - 'Was it The Maid who took Maddy?

The Devil
User of Staves (reversed)
2 of Spheres

Unlikely. The User of Staves represents 'the hand of the Unicorn' ... It appears that this can now be explained as the British Police & Intelligence forces being involved in the situation. The dark force they are 'destroying' is more than likely the Portuguese PJ ... and the book which is the focus of this detonation is the dossier the PJ have on Kate & Gerry. The hand of the Unicorn reversed suggests it is highly unlikely that investigations of The Maid will ever lead to her being reported as being Maddy's abductor. It seems this line of enquiry will be ruled out ...

The Devil image appears to be the restraints in place that control what can be reported appertaining to this information. The 2 of Spheres is the imbalance of the justice system with regard to what the PJ say and what the McCanns cannot ... plus it appears to that the gathered evidence will not be weighted toward it being The Maid who was the abductor ... but it may lead instead to another suspect ... but it also points to the fact that Maddy was 'abducted' and therefore alive ... meaning that the evidence which suggests she perished in the apartment can be dismissed. The investigation in truth will be now on the trail of a living & breathing Madeleine McCann!

Disgrace of Madeleine cop

Sunday Mirror Headline; says: 'Portuguese police chief Goncalo Amaral worked as little as four-and-a--half hours a day this week - despite a mountain of uninvestigated sightings of Madeleine McCann on his desk.

The Sunday Mirror has discovered that 252 possible tip-offs about the four-year-old have been reported to Amaral, any one of which might just lead to her being traced. But the vast majority have not even been checked. Amaral, in charge of a squad of 30 detectives, has convinced himself she is dead, despite having no evidence for it.

And since the return from Portugal of Kate and Gerry McCann and most of the media covering the case, many in his squad have had their feet up, their main role seemingly to provide drinking companions for their boss.

The McCanns, who cling to the hope of getting Madeleine back, will be appalled that the inquiry - supposedly still running at full-steam - has effectively stopped amid a welter of boozy lunch breaks. A source close to the family said: "It is devastating for them to know leads are not being chased up. They always feared that once they left Portugal, the inquiry would peter out."

Amaral, who is himself under investigation for allegedly helping to cover up a police beating carried out to extract a confession from the mother of another missing girl, is the regional head of the Policia Judiciaria, or PJ for short.

The Search For The Truth

It was five months ago this week that Madeleine McCann vanished from a holiday apartment in Portugal. In this special report, Sky's crime correspondent Martin Brunt examines the investigation so far and separates fact from fiction.

Special Preview Of The Search For The Truth...These thoughts are more fully explored in a special programme Madeleine: The Search For The Truth on Sky News tonight at 7.30pm. (9.30pm Monday 1st October 2007 in New Zealand)


Rune Insight: 'Where To Next?'

Transcript
Rune Insight (Using Power of the Runes)
Sunday 30th September 2007

'Where to next? What direction must the path be taken to reach a favourable conclusion?'

Top Cards (From Left to Right):
Kenaz (Ken) - The light of the torch. Illumination. Will power. Light in darkness.
Naudhiz (Nied) - Tidal or bow wave. Need. Deliverance
Ingwaz (Ing) - Protection. Growth. Patience.

Middle Cards
Dagaz (Daeg) - Daylight. Awakening. Understanding. Synthesis of opposites. A new way of seeing.
Elhaz (Eolh) - Protection. Elk. Antlers. .The unity of life and death.Transformation

Bottom Card

Jera (Jara) - Successful outcome. Harvest. Right time. Return. Completion.

Interpretation:
Again the transformation of the situation from the speculation of 'death' to the total opposite that of 'life'. All the 'evidence' and the slurs will be seen to gradually fade away as new reports regarding a living & breathing little girl gather momentum. This is merely confirmation of this transformation outlined in transcripts earlier in September. Jera deals with Harvest time ... with Harvest festival when all the crops are harvested ... intuition senses further sightings close by to fields or by workers in a field (perhaps?) ...

Clearly with the rune Elhaz (Eolh - Elksedge) ... a favoured rune of protection my intuition is at ease ... I intuit so very strongly that indeed Madeleine is very much alive and protected. Kept safe. Kept away from danger. In some kind of 'safe house' ... under the watchful eyes of ones who will prevent any harm from befalling her. A favourable outcome is once more confirmed. Daeg is the light of dawn after the darkness. It is the breakthrough ... the sense of progress made. Some key event is unfolding ... preempted by the runes. A 'new way of seeing' will discover perhaps the hiding place ... covert intelligence surveillance or satellite surveillance perhaps? Indeed the time arrives for something covert to jump up another gear ... as forces combine to bring this situation to a conclusion. The energy of the middle two cards combined is not a combination to be taken lightly ... there is something significant unfolding in the weeks ahead .... certainly before the end of Harvest time ... the fear of death has been faced, overcome ... and the pathway forged beyond this painful barrier for Kate & Gerry as the instigator decides enough is enough .... it is time for a conclusion. Interestingly Nied & Ing are the same images from the last Rune transcript ... the journey taken by this situation and the two sides of the story ... the official line and the line reported by the press. The two are clearly not one and the same. There is no way any of the covert operation will ever reach the PC screens of the tabloids ...

Another interesting insight is the Antlers, the deerlike Elk ... reference again to the home ground of the Deer ... a reference to previous insights ... here we appear to have the rainbow's end. Somewhere close to where swans and geese fly ... or are the geese more wild geese yet to fly to hide the journey taken covertly to the rainbow's end? More confusion unfolds ... more from the cloud making machine. Another cover story to hide what will take place behind the scenes.

Thus the tabloids may attempt to shock us all once more. Confuse us with more conflicting tales of speculation. Be prepared. Stand firm. Buy another novel ... more salt ... and don't believe what is written in the news.

Mothers of Rain

Music by Tangerine Dream



Something dreamy and contemplative (for a change)

The Energy Model of Magick

The rise of the energy model in the West is marked primarily by the appearance of Mesmerism towards the end of the 18th century. Anton Mesmer, who was not an occultist but who was on the other hand regarded by his contemporaries to be a "miracle worker" of sorts, rediscovered amongst other things the ancient healing disciplines of hypnosis and magnetism. He popularised his theory of "animal magnetism" which he saw as a subtle force inherent in organisms, but he also made heavy use of metal magnets for healing purposes.

While the French Revolution put a temporary end to Mesmer's movement, his ideas were not lost. They were taken up by a number of others, primarily occultists, who drew on them while developing their own theories of magic. One of the first to do so was Bulwer Lytton of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA), who postulated the existence of a subtle energy which he termed Vril, possibly deriving from Latin virilitas or "force, power, strength".

We can observe interesting parallels to this concept in the vitalist theories of biology which emerged around the same time. Other exponents of the energy model of magic (not then so termed) were Reichenbach with his concept of Od, Eliphas Levi and his Astral Light and Mme. Blavatsky, who adopted the theories of Prana from Yoga physiology. This was also the time when anthropology and ethnology discovered the Polynesian concept of Mana and Asiatic scholars began to concern themselves with the Chinese principle of Ki or Ch'i (Chi). The latter two go to show, of course, that the idea of subtle energies utilized by magic is far older than the 18th century. In fact, we can observe it already in early shamanic cultures. Shamanic magic is very frequently a mixture between spirit and energy model, e.g. the shaman may call upon his spirits or gods to give him "power" or he may, vice versa, use his power to extort favours from them.

In its pure form, however, the shaman or magician is not in need of spirits and other entities. The world is viewed as being "vitalised" by subtle forces or energies and his primary task consists in mastering the art of perceiving and manipulating them. As all phenomena are basically energetic in nature, the existence of an otherworld is not strictly required. Thus, the magician is more of an "energy dancer" than a "fence rider" or go-between. But even here the key to the perception, charging and general utilization of these forces is again the magical trance or, as Chaos Magic terms it, gnosis.

Theories and practices pertaining to the energy model can be found with many magical authors but it has seen its real, large scale popularity only since the seventies of our century when the general influx of Eastern thinking (pace the Hippie movement) made concepts such as chakra and kundalini work a mainstay of most occult disciplines. Strong energy model elements can also be found in Franz Bardon's system of "electromagnetic fluids", "condensators" etc.

Clan Heritage

Gaelic Name: Mac Eanruig
Motto: Sola virtus nobilitat (Virtue alone ennobles)
Lands: Glencoe & Caithness

Favourite Places: Glencoe

Buachaille Etive Mor, Glencoe, Scotland

The Synchronicity Principle

We have some notion of a tendency of events to cluster around a moment in time in our own culture, as evidenced by folk sayings like, "Good things (or accidents) happen in threes," etc. This only exists as a superstitious kind of popular awareness. Nevertheless, it has long been evident that there is a tendency for several scientists at the same time to make the same discovery completely independently. And, in histories of science, one can observe that there is a tendency for certain ideas and inventions to crop up in different places at the same time. Or, on a more mundane level, one has been known to wonder why the most needed library book is always the one already checked out?

Although a synchronistic point of view would seem to fly in the face of "scientific method," designed to support the value of statistical truth and predict cause and effect, the principle was strongly validated by the micro-physicist, Werner Heisenberg's discovery in 1937. In the proof of his Uncertainty Principle, which still stands, Heisenberg demonstrated that, in the realm of sub-atomic particles, everything has an influence on everything else, including the perceiver's influence on what is perceived. This is another way of saying that everything that happens in a given situation at a given time is related to and participates with everything else. So, as far as we know now, there is no such thing as "scientific objectivity," statistical probabilities notwithstanding. As Jung put it:

"Every process is partially or totally interfered with by chance, so much so that under natural circumstances a course of events absolutely conforming to specific laws is almost an exception."

In his fascinating book, New Directions in the I-Ching, mathematician Larry Schoenholtz points out that there are several scientific theories that seem to validate the synchronicity theory:

"Since I have mentioned the connection of synchronicity with the better-known theories of mainstream physics, I shall mention other parallels as well. The phenomenon of radioactive decay has been particularly baffling from the causal viewpoint. The spontaneous disintegration of certain atoms through radioactive emission is an event for which modern physics cannot provide an answer"

But it is quite in keeping with a synchronistic view of things. No less a figure than the physicist Sir James Jeans says of this mystery,

"Radioactive break-up appeared to be an effect without a cause, and suggested that the ultimate laws of nature were not even causal."

If we add to the radioactivity puzzle such related puzzles as are found in the quantum theory, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, and most of the tenets cited in Einstein's general theory of relativity, an impressive case can be made for incorporating the synchronicity principle into mainstream physics.

When the unified field theory is worked out to the bone - the evidence here, too, is mounting steadily - and the entire clockworks of the cosmos can be brought under a set of unifying equations, this will be the final touch for bringing the synchronicity principle into full popularity among scientists.

The application of synchronicity is based on the strategy that looking for the meaning in coincidental events is more pragmatic than striving to predict things according to notions of causality, surmised from statistical records. Perhaps ancient oriental scientists, who lacked our record keeping technology, found it easier to realize this and devised the Book of Changes to put their observations to work. By using the magic of numerical chance within the context of an ingenious system of archetypal readings, they claimed they were able to follow the convoluted patterns of how things tend to go together. Maybe now, using a personal computer, we can take advantage of their prescience in a way that honors the best of both worlds. (Tarot.com)

Hexagram of the Day

Today's Hexagram
Saturday, September 29th, 2007

10 Treading Carefully
People of ability find their way, and make progress even in difficult circumstances. Consider your steps carefully when you are surrounded by powerful forces.

Source: Hexagram of the Day

Power Animals: The Bat

Bat holds the power of adaptability. When bat appears in your life its message may be to examine your surroundings to discern what bounty is being offered to you, and then alter your patterns so you can receive it... bat totem animal guide totem animal powers of totems bat medicine

Bat sleeps during the day and hunts for food at night. Unstead of seeing whit her eyes, Bat "hears" her way around by sonar echolocation. Invoke Bat's medicine powers to be able to hear messages from dark recesses of the psychic realm and to develop occult abilities, psychic powers and positive magic. Tribal peoples also invoke Bat medicine powers for rebirth and initiation.

Rebirth. Shaman initiates undergo a ritual death in which they face their fears and are reborn without their old identities. Bat medicine teaches us to release fear and any pattern which no longer fits in with our pattern of growth.

To the Chinese, the bat is symbolic of long life and happiness. to the tribal peoples of the Americas, the bat is emblematic of shamanistic initiation and rebirth. The bat goes into the womblike darkness of the cave only to emerge again. This sign can appear when you are about to enter into the deep unknown and hidden fears that dwell inside you. After symbolic death, you will experience rebirth and renewal.

Voodoo!

Voodoo is a derivative of the world’s oldest known religions which have been around in Africa since the beginning of human civilization. Some conservative estimates these civilizations and religions to be over 10 000 years old. This then identify Voodoo as probably the best example of African syncretism in the Americas.

Although its essential wisdom originated in different parts of Africa long before the Europeans started the slave trade, the structure of Voodoo, as we know it today, was born in Haiti during the European colonization of Hispaniola. Ironically, it was the enforced immigration of enslaved African from different ethnic groups that provided the circumstances for the development of Voodoo. European colonists thought that by desolating the ethnic groups, these could not come together as a community. However, in the misery of slavery, the transplanted Africans found in their faith a common thread.

They began to invoke not only their own Gods, but to practice rites other than their own. In this process, they comingled and modified rituals of various ethnic groups. The result of such fusion was that the different religious groups integrated their beliefs, thereby creating a new religion: Voodoo. The word "voodoo" comes from the West African word "vodun," meaning spirit. This Afro-Caribbean religion mixed practices from many African ethnics groups such as the Fon, the Nago, the Ibos, Dahomeans, Congos, Senegalese, Haussars, Caplaous, Mondungues, Mandinge, Angolese, Libyans, Ethiopians, and the Malgaches.

Within the voodoo society, there are no accidents. Practitioners believe that nothing and no event has a life of its own. That is why "vous deux", you two, you too. The universe is all one. Each thing affects something else. Scientists know that. Nature knows it. Many spiritualists agree that we are not separate, we all serve as parts of One. So, in essence, what you do unto another, you do unto you, because you ARE the other. Voo doo. View you. We are mirrors of each others souls. God is manifest through the spirits of ancestors who can bring good or harm and must be honored in ceremonies. There is a sacred cycle between the living and the dead. Believers ask for their misery to end. Rituals include prayers, drumming, dancing, singing and animal sacrifice.

The serpent figures heavily in the Voodoo faith. The word Voodoo has been translated as "the snake under whose auspices gather all who share the faith". The high priest and/or priestess of the faith (often called Papa or Maman) are the vehicles for the expression of the serpent's power. The supreme deity is Bon Dieu.

There are hundreds of spirits called Loa who control nature, health, wealth and happiness of mortals. The Loa form a pantheon of deities that include Damballah, Ezili, Ogu, Agwe, Legba and others. During Voodoo ceremonies these Loa can possess the bodies of the ceremony participants. Loa appear by "possessing" the faithful, who in turn become the Loa, relaying advice, warnings and desires. Voodoo is an animist faith. That is, objects and natural phenomena are believed to possess holy significance, to possess a soul. Thus the Loa Agwe is the divine presence behind the hurricane.

Voodoo is a practical religion, playing an important role in the family and the community. One's ancestors, for instance, are believed to be a part of the world of the spirits, of the Loas, and this is one way that Voodoo serves to root its participants in their own history and tradition. Another practical aspect of Voodoo ceremonies is that participants often come before the priest or priestess to seek advice, spiritual guidance, or help with their problems. The priest or priestess then, through divine aid, offer help such as healing through the use of herbs or medicines (using knowledge that has been passed down within the religion itself), or healing through faith itself as is common in other religions. Voodoo teaches a respect for the natural world.

Unfortunately, the public’s perception of voodoo rites and rituals seems often to point to the evil or malicious side of things. There are healing spells, nature spells, love spells, purification spells, joyous celebration spells. Spirits may be invoked to bring harmony and peace, birth and rebirth, increased abundance of luck, material happiness, renewed health.The fact is, for those who believe it, voodoo is powerful. It is also empowering to the person who practices it.

The strength that the Africans in Haiti gained from their religion was so strong and powerful, that they were able to survive the cruel persecution of the French rulers against Voodoo. It was in the midst of this struggle that the revolution was conspired. The Voodoo priests consulted their oracle and learned how the political battle would have to be fought in order for them to be victorious. The revolution exploded in 1791 with a Petr— ritual and continued until 1804 when the Haitians finally won independence. Today the system of Voodoo reflects its history. We can see the African ethnic mixture in the names of different rites and in the pantheon of Gods or Loas, which is composed of deities from all parts of Africa.

Haiti's government officially sanctioned voodoo as a religion on 10th April 2003, allowing practitioners to begin performing ceremonies from baptisms to marriages with legal authority.

A Buddha's view


A person asked Buddha:

"Are you a God?"
Buddha’s reply was
"No."

"Are you an Angel?"
"No."

"Then what are you?"
"I am Awake
."

The Spirit Model of Magick

This is purportedly the oldest model of magic though it may very well have come into existence after or simultaneously with the energy model. We can find it worldwide in shamanic cultures as well as in many religions.

Its basic premise is the existence of an otherworld inhabited by more or less autonomous entities such as spirits, angels, demons, gods etc. The shaman or magician is someone who can enter this otherworld at will, who has travelled widely in it, knows its language and customs and has made friends, smitten enemies and/or acquired allies and servitors there.

This is important as all magic is of these entities' making. The modern German word for witch, "Hexe" (f.) illustrates this rather neatly if we take a closer look at its etymology. It derives from Old High German "hagazussa" which translates as "fence rider". The hagazussa is riding the "fence between the worlds" i.e. she is at home in the world of everyday life as well as in the magical otherworld of spirits.

In the spirit model magic is seen as being effected by these entities who are usually invisible, at least to the average punter, and it is the shaman's or magician's task to make them put his will into effect. This may be done by prayer, by barter, by cajoling or even - vide medieval demon magic - by the application of magical force, threats and pressure.

The otherworld may have its own geography but it is usually considered to coexist with the world of everyday life. The key to entering it is an altered state of consciousness, controlled trance or ecstasy of which the shaman is an expert.

Sigil Theory

A sigil is an original artistic creation, produced by conceiving a sentence that expresses a magical intent, and converting that sentence into a pictoral representation. The point is to obtain an image that can carry the intent past the psychic censor and into the subconscious mind, where it becomes magically effective.

Sigil Magic uses these glyphs as a means to bridge the gap between the conscious and subconscious mind. It compares in some respects to traditional "talisman magic", in which predetermined symbols (such as planetary or astrological ones) are used to embellish a physical device that will encompass the "power" represented by those symbols. Generally, the talisman is subsequently carried by the user as a "charm".

In contrast, a sigil is a customised tool designed to bring about a specific effect, and it's physical basis is only used once at the time of the subconscious implantation, after which it is generally (although not always) destroyed.

Sigils are monograms of thought, for the government of energy ... a mathematical means of symbolising desire and giving it form that has the virtue of preventing any thought and association on that particular desire (at the magical time), escaping the detection of the Ego, so that it does not restrain or attach such desire to its own transitory images, memories and worries, but allows it free passage to the sub-consciousness. --A.O.Spare, "The Book Of Pleasure"

Aker (Akeru, Akerui)

Aker was an ancient earth-god in Egypt. He was believed to guard the gates of the dawn from which the sun rose each morning. He was portrayed as a double-headed lion, or a two lions sitting back-to-back. In between them is shown the sun with the sky overhead. In this way they form the akhet symbol, which was a symbol of the horizon. Occasionally they were portrayed bearing the akhet on their backs (as in the image to the right).

The two lions were called Sef and Duau, which means "Yesterday" and "Today" respectively.

As Egyptians believed that the gates of the morning and evening were guarded by Aker, they often placed statues of lions at the doors of their palaces and tombs. This was to guard the households and tombs from evil spirits and other malevolent beings. Sometimes they gave these statues the heads of men and women. The Greeks called this class of statuary, "Sphinxes."

Saturday 29 September 2007

Birmingham 0-1 Man Utd

Cristiano Ronaldo struck five minutes after half-time to give Manchester United victory at Birmingham and move them second in the Premier League.

United lost keeper Edwin van der Sar through injury at half-time and had to survive a spirited Birmingham display. Van der Sar saved well from Cameron Jerome and Rio Ferdinand cleared off the line from Gary McSheffrey.

Ronaldo grabbed the winner when he took advantage of Franck Queudrue's error to round Maik Taylor and score.

It was Ronaldo's 100th Premier League start, and the display summed up United's season so far - failing to scale the heights but grinding out the victory. (BBC Sport)

150 Days

The McCanns are preparing for another painful milestone tomorrow, which will be the 150th day since Madeleine disappeared.

Police are desperate to break a perceived "pact of silence" between the friends, and have made a series of slurs against them and the McCanns in a bid to panic them into speaking out.

On Wednesday police sources briefed Portuguese journalists that their counterparts in Spain were investigating a "suspicious" trip to Huelva by the McCanns - a claim which was denied outright as "totally false" by Spanish authorities yesterday.

The denial adds weight to the McCanns' belief that they are victims of a smear campaign fuelled by the Portuguese police.

But the couple secured a victory yesterday when Portugal said it would push for the creation of an EU-wide alert system for missing children. (Daily Mail)

Chant of Protection

If you are feeling uneasy, nervous or threatened, try repeating this chant quietly to yourself.

Divine Goddess, Goddess Divine,
Divine God, God Divine,
If evil dwells within this place,
Please make it leave my space.

Hamilton Gardens



Original Photographs by Matthew James

A Sojourn Today

Hamilton Gardens
Original Photograph by Matthew James

It was pleasant early Spring today here in New Zealand. Wanting some fresh air we ventured to Hamilton Gardens for a sojourn through one of the places we enjoy visiting over here. A pleasant and peaceful place .... not quite on a par with Glastonbury or Avebury or Stonehenge .... but inspirational nonetheless.

Daily Merlin Insight: The Middle Man?

The 9 of Crescents & the 10 of Crescents have appeared once more. This time side by side .... e happy ending previously intuited ... at the end of this campaign trail of which the spokesperson is at the forefront of.

Transcript

Daily Merlin Insight (Using The Servants of the Light tarot)
Saturday 29th September 2007
10:00pm - 10:40pm
NZ

'Insights to perhaps perceive what is behind the wall of illusion created to disguise the core of the mystery?'

Using a photograph of someone in the middle of the entire campaign as the link ... receiving the name 'Brendan' almost immediately? Why? Tension seen behind this gentleman's eyes ... a pressure on his shoulders. A willing servant and a worthy spokesperson. Looking beyond this now into what is within ... the 'core of the mystery' itself ... I note then the 4 of Staves .... its imagery amid the whiteout of the camera flash. This is what you would expect of the spokesperson. The one at the forefront now of the campaign. Thus ... begins the trail of crystals from this image. The lone stone. From this lone stone ... the trail leads to The Priest (the hierophant or wounded healer) ... and the Court of Weapons ... the place where the User of Weapons (Gerry M) went a visiting one day with the Flaming Sword in his arms ... ???? What court does this relate to? Masonic? Or in relation to the medical profession? Or perhaps even both? The court and the Priest stand side by side which suggests the wounder healer ... is someone linked to this 'event' ... This situation is apparently significant? Or so my intuition appears to say ...

Remember in 'the early days' ... the image of the Keeper of Weapons represented an ocean going vessel. From this scenario ... I now intuit that indeed Maddy is still safe and well. Her whereabouts truly seem to be known. Sealed lips are essential as are diversionary tactics ... to avert the 'custodians' attentions. To permit subterfuge still. The spokesperson's lips are sealed with regard to this truth. He is linked with agencies of intelligence and is advising Gerry & Kate to remain silent with regard to the current slurs? Regardless of the Portuguese Laws relating to their silence ... he is advising it anyway .... there is some kind of investigation being undertaken here and the collecting of evidence. He knows more than he will ever publically say ....

The 9 of Crescents & the 10 of Crescents have appeared once more. This time side by side .... e happy ending previously intuited ... at the end of this campaign trail of which the spokesperson is at the forefront of. Interestingly ... he appears to play chameleon roles ... he is the middle man too it seems ... the one who has the power to let his hammer fall .... !!!!

The interesting thing is that the Keeper of Crescents makes up the trio of Crescents at the top of the working. The image of the crescent before 'the king' ... the woman of the mermaid's tale holds the crescent above her head ... the face in the moon and two males witness this event .... this appears quite pivotal to the outcome ... the decision made by the abductor perhaps (represented as the face of the moon .... 'the master deceiver' ... ??) looks on as 'the custodian' is finally instructed to hand back what she or her minions have held in secrecy up until this present time .... ???

The custodian sits on an island amid the choppy seas of the public emotion (the intuited meaning of the image) and so is very much aware of the emotion and the torment the situation has created. She is likely to have spoken of her concerns to the face in the moon. She is clearly linked to him through the communication networks or the media network. The fact she opposes his ongoing decisions is quite clearly sensed. Do I sense she now may be providing snippets of information anonymously to elsewhere in the media network? The question here is ... does the spokesperson have contact with the woman 'of the mermaid's tale'?? The woman who's business is linked to 'analysing' and assessing public reactions and public views??

Uragh Stone Circle; County Cork.


A huge monolith is set very close to the tiny stone circle, and the whole is perched on a little terrace halfway up the hillside giving breathtaking views across Loch Inchiquin.

The circle is a typical Irish five stone recumbent with average sized slablike stones tangentially placed, all are standing but the SE portal stone has started to fall.

The monolith is a huge rectangular slab standing only 60cm from the recumbent stone, it has been arranged radially to the circle, totally dominating the site. Uragh should be at the top of the trip list for the megalithically inclined visitor in this region.

Stonehenge Aotearoa


Stonehenge Aotearoa, a full-scale working adaptation of Stonehenge, ... designed and built for its precise location in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand.

The Once and Future King

Up until recently, little was known about the Merovingian kings, as they inhabited that historical epoch derided as the Dark Ages. The founder of the royal line, Merovech, was said to be of two fathers -- his mother, already pregnant by King Chlodio, was seduced while swimming in the ocean by a Quinotaur, whatever that was, and Merovech was formed somehow by the commingling of Frankish blood and that of the mysterious aquatic creature. Like the Nazoreans of old, the Merovingian monarchs never cut their hair and bore a distinctive birthmark -- said to be a red cross over the shoulder blades. Their robes were fringed with tassels which were said to carry magical curative powers. They were known as occult adepts, and in one Merovingian tomb was found such items as a golden bull's head, a crystal ball, and several golden miniature bees. Strangely, many skulls of these monarchs appear to have been ritually incised; i.e., trepanned.

The Sicambrians, ancestors of the Franks, were known as the "people of the Bear" for their worship of the bear-goddess Arduina. The word "Arcadia" comes from Arkas, patron god of that area of Greece, the son of the nymph Callisto, sister of the huntress Artemis. Callisto's constellation is also known to many as Ursa Major, the Great Bear. The name "Arthur" comes from the Celtic arth, related to "Ursus" -- namely, "bear." In legend, the Merovingians were said to be descended from the Trojans, and Homer reports that Troy was founded by a colony of Arcadians. The "Prieure documents" claim that the Arcadians were descended from Benjamites driven out of Palestine by their fellow Israelites for idolatry. "Arcadia" was also known as the source of the River Alphaeus, the "underground stream" which figures so prominently in Coleridge's poetry and in esoteric literature. The Merovingians were "sacred kings" who reigned but did not rule, leaving the secular governing function to chancellors known as the Mayors of the Palace. It was one of these Mayors, Pepin the Fat, who founded the dynasty that came to supplant them -- the Carolingians.

One of the great Merovingian kings, Clovis, struck a deal with the newly nascent Roman church. He would subdue their enemies, the Arian Visigoths and the pagan Lombards, in return for baptism into the faith and recognition of his right to rule a new Roman empire as "Novus Constantinus." Yet one of his descendants, Dagobert II, was murdered by a lance pierced through his eye (or poison poured in the ear -- accounts vary) at the orders of Pepin. The church endorsed the assassination, flatly betrayed its pact with Clovis, and in turn recognized the family of usurpers as legitimate, culminating with the crowning of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor. It was thought that the Merovingian lineage was extinguished; in any case it was excised from the history books. But there is some evidence that Dagobert's son, Siegebert IV, survived and that a Merovingian principality continued to be ruled in Septimania by Guillem de Gellone, a descendant -- and ancestor -- of Godfroi de Bouillon. If the Prieure documents are to be believed, the Merovingian lineage persists to this day, largely due to efforts to preserve it through intermarriage. The significance of such alliances is the key. Dagobert married the daughter of the Visigothic Count of Razes, giving his descendants hereditary title to the lands surrounding Rennes-le-Château.(Knightstemplar.org.uk)

Look Through My Eyes

Video by Phil Collins



A superb song by Phil Collins.

'Sighting' Boosts Hunt For Madeleine

Sky News Headline; says: 'Gerry and Kate McCann have welcomed the latest supposed sighting of their daughter in Morocco, even though it did not turn out to be her.

They believe the media coverage boosted their campaign to find Madeleine, who went missing shortly before her fourth birthday.

A spokeswoman for the family told Sky News Online: "They were obviously disappointed it was not her.

"But they are pleased with the publicity because it has turned the focus back on the search for Madeleine."

Rune Cast: 'The Charioteer Once More'

Transcript
Rune Cast (Using the Power of the Runes)
Saturday 29th September 2007

'The impressions and resonances relating to the current situation'

Top three cards (From Left to Right)
Naudhiz (Nied) - Tidal or bow wave. Deliverance. Revival.
Raidho (Rad) - The sun chariot. Judgement. Journey. Movement.
Ansuz (Ansur) - Wisdom. Inspiration. Understanding.

Middle Two Cards
Perthro (Peorth) - Fate. Time. Understanding. Stroke of luck.
Ingwaz (Ing) - Protection. Patience. Quiet. Introspection.

Bottom Card
Thurisaz (thorn) - Protection. Overcoming obstacles. Defence.

Interpretation:
The top three images depict the tidal wave of emotions relating to the mystery .... contrived by the direction of the charioteer (yes, he is here again) .... and the tune played by the lyre of the persona to the right of the images. A contrived situation undertaken by someone conversant in the study of human psychology. A deliberate folly and a smokescreen!


The middle two images relates to the investigations undertaken in the situation. There are two crescent moons on either side of the moon in the sky ... two different sides to the story. One version sold to the press to keep the public entertained ... and the other side of the story which nobody in the public arena gets to hear. The image on the right epitomises the outward 'characteristics' of the two stories. We have the healthy and positive direction been undertaken which is seperate to the rather desolate story which can be seen by the scenery at the bottom of the card.

The bottom image gives indications of a 'conflict' being fought. A 'middle man' linking between the two sides. Capable of making his own hammer blows. This hints at negotiations being undertaken.

Introducting: The Power of the Runes

In the fall of 1992, Thomas Vomel decided on a project - to communicate the character of the runes in pictorial form on cards. He wanted to present the divinatory wisdom of his own heritage, the Germanic peoples. The Power of the Runes is the result. This deck consists of 25 cards, one for each of the runes. The images are based on Teutonic gods and myths shown in archetypal settings. Each scene captures the essence of the rune it represents. To the left is the card for the rune Thuriasz showing Thor, the god of thunder, overcoming hurdles through the will to act. On the border of each card to the left and right is the rune number and corresponding phonetic letter. On the bottom and top are the rune letter and name in the runic alphabet. In the instruction booklet, Vomel gives a brief history of the runes, suggestions for how to use the cards and a summary of each rune's character.


'The Power of the Runes' deck is yet another divination pack which forms part of my divination collection which has been 'gathered' over the last twenty or so years. However, they are part of the 'inner sanctum' of most trusted and favoured packs. Rarely have they been used for client consultations. They are kept for those 'special occasions' ... as with any other runic divination aid their insights are blunt, direct and emotionless ... they go straight to the point without any of the frilly edges that the Tarot often provides. They deal with the energies around persons and situations.

"To Be Guided Wholly By Nature"

Since the internal is reflected in the external of Nature, the alchemists' modification of matter is the attempted perfecting of Nature as well as the self. As it is for the Romantic poets, Nature to the alchemists is hierophantic, being not merely "alive," but also possessing a sacred dimension extractable as the "subtle" aspect of its material reality. The redemptive process as a perfecting power thus operates in Romanticism on two levels: as the imaginative extraction of the divine dimension of the self and Nature, and through the cathartic potential of suffering, which moves passionately away from dis-ease toward a state of harmony in which individual and universal wholeness is realised.

In accord with the phylogenic law of consciousness through which unconscious projections are progressively withdrawn, Romanticism represents an evolutionary advance in that the projective aspect of alchemy is relatively absent. Instead of being outwardly projected onto matter, the alchemical archetypes are experienced in Romanticism within the imagination. Thus although the associated patterns and symbols remain similar, they are experienced with an alteration of consciousness by being more consciously related to the individual self.

Of primary significance in medieval alchemical philosophy is the imagination, which is understood as the "real and literal power to create images," as opposed to "phantasia," which merely plays with its objects.

The imagination, in contrast, is to "be guided wholly by nature," and as an "authentic feat of . . . ideation," aims not to spin "groundless fantasies," but rather to "grasp the inner facts and portray them in images true to their nature." Furthermore, the imagination is integral to the formation of the Philosophers' Stone. (erudit.org)

Love What you Do, Or Do Something Else

You'll never achieve real success unless you like what you're doing. No one has ever succeeded in a line of endeavour which they did not like.

Your chances of success are directly proportional
to the degree of pleasure you derive from what you do. If you're in a job you hate, face the fact squarely and get out.

It's better to be a failure in something you love, than attempting to be a success in something you don't. Don't set compensation as a goal.

Find the work you love, and the compensation will follow.
The more you love what you are doing, the more successful it will be for you.