Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Buddhist Inspiration ..
In the way that a gardener knows how to transform compost into flowers, we can learn the art of transforming anger, depression, and racial discrimination into love and understanding.This is the work of meditation --- Thich Nhat Hanh from "Touching Peace"
Gripe Of The Day .... (Still)
3 Broadband Mobile, the ever present gripe of the day ... at least it's consistent these days! Consistently dial up speed or less ... 65 kbps ... is so far short of the promised 600 kbps MINIMUM speed, it's not funny. I ain't laughing.
GM Crops Cause Liver and Kidney Damage
'A report published in the International Journal of Microbiology has verified once again that Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) crops are causing severe health problems. A legal challenge issued against Monsanto forced the multi-national agriculture giant to release raw data revealing that animals fed its patented GM corn suffered liver and kidney damage within just three months.' ...Read more:...
Bayern Munich 2 - 1 Man Utd
Ivica Olic hit an injury-time winner to give Bayern Munich the advantage after the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final with Manchester United. United took the lead after only 66 seconds when Wayne Rooney volleyed in six yards out from Nani's free-kick. But Franck Ribery's deflected free-kick set up a dramatic finale, rounded off by Olic's cool run and finish after a defensive error by Patrice Evra. United's misery was made complete when Rooney limped off with an ankle injury.
The England striker appeared in severe pain after turning over on his right leg in the build-up to Bayern's winner. United will hope the injury is not too serious, as they face a crucial Premier League match against Chelsea on Saturday as well as the return match with Bayern next week.
It had started so well for United - and Rooney - but the visitors allowed Bayern to take control of a tie which is delicately balanced ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford on 7 April. Sir Alex Ferguson's side will comfort themselves in the knowledge that they have an away goal. But the defeat marked their first in 16 unbeaten European away matches and leaves them with plenty to do, particularly should Rooney be missing in a week's time and if Bayern are boosted by the return of winger Arjen Robben after a calf problem. (BBC Sport)
Scottish Government Cover up of Hollie Greig Part 6 – Why are Politicians and Media so Tight Lipped
'There is much more to discuss on the Hollie Story but as promised in my last article I though I would break away from the main theme and discuss why all the Politicians and the Media remain so tight lipped? What is it that they fear?
I guess this question is in two parts – is it fear from the Scottish Legal System and there associated lawyers such as Levy & McCrae and Simpson and Marwick or is it the fact that Peodophilia is rife in all political parties……one would have to look at the FBI list of British Peodophiles to get the answer to that, but I am sure we all have a pretty good idea as to who they are!' ...Read more:...
I guess this question is in two parts – is it fear from the Scottish Legal System and there associated lawyers such as Levy & McCrae and Simpson and Marwick or is it the fact that Peodophilia is rife in all political parties……one would have to look at the FBI list of British Peodophiles to get the answer to that, but I am sure we all have a pretty good idea as to who they are!' ...Read more:...
Today's Inspiration
It will be your constant effort to be first class in everything you attempt that will help you conquer the heights of success. Always do more then you're supposed to do and you can have, be or do anything you want. Do a little more then average and from that point on your progress multiplies itself out of all proportion to the effort you put in. You can do a little more each day then you think you can. There is always a best way of doing everything. Find it. To enjoy enduring success, you should travel a little in advance of the rest of the world. True success comes from being successful in little things. Make it your life rule to do your best.
Promoting the Positive
Sometimes we start out with the best intentions to think and speak only positive thoughts, but the people around us throw us off course. Not everyone fully understands the power our thoughts and words have, or even if they do, they may be stuck in old patterns of negativity. Much of our habitual communication takes the form of complaining and criticizing, and it can be hard to find a way into certain conversations without lapsing into those old habits. However, we always have the option not to participate in negativity or to find a way to influence the situation in a positive direction. In the right company, you may even be able to directly acknowledge the fact that things have taken a negative turn, thus freeing yourself and others from the negative pull. Not everyone will respond to your cues, and there’s no need to become overly attached to the idea of changing other people, because people have to choose for themselves how they will be in the world. Many people choose negativity because it is familiar to them and feels safe. It is important to give people the space to find their own way, but you can always set an example, subtly representing the power of being positive. At times you may interject an affirmative statement into the conversation, and at others you may simply change the subject. You may also simply withdraw your energy and presence, which also makes a subtle statement. If you feel comfortable enough with somebody that is always negative, perhaps you can have an honest conversation with them; after all, awareness is the first step to change. A powerful way to free yourself from the negative pull is to enlist allies who are similarly minded. You and a friend, coworker, or family member may agree to work together to continually shift the energy in a situation in a positive direction. The power of two people working to promote the positive is exponentially greater than one person working on their own. As you and your allies work together to lift the energy around you, you will be amazed to see how quickly the positive pull begins to draw people into its orbit, freeing one mind after another from negativity into light.
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Secret Wish Of The Soul
One of the greatest gifts of dreaming is that it puts us in touch with soul. It takes us beyond the limited understanding of the everyday self and shows us who we are, what our soul’s purpose is in this life experience and what our heart truly yearns for. There is a word for this vital function of dreams in the language of the Huron, a dreaming people of North America. The word is ondinnonk, and it means a "secret wish of the soul", especially as revealed in dreams. This expression takes us to the heart of healing. By connecting with our dreams, and celebrating and acting on the information they gift to us, we bring the energy and magic of soul into our daily lives.
As we allow our big dreams to take root in this world, we become whole and well, and start living our deeper story. As we help others to honour and celebrate their soul guidance, as revealed in dreams, we become healers and dreambringers.
Ancient dream healers understood that we are often out of touch, in our surface minds, with our deepest truths and our heart’s desires. Not knowing who we are, forgetting our soul’s purpose, we do terrible harm to ourselves and others. Dreams invite us to get back on the right track, the soul’s track.
Dreaming not only renews our understanding of the soul’s purpose; it can literally bring the soul back home. From the shaman’s perspective, soul loss is the root cause of much illness and affliction in our lives. We suffer deep grief, heartbreak or abuse or trauma – and maybe then succumb to negative habits and addictions – and a part of our vital soul energy goes away. Chronic depression, lethargy, memory gaps, low resistance to illness and emotional numbness are among the most frequent symptoms of soul loss.
Our dreams can tell us which parts of ourselves may be missing, and when it is timely to bring them home. Recurring dreams in which we go back to a scene from our earlier lives may indicate that a part of us has remained there. Dreams in which we perceive a younger self as a separate individual may be nudging us to recognize and recover a part of ourselves we lost at that age. Sometimes we do not know who that beautiful child is – until we take a closer look
Unfortunately, a common effect of soul loss is dream loss. Indeed the absence of dream recall is often a primary symptom of soul loss – as if the part of the sufferer that knows how to dream and travel in deeper reality has gone away, out of pain or disgust. It is fascinating and deeply rewarding to observe what can happen when people who have forgotten how to dream start dreaming again. This can amount to spontaneous soul recovery ... read more ...
As we allow our big dreams to take root in this world, we become whole and well, and start living our deeper story. As we help others to honour and celebrate their soul guidance, as revealed in dreams, we become healers and dreambringers.
Ancient dream healers understood that we are often out of touch, in our surface minds, with our deepest truths and our heart’s desires. Not knowing who we are, forgetting our soul’s purpose, we do terrible harm to ourselves and others. Dreams invite us to get back on the right track, the soul’s track.
Dreaming not only renews our understanding of the soul’s purpose; it can literally bring the soul back home. From the shaman’s perspective, soul loss is the root cause of much illness and affliction in our lives. We suffer deep grief, heartbreak or abuse or trauma – and maybe then succumb to negative habits and addictions – and a part of our vital soul energy goes away. Chronic depression, lethargy, memory gaps, low resistance to illness and emotional numbness are among the most frequent symptoms of soul loss.
Our dreams can tell us which parts of ourselves may be missing, and when it is timely to bring them home. Recurring dreams in which we go back to a scene from our earlier lives may indicate that a part of us has remained there. Dreams in which we perceive a younger self as a separate individual may be nudging us to recognize and recover a part of ourselves we lost at that age. Sometimes we do not know who that beautiful child is – until we take a closer look
Unfortunately, a common effect of soul loss is dream loss. Indeed the absence of dream recall is often a primary symptom of soul loss – as if the part of the sufferer that knows how to dream and travel in deeper reality has gone away, out of pain or disgust. It is fascinating and deeply rewarding to observe what can happen when people who have forgotten how to dream start dreaming again. This can amount to spontaneous soul recovery ... read more ...
Illuminati Created the US to Advance NWO
'Most Americans scoff at the mention of conspiracy but their country was created by Freemasonry and they don't have a clue. Freemasons drafted the Constitution and signed the Declaration of Independence. The Indians who dumped the tea in the harbor were Masons. So was Paul Revere and his minutemen, George Washington and most of his generals. The Marquis de Lafayette was excluded until he joined the Masons. At least 20 of the 42 US Presidents were "Brothers."Freemasonry is the Church of Lucifer masquerading as a fraternal mystical order. It fronts for Illuminati (Masonic; Cabalist Jewish) central bankers who started the US as a vehicle to advance their New World Order.' ...Read more...
Quote For The Day
Between mind and heart,
intellect and emotion
lies an intuitive insight
and a silent wisdom
that is guiding
each and every step.
intellect and emotion
lies an intuitive insight
and a silent wisdom
that is guiding
each and every step.
Just For Fun - Name That Song #9
... and here is another 'Just For Fun - Name That Song'. How's it being going so far? Here is another, in the same vein as the last few. Extracts from three songs by the same artist ... put together in a silly rhyme. Your job is to identify the artist and the three songs ...
But remember, it is just for fun. There's no need to e-mail us with the answer (Several folk have and we always pleased to hear from people) as there is no prize for getting it right ...
Here goes ... Just for fun, name that song ....
I will light the way for us to find
Order of a new kind
And together build another way to the morning?
Will it ever come again?
Poets line in a rhyme of silence
Gathered from the winter air
A dog on a treadmill panting,
the master pulls the leash, laughing.
And what of the children?
What has this done to them?
Join us on the stay the road is mine
Dig down deep to find the man I thought I was.
But remember, it is just for fun. There's no need to e-mail us with the answer (Several folk have and we always pleased to hear from people) as there is no prize for getting it right ...
Here goes ... Just for fun, name that song ....
I will light the way for us to find
Order of a new kind
And together build another way to the morning?
Will it ever come again?
Poets line in a rhyme of silence
Gathered from the winter air
A dog on a treadmill panting,
the master pulls the leash, laughing.
And what of the children?
What has this done to them?
Join us on the stay the road is mine
Dig down deep to find the man I thought I was.
A Word on 'Choronzon'
It seems that since the beginning of the Dog Days (when the Egyptians celebrated the cycles of Sirius A and B), something has lifted the veils and made us notice that Choronzon is all around us and in us all all the time anyway, and that therefore He needs to be dealt with and apprehended in the most positive ways possible. One of the ways of doing this is in changing our perspective of what exactly He is. What force/s does the name Choronzon and his number 333 actually represent, and are they actually all bad? This altered perspective allows us to transmute the energy into something amicable and possibly even useful. (After all, as Peter Carroll says, 'A demon is just a god spited'.) The other way of transmutating Choronzon is working out how to deal with, and ultimately transcend, those aspects of this energy which we cannot find positive or beneficial angles on.Choronzon is the dweller on the threshold, the Guardian of the Abyss. Thus he is the ultimate initiator, and so to turn back when he looms unexpectedly in one's life, is to deny oneself possibilities of evolution. For it is not just the Abyss which Choronzon guards, but also the supernal triad beyond it, those ineffable flowers of samadhi which may only be reached by crossing the Abyss. Whether this crossing is a torturous ordeal or a blissful release is basically up to the individual's perspective, to how they deal with the process of initiation.
For Choronzon is not actually such a bad guy after all, once you get to know him. He's just rather mischievious; although if you take His games and jokes too seriously, you can indeed get hurt. The trick is to remember its all play, and see Choronzon for the oversized spoilt but lovable brat that He is.
Most of the impressions we have of this apparent arch-fiend are from the Elizabethan era, that moralistic morass of righteousness dominated by patriarchal fundamental Christianity. John Dee and Edward Kelly who met this 'demon', though dabblers in arcane lore and considerably open-minded for their time, were still largely shaped psychically by this constricted dominant paradigm. Even Aleister Crowley, the next magickian to have major publicized dealings with this entity, was still afflicted somewhat by the last vestiges of the patriarchy which he did so much towards helping to destroy. Although in his revolutionary social upheavals his attitude to Choronzon was to face Him squarely (or at least triangularly), he still perceived him as basically the epitome of evil.
Even more recently, in our current era of multi-cultural multi-aeonic perspectives, Peter Carroll, avatar of Chaos Magick -a vanguard of belief-freeing heresy- still presents Choronzon as a negative being, that force which binds us to self-delusion and illusion, and urges us to 'Banish him whenever he appears'. But if one believes (and Chaos magickians generally seem to ultimately believe in only this) that 'Nothing is True', it's all illusion anyway, the Hindu concept of Maya - Illusion. So by this freedom of belief, we see Choronzon as 'Lord of Hallucination' being basically the lord of manifest reality. He guards the Abyss because this is the gateway to the No-thing from which comes all forms, and He is the weaver of forms, the master of matter and manifestation.
When we look at it like this, we realize that the perspective of Choronzon as an evil fiend is basically a hangover from the spiritualist extremist religions such as fundamental Christianity which believed that, 'Matter is Bad, Spirit is Good'. But matter is merely the house or shell which spirit inhabits, the forms and patterns it flows through which allow it to be perceived -the Tapestry of Maya. So Choronzon is merely a child with a rather elaborate toy-set, a factory of actualizing potentials, the fabric of space-time itself. He loves to divide things, to split things into polarities and then to split them again, fractalizing reality in infinite permutations of possibility. This is why his number is 333. For 3 is both a refraction and resolution. 2 is division, duality and thus the seeds of form. A third element created from the union of any two polarities brings further possibility into play by allowing a counterpoint with which to further solve and divide. This is the process of dispersion -a fractalizing fragmentation, a *recurring* of frequencies -33.3 recurring... 333.333333333... ... ... ad infinitum, through the nine-fold (3+3+3) lense of Yesod -the astral plane (as realized by Kestral during his residency in the Throne of Yesod in the Horus-Maat Lodge's 11-Star Working)...So Choronzonic energy out of balance is the only real problem, and this is perhaps what Carroll was getting at - that He represents that urge to create, to build and develop without much thought or consideration - that severe malady which is so prevalent in our modern western civilization: in the Information Age there is a frantic multiplicity of form and creation, of ever-branching diversity and ever-increasing complexity. For the spiritualist or religious fanatic -who seeks only union with Godhead or the great void- or even just to those who have trouble making decisions or choosing directions, this labyrinth can be a nightmare. But again, this is only a matter of perspective: We can each find our own True Will, our own Way or path within and through this labyrinth of possibilities, and thus learn to enjoy the dance to its utmost, by 'transcending'/accepting it through meditation and focus until we see that there is actually ultimately Unity within and of that very diversity apparent.
Choronzon: 'Demon of Dispersion': Dispersion is surely not such a bad thing in its proper place. The Universe runs on dispersion, it is the faculty of abundance, the Going of the Gods -to ever move out and on to allow room for more possibilities and permutations to manifest. Choronzon is a most divine (a demon acknowledged and integrated successfully becomes a God again) beneficiary for the work of dispersing information and creativity. One must of course keep this force in check and in its proper place (a demon harnessed may lead the Chariot of the soul to new and wondrous realms) and balance, so that one is not too overwhelmed by the world of infinite possibility and unable to manifest to its fullest potential any fruitful facet thereof.
Choronzon: 'Demon of Dispersion': Dispersion is surely not such a bad thing in its proper place. The Universe runs on dispersion, it is the faculty of abundance, the Going of the Gods -to ever move out and on to allow room for more possibilities and permutations to manifest. Choronzon is a most divine (a demon acknowledged and integrated successfully becomes a God again) beneficiary for the work of dispersing information and creativity. One must of course keep this force in check and in its proper place (a demon harnessed may lead the Chariot of the soul to new and wondrous realms) and balance, so that one is not too overwhelmed by the world of infinite possibility and unable to manifest to its fullest potential any fruitful facet thereof.
Conversely, Choronzon is also often held responsible for Hubris and egotistical stagnation. He is to blame for that aspect of self which gets too caught up in one's own works and creations, constantly harping on what one has already achieved rather than moving on. This is probably the aspect which most scares Chaos Magickians, as it is an extreme of Order. But again, this seems to only be a problem if out of balance: It is important to build upon what one has already established -those parts of it which remain valid- rather than constantly abolishing one's foundations for the totally new. Nothing is ever totally new anyway, so why not consciously develop and mutate what has gone before rather than try to deny it and re-invent the wheel again from scratch anyway.
Obviously, obsession with past accomplishments can be a stagnation, but only if one merely gloats over one's roots to the point of forgetting to water them. All machines need some kind of engine and framework to effectively function. Through the experiences and opinions of Dee, Crowley, Carrol and others, we have been presented with a number of different functions of Choronzon, some apparently contradicting each other: Lord of dispersion, ie. moving things outwards in a fractalization of diversifying forms, ie. motion and activity; Lord of hubris and stagnation, ie. egotism and non-action; Lord of hallucination, ie. illusions, visions, what we see and therefore usually believe; Guardian of the Abyss -the void or realm of no-thing, where egos disintegrate...read more ...
Capturing the Thrill
Each human life has the potential to be dramatic, thrilling, and awe-inspiring. Our lives are, in truth, ours to design. Each day, we make choices that influence the character of our experiences, and our decisions determine whether our paths are rousing or tedious, breathtaking or tiresome. We can create an exciting life by simply doing what excites us whenever the opportunity presents itself. Your passions may ebb and flow, and what excites you one year may not excite you the next, but when you make excitement a regular part of your existence, life becomes more fun and more fulfilling. If you are somebody that tends to live practically, excitement may overwhelm you at first. To ease the anxiety that prevents you from incorporating all that you find exciting into your life, acknowledge that you are alive right now in this time and every moment matters. When you choose to do more of what excites you, even if your choices requires you to make certain sacrifices, your daily life will soon be imbued with exhilaration, pleasure, and optimistic anticipation. To understand what excites you, you may need to observe and ponder your reaction to the activities, events, circumstances, and concepts that make up your life. What makes your pulse race, what makes you want to get out of your chair and take action? Try to avoid getting too wrapped up in life’s details; their tedium may cause you to plod through your existence unaware of prospective excitement. Once you have created a substantial list of what excites you, find ways to integrate each item into your routine. You will soon find yourself riding a wave of excitement that lifts you up and makes life truly worth living. What excites you in your life?
Pharma Planning to Dump Experimental and Controversial Vaccines in Public Schools
'The golden calf of public health was smashed in this recent flu season as many in the United States outright rejected the H1N1 vaccine. Pharmaceutical companies are now holding the bag, as millions of doses of the vaccine are rotting on shelves or being discarded as hazardous waste. Or are they? The manufacturer may find it more cost effective to dump them into the arms of our public school systems.
Parents would revolt if they knew that the pharmaceutical industry, the Department of Health and Human Services, and Centers for Disease Control have allocated millions of dollars in funding to establish vaccine clinics in the public schools. Pumping children with experimental vaccines in public school is about to be pursued as a matter of policy.' ...Read more:...
Parents would revolt if they knew that the pharmaceutical industry, the Department of Health and Human Services, and Centers for Disease Control have allocated millions of dollars in funding to establish vaccine clinics in the public schools. Pumping children with experimental vaccines in public school is about to be pursued as a matter of policy.' ...Read more:...
Anomaly Gallery
Another visit to the south polar region of Mars. The main anomaly interest in this image is the 'cubic' structure towards the top left of the image. How can this be a natural formation?In fact the majority of shapes in this image look to have been constructed by an intelligent civilisation.
Vitamin B3 Beats Big Pharma's Zetia Cholesterol Drug
'The utter worthlessness of Big Pharma's cholesterol drugs was demonstrated recently by a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine which showed that niacin (a low-cost B vitamin) out-performs Merck's drug Zetia for preventing the build-up of arterial plaque, a symptom of cardiovascular disease.As the study reveals, Zetia failed miserably. Patients taking niacin showed a "significant shrinkage" in artery wall thickness, while those on Zetia showed no such improvement. At the same time, the rate of "cardiovascular events" in the niacin group was only one-fifth that in the Zetia group, demonstrating that niacin is far more effective at preventing heart attacks and other similar events than Zetia. But curiously, as soon as niacin started to show a real benefit over Zetia, researchers cancelled the study. The premature ending of the clinical trial stopped the process by which even more useful information about the benefits of niacin might have been learned.' ...Read more
Haiti Post-Quake - Devastation, Depravation, Exploitation & Oppression
'Two and half months post-quake, the major media mostly ignore Haiti, the calamitous conditions on the ground, and the growing desperation of millions forced to largely endure on their own - out of sight, mind, the concern of world leaders, and UN, USAID and other aid organizations diverting most of the $700 million + donated to contractors and profiteering NGOs. A March 11 New York Times editorial titled, "Haiti, Two Months Later," tried to have it both ways, citing relief effort failures, yet praising the US, UN, foreign countries, and aid organizations for: "dispatch(ing) tents, tarps, food, water, medicine and doctors as they should. They have done a lot of good, particularly the United States, which rushed supplies, a troop force....and a hospital ship. Many lives were saved."
Unmentioned was the thousands of US combat troops obstructing aid, getting none to the most impoverished neighborhoods, and amounts to emergency shelters have been woefully inadequate, making calamitous conditions worse...Read more:...
Just For Fun - Name That Song #8 - The Solution
Artist - Rush
By-Tor & The Snow Dog
The battle's over and the dust is clearing
Rejoicing echoes as the dawn is nearing
The Camera Eye
They chase through the streets of
Head first humanity
Pause at a light
Chain Lightning
Sun dogs fire on the horizon
Meteor rain stars across the night
This moment may be brief
But it can be so bright
Tikkun Olam
Lurianic Kabbalah has also been used to explain the role of prayer and ritual action in tikkun olam. According to this vision of the world, God contracted part of God's self into vessels of light to create the world. These vessels shattered and their shards became sparks of light trapped within the material of creation. Prayer, especially contemplation of various aspects of the divinity (sephirot), releases these sparks and allows them to reunite with God's essence.According to Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, an influential 18th century interpreter and systemic philosopher of Lurianic Kabbalah, the physical world is connected to spiritual realms above, and these spiritual realms in turn influence the physical world. In his view, as developed in his Derech Hashem, Jews have the ability, through physical deeds and free will, to direct and control these spiritual forces. These spiritual forces include tikkun (rectification, good; the presence of Divine light) and kilkul (damage, evil; not merely the absence of goodness and Divine light, but its own force that is strengthened by the absence of goodness and Divine light).
God's desire in creation is that God's creations ultimately will recognize God's unity and overcome evil; this will constitute the perfection (tikkun) of creation. Jews have the Torah now and are aware of God's unity, but when all of humanity recognizes this fact, the rectification will be complete. Only the actions of Jews further creation; the deeds of non-Jews do not.
Instead, God gave non-Jews the Noachide Laws so that they may obtain individual portions in the Olam Haba (afterlife). (Wikipedia)
Inspiration For Today - A Word On 'Love'
"When mystics use the word love, they use it very carefully -- in the deeply spiritual sense, where to love is to know; to love is to act. If you really love, from the depths of your Consciousness, that love gives you a native wisdom. You perceive the needs of others intuitively and clearly, with detachment from any personal desires; and you know how to act creatively to meet those needs, dexterously surmounting any obstacle that comes in the way. Such is the immense, driving power of love." -- Eknath Easwaran
"Therefore, when I say that ‘I love,’ it is not I who love, but in reality Love who acts through me. Love is not so much something I do as something that I am. Love is not a doing but a state of being - a relatedness, a connectedness to another mortal, an identification with her or him that simply flows within me and through me, independent of my intentions or my efforts." -- Robert A. Johnson
"When you are aware that you are the force that is Life, anything is possible. Miracles happen all the time, because those miracles are performed by the heart. The heart is in direct communion with the human soul, and when the heart speaks, even with the resistance of the head, something inside you changes; your heart opens another heart, and true love is possible." -- Don Miguel Ruiz
"Therefore, when I say that ‘I love,’ it is not I who love, but in reality Love who acts through me. Love is not so much something I do as something that I am. Love is not a doing but a state of being - a relatedness, a connectedness to another mortal, an identification with her or him that simply flows within me and through me, independent of my intentions or my efforts." -- Robert A. Johnson
"When you are aware that you are the force that is Life, anything is possible. Miracles happen all the time, because those miracles are performed by the heart. The heart is in direct communion with the human soul, and when the heart speaks, even with the resistance of the head, something inside you changes; your heart opens another heart, and true love is possible." -- Don Miguel Ruiz
Scientists discover moral compass in the brain which can be controlled by magnets
Scientists have discovered a real-life 'moral compass' in the brain that controls how we judge other people's behaviour.
The region, which lies just behind the right ear, becomes more active when we think about other people's misdemeanours or good works. In an extraordinary experiment, researchers were able to use powerful magnets to disrupt this area of the brain and make people temporarily less moral.
The study highlights how our sense of right and wrong isn't just based on upbringing, religion or philosophy - but by the biology of our brains.
Dr Liane Young, who led the study, said: 'You think of morality as being a really high-level behaviour. To be able to apply a magnetic field to a specific brain region and change people's moral judgements is really astonishing.'
The moral compass lies in a part of the brain called the right temporo-parietal junction. It lies near the surface of the brain, just behind the right ear. The researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used a non-invasive technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation to disrupt the area of the brain. The technique generates a magnetic field on a small part of the skull which creates weak electric currents in the brain. These currents interfere with nearby brain cells and prevent them from firing normally.
In the first experiment, 12 volunteers were exposed to the magnetic field for 25 minutes before they were given a series of 'moral maze' style scenarios. For each of the 192 scenarios, they were asked to make a judgement about the character's actions on a scale of 1 for 'absolutely forbidden' to 7 for 'absolutely permissible'.
In the second experiment, the magnetic field was applied to their heads at the time they were asked to weigh up the behaviour of the characters in the scenario. In both experiments, the magnetic field made the volunteers less moral.
One scenario described a man who let his girlfriend walk over a bridge he knew was unsafe. The girl survived unharmed. Under normal conditions, most people rate the man's behaviour as unacceptable. But after getting the magnetic pulse, the volunteers tended to see nothing wrong with his actions - and judged his behaviour purely on whether his girlfriend survived.
Another scenario described two girls visiting a chemical plant where one girl asks her friend to put sugar in her coffee. The friend uses powder from a jar marked 'toxic' - but as the powder turns out to be sugar, the girls if unharmed. Volunteers with a disrupted moral compass tended to rate the girl's behaviour as permissible because her friend was not injured - even though she was aware the powder came from a jar labelled toxic.
Throughout the experiment, irresponsible or deliberate actions that might have resulted in harm were seen as morally acceptable if the story had a 'happy ending', they reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (Daily Mail)
The region, which lies just behind the right ear, becomes more active when we think about other people's misdemeanours or good works. In an extraordinary experiment, researchers were able to use powerful magnets to disrupt this area of the brain and make people temporarily less moral.The study highlights how our sense of right and wrong isn't just based on upbringing, religion or philosophy - but by the biology of our brains.
Dr Liane Young, who led the study, said: 'You think of morality as being a really high-level behaviour. To be able to apply a magnetic field to a specific brain region and change people's moral judgements is really astonishing.'
The moral compass lies in a part of the brain called the right temporo-parietal junction. It lies near the surface of the brain, just behind the right ear. The researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used a non-invasive technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation to disrupt the area of the brain. The technique generates a magnetic field on a small part of the skull which creates weak electric currents in the brain. These currents interfere with nearby brain cells and prevent them from firing normally.
In the first experiment, 12 volunteers were exposed to the magnetic field for 25 minutes before they were given a series of 'moral maze' style scenarios. For each of the 192 scenarios, they were asked to make a judgement about the character's actions on a scale of 1 for 'absolutely forbidden' to 7 for 'absolutely permissible'.
In the second experiment, the magnetic field was applied to their heads at the time they were asked to weigh up the behaviour of the characters in the scenario. In both experiments, the magnetic field made the volunteers less moral.
One scenario described a man who let his girlfriend walk over a bridge he knew was unsafe. The girl survived unharmed. Under normal conditions, most people rate the man's behaviour as unacceptable. But after getting the magnetic pulse, the volunteers tended to see nothing wrong with his actions - and judged his behaviour purely on whether his girlfriend survived.
Another scenario described two girls visiting a chemical plant where one girl asks her friend to put sugar in her coffee. The friend uses powder from a jar marked 'toxic' - but as the powder turns out to be sugar, the girls if unharmed. Volunteers with a disrupted moral compass tended to rate the girl's behaviour as permissible because her friend was not injured - even though she was aware the powder came from a jar labelled toxic.
Throughout the experiment, irresponsible or deliberate actions that might have resulted in harm were seen as morally acceptable if the story had a 'happy ending', they reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (Daily Mail)
Monday, 29 March 2010
Three Quick Images
Using the Servants of the Light ... three quick images for Madeleine ... appertaining to her wellbeing and the situation around her ...The Empress
Two Of Spheres
The Lovers
The calmness of The Empress. A calming maternal figure within an unstable situation. The mechanism of movement within the environment outside the control of either Madeleine or the maternal figure. The controller of the situation appears to be in the hands of a young male. The scales appear to be weighted by mercy and severity; however the latter currently imbalances the scales in its favour. There is thus conflict within the environment where Madeleine resides. The Lovers indicates some kind of union or agreement made. The situation appears to be monitored by someone who acts as an overseer, but is it in the powers of the overseer to have Madeleine returned?
copyright Matthew James
Snoopers Check We Don't Split Atoms
'They can show up without notice or warrants and with 1,208 reasons to enter your home, workplace or land without your permission. This is Gordon Brown’s new model army of snoopers, which is gaining new home invasion powers at the rate of two a week. The Prime Minister promised a crackdown on them in 2007 but it is Conservative peer Lord Selson who is leading the fightback.' ...Read more
The Forthcoming Titanic Struggle
Casting the farsight to the weekend, and the battle for supremacy between north and south; red and blue. Assigning the Servants of the Light to comment on the event ... to glean the outcome of the titanic struggle which could decide the premiership title for 2009-2010.
Maker of Crescents
Seven of Crescents
Prime of Weapons.
Maker of Crescents is a predominately blue card which represents the travelling blues from the south riding the crest of the wave after their recent high scoring success (7 of Crescents outlining this success). Crescents emphasises the tides of emotions linked to the 'blues'. Emotionally charged ... high tensions. The Prime of Weapons on the other hand emphasises the fire of the red devils. The sword seen upright and unsheathed. Taking the game to the emotional blues. Soldier-like and efficient. Restrained and controlled. Possibly level pegging at the half way stage ... then,
Judgement (#20) and the two of weapons. A double reference to 2 goals. Two of weapons obviously hints at 2 v 0 to the reds? But then the image of the card gives a sense of one goal apiece. A confusion here? A disallowed goal in the mix somewhere?
copyright Matthew James
Maker of Crescents
Seven of Crescents
Prime of Weapons.
Maker of Crescents is a predominately blue card which represents the travelling blues from the south riding the crest of the wave after their recent high scoring success (7 of Crescents outlining this success). Crescents emphasises the tides of emotions linked to the 'blues'. Emotionally charged ... high tensions. The Prime of Weapons on the other hand emphasises the fire of the red devils. The sword seen upright and unsheathed. Taking the game to the emotional blues. Soldier-like and efficient. Restrained and controlled. Possibly level pegging at the half way stage ... then,
Judgement (#20) and the two of weapons. A double reference to 2 goals. Two of weapons obviously hints at 2 v 0 to the reds? But then the image of the card gives a sense of one goal apiece. A confusion here? A disallowed goal in the mix somewhere?
copyright Matthew James
Buddhist Inspiration ..
What is the nature of mind like? Imagine a sky, empty, spacious, and pure from the beginning; its essence islike this. Imagine a sun, luminous, clear, unobstructed, and spontaneously present; its nature is like this. Imagine that sun shining out impartially on us and all things, penetrating all directions; its energy, which is the manifestation of compassion, is like this: Nothing can obstruct it, and it pervades everywhere.
Utah Satanic Ritual Abuse: Satanists at Large
'A Governor's Task Force on Ritual Abuse was created in March 1990 out of concerns raised by the Governors Commission on Women and Family and the state Task Force on Child Abuse. The task force concluded that ritual abuse was occurring in Utah as a significant problem and recommended that the legislature appropriate $250,000 to the Attorney General's office to hire four investigators for a year. Some funds were appropriated, and two investigators were hired.
In late February 1995, the Utah Attorney General's office closed a two-and-a-half-year investigation with two investigators of "over 125 cases of alleged ritual crime. In some cases, these investigations involved hundreds of hours of investigation and evaluation. In addition, the Unit investigators have met with hundreds of citizens who claim to be victims of satanic, religious, physical or sexually motivated ritual crimes.
None of the allegations have resulted in prosecutions, except for the case of the Zion Society in Ogden." The investigators used a broad definition of ritual ("any customarily repeated act or series of acts"), differentiated between ritualism and occultism, and described eleven different types of occult groups.' ...Read more:...
In late February 1995, the Utah Attorney General's office closed a two-and-a-half-year investigation with two investigators of "over 125 cases of alleged ritual crime. In some cases, these investigations involved hundreds of hours of investigation and evaluation. In addition, the Unit investigators have met with hundreds of citizens who claim to be victims of satanic, religious, physical or sexually motivated ritual crimes.
None of the allegations have resulted in prosecutions, except for the case of the Zion Society in Ogden." The investigators used a broad definition of ritual ("any customarily repeated act or series of acts"), differentiated between ritualism and occultism, and described eleven different types of occult groups.' ...Read more:...
The Boundaries Of Experience
None of us are born with a guidebook that provides explicit rules for thought and behavior that will enable us to navigate life successfully. To cope with the myriad of complexities to which all of humanity is subject, we each develop a set of habits and routines that ground us, their continuity assuring us that life is progressing normally. Most of us know, whether instinctively or by experience, that transformations can be uncomfortable, but we always learn and gain so much. Any initial discomfort we experience when expanding our comfort zones diminishes gradually as we both become accustomed to change and begin to understand that temporary discomfort is a small price to pay for the evolution of our soul. Your current comfort zone did, at one time, serve a purpose in your life. But it is representative of behaviors and patterns of thought that empowered you to cope with challenges of days past. Now, this comfort zone does little to facilitate the growth you wish to achieve in the present. Leaving your comfort zone behind through personal expansion of any kind can prepare you to take the larger leaps of faith that will, in time, help you refine your purpose. Work your way outward at your own pace, and try not to let your discomfort interfere with your resolve. With the passage of each well-earned triumph, you will have grown and your comfort zone will have expanded to accommodate this evolution. Whether your comfort zone is living with your parents, or perhaps being too shy to socialize, or maybe it’s not realizing your spirit self—whatever it is, start small, and you will discover that venturing beyond the limited comfort zone you now cling to is not as stressful an experience as you imagined it might be. And the joy you feel upon challenging yourself in this way will nearly always outweigh your discomfort. As you continue to expand your comfort zone to include new ideas, activities, goals, and experiences, you will see that you are capable of stimulating change and coping with the fresh challenges that accompany it.
Lincoln Park: International Abductions
'Young children destined for medical experimental programs were in some cases imported as foreign nationals and issued Canadian certificates of birth.
Travelling in the company of Canadian Military personnel they were to be identified as the dependents of their handlers.
For the purpose of long term studies and the security of the secret programs it was imperative that the research subjects not know their true place of birth, the identity of their biological parents or the existence of any surviving family members...Read more:...
Travelling in the company of Canadian Military personnel they were to be identified as the dependents of their handlers.
For the purpose of long term studies and the security of the secret programs it was imperative that the research subjects not know their true place of birth, the identity of their biological parents or the existence of any surviving family members...Read more:...
FDA Admits Millions of Patients Prescribed Illegal, Unapproved Medications by Doctors
'Doctors in the United States wrote more than four million prescriptions last year for nitroglycerin tablets, heart drugs placed under the tongue to reduce the chest pain angina or to stop a heart attack.
But the majority of the drugs sold had not been approved for sale, nor had their safety and effectiveness been vetted, by the Food and Drug Administration.
And many doctors, who discovered only last week that pharmacies were giving their patients unproved heart tablets, now say they have no way of knowing whether patients have suffered unnecessarily as a result.' ...Read more:...
But the majority of the drugs sold had not been approved for sale, nor had their safety and effectiveness been vetted, by the Food and Drug Administration.
And many doctors, who discovered only last week that pharmacies were giving their patients unproved heart tablets, now say they have no way of knowing whether patients have suffered unnecessarily as a result.' ...Read more:...
Stunning Research Shows High Potential for DNA Damage from Nanoparticles
'Nanoparticles may be able to damage the DNA of cells without ever coming into contact with it, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Bristol Implant Research Center and published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.Nanoparticles are particles so small that they have fundamentally different physical and chemical properties than the same substances do at more familiar scales. Industry is increasingly adopting nanotechnology for a variety of applications, from consumer products to medicine, but the technology remains unregulated.' ...Read more...
Inspiration for the day
"In violence, we forget who we are." -- Mary McCarthy
Andrew Schneider describes violence as an issue of power. People become violent when they feel powerless. Violence is used as an inappropriate way of attempting to re-establish one’s own sense of power over whatever or whomever is perceived as a threat. The antidote to violence in ourselves and in society is empowerment. We need to empower people to live out their best without fear. When people feel strong and able within themselves, they do not see themselves as potential victims. They do not have to struggle against others in order to feel secure. The curriculum for empowerment is learning and loving.
"Never use violence of any kind. Never threaten violence in any way. Never even think violent thoughts. Never argue because it attacks another’s opinion. Never criticize because it attacks another’s ego. And your success is guaranteed." -- Mohandas Gandhi
Andrew Schneider describes violence as an issue of power. People become violent when they feel powerless. Violence is used as an inappropriate way of attempting to re-establish one’s own sense of power over whatever or whomever is perceived as a threat. The antidote to violence in ourselves and in society is empowerment. We need to empower people to live out their best without fear. When people feel strong and able within themselves, they do not see themselves as potential victims. They do not have to struggle against others in order to feel secure. The curriculum for empowerment is learning and loving.
"Never use violence of any kind. Never threaten violence in any way. Never even think violent thoughts. Never argue because it attacks another’s opinion. Never criticize because it attacks another’s ego. And your success is guaranteed." -- Mohandas Gandhi
Junk food 'is as addictive as heroin and cigarettes'
Junk food may be as addictive as heroin and tobacco, a study has shown.
Obesity researchers found fatty and sugary snacks trigger the same 'pleasure centres' in the brain that drive people into drug addiction - making them binge on unhealthy food. The findings could partly explain the soaring obesity rates in Britain and the success of fast food outlets. Experts studied rats fed on cheesecake, bacon and sausages. Soon after the experiments began the animals began to bulk up and show signs of addiction. 'It presents the most thorough and compelling evidence that drug addiction and obesity are based on the same underlying neurobiological mechanisms,' Professor Paul Kenny said. (Daily Mail)
Obesity researchers found fatty and sugary snacks trigger the same 'pleasure centres' in the brain that drive people into drug addiction - making them binge on unhealthy food. The findings could partly explain the soaring obesity rates in Britain and the success of fast food outlets. Experts studied rats fed on cheesecake, bacon and sausages. Soon after the experiments began the animals began to bulk up and show signs of addiction. 'It presents the most thorough and compelling evidence that drug addiction and obesity are based on the same underlying neurobiological mechanisms,' Professor Paul Kenny said. (Daily Mail)
How Plot To Stop Diana And Dodi's Affair Ended In ''Murder'
PRINCESS Diana and Dodi Fayed were murdered when a plot to “end their relationship violently” went too far, resulting in the fatal crash in Paris, a top lawyer claimed last night.
Michael Mansfield QC, one of the nation’s most eminent legal brains, believes the deaths in the Alma Tunnel in 1997 were the result of a carefully orchestrated plan by unnamed parties to end the relationship. Whether the intent had been to kill or seriously injure was immaterial, he said, as the perpetrators should still be prosecuted for murder.
He said: “I never thought it was an accident and the jury in the inquest came back with a verdict of ‘unlawful killing’. “From a personal point of view I think there was a plan, and the plan was to disrupt and terminate the relationship between Diana and Dodi and that was going to be achieved – because things were escalating very fast in August of that year – by some kind of incident which would be violent.” During that summer, Diana and Dodi had been enjoying a leisurely sunshine break on the Fayed family yacht together. They are also said to have examined engagement rings. But Mr Mansfield believes the plot to split them up had gone further than was planned.
“In other words, as she (Diana) herself predicted that she might suffer serious injury in a car crash. I don’t think those who planned such events necessarily wanted the people dead. But that does not mean that it is not murder. Because if I have a plan which results in really serious harm, such as from a car crash, although I might not want you dead but you end up dead, you are liable to be prosecuted and convicted for murder. Because there are two types of intent for murder, one is the intention to kill and the other is the intention to do really serious harm. “I don’t personally believe they wanted them dead but they wanted to end the relationship by a serious accident and in that case they still can be prosecuted for murder as there was an intent of at least really serious harm.”
But Mr Mansfield, who has examined the case in fine detail, said those who carried out the plot remained the “unknown quantity” ... read more ...
Michael Mansfield QC, one of the nation’s most eminent legal brains, believes the deaths in the Alma Tunnel in 1997 were the result of a carefully orchestrated plan by unnamed parties to end the relationship. Whether the intent had been to kill or seriously injure was immaterial, he said, as the perpetrators should still be prosecuted for murder. He said: “I never thought it was an accident and the jury in the inquest came back with a verdict of ‘unlawful killing’. “From a personal point of view I think there was a plan, and the plan was to disrupt and terminate the relationship between Diana and Dodi and that was going to be achieved – because things were escalating very fast in August of that year – by some kind of incident which would be violent.” During that summer, Diana and Dodi had been enjoying a leisurely sunshine break on the Fayed family yacht together. They are also said to have examined engagement rings. But Mr Mansfield believes the plot to split them up had gone further than was planned.
“In other words, as she (Diana) herself predicted that she might suffer serious injury in a car crash. I don’t think those who planned such events necessarily wanted the people dead. But that does not mean that it is not murder. Because if I have a plan which results in really serious harm, such as from a car crash, although I might not want you dead but you end up dead, you are liable to be prosecuted and convicted for murder. Because there are two types of intent for murder, one is the intention to kill and the other is the intention to do really serious harm. “I don’t personally believe they wanted them dead but they wanted to end the relationship by a serious accident and in that case they still can be prosecuted for murder as there was an intent of at least really serious harm.”
But Mr Mansfield, who has examined the case in fine detail, said those who carried out the plot remained the “unknown quantity” ... read more ...
Sunday, 28 March 2010
A Gaze Back ....
A gaze back at a previous Daily Merlin Insight spread ... somewhere back along the trail. A spread which contains both significators of Kate & Gerry McCann. The bottom line indicates the finger which was pointed at Kate (the Warrior of Birds) at one time ... the 5 of Serpents (Retribution) indicating the nasty and vitriol reaction of those who deliberately falsely accused her of Madeleine's disappearance (or worse). The warrior of birds is depicted as an accomplished bowman by the way the warrior sits on the horse and prepares to fire the arrow. It represents someone who has done this before ... the 5 of Serpents is a poignant card as it represents a 'serpent' connection to the warrior who instructed the warrior to act in this way. Meanwhile the significator for Gerry (The Emperor) sits on the middle line ... with the three of serpents to his right (the right being the future) ... the word 'intention' suggests the agenda which was discussed at the time for the campaign. Ahead still further into the future was the Page of Serpents ... a seemingly innocous and easy to dismiss 'member' of the suit. A lowly assigned servant or operative. Something which can exist in the background ... the 'young' serpent in the foreground is representative of something undefinable. Though it could indicate a younger generation of an undetermined family assisting in the campaign. The Warrior of Birds sits atop the pile. Birds is communication ... the level perhaps of it all relating to the tale sold to the public by the media at the time. The two of fishes ... the freedom card ... and the eight of fishes ... 'excitement' ... the two cards seen as the anomaly in the spread. A hint of subterfuge or deception undertaken by the warrior of birds. The media could be deemed as reporting news that was not true to the events at the time. Freedom and excitement were not reported at the time, and have not been at the time. Appertaining to Kate & Gerry ... they had their arguido status shelved, but is this what the two images were relating to by way of their appearance in this spread? Or does it relate to other events not reported by the media; unfolding events hidden away behind the media blackout?Copyright Matthew James
Nakshatra
In the Vedic (Hindu) system of Astrology, known in Sanskrit as Jyotish, the 27 constellations and not the 12 star-signs are the key to understanding celestial influences on our planet. These 27 constellations are known as the 27 Nakshatras, which are 300 to 400 light years away from earth. Based on a person's moon Nakshatra at the time of birth, Jyotish offers a most powerful predictive technique compared to other forms of astrology.
The term "Nakshatra," when broken down into its constituent parts: "naks" meaning "sky" and "shetra" meaning "region", translate into "Sky Map." Another translation is arrived at using a different dissection: "naksha" is "map" and "tara" is "star" and so Nakshatra is "Star Map." Both meanings clearly show that in the eyes of the ancient Vedic (Indian) seers the 27 Nakshatras (constellations) and not the 12 zodiacal star-signs map the sky.
It was the Moon that ancient people first looked to for calculating time and connecting to the stars. 'Nakshatras' is the name given to the constellations or mansions of the Moon, as the Moon resides in each of these constellations for one day.
The system of constellations is very ancient, dating back more than 5,000 years as they were referred to in the oldest Veda (Hindu's scripture). These lunar mansions appear in Chinese and Arabic astrology but have not received much attention in Western or European astrology. Each of the 27 Nakshatras consists of 13º and 20 minutes of the zodiac. Multiplying this length by 27 equals the entire zodiacal belt of 360 degrees.
The Nakshatras are classified in various ways, according to basic attribute, primary motivation (Kama - sensual desires; Artha - material desires; Dharma - living life based on spiritual principles; Moksha - liberation from birth and death), sex, caste, species and so on. They are particularly revealed by their presiding deities, ruling planets and their symbolic form.
The Nakshatra and the signs of the zodiac both begin from the same point. The beginning of the first Nakshatra, or constellation of Ashwini, the first Nakshatra, is the same as that of the first sign of Aries. Each sign contains the combined influence of the Nakshatras falling with it. Compared to the signs, the Nakshatra or Nakshatras possess a deeper effect. The signs are merely "a heap, mass, or collection" of influences as their Sanskrit name suggests.
The planets are the cosmic creative powers. Each planet radiates certain specialized forces. The planets make their impact on the zodiacal field. This specialized circle divided by the signs and Nakshatras is the negative or passive field of influences, while the planets are the positive or active fields. The signs and Nakshatras create the necessary environment, while the planets are the precipitating forces.
Prakriti (the female creative impulse) is the force that sustains the general background of the zodiac. Prakriti produces the basic conditions on which the seeds sprinkled by Purusha (the male consciousness factor) fructify and grow. The Nakshatras and signs of the zodiac are the passive creative potency whereas the planets are the creative or generating forces. The planets are active causes whereas the signs and Nakshatras are the material layer of the action. The Nakshatras and signs constitute the horizontal arm, while the planets represent the vertical arm in the cross of cosmic creation.
In Vedic astrology, the personality traits are read more through the birth star (Nakshatra of the Moon) than by the Sun sign. Nakshatra positions of planets are examined in the birth chart as well. The use of Nakshatra is very important in Vedic astrology, much more than with zodiac signs ... read more ...
The term "Nakshatra," when broken down into its constituent parts: "naks" meaning "sky" and "shetra" meaning "region", translate into "Sky Map." Another translation is arrived at using a different dissection: "naksha" is "map" and "tara" is "star" and so Nakshatra is "Star Map." Both meanings clearly show that in the eyes of the ancient Vedic (Indian) seers the 27 Nakshatras (constellations) and not the 12 zodiacal star-signs map the sky.
It was the Moon that ancient people first looked to for calculating time and connecting to the stars. 'Nakshatras' is the name given to the constellations or mansions of the Moon, as the Moon resides in each of these constellations for one day.
The system of constellations is very ancient, dating back more than 5,000 years as they were referred to in the oldest Veda (Hindu's scripture). These lunar mansions appear in Chinese and Arabic astrology but have not received much attention in Western or European astrology. Each of the 27 Nakshatras consists of 13º and 20 minutes of the zodiac. Multiplying this length by 27 equals the entire zodiacal belt of 360 degrees.
The Nakshatras are classified in various ways, according to basic attribute, primary motivation (Kama - sensual desires; Artha - material desires; Dharma - living life based on spiritual principles; Moksha - liberation from birth and death), sex, caste, species and so on. They are particularly revealed by their presiding deities, ruling planets and their symbolic form.
The Nakshatra and the signs of the zodiac both begin from the same point. The beginning of the first Nakshatra, or constellation of Ashwini, the first Nakshatra, is the same as that of the first sign of Aries. Each sign contains the combined influence of the Nakshatras falling with it. Compared to the signs, the Nakshatra or Nakshatras possess a deeper effect. The signs are merely "a heap, mass, or collection" of influences as their Sanskrit name suggests.
The planets are the cosmic creative powers. Each planet radiates certain specialized forces. The planets make their impact on the zodiacal field. This specialized circle divided by the signs and Nakshatras is the negative or passive field of influences, while the planets are the positive or active fields. The signs and Nakshatras create the necessary environment, while the planets are the precipitating forces.
Prakriti (the female creative impulse) is the force that sustains the general background of the zodiac. Prakriti produces the basic conditions on which the seeds sprinkled by Purusha (the male consciousness factor) fructify and grow. The Nakshatras and signs of the zodiac are the passive creative potency whereas the planets are the creative or generating forces. The planets are active causes whereas the signs and Nakshatras are the material layer of the action. The Nakshatras and signs constitute the horizontal arm, while the planets represent the vertical arm in the cross of cosmic creation.
In Vedic astrology, the personality traits are read more through the birth star (Nakshatra of the Moon) than by the Sun sign. Nakshatra positions of planets are examined in the birth chart as well. The use of Nakshatra is very important in Vedic astrology, much more than with zodiac signs ... read more ...
Are You Being Delphied?
The Rand Corporation in the early 1960s developed the Delphi technique for the purpose of manoeuvring segments of the public into accepting predetermined government policies. In the 1970s and '80s, it was ideally used to convince land owners of the merits of accepting joining and general plan maps. Now it is being employed to persuade the public to accept outcome-based education and the licensing of all employees, via endorsements in the Certificate of Initial Mastery (CIM) and Certificate of Advanced Mastery (CAM) programs, a.k.a. school-to-work.
The goal of the Delphi technique is to lead a targeted group of people to a predetermined outcome, while giving the illusion of taking public input and under the pretext of being accountable to the public. For the Delphi to work, it is critical that the targeted group be kept away from knowledgeable people who could lead them away from the Delphier's predetermined outcome.
One variation on the Delphi technique is to use a series of meetings. The attendees are often given a number or a coloured card when they enter the room, to determine at which table they are to sit. The purpose of this is to break up the groups of potentially knowledgeable people who arrive together so that they will be sitting with strangers and therefore be subdued.
Typically, at each table is a facilitator, someone who will know which way to help "steer" the group. Usually the people at each table are instructed to answer among themselves some of the questions and arrive at a table consensus. Someone is chosen to speak for the table, most of the time it is the person who has been secretly pre-briefed about the desired Delphi outcome. The table spokesperson is the only one allowed to address the podium and the others have little opportunity to address the podium or the crowd directly.
Anyone knowledgeable enough, or brave enough, to speak out in opposition will not be welcomed. Often they are told from the podium, "We don't have time to discuss that now," or "We discussed that on another date," or “We can discuss that after the meeting.” They will attempt to quiet, isolate, and discredit dissenters. After attending the Delphi meeting, participants may feel uneasy that they are in disagreement with the apparent majority. The Delphi technique is often successful in bluffing people into submission. Don't let them succeed. Call their bluff.
The Delphi technique often uses a series of surveys to bring about "consensus." The surveys are promoted as information gathering regarding the wishes of the targeted public, but in reality they are designed to manipulate the desired outcome. The survey will sometimes use a grading like, "agree all of the time," "agree most of the time," "agree some of the time," "agree not much," "agree never." Or, the survey grading will ask the respondents to use ratings like "most important," "moderately important," "least important."
The questions are typically "loaded" questions. An example is the question asked of Oregon teachers on a Delphi technique survey: "Do you agree or disagree that the following elements of H.B. 3565 [Oregon's Education Act for the 21st Century] will lead to improved student learning if implemented?" The survey listed such items for the teachers to agree or disagree with; "site councils," "increased accountability for school site and districts," "full funding for preschool programs to enable all students to enter school ready to learn," "extended school year," "certificate of initial mastery," etc. The question is patently "loaded." For example, site councils are not charged with improving student learning. Their function is to implement the state law, dole out professional development courses and money to selected teachers, and apply for grants from foundations and the federal government. For the teachers to answer, "agree" or "disagree", that the site councils will lead to improved student learning is misdirecting the respondent ... read more ...
The goal of the Delphi technique is to lead a targeted group of people to a predetermined outcome, while giving the illusion of taking public input and under the pretext of being accountable to the public. For the Delphi to work, it is critical that the targeted group be kept away from knowledgeable people who could lead them away from the Delphier's predetermined outcome.
One variation on the Delphi technique is to use a series of meetings. The attendees are often given a number or a coloured card when they enter the room, to determine at which table they are to sit. The purpose of this is to break up the groups of potentially knowledgeable people who arrive together so that they will be sitting with strangers and therefore be subdued.
Typically, at each table is a facilitator, someone who will know which way to help "steer" the group. Usually the people at each table are instructed to answer among themselves some of the questions and arrive at a table consensus. Someone is chosen to speak for the table, most of the time it is the person who has been secretly pre-briefed about the desired Delphi outcome. The table spokesperson is the only one allowed to address the podium and the others have little opportunity to address the podium or the crowd directly.
Anyone knowledgeable enough, or brave enough, to speak out in opposition will not be welcomed. Often they are told from the podium, "We don't have time to discuss that now," or "We discussed that on another date," or “We can discuss that after the meeting.” They will attempt to quiet, isolate, and discredit dissenters. After attending the Delphi meeting, participants may feel uneasy that they are in disagreement with the apparent majority. The Delphi technique is often successful in bluffing people into submission. Don't let them succeed. Call their bluff.
The Delphi technique often uses a series of surveys to bring about "consensus." The surveys are promoted as information gathering regarding the wishes of the targeted public, but in reality they are designed to manipulate the desired outcome. The survey will sometimes use a grading like, "agree all of the time," "agree most of the time," "agree some of the time," "agree not much," "agree never." Or, the survey grading will ask the respondents to use ratings like "most important," "moderately important," "least important."
The questions are typically "loaded" questions. An example is the question asked of Oregon teachers on a Delphi technique survey: "Do you agree or disagree that the following elements of H.B. 3565 [Oregon's Education Act for the 21st Century] will lead to improved student learning if implemented?" The survey listed such items for the teachers to agree or disagree with; "site councils," "increased accountability for school site and districts," "full funding for preschool programs to enable all students to enter school ready to learn," "extended school year," "certificate of initial mastery," etc. The question is patently "loaded." For example, site councils are not charged with improving student learning. Their function is to implement the state law, dole out professional development courses and money to selected teachers, and apply for grants from foundations and the federal government. For the teachers to answer, "agree" or "disagree", that the site councils will lead to improved student learning is misdirecting the respondent ... read more ...
The Basic Structure of a Tarot Deck
There are 78 total cards in a standard tarot deck. These cards are divided in the following way: 4 sets (called 'suits') of 14 cards each = 56 cards (the 'minor arcana'). The names of these suits have varied from pack to pack over time but generally suits adhere to some form of the following designations---Wands (or Rods), Cups, Swords, Pentacles (or Disks).
Each suit has ten numbered cards, Ace through Ten, plus four 'court cards' [note: the term 'court card' possibly comes from a corruption of 'coat card', 'coat' having once been used to refer to something, such as one's apparel, which would distinguish one's class or profession]. The court cards go by various naming conventions but: King-Queen-Knight-Page is a fairly standard description. One notices that this sequence is identical to that encountered in the 52-card pack of normal playing cards (the 'Page' being the 'Jack'), with the addition of the 'Knight' in tarot.
Another common scheme, one popularized by the Aleister Crowley 'Book of Thoth' deck is; Knight-Queen-Prince-Princess. The difference between these approaches points to one of the myriad ideological disputes about names and 'meanings' that characterize so much of modern tarot. In addition to these 56 'small' cards there are; 22 cards of the 'major arcana', often referred to simply as 'majors', or 'trumps'. These cards depict various ideas and persons, the names of the cards are mostly rooted in Medieval or Renaissance religion and culture (particularly that of North Italy). The cards are numbered from 0-Fool, to 21-World (or Universe) as follows
0. Fool [the Fool will sometimes be found stuck between 20 & 21]
I. Magus (or Magician)
II. High Priestess
III. Empress
IV. Emperor
V. Hierophant
VI. Lovers
VII. Chariot
VIII. ??????????
And right there our peaceful little perusal of the trumps rolls right off the tracks. We should get used to this, it's going to happen a lot. The problem with 'VIII' is that no one can decide, with ultimate authority, what it's supposed to be. Some people say 'VIII' should be 'Strength' while others say 'Justice' (and thus these two cards are locked in a struggle over the number placements 'VIII' and 'XI'). At the same time, and to muddy things more, there is the whole problem introduced by Aleister Crowley, in his influential 'Thoth' deck, who exchanged the attributions (the correspondences between tarot trumps and paths on the kabbalistic Tree of Life) of IV-Emperor and XVII-Star. Most people, who are not strict adherents to Crowley's Thelemic system, have not followed nor concerned themselves much with the latter change, but many still fight over the VIII-XI controversy. Based on purely astrological considerations the better choice seems to be Strength in 'VIII' and Justice in 'XI'. But there's more to it than that---there almost always is in tarot. So, let's continue;
VIII. Strength (or Justice)---[note: also, in Thoth-influenced decks these cards will be titled 'Lust' or 'Adjustment' respectively.]
IX. Hermit
X. Wheel of Fortune
XI. Justice (or Strength) [again, in Thoth 'Justice' is called 'Adjustment'.]
XII. Hanged Man
XIII. Death
XIV. Temperance [In Thoth this is called 'Art', as in 'alchemical' arts]
XV. Devil
XVI. Tower
XVII. Star
XVIII. Moon
XIX. Sun
XX. Judgment [As in the 'Last Judgment', in Thoth it is called 'Aeon']
XXI. World/or Universe .... read more ...
Daily Yi ... No. 3, Difficulty at the Beginning:
Difficulty at the beginning works supreme success ...furthering through perseverance. Nothing should be undertaken until clarity is attained. It furthers one to appoint helpers.
"When it is a man's fate to undertake new beginnings, everything is still unformed, dark." [Wilhelm]
This is the future of the time of Contemplation. The Image of this hexagram is clouds and thunder, the chaos of the storms of spring from which natural growth arises.
Remember - all true growth is organic. "Accept and bear with the discomfort of chaos without attempting to push it away. Allow it to clear of its own accord, in its own time." [Walker] Go slow, don't bite off more than you can chew, and look for friends who can help and support you. "Supreme success" lies waiting.
What is this "new beginning" for you?
"When it is a man's fate to undertake new beginnings, everything is still unformed, dark." [Wilhelm]
This is the future of the time of Contemplation. The Image of this hexagram is clouds and thunder, the chaos of the storms of spring from which natural growth arises.
Remember - all true growth is organic. "Accept and bear with the discomfort of chaos without attempting to push it away. Allow it to clear of its own accord, in its own time." [Walker] Go slow, don't bite off more than you can chew, and look for friends who can help and support you. "Supreme success" lies waiting.
What is this "new beginning" for you?
Britain Faces Losing Power Over Its Own Budget Under New Plans For an 'Economic Government of the EU'
'Britain could be forced to have its Budget signed off by European leaders under plans to impose an 'economic government of the EU', it emerged yesterday.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pressing for 'oversight' of national economies to be included in controversial arrangements that were agreed by EU leaders yesterday. She wants to introduce financial penalties for states with persistently high budget deficits, giving the EU a high degree of control.
This could see Britain forfeiting the £2billion annual 'structural funds' paid out to some of the nation's poorer areas by Brussels.' ...Read more:...
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pressing for 'oversight' of national economies to be included in controversial arrangements that were agreed by EU leaders yesterday. She wants to introduce financial penalties for states with persistently high budget deficits, giving the EU a high degree of control.
This could see Britain forfeiting the £2billion annual 'structural funds' paid out to some of the nation's poorer areas by Brussels.' ...Read more:...
Anomaly Gallery
One more from the south 'polar' region of Mars. Natural formations or more possible evidence of martian colonisation?
Vaccines
The March 1999 ‘Vaccines’ feature in Parenting magazine provided all propaganda one would expect from a subsidiary of Time, Inc. Time-Warner, Inc., the parent company, is a corporate member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Time's president, Richard D. Parsons, and the Editor-in-Chief of TIME, Norman Pearlstine, are longstanding CFR members. One CFR published policy objective is substantial worldwide depopulation including half of the current U.S. population being targeted. This population reduction program is largely funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Merck Fund, both financially and administratively linked to the Merck pharmaceutical company--the world's leading vaccine manufacturer.” -Dr. Len Horowitz, “Parenting with Deadly Timely Propaganda”The FDA's VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Effects Reporting System) receives around 10-12,000 reports of serious vaccination reactions annually, with about 1% fatal. However, the NVIC (National Vaccine Information Center) investigation on VAERS reports that based on a New York study, 97.5% of vaccine related deaths and disabilities are not reported to/by the FDA. So the number of annual American fatalities is likely closer to 1000 and disabilities closer to 100,000. On top of this, the catch-all diagnosis SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), killing up to 10,000 babies a year, has been shown to “coincidentally” occur shortly after immunizations/vaccinations. (Atlantean Conspiracy)
Outer space: Nasa's multi-screen wonder wall
You may think you've got a pretty good widescreen set-up at home, but nothing comes close to Nasa's hyperwall-2. Used for a multitude of purposes, from weather and national disaster observations to displaying images from Nasa's Spitzer Space Telescope - as shown here - the quarter-of-a-billion-pixel, 128-screen, 23ft-wide LCD array is the world's highest-resolution display system. Here, a Nasa analyst is examining a colourised image of part of the centre of our galaxy. The blue specks are Milky Way stars, and the bluish-white haze in the background is light from older star clusters. In the top left of the picture (the third screen along) you can see the Black Widow Nebula, ten thousand light years away. Installed at Nasa's Ames Research Centre in 2008, the system is powered by 128 graphics-processing units with 1,024 processor cores, running at speeds of up to 74 teraflops - that's 74 trillion calculations per second, the equivalent of over 300 PS3 consoles. But all this power isn't being used to play giant games of Modern Warfare 2 - it enables scientists to analyse massive data sets and run simulations that might take weeks on lesser computers. (Daily Mail)
Inspiration For The Day
"Your imagination is your preview to life’s coming attractions." -- Albert Einstein
"Change is created by those whose imaginations are bigger than their circumstances" -- Unknown source
"Change is created by those whose imaginations are bigger than their circumstances" -- Unknown source
Bolton 0 v 4 Man Utd
Dimitar Berbatov scored a second-half brace as Manchester United swept aside Bolton to restore their one-point advantage at the Premier League summit. Jlloyd Samuel inadvertently handed United the initiative when he turned a Ryan Giggs cross into his own net. Berbatov stretched the lead, turning in the rebound from a Darren Fletcher shot before flicking in Nani's cross. Fabrice Muamba had earlier gone close for Bolton, but Nani set up substitute Darron Gibson to seal the win late on. A point ahead in the title race at the afternoon's outset, United briefly relinquished the lead to Chelsea, who hammered Aston Villa 7-1 at Stamford Bridge, but re-established their slender advantage with a performance of growing authority. Bolton provided stern opposition in the initial stages, weathering an early United storm and testing Edwin van der Sar's reflexes through Johan Elmander and, notably, Muamba, who drew a flying, fingertip save from the United keeper But Samuel's own goal - the 11th that has gone in United's favour this season - was a hammer blow, and once Berbatov had tucked home to double the champions' lead in the 69th minute, the spirit slowly ebbed from Owen Coyle's side. (BBC Sport)
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