This is a great old documentary from 1970 on various occult groups. There are interviews with Alex Sanders, Selena Fox, Olivia Robertson, Micheal and Lilith Aquino, H.R. Giger and many others. Warning: NSFW.
(via Google Video. Thanks Dedroidify!)
MonthMarch 2008
From the Shiny Report:
The Pileus Umbrella comes fully equipped with GPS, PHS / Wi-Fi / HSDPA Connection, a digital compass, a 3D Accelerometer (motion sensor), and a camera – which can be used to take photos at the snap of your wrist. A mobile projector is fitted to the bottom of the umbrella adjacent to the handle, providing a large screen on the underside of the umbrella, which can be used to stream flickr photos, or display a 3d navigational map, courtesy of google earth. There’s no information on the hardware running the umbrella’s system, but given that it performs with google earth, one can assume that it’s at least 500mhz with 128mb RAM – plenty of spec for hacking and modding your umbrella – and with the attached hardware, the possibilities are not only limitless, they’re actually more exciting than the future-retail version of the umbrella itself.
A bandit-infested region of India is trying to persuade men to undergo sterilisation by offering to fast-track their gun licence applications, an official said on Tuesday.
Officials in central Madhya Pradesh state’s Shivpuri district decided to adopt the policy — already tried out by some neighbouring states — to increase the low vascectomy rate.
“I came to know that it had to do with their perceived notion of manliness,” said Manish Shrivastav, administrative chief of Shivpuri district, part of the Indian Chambal region, which is famed for its lawlessness and bandits.
“I then decided to match it with a bigger symbol of manliness — a gun licence,” he said. “And the ploy worked.”
(via Hit and Run).
Arthur C. Clarke, a visionary science fiction writer who won worldwide acclaim with more than 100 books on space, science and the future, died Wednesday in his adopted home of Sri Lanka, an aide said. He was 90.
Clarke, who had battled debilitating post-polio syndrome since the 1960s and sometimes used a wheelchair, died at 1:30 a.m. local time after suffering breathing problems, aide Rohan De Silva said.
(Thanks Brenden).
1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
One of the coolest things from the psychedelic movement of the 60’s that for some reason never really caught on with the mainstream is the isolation tank. It’s an amazing invention by the late, great psychonaut John Lilly. He was trying to find a way to isolate the mind and the thoughts to be completely independent of the distraction of normal sensory input from the body- like touch, sound, sight, etc.
The idea being that if you could get away from all of the normal, natural signals and distractions your mind could function on a much deeper level. What he came up with is a tank filled with water that’s heated to the same temperature as the surface of your skin, and it’s got 800lbs of Epsom salts in it, so that you float on the surface of the water. The water is heated to the same temperature as your skin, so when you lay in it after a while you can’t feel it. Your ears are under water so you don’t hear anything, and when you close the lid of the tank you’re in complete darkness. It’s a really freaky feeling, and at first it’s kind of hard to get comfortable. Your brain isn’t used to the experience, so it’ll start giving you ‘busy work’ – making you think that you’ve got to itch your nose, or move your arm or something, but if you can just breathe and relax you can get past this stage.
Once you learn to get comfortable it becomes amazing how clearly you can think and see things.
[..] “One chilly Tuesday evening, strange things were afoot on Capitol Hill. The U.S. Senate was hosting a ceremony at the request of a wealthy, elderly newspaper publisher who wanted official recognition as a majestic, divine visitor to Washington. The Dirksen Senate Office Building made for an unlikely temple: a formidable seven-story block of white marble, looming on a street corner diagonally across from the Capitol Dome, its marble pediment is inscribed, “THE SENATE IS THE LIVING SYMBOL OF OUR UNION OF STATES.”
On March 23, 2004, U.S. lawmakers were filmed here in a conference room, paying tribute to the enigmatic Reverend Sun Myung Moon, then eighty-four, and his wife, Hak Ja, sixty-four. As the cameras rolled, two congressmen presented the Koreans with matching royal costumes. Wearing the burgundy robes and shining crowns, which crested into jagged golden pinnacles, the married couple smiled and waved for the cameras.
Who was this self-proclaimed monarch? In the 1970s, the evening news had presented Moon, the ranting, middle-aged business tycoon who wore flowing robes on special occasions, as Korea’s answer to L. Ron Hubbard, someone for college students to avoid, luring thousands of young Americans into a cult in which they sold carnations on the street and married spouses he chose for them. But the media had moved on to other nightmares, leaving Moon, forgotten, to reinvent himself. Now time had wizened him into an elderly patriarch, wearing an ashen face for his coronation. An orange Senate VIP name tag remained pinned to his gray suit, peeking out from between rows of curly gold filigree, as he stood on stage at the head of a red carpet.”
(via Alternet)
“The Memory Palace is one of the most powerful memory techniques I know. It’s not only effective, but also fun to use – and not hard to learn at all.
The Memory Palace has been used since ancient Rome, and is responsible for some quite incredible memory feats. Eight-time world memory champion Dominic O’Brien, for instance, was able to memorize 54 decks of cards in sequence (that’s 2808 cards), viewing each card only once. And there are countless other similar achievements attributed to people using the Memory Palace technique or variations of it. Even in fiction, there are several references to the technique. In Thomas Harris’ novel Hannibal, for example, serial killer Hannibal Lecter uses Memory Palaces to store amazingly vivid memories of years of intricate patient records (sadly, it was left off the movie).
Of course, most of us are not in Dominic’s memory championship line of business (or in Hannibal’s line of business for that matter). But still, the Memory Palace technique is amazingly effective in all kinds of endeavors, such as learning a foreign language, memorizing a presentation you’re about to deliver, preparing for exams and many others – even if all you want is to jog your memory.”
(via Litemind)
(Related: “The Art of Memory” via Renaissance Magazine. “The Art of Memory” by Edward Tanguay)
(A more occult/magickal look at “The Art of Memory” via The Society of Guardians)
In parts one and two of our interview we discussed the history of the Koldun and their relationship to the Tarot. In this third installment we discuss how to find one’s Tarot Constellation, which form the basis for other Kolduny practices.
TiamatsVision– You mentioned that you use the Tarot Constellation for assistance in helping someone. How does one go about finding their Tarot Constellation?
NATALIA– The process of finding a person’s Tarot Constellation consists of first reducing the birth date down to a single digit. This is the Soul Number. Then find the Tarot card within the major arcana that is associated with that number. Next, you have to find the Persona and Will cards and then the Fate and Path cards. From there you look for the Hidden Influence, Visible Influence and the Inner Teacher cards.
NATALIA– To determine one’s Tarot Constellation you must first determine the Soul Number. To do this you add all the numbers of the birthdate up. Let’s say someone was born on 6-12-1955. Add 6+1+2+1+9+5+5=29. Now take and reduce 29 to its lowest single number which is 2+9=11, 1+1= 2. The person of this birthday has the soul of a 2. The second card of the major arcana is The Priestess. So you pull The Priestess card and the 2’s of all the suits. These twos are the Fates and Path cards. Next you find the Inner Teacher card. The easiest way to do this is to ask The Hermit card, which is a card that portrays one holding either a lantern or hourglass and is the 9th card of the major arcana. If a person has a Soul of a 2, you add 9 and you get 11, 1+1=2. The reason you ask The Hermit is because no matter what the Soul Number is, by adding 9 you get the Inner Teacher number which adds up to the Soul Number. Work it out and see. A soul number of 5? Add 9 you get 14, 1+4=5, The Temperance card. A Soul Number of 7? Ask the Hermit; add 9+7 and its 16, (1+6=7) The Tower.
The Soul Number, the numbers of the suits, and the major arcana numbers that add up to the Soul Number form the skeleton of the Tarot Constellation.
ANTON– This is important to understand, and it is the basis of the constellation. A soul of 2? 2 plus 9=11. 1+1=2, the original Soul Number. A soul of 3? 3 plus 9 =12, 1+2=3, and so on. If you know a Soul Number and ask The Hermit, you will not fail finding the Inner Teacher.
The point is that the Soul card, no matter what the number is, has an Inner Teacher card that when broken down and added up, matches the Soul Number. In every circumstance The Hermit card stands lighting the way.
TiamatsVision– What is the significance of the different cards (i.e. the Soul card, the Inner Teacher, etc.)?
NATALIA– The Soul card reflects what will please and perplex the individual. The Inner Teacher card is the card of the inner teacher. When this card comes up it means that the inner teacher has a message or lesson for you. This card should be trumped by placing a card over it sideways and then considering the card in both a positive and negative manner. Fate and Path cards are cards that show how a person will view the issues raised by the suits. Cups are interpersonal relationships and romance. Swords are conflicts and lusts. Wands are creativity and intellect. Pentacles are work, money, home and survival. Influence cards reflect what will influence the person, both visible and hidden. The Hidden Teacher is the reflection of the hidden lessons that one’s past has taught them. The Will and Destiny cards reflect how one will behave in a struggle and how they routinely respond to certain situations.
It seems very complicated and in some ways it is. But the constellation is the beginning of understanding what makes the individual tick.
The next three cards that you need for a person’s Tarot Constellation are the Persona cards. These cards are the Personal Potential Card, The Hidden Teacher Card and the Manner of Expression Card. These cards are based upon your Sun Sign, your Moon Sign and your Ascendant. Your Sun sign will be the Personal Potential card, your Moon Sign is your Hidden Teacher card and your Manner of Expression card will be the sign of your Ascendant.
The signs and cards align like this:
Aries– Queen of Wands
Taurus– King of Pentacles
Gemini– Knight of Swords
Cancer– Queen of Cups
Leo– King of Wands
Virgo– Knight of Pentacles
Libra– Queen of Swords
Scorpio– King of Cups
Sagittarius– Knight of Wands
Capricorn– Queen of Pentacles
Aquarius– King of Swords
Pisces– Knight of Cups
So if your Sun was in Libra then your Personal Potential Card would be the Queen of Swords. If your Moon was in Leo then your Hidden Teacher would be the King of Wands. If your Ascendant sign is Virgo then your Manner of Expression card would be the Knight of Pentacles.
The next cards to consider in the Tarot Constellation are the Visible and Hidden Influence cards. These are based upon planets that were either in the Midheaven or on the Ascendant at the time of birth. Planets in the Midheaven would be reflected by Visible Influence cards, while planets on the Ascendant would be reflected by Hidden Influence cards.
The planet and card associations are:
Mercury– The Magician
Venus– The Empress
Jupiter– The Wheel
Neptune– The Hanged Man
Mars– The Tower
Pluto– Judgment
Saturn– The World
Uranus– The Fool
The Sun– The Sun
The Moon– The Moon
If a person was born at noon with the Sun in the Midheaven, then the Sun card would represent a Visible Influence. Let’s say Jupiter was also in the Midheaven, then The Wheel would also be a Visible Influence card. Now let’s imagine that Pluto was ascending at the time of the person’s birth. Their Hidden Influence card would be The Judgment card. There are only 3 cards left to determine that will complete the Tarot Constellation.
The last three cards to determine in the Tarot Constellation are the Will cards of which one is the Destiny card. The Will cards are minor arcana cards that are associated with the Sun sign, and the time involved in the Sun sign. Each Sun sign in astrology is broken down into three deaconates. Each deaconate is represented by a minor arcana card. The minor arcana card that represents the actual date of birth is the Destiny card.
They break down like this:
Aries:
March 21-30: 2 of Wands
March 31- April 10: 3 of Wands
April 11-20: 4 of Wands
Taurus:
April 21-30: 5 of Pentacles
May 1-10: 6 of Pentacles
May 11- 20: 7 of Pentacles
Gemini:
May 21-31: 8 of Swords
June 1-10: 9 of Swords
June 11-20: 10 of Swords
Cancer:
June 21-July 1: 2 of Cups
July 2-11: 3 of Cups
July 12-21: 4 of Cups
Leo:
July 22-Aug. 1: 5 of Wands
Aug. 2-11: 6 of Wands
Aug. 12-22: 7 of Wands
Virgo:
Aug. 23-Sept. 1: 8 of Pentacles
Sept. 2-11: 9 of Pentacles
Sept. 12-22: 10 of Pentacles
Libra:
Sept. 23-Oct. 2: 2 of Swords
Oct. 3-12: 3 of Swords
Oct. 13-22: 4 of Swords
Scorpio:
Oct. 23-Nov. 1: 5 of Cups
Nov. 2-12: 6 of Cups
Nov. 13-22: 7 of Cups
Sagittarius:
Nov. 23-Dec.2: 8 of Wands
Dec. 3-12: 9 of Wands
Dec. 13-21: 10 of Wands
Capricorn:
Dec. 22-30: 2 of Pentacles
Dec. 31-Jan. 9: 3 of Pentacles
Jan. 10-19: 4 of Pentacles
Aquarius:
Jan. 20-29: 5 of Swords
Jan. 30-Feb.8: 6 of Swords
Feb. 9-18: 7 of Swords
Pisces:
Feb. 19-29: 8 of Cups
March 1-10: 9 of Cups
March 11-20: 10 of Cups.
To determine your Will cards go to your Sun Sign. To determine your Destiny card, go to the deaconate of your birth. This completes the Tarot Constellation. Each person has one which is totally unique to them alone. Some come close, but no two are exactly alike. It is like a fingerprint. The uses of the Tarot Constellation are numerous. Everything from Tarot readings, to herbal prescriptions, to talisman for spells; they all come back to the individual’s Tarot Constellation.
(Next: Part 4- The different tarot spreads)
I’ve had this open in my browser for over a week, hoping I’d have time to put some analysis into the role religion plays in the treatment of women in each of these countries. I don’t have the time to work on something of this scope right now, so I’m just passing this article along without comment. The ten worst, according to the article, are:
Afghanistan
Democratic Republic of Congo
Iraq
Nepal
Sudan
Mali
Pakistan
Saudi Arabia
Somalia
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