Friday, 11. November 2005
Hot News or Hoax?

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He sees Maya link in UFOs, natural disasters by San Diego Union-Tribune. (English)
"There are indications that the Maya had knowledge of this 5,000 years ago. The question is: Who told them?" ... "(Maussan's) a charlatan. He takes advantage of people's ignorance. He sees UFOs everywhere."
Jaime Maussan, UFO investigator from Mexico opposed astronomer Pablo Lonnie Pacheco.

Sights, Shivers & Signs by Silver Chips Online. (English)
Peering through the darkness with unfocused eyes - she wasn't wearing her glasses - Segal froze as her gaze met two tall, thin, pale, white figures "like stretched-out spaghetti people" hovering next to her dining room table. They motioned toward her window with their "spidery hands," displaying large, round palms and unnaturally long fingers.
Teens and college students increasingly are having encounters with the supernatural and are talking about it.

Miracles & Mary: Illinois A Mecca For Sightings by CBS2 Chicago.
WITH VIDEO. (English)
Millions make pilgrimages every year to Fatima and Lourdes, Medjugorje and Guadalupe. Pope John Paul's dedication to Christ's mother and the focus on the "divine feminine" in the Passion of the Christ and the Da Vinci Code have all brought greater attention to the Virgin Mary
Miracles & Mary: Illinois A Mecca For Sightings.

Beware of snakes, whales and archangels by The Telegraph U.K. (English)
Legend has it that Michael landed with such force as to leave an imprint in the rocks, an event celebrated in a sanctuary that still stands. That Christian monument is on the site of a much older Greek shrine, an entrance to the underworld.
Steve Jones connects ancient quakes and legends.

Some news-links do not last long. In this case please send me a note.
Category: News & Stories |




First Contact

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by Nick Kim
Category: Games & Humor |




Thursday, 10. November 2005
Cosmic Art

I specialise in all forms of Space Art, Astronomy, Science Fiction, Science Fact, UFO, Strange Phenomenon and Fantasy Art.

When I start a new painting, I spray the canvas jet black and then I draw the design of the painting in white with three or four different airbrushes. Next I put in the very bright colours, highlights and shadows. When satisfied I finish the work with a protective varnish giving the painting a glass finish. I prefer to use acrylic inks and Liquitex paint as this gives a very high performance when working in the airbrush medium.

Cosmic Art
by Andrew C. Stewart

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Category: Art & Visions |


Hot News or Hoax?

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Tibetan and Indian monks still master the art of levitation by Pravda. (English)
Gods in Oriental Mythology had a special ability. They could fly. However, ordinary mortals could master the unique art of flying too. For example, Indian Brahmans, yogis, hermits and fakirs could rise and float in the air.
I will try it - maybe this will help: Learn to Levitate *blink*

Aliens - or pie in the sky? by Cambridge Evening News. (English)
Blue and white circular objects; shooting stars falling to the ground; a silver grey rod flying over a small town ... the normally quiet and unassuming small towns of Huntingdon, Girton, Ely and St Neots are a hotbed of weird aerial activity.
Why I never see one ...

Some news-links do not last long. In this case please send me a note.
Category: News & Stories |


Wednesday, 09. November 2005
God and Goddesses of the World

The names and characteristics of deities of a number of religions, both past and present.
The deities of the Greek, Roman, Celtic, Norse, Etruscan, Aztec, Incan, Mayan, Chinese, Japanese, Persian, Mesopotamian, Voodoo, Santeria, Candomble, African, and Egyptian religions.

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God and Goddesses of the World Religions
by Lady Galadriel. (English)

Not the best webdesign ever, but very extensive and complete. Better you have a popup blocker ...


Another site: Gods and Goddesses of the World by E. Elick, L. Merchant. (English)
Category: Gods & Goddesses |


Witchcraft, Demonology and the Inquisition

The Rare Book Library, University of Sydney, contains a significant collection of works on witchcraft, demonology, exorcism and the occult. Here also may be found related works on canon and civil law, reports of trials, the Inquisition, torture, prophecy and alchemy, and more modern texts on occult practices by writers such as A. E. Waite and Aleister Crowley.
The collection focuses on European, British and American witchcraft, looking at its theological and heretical aspects rather than at the level of folklore or anthropology. Here may be found many early texts from the 16th and 17th centuries, the period when the theories of the heretical aspects of witchcraft were being formulated. Among these are four editions of one of the more sinister works on demonology, the Malleus Maleficarum, a book that codified church dogma on heresy for centuries.

Witchcraft, Demonology and the Inquisition

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For exemple:

DEL RIO, Martin Antoine
Disquisitionarum magicarum libri sex: quibus continentur accurata curiosum artium, et vanarum superstitionum confutatio.
Coloniae Agrippinae: Sumptibus Hermani Demen, 1679

The Disquisitionem, the most famous work of the Jesuit scholar and theologian Martin Del Rio, was first published in 1599. After about 20 editions it last appeared in 1747. Even so, few copies survive today so heavily was it used. In many ways the most complete of all the works on witchcraft it was renowned in its time as the Malleus Maleficarum.

Under a veil of moderation, Del Rio, for example, permitted legal council for witches, the book revived many of the earlier theories and practices. Much of the thrust of the work is against those who questioned the trials, adopting the line that anyone who opposed the concept was themselves suspect of complicity.
Category: Books & Magazines | Magick & Witchcraft |


Tuesday, 08. November 2005
Stan Rosenthal’s Tao Te Ching

A number of problems arise when translating any work from a written language, such as early Chinese, into twentieth century English. One such problem is the difference between the written forms of the two languages, another is the difference between the two cultures, and a third is the time which elapsed between the writing of the original work, in this instance, some time between six hundred and three hundred years before the Christian era, and the compilation of the textual arrangement by Wang Bih, dating from the third century A.D., used today.

The mind should not be filled with desires. The individual who is at one with the Tao is aware of the distinction between that which is needed as a sufficiency, and that which is a desire, or merely wanted rather than needed.

It is the manner of the Tao that even though continuously used, it is naturally replenished, never being emptied, and never being as full as a goblet which is filled to the brim and therefore spills its fine spring water upon the ground. The Tao therefore does not waste that with which it is charged, yet always remains a source of nourishment for those who are not already so full that they cannot partake of it.

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Introductory Notes by Stan Rosenthal. (English)
A preface and introductory notes in which Rosenthal explains his intention and strategy.

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THE CREATIVE PRINCIPLE OF TAO
The creative principle unifies
the inner and external worlds.
It does not depend on time or space,
is ever still and yet in motion;
thereby it creates all things,
and is therefore called
'the creative and the absolute';
its ebb and its flow extend to infinity.
We describe the Tao as being great;
we describe the universe as great;
nature too, we describe as great,
and man himself is great.
Man's laws should follow natural laws,
just as nature gives rise to physical laws,
whilst following from universal law,
which follows the Tao.


Tao Te Ching Translation by Stan Rosenthal. (English)
Best for the first-time reader
Category: Religion & Early Cultures |


Hot News or Hoax?

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Planet Venus: Earth's 'evil twin' by BBC News. (English)
The Babylonians called it "Ishtar". To the Mayans, it was known as "Chak ek", which translates as "great star". Some ancient astronomers believed it was two separate objects: a "morning star" and an "evening star". Venus is the brightest object in the sky except for the Sun and Moon. As such, the second planet from the Sun has fascinated humankind for millennia.

Energy vampires do not need fangs to live by Pravda. (English)
Russian parapsychologist, Sergei Nikodimov, an expert of anomalous phenomena, is certain that energy vampirism is a part of every-day reality. "Numerous research works conducted by specialists of bioenergetics all over the world showed that all people can be conditionally divided into two major categories - vampires and donors.
Which are you?

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Israeli archaeologists said Saturday they have discovered what may be the oldest Christian church in the Holy Land on the grounds of a prison near the biblical site of Armageddon.
Earliest Christian church found in Israeli jail by Telegraph. With Pics. (English)


Some news-links do not last long. In this case please send me a note.
Category: News & Stories |


Abducted : How People Come to Believe …

If you're going to read just one book about alien abductions, make it this one. And if you think alien abduction stories aren't worth considering seriously, Clancy will convince you otherwise. A postdoctoral fellow in psychology at Harvard, she follows the dictum of William James to "take 'weird beliefs' seriously but not literally." Thus, she considers that the belief that one has been abducted by little gray beings with large, black catlike eyes, subjected to intrusive and painful physical examinations and exploited to create hybrid human/alien babies serves the deep human need to find meaning in one's life.

Susan Clancy - Abducted:
How People Come to Believe They Were Abducted by Aliens.
(Amazon US and UK).

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Here is an interesting article to give you some background.
Alien abductions: The Real Deal? by Psychology Today. (English)
Summary: What leads people to believe they've been abducted by aliens?

A review by Slate:
Is there any consensus about the psychology of alien abduction? Prior research has yielded a few insights, some of which are hardly surprising: People who believe they've been abducted tend to be fantasy-prone and eccentric, for one. On the other hand, they don't tend to be crazy. Most abductees are regular Joes, with decent jobs; though they have varying levels of education, they are predominantly white and middle class.

Beam Me Up, Godly Being: Is alien abduction real - or a creation of Hollywood? (English)

Elsewhere:
Why they think of aliens by The Washington Times. (English)


UPDATE 09.12.05 @13.11 Uhr

An interview with Susan Clancy, author of Abducted: How People Come to Believe They Were Kidnapped By Aliens.

"It's really so boring after you've heard one. For the most part they're all the same. I was in my bed and someone took me out of my bed and then I ended up on some kind of table (a black table usually) and then there are these creatures looking down at me and then they did so and so to me. The plot is always the same."

The Truth Is In There by Reason. (English)
Category: Books & Magazines | Ufo's & Aliens |


Monday, 07. November 2005
Asian Traditional Archery

Kyudo, which literally means The Way of the Bow, is considered by many to be the purest of all the martial ways. In the past the Japanese bow was used for hunting, war, court ceremonies, games, and contests of skill. The old word for Japanese archery was kyujutsu (bow technique) which encompassed the skills and techniques of the warrior archer. Some of the ancient schools, known as ryu, survive today, along with the ancient ceremonies and games, but the days where the Japanese bow was used as a weapon are long past. Modern kyudo is practiced primarily as a method of physical, moral, and spiritual development.

The Meishin Kyudojo Homepage
Dedicated to the instruction and advancement of kyudo. It includes sections on history, philosophy, technique, equipment and resources.

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Shooting Nurtures the Mind’s Eye
and Relationship between Japanese Kyudo and Shinto
by Dr. Ryouji Yokoyama, Kyoshi, 6th Dan.

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The earliest records of Chinese cultural history come down to use in the form of folk-lore. Some clues also survive in the most ancient forms of the Chinese writing system, in which the written word consisted of pictures combined into symbols. From these clues, a rather astonishing picture of ancient Chinese archery emerges. Some 3,500 years ago, there was a shamanistic archery cult in China. The shamans and rulers performed archery rituals to pray for rain, reduce floods and keep barbarians from Chinese lands.


Famous among the shamans were the clan called ‘Yi’, whose founder, according to Chinese folklore, shot from the sky nine suns which appeared causing a drought and famine.

In the earliest Chinese royal dynasties, archery had an important place both in mystic ritual and in war. It was a compulsory subject, together with ritual, music, charioteering, reading and arithmetic, in the schools which trained the Chinese nobility.

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Some 1,000 years later, over 2,000 years before the our times, archery was still an important part of imperial court ritual. Confucian scholars transformed the ancient shamanistic ritual into a shooting ritual designed to symbolise Confucian virtue.

Chinese Archery Archive by Asian Traditional Archery Research Network, ATARN.

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Korean traditional archery has ranking similar to other martial arts, such as taekwondo. The dahn level system is used. At special ranking competitions, archers try to advance in rank. The first dahn level is reached when you hit the target twenty five out of forty five tries. The next levels (second through ninth) are 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 35, 37, and 39 hits, respectively. Only two level advancements are allowed per year.


Rank is signified by moogoonghwa (Rose of Sharon) flowers embroidered on the archer's bow cover. When an archer reaches fifth dahn, another milestone is reached. This level is known as Myong Goong, or "Famous-name Archer". At this level, the archer will be given another ceremony and the archer's name will be registered nationally.

Korean Traditional Archery by ATARN.

There are nine major precepts in Korean values.

1. In Ae Duk Haeng
Be seen as a model of love and virtue

2. Sung Shil Gyum Sohn
Act with humbleness and honesty.

3. Ja Joong Jul Jo
You should solidly protect your integrity through discreet behavior.

4. Ye Eui Um Soo
Be courteous.

5. Yum Jik Gwa Gahm
When in a position of power, act with integrity and bravery.

6. Sub Sa Moo Un
Don't speak while there is shooting.

7. Jung Shim Jung Gi
Have a straight mind and straight body.

8. Bool Won Seung Ja
Don't resent someone who wins.

9. Mahk Mahn Tah Goong
Don't touch another person's bow.

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The game of archery is not exactly a sport that draws frenzied supporters out for a kill. There are no die-hard fans and no follow-the-team-to-kingdom-come fanatics. And no streaking hooligans. If anyone is all pumped up, it is the archers themselves…

To the Bhutanese, it's a tourist sport and a very saleable one at that too. It has tremendous tourist appeal.


Archery is tradition; it's songs and dances and jeers and near-primitive howls. It's the works to someone seeking the unusual.

Tibetan and Bhutanese Traditional Archery - Archery: the Real Game is Played Elsewhere, Article by Kunga T. Dorji and Tashi Phuntsho.

And check also ATARN Picture Archive
Category: Martial Arts & Combat |


Sunday, 06. November 2005
A Modern Herbal

A Modern Herbal, first published in 1931, by Mrs. M. Grieve, contains Medicinal, Culinary, Cosmetic and Economic Properties, Cultivation and Folk-Lore of Herbs.
Plant & Herb: Index More than 800 varieties of herbs & plants.
Index of Recipes: A listing of 29 plants that include recipes.
Index of Poisons: A listing of 44 plants that are listed as poisonous.

Regarding cultivation - Keep in mind that this was written in England, with a climate similar to the Pacific Northwest in America.

For Medicinal Use - Bear in mind it was written with the conventional wisdom of the early 1900's. This should be taken into account as some of the information may now be considered inaccurate, or not in accordance with modern medicine.

"A Modern Herbal" continues to be one of the most popular resources for herbal information. The advise is both timely and historical. A great read. (English)

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Check also Trees from "A Modern Herbal" by Mrs. M. Grieve, Edited by Mrs. C.F. Leyel. (English)

This is a growing reference that includes plant images, pictures of affected animals and presentations concerning the botany, chemistry, toxicology, diagnosis and prevention of poisoning of animals by plants and other natural flora.

Poisonous Plants Home Page by Cornell University. (English)
Category: Herbs & Kitchen | Lexica & Overviews |


Saturday, 05. November 2005
Lakota

The Lakota, members of the family of the Great Sioux Nation of North America, have a very rich spirituality and a deep respect for all life, visible and invisible. The word Lakota means "considered friends" or "alliance of friends".

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Let me tell you how we lost the land. It wasn't our land like we owned it. It was the land where we hunted or where our ancestors were buried. It was the land that the Creator had given us. It was the land where our sacred stories took place. It had sacred places on it. Our ceremonies were here. We knew the animals. They knew us. We had watched the seasons pass on this land. It was alive, like our grandparents. We were part of it. The land was part of us. We didn't even know about owning the land. It is like talking about owning your grandmother. For us, the earth was alive. To move a stone was to change her. To kill an animal was to take from her. There had to be respect.

An Elder Speaks Up - Excerpts from the book "Neither Wolf nor Dog. On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder" by Kent Nerburn.


The Sun and the Earth were in his view the parents of all organic life. From the Sun, as the universal father, proceeds the quickening principle in nature, and in the patient and fruitful womb of our mother, the Earth, are hidden embryos of plants and men.

The elements and majestic forces in nature, Lightning, Wind, Water, Fire, and Frost, were regarded with awe as spiritual powers, but always secondary and intermediate in character. We believed that the spirit pervades all creation and that every creature possesses a soul in some degree, though not necessarily a soul conscious of itself. The tree, the waterfall, the grizzly bear, each is an embodied Force, and as such an object of reverence.

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"Standing Proud" by Cat Corcilius


The Spirituality of the Sioux - Excerpts from the book "The Soul Of The Indian" by Ohiyesa (Charles Alexander Eastman), first published in 1911 by the University of Nebraska Press.

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Your religion was written upon tablets of stone by the iron finger of your God so that you could not forget. The red man could never comprehend nor remember it.

Our religion is the traditions of our ancestors —the dreams of our old men, given to them in the solemn hours of night by the Great Spirit and the visions of our sachems— and is written in the hearts of our people.
Chief Seattle of the Suquamish, 1853

Wise Words - Quotes from Indian Chiefs, Medicine Men & other sources.


More words, teachings & perspective: Lakota Wisdom and other related texts.

Hanblecheyapi
(Crying for a Vision):

This way of praying is very important, and indeed it is at the center of our religion, for from it we have received many good things. Every man can cry for a vision, or "lament", and in the old days we all — men and women — "lamented" all the time. What is received through the "lamenting" is determined in part by the character of the person who does this, for only those people who are very qualified receive the great visions, which are interpreted by our holy man, and which give strength and health to our nation.

Lakota Rites, Ceremonies and Symbolism

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"Lakota Water Maidens" by R.S. Riddick


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All things in the Universe have spirit and life. The rocks, the earth, the sky, the waters, the plants and the animals are different expressions of consciousness in different realms and realities. And all things in the Universe know about their Harmony with everything else, and know how to give to one another. Except man. Of all the creatures in the Universe, only we don't start our lives with the knowledge of this great Harmony. Our spirit can become whole through learning to seek and perceive, learning about our own Harmony with all our brothers in the Universe.

The Animals' Medicine


I'm so glad that I found this site:

Lakota by Cheryl Harleston. (All English)
Our purpose is to help preserve the Lakota heritage & language, and to offer some tools for your personal growth, regardless of the path you have chosen. May you have a good journey!
Category: Ethno & Shamanism |


Hot News or Hoax?

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Exploring the Science of Miracles by The Washington Post. (English)
"Miracles are just paranormal events in religious clothing. I'm a chemist. I look for the substance behind things. We're just trying to study phenomena. If there's a non-miraculous answer, we say so."

Do space aliens have souls? by Catholic News Service. (English)
Would Christian theology be rocked to the core if science someday found a distant orb teeming with little green men, women or other intelligent forms of alien life? Would the church send missionaries to spread the Gospel to aliens? Could aliens even be baptized?

The Meaning of Hoax by New Criminologist. (English)
Many folks believe in UFO's and late night radio documents many stories. The fact that "more intelligent life" exists outside our atmosphere is hopefully truth, considering the mess our World is currently enduring. I certainly hope very smart aliens are "out there" intercepting the insanity and messages sent via satellites, into "outer-space," particularly via internet.

Some news-links do not last long. In this case please send me a note.
Category: News & Stories |


Friday, 04. November 2005
Shave A Yeti

Have you ever wanted to shave a Yeti?

Of course you have and the folks at Polartec have made it easy by creating
Shave Your Yeti.

Just grab the clippers with your mouse and start shaving. And make sure to remove all the Yeti's fur.

Have fun!

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Category: Games & Humor |


Thursday, 03. November 2005
Hot News or Hoax?

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Boriska, indigo boy from Mars, predicts mammoth catastrophes in 2009
by Pravda. (English)
"Boriska is one of them. Apparently, indigo children have a special mission to change our planet. Many of them have amended DNA spirals, which gives them incredibly strong immune system, which can even defeat AIDS. I have met such children in China, India, Vietnam and so on. I am sure that they will change the future of our civilization," Vladislav Lugovenko said.
Relax, get comfortable, and enjoy this one.

Orders from Brussels: Spell Christ with a lower-case "c"
by Canada Free Press. (English)
The new spelling regulations are coming from the same folk, who include as one of their seat numbers in the august and austere chamber in which they gather to prevaricate on all things politically correct, the number 666.
Thus becoming Jesus christ. That solves everything, doesn't it?

Some news-links do not last long. In this case please send me a note.
Category: News & Stories |


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