(460) Wed 10 Aug 88 22:51 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Clergy Abuse of Children, part i St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:50e7 110ab664 Someone asked about child abuse in the contemporary churches. This is what I typed in for another network... In File 18 many accusations and allegations are made. These allegations are quasi-legal in nature. I think we need to ask some quasi-legal questions in return. Is there any evidence? Have there been or are there any current investigations by local authorities? Sometimes authorities will say that an investigation is on going but won't comment. Have there been any indictments? Have their been any arrests? Have there been any confessions? Has there been any convictions? Has there been an sentencing? Now for some evidence, investigations, indictments, arrests confessions, convictions, and sentencing... These are highly abbreviated articles compiled by the Freedom From Religion Foundation and reprinted in "Freethought Today". The Freedom From Religion Foundation has written a book, "Betrayal of Trust, Clergy Abuse of Children", that addresses this topic. Idaho Statesman 4/21/88... Father Mel Baltazar, notorious for molesting a boy hooked up to a kidney dialysis machine at a Napa, Calif. hospital and another boy in double-leg traction at a Boise hospital wll be paroled from his 7 year prison term. A 20-year history of unprosecuted abuse was unraveled during his trail in 1984. No source listed... Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland claimed, in writing about molesting priests, that "Sometimes not all adolescent victims are so "innocent"; some can be sexually very active and aggressive and often quite street wise." The Specator 5/9/88 and Amherst Daily News (Novia Scotia)... A clergy seminar of child sexual abuse and incest at Brock University, Ontario, Canada, concluded that the church is implicated in such abuse. Vince Pinpura, a social worker at St. Catharines General Hospital, said 8 of 10 members of an incest counseling group connected the church with incest; one was abused by a father who was a minister... Another woman told of the anguish of being sexually abused by her clergy father from the age of two., the congregation blind to her pain, and another preacher telling her "just to forgive." A nun warned of misusing "bogus spirituality." In June, a Canadian women's inter-church group released a study. Hands to End Violence Against Women, sying male-dominated churches, Christian theology and selective interpretation of scripture are at least partly to blame for violence against women. --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Still Changing... (I don't write these, He does!) (Opus 1: 128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (461) Wed 10 Aug 88 22:53 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Clergy Abuse of Children, part ii St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:50e7 110ab6a1 Atlanta Constitution 4/15/88 The clergy is required to report suspected sexual abuse of children in only 5 states, Miss., Ore., New Hamp., Conn. and Nev. However 16 other states implicitly require clergy reporting. Yet there is no known case of a district attorney prosecuting a minsister for failutre to abide by mandatory child abuse reporting laws. Several prosecutors have considered prosecution of non-reporting clergy, including DeKalb County District Attorney Robert Wilson. The R.C.C. in in the eastern Atlanta suburb is accused of a coverup for not reporting suspected molestation by Rev. Anton Mowat, even after victims' parents alerted them to the abuse last fall, and two priests had conveyed similar suspicions a year earlier. {The loop hole is that if the priest or minister is teaching or counseling they are obliged to report. If the child simply reveals sexual abuse to ministers ie. confessions, they are not obliged.} Atlanta Constitution 4/15/88 Former priest turned psychologist A.W. Richard Sipe, Baltimore, said a 25 year study he conducted shows that about 2% of all priests "show sexual excitment by fantasizing about or engaging in sexual activity with children." (Rev Thomas Doyle has projected that the figure may be as high as 3,000--one out of 18 priests or 16 per diocese--which is closer to 6%.) Catholic apologists deny any complicity in covering up illegal activities. Atlanta Constitution 4/15/88 Being a Catholic priest is "one of the best positions you can be go into [if you are a pedophile]. What better position could you be in to win peoples trust?" says Sharon Moody, commanding officer of the Crimes Against Children Unit for the Cobb County Police Department, Georgia. Columbus Ledger-Enquirer 5/28/88 Rev. Tony ("Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm") Levya, a southern revivalists investigated by the FBI for heading a 3-man ring prostituting young boys, has used Christian radio station WEAM in Columbus, Ga. to raise funds for his defense. Rev. Levya asks his followers to "sacrifice $100, $500, $1,000, $8,000 , even more, if God speaks to you" for his defence. Federal authorities allege that his crusades gave him and fellow abusers Rias E. Morris, organist, and Rev. Freddie M. Herring oppurtunity to sexually abuse numerous boys in Virginia, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Ohio and Indiana. He faces up to 65 years in prison and $550,000 in fines. Seattle Post-Intelligencer 3/23/88 The notorious Community Chapel & Bible Training Center, a sect --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Still Changing... (I don't write these, He does!) (Opus 1: 128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (462) Wed 10 Aug 88 22:54 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Clergy Abuse of Children, part iii St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:50e7 110ab6d4 based in Burien, Wash. near suburban Seattle, not only mentally abused children with doctrines of demonology and stunted education in their backward and repressive classrooms, but involved children in sexual abuse, according to reporter Mary Rothchild. The Center, beseiged by civil suites by ex-members claiming abuse, including women charging sexual exploitation, recently deposed it founder Rev. Donald Lee Barnett on charges of promiscuous adultry. In 1986, after followers complained, Child Protective Services met with Burien officials, spelling out guidlines, for example, that the church policy condoning French kissing of children was unacceptable. Three counselors were convicted of failing to report child sexual abuse in 1987. New York Times 5/23/88, New York Daily News 5/27/88, Newsweek 5/30/88, Denver Post 5/20/88, Newsday 6/11/88 Rev. Thoma Streitferdt, 59, a white Pastor in charge of the mostly black 700-member True Church of God in Harlem, was charged with rape and sodomy of two young sisters (ages 14 and 16) in his congregation. Law enforcement officials charge that Streitferdt told females worshippers that they could end up in hell if they refused his sexual advances, and raped at least one woman during premaritial counseling. Although his congregation was working class, Streidtferdt lived in a 1.4 million waterfront estate on Long Island, and owned property financed by contributions illegally coereced from church-goers. He and his family had exclusive rights to drive three church-owned Mercedex-Benz autos. Yet his tax returns in 1987 listed income of just several thousand dollars. The church required members to turn over tax records, and to tithe 10 percent as a condition of membership, increasing that tithe to 30 percent every third year. He also controller the finances of many of his members by keeping their savings at a bank set up through his church. Members were told that if they were not buried under church auspices at an additional fee in the church cemetary that "they would not go to heaven." San Gabriel Valley Tribune 6/18/88 Rev. Randall Wayne Brewer, a youth minister of Faith Community Church in West Covina, Calif., is charged with 3 counts of oral copulation with a Redlands teenager who said he was bribed and molested after being befriended at home Bible studies in 1985. The youth, now 17, testified that Brewer gave him $200 from a church checking account for running naked across an empty church hallway in a game called chicken. "I was told to tell everyone that I got the money for doing --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Still Changing... (I don't write these, He does!) (Opus 1: 128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (463) Wed 10 Aug 88 22:56 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Clergy Abuse of Children, part iv St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:50e7 110ab71b work at the church." Embarrassment prevented the boy from reporting the incidents, but he finally confided in his girlfriend and his mother. A trial is scheduled in mid-June. In May the family filed a multi-milion dollar suit against Brewer and the chruch for failure to tell new members that others had been previously abused. Brewer had previously plead no contest to "sexually annoying" another boy and had been placed on probation. Washington Post 5/13/88 U.S. Rep. Floyd Flake, pastor of Allen Africian Methodist Episcopal Church in New York, and a first term Democrat, is accused of harassing a church assistant into leaving her job because she ended a sexual affair with her. Thelma M. Singleton-Scott complained that a panel of "elders" at the 4,000-member church held a "kangaroo court" review of the charges in January. She is now demanding back wages and Flake's ouster as pastor. She said that the church bishop was involved in offering her hush money. Amherst Daily News (Novia Scotia) 6/16/88, The [Hamilton] Spectator 6/14,16/88 Msgr. John Monagahan, 80, of Nelson, B.C., was sentenced to 4 years in prison after pleading guilty to fondling 17 girls and young women from 1959 to 1987, ranging in age from 6 to 21, usually in hospitals or private homes. Many of the victims said they had told their parents of the assualts but were not believed because Monagahan was considered a "near saint." Nelson police say they have identified more than 50 victims. Florida Times-Union 5/13/88 and 6/9/88 Rev. Joe Marino, host of Christian talkshow "Inner Visions" in Jacksonville, Fla., and youth minister/counselor at Beaches Chapel in Neptune Beach, plead no contest to custodial sexual battery and soliciting sex from a 16 year old member of his church. Other charges were dropped. The abuse was disclosed after a victim from the church had attempted suicide. Marino was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be suspended after 5 years. A second Duval county minister, Rev. Roy Lynn Gaskins of Edgewood Heights Baptist Church, was accused of forcing a 13 year old boy at gunpoint to have sex. New York Times 6/10/88 Former Mormon missionary Arthur Gary Bishop, 36, was executed on June 10th in Utah for killing 5 boys (ages 4-13) for sexual gratification, saying he was "misled by Satan." New York Times 5/14/88 Rev. Bernard Lynch, 41, and Brother Timothy Brady, 41, are indicted for sexually abusing students at a Catholic preparatory school in the Bronx, Mount St. Michael Academy. Lynch, a former campus chaplain, is --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Still Changing... (I don't write these, He does!) (Opus 1: 128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (464) Wed 10 Aug 88 22:58 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Clergy Abuse of Children, part v St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:50e7 110ab751 believed to be in Ireland. Brady "was removed last summer" to a Marist retreat in Arizona, according to the Bronz D.A.'s office. Kansas City Times 6/1/88 Barry L. Deaton was charged with taking indecent liberties with a child for abducting a 14 year old girl from a gathering of Youth for Christ of Greater Kansas City. [Little Rock Arkansas] Gazette 6/10/88 Rev. J.D. Henderson, 51, of Russellville, Ark., was convicted of molesting twin 6 year old girls, and sentenced to 4 years in prison. Henderson is an ordained Free will Baptist minister. Daily Camera, [Boulder, Co.] 5/21/88 Former Sister Mary Kregar and the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville, Col. were sued by a man who claimed his marriage was destroyed by the lesbian nun who seduced his wife while church officials did nothing to prevent it. A jury ordered the diocese to pay 1.5 million to Steve Voolverton on May 20. Tampa Tribune 5/31/88 Rev. Clevand "Rapper" Mack, 24, of Tampa. Fla., was charged with sexually abusing 2 young boys during "Bible lessons", including a charge of sexual battery which carries a possible death sentence. He struch a boy in the face when he tried to flee. [Rome] Daily Sentinel 5/28/88 Rev. Leon Dupree, 47, pastor of Lily of the Valley Church of God in Christ in Rochester, NY, is charged with first degree sexual assualt and first degree burglary of a 26 year old woman. She said he was armed with a hammer and struck her with a screwdriver. Dupree was convicted of second degree manslaughter in a 1978 drunken driving fatality and served time in state prison. Sunday Messenger [Athen, Ohio] 3/6/88 In 1978, Bessie Turner had $18,000 in the bank, $3,000 in cash at home, her house in Murry City, Ohio, a life insurance policy and a monthly income of $654. After 10 years of answering the pleas for money from evangelists Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Whittington, Jim Bakker, Don Stewart and others, she had exuasted her savings account, cashed in her life policy, gone hungry to send her grocery allowence to the hungry children invoked by the evangelests, and has nothing lest but her monthy income from renting her home. She was forced to move in with her step grandson and wife. "I was trying to feed the children. That's what Jimmy [Swaggart] said. Them poor little babies. Too see how they looked--I could hardly take it." Now Ms. Turner, although still a frim believer, says: "I won't have anything to do with any of them again. I think they are all alike. I think they are all thieves." --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Still Changing... (I don't write these, He does!) (Opus 1: 128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (465) Wed 10 Aug 88 23:00 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Clergy Abuse of Children, part vi St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:50e7 110ab813 "Ammond, you should try to locate copies of the December 30th and 31st San Jose Mercury-News from last year. I have been told that it contains a most impressive expose on the subject -- thirty-five court cases in the last five years, and a number of attempted cover-ups. Perhaps somebody in San Francisco can do a library search for you -- some libraries keep microfiche of the local papers." Anyone on the left coast want to look these articles up? There seems to be many more cases than are reported. Victims try to bring the various organizations round but generally get stiffed. That is until the victims go public. There is of course the ripple effect to consider also. In a recent tv talk show in Seattle on KING-TV, while talking about abuse by priests in the Seattle diosece, hosts Susan Michaels and Cliff Lenz got a shocker. A woman in the audience reported that she had been abused not by a priest but by her brother, who was abused by a priest IN THE SEATTLE DIOSECE. After investigation it was revealed that the priest was an abuse victim himself. Maryalyce Elbert was the victim of the victim. After this public expose' the diocese finally gave the name of the priest as Rev. James McGreal, age 65, whose criminal conduct was well known, having worked at 10 parishes and 2 hospitals. One ironic mistake leads to another with the priest being sent to treatment in the late 70's, after which he was sent to a hospital to abuse again. The priest was sent to a "Catholic program in New Mexico". He was then placed in another parish with several other priests aware of his condition. In four months he was suspected of grooming another boy for victimiziation. It is rather ironic that he was at Queen of Angeles Church in Port Angeles, under the supervision of one Rev. Conn, now facing charges himself for sexual abuse of altar boys. Rev. James McGreal abused people with impunity for 30 years. Continuing on with the show. Sherry Matulis spoke about being raped at the age of 5 by a church deacon; and narrowly escaping another attack at the age of 12. A shakey woman in the audience told of being continuily incestuoulsy abuse by her father, a souther preacher who attacked her on saturdays nights. She had to sit in a pew and watch him preach on sundays. Her efforts to expose and depose her father have as yet been unsuccessful. Rev. Paul Conn, mentioned previously, is accused of molesting multiple altar boys under the ages of 14. The Church responded by offering counseling to the victims BY OTHER PRIESTS in the parish. --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Still Changing... (I don't write these, He does!) (Opus 1: 128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (466) Wed 10 Aug 88 23:02 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Clergy Abuse of Children, part vii St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:50e7 110ab84a The Seattle archdiocese has admitted to a third unprosecuted and unnammed pedophilic priest now under treatment for his condition. I would like to point out that all these victims spent many painful years trying to correct the problem. They were all stonewalled with the only success coming after public exposure. --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Still Changing... (I don't write these, He does!) (Opus 1: 128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (467) Thu 5 May 88 9:52 By: Brad Hicks To: All Re: MagickNet Echos St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:0 2303c362 This message will appear in all of the MagickNet echos. There has obviously been some misunderstanding, both among sysops and among new users, about the MagickNet echos. For sysops, this is unforgiveable, as ALL sysops were required to read and agree to MAG-POL.TXT, which outlines the guidelines in great detail. Users who are in doubt are also referred to that document, but let me summarize some points that have been ignored or violated recently: TOPICS OF THE ECHOS: The topic of all three echos is Neopaganism, Witchcraft, and Magick. However, the three echos differ as follows: MAGICKNET - General discussion MUNDANE - Off-topic chatter by participants in MAGICKNET METAPHYSICAL - Magazine-article-quality posts This is the METAPHYSICAL echo. ACCESS TO THE ECHOS: This is NOT a backbone or general distribution echo. It may ONLY be distributed locally and even then notification of new nodes MUST be sent to the coordinator, myself, at 1:100/523. Out-of-town connections MUST be cleared in advance. All three echos MUST be distributed together. Finally, sysops are REQUIRED to ensure that only persons who will properly use it may post to the Metaphysical echo. Any mechanism which works is fine, but the recommended one is to make it read-only and have people upload text files for the sysop to convert into messages. Sufficiently high validation will also work. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should first-time callers be permitted to post to Metaphysical. I hope that this message will clarify things for all of you. Systems which violate these guidelines, or any others in MAG-POL.TXT, repeatedly will be evicted from the echo. Thank you for your compliance. - Brad Hicks, MagickNet Echo Coordinator P.S. I =hate= playing the hard guy, but somebody's got to maintain order here. Please don't make me do this again soon. --- Sirius 0.50 * Origin: WeirdBase * St. Louis * 1-314-741-2231 * (Opus 1:100/523) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (468) Fri 12 Aug 88 18:29 By: Brad Hicks To: All Re: THE CHURCH OF ALL WORLDS IS LYING (Reposted By Request) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:0 2303c364 THE CHURCH OF ALL WORLDS IS LYING J. Brad "Talespinner" Hicks [Please distribute this information to all applicable media, as it concerns a matter of no small importance to the Pagan/Magickal community. - JBH] The following material has been sent out by Ayisha Homolka of the Church of All Worlds. For the sake of reference (and honesty) I quote the xeroxed cover letter and the entire document below: _________________________________________________________ dear friends, If this resolution is adopted by any Pagan ecumenical conferences/festivals, ect [sic].... or by any Pagan/Wiccan organizations/churches that have legal status-- please send confirmation to the following address, so you can be added to the list. Thanks much Blessed Be Ayisha Homolka Church of All Worlds Box 1542 Ukiah, CA. 95482 _________________________________________________________ Resolution to be circulated for adoption by Pagan and Craft groups, and subsequently to be issued to the media, police, and the Cult Crime Impact Network: We, as practitioners of Pagan and Neo-Pagan religions, including Wicca (also known as Witchcraft) practise [sic] a positive, life-affirming faith that is dedicated towards healing, both of ourselves and others, and of the Earth. As such, we do not advocate or condone criminal activities. We absolutely condemn the practises [sic] of child abuse, sexual abuse, substance abuse, and any other abuse that does harm to the bodies, minds or spirits of individuals. We offer prayers and support for the healing of the victims of such abuses. We recognize the divinity of Nature in our Mother the Earth, and practise [sic] our rites of worship in a manner that is ethical, legal and safe. We will not tolerate slander or libel against our churches, clergy, or congregations, and are prepared to defend our civil rights with such legal action as we deem necessary and appropriate. This resolution adopted unanimously at the following Pagan ecumenical conferences: Ancient Ways Heartland Pagan Festival Pagan Spirit Gathering Approved by the following Pagan and Wiccan organizations: Covenant of the Goddess Church of All Worlds United Wiccan Church _________________________________________________________ This document contains AT LEAST one lie that I know of my own witness: this resolution was NOT adopted unanimously at the Pagan Spirit Gathering. This resolution was presented there first to the Pagan Ministers' Seminar, at which it was agreed that discussion would be postponed until the entire resolution had been posted on the bulletin board where it could be read at leisure and considered. This never happened. At the Saturday Village Meeting, Ayisha Homolka stood up again, read a document to the crowd, and called for a vote. This was the first time most people there had heard of the resolution. It was read out loud once. Virtually no time was permitted for discussion; only one person got away with speaking against it (me), and that only by jumping up and shouting. Selena Fox and Ayisha Homolka did everything possible to ram-rod this through as fast as possible, calling for a vote before any real debate could occur. Considering that it had Selena's public support and boasted the signature of the Covenant of the Goddess, it should come as no particular surprise that it passed. It passed overwhelmingly. It did =NOT= pass unanimously! I am not even prepared to testify that the resolution above was the document read out loud at the Pagan Spirit Gathering. I distinctly recall at least one sentence that is not there now; perhaps it was only in Ayisha's personal remarks but I recall a sentence after "... healing of the victims of such abuses" that continued on to say that we, the (alleged) signatories would do "everything within our power" to assist the police in hunting down the actual perpetrators of these crimes. I objected to that clause, and I objected loudly. In this, I had the backing of Frank Medina, from Wisconsin Governor's Task Force on Gang and Occult Crime, who pointed out the futility of swearing to hunt down those accused of a crime when there is only the flimsiest evidence that the crime even exists! Now that clause appears to be gone. It is possible that my memory is wrong, since I was never permitted to see a written copy until now ... but could it be that the Church of All Worlds decided that they could get away with claiming "unanimous" support by editing it afterwards to accomodate the spoken disagreements? If so, then they are demonstrating a sad lack of understanding of what it means to agree to a document! Even if they were able to somehow rewrite the document to remove that particular clause, there is much here that I oppose. Do not make the mistake of thinking that I might ever have voted for anything like this document! I will object to any attempt to let the State decide what is and isn't a legitimate part of the Craft! Many misguided self-proclaimed "leaders" of the Craft have gone on television over and over again to proclaim that the Real Craft doesn't do anything illegal. Does that mean that if someone (like Z. Budapest) gets arrested for giving tarot readings, these people want to throw her to the wolves? The State can point to documents like this and say, "See, it obviously isn't part of your religion because your own leaders say you're not into anything illegal." And then you can say good bye to ALL of the Constitutional freedom that we've fought side-by-side for almost three years to preserve. And of course, reading a document from the group founded by Tim and Morning Glory Zell that condemns substance abuse is like hearing Jim Bakker denounce people who are rich, or hearing Jimmy Swaggart preach against lust. I have it on very good authority that this document contains at least one other direct lie. Jim Crowley, a member of the board of directors of the United Wiccan Church, has assured me that not only has the United Wiccan Church not approved this document, but that =no meeting has been held to even consider the subject=. This is a total fabrication. There may be yet a third direct lie in this. Michael Fix, who was at the Heartland Pagan Festival, called this report "absolute poppycock." He and his wife (former CAW member Carolyn Clark) arrived on Friday evening and he said that nothing of the sort happened, to his knowledge. How can this have been adopted =unanimously= at a gathering where two fairly prominent Witches from this region never even heard of it? Was it even =discussed= at the Heartland Pagan Festival? Or is this another whole-cloth fabrication? All I know that as far as this writer is concerned, the credibility of Ayisha Homolka and the organization currently using the name "Church of All Worlds" has no more credibility left than John W. Todd, or any other proven liar. [Electronic mail replies to this file will be replied to; some postal replies will be replied to if a stamped, pre-addressed envelope is included and I can make time. I can be reached via the FidoNet at 1:100/523; via UseNet/uucp at decvax!noao!asuvax!stjhmc!100!523!Brad_Hicks; via CompuServe at [76012,300]; via modem (up to 2400 bps) at 1-314-741-2231; or via U.S. Mail to 11215 Sugartrail Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63136.] --- Sirius 0.50 * Origin: WeirdBase * St. Louis * 1-314-741-2231 * (Opus 1:100/523) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (469) Tue 16 Aug 88 12:03 By: Farrell Mcgovern To: Ammond Shadowcraft Re: Re: Clergy Abuse of Children, part vii St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:292f 11106076 AS> The Seattle archdiocese has admitted to a third unprosecuted AS>and unnammed pedophilic priest now under treatment for his condition. AS> AS> I would like to point out that all these victims spent AS>many painful years trying to correct the problem. They were all AS>stonewalled with the only success coming after public exposure. If I don't post it here, please remind me...Here in Ottawa we had a very public case about a Father Dale Crampton who would take young altarboys out to a cottage the church owned and sexually abuse them. I will have to look up the dates, the "newspaper" (if one could call the local rag that, it being a good example of "Disco-Journalism") here is called "The Citizen", there is a chance that you local libarary might have a copy/back issues since Ottawa is the capital of Canada...The Parish's that he served at were St. Elisabeth and St. Maurice. He was given a suspened sentance, and the Church has him in "seclusion". But please bash me on the head (metaphorically speaking) if I forget to post a transcription of the article(s) here. ttyl Farrell --- * Origin: Solsbury Hill:Home of ’ristic Computer Consultants (Opus 1:163/523) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (470) Thu 18 Aug 88 21:43 By: David Rice To: All Re: When Will I Die? Astrology Article St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:3002 1112ad7b "Please, come in," you say with warmth and a smile, standing up to greet your client. This morning you find it particularly difficult to smile, what with the rent past due and the bills piling up. but you manage. Your prefabricated smile turns genuine when your client looks up and smiles gamely back. You take her by the elbow and guide her to the plush vinyl chair. Taking a seat yourself, you say "Thank you very much for coming today. I've been working on your chart, and I feel we have much to share this morning." You offer her coffee or tea. She declines. You get two sentences into your carefully rehearsed allocution before she interrupts. "Excuse me, there was something else I wanted to talk about." You pause while she looks at her right shoe. "Ah, I'd like to, ahum," she begins, switching her gaze to the left foot, about where her second toe from the right would be, as if she could see through the leather. She crosses her arms. "I want to know when I'm going to die." You have been asked this question many times before, and know what to say. You wait a moment to collect your thoughts, and give her your answer. What will your answer be? "To Tell Or Not To Tell?" has long been a favorite subject for Astrologers who love to argue. Often one will find an astrologer who loves to switch sides just to be The Pain in the Ass at the annual astrology convention. Other astrologers, who have learned to shut up and sit quietly at parties, will just smile inertly at you if you ask this question, with a superior grin on their ugly mugs. This last mutation is usually the most annoying. Still, the debate is a valid one. One astrologer will tell you that to tell a person when she or he will die is often the catalyst to making it happen. Another will say that the astrologer has the responsibility to answer the client's questions truthfully and honestly. And another will argue that it isn't possible to note one's death in one's chart. And yet a fourth will choose any combination of these scenarios, based in direct proportion to the amount of alcohol consumed at the Johndro Award Dinner an hour ago. Perhaps the worse advice I've ever heard an astrologer tell his client when asked the question "When will I die?" was: "When you wish to," then going on to offer unearthly, immaterial, bodiless, incorporeal, insubstantial, spiritual, preternatural, "New Age" metaphysical pabulum. How inane! How utterly, abysmally worthless advice when one is living here in the Real World! Many astrologers feel a person chooses when to be born, die, and every event in between before the person incarnates. But your client didn't ask "What's your opinion on why a person dies?" Your client has asked a very personal question, the answer which you offer may be vitally important to her or him. Another way of answering this question is the "Judo" approach. That is, taking the energy embodied in the question and deflecting it away from you, thus freeing you from answering. The format of the answer could be: "We can't see death in a chart. That's strictly Hollywood-movie astrology," and continuing with the session. Or perhaps "My teacher doesn't believe it's possible, so we never discuss it." There are many schools of astrology that teach that one's death is very much possible to discover in one's chart. Indian astrologers using the Novian chart look for death of the native out of hand: If they didn't, the client would look elsewhere for an astrologer (their most asked question is "When will my children be born," followed by "When will I die." See Warren Murphy's "Indian Astrology"). And then there is the view that one's chart will only show the deaths of those around one (parents, siblings, friends). Using this train of thought, the astrologer can answer the question "When will I die?" by examining the charts of those around the client. I feel this is valid, as I've seen charts of widows who had "dying" issues and adjustment concerns in their charts at the time of their husbands deaths, but their husbands charts often showing little more than periods of leisure and learning! [Since I feel that Jupiter will trigger my own death, I find that Jupiter triggers the deaths of those charts I examine. A classic case of drawing like charts to oneself.] Or, if you prefer using just the client's radix, there are many astrologers who put in the Part of Death, Part of Suicide, Part of Poison, Part of Peril, and Part of Misfortune in the chart. Directing these to the angles, the argument goes, times those periods when the client must be on guard for mayhem, adversity, and tragedy. I enjoy using the Uranian Placement Hades, as he worsen every thing he touches [personal observation- for medical astrologers, please look over the Uranians: They were postulated in the trenches of World War I, and are excellent for personal mishaps]. Given the belief that the astrologer can determine a client's death, should the astrologer tell the client? That depends on how much responsibility the astrologer wishes to take upon herself / himself. Putting aside such thought of incurring "bad Karma" at causing the client to bring about her / his own death, think about the possibility that you, the astrologer, could be wrong! A scenario: The client is 35 years old, and, though you don't know it, will live to be a ripe old 70. He comes to you and asks the question "When, kind sir, will I die?" and being the hard working, much experienced astrologer that you are, you say back to him "Well, now. You'll drop dead January 17, 1992. That gives you another 7 years. You'll die at age 56. Was their anything else?" For the next seven years, below conscious thought, the client is getting ready to die. When January rolls around he will 1) Drop dead, or 2) Get Horribly sick and almost die, 3) Send you a post card saying "Ha, ha, ha, fooled you!", or perhaps 4) Kill YOU out of general principles. Suppose it was number 1? You told him to die and he did. Is that the reason you've worked so hard to determine one's death? This extreme case could be considered murder. Why not be a liar and just say "You'll live to be 110," and let the client die at 70? That way the client is not around to demand his money back, and your ass is covered. Well, OK. You don't wish to lie to your clients, and I hope you don't. Here's what * I * would do, as I find it works. Make a list of no less that 20 periods when the client should be extra careful. Include the period you believe the client will die. Then throw in five or six "easy" periods as well. Tell the client that these dates are those she or he should watch out for her / himself. Be damn sure you include time periods beyond a reasonable time that one may expect to live (that is, list a time span or two where the client is 110 or 120 years old). It is very important to ask the client to call you back (or visit you) after these periods and get her / his input on how things are going. "But," you say, and rightly so, "that could cause the client to have hardship she or he may not have been 'meant' to have!" Being forewarned, I reply, is better than getting one's teeth kicked in. Make a list of safety practices, and list the periods extra care must be taken on top of this list. ". . . You wait a moment to collect your thoughts, and give her your answer." "The best I can do," you truthfully say, "is to give you periods where you must be extra careful. I feel, and past experience has born me out, that one may step aside when harm approaches. This is a list of precautions I would like you to take." You hand over a list, keeping a copy for yourself. "At the top," you continue, "is things I think you must do a few weeks before these periods. Make sure your car's breaks are in order, have a doctor look you over, etc." You pause. "The second part of this list are things to do during these time spans. Always wear a seat belt, take extra care in the bathroom, etc." You quickly go over the list, and make sure the client understand. Be sure the client knows that she or he may bring the subject of death up again at any time in the future, and continue the session. You close the door after showing your client out. The familiar warmth inside comes to you, as it does after many successful sessions. Such potential in that chart, in your client! What a horrible disservice, you think, it would have been to answer her question "When will I die?" with a number and a date. --- * Origin: Astro-Net 714 662-2294 Not For Pagans Only! (Opus 1:103/503) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (471) Sat 13 Aug 88 22:17 By: Edd Cates To: All Re: Welcome to Metaphysical St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:8d04 b220110d ATTENTION: If you are new to the MagickNet echos, please read this entire message before proceding. SYSOPS: If you are using ConfMail or another echomail processor which allows you to skip messages at the beginning of an echo (perhaps by adjusting the date of this message to something outrageously far in the future), let me encourage you to make this message #2 in all three of the MagickNet echos. If you need help figuring out how to do that, drop a net- mail message to any of the hubs. MAG-POL.TXT version 1.0 Effective Date: 01 Mar 88 Introduction to the NEOPAGANISM, WITCHCRAFT AND MAGICK Echo Conference Network 1. Overview In November of 1985, Senator Jesse Helms and Representative Robert Walker each introduced legislation that would have prohibited tax-exempt status for any church or religious organization that practiced "sorcery" or "had a substantial interest ... in the promotion of witchcraft." The affect that these bills had on the magickal community was electrifying. Groups and traditions that otherwise hated or distrusted each other banded together into one large network, bound together by the telephone and by U.S. Mail, to block their passage. It took over a year, but finally both bills were dead. They seem unlikely to return soon. In early 1986, a programmer named Jeff Rush wrote a FidoNet extension called EchoMail. It electrified and revolutionized the FidoNet community every bit as much as the Helms Amendment and Walker Bill did the magickal community. In the very earliest days of EchoMail, Brad Hicks, sysop of WeirdBase, a Discordio-Pagan bulletin board on the FidoNet in St. Louis, Missouri (1:100/523) came up with the idea of finding every possible Pagan and magickal contact person who could dial into the FidoNet, and connect them all together, ideally via an EchoMail conference. So he advertised quietly for such people in several articles in FidoNews. Initially, three other systems replied. In Berkeley, California, Josh Gordon was operating a bulletin board for the Ordo Templar Orientis called ThelemNet (125/93 then, 1:161/93 now). In Gardner, Massachusetts, a local astrologer named MizMoon had a horoscope area on Dave's Fido (1:101/27). And on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, a hippy named Gene Clayton replied that he didn't know much about the subject but surely was interested. --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: Dragon's Bane(1st QuickBBS/Netmail - Evansville)812-428-4985 (1:11/21 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (472) Sat 13 Aug 88 22:21 By: Edd Cates To: All Re: Welcome to Metaphysical (Continued) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:8d04 b2a0110d From these four systems was formed the very first EchoMail conference set up to discuss a specific, non-technical subject: the MAGICK EchoMail Conference. In its first month, it garnered only a few dozen messages. It has since grown beyond belief, to 40 or more systems and dozens of messages per night. To accomodate the increase in traffic (and the continuous stream of the new and curious), the Neopaganism, Withcraft and Magick conference was separated into its three current components (MAGICKNET, METAPHYSICAL, and MUNDANE) in March of 1988, almost exactly two years after it was founded. 2. Content of the Neopaganism, Witchcraft and Magick Conferences 2.1 MAGICKNET...... Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick This remains the normal Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick echo. Newcomers and the casually curious are welcome. As an aid to such folks, we will compile a few messages' worth of standard questions and answers which will be automatically re-posted to the echo every month. However, discussions of only marginal relevance to the topic(s) will be strongly encouraged to move to MUNDANE. 2.2 METAPHYSICAL... Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick (formal) This portion of the echo is intended to encourage members of the magickal community to discuss points in common and points of difference in detail; to promote scholarship and depth of thought in the magickal community. Only serious discussions are permitted here; casual questions and discussions should be moved to MAGICKNET, and discussions of marginal relevence should be moved to MUNDANE. 2.3 MUNDANE........ Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick (chatter) Many members of the original Magick echo derived great pleasure and satisfaction from being able to discuss mundane and political matters with other members of the magickal community. Unfortunately, left unchecked such discussions can tend to crowd serious magickal discussions. To allow both types of dialog to exist side-by-side, the MUNDANE echo was formed. If a discussion starts in either the MAGICKNET or the METAPHYSICAL echo that is irrelevant to their topics, the parties to that discussion will be =strongly= encouraged to move the discussion over to MUNDANE (if not completely away from the Neopaganism, Witchcraft and Magick Conference). This should not be confused with a wide-open general chatter echo. While the topics may range freely, only members of the magickal community or those with interests in magickal topics are encouraged to post here. --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: Dragon's Bane(1st QuickBBS/Netmail - Evansville)812-428-4985 (1:11/21 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (473) Sat 13 Aug 88 22:23 By: Edd Cates To: All Re: Welcome to Metaphysical (Continued) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:8d04 b2e0110d 3. Rules of the Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick Conference 3.1 Nodes Required to Provide All Three Echos All systems which distribute this conference or make it available to the public are required to carry all three echos. Mail-only and/or point systems which do not distribute the Neopaganism, Witchcraft and Magick conferences or make them publically available are exempted from this rule but are strongly encouraged to carry all three echos in order to be able to follow discussions which are moved to other tracks. 3.2 Notify Coordinator of Local Distribution Any system carrying all of the MagickNet echos may further distribute them to any private or FidoNet node within their local calling area. However, they are required to notify the coordinator of this hookup at once, and to distribute to that node or point the current version of this document. 3.3 Request Permission for Non-Local Distribution No system except the main hubs (1:100/523, 1:161/93, 1:282/341) may distribute all or part of the MagickNet echos to a node or point outside their local calling area without first securing permission from the coordinator. (The other two hubs may do so, but should notify the coordinator soon as possible.) 3.4 No Illegal Messages No message which is blatantly illegal in content shall be entered into the MagickNet echos. The only exception will be for messages regarding legitimate religious practices or beliefs which are or may be made illegal, in violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the U.N. Statement on Human Rights. 3.5 No Harrassing Messages No message which is intended to harrass someone because of their religious beliefs, or to convert them to another religion, shall be entered into any of the MagickNet echos. No exceptions will be made to this rule, even in the MUNDANE echo. 3.6 No Irrelevant Messages No message which is irrelevant to the topics of Neopaganism, Witchcraft, and Magick shall be entered into MAGICKNET or into METAPHYSICAL. For this rule, a warning will be issued, and in general the conversation will be permitted to continue in the MUNDANE echo. --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: Dragon's Bane(1st QuickBBS/Netmail - Evansville)812-428-4985 (1:11/21 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (474) Sat 13 Aug 88 22:28 By: Edd Cates To: All Re: Welcome to Metaphysical (Continued - Final) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:8d04 b380110d 3.7 No Personal Insults No message which contains unnecessary profanity or personal insults shall be entered into any of the MagickNet echos. Only one warning will be issued to any violator. (If you wish to continue to insult each other, please use personal FidoNet mail.) This includes messages in the MUNDANE echo. 4. Enforcement If a user of any bulletin board system or point operator under a Fidonet node naively violates one of these rules, it is the responsibility of the local sysop to take whatever action is necessary to prevent it from happening again. In the event the local sysop is unaware of the violation, the coordinator will notify him or her. If the sysop of the local node does NOT take such action, or is the person responsible for the violation, then the coordinator will request that system to leave the MagickNet echos at once. If it does not, then the co- ordinator will request the system by which it is linked into the MagickNet echos that they cease to deliver messages to or accept messages from that system, and it will be forcibly exiled from the echos. Anyone who knowingly provides a "feed" to a sysop who has been exiled from the MagickNet echos will suffer a like fate. Likewise, if the exiled system's feed refuses to cut the link, the link above the feed will be cut - as high up as is necessary to successfully exile the offending node. In all but the most obvious and gross of cases, the coordinator will seek a consensus, or at least an overwhelming majority, of the sysops and contributing users in the MagickNet echos before taking drastic action. If this seems harsh, it needs to be pointed out that the until and unless the International FidoNet Association and/or the FidoNet Coordinators change the rules, this is the ONLY means available to keep order within an echo conference. 5. The Coordinator From its earliest beginnings, the Magick Conference has been coordinated and moderated by Brad Hicks from his BBS, WeirdBase at 1:100/523 (314-741-2231). As of this date, Brad still coordinates all three echos, although this may be subject to change in the future. --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: Dragon's Bane(1st QuickBBS/Netmail - Evansville)812-428-4985 (1:11/21 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (475) Sat 20 Aug 88 18:51 By: Anne Niven To: All Re: animal allies St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:e6c5 1114967d To: MagicEcho Users From: Anne Newkirk Niven Re: This Article This article will be appearing soon in SageWoman Magazine, and I wanted to share it with y'all on the MagicEcho. Hope that you enjoy it and that Metaphysical was the correct place to put it. Blessed Insect, Anne Power from the Earth: My Experience with Animal Allies The first animal ally to make himself known to me was the unicorn. As it happened, I was a child when Galadrial arrived, and had no experience which could give me an understanding of the being who kept me company on my long, lonely walks back and forth to school. Especially since my companion wasn't visible. But I knew, even then (I must have been about 10 or 11) several things: that Galadrial was real, that he was my friend, and that my relationship with him was a special one that not a lot of people would understand. I was an archetypal bookworm in those days, from a very stress-filled home, and an incurable romantic. And I was horse-crazy. (Like a great many girls my age.) As I look back, it seems little wonder that the being who took a friendly interest in me, gave me encouragement and love, and a sense of personal worth, chose to show himself as a unicorn. It was not until many years later, in my mid-twenties, that I first heard about totems or power-animals or animal allies. By then I was in my first year of a Master's program at a Bay Area Christian seminary, taking a class from a wonderful United Methodist shaman. (I don't think "shaman" is title she uses in her professional life as a lay minister in the church. But, as far as I'm concerned, the title fits.) Somehow, my class project came to be that of finding my animal totems. Somehow, I never doubted that I had animal allies - I just didn't consciously know who they were. The process of discovering my animal allies took many weeks. During the process of meeting each ally, I spent a good deal of time getting to know them. In each case, I had a plaster life cast of my face made while comming with my ally. I listened to music, used incense and scented oils, and generally tried to immerse myself in the essence of the ally. Once the mask was done, I further molded, painted and formed the mask into a likeness of the animal - so that I now have masks which I can wear which fit my face on the inside, and reflect my allies on the outside. --- * Origin: PostBoard- Your source for quality printing on RECYCLED papers. (Opus 1:125/77) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (476) Sat 20 Aug 88 18:52 By: Anne Niven To: All Re: animals, contiued (2 of 5) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:e6c5 1114969d One good example of an initial meeting with an ally was the time I recognized the Hawk of the East. One good example was how I recognized the Hawk of the East.(Certain of my allies are more private than others, and do not wish their personal names published. As with any valued friend who might make such a request, I am honoring this one.) He came to me as I was waiting for a streetcar in San Francisco, out by Ocean Beach. One moment, I was searching the East for my guardian there; the next I felt his wings overshadow my soul, and his name was ringing in my ears. The Hawk's power is awesome, fierce, and directed. It is the power of thought; undisturbed by emotion, will, or physical concerns - like the light of a laser or the blade of a sharp knife. Hawk rules the East, the realm of the mind, the element of Air and the dawning glory of morning. When I cannot think clearly, I call upon him, and his advice is always right to the point. He is also a bit cynical and predatory - but nobody can see farther or fly higher. Firecat was the next ally to make herself known to me, and she remains one of my strongest allies. Her power can rip through my life in unpredictable ways, yet she is my most powerful physical protector. Her form is that of a leopard, with fiery eyes and razor sharp claws. Hers is the power of the will, of the inborn desire to survive, to master any circumstance. When I lived in Berkeley and had to walk at night in neighborhoods where I did not feel safe, I called on all my allies - but Firecat was the one whose prowling presence most strengthened my courage. She rules the South, the realm of passion and will, the element of Fire, and the burning heat of noontime. Deepwave and Greatsong are whales. What more can I say? A mated pair, deeply in love with each other and with the entire planet, their watery passion swirls through my life like the tides of the ocean in which they make their home. Presiding over the West, the realm of emotion, the element of water and the long hours of afternoon and sunset, their presence helps me to live with my emotions rather than be overcome by them. I have a tendency to ride my feelings like a rollercoaster - but Deepwave and Greatsong help me to experience a sense of joy and peace underlying the waves of emotion. --- * Origin: PostBoard- Your source for quality printing on RECYCLED papers. (Opus 1:125/77) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (477) Sat 20 Aug 88 18:54 By: Anne Niven To: All Re: animals, continued (3 of 5) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:e6c5 111496c3 She Who Roars rules the North, the element of Earth, the realm of the physical, and the time of midnight. In a way unlike any of the others, She is the Goddess in my life. The best way for me to describe my reaction to Her is awe. It is rare for me to call upon her, perhaps because I am still afraid of her, for her presence makes clear to me that I will someday die. Yet, at certain times, it is only She who can comfort me. Her form is that of a great She-Bear; and while I hesitate to approach her immense body, powerful claws and threatening teeth, I find when I lay down in her embrace that she is the most tender and loving of all my guardians. I devoutly hope that when I approach Her for the last time in this life, I will be granted the opportunity to consciously give myself into her care. Always the outsider, Shadowsinger the Wolf prowls the perimeter of my being. She dwells primarily in the underworld of dream, fantasy and nightmare, where she roams as a sentry, offering early warnings when there is danger to me or those I love. She is of no one element, direction, or time - but her dark and beautiful presence is a part of all of them. The center of my circle of allies is held by the Unicorn, whose name has changed since I first met him. Filled with a clear light that includes the darkness and colors of the other allies, he stands at the center of my psyche like a large, brilliant crystal, concentrating and balancing their energies, helping me to maintain my balance and centeredness among all the varying influences on my life. My most recently discovered ally is very timid. This one (who changes gender from time to time) is a small animal, whose only defense against predators is to run away and hide. I was unaware of this deeply hidden ally until a vision journey in which I prepared to face that part of myself which most deeply terrified me. I sat calmly, waiting for some terrible beast, an enormous monster - and out into the middle of the sacred circle hopped a tiny baby rabbit. I was very surprised. I couldn't believe that this little, nameless one was my shadow ally, the one whom I most greatly feared. But then the depth of its fear struck me. Having called on my other allies to protect me, I was at the center of a circle surrounded by fierce beasts - a sharp-taloned hawk, a hungry leopard, enormous whales, a great she-bear, a prowling, circling wolf. No wonder my rabbit ally was terrified! It struck me then, how very frightened I was of being small, helpless, and alone - just like a tiny baby rabbit. --- * Origin: PostBoard- Your source for quality printing on RECYCLED papers. (Opus 1:125/77) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (478) Sat 20 Aug 88 18:55 By: Anne Niven To: All Re: animals continued (4 of 5) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:e6c5 111496e4 The unicorn was nowhere in sight - having abruptly disappeared when the rabbit arrived. This struck me as odd at the time, but I didn't understand the significance of this fact until writing this account. The Unicorn is the center of power and energy in my center - but hidden beneath that gleaming light is my deepest, smallest self, the one who fears being abandoned and helpless and powerless. The two are intrinsicly the same, two faces of the one Being at my center. As I cradled my shadow self, still quivering with fear in the center of the circle, I had an idea. Carefully, I carried the rabbit over to the East, where the Hawk sat, watching intensely. Then, drawing my hands over her body, I cast a glamour upon the tiny rabbit so that, to the hawk, it appeared that a baby hawk lay before him. Immedietely, his eyes lit up and he covered the fledgling with his wings, welcoming her to the circle. Around the circle I went, letting each of my allies welcome and nurture the tiny, frightened one as their own child. When I was finished, I held her in her own form as I dissolved the circle and bid each of my allies farewell. Finally, the tiny rabbit hopped back into the shadows from which she had appeared, and the vision was ended. It may be obvious by now that I experience my animal allies as actual beings. I also understand them to be the embodiment or personification of different aspects of my Self. These two different understandings of their nature are not contradictory, but complementary, similar to my understanding of the Goddess and God. They are part of us - and we are part of them. So, too, with animal allies. Whether I view them as aspects of my psyche or as beings whose reality is different than mine, I treat them as respected elders. There are several ways in which I experience my allies. First, at times, they act as if they were physically present. For example, when I'm walking alone (perhaps in an unfamiliar place) and feel in need of protection, I call my allies to my aid. They appear, each from their own direction, consult with me, and then fan out as scouts or guardians to protect me from whatever danger may be lurking in their direction. Although I never see them with my five senses, their presence is very apparent to me as a physical one, if not entirely on this plane of existence; surrounded by the Hawk, Firecat, the Whales, and Bear, with Wolf prowling the perimeter and the Unicorn (and Rabbit) at my center, I feel much more protected and able to move ahead. (I might add that my five senses seem somewhat heightened with my allies present, and I have never yet been harmed in any way while under their protection.) --- * Origin: PostBoard- Your source for quality printing on RECYCLED papers. (Opus 1:125/77) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (479) Sat 20 Aug 88 19:05 By: Anne Niven To: All Re: animals, final (5 of 5) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:e6c5 111498a4 The second way I experience my allies is when one of them inhabits my physical body for a short period of time. This occurs with my consent, in a kind of exhilerated or altered state, usually brought on by drumming and dancing. Occasionally, it can have unexpected results. I remember one time at a reggae dance in a club, when I allowed Firecat to take over during one particularly powerful song. When the song ended, She didn't want to leave - she wanted to dance some more! My body, however, was exhausted, and I had quite an internal struggle. When my lover intervened, and took me outside for some air, I bit him. (Not hard, fortunately!) That was the last straw, and I rather firmly banished Firecat for the remainder of the evening. These sorts of experiences are rare, but powerful; I still remember that dance with excitment, even if I feel a bit chargrined about the aftermath! I also experience the presence of my allies when I am on a vision journey or dream quest. At times they act simply as guardians, as I described in my account of my first meeting with my rabbit ally. At other times, they allow me to take their shape while on a vision journey; as the time when I flew over San Francisco in the Hawk's form. Finally, there are times when my allies seem to be internal beings, reflecting different aspects of my Self with whom I consult when making decisions or am in need of advice. Whom I call upon depends on the circumstances and my moods - for example, when overwhelmed with emotions I often ask Greatwave and Deepsong for help - but if I am trying to make a rational decision and feel panicked, the Hawk of the East usually comes to my aid. And so it goes - different allies filling different functions, but each a respected and honored companion - even friend. I feel closer to some allies than others at different times; and there are times when some of them even go away for a while - but, like true friends, we always seem to get together again. I've read in some books on Shamanism that it's not possible to have more than one ally at a time, or that one must constantly guard against losing one's allies; but this hasn't been my experience. I feel very fortunate to have met these special beings, who have taught me so much about myself and this planet, and I hope that my introduction of them to a wider group of people will help spread the blessings they have brought to my life. --- * Origin: PostBoard- Your source for quality printing on RECYCLED papers. (Opus 1:125/77) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (480) Mon 22 Aug 88 18:46 By: Rowan Moonstone To: All Re: Halloween pamphlet St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:524a 111695cf The Origins of Halloween In recent years, I have seen a number of pamphlets put out by various Christian organizations dealing with the origins of modern day Halloween customs. Being a Witch myself, and a student of the ancient Celts, from whom we get this holiday, I have found these pamphlets woefully inaccurate and poorly researched. In an effort to correct some of this erroneous information, I have spent several months researching the religious life of the ancient Celtic peoples and the survivals of that religious life in modern day times. Listed below are some of the most commonly asked questions concerning the origins and customs of Halloween. Following the questions is a lengthy bibliography where the curious reader can go to learn more about this holiday than space in this small pamphlet permits. 1. Where does Halloween come from? Our modern celebration of Halloween is a descendent of the ancient Celtic fire festival called "Samhain". The word is pronounced sow in, with "sow" rhyming with cow. 2. What does "Samhain" mean? The Irish English dictionary published by the Irish Texts Society defines the word as follows :" Samhain, All Hallowtide, the feast of the dead in Pagan and Christian times, signalizing the close of harvest and the initiation of the winter season, lasting till May, during which troops( esp. the Fiann) were quartered. Faeries were imagined as particularly active at this season. From it the half year is reckoned. also called Feile Moingfinne( Snow Goddess)(1) . The Scottish Gaelis Dictionary defines it as "Hallowtide. The Feast of All So.Sam+Fuin= end of summer."(2) Contrary to the information published by many organizations, there is no archaeological or literary evidence to indicate that Samhain was a deity. The Celtic Gods of the dead were Gwynn ap Nudd for the British, and Arawn for the Welsh. The Irish did not have a "lord of death" as such. 3. Why was the end of summer of significance to the Celts? The Celts were a pastoral people as opposed to an agricultural people. The end of summer was significant to them because it meant the time of year when the structure of their lives changed radically. The cattle were brought down from the summer pastures in the hills and the people were gathered into the houses for the long winter nights of storytelling and handicrafts. 4. What does it have to do with a festival of the dead? The Celts believed that when people died, they went to a land of eternal youth and happiness called Tir nan Og. They did not have the concept of heaven and hell that the Christian church later brought into the land. The dead were sometimes believed to be dwelling with the Fairy Folk, who lived in the numerous mounds or sidhe( pron. "shee") that dotted the Irish and Scottish countryside. Samhain was the new year to the Celts. In the Celtic belief system, turning points, such as the time between one day and the next, the meeting of sea and shore, or the turning of one year into the next were seen as magickal times. The turning of the year was the most potent of these times. This was the time when the "veil between the worlds" was at its thinnest, and the living could communicate with their beloved dead in Tir nan Og. 5. What about the aspects of "evil" that we associate with the night today? The Celts did not have demons and devils in their belief system. The fairies , however, were often considered hostile and dangerous to humans because they were seen as being resentful of men taking over their lands. On this night, they would sometimes trick humans into becoming lost in the fairy mounds, where they would be trapped forever. After the coming of the Christians to the Celtic lands, certain of the folk saw the fairies as those angels who had sided neither with Gor or with Lucifer in --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (481) Mon 22 Aug 88 19:01 By: Rowan Moonstone To: All Re: Halloween, pt. 2 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:524a 11169836 their dispute, and thus, were condemned to walk the earth until judgment day.(3) In addition to the fairies, many humans were abroad on this night, causing mischief. since this night belonged neither to one year or the other, Celtic folk believed that chaos reigned and the people would engage in "horseplay and practical jokes"(4)This served also as a final outlet for high spirits before the gloom of winter set in. 6. What about "trick or treat"? During the course of these hijinks, many of the people would imitate the fairies and go from house to house begging for treats. Failure to supply the treats would usually result in practical jokes being visited on the owner of the house. Since the fairies were abroad on this night, an offering of food or milk was frequently left for them on the steps of the house, so the homeowner could gain the blessings of the "good folk" for the coming year. Many of th households would also leave out a "dumb supper" for the spirits of the departed(5) The folks who were abroad in the night imitating the fairies would sometimes carry turnips carved to represent faces. This is the origin of our modern Jack-o-lantern. 7. Was this also a religious festival? Yes. Celtic religion was very closely tied to the Earth. Their great legends are concerned with momentous happenings which took place around the time of Samhain. many of the great battles and legends of kings and heroes center on this night. Many of the legends concern the promotion of fertility of the earth and the insurance of the continuance of the lives of the people through the dark winter season. 8. How was the religious festival observed? Unfortunately, we know very little about that. W.G. Wood-Martin, in his book"Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland" states,"There is comparitively little trace of the religion of the Druids now discoverable , saye in the folklore of the peasantry, and the references relative to it that occur in ancient and authentic Irish manuscripts are, as far as present appearances go, meagre and insufficient to support anything like a sound theory for full development of the ancient religion."(6)The Druids were the priests of the Celtic peoples. They passed on their teachings by oral tradition instead of committing them to writing, so when they perished, most of their religious teachings were lost. we DO kn ow that this festival was characterized as one of the four great "Fire Festivals" of the Celts. Legends tell us that on this night, all the hearth fires in Ireland were extinguished, and then re-lit from the central fire of the Druids at Tlachtga, 12 miles from the royal hill of Tara. This fire was kindled from 'need fire" which had been generated by the friction of rubbing two sticks together as opposed to more conventional methods common in those days. (7) The extinguishing of the fires symbolized the "dark half" of the year, and the re-kindling from the Druidic fires was symbolic of the returning life hoped for, and brought about through the ministrations of the priesthood. 9. What about sacrifices? Animals were certainly killed at this time of year. This was the time to "cull" from the herds those animals which were not desired for breeding purposes for the next year. Most certainly, some of these would have been done in a ritualistic manner for the use of the priesthood. --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (482) Mon 22 Aug 88 19:15 By: Rowan Moonstone To: All Re: Halloween, pt. 3 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:524a 111699e3 10. Were humans sacrificed? Scholars are sharply divided on this account, with about hald believing that it took place and half doubting its veracity. Caesar and Tac itus ceratinly tell tales of the human sacrifices of the Celts, but Nora Chadwick points out in her book" The Celts" that"it is not without interest that the Romans themselves had abolished human sacrifices not long before Caesar's time, and references to the practice among various barbarian peoples have certain overtones of self righteousness. There is little direct archaeological evidcence relevant to Celtic sacrifice."(8) Indeed, there is little reference to this practice in Celtic literature either. The only surviving story echoes the story of the Minotaur in Greek legend. The Fomorians, a race of evil giants said to inhabit portions of Ireland before the coming of the Tuatha de Danaan, or 'people of the Goddess Danu", demanded the sacrifice of 2/3 of the corn, milk, and first born children of the Fir Bolg, or human inhabitants of Ireland. The De Danaan ended this practice in the second battle of Moy Tura, which incidentally took place on Samhain. 11. What other practices were associated with this season? Folk tradition tells us of many divination practices associated with Samhain. Among tyhe most common were divinations dealing with marriage, weather, and teh coming fortunes for the year. lThese were performed via such methods as ducking for apples, and apple peeling. lDucking for apples was a marriage divination. The first person to bite an apple would be the first to marry in the coming year. apple peeling was a divination to see how long your life would be. The longer the umbroken apple peel, the longer your life was destined to be.(9) In Scotland, people would place stones in the ashes of the hearth before retiring for the night. Anyone whose stone had been disturbed during the night was said to be destined to die during the coming year. 12. How did these ancient Celtic practices come to America? When the potatoe crop in Ireland failed, many of the Irish people , modern day descendents of the Celts, immigrated to america, bringing with them their folk practices, which are the remnants of the Celtic festival observances. 13.We in America view this as a harvest festival. Did the Celts also view it as such? Yes. The Celts had 3 harvests. Aug 1, or Lammas, was the first harvest, when the first fruits were offered to the Gods in thanks. The Fall equinox was the true harvest. This was when the bulk of the crops would be brought in. Samhain was the final harvest of the year. Anything left on the vines or in the fields after this date was considered blasted by the fairies, or pu'ka, and unfit for human consumption. 14.Does anyone today celebrate Samhain as a religious observance? Yes. many followers of various pagan religions, such as Druids and Wiccans observe this day as a religious festival. They view it as a memorial day for their dead friends and does the national holiday of Memorial Day in May.It is still a night to practice various forms of divination concerning future events. Also, it is considered a time to wrap up old projects, take stock of ones life, and initiate new projects for the coming year. As the winter season is approaching, it is a good time to do studying on research projects and also a goot time to begin hand work such as sewing, leather working, woodworking, etc. for Yule gifts later in the year. --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (483) Mon 22 Aug 88 19:28 By: Rowan Moonstone To: All Re: Halloween, conclusion St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:524a 11169b89 15. Does this involve human or animal sacrifice? Absolutely NOT! Hollywood to the contraty, bolld sacrific is not practiced by modern day followers of Wicca or Druidism. There may be some people who THINK they are practicing Wicca by performing blood sacrifices, but this is NOT condoned by reputable practitioners of the modern day Neo Pagan religions. --------------------------------------------------------------------- - FOOTNOTES (1) Rev. Patrick Dineen," An Irish English Dictionary"(Dublin, 1927),p937 (2)Malcolm MacLennan,"A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionaty oif the Gaelic Language"(Aberdeen, 1979),p279 (3)W.G. Wood-Martin,"Traces of the Elder Faiths of I Port Washington, 1902, p5. (4)Kevin Danaher,"The Year in Irela",(Cork,1972),p.214 (5)Alwyn& Brinley Rees,"Celtic Heritage"(New York,1961),p90 (6)Wood-Martin,p249 (7)Rees& Rees,p90 (8) Nora Chadwick,"The Celts"(Harmondsworth,1982),p151 (9)Madeleine Pelner Cosman,"Medieval Holidays and Festivals,"(New York, 1981),p.81 ------------------------------------------------------------------- BIBLIOGRAPHY Bord, Janet & Colin,"The Secret Country", London:Paladin Books, 1978 Chadwick, Nora,"The Celts", Harmondsworth:Penguin Books, 1982 Coglan, Ronan,"A Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend,"Dublin,1979 Cosman, Madeleine Pelner,"Medieval Holidays and Festivals,"New York:Charles Scribner's Sons, 1981 Danaher, Kevin,"The Year in Ireland," Cork: The Mercier Press,1972 Dineen, Rev. Patrick,S,,M.A,"An Irish English Dictionary", Dublin: The Irish texts Society,1927 MacCana, Proinsias,"Celtic Mythology", London:The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, 1970 MacLennan, Malcolm,"A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language", aberdeen: Acair and Aberdeen University Press,1979 MacNeill, Maire',"The Festival of Lughnasa",Dublin"Comhairle Bhealoideas Eireann,1982 Powell,T.G.,E."The Celts",New York:Thanes & Hudson,1980 Rees, Alwyn and Brinley,"Celtic Heritage, Ancient Traditions in Ireland and Wales,"New York:Thanes & Hudson,1961 Sharkey, John,"Celtic Mysteries",N.Y.: Thames and Hudson, 1975 Spence, Lewis,"jBritish Fairy Origins", Wellingborough:Aquarian Press, 1946 Squire,Charles,"Celtic Myth & Legend, Poetry & Romance,"New York:Newcastle Publishing co, Inc. 1975 Toulson, shirley,"The Winter Solstice",London:Jill Norman& Hobhouse, Ltd, 1981 Wood Martin,W.G.,"Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland, Vols I & II, Port Washington:Kennikat Press, 1902 (c) copywrite 1988, Rowan Moonstone P O Box 21058 OKC. OK 73120 Permission is granted for use by pagan groups and on pagan BBS systems.All others must contact the author prior to use. --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (484) Sat 3 Sep 88 0:34 By: Rob Lea To: Rowan Moonstone Re: you don't know what you're talking about St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:de40 11230457 1. Do you know Patrick Ford? 2. A very close family member of mine is working on her Ph.D. in Celtic Studies at Harvard. Sahmain is really pronounced "saw when". Sidhe is pronounced "sheeth", with the "th" as in "then". It also means "truth". Arawn is not a god of the dead. He is a minor character in the Mabinogi who comes from Annwfyn and befriends Pwyll. British language evolved into the Welsh language. Sahmain is the Irish name for this festival. The Welsh name differs. (CONTINUED) --- * Origin: IBM_Tech_Fido (Opus 1:322/1) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (485) Sat 3 Sep 88 0:42 By: Rob Lea To: Rowan Moonstone Re: (Continued) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:de40 1123055a Fianna were outlaws. Read "The Wisdom of the Outlaw" by Nagy. Finn MacCumail was the leader of a fiann. Gwynn ap Nudd is the Welsh cognate of Finn, which means "bright and shining". He is not a Celtic god of the dead. He was a figure in early Welsh literature who closelfy resembles Finn. --- * Origin: IBM_Tech_Fido (Opus 1:322/1) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (486) Wed 7 Sep 88 7:21 By: David Rice To: All Re: Patter Of Tiny Feet St: Pvt --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:3002 11273aa3 * Nightmare On Baker Street. Yes, there IS a devil. Just like Billy said. An evil so hostile, so inimical, so putrid and vile it is unmistakable. The stench of it's perversity so wretched as to be indefinable. I know this for fact, as I've been sorely afflicted by this demon, learning it's foulness firsthand. This is My Story. It all began with the patter of tiny, teeny, eenie-weenie Army boots. Laying alone and cold one night (as every night for the past 28 years), the noise of their passing waifed lightly, almost like the sound a rose petal might make falling onto a plush cotton bed cover, to come to rest, subliminal in it's perfidiousness, in my left ear drum. "Hark," I said. I speak like this when sleeping alone. "Pray, tell. What's this I doth hear?" I sat up from my mat, deliberately, almost dilatorily, pulling back the sheet from my naked body (I sleep like this when sleeping alone). Hands shaking ever so tenuously, I gained my feet, determined to investigate. Head cocked slightly to catch the faint sound, I made my way, bare of body and unarmed, into the living room. The microcosmic Army utterances got faintly louder. I was on the right track. Cautiously, circumspectly, warily, I made my way to the kitchen. I snapped on the light. Oh, the horror of that moment! It will haunt me like a vision of damnation, a specter of abhorrence, the very definition of repugnance, for the rest of my days! "Ants!" I cried. "Woe! I've got ants!" I cried and cried again. Thus began the wretched exploit, a mere ten days ago. As you no doubt know, my Creed charges me that I "Harm none," which I comprehend to include animals (even demonic ones such as fleas, roaches, termites, Christians, and yes, even ants). This is the major reason I circumnavigate flesh as food. Once one has a bevy of ants, how does one go about, well, exorcizing them without harming them in the process? I could call in a team of hit men to do the dastardly dead in my stead. Or my Dad, who enjoys such work as decimating living, breathing, happy creatures. I have visions of the spray can vomiting virulent, toxic, clouds of death at the inhabitants of my kitchen counter, with hordes of screaming, terrified denizens of the night yelling out "Save the women and larva first!" in their tiny little throats. Yes, Dad would like that. A second method could be, perhaps, the dreaded Localized Flooding Of The Masses Technique. This is one I abhor almost as much as gassing them to death. You know the trick. Taking a coffee mug, filling it with water, and roaming the kitchen, eyes at floor level, looking for a tiny victim to do in. When one presents itself, you hit it with well over three billion times its body weight in H^2O. The little devil kicks its little paws (er, do ants have paws?) to no avail, going down for the third, and final, count. Perhaps you smile at this point. (Pop would.) The main attraction of this system is that there aren't any vile chemicals to mop up afterwards. Just decaying carcasses by the hundreds. If you have a wet / dry vacuum, give it a spin around the counter top. I personally hate having to deal with a pool of ants floating calmly, placidly, belly up, feet dangling in the air, pain-twisted fingers pointing incriminatingly at me. I can just see the wee devil's family tossing a wreath into the pool of water, to watch it float out with the tide. There are many more popular methods. The Zippo Lighter Fiasco, the Big Thumb Dance Of Death, the Offering Of Dissolution (a variation of the Spray Can system, where a pile of choice, hearty, tasty, nutritious, violently deadly food is left as an Offering), and Rolled Newspaper Delivery System just to name a few. Is the an end to this sad tale? Well, all that could be done to combat this wickedness has been done. The trash bag is outside at the curb, waiting to not only pollute some distant, remote toxic waste dump, but to attract a larger following of demon spawned, militant ants and other hellish beasts. And I've stopped eating, in the hopes that once the present ants finish carting off all the spilled leftovers on the floor (and whatever was left for them in the fridge), they will grow hungry once again and haunt someone else for a while. David Rice (1:103/503.0) --- * Origin: Astro-Net 714 662-2294 Not For Pagans Only! (Opus 1:103/503) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (487) Thu 13 Oct 88 0:28 By: David Rice To: All Re: ISAR Part One St: Pvt --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:a5d6 114d0380 * A Your Type David Rice (1:103/503.0) I peered through the dirty window, trying to gauge what awaited me inside. The summons mentioned something about a "refund" and gave an address on the lower end of seventeenth street, Falwellvill. I'd been eating canned soup for dinner the past few months, and could not afford to pass up any offer which would help me make it from one pay check to the next. My intent gaze could not penetrate the foggy haze which covered the plane glass; My trepidation grew. I glanced again at my watch, and discovered I was over a minute late. Clutching my courage with one hand, and tightening my resolve with the other, I opened the door and went in. The waiting room was small. Perhaps fifteen feet square, with four dirty chairs placed contumeliously around an equally filthy card table. The closed door against the far wall had no knob that I could discover with my cursory glance. The thick window, imbedded in the plaster next to the door like a cyst on an old man's butt, appeared bullet proof; A young, harried, tight-lipped woman stared fearfully through it's wavy entrails, no doubt making me look as innocuous, as shapeless as she. "Name!" the shape demanded through the three-inch diameter wire mesh placed squarely in the center of the vacuous surface. The sound might have reminded one of a stifled fart. I leaned forward to the wire port hole to speak my name; Ms. Shapeless jerked back sharply, as if I had attempted to bite her. "Rice, David M.," I screamed into the orifice, articulating precisely. She took another step back, paused to digest this new information, stepped forward. With a long stretching reach, loathing to get any closer to me despite the barrier between us, she pressed a button under the window. A loud buzzing issued from the door. "Go in!" the shapeless shape demanded. I pressed against the door, opening it slowly, wondering if whatever Ms. Shapeless was afraid of might get me, too. The door opened into a short, empty, expressionless, blank hall, with yet another door at the very end. How Ms. Shapeless got into her cage was a mystery, as there seemed to be no door leading her way. Cautiously I walked down the hall and opened the door. This room was slightly larger than the waiting room. Furniture included one desk, two chairs, a computer. At the computer sat a man wearing nylon pants (the legs came up almost to his knees), nylon socks (which were limp around his ankles), and a nylon shirt (open at the neck, buttoned tightly around his paunch waist). His shoes were missing. He jumped to his feet, as if caught at some misdemeanor. Striding up to him with my hand out, I smiled warmly at him. He stared at my hand as if it were a snake, snatching his behind his back out of reach. Putting the desk between us, he motioned to the far chair. Shrugging to myself, I sat down. Mr. Nylon sat as well. I waited. I couldn't catch his eyes. Mr. Nylon pushed a few papers around his desk, twitched his right cheek spasmodically a few time, and shoved a paper over the desk's surface at me like a threat. "Sign at the bottom," he intoned, in a stressed voice. I tried to catch his eyes again, and failed. Having nothing to lose, I assumed, I picked up the paper and examined it. United Farmers Of Ohio $35.00 Childless Parents Of Utah $25.00 Animal Liberation Organization $175.00 Save The Parrots League $16.00 . . . . The list began. "What?" I muttered more to myself than to the "gentleman" across the desk. "Just sign it," he groaned, his tone sounding like "Are you gonna give us trouble too?!" His tonicity, intending to demean, humiliate, and shame, ground into my nerves, causing rebellion to swell up in my veins. I started to scan the list from the top again, reading as slowly as possible, determined to look for any reason at all not to sign. Black Hockey Players Dental Alliance $83.00 Republican Party $0.23 Richard Nixon Acquittal Confederacy $10.00 Horseless Carriage Restoration Coalition $15.00 . . . . The list continued. "What?" I muttered again. "It's your refund!" Mr. Nylon snarled. "Every damn penny! And 8 percent interest. Just sign there at the bottom." Making as if to lean across the desk to point to where I should sign, he jerked to a stop half out of his chair. The action was curiously like a person who dropped a quarter in the outhouse and decided he didn't want to retrieve it that badly. The thought that he could have gotten close enough to touch me seemed to make him shiver ever so slightly. Clown Union March For Independence $65.80 Tammy Bakker Plastic Surgery Fund $0.02 Second House Neptune Endowment $32.00 Dolly Parton Back Brace Support Group $45.00 . . . . The list yet continued. At the bottom of the paper was a sub-total, what I had to assume was 8 percent of it (being somewhat poor in the art of mathematics), and a grand total. "My refund?" I asked. "Refund? This is a list of every charity I've ever given time or money to in the past 25 years. Why a refund?" --- * Origin: Astro-Net 714 662-2294 Melenkurion abatha! (Opus 1:103/503) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (488) Thu 13 Oct 88 0:28 By: David Rice To: All Re: ISAR Part Two St: Pvt --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:a5d6 114d0387 The paunchy pile of nylon snorted angrily. "You know why!" His piggie, watery eyes flitted across my forehead, and scurried away again, not quite making eye contact. His hands made wringing motions. I took a deep breath. "No. Why?" I demanded. I considered the possibility of leaving, but curiosity sometimes pays for the cat food. Mr. Nylon grimaced, winced his eyes insolently. "Because your a Your Type!" he snapped. This time he did manage to look at my eyes, defiantly, hostilely, just a second, before snatching his gaze away again. "It's obvious!" Another deep breath. "A what type? I'm a what?" I wanted to get to the bottom of the issue quickly. I'm not one to call a harlot a "social worker" if "whore" would suffice. "A Your Type! You and Your Kind! The gall you've got, giving money to these fine, lawful, NORMAL people! How dare you?!" This time he stared directly into my eyes, hotly, with a gaze full of blistering hate and detestation, demanding with speechless violence an answer to why I choose to be a "Your Type," whatever that was. I was still ignorant to what we were talking about. "What do you mean about being 'My Type'?" I wanted to leave now, but anger started to replace the rebellion in my blood. "You're a. . . " he paused. "You're a =Witch=!" He ejaculated finally, defiantly, accusingly. "You ride a motorcycle! You live in a house full of subversive books! You've been seen talking to. . ." he shuddered ". . . lesbians!" His pallid, flaccid, doughy face was turning red. "You sleep in your back yard instead of inside! Like an animal! You drive an MG, for God's sake! What the hell do you mean, 'What do you mean "My Type"'?!" "Auhh. . . ." I began, mind reeling. But he wasn't through. "You voted against Brother Robertson! You don't eat meat! You and Your Type don't conform! You're an Anarchist, a throwback to evolution! You don't belong here, we don't want you here, and we sure as hell don't want your money!" I was beginning to get the picture, slowly. "You're an Astrologer! A godless heathen! You protested the draft! You listen to Country and Western music! You talk to your vegetables before you eat them! God only knows what else you do to your vegetables. . . .! "You don't want my money? These charities don't want my money? Because I'm a Pagan? Because I'm a vegetarian? Because I like the stars? Because Falwellian Politics makes me throw up?" "Yess!" he hissed through clenched cuspids. "These fine, respectable, normal, =conforming= charities don't want to be connected to a Your Type in any way, shape, or form. They don't want any kind of support from a Your Type at all! How dare you offer them your money and time?! YOUR money! YOURS!?" "So they're sending me back my contributions. . . . " This I couldn't conceive. "With interest. . . ." "Yesssss!" he hissed again. "Because my girl friends are gay? Because I like British cars?" "Yesss, yesss!" "Because I apologize to apples for biting them, telling them to take a deep breath and close their eyes first. . . ." He flinched and seethed at this, blowing hot air through his flaccid lips. ". . . and yell at people who deliberately stomp on snails?" "Yesss, yesss, all that! A freak! An insult against God and nature! You haven't been to church, a =real=, =normal= church =ever=! Not only that, you've started your OWN church! You worship a Supervisor at your work, for god's sake, as a goddess!" My eyes narrowed dangerously. That was going too far. "You leave Cezanne out of this! She's perfection personified, and worthy of worship. . . ." "See?! You admit to being a Your Type!" He threw his weight into his chair, leaned back, and glared at me. I stared at him speechlessly. "Sign the paper, take the money, and get out!" he demanded. I didn't even hesitate. "No." "What!" "I said, 'No.'" I got up to leave. "You have to! You will! It's yours! We won't take it! Give it to some damn perverted Your Type group!" I walked to the door. A poster was taped to the back, which I had missed when entering the room. "America: Love It Or Fuck You!" it said, with the Statue Of Liberty standing proudly in it. Her middle finger was raised in traditional "Giving Them The Bird" posture. They had gotten to her, too. "Use the money to buy yourself some shoes," I said, closing the door after stepping through. As I passed Ms. Shapeless she glared at me hatefully, but I hardly noticed. "Sad fools," I added, stepping out into the street. I felt dirtied, in need of a shower. --- * Origin: Astro-Net 714 662-2294 Melenkurion abatha! (Opus 1:103/503) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (489) Wed 19 Oct 88 17:38 By: Tim Maroney To: All Re: Vatican Burns Starhawk (1 of 4) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:954a 11538cd2 VATICAN GAGS NEW-AGE PRIEST FROM OAKLAND By Don Lattin Chronicle Religion Writer (from the San Francisco Chronicle, page A1, Tuesday, October 18, 1988) The Rev. Matthew Fox, an avant-garde Oakland priest who has blended New Age philosophy with Roman Catholic teachings, has been sentenced by the Vatican to a year of public silence, according to a published report. National Catholic Reporter, a liberal weekly newspaper, reports in its current edition that -- effective December 15 -- Fox has been ordered not to speak publicly or to publish his writings for a year. Fox, the founder of the Institute in Culture and Creation Spirituality at Holy Names College in Oakland, was out of town and could not be reached for comment. He has scheduled a press conference for Thursday in San Francisco. In 1985, when news of a possible Vatican investigation surfaced, Fox said he was "not upset if people call me a heretic". "Joan of Arc was condemned, burned at the stake and then declared a saint", the popular Dominican priest said at the time. Fox, 47, has upset conservative Catholics by hiring as faculty members a certified masseuse, a yoga teacher, a Zen Buddhist and a self-described witch named Starhawk. His writings, including a popular book entitled "Original Blessing," have criticized traditional Roman Catholic doctrine for its "overemphasis" on sin and redemption. Mysticism and Feminism ---------------------- Fox has forged a curriculum with a heavy emphasis on Christian mysticism, feminism and environmentalism. His writings have been under review by the Vatican's powerful Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, whose Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ordered the Rev. Charles Curran dismissed in 1986 from the faculty of Catholic University in Washington, D.C., for doctrinal liberalism. Ratzinger's action against Fox could revive tensions between the Vatican and the U.S. church -- conflicts that made headlines during the Curran controversy and after Rome took disciplinary action against liberal Seattle Archbishop Raymond Huntshausen. According to the report in the Register, a nationally distributed independent Catholic news magazine, Fox will partially defy the Vatican order by taking a one-semester sabbatical rather than a yearlong leave. "This work is just too pressing to be postponed until a neurotic papal regime dies out", Fox is quoted as saying. Fox added that the Vatican action is "a compliment. It shows that our influence is growing so much that they feel threatened." (more) --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (490) Wed 19 Oct 88 17:39 By: Tim Maroney To: All Re: Vatican Burns Starhawk (2 of 4) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:954a 11538cec Negotiations with the Vatican ----------------------------- Officials with the Diocese of Oakland referred questions about Fox's sentence to the Rev. Donald Goergen, the Dominican's provincial superior in Chicago, who oversees Fox's work. Goergen could not be reached for comment. Dominican officials have been negotiating with Ratzinger's office -- which was once called the "Holy Inquisition" -- for at least three years. According to the Register, the Vatican has ordered Holy Names College to sever its ties with Fox's institute. Officials at the school, founded in 1868 by the Sisters of the Holy Names, said they will issue a statement after Fox's press conference on Thursday. Fox's ideas draw heavily on the ideas of Meister Eckhart, a German Dominican mystic who died in 1327 -- and who had his own problems with Vatican officials. Two years after his death, many of Eckhart's writings were condemned as heretical by Pope John XXII. Fox has denied that his idea about "creation spirituality" is the same as pantheism -- the idea that "everything is God and God is everything." Pantheism, a major component of much of the so-called New Age thinking, is considered a heresy by the Catholic church because it denies God's transcendence. Scores of Catholic priests and nuns have attended classes and seminars at Fox's institute, which awards master's degrees in spirituality. Fox, who founded his institute in 1978 at Mundelhein College in Chicago before moving here in 1983, has also become a popular speaker on the New Age lecture-workshop circuit. (here endeth the lesson) --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (491) Wed 19 Oct 88 17:40 By: Tim Maroney To: All Re: Vatican Burns Starhawk (3 of 4) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:954a 11538d00 SHOWDOWN BETWEEN VATICAN AND PRIEST By Don Lattin Chronicle Religious Writer (from the San Francisco Chronicle, Wed. October 19, 1988, page A6) In one corner is the Rev. Matthew Fox, the upbeat Oakland priest whose unorthodox ideas about sin and spirtuality have made him the self- appointed Roman Catholic emissary to the New-Age movement. In the other corner is Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Vatican's doctrinal watchdog and commanding general of the pope's campaign to purge liberals, Marxists, and other "heretics" from Roman Catholic schools and seminaries. Church officials yesterday confirmed reports that Ratzinger's office, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has ordered the avant-garde Oakland Dominican to cease his writings and public speaking on "creation spirituality". According to the Rev. John Gerlock, the vicar provincial of the Dominican office in Chicago, Ratzinger's office has also demanded that Fox sever his ties with the Institute in Culture and Creation Sprituality, which Fox founded in Chicago in 1978, and moved to Holy Names College in Oakland in 1983. Despite Rome's concerns, Gerlock said an internal review by the Dominican order has "concluded on the whole and on balance that there is not sufficient reason to condemn the work or silence the writer." Gerlock said Fox -- who is scheduled to respond to the Vatican charges at a press conference in San Francisco tomorrow -- has merely agreed to take a "sabbatical" beginning this December, but will not recant his ideas or cut his ties with the Institute. Rome vs. New-Age ---------------- His showdown with Rome promises to put the spotlight on a subtle, but nevertheless significant, trend in North American Christianity -- an opening up by some churches to the Eastern mysticism and modern paganism of the New-Age movement. "When Vatican officials think of ecumenicism," Gerlock said, "they think of groups like Lutherans and Methodists -- not witchcraft and other archaic spiritualities." Fox's writings, including his 1983 "Original Blessing", have sought to draw connections between medieval Christian mystics and such seemingly diverse philosophies as prehistoric shamanism and modern feminism. Gerlock said Vatican officials specifically ordered Fox to "dissociate himself from wicca, the ideology of Starhawk, a self-described witch." Starhawk, who has served as a part-time faculty member at Fox's institute, is a popular speaker, workshop leader and author of several books, including "The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess." (more) --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (492) Wed 19 Oct 88 17:40 By: Tim Maroney To: All Re: Vatican Burns Starhawk (4 of 4) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:954a 11538d12 Vatican Action -------------- Gerlock said the Vatican action against Fox began with a letter from Ratzinger in September to the Rev. Damian Byrne, the international superior of the Dominican order in Rome. Beside mentioning Starhawk, Ratzinger also questioned Fox's denunciation in "Original Blessing" of the church's "overemphasis" on the doctrine of original sin and redemption. "Matt has a large appeal because he's taking a more positive approach to the Christian tradition," said one leading Dominican theologian in the East Bay, who asked to remain anonymous. "He doesn't emphasize the negative aspects of the faith, but stresses the goodness of creation and God's graciousness." Sister Lois MacGillivray, president of Holy Names College, said in a statement released yesterday that Fox "has asked for and received a sabbatical leave for the spring semester." (here endeth the lesson) --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (493) Tue 18 Oct 88 19:31 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Book Review (1 of ?) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:9cdf 11529bee THE MURDERED MAGICIANS: THE TEMPLARS AND THEIR MYTH by Peter Partner (Great Britain, 1987, The Aquarian Press) The library of the occult gets fatter every day. Here in the belly of the New Age, the average bookstore carries "ancient secrets" and "hidden wisdom" by the metric ton. But literature ABOUT the occult, of the history of occult ideas and their influence on important people, is skimpy and often unreliable. It's hard to find an honest scholar among the mystagogues and Fundamentalists. We have Dame Francis Yates, a gem of a historian who cares about things that would make most academics turn up their noses. And now we have Dr. Peter Partner. As we bow three times in the direction of Dame Frances, it must be said that Dr. Partner is a better writer. An alchemist would envy his ability to turn the junk of history into gold. THE MURDERED MAGICIANS starts off on familiar ground. We meet the historical Templars themselves, fresh from the Crusades, returning to France, getting rich in the Church market and drawing the wrath of the odious Philip the Fair. There is the famous midnight arrest and the subsequent "trial". There are the usual confessions of heresy and sodomy extracted under torture. Then there is the stake, where most accounts of the Templars end. In Dr. Partner's history of ideas, though, the stake was just the beginning. Jacques de Molay and his cohorts did not rest easily in their graves. As the years passed, Templar stories and rumors became grander with each telling. Finally, these illiterate Crusaders from the lowest ranks of the aristocracy emerged as powerful sorcerers who used ancient magical secrets for their own mysterious ends. At least that's what everybody thought. --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139 /640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (494) Tue 18 Oct 88 19:34 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Book Review (2) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:0e53 11529c44 There had been charges of black magic from the start. In the "trial" itself, the Templars were accused of worshipping an idol called "Baphomet" -- a French corruption of "Muhammad" -- which they supposedly picked up from the Muslim conquerors of the Holy Land. (Of course, the idea that ANY Muslim would worship an image of Muhammad says more about the parochial mentality of the European Church than anything else.) In the 1500's, the magical fame of the Templars spread from the pen of Henry Cornelius Agrippa, a sort of Renaissance Shirley McClaine whose works were highly popular and influential. In DE OCCULTA PHILOSOPHIA, Agrippa set about classifying the "good" and "bad" schools of magic. He placed the Templars in the latter category, along with the Gnostics and folk witches. The Templar myth did not attain its full potency until the eighteenth century. If it seems odd that occult gossip would thrive in the Age of Enlightenment, it must be remembered that Reason was just one part of the Enlightenment hodge-podge. Alchemy and Cabala seemed just as important to the educated minds of the day. Also, the new liberal climate produced a lot of nostalgia for the good old days of noble status and "chivalry". Thus we see Elias Ashmole, chemist, bibliographer, and one of the founders of the Royal Society of London, writing sentimentally of the Templars. At this stage, the Templar myth gets mixed up with Freemasonry. Masons of the period traced their heritage back to the Crusaders who, they supposed, were privy to the mystical knowledge of Egypt and Greece. It seems inevitable that they would bring in de Molay and company. According to Dr. Partner, "The birthplace of Templarism was Germany, where the egalitarian and rationalist thrust of Freemasonry was resisted by an old-fashioned and rank-dominated society, and there was a demand for a version of the Masonic craft acceptable to conservative doctrine and Gothic taste." --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139 /640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (495) Tue 18 Oct 88 19:37 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Book Review (3) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:0e53 11529ca1 Under the tutelage of such Masters as Samuel Rosa and George Frederick Johnson, "Provost-General of the Templar Order of the Scottish Lords", Templarism went far beyond the relatively simple edifice of traditional Masonry. "The invention of the Templar myths amounted to a patent to create new noble titles. ... Johnson and Rosa, as 'Heads' of their Orders, created elaborate hierarchies with hundreds of such knightly titles." And, incidentally, earned a tidy living in the process. By the last decades of the century, Europe was dotted with competing Templar lodges, each claiming to possess the True Secret. The end came with both a bang and a whimper. For one thing, the Templarist Masons were afflicted by the stagnancy that is the hallmark of the occult: "The successively unveiled mysteries of the Order had yielded nothing but boring ritual; the alchemists had made no discoveries; the Templar lands would never be returned. No one expected to identify the long-concealed Unknown Superiors. The thirst for mystical illumination remained, but hope of quenching it at the Templar spring was over." Furthermore, there was the spectacular scandal of the "Bavarian Illuminati", the pet conspiracy of that Jesuit-haunted secular humanist, Adam Weishaupt. Dr. Partner dispels any notions of co-fraternity between the Illuminati and the Templarists. True, Weishaupt had recruited some members from the crumbling Templar lodges, but otherwise the two groups had opposing styles and aims. "There was no direct continuity between the Strict Templar Observance and the Bavarian Illuminati at all. The aristocratic mumbo-jumbo of the Templar lodges pandered to the confused conservatism of the German nobles and had a great deal in common with the mumbo-jumbo of the Rosicrucians, to whose ideas the Illuminati were absolutely opposed." --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139 /640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (496) Tue 18 Oct 88 20:04 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Book Review (4) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:0e53 1152a088 Such nit-picking hardly mattered, though, especially after the French Revolution when all secret societies seemed to be part of a single gargantuan evil. Those days saw the beginning of modern conspiracy theory. Pamphleteers such as Friedreich Nicolai and Augustine de Barruel offered lurid exposes of the secret societies. For these zealots, "it all connects": Templars, Illuminati, Masons, Gnostics, Cathars, Manicheans, and the other enemies of normalcy and the status quo. The gaps in logic never seemed important; it was all grist for the mill as one pamphleteer reprinted the wooly ideas of another. The tradition continues to this day with the intellectual descendants of Nicolai and Barruel advertising in THE SPOTLIGHT and other right-wing tabloids. With the suppression of the Illuminati, German Templarism slumbered for a hundred years. There was a flurry of Templar activity in France under Napoleon and in the United States with the Civil War general Albert Pike. But, for the most part, nineteenth century Templarism thrived in its rightful soil: the land of literature and myth. The Templar myth could have been made for the Romantic period. It had everything a Romantic could want: the middle ages, chivalry, pre-Christian wisdom, wicked clergymen, sex, and plenty of Gothic shudders. Indeed, the list of nineteenth century artists who contributed to the Templar myth or were influenced by it reads like a "Who's Who": Balzac, Walter Scott, Disraeli, Wagner, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and Gabriel Rosetti, of whom Partner says "He knew hardly anything of the heresies which had in fact existed in the middle ages, but he made up for this by inventing new ones on a generous scale." When Templarism revived in Germany at the end of the century it had come a long way from the humble actuality of Jacques de Molay. The modern Templar revival was largely the work of a journalist named Theodore Reuss and, later on, the British occultist Aleister Crowley. Their Order of the Temple of the Orient (O.T.O.) continues to this day with chapters in most of the United States and several European countries. O.T.O. literature claims a connection with the medieval Order of de Molay and it emphasizes the "sexual magic" that the Templars supposedly picked up from the Gnostics or Indian Yogis or whomever. In any case, the popularity of the O.T.O. seems to be growing, which demonstrates once again the hardiness of this remarkable myth. --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139 /640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (497) Tue 18 Oct 88 20:05 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Book Review (5) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:0e53 1152a0a2 Aside from its durability, the Templar myth has been astonishingly adaptable. Where one group hates and fears the Templars for their purported demonology and unusual sexual practices, another group rallies to their defense for the same reasons. (Of course, few people question whether demonology and unusual sexual practices ever happened.) To quote Dr. Partner: "The shifting history of Templarism, with its movements from one interpretation of the Templar story to another, reflects the original Masonic confusion between the parable and the truth the parable was supposed to represent. But it also reveals the way in which men fulfill their spiritual needs in a way which broadly corresponds to an earlier pattern, but which is nevertheless made in their own image. Nothing is more misleading than the claim that there is an immemorial esoteric tradition which places antique and prehistoric wisdom at the disposal of the adept. It is true that some esoteric principles derive from a philosophical tradition of great antiquity. But students of the supposed hidden truths are also men of their times, and they have employed esoteric ideas in the service of interests and concepts which have changed from one generation to another. The tradition as applied to the Templar myth has proved to be Protean in its mutability. The Templars have been benign, rational sages for one generation, demonic Satanists for another, wise, wealthy technocrats for a third." In other words, a Rorschach blot. --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139 /640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (498) Tue 18 Oct 88 20:05 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Book Review (6) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:0e53 1152a0b6 Does it matter if the Templar myth is true or false, profound or silly? Apparently not. What matters is that people believe. And the Templar myth has attracted some very influential believers, often with unpleasant results. "Secret society myths are usually concerned to suggest the influence of small, powerful groups which work invisibly. But the political importance of such myths is their effect on the general currents and atmosphere of public opinion. It can be shown from the history of Templarism that small, private groups of people who profess esoteric doctrines with a political flavour, and sometimes practice eccentric rituals, do from time to time exist. So far as Templarism is concerned, the political and social effect of such groups has been negligible. What matters to society is the vague, disquieting effects either of propagandists who spread alarming reports of secret society conspiracies, or of esoteric publicists who diffuse ideas of the miraculous and the marvelous, and give the impression that social change can easily be accomplished by the workers of wonders." The fate of the original Templars may be history's best argument against secrecy. On the other side of the myth, those "who spread alarming reports of secret society conspiracies" seem doomed to their own sad fate. The moral might be "Choose well your myths." --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139 /640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (499) Tue 18 Oct 88 20:06 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Book Review (7 of 7) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:0e53 1152a0dd In all the hub-bub, it's easy to misplace the historical Knights of the Temple. When he returns to Jacques de Molay and company, Dr. Partner is as eloquent as he is sane: "The unromantic truth is that the Templars of the Middle Ages made not the slightest attempt to build the Temple of Wisdom, unless that Temple is defined as that of the Catholic Church. The end of the Templars arose not from the operation of demonic forces but as a result of their own mediocrity and lack of nerve. A handful of them measured up to the terrible challenge which confronted them, but most, including their leaders, at the moment of trial proved to have nothing much to say. In the Holy Land the Templars had been brave soldiers but rather short-sighted politicians, who in no way conformed to the high standards which their nineteenth-century admirers ascribed to them. The most striking characteristic of the medieval Templars was their ordinariness; they represented the common man, and not the uncommon visionary. Mozart's noble Masonic opera, THE MAGIC FLUTE, holds out the vision of a Temple of Reason and Nature presided over by a ruler- seer, Serastro. If the Temple of Serastro is ever to be built, and if man is to live in some state of Mozartian harmony, it may be on principles in which the Freemason ideal has had a part, but it will not be based on the ideals of the medieval Templars." --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139 /640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (500) Sat 22 Oct 88 21:16 By: Tim Maroney To: All Re: Starhawk's New Power Animal -- The Fox (1 of 3) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:954a 1156aa18 OAKLAND PRIEST TO DEFY VATICAN By Don Lattin Chronicle Religion Writer (From the San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Oct 88, page A3) Accusing the Vatican of "spiritual sloth" and "creeping fascism", the Rev. Matthew Fox said yesterday that he will defy Rome's demand that he recant his unorthodox views on "creation spirituality." At a packed press conference in San Francisco, the avant-garde Oakland theologian said he also will defy the Vatican's order that he fire Starhawk, a self-proclaimed witch and "goddess movement" leader, from the faculty of his Institute in Culture and Creation Spirituality. Fox -- a feminist, mystic, and outspoken environmentalist -- has agreed, however, to a request from his Dominican superiors that he refrain from preaching, teaching, and public speaking during a sabbatical beginning December 15. It appears unlikely, however, that Fox's temporary silencing will satisfy the demands of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Vatican's chief doctrinal watchdog and prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. "I believe that power, rather than theology, is the real issue in this case," Fox said. "The very act of silencing theologians instead of engaging them in dialogue is a sign of institutional violence." 'Dangerous and Deviant' ----------------------- At yesterday's press conference, Fox released a number of documents related to the Vatican's four-year probe into his writings and the institute, located in Oakland's Holy Names College. Among the documents is a Sept. 17, 1987, letter from Ratzinger to the Rev. Damian Byrne, the international superior of the Dominican order, in which Ratzinger calls Fox's ideas "dangerous and deviant". Ratzinger calls Fox's 1983 book "Original Blessing" an "altogether personal, gratuitous and subjective interpretation of Christian spitituality." Ratzinger accuses Fox of "citing what he likes in the Bible and interpreting it in his own way." Fox, a witty iconoclast and author of 11 books, is a popular speaker at open-minded Christian churches, seminaries and eceumenical organizations. His blending of medieval Christian mysticism, Native American spirituality, transpersonal psychology and other techniques of the "human potential movement" has made him popular on the New Age lecture circuit. In his criticism of Fox's work, Ratzinger said, "It is characteristic of his approach to marshal a broadly diverse group of spiritual writers to advance his own brand of spirituality over and against that of original sin and redemption." Ratzinger also said Fox's sympathetic views about homosexuality are "neither inspired by the Scriptures, nor by the doctrine of the Church." (more) --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (501) Sat 22 Oct 88 21:17 By: Tim Maroney To: All Re: Crazy Like a Fox (2 of 3) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:954a 1156aa35 'Spiritual Sloth' ----------------- In a lengthy repsonse to Ratzinger written on August 8, Fox said the cardinal's congregation "has not done either its intellectual homework or its inner work." "I detect a kind of intellectual sloth in those who condemn without studying and a spiritual sloth in those who accuse without feeling," Fox wrote. "The Vatican -- like any organization -- is not God, cannot be God, and will ultimately fail in its attempts to be God," Fox told Ratzinger. Fox released a letter showing that a group of conservative Catholics in Seattle -- a chapter of an organization called Catholics United for the Faith -- had notified the Vatican of Fox's unorthodox work. The Seattle CUFF chapter is the group whose successful campaign led to the Vatican's unprecedented 1986 disciplinary action against liberal Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen of Seattle. Vatican Policy Questioned ------------------------- In his letter to Ratzinger, Fox questioned why the vatican "ignores the advice of its most pastoral bishops and leaders of religious orders." "Instead," he wrote, "it listens to theologically illiterate fanatics who behave like religious thugs." In defending his hiring of Starhawk, Fox told Ratzinger that he finds "the rancor toward witches to be unbelievable -- as if Christians, in killing anywhere from 300,000 to 3 million through the centuries, have not had enough of witch hunts." Fox cited a Second Vatican Council declaration that it is "foreign to the mind of Christ to discriminate or harass persons because of their religion," saying the church fathers "did not make an exception of the native European religion of Wicca (witchcraft)." "When it (the Second Vatican Council) acknowledges that 'from ancient times down to the present there has existed among diverse peoples a certain perception of that hidden power which hovers over the course of things', it does not make an exception to the Wicca tradition," Fox wrote. (more) --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (502) Sat 22 Oct 88 21:18 By: Tim Maroney To: All Re: A Fox in the Chicken Coop (3 of 3) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:954a 1156aa4a Other Outcasts -------------- At his press conference, Fox said he is "honored" to be in the company of other theologians whom the Vatican has tried to silence. He mentioned the Rev. Charles Curran, who was fired from the faculty of Catholic University in Washington, D.C., for his liberal views on birth control, homosexuality and other church teachings, and the Rev. Leonardo Boff, of Brazil, who was put under one year of public silence for his writings on "liberation theology." During his sabbatical of public silence, Fox said he plans to travel, "get a lot of sleep," write and visit sympathetic church thinkers in Africa and Latin America. "Maybe Father Boff and I will have a party where no one speaks," Fox joked. No Sufficient Reason -------------------- In another statement released yesterday, the Rev. Donald Goergen, the Chicago-based provincial superior overseeing Fox's work, said he and several other Dominican theologians have exmained Fox's writings and "do not think there is sufficient reason to prohibit him from speaking and writing." Nevertheless, they and Fox have agreed to a request by the Rev. Byrne, the worldwide Dominican leader, that Fox "take a year's sabbatical to reflect on his work and to consider the full efefct of his work on the church." Fox predicted that Rome's attempt to eradicate his teachings will backfire. --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (503) Sat 22 Oct 88 22:23 By: Tim Maroney To: All Psi-Believers Re: The Randi Challenge (1 of 2) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:954a 1156b2f2 This statement outlines the general rules covering my offer concerning psychic, supernatural, or paranormal claims. Since claims will vary greatly in character and scope, specific rules must be formulated for each claimant. However, _claimants_ must agree to the rules set forth here before any formal agreement is entered into. A claimant will declare agreement by signing this form before a notary public and returning the form to me at 12000 NW 8th Street, Plantation, FL 33313-1406. The eventual test procedure must be agreed upon by both parties before any testing will take place. I do _not_ act as a judge. I do _not_ design the protocol independently of the claimant. Claimants _must_ identify themselves properly before any discussion takes place. _All correspondence must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope_. I, James Randi, will pay $10,000 (U.S.) to any person or persons who demonstrate any psychic, supernatural, or paranormal activity of any kind under satisfactory observing conditions. The demonstration must take place under these rules and limitations: (1) Claimant must state clearly in advance just what powers or abilities will be demonstrated, the limits of the proposed demonstration (so far as time, location, and other variables are concerned), and what will constitute both a positive and a negative result. (2) Only an actual performance of the stated nature and scope, within the agreed limits, is acceptable. (3) Claimant agrees that all data (photographic, recorded, written) of any sort gathered as a result of the testing may be used freely by me in any way I choose. (4) Tests will be designed in such a way that no judging procedure is required. Results will be self-evident to any observer, in accordance with the rules agreed upon by all parties in advance of any formal testing procedure. (5) I may ask the claimant to perform informally before an appointed representative, if distance and time dictate, for purposes of determining if the claimant is likely to perform as promised in the formal test. (continued) --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (504) Sat 22 Oct 88 22:27 By: Tim Maroney To: All Psi-Believers Re: The Randi Challenge (2 of 2) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:954a 1156b360 (6) I will not pay for any expenses incurred, such as transportation, accomodation, or other costs. (7) Entering into this challenge, claimant surrenders any and all rights to legal action against me, as far as this may be done by existing statutes. This applies to injury, accident, or any other damage -- physical, emotional, and/or financial or professional -- of any kind. (8) Prior to the commencement of the formal testing procedure, I will give my check for the full amount of the award into the keeping of an independent person chosen by the claimant. In the event that the claimant is successful under the agreed terms and conditions, that check for $10,000 (U.S.) shall be _immediately_ surrendered to the claimant, in full settlement. (9) A copy of this document is available free of charge to any person who sends the required stamped, self-addressed envelope to me requesting it. (10) This offer is made by me personally and not on behalf of any other person, agency, or organization, although others may become involved in the examination of claims and others may add their reward money to mine in certain circumstances. (11) This offer is open to any and all person in any part of the world, regardless of sex, race, educational background, etc., and will continue in effect until the prize is awarded, or until my death. My will states that, upon my death, the award amount will be held in escrow and in charge of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, in Buffalo, New York, which is then empowered to continue the offer for a period of ten years after my demise, after which time the award amount can be used for whatever purposes it desires. (12) Claimant must agree upon what will constitute a conclusion that he or she does _not_ possess the claimed ability or power. This rule _must_ be accepted by the claimant without reservation. ___________________________ ___________________________ Notary Public Signature --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (505) Sun 30 Oct 88 15:48 By: Estrose Maiesa To: Tim Maroney Re: Re: The Randi Challenge (2 of 2) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:c3d1 115e7e11 Tim, well, I have a rather simeple question to ask you. Let's say that there is no magic, or psychic abilities as you or anyone else here knows it.Rather, the science of Bhera existed long before any life in this slice existed.When I say slice, just associate it with the word demension, that's the closest English word to describe it. Now, $10,000 is not enough, not even close...But it sounds as if you would give anything in order to have proof...If it's not important to you to share you knowledge with other people and gain fame, than continue reading... I can take you to slice one, two, or four...Three is what you are currently occupying... In order to take you there, you must agree to be a follower of Ghirma...Which means you will be a sort of slave for about 50 years, but your life expectancy will be increased to about four or five centuries depending on your health and age....Now, there is more payment than that, you will NEVER return to your origin, and you must sacrifice your 'fire'.When I say 'fire', I mean it's like the force that drives you on to exceed your normal capabilities which is essential in the afterlife...You will lose this when you die, so you really have nothing to worry about...I came into this world as a fetis, and have grown... Soon I will return to my home and regain the powers and substance that were taken from me by Ghirma....I can not promise you that you won't be born with the same color, race, or handicapps if any...But you will end up there....There must be no one else around when I take you, for they will be eternally doomed with us...I must sneak you in sort of, and a great disturbance would disrupt the balance and the out come could allert the King which would be devestating...If you simply want to see if I'm telling the truth....follow these instructions to the utmost... Go into a room with ONE mirror....It must be pitch black in the room...No lights at all....No other people...no cameras....Put your back to the miiror and say "I love Ghirma" ten times and then immediately after say "I hate Ghirma" ten times, and the scream "I rule you, my blood flows thicker" and then turn around and put your hand through the mirror... Warning- everything must be followed precisely and any injuries you happen to come across, I am not responsible for... --- * Origin: IBM_Tech_Fido (Opus 1:322/1) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (506) Wed 2 Nov 88 9:44 By: David Rice To: All Re: The Dark's Post St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:6c59 11624d8a Here's the post from "The Dark," posted as requested. --DMR TO: David Rice FROM: The Dark SUBJECT: The Laws Of Evil Concerning The Prctices Therin. The Laws Of Evil: The First Law: The forces in all things must balance,therefore for all Good Things there is an oppisite Evil. The Second Law: Evil is the motivating force of man and in being is also the most powerful. It dominates all Things perverting what is Good Through Her mediums when the occasion arises. The Third Law: There is no Devil!This term is only used to represent a great force of evil. Contrary wise there is no God. The Fourth Law: Evil is aslo known as Chaos. Chaos reigns as the most powerful force.It is from Chaos that ALL things are born. If you can control Chaos you can control ALL things. These are The Laws Governing the primal forces. These are the strictures. If these strictures be made known the the control for them shall be made known. David, Please read over this and post this view. Please make any editing choices you feel need to be made and please notify me of them. Thanx, The Dark One P.S. Why Are you pissed? --- * Origin: Astro-Net 714 662-2294 Melenkurion abatha! (Opus 1:103/503) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (507) Thu 10 Nov 88 22:31 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Santeria, a Pagan religious system St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:87fa 116ab3e2 What follows is a document sent to me by J. Santiago. It is on Santeria and may be a good example of a pagan religion as opposed to neo-paganism. The number of followers of these systems is rather large. In Rio there is an estimated 40,000 centers alone. A center fairly equates to a Coven. --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (508) Thu 10 Nov 88 22:33 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Santeria. part 1 of 9 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116ab42d "The Afro-Antillian Religion of the Lucumis..." by JSR:. On the history of Santeria... It was in the days of the conquest...manpower was needed to cultivate the land and to work hard, very hard. The native inhabitants of this newly discovered land enslaved by the conquerors were dying by the hundreds every day. The solution, to bring slaves from Africa...it was the XVI century. Slaves were brought by the thousands during the XVI-XIX centuries to the new world, to what is today Central and south America, the Caribbean and the southern portion of North America. These slaves came mainly from the south western coastal region of Africa, region in were the nations of the Yorubas, Arara and Lucumi dwelled. These Africans were strong, clever, highly independent hard working beings who were also very religious. Among the many brought to the new world there were artisans, musicians and most important: priests, doctors and sorcerers who were three independent classes often confused as being the same thing. Priests were in charge of the religious life of the members of his nation or tribe; doctors took care of the physical health and sorcerers were a kind of "outlaw priests" who almost invariably lived outside of the villages. Doctors and priests worked in common accord: the doctor took care of the physical while the priest took care of the spiritual. Many times however, both functions were performed by the priest but not the other way around. The sorcerer offered his services for any purpose; that is, to perform good or evil, being to perform evil that his services were most often sought. Secret societies or Brotherhoods formed a very important part of the communal life. Men formed artisans brotherhoods, hunting and fishing brotherhoods in were the art of each was taught. Women also had their own "Sisterhoods" in were the arts and skills of becoming a good wife were taught. There were also religion oriented brotherhoods whose members had to belong to the "clergy". Even the sorcerers belonged and promoted their own versions of these brotherhoods. These nations lived very close to the coast, for fishing and hunting game was ample and also because they felt protected from the attacks of several other warrior nations that lived inland. As a matter of fact many of the slaves who were eventually brought to the new world were prisoners of war belonging to defeated tribes on wars with other African nations who sold them to the slave traders. But their security was short lived...because the white men came. --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (509) Thu 10 Nov 88 22:34 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Santeria, part 2 of 9 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116ab44c The Africans who were brought to (what is now) the Caribbean, Central and South America were in a sense, lucky. Here they found almost an identical weather, flora and similar fauna that enabled them to quickly adapt to their own ways of "thinking" and to some extent, of living. And it is at this point that the history of modern day "Cult of the Orichas" (cult of the saints) begins... Customs and traditions of the white men were forced on the new inhabitants; particularly, religious ones: Catholicism. They had no choice, it was submission or to face certain death...so they yielded...aparently, for the similarities among the catholic way of worship and their own became quite obvious. When the catholic priest spoke of Jesus they saw "Olofin"; when they spoke of God they saw "Olordumare"; when they spoke of the Holy Spirit they saw "Baba Nkua" and so it was with the rest of the Catholic Saints... So it was that under a disguise of conversion they were able to sustain and even promote their ancestral religion:"The religion of the Orichas (Saints)". Another factor that contributed to the proliferation of their religious practise was that of "sympathetic" masters. These usually were slaves masters who owned their health (or the health of any other family member) to a "local" Santeria priest (they were expert herbalists). On other occasions, African sorcerers helped some of these owners get out of embarrassing situations with the help of their "magic" (namely, manufacturing of potions for poisoning, for inducing sleep, as stimulants, for inducing abortions, etc. etc.). These particular type of help was only given when the sorcerer was certain that the master who requested his services (Thru the intervention of a friendly slave who was the link between the sorcerer and the master) could be trusted; sorcerers didn't dare to take the initiative of using their magic against any of the white men, for the price if known was severely high: Death by torture; sometimes, "Blanching", that is, taking the skin off the live slave exposing the white portion underneath. In any case it was complete annihilation of his family, himself and any other slaves suspected of helping him. In Cuba and some portions of the Caribbean this religion is known as "Santeria" or The religion of the Saints. In Haiti it is known as "VooDoo", in Brazil is "Macumba" and in some portions of the lesser antilles "Candomble". The differences in naming this religion has its roots in history itself... Spain, Portugal and France were the commanding colonizing nations of these portions of the new world. Spain colonized Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, Cuba, Mexico and some other countries --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (510) Thu 10 Nov 88 22:35 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Santeria, part 3 of 9 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116ab47c in central and south America. Portugal did the same with Brazil and some portions of the lesser antilles. France colonized Haiti, Guyana and also some of the Lesser Antilles. The "slave hunting grounds" for Spanish, french and Portuguese slave traders as mentioned before was the south western coast of Africa. However, they avoided as much as possible each other, so they not only "captured" African slaves who belonged to different African nations, but after their capture and in order to survive the slaves learned and adapted the languages and cultures of their captors. Spanish colonies slaves came mostly from the Yoruba and Lucumi nations, as well as the slaves of Portuguese colonies. French colonies received a high influx of slaves belonging to the Arara nation; however, these groups were not culturally or linguistically entirely homogeneous. Yoruba was the name of a language spoken by many small kingdoms who collectively then were referred as the Yoruba nation. Lucumi is a compound word of the Bantu dialect: luku- many, mi- a suffix to indicate a town, people together, so "Lucumi" means many people. Arara was also a language spoken by many kingdoms and those kingdoms were referred to as the Arara nation. Slaves learned the languages and dialects of other slaves and of course, the language of their captors. Thru this interaction the different names for the religion of the Orichas developed, and also many of the ritualistic and dogmatic differences of this religious system of today has its roots in that same inter-cultural exchange. Santeria, VooDoo, Macumba and Candomble are just different names for the "same" religious practice, that is, "the cult of the Saints" which is also called "The Lucumi Religion" or "Yoruba religion". There is also another name by which Santeria is referred to: "The Society of Ocha" (the society of the saint) but this name is not widely used. While developing in the grounds of the new world, the Lucumi religion acquired the "flavors" imparted by their mixed African practitioners of each particular area. In Cuba it developed as Santeria, in Haiti as VooDoo and in Brazil as Macumba. Not only the names are different; but some of the ceremonials, rituals and general religious practices differ. Santeria is a word in Spanish which means "the religion of the Saints", and saints in Yoruba is "Orichas" or "Ocha"; Voo-Doo is accepted as meaning Voo- "introspection", Doo- "into the unknown". Although Catholicism influence can be strongly felt in todays Afro- antillian religions, they still conserve, to a high degree, their original African ritualistic and ceremonial practices. This is --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (511) Thu 10 Nov 88 22:36 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Santeria, part 4 of 9 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116ab498 particularly true when speaking on the rituals of VooDoo. Today, Nigeria occupies the original territory of the Lucumis and Yorubas, and there is the sacred city of Ife, the holy city of all practitioners of the religion of the Orichas (Saints). Ife is considered by the adepts as the original dwelling of the saints of the religion; there they can not only find several holy places but also trace descendants of great Babalochas (High priests) and even descendants of Ochas (saints). *** On the "Theology" of the Lucumi Religion. The Lucumi religion has dozens of entities called "Saints", and are these saints the deities of the religion. Each saint has a domain of power and spheres of influence, which the santero shares thru his interaction with them. In the Yoruba religion "saints" have a more diverse and broader meaning than the Christian use of the term. Orichas are treated and considered "gods" by the adepts of Santeria. In Santeria orichas "work" to cure the sick, to foretell the future, solve conflicts, remedy tough situation, join marriages and to reconcile enemies; that is, to establish harmony and provide advise. They perform "miracles" which are very hard to explain but whose effects are undeniable. So the true Santero "works" only for good...but what about those who call themselves Santeros and perform evil?...Well, lets go back to history... Among the slaves brought to the new world there were some African sorcerers who found an excellent ground amidst the thousands of slaves in the colonies in were to exploit their abilities and recruit adepts. They were feared in their homeland and they also became feared in the new world. It was very easy for them to find followers and recruit pupils among these oppressed people. These "Kimbiambus-Sua Musu" and "Kimbiambu-Sua Kai" (male and female sorcerers) formed secret societies or brotherhoods who evolved parallel to Santeria and eventually some of these societies "blended", giving birth to a perverted, desecrated version of "Santeria". Regretfully many of todays' so called "Santeros" belong to this variation of the Lucumi religion... Some of the Orichas in Santeria were the souls of those who died who by their merits were granted "power" to become "Saints". However, the majority of them have become such by their direct blood link with the original or first orichas created by Olordumare (God). Africans believed in immortality; but in a very peculiar way...According to Lucumi tradition, when a man died, he first went to see Olofin (Jesus) who after weighting his acts on earth --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (512) Thu 10 Nov 88 22:37 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Santeria, aprt 5 of 9 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116ab4b4 rewarded him with eternal life in the following way: 1- He was transformed into rain, and in this way he returned to earth looking for a river and then flowing to the bottom he transformed himself into a "rock". 2- After a period of time (usually three months) his family went to the river accompanied by the Babalocha. His closest relative and the Babalocha get into the river (all this forming part of a sacred ceremony). 3- Once in the water (all dressed in white) and with the permission of Babalocha who assists him, his relative closing his eyes, introduced his right hand into it until he touch a "rock"; his relative had to "feel" the "spirit" living in it. 4- This rock was immediately covered with a piece of cloth of the favorite color of the deceased, and after returning, it was received with great enthusiasm by those present. 5- They carried it back to their house and with great reverence it was deposited in a container. This container represented the "room" or "body" in where the spirit lived. These "rocks" where called "Otanes". And it is because of this that the saints are not worshiped in the form of statues, they are worshiped in the form of "rocks". A variation exists in Voodoo in where saints can live in trees, and such are highly respected and worshiped. The trees that serve for this purpose are called "Arbresrepoisors", and there is usually a pedestal or basin encircling the foot of the tree. Square or triangular niches are recessed into the pedestal and in them lighted candles are often placed, surrounded by consecrated food offered in sacrifice. These trees are decorated and even painted with the favorite colors of the gods to whom they belong. These Otanes were the property of the family of the deceased, and they took care and worshiped them by bringing offerings and food to them. It was the belief that they could help and sometimes intercede with the Orichas in favor of the family. Sometimes it happened that "miracles" began to occur, and then these Otanes became "famous" and highly esteemed by the people. With time myths began to surround the properties of these Otanes, and from those myths legends developed. In Voodoo, the belief is somewhat different. According to its tradition, the soul of the death reascends to heaven and then becomes a star. If, for whatever reason, the soul of the death --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (513) Thu 10 Nov 88 22:38 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Santeria, part 6 of 9 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116ab4d1 becomes canonized, he becomes a "Saint", thus eventually becoming part of the "Pantheon of the Saints". In Haitian VooDoo saint is "Loa" and in Brasil is "Macun". The interaction of the Adept with the Ocha (or Loa) is the basic unit of Santeria. It is thru this interaction that the santero is able to work. As a general rule, the "Illaguao" (or novice, apprentice) only "makes" one Ocha as his principal deity of action during the initiatory ritual. This happens after the Orichas are consulted by the "Babalao" (High priest) as to whom is the Ocha that this Illaguao is entitled to. Later, after the Illaguao becomes a santero he may request permission from his Ocha to "make" more Orichas. The personal power a Santero develops (thru his ritual work) is known as "Ache" and in order to develop it he must follow all ceremonial and ritualistic rules and guidelines belonging to his Ocha, and of any other Oricha he may be working with. Every Ocha has its rules; rules and attributes that touches almost every aspect of life. He has his own colors, foods, beverages, animals, utensils, etc.. Also, when performing ritualistic work, close attention has to be paid for following the hierarchical order of the orichas; that is, the santero, or Omoricha (priest) has to begin any work by doing those rituals belonging to the most important of the orichas he is working with and proceeded following their hierarchy as related to one another. In VooDoo the religious leader or priest is called "Houn'gan" if male or "Mam'bo" if female and in santeria "Omoricha" or "Olouboricha". To give you an idea lets see this hierarchical diagram of a yoruba pantheon: Olordumare (Supreme God) ^ . . . . . . . . Obatala Oduduwa (The most pure creator) ( First king of the earth, . Ile Ife) Yemaya Argayu (Mother of 16 Orichas) ( Husband of Yemaya) . . Orumila Chango (Fortuneteller son of ( Fourth king of the Yoruba Yemaya) . Nation, master of fire, . son of Yemaya) . . Ogun Osun (master of iron, laborious ( Guardian, son of Yemaya) son of Yemaya) . . --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (514) Thu 10 Nov 88 22:39 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Santeria, part 7 of 9 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116ab4ed . . Oshosi Ochun (Hunter son of Yemaya) ( Master of the river and . of money, Daughter of . Yemaya) . . Oya Olokun (Master of storm) ( Goddess of the sea, . Daughter of Yemaya) . . . . . . . . Iku (Death) Note: The above chart is not a fixed one; it will vary depending on the ritual of santeria practised. "Olordumare Nzame" is the principal deity of santeria, which represents God; in Voodoo, is called "Legba Ati-Bon" which means "wood of justice" and is represented in the "Oum'phor" (Voodoo temple) as a wooden center-post, "Poteau-mitan". The potaeu-mitan is located exactly in the middle of the "peristyle" (inside area of the temple) whose entire length is decorated by a spiral design representing two serpent-gods: "Danbhalah Wedo" (representing perfection) and "Aida Wedo" (representing all the knowledge of the gods). Also inside the oum'phor (temple) we could find the "Pe" or stone-altar and on the floor of the temple the "Veves", which are designs traced upon the ground whose purpose are to attract the loas to descend to earth. The orichas use various methods for manifesting themselves to the santero. The most important being by "riding" him during the ceremonials and rituals. Other methods at hand are the use of sea shells and four pieces of coconut. The "riding" method is one in which the Loa (in VooDoo) or Ocha (in santeria) takes possession of the adept. The personality of the host changes to that of the Ocha "riding" him; the orichas all have their own personality and particular traits which becomes manifested thru the Santero during the periods were the ocha is possessing him. The other methods of communication are the use of shells, "Medilogun" and four pieces of coconut, "Obi". After complying with the necessary rituals the Santero rolls the shells and their resulting positions are "interpreted". The four pieces of coconut are used in the same way as the shells. These methods can be used for divination as another one rather unknown: the use of dominoes. In Africa they had a game which played a lot like dominoes called "Quenken", and the numbered pieces were used for divination by interpreting the numbers that came up with the --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (515) Thu 10 Nov 88 22:40 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Santeria, part 8 of 9 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116ab509 meaning attributed to each one. For effective oral communication the santero must speak to the Ocha in his vernacular: Yoruba or Lucumi. He can speak to the Ocha in another language if he doesn't know well yoruba or lucumi, but this will diminish the Ache (power) in the work. The adept of santeria has also to pay close attention to some particular details such as the way he dresses and the food he eats. For example the santero may be called to refrain from eating certain types of food belonging to the orichas; this is to show respect and to demonstrate his devotion for them Also clothing becomes affected; the santero should dress according to the rules of his principal ocha or the orichas he may be working with. In addition, the santero must take good care of his ritualistic necklaces or "Elekes", whose colored beads are representative of the colors of the ocha. Some of these elekes may be carried on all the time, while some others are to be worn only when performing ritualistic work. Thru all of this interaction the Ocha and the santero develops a Father-son type of relationship. When an "Illawao", apprentice in santeria or "Mam'bo Caille" in VooDoo is initiated, the one who has directed the ceremonial, usually the Omoricha (priest) or Babalocha (high priest) becomes the godfather of the new adept. That is if he doesn't already has a "sponsor" who has agreed beforehand to become his godfather. His duties are those of a counselor and guide helping him in his journey. Sometimes ceremonials calls for offerings of various kinds, including animal sacrifices. These offerings are just a demonstration of respect, recognition, and sometimes for payment (for a favor) to the orichas or Ocha in question. Drum music also plays a very important part on the ceremonials. These drums are consecrated and only played during ritual work; they may have different physical dimensions. In Santeria they are known as "akonko" (big drum) and "itole" (small drum), in Voodoo ritual thy are known as "Manman" (largest drum), "Grondez" (middle sized drum) and "Ka-Tha-Bou" (small drum). The large or small drums are played depending on the ceremony or ritual performed. When dogmatic differences or complaints happen between omorichas (priests), a "Cabildo" (meeting, gathering of a council) is called by the omorichas or Babalaos (high priests). These are presided by the older babalochas. All differences are settled there. All of the organized religions have some type of sacred writings, and the religion of the lucumis is no exception. Their tales or "Patakies" are writings that illustrate all of the --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (516) Thu 10 Nov 88 22:41 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Santeria, by J. Santiago, part 9 of 9 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116ab526 different aspects of the Yoruba religion. The un-written compendium of this patakies is known as "Ifa". So this patakies are stories with a moral-spiritual message or lesson. Modern day santeria has its adepts spread all over north, central and south America. It is no longer an isolated religious phenomena of the Antilles. Florida, Cuba, Haiti, Brazil and to some extent Puerto Rico are, however, the most active posts of Santeria. But true Santeros are scarce; for santeria has not only suffered the fusion with such un-welcomed guests, "The societies of the sorcerers", but also it has suffered the influx of un- worthy people in its ranks. Santeria today is not only a religion; its a brotherhood with a rich legacy of myths and legends as the teaching media for its adepts. A legacy left from the slaves of yesterday to the free men of their tomorrow... --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (517) Sun 13 Nov 88 0:56 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Update of Handling the media, part 1 of 7 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116d0701 _REACTIVE_RESPONSE_AND_PROACTIVE_ENCOUNTER_ _Dealing_with_the_Media_ This is a description of what WindFire Coven does to attract positive media coverage: During the latest period of Satanism hysteria the energies were flowing in a negative direction as far as Wicca is concerned. The media loves controversy and knows that to have controversy they must present more than one side of any given issue. Consequently when planning some report that may be negative in context they will go out of their way to present another view of that same issue. Reactive Response This, of course, is reactive not pro-active in nature. This is how WindFire got the media exposure the last two times. I'll start with the Denver channel first. It was a few weeks after File 18 was given to each member of WindFire that we dedicated a full moon ritual for magickal work toward a solution. WindFire is not structured so every member got to focus their power in their own way toward the solution. The solution was to promote a positive understanding of Wicca in the local mundane communities. The very next day, not 24 hours after the ritual, we got a call from channel 7, Denver. They were in the Springs and wanted to talk to some witches about ley lines and power spots. The two person crew was at Celebration Book Store but the attendant didn't want to be on. Fortunately the store attendant had our number and called us. We talked with the camera crew and arranged an immediate interview. Two considerations are important here. The first is that just like any other form of magickal work the magick takes it's own form. So be ready for anything. And two, when the media calls they usually will not wait around for interviewees. Be prepared for anything, at any moment. When the lightning strikes... Channel 7 told us that they were doing the interview to balance out some of the reporting on Satanism, but they didn't stress the fact that the report was about Satanism. Further we didn't know enough to ask what the focus and content was for the report. Always ask what the focus of the report is. You may find yourself, just like WindFire, shocked that we are being visually, if not verbally, associated with Satanism. For the interview, be positive. I can't stress that enough. Smile and let them see that you are sincere in your faith in the Goddess. Laugh. All the reporters see in Satanism is somber faces, confessing their sins. Let them know that you are happy with your path. Stress the difference between patriarchal monotheism and --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (518) Sun 13 Nov 88 0:57 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Update of Handling the Media, part 2 of 7 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116d0738 pre-Christian, pre-Hebrew Goddess religion. Have your resources ready for the reporter to look at if they need a quote for something. Trot out your tools and instruments if you feel comfortable with that. They love to see the various tools. You don't have to show them all or any of your tools but it sure helps them get a picture of what is going on. The media people like robes so wear your best. Covert groups that have fears about discovery of illegal activities will not don their robes or show their tools. By doing so you show that you are not aligned with covert, illegal, fearful groups. And by disassociation you show that you are doing nothing illegal or dangerous. There are three parts of the interview: the preview, the personal interviews and the ritual. In some or perhaps most cases, the ritual can be left out. [Please note that these terms are descriptive of their function, not their technical names. The reporters may have a different technical name for them.] The preview is a time for the reporter to get to know the members of the group, circle or coven. They will talk to you for a period of time. For WindFire that was about an hour for each camera crew. Please remember to be civil as a group and not blurt things out all at once. Believe me it's hard not to do that in the excitement. During the preview the reporter will select who they want to interview. Personal interviews last about 10 minutes. The reporter will generally select different questions for each interviewee. Be prepared for some hard and personal questions. At the end of the personal interview the reporter will sometimes ask if you have anything particular to say to the public. Please don't waste this opportunity. Have a personal message ready for the public. The ritual can be anything you feel comfortable with. We generally choose a related focus such as increasing understanding in the mundane public. The camera crews seem to like this. Be patient, they may want you to duplicate some particular action for different camera angle. Accommodate them when you can. We got through a partial ritual before the second camera crew ran out of tape. Don't forget to complete the ritual before them before you let them leave. Be complete. Remember that there are generally two people in a camera crew, the reporter and the camera operator. When the reporter is previewing the coven have another witch talk to the camera operator, telling them what the tools are for and what incenses and crystals are used. Be discrete but talk to each and every --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (519) Sun 13 Nov 88 0:59 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Update of Handling the Media, part 3 of 7 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116d0767 camera crew member because they all have input into the editing of the tape. If the reporter has a good feeling about the coven but the camera person thinks you stink you may have visual problems later. Make sure each and every camera crew member goes away with a warm fuzzy feeling. Offer them refreshments. They will generally refuse alcohol but water, sodas, coffee and fruit juices are welcomed. Help the crew as much as they will let you. If they need cables or furniture moved, do so. Now for Channel 13 in Colorado Springs. This reporter was doing a report on Satanism alone. Unfortunately the ONLY resource she had was James McCarthy in Boulder. The reporter used the "S" word, the "W" word and the "P" word all in the same sentence without differentiating between the three. Admittedly the context of the sentence was ritual. Still no differentiation was made. We started a telephone campaign and had about 15 people call the newsroom at the station and complain. Here it is especially good to not bitch unless you have a solution. If you complain to a reporter do not leave them hanging with no way to clean up the mess. Talk to them, give them your phone number so they can call you back later. They are busy people. Try to make sure they can successfully reach you, not your children, not your message machine, not your dog. If you give them your number and they don't call you back, call them. Find out what the problem is. During the phone campaign we left the reporter numerous ways to contact us. She did and we scheduled a time for the interviews. We scheduled it for our regular weekly meeting time so that all the members could be there and a generic ritual could be filmed. Members who didn't want to be on film were situated so that their faces were not on camera. The camera crew will do this for you. They don't want to inadvertently expose unwilling and innocent people to possible harassment. On the appointed day the camera crew showed up fashionably late. We went through our usually horror story about being butchered by the media in the past and they (both crews) were sympathetic to our concerns. Don't be afraid to stress how badly the media has treated witches, but don't bore them; everyone has a story to tell but boredom is out these days. Let them see a generic ritual with a generic focus. The immediate focus was understanding in the local community. That works well so you might want to try that with your group or coven. It impresses the camera crew so that they will be a little more interested. --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (520) Sun 13 Nov 88 1:00 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Handling the Media, part 4 of 7 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116d080a Proactive Encounter Proactive means acting before something happens and puts you in reactive response mode. Perhaps the best thing to do is to put together a packet that you can send to your local media: Tv. stations, radio stations, and newspapers, which also include your local neighborhood weeklies if you're brave enough. Send a well put together packet to these medias and be sure they can get in touch with you on a few days notice. You might have more than one contact for your group, circle or coven. WindFire has three or four. I suggest for this packet that you include three or four brief statements from willing coven members, a longer essay on Wicca with resources, the New Woman article, some artwork and poetry. Include also a reading list of your favorite Wiccan authors. Be sure to include names and numbers to call back. While the reporters won't read everything they will probably read the brief statements from your coven members and look at the reading list. You might suggest book stores the reporters can find the reading list books at. The main time of the year for reactive procedures is Halloween. Funnymentalist just love to hammer us during Samhain. So be proactive and let the media know how you view Samhain. Send the media an article about Samhain about two weeks before. Let them know that there are other views and that the funnymentalist are slandering a perfectly good holiday. In fact you could emphasize any holiday/s that seems appropriate for your area or group. Include your resources and/or xerox copies of other articles you may find, with copyright if needed, on any holiday you deem appropriate. Reactive Response Summary Be prepared to act at any moment if they should call you. Be positive, smile and laugh a lot. Talk to all the camera crew members. Let them know your concerns, stress the problems of the past but don't offend the media people. Make it a magickal time for all the people involved including the camera crews. Remember to augment your mundane activity (interviews) before hand with magickal work. Proactive Encounter Summary Prepare a good information packet. Sound like you know what you are talking about. Don't be mousey. Be aggressive and call them if you feel the need. Make sure they can return a call to you successfully. If you get an interview be positive and firm. Media people are strong people, they like other strong people. Be prepared to act at any moment when they call you. Devote some personal and collective magickal time for magickal work to attract --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (521) Sun 13 Nov 88 1:01 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Updated Handling the Media, part 5 of 7 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116d082b positive media attention. I'm sure that you will be challenged by the opportunities your magick will bring you. The Goddess will bring your efforts to full fruit if you are ready to support Her when the time comes. It's not an overused saying to state that we should be prepared for the effects of our own magick. AN UPDATE OF IMMEDIATE CONCERN Just before Halloween Channels 5/30 in Colorado Springs interviewed WindFire Coven in the pro-active mode. The reporter was concerned that her boss wanted a sensationalized segment on witches to go with segments on Satanism and various local New Age groups and psychics. She told us that she would try to talk her boss out of sensationalizing the segment. No guarantees were given and we accepted her word that she would try her best to represent us fairly. WindFire Coven was filmed for four or five hours for the 3 minute segment and some promotional footage. Some problems arose in the promotionals and broadcast that we didn't anticipate. In the promotionals various members were visually associated with Satanism by default, that is, Wiccans and Satanists were shown together in the same promo without distinction. This caused quite a lot of concern when clients and associates of those involved either refused to speak to the involved or blamed them for some unspecified hardship in their lives. To complicate the matter one members face was overdubbed with a hags cackling. This hurt the member greatly as she is nothing like the voice indicated. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PROMO IS YOUR OWN WITH NO VISUAL ASSOCIATION TO ANY OTHER SEGMENT WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND PERMISSION. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR MEMBERS FACES AND VOICES REMAIN INTACT THROUGH THE PROMO AND BROADCAST. GET IT IN WRITING UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO SEE THIS HAPPEN TO YOUR COVEN. REFUSE THE INTERVIEW IF NECESSARY. During the broadcast and promos various tools, icons and artifacts, including a piece of copyrighted artwork, were used in others segments without our permission. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR TOOLS, ICONS, ARTIFACTS AND ARTWORK ARE NOT USED IN ANOTHER CONTEXT WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND PERMISSION. GET IT IN WRITING UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO SEE YOUR TOOLS, ICONS, ARTIFACTS AND ARTWORK PROFANED BY USE IN AN INAPPROPRIATE CONTEXT. Another problem arose when the editors inserted a Christian into our segment who said that Wicca was inappropriate because it is not Christian. When asked why such was done the reporter replied that it is good journalistic practice to offer two sides --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (522) Sun 13 Nov 88 1:02 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Update of Handling the Media, part 6 of 7 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116d084b of an issue. WindFire Coven feels that should a contemporary religion be represented, such as the Jewish or the Mormon faith, the station would not be as quick to put in dissenting views. We feel that Channels 5/30 leaned toward promoting the stereotypical image of witches by having a Christian define what we are and are not. Such cannot be allowed to continue any longer. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR SEGMENT IS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE. DO NOT ALLOW THE EDITORS TO INSERT DISSENTING VIEWS IN YOUR SEGMENT. DISSENTING VIEWS CAN BE PRESENTED IN ANOTHER SEGMENT DEDICATED ENTIRELY FOR DISCUSSION OF DIFFERENCES. MAKE SURE THAT WICCA IS REPRESENTED BY WICCANS, NOT BY CHRISTIANS, NOT BY NEW AGERS, NOT BY LOCAL PSYCHICS. TAKE CONTROL OF THE INTERVIEW BEFORE IT TAKES CONTROL OF YOUR COVEN. Blessed Be! Copyright (c) Ammond Shadowcraft Oct. 1988 -------- This is an sample form to be used when reporters come to your home to interview your circle or coven. -------- WRITTEN AGREEMENTS AND GUARANTEES FOR INTERVIEW WITH WINDFIRE COVEN Dated: ________________________ Note: For the purpose of this Agreement WindFire Coven is termed the Interviewee and ______________________ is termed the Interviewer. The Interviewee agrees to accept reporters from the Interviewer into their homes and/or sacred space to witness and report seasonal and/or generic rituals, to photograph and film tools, icons, artifacts, artwork, poetry and songs, to interview the Coven and individual members, for a period not to exceed 24 hours, providing that the following agreements are made: The Interviewer will employ the usable or airable video footage filmed, photographs and/or recordings of/during this interview for any segment and/or report as a singular complete segment and/or report and in such a way as to retain the original context and atmosphere intended by the Interviewee. No other individuals, religious faiths and/or religious groups will be included in this segment/report without the express permission of the Interviewee. The Interviewer will employ the usable or airable video footage filmed, photographs and/or recordings of/during this interview for any promotion as a singular complete promotion and in such a way as to retain the original context and atmosphere intended by the Interviewee. No other individuals, religious faiths and/or religious groups will be included in this promotion without the express permission of the Interviewee. --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (523) Sun 13 Nov 88 1:03 By: Ammond Shadowcraft To: All Re: Update of handling the Media, part 7 of 7 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:71f9 116d0869 The Interviewer will treat all persons, tools, icons, artifacts, artwork, poetry and music filmed, photographed or recorded as integral parts of the interview and will not use any cassette, video or photographic representations of these persons/items in any other context or external segment, report or promotion without the express permission of the Interviewee. ____________________________________________________ For WINDFIRE COVEN (Interviewee) ____________________________________________________ For __________________________________ (Interviewer) ____________________________________________________ Witness ____________________________________________________ Witness ____________________________________________________ Witness --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (524) Sat 19 Nov 88 13:47 By: Oz Tech To: All Re: Set in Egyptian Theology St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:077f 11736df0 Set was one of the earliest Egyptian deities, a god of the night identified with the northern stars. In the earliest ages of Egypt this Prince of Darkness was well regarded. One persistant token of this regard is the Tcham scepter, having the stylized head and tail of Set. The Tcham scepter is frequently found in portraits of other other gods as a symbol of magical power. In some texts he is hailed as a source of strength, and in early paintings he is portrayed as bearer of a harpoon at the prow of the boat of Ra, warding off the serpent Apep. Yet the warlike and resolute nature of Set seems to have been regarded with ambivalence in Egyptian theology, and the portrayal of this Neter went through many changes over a period of nearly three thousand years. Pictures of a god bearing two heads, that of Set and his daylight brother Horus the Elder, may be compared to the oriental Yin/Yang symbol as a representation of the union of polarities. In time, the conflict between these two abstract principles came to be emphasized rather than their primal union. Set's battle with Horus the Elder grew from being a statement of the duality of day and night into an expression of the political conflict among the polytheistic priesthoods for control of the Egyptian theocracy. This was rewritten as a battle between Good and Evil after Egypt expelled the Hyskos in the 18th Dynasty. Some say the Hyskos were Asiatic invaders, and others say they were an indigenous minority that seized control of the nation. This tribe ruled Egypt for a time and happened to favor the Set cult, seeing a resemblence to a storm-god of their own pantheon The Set cult never recovered from this identification with the Hyskos. Images of Set were destroyed or defaced. By the time Greek historians visited Egypt, wild asses, pigs, and other beasts identified with the Set cult were driven off cliffs, hacked into pieces or otherwise slaughtered at annual celebrations in a spirit akin to the driving out of the Biblical scapegoat. The report of these historians is often thought to be a valid account of a a timeless and immutable theocracy , but just looking at the frequency with which the ruling capital moved to different cities (each being a cult-center) is enough to dispel this idea. One controversial Egyptologist has suggested that the worship of Set might have predated the concept of paternity. Later cults incorporating a father god would reject this fatherless son. This introduces another bizarre factor in the transformation of the Night/Day battle between brothers into an inheritance dispute between Set and Horus the Younger. Any book on Egyptian myth you pick up contains the gory details of this cosmic lawsuit, which includes things that make DYNASTY look like a prayer breakfast. I have always been intrigued, though, that while all books affirm that Set tore Osiris to pieces, everybody knows about Osiris, and it is quite hard to collect the pieces of the puzzle that is Set. Egyptologists have never agreed what the animal used to symbolize Set actually is. Since the sages of ancient Egypt did not use an unrecognizable creature to represent any other major deity, we may guess that this is intentional, and points, like the Tcham sceptre, to an esoteric meaning. Oz Tech --- * Origin: IBM_Tech_Fido (Opus 1:322/1) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (525) Sat 19 Nov 88 18:43 By: Oz Tech To: All Re: Set in Egyptian Theology - References St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1a18 11739561 Budge, E.A. Wallis. THE GODS OF THE EGYPTIANS. Grant, Kenneth. CULTS OF THE SHADOW. Graves, Robert. THE WHITE GODDESS. Ions, Veronica. EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY. Massey, Gerald. THE NATURAL GENESIS. Russell, Jeffrey Burton. THE DEVIL. Oz Tech --- * Origin: IBM_Tech_Fido (Opus 1:322/1) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (526) Wed 23 Nov 88 15:38 By: Martha Brummett To: All Re: Crystal Bawl (1/3) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:5dbb 7cd81177 from Volume 12, #11 of "Westword - Denver's News & Arts Weekly" CRYSTAL BAWLS by Nancy Clegg The path to new-age enlightenment leaves no stone--or profit-- unturned. Last month, several hundred people each gave up $300 ($325 at the door) and a weekend to attend "Into the Crystal Dreamtime", an "initiation workshop" presented by best-selling new-age author Lynn Andrews at the Tech Center Hyatt Regency. Some came from as far away as Columbia, Florida, and Canada in their search for meaning. Beginning with her 1981 book, _Medicine Woman_, Andrews has carved out a hefty portion of the female spirituality field. She regales readers with her sojourns into Canada, Mexico, and Australia to study with native medicine women. While the adventures often have the surreal quality of Carlos Castenada's "Don Juan" books, Andrews insists her adventures truly took place. These include such credibility-stretchers as a ritual evisceration by Aussie sky deity Oruncha, who made meaning- ful designs on the ground with Andrews' intestines before placing both her innards and several healing crystals back inside her body. Fortunately for Andrews, most of her initiates were concentrating on larger truths rather than a few petty details. Though she's lectured occasionally, this four-city (Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco, and New York City) tour is Andrews' first foray into the serious business of teaching revelations to large groups. She read slightly reworked sections of her fifth and most recent book, _Crystal Woman_, detailing her studies with Australian aboriginal "Clever Women", the shamanic healers in that culture, while participants in the pricy workshop lay in the dark as Andrews directed them to imagine aboriginal sandpaintings, Oruncha and the Goowawa (small fairy- like people). When Andrews dispensed with the imaginary and re-entered the material world, she ran into trouble. "Throughout the weekend initiates will be placing their experiences inside crystals to have as powerful tools of remembering," the seminar information had announced, instructing participants to bring five of the clear quartz rocks. A basic tenet of new-age thinking is that rocks can store information that's mentally projected into them, just as minute crystal chips store information inside computers. The stones are also used by some alternative healers to focus energy and move it through the body. Sure enough, "learning how to prepare your body and energy field to work with crystals" was on Andrews' agenda. --- TBBS v2.0 * Origin: The Phoenix * Multi-User TBBS * Parker, CO (303) 841-9570 (104/739) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (527) Wed 23 Nov 88 15:39 By: Martha Brummett To: All Re: Crystal Bawl (2/3) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:5dbb 7cfd1177 But no one would have needed more than the required quintet of crystals if Andrews' exercises hadn't gone through rocks like tissues at an allergy-sufferers convention. In one designed to rid participants of negative thoughts, they were urged to concentrate on their unwanted psychic debris, "picturing it as dirty, murky, brown sludge," and then breathe the image of this glop into the crystal, which would shoot it into the earth to be neutralized. Everyone breathed. "After doing this," Andrews continued, "you should always cleanse the crystal by soaking it for at least four days in salt water." Scratch one crystal. Another exercise called for people to scrub down their partner's bad vibes with a rock. Soon participants were in dire need of a fresh supply of crystals. Coincidentally, early in the initiation a spokeswoman had told everyone about the handy "gift shop" next door, where they could purchase not only crystals, but shamanistic drums, rattles, tapes, and jewelry. She warned them to stay away from another crystal concession off the hotel lobby. The shop wasn't authorized, she said, and its stones weren't, either. "This isn't connected with us, they're here over our objections, *very much* over our objections," she told the initiates. The four vendors that travel with us have Lynn's approval," says Paul Andrews (no relation), whose Whole Life Promotions organized the tour. "We know what they're selling and these are products connected with the seminar...If other people suddenly show up later, they can misrepresent themselves as being officially connected to Lynn, as if she's vouching for their products." So it must have been to protect the purity of the initiation that Paul Andrews went downstairs and started shouting at Sylvia Osgood, longtime Denver teacher, healer, and crystal dealer, who'd rented a small hotel conference room from which to peddle her pebbles. "I'm still so upset just thinking about it I'm almost shaking again," Osgood says. "They were very threatening." "He (Andrews) kept saying, "I want you out of here," and he was really yelling," she remembers. Osgood says she told Andrews she'd written Whole Life weeks before to arrange her shop, but had never received a reply. Next came Delia, the woman in charge of the seminar's official vendors. Though she kept the volume lower than Paul Andrews had, her message was the same. "She said, 'We really have a problem here,'" Osgood recalls. "I offered to move upstairs and pay them a commission as soon as I'd cleared enough to cover the rent on this room, but they absolutely refused to even discuss that." Instead, "when I wouldn't leave, they went to the hotel management and tried to get me thrown out." --- TBBS v2.0 * Origin: The Phoenix * Multi-User TBBS * Parker, CO (303) 841-9570 (104/739) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (528) Wed 23 Nov 88 15:41 By: Martha Brummett To: All Re: Crystal Bawl (3/3) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:5dbb 7d261177 The hotel stuck up for Osgood. "If, say, an oil company does a convention here, they may ask that no competitors run opposing events at the same time. They have to let us know their wishes on that well in advance," says the Hyatt's Sara Smith. "Then, if we have to turn down business by honoring their request, the original company is contracted to pay us the rental on the space the other group wanted to take. Whole Life never mentioned that they didn't want other groups in here, so we rented space to Osgood. Of course we didn't ask her to leave. She had a legal right to be here." Osgood says the animosity surprised her, particularly since she's received better vibrations at other new-age events. "I went in with a few local vendors to rent space last year when Shirley MacLaine was here. She doesn't travel with a big group of people and she was happy to have us here at the site," she says. "Nancy, Nancy, Nancy, why on earth are you dwelling on this negative aspect?" sighs Paul Andrews when told of Osgood's complaint. "I don't want to give it that kind of energy or focus any more of MY time on this kind of negativity." (Translation from new age buzz-speak: Nancy, I don't like that question.) He continues: "We have no letter from that woman in our files and what she says or doesn't say at this point doesn't really matter...We made it clear to her that we didn't want her there. I felt it was just so incredibly rude of her to set up her stuff." Particularly when it was cutting into Andrews' business. Official salespeople as dense as the official products they were hawking frequently quoted prices three to ten times what the same stone might cost in area metaphysical/new age shops. A few days before, I'd seen a little girl purchase a hefty chunk of calcite for $2.50 at one of those shops. At Andrews' concessions, calcite a fraction of that size was going for $21. You weren't paying for service, either. "What's citrine used for?" I asked one salesman, a big, curly-headed guy with a turquoise ring as big as my VW. "I can't really remember all its attributes," he said. Actually, he couldn't remember any of them. "I usually look 'em up in my book." "Got a book handy?" I queried. He didn't. "Really, any of these stones--or any stones--will have different properties depending on the person using it. That's all very flexible and spontaneous and any rock you use will change as you work with it. Any rock can stand for anything, you know." Just as any part of a new-age seminar, however mundane, can have a hidden meaning. "Everything that happens was meant to happen," said Lynn Andrews several times during the initiation. "We are responsible for *everything* that happens to us." And let the chips fall where they may. --- TBBS v2.0 * Origin: The Phoenix * Multi-User TBBS * Parker, CO (303) 841-9570 (104/739) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (529) Mon 31 Oct 88 21:29 By: Dick Sells To: All Re: Meta-physical/Magick St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:b116 115fabb4 Could Meta-Physical possibly be what some folks would describe as magick with a 'K' without being D&D??? If so, speak (type) up! --- * Origin: SHOWBOAT! Where the Grown Folks Play (404) 861-3498 (Opus 1:362/703) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (530) Fri 9 Dec 88 23:57 By: Inanna Seastar To: All Re: Dianism (1 of 3) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:187c bf391189 This is an article I wrote for PROTEAN SYNTHESIS, a semi-private newsletter after it was solicited by the editor: DIANISM IN A NUIT-SHELL Recently, I got back in touch with my teacher after nearly two years and dropped a couple of bombshells on her: I had changed gender identity and had come together with two other women to form a Dianic coven. When the initial shock wore off, Rita sent me a complete run of Protean Synthesis and a solicitation for this article. Several years ago I subscribed to several stereotypes regarding "those peculiar Dianics". They were thealogically unbalanced, they hated men, they denied that men had souls, they were all lesbians, they couldn't spell (in the orthographic sense; no one has yet accused Dianics of inability to work magick), etc. etc. When I came together with my covensisters, I realized that these notions were at most partially true and some cases were patently false. I believe there are only three valid generalizations that can be made about Dianics: 1) We are all feminists. 2) We all look to the Goddess(es) far more than to the God(s). 3) We are all eclectics. Note well that there are plenty of non-Dianic feminist Witches, non-Dianic eclectics, and non- Dianics who are primarily Goddess-oriented. There are also doubtless a good many feminist, Goddess-oriented eclectics who do not choose to call themselves Dianic. In my own case I use the "If it quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck" argument, as well as the fact that my HPS learned the Craft as a Dianic and runs Dianic rituals. Some of the stereotypical generalizations I can dismiss out of hand. I don't know of a single Dianic who denies that men have souls. Even Z Budapest doesn't believe that piece of tripe anymore! It is true that Dianism is particularly attractive to separatists, and many separatists actually hate men. Many Dianics are lesbians. Some misspell words like "woman", women", "egalitarian", and "holistic" on purpose. Not all fit these, however, and I think that Z Budapest in her younger, or spiritual bomb-throwing, days represents an extreme and a small minority. There are a number of males involved in Dianism, and some of those are men [NB: I use the terms "man" and "woman" to indicate gender identity, that is, how one's heart, mind, and/or soul are configured. I use "male" and "female" to indicate physical sex, that is, how one's plumbing is configured. I hope this dispels confusion.]. (continued) --- Gnome v1.20 * Origin: The Lizard King--Inanna Seastar's Place (1:104/45.5) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (531) Fri 9 Dec 88 0:01 By: Inanna Seastar To: All Re: Dianism (2 of 3) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:187c 291189 Thealogical and magickal imbalance is not so easily dismissed and needs to be addressed further, as that is the most valid objection that thoughtful Witches have to Dianism. The apparent imbalance comes from the Dianic emphasis on Goddess-worship, often to the complete exclusion of God-worship. This upsets many Witches' sense of polarity balance. The resolution of this apparent imbalance lies in the consideration of other polarities than sexual and/or gender as the primary polarity. There are indeed many other polarities to consider: true-false, life-death, dark-light, rational- mystical, creation-destruction, order-chaos, and good-evil, to name but a few. One problem with the masculine-feminine polarity is that there is a strong tendency to express all other polarities in terms of it. The Chinese were particularly fond of this, and mapped everything they liked into the yang side, and everything they disliked or feared into the yin side, the patriarchal no-accounts! One thing I have discovered is that if you look hard enough, you can find goddesses to fit both ends of most polarities. Some even occupy both ends simultaneously. Inanna, my matron goddess, is a good case in point. She is the Sumerian goddess of love, war, wisdom (which she won in a drinking bout!), adventure, the heavens, the earth, and even of death (in the guise of her dark aspect, Ereshkigal). A very busy lady indeed is Inanna. At this point it becomes largely a matter of personal preference rather than of polarity, whether one chooses a god or a goddess to occupy a particular place in a ritual. No Dianic I know of denies the existence of the God. Indeed, He gets mentioned as the consort of the Goddess with some frequency in Z Budapest's HOLY BOOK OF WOMEN'S MYSTERIES, which is close a thing as there is to a Dianic version of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows. He is there, and sometimes we will invoke Him, when it is appropriate. He makes His own path, and we follow our own, and when they cross naturally we honor Him and do not avoid Him. We also do not force the paths to cross simply to lend an artificial balance to a ritual where none is really needed. (continued) --- Gnome v1.20 * Origin: The Lizard King--Inanna Seastar's Place (1:104/45.5) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (532) Fri 9 Dec 88 0:02 By: Inanna Seastar To: All Re: Dianism (3 of 3) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:187c 5b1189 Now that I have spilled a good deal of ink over what Dianism is not, I should now say a few words about what it is: a movement of feminist, eclectic, Goddess-oriented Witches. Feminism: This covers a vast multitude of virtues and sins. I do not think the stereotypical radical lesbian separatist is as common as is believed. Moderate to liberal feminism is probably far more common, even among Dianics. Certainly my own coven contains no separatists! There are too many nice men out there, even though surveys have shown that 70% or more of all men are potential rapists. The nice ones are found among those who are not in that repulsive majority; you just have to look to find them. One of the places you might find such nice men is in Dianic covens! Some are mixed groups, at least some of those of the branch founded by Morgan McFarland. My own is something of a mixed up group, I suppose. While we do not currently have any men in the coven, two of the three of us were born male and still have original-equipment plumbing. The Goddess and our HPS accept us unreservedly as women. Eclecticism: If there is one dictum of Z Budapest's that bears repeating to everyone in the Craft, and which gets followed by many, it is "When in doubt, invent." Dianics tend toward creative ritual, drawing from any and all possible sources. I have yet to see a Dianic equivalent of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows, nor do I ever hope to see one. Goddess Orientation: I've discussed this at some length while talking about polarity. There are some wags who have said that Dianics are nothing but matriarchal monotheists. I tell you three times: The Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag! The Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag! The Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag! A much closer analogy would be that Dianics have taken the Classical pantheon and reclaimed most of the roles. This, too, is oversimplifying, but it is not nearly as wide of the mark as the usual criticism. At some point I may write up a long exegesis on the Dianic Goddess, but not here. My own personal involvement with Her comes from a great feeling of comfort I do not find elsewhere. She feels right. I have a great deal of difficulty accepting known rapists (most of the Olympian males are this, especially Zeus, Hades, and Pan!) into my personal pantheon. I also feel a personal vocation from the Mother; it is rather incongruous to me to embrace a male deity wholeheartedly when the Goddess comes to me and calls me Her daughter. This goes doubled, redoubled, in pentacles, and vulnerable for lovers of women. I hope this little discussion of Dianism-in-a-Nuitshell has proved enlightening to you. It is not a path for everyone, but it is a valid path for some, and in considering it I hope that you can now ignore the garbage that has been put forth in the past as "data" regarding it. Inanna Seastar Birdsnest Coven --- Gnome v1.20 * Origin: The Lizard King--Inanna Seastar's Place (1:104/45.5) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (533) Sun 11 Dec 88 10:36 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Donald Triumph (1) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:9cdf 118b548d Donald Triumph and the Eye of Osiris or The Man With Nice Hair It is said that all shopping malls are but aspects of the One True Mall. This old myth gives comfort to the shopper. Yes, they say, we shop on the material plane... but those numerous East Townes, Parkways, Ridgeviews, and Valley Fairs are just entry points, gates to the Other Mall that lies beyond. The Alhazred brothers never believed this story. The owners of Shambala Plaza, "The World's Largest Shopping Mall and Recreation Bunker", were merchants, which is to say that they were realists. Still, as befitted the twin sons of a pre-OPEC rug merchant, the Alhazred brothers never fully abandoned the old ways. They were romantic and even superstitious in their own mercenary fashion. The djinn of commerce could be appeased, certainly. And, if the Promised Mall was only a metaphor, then let the splendor of Shambala Plaza be the promise fulfilled on earth: a mansion of many levels where an endless procession of fashion- conscious houris come to shop for bodies of saffron and perfume, houris who never perspire and who have unlimited credit. With Allah as their venture capitalist, Shambala Plaza would become the Mall To Be. On a crisp day in October, Bob and Frank Alhazred toured the aisles of their kingdom in a sedan chair borne by artificial eunuchs. They paused to admire the intricate mosaic patterns on the chute of the giant water slide. Largesse poured from the automated teller machines. Justice reigned. One by one, the shopkeepers of Shambala, who had travelled from many lands to pitch their storefronts in the oasis of dreams, came out to make obeisance to their passing landlords. The Wazir of Wal-Mart bowed low, a flame bristling around his fez. It was said that he secretly practiced Lutheranism, but what did that matter if he paid his rent on time? As Bob and Frank left the crowds and headed for the harem in the third sub-cellar under the racquetball courts, Frank (or Bob) cast an uneasy glance at the entrance to the newest anchor, the Department Store of Forbidden Things, and wondered if it had been wise to let space to the smooth American with the unpleasant smile. --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139/640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (534) Sun 11 Dec 88 10:39 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Donald Triumph (2) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:9cdf 118b54e7 * * * The world knew that Donald Triumph had two passions in life: making love to his splendid wife Margo and naming things after himself. His autobiography, The Triumphs of Triumph, hints at nothing deeper than a taste for middle-period Barry Manilow records. It does not speak of the master plan to replace all heads of state with clones of Margo; of the scheme to route all international electronic funds transfer through the behemoth computer, the Donald 2000; of the Department Store of Forbidden Things; or of Triumph's final exaltation, through a very expensive process of akashic fluoridation, into an Avatar of Godhead. In their sumptuous boudoir in the penthouse of Donald Tower, Margo gazed at her Avatar through adoring, Spaniel-like eyes. He was so handsome, so profound, so mystical, so rich, so... so Triumphant! --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139/640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (535) Sun 11 Dec 88 10:41 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Donald Triumph (3) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:9cdf 118b5525 * * * "Would whoever left a camel in the men's room at Burger King please come to the hospitality vault?" "Rosicrucians to the initiatory chamber! Rosicrucians to the initiatory chamber!" "Attention Forbidden shoppers, we have a blue light special on Eyes of Osiris in Sundries." How to explain the popularity of the Eye of Osiris? It was bigger than Rubik's Cube, bigger than TM, bigger than Elton John. The Eye had two obvious attractions for teenage consumers: it was cheap and it gave visions. The adolescent patrons of Shambala Plaza made their opinions on the subject quite plain: "So this really gross guy asks me out and I'm going like 'No way!' but then I saw this really awesome Eye on his dashboard and he saw me looking at it and he goes 'Wanna look at my Eye?" and I'm like, 'Okay', so we drove out to the parking lot behind Wendy's and looked at his Eye all night." Parents hated the Eye. A grassroots organization called Mothers Against Mysticism ("Teach your kids to say 'Yes, M.A.M.'") tried to have the Eye banned, claiming that the visions it offered were of a suggestive nature. This attempt failed, although they did manage to force the 7-11 chain stores in several Southern states to distribute the Eye with the following sticker: WARNING: The hallucinations produced by this product may not be in accordance with community standards. Parents may wish to substitute other, more wholesome hallucinations. Owners and managers were delighted with the increase in sales, and began placing warning stickers on snack foods and magazines. Profits in the rest of Shambala Plaza were down. Tourists ignored the underwater mosque and the giant water slide. They came in greater and greater numbers, only to stay in their hotel rooms, locked in with the trinkets they purchased at the Department Store of Forbidden Things. The shopkeepers spoke of a jihad. There was confusion and despair among the aisles of Shambala. --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139/640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (536) Sun 11 Dec 88 10:43 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Donald Triumph (4) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:9cdf 118b557c * * * Dreams had been of little concern to fourteen year-old Sammy Van Wonk. As a young child, he had had his share of running in place while perused by Hollywood movie monsters. But his adolescent dreams were mostly pleasant, wish-fulfilling material. He would make a dozen touchdowns, drive a Trans-Am, or beat up his ten year-old brother "Nerd Face". Now, though, when Sammy got under the blankets and closed his eyes, he prayed that he would be spared another visit from The Man With Nice Hair. The horror had begun with the first dream. In it, Sammy lay paralyzed in bed, his eyes fixed on the door that led to the hallway, knowing with cold certainty that HE was about to open the door and come in. The next night, the door was open. The hallway was empty, but Sammy knew that he was not alone in his bedroom. The next night, the source of Sammy's fear was standing in the corner of the room: a tall stranger in an expensive suit with well-kept teeth and flawlessly styled hair. He was grinning. The next night, he was standing at the foot of the bed. The next, he was beside Sammy, leaning over and whispering something that Sammy couldn't make out. He understood the point, though; the stranger wanted him to look at something, something that Sammy knew he didn't want to see. He wanted to tell somebody about the dreams, but how could he? His parents would just ground him and the counselor at school would finally have a reason for keeping him back a grade. He decided to risk telling his idol: Bud Rump, the star athlete of the ninth grade. He found Bud in the hall between classes, talking to a small group of younger boys. Their big eyes and slack jaws showed that Bud had found something especially morbid to tell them. Sammy wandered past them nonchalantly. "... and on the next night, the Grinning Guy is in your room, and on the next night he's by your bed..." It was all over school: "The Grinning Guy, The Icky Dream Guy, The Creep Who Wants To Show You Something." Truth has many names, even in Junior High School. --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139/640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (537) Sun 11 Dec 88 10:46 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Donald Triumph (5) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:9cdf 118b55c5 * * * Bob and Frank Alhazred sat in the dimly lit, mahogany- paneled luxury of their office, contemplating the balance sheets in silence. Finally, Bob or Frank spoke. "My brother, I do not trust the Donald one with his Forbidden Department. He is the bad apple that makes the money turn into the leavings of goats. We must cast him from our pleasant oasis into the desolation of his sorry fate." "But how, my brother? He has the favor of the demons of the media." "We have favor ourselves." "But to invoke the Most High in such a way would be an offense to the Prophet." "My brother, I do not mean the Most Merciful... I mean the other one." "My brother, that is blasphemy!" "My brother, that is the bottom line!" This appeal to the realities of the market brought a long pause. Finally, the brother who had spoken last opened a large cabinet made of a wood darker than the mahogany gloom of their office. He removed a small statue, an archeological curiosity of great age. It had very long teeth and claws. The origin of this object was obscure. However, throughout the centuries, verbal tradition had always connected it with one of the stranger tales of the Prophet Mohammed. As the story goes, upon his triumphant conquest of the city of Mecca, the Prophet went to the Mosque of the Kaaba where he found the Black Stone surrounded by a circle of 360 pagan idols. In his fury he raised his staff and pointed it at the nearest statue. The idol vanished. One by one, Mohammed turned the graven images to air. The legend goes on to say that the Prophet spared only two of the 360 statues: an image of the Virgin Mary and one of her son the Christ. For most of the Faithful, the story ends there. But for the heirs of the Alhazred family, and for countless unfortunates before them, the legend was extended to include a third idol spared from the staff of Mohammed, an image of a deity so terrible that even the Blessed Prophet himself was frightened of it. This was the statue that now occupied the attention of the twin owners of Shambala Plaza. "If you will speak the words, my brother," said Bob or Frank. --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139/640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (538) Sun 11 Dec 88 10:49 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Donald Triumph (6) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:9cdf 118b5629 * * * Sammy Van Wonk needed a weapon, a weapon that would work in dreams, a magical weapon. He remembered something he had seen at Forbidden: the Genuine Ceremonial Dagger with the molded head of Bela Lugosi. It was $4.98. Perfect. But that meant getting out to Shambala Plaza, which is the only reason that he agreed to go shopping with his mom Cookie and his brother Nerd Face. Riding in the back seat of the family Toyota, Sammy glowered at Nerd Face and half-consciously fumbled with the amulet that he wore under his sweatshirt. The amulet itched. Then it got warm. Then it spoke: "Gaze into the Eye of Osiris!" Funny, it had never done that before. "What was that, Sammy?" his mother asked. "Just my Walkman, mom." "No it isn't mom," taunted Nerd Face. "He's got an Eye! He's got an Eye under his shirt!" "GAZE INTO THE EYE OF OSIRIS!" "Mom! It's telling him to gaze into Osiris!" Sammy gripped the chain and pulled the amulet out of his shirt. It was glowing! He looked into it and saw dollar bills whirling in a black wind. "Mom! Mom! He's doing it! He's gazing into Osiris!" His brother's voice faded in the whirlwind and the Toyota grew dim as Sammy looked up at a huge black skyscraper crowned with lightning. At the summit stood The Man With Nice Hair. He seemed very pleased to see the thousands of youngsters milling around the foot of the tower, each wearing an Eye on a necklace or bracelet or headband. It was time for the apotheosis. --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139/640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (539) Sun 11 Dec 88 10:51 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Donald Triumph (7) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:9cdf 118b566c Sammy felt the strength drain from his arms and knees. As he fell to the pavement, with the others crumbling beside him, he watched his life flow out of the Eye on his chest. All the things and memories -- his collection of Batman comics, the skinned elbow that he got from falling out of a tree, the endless hours of color television, the face of his teacher demanding to see his homework -- gushed out of the Eye and spiraled up into the air towards the man on the tower, who seemed to grow larger and larger. "Ha ha HA!" thundered the Man With Nice Hair. Then... something else: voices chanting in a funny accent. Sammy looked up, beyond the tower, into the blue that deepened into dark violet. The stars came out, remote and aloof, twinkling into being one by one as they had always done. But something was different this time; the stars were moving. Sammy watched, his eyes frozen in place, as the stars shifted and regrouped, coming together like billiard balls in a film played backwards. The stars coalesced into a sky-spanning, gibbering, demonic grin. Then... something more: a woman in a long black dress, standing on a balcony near the top of the building, waving her arms and yelling something at the man at the summit. "Loook behiiiind youuuu!" "Huh?" said the man, pausing at the threshold of divinity. He turned around to see the maw of stars close on him. His brief scream was cut short. Lightning hit the skyscraper. The upper floors exploded. The woman in the black dress blew into the night and tumbled howling to earth, followed closely by the charred body of the man who would never be a god. Then: "BRRRRAAAAAPPP!" Across countless dimensions, an archetype of primordial evil belched. Sammy opened his eyes in the Toyota. Nerd Face was shaking him and his mom was yelling. "Samuel Van Wonk! If your father ever finds out that you were gazing into Osiris... " --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139/640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (540) Sun 11 Dec 88 10:52 By: Geoff Gilpin To: All Re: Donald Triumph (8 of 8) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:9cdf 118b5698 * * * The Brothers Alhazred were pleased with their work. After sealing the doors of their former anchor with steel bolts and an odd star, they retired to their office to enjoy a special reward. True, alcohol was forbidden by the Prophet, but this was a day among days, and, after such achievement, Mohammed himself would hesitate to deny Bob his Gallo Chablis and Frank his Harvey Wallbanger. They toasted the demise of Donald Triumph. They toasted their tenants, a servile lot once more. They toasted the computer printout that showed the cash flow rising to Heaven. They toasted the American state of Minnesota, which would soon be covered by their newest mall. After the third drink, they invented "The Great Alhazred Plan for the Transformation of Nature" and toasted it with a fourth. They toasted the ancient idol, which seemed to wear an unusually contented expression. Perhaps it was Kismet, or perhaps it was their differing tastes in the forbidden liquor. In any case, in their last moments of existence, Bob and Frank Alhazred attained Individuation. "My brother," said Bob, "was your face always so... so luminous?" "My brother, my face is the same as my face has always been, but surely your teeth were never so... so long and pointed." Bob spilled his wine as he watched his brother transform into the Angel of the Lord. Frank put down his Harvey Wallbanger and raised his arms to protect himself from Bob, who was now the grinning mouth of stars that had devoured a would-be Avatar. They flew at each other's throats. The brothers fell to the floor, wrestling and pummeling each other with their fists. First Bob was on top, then Frank, then Bob again... They fought for the rest of the day and on into the evening and the next morning. They battled long after the electricity went out, long after the shopkeepers folded their storefronts to depart for foreign lands. It is said they battle there still, far beneath the ground in a darkened office, way below the daylit world where busy shoppers pause to whisper of the ruins at the edge of town, of the silent, decaying halls that had been the splendor of Shambala Plaza and the glory of the Department Store of Forbidden Things. --- * Origin: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI (414) 735-2513 (Opus 1:139/640) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (541) Fri 9 Dec 88 0:02 By: Inanna Seastar Of 282/341 To: All Re: Dianism (3 of 3) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:0 23a62215 Now that I have spilled a good deal of ink over what Dianism is not, I should now say a few words about what it is: a movement of feminist, eclectic, Goddess-oriented Witches. Feminism: This covers a vast multitude of virtues and sins. I do not think the stereotypical radical lesbian separatist is as common as is believed. Moderate to liberal feminism is probably far more common, even among Dianics. Certainly my own coven contains no separatists! There are too many nice men out there, even though surveys have shown that 70% or more of all men are potential rapists. The nice ones are found among those who are not in that repulsive majority; you just have to look to find them. One of the places you might find such nice men is in Dianic covens! Some are mixed groups, at least some of those of the branch founded by Morgan McFarland. My own is something of a mixed up group, I suppose. While we do not currently have any men in the coven, two of the three of us were born male and still have original-equipment plumbing. The Goddess and our HPS accept us unreservedly as women. Eclecticism: If there is one dictum of Z Budapest's that bears repeating to everyone in the Craft, and which gets followed by many, it is "When in doubt, invent." Dianics tend toward creative ritual, drawing from any and all possible sources. I have yet to see a Dianic equivalent of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows, nor do I ever hope to see one. Goddess Orientation: I've discussed this at some length while talking about polarity. There are some wags who have said that Dianics are nothing but matriarchal monotheists. I tell you three times: The Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag! The Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag! The Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag! A much closer analogy would be that Dianics have taken the Classical pantheon and reclaimed most of the roles. This, too, is oversimplifying, but it is not nearly as wide of the mark as the usual criticism. At some point I may write up a long exegesis on the Dianic Goddess, but not here. My own personal involvement with Her comes from a great feeling of comfort I do not find elsewhere. She feels right. I have a great deal of difficulty accepting known rapists (most of the Olympian males are this, especially Zeus, Hades, and Pan --- ConfMail V3.31 * Origin: The Diplomat: Marooned in Realtime (1:124/109) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (542) Tue 13 Dec 88 0:05 By: The Magician To: All Re: thanks St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:434a 118d00a5 A while back I requested input of a nature , that would by its very nature cause the person or persons to expose them selves to scrutiny of the public in general. Needless to say the response was very encouraging and the police department has made their selection. In the Pitsburg area at this time we have two of the craft working to enlighten the police on matters dealing with the white and black arts, also providing information to the authorities on matters of the occult. The information being rendered is positive and supporting of those in the craft, the fact that the wiccans providing the information are prominent in the community is very encouraging. I thank all of you for your response and mat the lady bless you for your responses. I thank you for your civic responsibility, and your generosity. *************** THE MAGICIAN ************ --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (543) Thu 22 Dec 88 21:59 By: Jack Ofshadows To: All Re: Ghosts (1 of 2) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:d9cb 1196af67 Ghosts are imprints,on the enviroment or objects,that have an effect on the nervous system of people near them.Each person percieves the same "ghost" differently.Some people SEE them,Some people FEEL them, and some people Hear sounds,and others are not aware that a ghost is present but feel a general emotional uneasyness. Ghosts may be associated with a dead body or strong emotional scene in a certain place,but they are not conscious,and have nothing to do with the afterlife,or souls of the departed. Another kind of ghost is,what magicians call,an astral body.These are a rarified aspect of the human body,a sort of etheric sheath sourounding the body,there is literaly tons of information about these things,the best sources of information about astral bodies are on the Theosophical movement.They say many attributes, but mix it up with a lot of neocristian superstition,if you can get through the crap.What is important,for this msg,is that people unconsciously project their astral bodies while sleeping,and trained magicians can project theirs at will.If you walk through the astral body of another person,you may feel a tingle in your extremities,and get a mild electric shocK.Astrals of sleeping people are not aware of you,but the astrals of projecting magicians ARE aware of you,and can carry on conversations if you can percieve them clearly. In addition,a trained magician can form his asral to look like anything he wants it to,and can decrease its browning motion frequency so that ANYONE can see it-great for scaring the s**t out of someone. --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (544) Thu 22 Dec 88 22:03 By: Jack Ofshadows To: All Re: Ghosts (2 of 2) St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:d9cb 1196b06f Ghosts have two universal aspects.All types produce an electric kind of feeling in the body of the person(living) near them.I have a theory that they are composed of elecro magnetic energy. Just before they become perceptable,if you listen for it,they are preceeded by a high pitched audio tone which magicians call the Astral Bell. Because of my years of carefull training,and my years of experience,I am senitive to the energy of All psychicly charged objects,and can easily percieve astral bodies. So it is easy for me to find the object that the energy is attached to.The "charge is disapated by heating the object,or consuming it by fire,or dropping it into a running stream,or by a technique that I use.The latter technique is VERY exausting,so I use it as a last resort. I can set up a shield perimeter to keep out astral bodies,and when neccessary,do damage to them.I try not to have to do this last thing,as it is VERY hazzardous to piss off a magician of this sort,they may not be able to do anything to me,but in the past this kind of person has terrified the people closest to me. --- * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (545) Fri 6 Jan 89 10:05 By: Sean Mccullough To: All Re: Preamble of the IWW St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:6e52 122650af Dear People, Due to certain requests,I am posting the Preamble of the Industrial Workers of the World. (IWW) The working class and the employing class have nothing in common!! There can be no peace so long as hunger and want are found among millions of working people and the few,who make up the employing class,have all the good things of life. Between these two classes a struggle must go on until the workers of the world organize as a class,take posession of the earth and the machinery of production,and abolish the wage system. We find that the centering of the management of industries into fewer and fewer hands makes the TRADE UNIONS unable to cope with the ever growing power of the employing class. The TRADE UNIONS foster a state of affairs which allows one set of workers to be pitted aganst another set of workers in the same industry,thereby helping defeat each other in wage wars. Moreover,the TRADE UNIONS aid the employing class to mislead the workers into the belief that the working class have interests in common with their employers. These conditions can be changed and the interest of the working class upheld only by an organization formed in such a way that all its members in any one industry,or in all industries if necessary, cease work whenever a strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus making.................... AN INJURY TO ONE AN INJURY TO ALL. Instead of the conservative motto, "A fair day's wage for a fair day's work", we must inscribe on our banner the revolutionary watchword: "ABOLITION OF THE WAGE SYSTEM!!" It is the historical mission of the working class to do away with capitalism. The army of production must be organized,not only for the every-day struggle with capitalists,but also to carry on production when capitalism shall have been overthrown. By organizing industrially we are forming the structure of the new society within the shell of the old. ---Taken from the May 1986 issue of _Industrial_Worker_, the official organ of the IWW. 3435 N.Sheffield Suite 202,Chicago,IL 60657. --- * Origin: SMARTNet - Who says OPUS can't Fly? (Opus 1:128/23) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (546) Mon 16 Jan 89 14:20 By: Steve Earl Of 141/222 Of 141/222 To: All Re: Poem St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:5dc9 728e1230 Here is a little something I did after enjoying some gentle snow recently. I submit it for your approval. It may be distributed (with credits, of course). SNOW Goddess is beautiful dressed in white The tiny white crystals that fall through the night They fall so gentle, don't make a sound As they drift to Earth and lay on the ground Looking up, snow melts on my face as I leave behind the hectic pace I'm in another world, one of love communing with the Goddess above Drawing the power from all around me one with Her, I truely wish to be This is the quest for which I strive It is my reason for being alive Standing alone, staring at the sky I feel a tear coming to my eye The feeling of peace is awesome you see I feel the Goddess surrounding me (C) 1989 - Steve Earl --- AIBBS v2.25 --- ConfMail V3.31 * Origin: Excelsior AIBBS - Monroe CT 203-268-1222 [300/1200/2400] (1:141/222) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (547) Fri 17 Feb 89 23:09 By: Geoff Beneze To: All Re: Mindwash #1 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1044 b9201251 Title: Everyday Brainwashing Pt1 (14/18) From: Tom Betz (ID=70) Date: Tue Apr 07 09:02:08 1987 Dick Sutphen is a professional hypnotist who makes a good portion of his living training other professional hypnotists... and another good portion selling tapes of his lectures and "subliminal learning" tapes to help people with their problems. This file is a transcript of a taped lecture with information he felt was important enough that he asked for it to be as widely disseminated as possible, at NO CHARGE. I found it on Illumi-Net in Decatur GA, and it hit me where I live, so I ask that all who read it pass it along as widely as possible. I have broken it up into four parts... please be sure that all four are printed, uploaded, etc. together, so that none of the information is lost, for it is all VITAL! It could mean the return of free thought to this nation, or the end of it. THE BATTLE FOR YOUR MIND, by Dick Sutphen -- 22.2 KB Persuasion & Brainwashing Techniques Being Used On The Public Today --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: The Mountain Oracle (1:301/9) (1:301/9) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (548) Fri 17 Feb 89 23:26 By: Geoff Beneze To: All Re: mindwash #1 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1044 bb401251 Title: Everyday Brainwashing Pt1 (14/18) From: Tom Betz (ID=70) Date: Tue Apr 07 09:02:08 1987 Dick Sutphen is a professional hypnotist who makes a good portion of his living training other professional hypnotists... and another good portion selling tapes of his lectures and "subliminal learning" tapes to help people with their problems. This file is a transcript of a taped lecture with information he felt was important enough that he asked for it to be as widely disseminated as possible, at NO CHARGE. I found it on Illumi-Net in Decatur GA, and it hit me where I live, so I ask that all who read it pass it along as widely as possible. I have broken it up into four parts... please be sure that all four are printed, uploaded, etc. together, so that none of the information is lost, for it is all VITAL! It could mean the return of free thought to this nation, or the end of it. THE BATTLE FOR YOUR MIND, by Dick Sutphen -- 22.2 KB Persuasion & Brainwashing Techniques Being Used On The Public Today SUMMARY OF CONTENTS The Birth of Conversion/Brainwashing in Christian Revivalism in 1735. The Pavlovian explanation of the three brain phases. Born-again preachers: Step-by-Step, how they conduct a revival and the expected physiological results. The "voice roll" technique used by preachers, lawyers and hypnotists. New trance-inducing churches. The 6 steps to conversion. The decognition process. Thought-stopping techniques. The "sell it by zealot" technique. True believers and mass movements. Persuasion techniques: "Yes set," "Imbedded Commands," "Shock and Confusion," and the "Interspersal Technique." Subliminals. Vibrato and ELF waves. Inducing trance with vibrational sound. Even professional observers will be "possessed" at charismatic gatherings. The "only hope" technique to attend and not be converted. Non-detectable Neurophone programming through the skin. The medium for mass take-over. I'm Dick Sutphen and this tape is a studio-recorded, expanded version of a talk I delivered at the World Congress of Professional Hypnotists Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although the tape carries a copyright to protect it from unlawful duplication for sale by other companies, in this case, I invite individuals to make copies and give them to friends or anyone in a position to communicate this information. Although I've been interviewed about the subject on many local and regional radio and TV talk shows, large-scale mass communication appears to be blocked, since it could result in suspicion or investigation of the very media presenting it or the sponsors that support the media. Some government agencies do not want this information generally known. Nor do the Born-Again Christian movement, cults, and many human-potential trainings. Everything I will relate only exposes the surface of the problem. I don't know how the misuse of these techniques can be stopped. I don't think it is possible to legislate against that which often cannot be detected; and if those who legislate are using these techniques, there is little hope of affecting laws to govern usage. I do know that the first step to initiate change is to generate interest. In this case, that will probably only result from an underground effort. In talking about this subject, I am talking about my own business. I know it, and I know how effective it can be. I produce hypnosis and subliminal tapes and, in some of my seminars, I use conversion tactics to assist participants to --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: The Mountain Oracle (1:301/9) (1:301/9) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (549) Fri 17 Feb 89 23:27 By: Geoff Beneze To: All Re: mindwash #2 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1044 bb601251 become independent and self-sufficient. But, anytime I use these techniques, I point out that I am using them, and those attending have a choice to participate or not. They also know what the desired result of participation will be. So, to begin, I want to state the most basic of all facts about brainwashing: IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF MAN, NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN BRAINWASHED AND REALIZED, OR BELIEVED, THAT HE HAD BEEN BRAINWASHED. Those who have been brainwashed will usually passionately defend their manipulators, claiming they have simply been "shown the light" . . . or have been transformed in miraculous ways. THE BIRTH OF CONVERSION CONVERSION is a "nice" word for BRAINWASHING . . . and any study of brainwashing has to begin with a study of Christian revivalism in eighteenth century America. Apparently, Jonathan Edwards accidentally discovered the techniques during a religious crusade in 1735 in Northampton, Massachusetts. By inducing guilt and acute apprehension and by increasing the tension, the "sinners" attending his revival meetings would break down and completely submit. Technically, what Edwards was doing was creating conditions that wipe the brain slate clean so that the mind accepts new programming. The problem was that the new input was negative. He would tell them, "You're a sinner! You're destined for hell!" As a result, one person committed suicide and another attempted suicide. And the neighbors of the suicidal converts related that they, too, were affected so deeply that, although they had found "eternal salvation," they were obsessed with a diabolical temptation to end their own lives. Once a preacher, cult leader, manipulator or authority figure creates the brain phase to wipe the brain-slate clean, his subjects are wide open. New input, in the form of suggestion, can be substituted for their previous ideas. Because Edwards didn't turn his message positive until the end of the revival, many accepted the negative suggestions and acted, or desired to act, upon them. Charles J. Finney was another Christian revivalist who used the same techniques four years later in mass religious conversions in New York. The techniques are still being used today by Christian revivalists, cults, human-potential trainings, some business rallies, and the United States Armed Services . . . to name just a few. Let me point out here that I don't think most revivalist preachers realize or know they are using brainwashing techniques. Edwards simply stumbled upon a technique that really worked, and others copied it and have continued to copy it for over two hundred years. And the more sophisticated our knowledge and technology become, the more effective the conversion. I feel strongly that this is one of the major reasons for the increasing rise in Christian fundamentalism, especially the televised variety, while most of the orthodox religions are declining. THE THREE BRAIN PHASES The Christians may have been the first to successfully formulate brainwashing, but we have to look to Pavlov, the Russian scientist, for a technical explanation. In the early 1900s, his work with animals opened the door to further investigations with humans. After the revolution in Russia, Lenin was quick to see the potential of applying Pavlov's research to his own ends. Three distinct and progressive states of transmarginal inhibition were identified by Pavlov. The first is the EQUIVALENT phase, in which the brain gives the same response to both strong and weak stimuli. The second is the PARADOXICAL --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: The Mountain Oracle (1:301/9) (1:301/9) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (550) Fri 17 Feb 89 23:29 By: Geoff Beneze To: All Re: mindwash #3 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1044 bba01251 phase, in which the brain responds more actively to weak stimuli than to strong. And the third is the ULTRA-PARADOXICAL phase, in which conditioned responses and behavior patterns turn from positive to negative or from negative to positive. With the progression through each phase, the degree of conversion becomes more effective and complete. The way to achieve conversion are many and varied, but the usual first step in religious or political brainwashing is to work on the emotions of an individual or group until they reach an abnormal level of anger, fear, exitement, or nervous tension. The progressive result of this mental condition is to impair judgement and increase suggestibility. The more this condition can be maintained or intensified, the more it compounds. Once catharsis, or the first brain phase, is reached, the complete mental takeover becomes easier. Existing mental programming can be replaced with new patterns of thinking and behavior. Other often-used physiological weapons to modify normal brain functions are fasting, radical or high sugar diets, physical discomforts, regulation of breathing, mantra chanting in meditation, the disclosure of awesome mysteries, special lighting and sound effects, programmed response to incense, or intoxicating drugs. The same results can be obtained in contemporary psychiatric treatment by electric shock treatments and even by purposely lowering a person's blood sugar level with insulin injections. Before I talk about exactly how some of the techniques are applied, I want to point out that hypnosis and conversion tactics are two distinctly different things--and that conversion techniques are far more powerful. However, the two are often mixed . . . with powerful results. HOW REVIVALIST PREACHERS WORK If you'd like to see a revivalist preacher at work, there are probably several in your city. Go to the church or tent early and sit in the rear, about three-quarters of the way back. Most likely repetitive music will be played while the people come in for the service. A repetitive beat, ideally ranging from 45 to 72 beats per minute (a rhythm close to the beat of the human heart), is very hypnotic and can generate an eyes-open altered state of consciousness in a very high percentage of people. And, once you are in an alpha state, you are at least 25 times as suggestible as you would be in full beta consciousness. The music is probably the same for every service, or incorporates the same beat, and many of the people will go into an altered state almost immediately upon entering the sanctuary. Subconsciously, they recall their state of mind from previous services and respond according to the post-hypnotic programming. Watch the people waiting for the service to begin. Many will exhibit external signs of trance--body relaxation and slightly dilated eyes. Often, they begin swaying back and forth with their hands in the air while sitting in their chairs. Next, the assistant pastor will probably come out. He usually speaks with a pretty good "voice roll." VOICE ROLL TECHNIQUE A "voice roll" is a patterned, paced style used by hypnotists when inducing a trance. It is also used by many lawyers, several of whom are highly trained hypnotists, when they desire to entrench a point firmly in the minds of the jurors. A voice roll can sound as if the speaker were talking to the beat of a metronome or it may sound as though he were emphasizing every word in a monotonous, patterned style. The words will usually be delivered at the rate of 45 to 60 beats --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: The Mountain Oracle (1:301/9) (1:301/9) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (551) Fri 17 Feb 89 23:31 By: Geoff Beneze To: All Re: mindwash #4 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1044 bbe01251 per minute, maximizing the hypnotic effect. Now the assistant pastor begins the "build-up" process. He induces an altered state of consciousness and/or begins to generate the excitement and the expectations of the audience. Next, a group of young women in "sweet and pure" chiffon dresses might come out to sing a song. Gospel songs are great for building excitement and INVOLVEMENT. In the middle of the song, one of the girls might be "smitten by the spirit" and fall down or react as if possessed by the Holy Spirit. This very effectively increases the intensity in the room. At this point, hypnosis and conversion tactics are being mixed. And the result is the audience's attention span is now totally focused upon the communication while the environment becomes more exciting or tense. Right about this time, when an eyes-open mass-induced alpha mental state has been achieved, they will usually pass the collection plate or basket. In the background, a 45-beat-per-minute voice roll from the assistant preacher might exhort, "Give to God . . . Give to God . . . Give to God . . ." And the audience does give. God may not get the money, but his already wealthy representative will. Next, the fire-and-brimstone preacher will come out. He induces fear and increases the tension by talking about "the devil," "going to hell," or the forthcoming Armegeddon. In the last such rally I attended, the preacher talked about the blood that would soon be running out of every faucet in the land. He was also obsessed with a "bloody axe of God," which everyone had seen hanging above the pulpit the previous week. I have no doubt that everyone saw it--the power of suggestion given to hundreds of people in hypnosis assures that at least 10 to 25 percent would see whatever he suggested they see. In most revivalist gatherings, "testifying" or "witnessing" usually follows the fear-based sermon. People from the audience come up on stage and relate their stories. "I was crippled and now I can walk!" "I had arthritis and now it's gone!" It is a psychological manipulation that works. After listening to numerous case histories of miraculous healings, the average guy in the audience with a minor problem is sure he can be healed. The room is charged with fear, guilt, intense excitement, and expectations. Now those who want to be healed are frequently lined up around the edge of the room, or they are told to come down to the front. The preacher might touch them on the head firmly and scream, "Be healed!" This releases the psychic energy and, for many, catharsis results. Catharsis is a purging of repressed emotions. Individuals might cry, fall down or even go into spasms. And if catharsis is effected, they stand a chance of being healed. In catharsis (one of the three brain phases mentioned earlier), the brain-slate is temporarily wiped clean and the new suggestion is accepted. For some, the healing may be permanent. For many, it will last four days to a week, which is, incidentally, how long a hypnotic suggestion given to a somnambulistic subject will usually last. Even if the healing doesn't last, if they come back every week, the power of suggestion may continually override the problem . . . or sometimes, sadly, it can mask a physical problem which could prove to be very detrimental to the individule in the long run. I'm not saying that legitimate healings do not take place. They do. Maybe the individual was ready to let go of the negativity that caused the problem in the first place; maybe it was the work of God. Yet I contend that it can be explained with existing knowledge of brain/mind function. The techniques and staging will vary from church to church. Many use "speaking in tongues" to generate catharsis in some --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: The Mountain Oracle (1:301/9) (1:301/9) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (552) Fri 17 Feb 89 23:32 By: Geoff Beneze To: All Re: mindwash #5 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1044 bc001251 while the spectacle creates intense excitement in the observers. The use of hypnotic techniques by religions is sophisticated, and professionals are assuring that they become even more effective. A man in Los Angeles is designing, building, and reworking a lot of churches around the country. He tells ministers what they need and how to use it. This man's track record indicates that the congregation and the monetary income will double if the minister follows his instructions. He admits that about 80 percent of his efforts are in the sound system and lighting. Powerful sound and the proper use of lighting are of primary importance in inducing an altered state of consciousnes--I've been using them for years in my own seminars. However, my participants are fully aware of the process and what they can expect as a result of their participation. SIX CONVERSION TECHNIQUES Cults and humanpotential organizations are always looking for new converts. To attain them, they must also create a brain-phase. And they often need to do it within a short space of time--a weekend, or maybe even a day. The following are the six primary techniques used to generate the conversion. The meeting or training takes place in an area where participants are cut off from the outside world. This may be any place: a private home, a remote or rural setting, or even a hotel ballroom where the participants are allowed only limited bathroom usage. In human-potential trainings, the controllers will give a lengthy talk about the importance of "keeping agreements" in life. The participants are told that if they don't keep agreements, their life will never work. It's a good idea to keep agreements, but the controllers are subverting a positive human value for selfish purposes. The participants vow to themselves and their trainer that they will keep their agreements. Anyone who does not will be intimidated into agreement or forced to leave. The next step is to agree to complete training, thus assuring a high percentage of conversions for the organizations. They will USUALLY have to agree not to take drugs, smoke, and sometimes not to eat . . . or they are given such short meal breaks that it creates tension. The real reason for the agreements is to alter internal chemistry, which generates anxiety and hopefully causes at least a slight malfunction of the nervous system, which in turn increases the conversion potential. Before the gathering is complete, the agreements will be used to ensure that the new converts go out and find new participants. They are intimidated into agreeing to do so before they leave. Since the importance of keeping agreements is so high on their priority list, the converts will twist the arms of everyone they know, attempting to talk them into attending a free introductory session offered at a future date by the organization. The new converts are zealots. In fact, the inside term for merchandising the largest and most successful human-potential training is, "sell it by zealot!" At least a million people are graduates and a good percentage have been left with a mental activation button that assures their future loyalty and assistance if the guru figure or organization calls. Think about the potential political implications of hundreds of thousands of zealots programmed to campaign for their guru. Be wary of an organization of this type that offers follow-up sessions after the seminar. Follow-up sessions might be weekly meetings or inexpensive seminars given on a regular basis which the organization will attempt to talk you into taking--or any regularly scheduled event used to maintain control. As the early Christian revivalists found, long-term control is dependent upon a good follow-up system. --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: The Mountain Oracle (1:301/9) (1:301/9) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (553) Fri 17 Feb 89 23:34 By: Geoff Beneze To: All Re: mindwash #6 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1044 bc401251 Alright. Now, let's look at the second tip-off that indicates conversion tactics are being used. A schedule is maintained that causes physical and mental fatigue. This is primarily accomplished by long hours in which the participants are given no opportunity for relaxation or reflection. The third tip-off: techniques used to increase the tension in the room or environment. Number four: Uncertainty. I could spend hours relating various techniques to increase tension and generate uncertainty. Basically, the participants are concerned about being "put on the spot" or encountered by the trainers, guilt feelings are played upon, participants are tempted to verbally relate their innermost secrets to the other participants or forced to take part in activities that emphasize removing their masks. One of the most successful human-potential seminars forces the participants to stand on a stage in front of the entire audience while being verbally attacked by the trainers. A public opinion poll, conducted a few years ago, showed that the number one most-fearful situation an individual could encounter is to speak to an audience. It ranked above window washing outside the 85th floor of an office building. So you can imagine the fear and tension this situation generates within the participants. Many faint, but most cope with the stress by mentally going away. They literally go into an alpha state, which automatically makes them many times as suggestible as they normally are. And another loop of the downward spiral into conversion is successfully effected. The fifth clue that conversion tactics are being used is the introduction of jargon--new terms that have meaning only to the "insiders" who participate. Vicious language is also frequently used, purposely, to make participants uncomfortable. The final tip-off is that there is no humor in the communications . . . at least until the participants are converted. Then, merry-making and humor are highly desirable as symbols of the new joy the participants have supposedly "found." I'm not saying that good does not result from participation in such gatherings. It can and does. But I contend it is important for people to know what has happened and to be aware that continual involvement may not be in their best interest. Over the years, I've conducted professional seminars to teach people to be hypnotists, trainers, and counselors. I've had many of those who conduct trainings and rallies come to me and say, "I'm here because I know that what I'm doing works, but I don't know why." After showing them how and why, many have gotten out of the business or have decided to approach it differently or in a much more loving and supportive manner. Many of these trainers have become personal friends, and it scares us all to have experienced the power of one person with a microphone and a room full of people. Add a little charisma and you can count on a high percentage of conversions. The sad truth is that a high percentage of people want to give away their power--they are true "believers"! Cult gatherings or human-potential trainings are an ideal environment to observe first-hand what is technically called the "Stockholm Syndrome." This is a situation in which those who are intimidated, controlled, or made to suffer, begin to love, admire, and even sometimes sexually desire their controllers or captors. But let me inject a word of warning here: If you think you can attend such gatherings and not be affected, you are probably wrong. A perfect example is the case of a woman who went to Haiti on a Guggenheim Fellowship to study Haitian Voodoo. In her report, she related how the music eventually induced uncontrollable bodily movement and an altered state of consciousness. Although she understood the process and thought herself above it, when she began to feel herself become --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: The Mountain Oracle (1:301/9) (1:301/9) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (554) Fri 17 Feb 89 23:35 By: Geoff Beneze To: All Re: mindwash #7 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1044 bc601251 vulnerable to the music, she attempted to fight it and turned away. Anger or resistance almost always assures conversion. A few moments later she was possessed by the music and began dancing in a trance around the Voodoo meeting house. A brain phase had been induced by the music and excitement, and she awoke feeling reborn. The only hope of attending such gatherings without being affected is to be a Buddha and allow no positive or negative emotions to surface. Few people are capable of such detachment. Before I go on, let's go back to the six tip-offs to conversion. I want to mention the United States Government and military boot camp. The Marine Corps talks about breaking men down before "rebuilding" them as new men--as marines! Well, that is exactly what they do, the same way a cult breaks its people down and rebuilds them as happy flower sellers on your local street corner. Every one of the six conversion techniques are used in boot camp. Considering the needs of the military, I'm not making a judgement as to whether that is good or bad. IT IS A FACT that the men are effectively brainwashed. Those who won't submit must be discharged or spend much of their time in the brig. DECOGNITION PROCESS Once the initial conversion is effected, cults, armed services, and similar groups cannot have cynicism among their members. Members must respond to commands and do as they are told, otherwise they are dangerous to the organizational control. This is normally accomplished as a three-step Decognition Process. Step One is ALERTNESS REDUCTION: The controllers cause the nervous system to malfunction, making it difficult to distinguish between fantasy and reality. This can be accomplished in several ways. POOR DIET is one; watch out for Brownies and Koolaid. The sugar throws the nervous system off. More subtle is the "SPIRITUAL DIET" used by many cults. They eat only vegetables and fruits; without the grounding of grains, nuts, seeds, dairy products, fish or meat, an individual becomes mentally "spacey." INADEQUATE SLEEP is another primary way to reduce alertness, especially when combined with long hours of work or intense physical activity. Also, being bombarded with intense and unique experiences achieves the same result. Step Two is PROGRAMMED CONFUSION: You are mentally assaulted while your alertness is being reduced as in Step One. This is accomplished with a deluge of new information, lectures, discussion groups, encounters or one-to-one processing, which usually amounts to the controller bombarding the individual with questions. During this phase of decognition, reality and illusion often merge and perverted logic is likely to be accepted. Step Three is THOUGHT STOPPING: Techniques are used to cause the mind to go "flat." These are altered-state-of-consciousness techniques that initially induce calmness by giving the mind something simple to deal with and focusing awareness. The continued use brings on a feeling of elation and eventually hallucination. The result is the reduction of thought and eventually, if used long enough, the cessation of all thought and withdrawal from everyone and everything except that which the controllers direct. The takeover is then complete. It is important to be aware that when members or participants are instructed to use "thought-stopping" techniques, they are told that they will benefit by so doing: they will become "better soldiers" or "find enlightenment." There are three primary techniques used for thought stopping. The first is MARCHING: the thump, thump, thump beat literally generates self-hypnosis and thus great susceptibility --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: The Mountain Oracle (1:301/9) (1:301/9) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (555) Fri 17 Feb 89 23:36 By: Geoff Beneze To: All Re: mindwash #8 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1044 bc801251 to suggestion. The second thought stopping technique is MEDITATION. If you spend an hour to an hour and a half a day in meditation, after a few weeks, there is a great probability that you will not return to full beta consciousness. You will remain in a fixed state of alpha for as long as you continue to meditate. I'm not saying this is bad--if you do it yourself. It may be very beneficial. But it is a fact that you are causing your mind to go flat. I've worked with meditators on an EEG machine and the results are conclusive: the more you meditate, the flatter your mind becomes until, eventually and especially if used to excess or in combination with decognition, all thought ceases. Some spiritual groups see this as nirvana--which is bullshit. It is simply a predictable physiological result. And if heaven on earth is non-thinking and non-involvement, I really question why we are here. The third thought-stopping technique is CHANTING, and often chanting in meditation. "Speaking in tongues" could also be included in this category. All three stopping techniques produce an altered state of consciousness. This may be very good if YOU are controlling the process, for you also control the input. I personally use at least one self-hypnosis programming session every day and I know how beneficial it is for me. But you need to know if you use these techniques to the degree of remaining continually in alpha that, although you'll be very mellow, you'll also be more suggestible. TRUE BELIEVERS & MASS MOVEMENTS Before ending this section on conversion, I want to talk about the people who are most susceptible to it and about Mass Movements. I am convinced that at least a third of the population is what Eric Hoffer calls "true believers." They are joiners and followers . . . people who want to give away their power. They look for answers, meaning, and enlightenment outside themselves. Hoffer, who wrote THE TRUE BELIEVER, a classic on mass movements, says, "true believers are not intent on bolstering and advancing a cherished self, but are those craving to be rid of unwanted self. They are followers, not because of a desire for self-advancement, but because it can satisfy their passion for self-renunciation!" Hoffer also says that true believers "are eternally incomplete and eternally insecure"! I know this from my own experience. In my years of communicating concepts and conducting trainings, I have run into them again and again. All I can do is attempt to show them that the only thing to seek is the True Self within. Their personal answers are to be found there and there alone. I communicate that the basics of spirituality are self-responsibility and self-actualization. But most of the true believers just tell me that I'm not spiritual and go looking for someone who will give them the dogma and structure they desire. Never underestimate the potential danger of these people. They can easily be molded into fanatics who will gladly work and die for their holy cause. It is a substitute for their lost faith in themselves and offers them as a substitute for individual hope. The Moral Majority is made up of true believers. All cults are composed of true believers. You'll find them in politics, churches, businesses, and social cause groups. They are the fanatics in these organizations. Mass Movements will usually have a charismatic leader. The followers want to convert others to their way of living or impose a new way of life--if necessary, by legislating laws forcing others to their view, as evidenced by the activities of the Moral Majority. This means enforcement by guns or punishment, for that is the bottomline in law enforcement. --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: The Mountain Oracle (1:301/9) (1:301/9) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (556) Fri 17 Feb 89 23:38 By: Geoff Beneze To: All Re: mindwash #9 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1044 bcc01251 A common hatred, enemy, or devil is essential to the success of a mass movement. The Born-Again Christians have Satan himself, but that isn't enough--they've added the occult, the New Age thinkers and, lately, all those who oppose their integration of church and politics, as evidenced in their political reelection campaigns against those who oppose their views. In revolutions, the devil is usually the ruling power or aristocracy. Some human-potential movements are far too clever to ask their graduates to join anything, thus labeling themselves as a cult--but, if you look closely, you'll find that their devil is anyone and everyone who hasn't taken their training. There are mass movements without devils but they seldom attain major status. The True Believers are mentally unbalanced or insecure people, or those without hope or friends. People don't look for allies when they love, but they do when they hate or become obsessed with a cause. And those who desire a new life and a new order feel the old ways must be eliminated before the new order can be built. PERSUASION TECHNIQUES Persuasion isn't technically brainwashing but it is the manipulation of the human mind by another individual, without the manipulated party being aware what caused his opinion shift. I only have time to very basically introduce you to a few of the thousands of techniques in use today, but the basis of persuasion is always to access your RIGHT BRAIN. The left half of your brain is analytical and rational. The right side is creative and imaginative. That is overly simplified but it makes my point. So, the idea is to distract the left brain and keep it busy. Ideally, the persuader generates an eyes-open altered state of consciousness, causing you to shift from beta awareness into alpha; this can be measured on an EEG machine. First, let me give you an example of distracting the left brain. Politicians use these powerful techniques all the time; lawyers use many variations which, I've been told, they call "tightening the noose." Assume for a moment that you are watching a politician give a speech. First, he might generate what is called a "YES SET." These are statements that will cause listeners to agree; they might even unknowingly nod their heads in agreement. Next come the TRUISMS. These are usually facts that could be debated but, once the politician has his audience agreeing, the odds are in the politician's favor that the audience won't stop to think for themselves, thus continuing to agree. Last comes the SUGGESTION. This is what the politician wants you to do and, since you have been agreeing all along, you could be persuaded to accept the suggestion. Now, if you'll listen closely to my political speech, you'll find that the first three are the "yes set," the next three are truisms and the last is the suggestion. "Ladies and gentlemen: are you angry about high food prices? Are you tired of astronomical gas prices? Are you sick of out-of-control inflation? Well, you know the Other Party allowed 18 percent inflation last year; you know crime has increased 50 percent nationwide in the last 12 months, and you know your paycheck hardly covers your expenses any more. Well, the answer to resolving these problems is to elect me, John Jones, to the U.S. Senate." And I think you've heard all that before. But you might also watch for what are called Imbedded Commands. As an example: On key words, the speaker would make a gesture with his left hand, which research has shown is more apt to access your right brain. Today's media-oriented politicians and spellbinders are often carefully trained by a whole new breed of specialist who are using every trick in the book--both old and new--to manipulate you into accepting their candidate. --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: The Mountain Oracle (1:301/9) (1:301/9) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (557) Fri 17 Feb 89 23:39 By: Geoff Beneze To: All Re: mindwash #10 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1044 bce01251 The concepts and techniques of Neuro-Linguistics are so heavily protected that I found out the hard way that to even talk about them publicly or in print results in threatened legal action. Yet Neuro-Linguistic training is readily available to anyone willing to devote the time and pay the price. It is some of the most subtle and powerful manipulation I have yet been exposed to. A good friend who recently attended a two-week seminar on Neuro-Linguistics found that many of those she talked to during the breaks were government people. Another technique that I'm just learning about is unbelievably slippery; it is called an INTERSPERSAL TECHNIQUE and the idea is to say one thing with words but plant a subconscious impression of something else in the minds of the listeners and/or watchers. Let me give you an example: Assume you are watching a television commentator make the following statement: SENATOR JOHNSON is assisting local authorities to clear up the stupid mistakes of companies contributing to the nuclear waste problems." It sounds like a statement of fact, but, if the speaker emphasizes the right word, and especially if he makes the proper hand gestures on the key words, you could be left with the subconscious impression that Senator Johnson is stupid. That was the subliminal goal of the statement and the speaker cannot be called to account for anything. Persuasion techniques are also frequently used on a much smaller scale with just as much effectiveness. The insurance salesman knows his pitch is likely to be much more effective if he can get you to visualize something in your mind. This is right-brain communication. For instance, he might pause in his conversation, look slowly around your livingroom and say, "Can you just imagine this beautiful home burning to the ground?" Of course you can! It is one of your unconscious fears and, when he forces you to visualize it, you are more likely to be manipulated into signing his insurance policy. The Hare Krishnas, operating in every airport, use what I call SHOCK AND CONFUSION techniques to distract the left brain and communicate directly with the right brain. While waiting for a plane, I once watched one operate for over an hour. He had a technique of almost jumping in front of someone. Initially, his voice was loud then dropped as he made his pitch to take a book and contribute money to the cause. Usually, when people are shocked, they immediately withdraw. In this case they were shocked by the strange appearance, sudden materialization and loud voice of the Hare Krishna devotee. In other words, the people went into an alpha state for security because they didn't want to confront the reality before them. In alpha, they were highly suggestible so they responded to the suggestion of taking the book; the moment they took the book, they felt guilty and responded to the second suggestion: give money. We are all conditioned that if someone gives us something, we have to give them something in return--in that case, it was money. While watching this hustler, I was close enough to notice that many of the people he stopped exhibited an outward sign of alpha--their eyes were actually dilated. SUBLIMINAL PROGRAMMING Subliminals are hidden suggestions that only your subconscious perceives. They can be audio, hidden behind music, or visual, airbrushed into a picture, flashed on a screen so fast that you don't consciously see them, or cleverly incorporated into a picture or design. Most audio subliminal reprogramming tapes offer verbal suggestions recorded at a low volume. I question the efficacy of this technique--if subliminals are not perceptible, they cannot be effective, and subliminals recorded below the audible threshold are therefore useless. The oldest audio subliminal --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: The Mountain Oracle (1:301/9) (1:301/9) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (558) Fri 17 Feb 89 23:41 By: Geoff Beneze To: All Re: mindwash #11 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1044 bd201251 technique uses a voice that follows the volume of the music so subliminals are impossible to detect without a parametric equalizer. But this technique is patented and, when I wanted to develop my own line of subliminal audiocassettes, negotiations with the patent holder proved to be unsatisfactory. My attorney obtained copies of the patents which I gave to some talented Hollywood sound engineers, asking them to create a new technique. They found a way to psycho-acoustically modify and synthesize the suggestions so that they are projected in the same chord and frequency as the music, thus giving them the effect of being part of the music. But we found that in using this technique, there is no way to reduce various frequencies to detect the subliminals. In other words, although the suggestions are being heard by the subconscious mind, they cannot be monitored with even the most sophisticated equipment. If we were able to come up with this technique as easily as we did, I can only imagine how sophisticated the technology has become, with unlimited government or advertising funding. And I shudder to think about the propaganda and commercial manipulation that we are exposed to on a daily basis. There is simply no way to know what is behind the music you hear. It may even be possible to hide a second voice behind the voice to which you are listening. The series by Wilson Bryan Key, Ph.D., on subliminals in advertising and political campaigns well documents the misuse in many areas, especially printed advertising in newspapers, magazines, and posters. The big question about subliminals is: do they work? And I guarantee you they do. Not only from the response of those who have used my tapes, but from the results of such programs as the subliminals behind the music in department stores. Supposedly, the only message is instructions to not steal: one East Coast department store chain reported a 37 percent reduction in thefts in the first nine months of testing. A 1984 article in the technical newsletter, "Brain-Mind Bulletin," states that as much as 99 percent of our cognitive activity may be "non-conscious," according to the director of the Laboratory for Cognitive Psychophysiology at the University of Illinois. The lengthy report ends with the statement, "these findings support the use of subliminal approaches such as taped suggestions for weight loss and the therapeutic use of hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming." MASS MISUSE I could relate many stories that support subliminal programming, but I'd rather use my time to make you aware of even more subtle uses of such programming. I have personally experienced sitting in a Los Angeles auditorium with over ten thousand people who were gathered to listen to a current charismatic figure. Twenty minutes after entering the auditorium, I became aware that I was going in and out of an altered state. Those accompanying me experienced the same thing. Since it is our business, we were aware of what was happening, but those around us were not. By careful observation, what appeared to be spontaneous demonstrations were, in fact, artful manipulations. The only way I could figure that the eyes-open trance had been induced was that a 6- to 7-cycle-per-second vibration was being piped into the room behind the air conditioner sound. That particular vibration generates alpha, which would render the audience highly susceptible. Ten to 25 percent of the population is capable of a somnambulistic level of altered states of consciousness; for these people, the suggestions of the speaker, if non-threatening, could potentially be accepted as "commands." VIBRATO --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: The Mountain Oracle (1:301/9) (1:301/9) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (559) Fri 17 Feb 89 23:42 By: Geoff Beneze To: All Re: mindwash #12 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1044 bd401251 This leads to the mention of VIBRATO. Vibrato is the tremulous effect imparted in some vocal or instrumental music, and the cyle-per-second range causes people to go into an altered state of consciousness. At one period of English history, singers whose voices contained pronounced vibrato were not allowed to perform publicly because listeners would go into an altered state and have fantasies, often sexual in nature. People who attend opera or enjoy listening to singers like Mario Lanza are familiar with this altered state induced by the performers. ELFs Now, let's carry this awareness a little farther. There are also inaudible ELFs (extra-low frequency waves). These are electromagnetic in nature. One of the primary uses of ELFs is to communicate with our submarines. Dr. Andrija Puharich, a highly respected researcher, in an attempt to warn U.S. officials about Russian use of ELFs, set up an experiment. Volunteers were wired so their brain waves could be measured on an EEG. They were sealed in a metal room that could not be penetrated by a normal signal. Puharich then beamed ELF waves at the volunteers. ELFs go right through the earth and, of course, right through metal walls. Those inside couldn't know if the signal was or was not being sent. And Puharich watched the reactions on the technical equipment: 30 percent of those inside the room were taken over by the ELF signal in six to ten seconds. When I say "taken over," I mean that their behavior followed the changes anticipated at very precise frequencies. Waves below 6 cycles per second caused the subjects to become very emotionally upset, and even disrupted bodily functions. At 8.2 cycles, they felt very high . . . an elevated feeling, as though they had been in masterful meditation, learned over a period of years. Eleven to 11.3 cycles induced waves of depressed agitation leading to riotous behavior. THE NEUROPHONE Dr. Patrick Flanagan is a personal friend of mine. In the early 1960s, as a teenager, Pat was listed as one of the top scientists in the world by "Life" magazine. Among his many inventions was a device he called the Neurophone--an electronic instrument that can successfully programm suggestions directly through contact with the skin. When he attempted to patent the device, the government demanded that he prove it worked. When he did, the National Security Agency confiscated the neurophone. It took Pat two years of legal battle to get his invention back. In using the device, you don't hear or see a thing; it is applied to the skin, which Pat claims is the source of special senses. The skin contains more sensors for heat, touch, pain, vibration, and electrical fields than any other part of the human anatomy. In one of his recent tests, Pat conducted two identical seminars for a military audience--one seminar one night and one the next night, because the size of the room was not large enough to accommodate all of them at one time. When the first group proved to be very cool and unwilling to respond, Patrick spent the next day making a special tape to play at the second seminar. The tape instructed the audience to be extremely warm and responsive and for their hands to become "tingly." The tape was played through the neurophone, which was connected to a wire he placed along the ceiling of the room. There were no speakers, so no sound could be heard, yet the message was successfully transmitted from that wire directly into the brains of the audience. They were warm and receptive, their hands tingled and they responded, according to programming, in other ways that I cannot mention here. --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: The Mountain Oracle (1:301/9) (1:301/9) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (560) Fri 17 Feb 89 23:44 By: Geoff Beneze To: All Re: mindwash #13 St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1044 bd801251 The more we find out about how human beings work through today's highly advanced technological research, the more we learn to control human beings. And what probably scares me the most is that the medium for takeover is already in place! The television set in your livingroom and bedroom is doing a lot more than just entertaining you. Before I continue, let me point out something else about an altered state of consciousness. When you go into an altered state, you transfer into right brain, which results in the internal release of the body's own opiates: enkephalins and Beta-endorphins, chemically almost identical to opium. In other words, it feels good . . . and you want to come back for more. Recent tests by researcher Herbert Krugman showed that, while viewers were watching TV, right-brain activity outnumbered left-brain activity by a ratio of two to one. Put more simply, the viewers were in an altered state . . . in trance more often than not. They were getting their Beta-endorphin "fix." To measure attention spans, psychophysiologist Thomas Mulholland of the Veterans Hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts, attached young viewers to an EEG machine that was wired to shut the TV set off whenever the children's brains produced a majority of alpha waves. Although the children were told to concentrate, only a few could keep the set on for more than 30 seconds! Most viewers are already hypnotized. To deepen the trance is easy. One simple way is to place a blank, black frame every 32 frames in the film that is being projected. This creates a 45-beat-per-minute pulsation perceived only by the subconscious mind--the ideal pace to generate deep hypnosis. The commercials or suggestions presented following this alpha-inducing broadcast are much more likely to be accepted by the viewer. The high percentage of the viewing audience that has somnambulistic-depth ability could very well accept the suggestions as commands--as long as those commands did not ask the viewer to do something contrary to his morals, religion, or self-preservation. The medium for takeover is here. By the age of 16, children have spent 10,000 to 15,000 hours watching television--that is more time than they spend in school! In the average home, the TV set is on for six hours and 44 minutes per day--an increase of nine minutes from last year and three times the average rate of increase during the 1970s. It obviously isn't getting better . . . we are rapidly moving into an alpha-level world--very possibly the Orwellian world of "1984"--placid, glassy-eyed, and responding obediently to instructions. A research project by Jacob Jacoby, a Purdue University psychologist, found that of 2,700 people tested, 90 percent misunderstood even such simple viewing fare as commercials and "Barnaby Jones." Only minutes after watching, the typical viewer missed 23 to 36 percent of the questions about what he or she had seen. Of course they did--they were going in and out of trance! If you go into a deep trance, you must be instructed to remember--otherwise you automatically forget. I have just touched the tip of the iceberg. When you start to combine subliminal messages behind the music, subliminal visuals projected on the screen, hypnotically produced visual effects, sustained musical beats at a trance-inducing pace . . . you have extremely effective brainwashing. Every hour that you spend watching the TV set you become more conditioned. And, in case you thought there was a law against any of these things, guess again. There isn't! There are a lot of powerful people who obviously prefer things exactly the way they are. Maybe they have plans for? <> --- QuickBBS v2.03 * Origin: The Mountain Oracle (1:301/9) (1:301/9)