Hop-tu-naa!

Hop-tu-naa! put in the pot
Hop-tu-naa! put in the pan
Hop-tu-naa! I burnt me throt (throat)
Hop-tu-naa! guess where I ran ?
Hop-tu-naa! I ran to the well
Hop-tu-naa! and drank my fill
Hop-tu-naa! and on the way back
Hop-tu-naa! I met a witch cat
Hop-tu-naa! the cat began to grin
Hop-tu-naa! and I began to run
Hop-tu-naa! I ran to Ronague
Hop-tu-naa! guess what I saw there ?
Hop-tu-naa! I saw an old woman
Hop-tu-naa! baking bonnags
Hop-tu-naa! roasting sconnags
Hop-tu-naa! I asked her for a bit
Hop-tu-naa! she gave me a bit
as big as me big toe
Hop-tu-naa! she dipped it in milk
Hop-tu-naa! she wrapped it in silk
Hop-tu-naa! Traa la lay!
Are you going to give us anything
before we run away with the light of the moon ?

Blog Segmentation\Coordination

Have been dispersing my theoretical queries, poetry and topical relevancy into separate entities.

Subspace Anomalies - Pure speculation
Stucipher - Mystical poetry

More to come perhaps, as I have yet to coagulate it entirely into the harmonizing spheres of monstrosity that is formed from such ventures.

internet adventures

(via http://www.boingboing.net/2009/08/13/the-hubble-ultra-dee.html)
Space!


Babies!

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Been watching a PBS series called Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance about the House of Medici from 15th century Florence, Italy. The narrator's voice is kind of overdone, but the stories of family rivalry and clashing aspirations between religious nobility and the expressions of artistic integrity are interesting. I'm through two parts of four so far, and I just found out it's up on YouTube for all to see.

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Also, just checked out the current cast for the 2011 Tintin movie (quite different from the last time I looked):

	Daniel Craig	...	Red Rackham
	Simon Pegg	...	Inspector Thompson
	Jamie Bell	...	Tintin
	Cary Elwes	...	Pilot
	Andy Serkis	...	Captain Haddock
	Nick Frost	...	Thomson

new favourite website

Tyra Banks

From Dickipedia - A Wiki of Dicks

Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973) is a model turned mogul, a self-avowed “real” woman who nonetheless wears fake hair, and a dick. Granted, she is a very beautiful, very tall dick, but a dick nonetheless.

Tyra first made her mark as a supermodel, although it is unclear exactly how a model earns the honorific “super.” They don’t really do anything except look pouty and vomit. Oh, and every once in a while, there’s a boob slip. Seems like anyone could be super at that.

Read on...

Guide to N Dimension

via boingboing.net: http://www.boingboing.net/2009/08/27/guide-to-n-dimension.html

Thinking about dimensions other than the three we're used to can rattle one's mind. That's why it's usually left to stoned conversationalists and theoretical physicists. To help the rest of us navigate flatland, fractal landscapes, and hyperspace, New Scientist put together a concise and fun tour titled "Beyond Space and Time." From New Scientist (spacetime curvature illustration from Wikimedia Commons):

What is a dimension?

The most intuitive description is the oldest one: the number of dimensions a system possesses is the number of independent directions you or anything else can move in. Up and down count as only one dimension because up-ness and down-ness are two sides of the same coin: the further up you go, the less down you are. The same connection exists between left and right, and forwards and backwards, but not between up and right, down and backwards, and so on. Thus, the geometers of Ancient Greece recognised, we live in a three-dimensional world.

So far, so simple, but then things start to unravel. Our place in the cosmos is defined as much by time as it is by space. As long ago as the late 18th century, the Frenchmen Jean le Rond d'Alembert and Joseph-Louis Lagrange recognised that the mathematical language needed to address time was very similar to that which described space. Time, the mathematicians of the day rapidly came to agree, was a fourth dimension.

That opened the floodgates. Once untethered from its origins in physical space, the concept of a dimension began to lose its focus. It came to be used as a general term to describe the number of independent coordinates or variables needed to determine the state of any object.

Salutations

Pinocchio (pronounced [piˈnɔkːjo] in Italian) is a fictional character that first appeared in 1883, in The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, and has since appeared in many adaptations of that story and others. Carved from a piece of pine by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a small Italian village, he was created as a wooden puppet, but dreamt of becoming a real boy. The name Pinocchio is a Tuscan word meaning "pine nut" (the standard Italian term is pinolo pronounced [piˈnɔːlo]), a compound of Italian pino meaning "pine" and occhio meaning "eye".

Was staring at the stars tonight. Watching them flicker, and trying to imagine other worlds that might exist around them. Went to pub earlier to play darts, and started to imagine the dartboard pattern as a vortex, pulling the dart toward its center. My last shot I got a double 17 and a bulls eye, the two remaining that I needed. Wasn't too sharp for most of the game though, I kept hitting 3's and 13's.

I wish clocks were like this:

00:00 Midnight
01:00
02:00
03:00
04:00
05:00
06:00
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00 Noon
11:00
10:00
09:00
08:00
07:00
06:00
05:00
04:00
03:00
02:00
01:00
00:00 Midnight

saw this on boingboing.. thought it was cute:

Have taken an interest in the history of paganism, and found this interesting outline of druidism:

Druidism boasts its lack of institutionalized dogma. Each Druid is required only to adopt these Basic Tenets:

* One of the many ways in which the object of Man’s search for religious truth can be found is through Nature.
* Nature, being one of the primary concerns in Man’s life and struggle, and being one of the objects of Creation, is important to Man’s spiritual quests.

In Reformed Druidism, the natural world is personified as the Earth-Mother. The transcendent essence of the universe, working through the natural world, is called Be’al, from a word the ancient Celts applied to an abstract supreme being. The "object of Man’s search" is called "awareness."

The original group were not Neo-Pagan; many would have called themselves Christian or Jewish, and the movement still includes many who do not consider themselves Neo-Pagan. But the principles and ritual were carefully designed not to exclude any particular religious persuasion. From the beginning it was emphasized that religion does not succeed through coercion: people must come to spiritual awareness through their own individual spiritual search. Toward that end the services in the early years frequently drew from many religious traditions, notably Hinduism, Taoism, and Zen Buddhism.

saw some good advice from a friend today on facebook

"Facebook has agreed to let third party advertisers use your posted pictures without your permission. Click on SETTINGS up at the top where you see the log out link. Select PRIVACY. Then select NEWS FEEDS AND WALL. Next select the tab that reads FACE BOOK ADS. There is a drop down box, select NO ONE. Then SAVE your changes."

A history of occultism

I've been trying to find a way to explain exactly what my study of occultism is to people who may not know anything about it, or, more importantly, to those who may have a misguided understanding of it. However, understanding the description of something like mysticism and metaphysics usually requires a background in learning of relatable subject, or personal experience with the teachings themselves.

A good place to start is an historical perspective, and having recently began to reread Manly P. Hall's The Secret Teachings of All Ages, I found within the first few pages a concise description of what I have come to understand the history of what occultism teaches to be.

This selection is from the foreword of the book, written by Henry L. Drake, Vice-President of The Philosophical Research Society:

Associations of men and women bound together by oaths and obligations into esoteric fraternities have descended from the earliest times and bear witness to a natural inclination to perpetuate doctrines which lead to the good of mankind.

With the growth of social consciousness, these secret societies became the custodians of the highest cultural concepts. Their initiation rites were symbolic pageantries suitable to inspire veneration for the Divine Mysteries, and admiration for the powers of nature and God. Most of the mythologies of classical nations were originally rituals of secret societies, and it is a mistake to assume that earlier cultures accepted as literal the elaborate theology and legendry found in their traditions.

Historically the secret societies were closely identified with state religions. Basic knowledge was believed to have been bestowed by the gods in a remote age. The esoteric philosophies have always been taught by means of secret organizations, to which candidates were admitted only after appropriate preparation and initiatory rites. These spiritual brotherhoods of scholars, sages, and mystics have flourished among all peoples, ancient and modern, and in all parts of the world.

In the program of the Mysteries each individual must grow into the comprehension of truth. Before he could be entrusted with the divine powers of mind and will, he must accept knowledge as a responsibility to his Creator and his world, rather than as an opportunity for the advancement of personal ambitions. The masters of the Mysteries taught secret practices and disciplines by which the properly qualified disciples could develop the potent abilities latent within the soul, and so, come into conscious communication with spiritual realities.

Initiates of the philosophical societies came to be regarded as possessing extraordinary faculties and powers. They enjoyed the special favor of the divinities, performed miracles, and were worthy of the title "Twice-Born", for they had come to second birth from the womb of the Mysteries. These adept-philosophers were the truly evolved human beings. Most of the arts and sciences which enriched the modern world were discovered, developed, and in many instances perfected by these initiate philosophers and priests.

Scholarship was recognized as the pursuit most suitable to the abilities of man. But scholarship was always the means, never the end. The end of the sacred sciences was the abstraction of the human soul from bondage to the senses and its preparation to receive within itself the light of vast truths. Some men are naturally suited to higher learning for they possess integrity of motive, the patience of effort, and the vision of ends- these labored toward the soul's improvement, and championed enlightened progress above other considerations. Those of different opinion opposed the Mystery Schools.

It was inevitable that the initiates of the Mysteries should unite themselves against the forces seeking their extinction. Thus, while the secret doctrine with its body of disciples functioned more or less openly in ancient society, it later passed almost completely from public view. This circumstance should not be interpreted as a decline of plan or purpose. The esoteric schools remained as a powerful force for the regeneration of human institutions.

Those who do not understand the spiritual sciences question their use of unusual symbols, myths, and figures employed to conceal the essential teaching. Let it be remembered that these "clouds" were no part of the original doctrine, but were made necessary by intolerance and bigotry. The use of indirect communication was based entirely upon practical considerations. To remain unknown was the best way to prevent a repetition of disaster which occurred to the Knights Templar. The "veils" which concealed the arcana of the Mysteries were not employed to cover ignorance, but to protect wisdom, and in Europe it was protected for a thousand years.

The secrets of the Mysteries are obviously metaphysical, philosophical, and esoteric and relate to processes taking place within the fields of the human psyche during the practice of spiritual disciplines. Discipleship ends in the attainment of an inner capacity suitable for the realization of the esoteric tradition. The disciplines, by expanding consciousness, give the initiate practical mastery over that which is learned and constant awareness as to the proper use of higher learning.

If these sacred academies imparted only scientific, intellectual, ethical or cultural doctrines somewhat in advance of their time, they could produce only scholars. The initiates of the esoteric tradition were never regarded merely as brilliant intellectuals. From white-walled Memphis to rock-hewn Ellora, they were honored as practicing a higher dimension of essential knowledge. History preserves the records of numerous persons, living in different times and various places, who have exhibited a knowledge and skill which cannot be explained according to present standards of erudition. We cannot ignore the testimonies of such learned men as Pythagoras, Buddha, and Plotinus. Many of the noblest emmbers of our race have expressed their profound admiration for the esoteric institutions flourishing in their own times. Not to recognize the esoteric science is to disregard most that has contributed to the advancement and improvement of the human state during the last five thousand years. There being a divine order of learning superior to mundane knowledge, and its being available- the time is most appropriate for the further restoration of this sacred tradition.

Adeptship is the state of complete spiritual maturity so far as this is possible to a member of the human family. Deficient in nothing necessary to a life of wisdom, the adept is sufficient to his own needs and capable of determining that course of personal action most likely to contribute to enlightenment. The adepts foreshadow the state of mankind when it will have attained the full release of its faculties and its powers. The adept is, therefore, the truely evolved of our species. Accordingly, the adepts, considered together as the citizens of an invisible empire of the philisophical elect, constitute the heroic elder brothers, the custodians and protectors of humanity. As the interpreters of the Mysteries, they are the true educators and illuminators. As the redeemed, the servants of Divine purpose, they comprise a powerful, creative and directive force in the world.

The science of life is, therefore, the supreme science, and the art of living, the finest of the arts. There have always been truth-seekers willing to acknowledge the sovereignty of the eternal over the temporal. These have dedicated themselves to the mastery of life, and have perpetuated from generation to generation the knowledge and skill they accumulated. This body of essential knowledge is the esoteric tradition. The institutions which perpetuated this tradition are the Mystery Schools, and the graduates of these schools are the adepts.

This volume reveals that the lore and legendry of the world, the scriptures and sacred books, and the great philosophical systems all tell the same story. Human ambition may produce the tyrant; divine aspiration will produce the adept...

Here is another quote from the Preface to the Golden Anniversary Edition of the book, written by Manly P. Hall:

In assembling the collection of reference material used in the presentation of this volume, special attention was given to the patient labors of the emblem writers. It is impossible to date, even approximately, the origin of the concept of emblems. At an early date however, these devices mingled with the streams of religious and moral philosophy. Although all emblems are symbols, all symbols are not emblems. Technically, a symbol is used to express a concept and an emblem expresses a precept, but in the course of time the terms became interchangeable. A symbol may describe abstract attributes or qualities, as symbols of the Godhead, or the attributes associated with saints or venerable persons. Among old nations, emblems and symbols served two important purposes. They became first the simplest means of communicating the mysteries of religion, and second, a convenient method for picturing and even extending the social graces.

In the House of the Dionysia of Pompeii, elaborate religious murals representing scenes of the initiation rituals cover the walls. Similar ornamentations, either painted or sculpured, adorn Eastern shrines and temples, and combine decoration and visual impression. Henry Green in his introduction to Whitney's "Choice of Emblems" writes: "Naturally and easily the term 'emblem' becomes applicable to any painting, drawing, or print that was representative of an action, of a quality of mind, or of any peculiarity or attribute of character. Emblems in fact were, and are, a species of hieroglyphics, in which figures or pictures, besides denoting the natural object to which they bear resemblance, were employed to express properties of the mind, vitues and abstract ideas, and all the operations of the soul."

Mystical speculations about God, the world, and man occupied the minds of many medieval scholars and theologians. They conceived creation itself to be a symbol of figure through which the Divine Will manifested its purposes and intentions- thus by analogy, the world revealed God, and man revealed the world. The human being himself was a microcosm- a miniature of the cosmos. After the collapse of the pagan cultural institutions, it was unlawful to teach classical learning or to advance scientific knowledge contrary to the prevailing scholasticism. To avoid persecution and at the same time perpetuate for the benefit of qualified disciples the more advanced formulas of the ancient wisdom, the sacred truths were presented symbolically through the beautiful engraved devices of the emblem writers.

The seventeenth century restoration of learning gradually brought about a Universal Reformation as proclaimed in the Fama of the Rosicrucians. A careful study of the emblem books of that period reveals that most of the figures and designs were based upon teachings of esoteric fraternities. Today, those well informed in the Orphic Mysteries and the mystical speculations of the Neoplatonists can interpret the designs with little difficulty. It appears that the emblem books were, in many cases, actual extensions of Pythagorean and Platonic metaphysics. Paracelsus said that the first hieroglyphic book is nature, published in folio, and the second hieroglyphic book is man, published in duodecimo.

To live in a world without becoming aware of the meaning of the world is like wandering about in a great library without touching the books. It has always seemed to me that symbolism should be restored to the structure of world education. The young are no longer invited to seek the hidden truths, dynamic and eternal, locked within the shapes and behavior of living beings.

Manly P. Hall
Los Angeles, California
October 1, 1975

I am poor, and have been for a lot of my life. It has taught me many things, about my own and others' perception of people in poverty, and about the seemingly taboo nature of the subject of money in general.

In the influential world of media entertainment, television and films usually poke fun at poor people for being lazy, freeloaders, moochers, uncivilized or under-educated. I usually try not to concern myself with how people perceive me (although subconsciously that's nearly impossible.) As long as I'm being respectful of others and all that, I could care less what people think of any shortcomings I may have, but our society's instilled notion that poor people aren't worth seriously caring about makes it hard for me, and I'm sure many others in my situation, to start a dialogue about money or even ask for financial assistance from the closest of friends and family who have expressed a willingness to help. I am even very self-conscious writing about this, thinking it will come across as just another poor person whining and complaining about not having money. It is a shot to anyone's pride to be seen as someone who is unable or incapable of supporting themselves.

The reasons for the negative perceptions of poor people is obvious. If you're poor it means you don't work, or are not doing enough work to 'earn a living' and a part in society, and you may also be stereotyped as someone with no ambition or self-esteem. Occasionally that may be the case, but the other reasons why people are in poverty go beyond the control of individuals affected, like the availability of jobs which is often an effect of the state of an economy, or the cycle of stress poverty itself creates, which can lead to depression and other mental illnesses that impair people from changing their lifestyle.

I have a job and pay my own rent, and like most people today, I also have debts that cripple my ability to invest money into savings, leaving me little hope that I will be 'financially stable' (according to the norms of the present social standards where I live) in the near future, or even be able to apply for the loans needed to further my education. This doesn't stop me from enjoying a happy life, but I have realized how many aspects of our lives are dictated by someone's financial state, like who we socialize with, where we live, and where we can travel; money has also become a basic survival necessity, without which almost all of us would be unable to continue living.

There is discussion about poverty in our communities and government, but I think it is largely unpopular due to the percentage of people affected and the earlier-mentioned social perceptions of those affected by the issue. It is an issue that still needs attention and enlightened solutions, not just from those we elect and trust to bring positive change to the state of life and society we are all a part of, but from anyone who is willing to help. This part of the world it is getting progressively worse when it comes to poverty, and the willingness to ignore the things that don't affect us until we find ourselves affected by it will only delay the repercussions that future generations will inevitable encounter.

I usually don't like writing about social issues unless I have some sort of step towards or suggestion of a universal solution of my own to offer, but the complexity of an issue sometimes warrants simply the propagation of awareness, not that the issue exists, but what its nature is, how it is continuing to affect people, and an effort to dig up as many possible causes we can think of that may have lead to our current state.