Where did Groundhog's Day come from?

Seeing as yesterday was Groundhog's Day, maybe a little history lesson is in order. It seems this holiday has been around for a whole lot longer than the 200 years we in the US have been calling it Groundhog's Day. It was originally named Imbolg, and was one of the pre-christian Gaelic holidays. It is tied to the Irish goddess Brigid, and the whole point to it was to celebrate the lengthening of the daylight and first stirrings of Spring in the deep of winter from the Sun having been born on Yule. After the Christianisation of Ireland, and the beatification of Brigid into St. Brigid, the Holiday became St. Brigid's Day or Candlemas (the return of the light). The day was changed to the first, of course, because a good Christian could not celebrate on the same day as his pagan neighbors. Then he would be just like them, and most likely revert back to his old ways.

The origin of the Groundhog remains a bit of a mystery. It is said that the German immigrants to the US had a belief that the Groundhog would come out on this day to see the weather. If he saw his shadow, he would go back in for a six week snooze and we would have more winter weather. Where this came from, no one knows, but it sounds very Amish.

There is an older belief that comes from the Irish, which is sort of similar. This has to do with the Hag Goddess Cailleach. According to the Irish legend, she gathers her firewood during winter. If the winter is to last longer, she makes certain she has a bright sunny day to gather her wood. If the winter is to end soon, she sleeps through Imbolg because she needs no more firewood. Likewise, the day is cloudy because she does not need the sun to gather her wood.

I guess somewhere along the way someone mistook a Groundhog for a Hag?

The Branding of a President...

I saw something the other day that got my brain juices flowing. It was a light-hearted news story about how President Obama is using different logos and items to brand himself with the American public. Very interesting, it was. It also got me thinking about the way his organization is setting up house. Mr. Obama, it seems, has people working for him the truly understand how the human psychology operates. It seems the Republicans have been completely outclassed in more ways than just the political arena, and may never catch up. The older generation from which they spring just do not function on this level.

What I am speaking of, is the spinning of the human mind. The unleashing upon the American public of carefully crafted memes, and the careful molding of attitudes by such things as colors, body language, and logos. It has reached so far into the mind of the public that even the children are now being affected. The other party may never catch up. This particular type of reality manipulation is a hallmark of the younger generations, and co-incides with the rise of the Internet; the ultimate psychological tool. Any modern black magician would be proud...

How do they do it? Easy. You carefully craft your intention and attach it to something (like a logo or a word), that appeals to the basic desires of your average human. Every time this image or object is then displayed, it goes straight into our collective unconsciousness. What then does our subconcious mind try to do? Guess what - it tries to make what it is told real. In order for this to work, it must be simple and direct. It must also appeal to a common want or need. Just look at the election "Change" logo for an example. Or in the way he presents himself to the public. He is actually so saavy in this respect, that he is making himself into a brand logo. His intent has been implanted so deeply, that in 12 months time, his face is what pops into most people's head when the word Change is mentioned. Very impressive, I must say. I only wish my own grasp of memetics and group dynamics was as thorough.

At this point, the Republicans can only look at him from the point of view as outsiders. Much of the dynamics this sort of thing is based upon goes against their very nature and beliefs. The question I really want answered is, did he understand all this before he ran or was it crafted in the background, silently awaiting a pretty face, for years in advance.

Very interesting. I am curious to see how the next 8 years go. I have a feeling I know what is going to happen, and I am not telling.

Remembering Mrs. Davis...

There are people in all of our lives which we always remember. Some for the right reasons, others for different reasons. I still remember the jerkwads that jacked me up in Dallas once when I was a teen, by the way, but this is a different kind of memory. This is about a lady I knew as a child. In a way, she helped set me off on my current journey of insanity, and I count her as being very influential on me in my early stages.

This all happened way back around 1980, at a time when my parents were just getting a divorce and things were kind of strained. I was a pre-teen youth, and spent most of my time being shuffled between both of them. My father was going to many different churches, trying to get back on his feet, and chanced upon a church that ended up being somewhat different than the others. I will not mention names, but suffice to say, it was not your standard church. 

I moved in with my Dad, and started tagging along with him. No big deal. Up until this point, our family had never really gone to anything like this except when my Mom drug us to a local Baptist church for about a month, before we could not take it any longer. They didn't really want us there either, if I remember correctly. To make a long story short, this place was very different than what I was used to. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I do now, having my eyes opened a bit by experience. This place was the first place I ever heard anyone refer to "God" as Mother. 

Mrs. Davis was their "Minister" for lack of a better term. However, she was more like a mother. This was totally new to me. I had never seen anything like it. Knowing what I now know, I can tell you she was no "Minister"(Maybe, if a "Minister" rode a broom).  This was back in the socially repressed early Reagan years, and that sort of thing was frowned upon. Most anyone who did anything like that was usually pretty well incognito. It is not so much the case anymore, with many millions claiming this sort of thing openly nowadays. 

There were other things about Mrs. Davis that stick out in my mind. She was always perfect. She looked perfect. She acted perfect. And everything always seemed to go her way. Even if it didn't go her way, she always benefitted from it. She would also give you anything you asked for, no matter how crazy. She also always seemed to know exactly what you were going to say, and had the perfect response every time. She was far different from the average "humanity" which she seemed to "mother" over. She was also a very supportive person for me, in many different ways, in some cases, doing things for me my own family would not do. She was a very unusual lady, and spread much peace and happiness amongst those who knew her. 

To this day, I find myself trying to be more like the qualities I remember her having. She made much of the old stories of "Masters" returning to teach the students when they were ready. My meeting her at the point I did was very influential on me, and I would have turned out very different had it not happened. I will always remember her and other like her. She was the first in a long string of similar persons, which seem to come along at certain points where I seem to need them. Yeah, it's hokey, but so is the world. 

I wish you luck Mrs. Davis.

The New Hunts...

There are lots of things we take for granted in this society. As much as we bitch, we are not hunted down for what we believe or do with our lives, at least not yet. It seems as far as society advances, it also takes several steps back. A man is being held in Nigeria right now for claiming to have killed 110 child witches.

It dawns on me, that many of us in this society would be in serious trouble if this sort of thing would happen in our American society, but fortunately, clearer minds normally prevail. What is happening right now in Nigeria, and by and large the entire African continent, in unfathomable in this modern age. Many child rights organizations claim that scores of children are being abandoned, seriously injured, or killed, because their families or neighbors believe them to be Witches. Much of what is being perpetrated is done by so-called Pastors who exercise the demons for a fee, which usually results in the disappearance or death of the child. In the web of interconnections, there also seems a very strong link to Human Trafficking, with the fears of the community being played upon so that modern slavers can have children to trade and abuse. These poor children suffer such fates as being abandoned, tossed into rivers to drown, chopped up with machetes, or forced to bathe in acid. It is sick that the church profits from the death of these poor souls.

While the phenomenon in Nigeria is a relatively new occurrence and seems to have it's roots in ignorance and poverty, this is also starting to occur more frequently in places closer to home, such as Mexico. In the last few years several murders have taken place there which seem related to this phenomenon, including the burning of a supposed witch. It seems religious and cultural fears are being played up to the already desperate among us.

How does this relate to us? Education. We must strive to ensure that ignorance does not overwhelm common sense. We must maintain our values and tolerance, and overcome the hate being spewed by those institutions which seek to gain from it. As people's lives get harder, they cling to hatred, religion, and eventually succumb to outmoded superstitions forced upon them by the powers that be. This is especially true as it seems the US is starting down a road to economic woes and people trying to pass blame on others. We must not let it happen to us.

Read more on this topic here...

Really scary stuff.

Modern Sorceries...

Let me begin this little dissertation on this topic; Magic (or Magick as it is more properly termed by Crowley, to distinguish it from the "pulling a rabbit out of the hat" style). What do we know of it? Is it even relevant in today's world? What is it really?

It has been defined as the Art and Science of Causing Change in Conformity with One's Will. This can mean many things, and is truly up to the individual interpreting this statement. Willpower affects everything we do. It is the basis of all actions, so in affect, all is "magic".

Now what of the modern world? What of great advances in human kind like The Internet, Psychology, Chemistry, and Quantum Physics? Are these not Magick? To put this into perspective, the Internet for example, is probably the single greatest advance in human consciousness since we evolved from cave men. It's potential is just now being realized. What we have done, in a sense, is create a very large "hive mind" that we can plug-in and utilize. It is Distributed Processing using the human mind on a vast scale. Once we truly harness this, it can totally change our world. Look at the results of the Obama/McCAin election for proof. This election was won by those who understood the basic psychology of the mind, and the use of Meme's to shape public opinion. Once they were unleashed, they spread like wildfire.

This is the real magic. The Advertising world knows it. Hollywood Knows it. The Government knows it. The Corporations know it. The people are kept in the dark.

Yes, you can sit around in your drumming circles and chant, or dance naked around a tree like you think they did 1300 years ago, but the real magic and power is understanding the subtle mysteries of the modern world and it's unique psychology. The God's are real, and they are us. Religion becomes an exercise in mental wanking at this realization.

This is the essence of Modern Magick. We must learn to harness it.

The Coming Famine?

Lately the Blogosphere has been abuzz with talk of what the next year is to bring. The fact that our country is in a recession (really, more of a depression) is just now being accepted by most of the "hide your head in the sand" humans out there. It seems a large element of our population is deathly scared of any type of change, whether good or bad. According to some predictions, there may be far more changes in store, we just can't foretell as yet.

A man named Gerald Celente, the CEO of a respected trend research company, has recently made waves with his suggestion of food riots, famine, and revolution in the next several years. The sad thing is that his organization is known for it's accurate predictions. They forecast the fall of the USSR, the current economic unrest, and the decline of the dollar, among other things. Mr. Celente suggests that next year, our holiday season will be far different, with gifts of food becoming the most common Christmas present.

Why is this and is there a basis in reality? Mr. Celente goes by key indicators, such as fertilizer usage and the issuance of crop insurance to farmers. These show the direction we are headed in many issues. When you look at this, he may be right. The levels of fertilizer purchased by farmers this year is currently running at way less than half of what was purchased this same time last year. The same goes with crop insurance issued to farmers, to guard against loss in case of crop failure. This is foreboding in several ways. It shows that farmers cannot get financing to plant and insure their crops, and it shows that less than half the gross agricultural output has been planted by US farmers. Add to this higher prices of the new economy due to shipping costs, it leaves us with the beginnings of a possible food shortage. How bad it will be remains to be seen, but if history is any indicator and Mr. Celente is right again, we may be in trouble.

What I do not understand of the whole issue is why are the news agencies not covering this?

Does Humanity Have a Chance?

Found this on the web...

Stephen Hawking Is Right

Stephen Hawking is right. The real chance for human DNA to stay alive is to leave Earth for another home, an unprecedented migration that takes our earthly evolutionary adaptations someplace where there will be few similarities--and even less oxygen.

Polar caps melting. Permafrost thawing. Bacteria frozen and inactive for eons begins to thrive and reproduce. Reproduction means more live bacteria and life generates heat. The exposed ground on the poles and under melted glaciers begins to generate heat long dormant in the frozen earth. More warming, more thawing.

Weather patterns will get more severe. Storms bigger and windier and wetter and colder. Heat waves longer and hotter and drier. Insurance against “natural” disaster will cease to exist.

The greenhouse layer thickens, holding in more heat, likely to reach a new equilibrium sometime, but meanwhile the planet heats up more and more. Running on geologic time, the planet will reiterate its long history without life and periods of stability punctuated by quick and dramatic changes—meteors, shifts in the poles, etc. It will remind us that we are not in charge and not a permanent fixture; that this rock in the middle of a vast space matters little to anyone but humans and does quite well without them. It will echo its history that there was an earth in orbit around the sun before it had oxygen and liquid water and continents that became differentiated by their place on earth in relationship to the sun.

Population control is too little too late. Erlich was right. China will continue to grab its new share of the brass rings. The USA and Europe will continue to behave as if there’s time to make changes and see them take effect before something catastrophic happens. Most people will not accept the true magnitude of the process because it’s a terrifying look down the gaping maw of the doomsday machine they helped build and now can’t control. People who do not understand and those who cannot name or face their own sensibilities will turn to fear-based religions more. Religion will become more repressive, more conservative and more tribal. The people inclined to accept the science of global warming will cease to speak out for fear of retribution. They will become increasing self-interested and survival focused. They will move away from the coasts and seek climates that they predict will support simple life—a back-to-the-earth movement spawned by immanent necessity, no longer the quaint yearnings of peace-loving potheads.

Until recently the human lifespan took care of much that we face. Children grew to productive work and reproductive status sooner. Mature adults wore out their bodies faster and fatal diseases found a welcome ecology in the aging body. Economically we individually consumed less of the earth’s resources, consumed those resources for a shorter period of time, and did not live so long beyond our biological lifespan of birth, growth, reproductive success, raising offspring to reproductive success, and death.

I’m a first-year baby boomer. I have two adult children who don’t need me. I have no grandchildren to tug at my heartstrings, enticing me to live longer so I can enjoy them. I am unmarried. My life is no longer biologically justifiable. I am not needed. I am beyond creating anything and will only consume from now on, maybe for the next 20-25 years. Old people are the ultimate consumers, and yet they are also our biggest crop. What to do? What to do?

Yet we continue to reproduce, our DNA demanding that we assure its perpetuation, mindless of quality of life issues that will occur 60 years in the future. Nature doesn’t really handle the thought of a future very well yet. Neither do we.

Some people will survive. It will be the smart ones (not necessarily the intellectuals) compelled by a fear then recognize and can define. Those who possess genetic adaptations that will only be revealed as earth conditions change are also going to make it. The earth will still be in balance just as it always is, but the fulcrum will shift dramatically requiring the shift of unequal weights at unequal distances on either side. Leverage will be everything. The question: will the smaller weight (brains and courage) develop sufficient leverage to overcome the mass of the larger weight (consumption and growth gone amok)?

So what do smart brains with organized determination to to survive and thrive do? Do they buy land high on the side of a mountain so the oceans won’t reach them. Where is the climate most likely to remain conducive to human life and all that supports it? Where will one be most safe from the unraveling social fabric of humanity? How will reproductive success be determined and survival assured?

In these last few centuries humans have deceived ourselves into thinking we're somehow escaping Darwinian considerations. We adjusted the notion of survival of the fittest into a popular competitive phrase when it isn’t about competition at all, but rather, about adaptations that simply make one organism more capable of reproduction and growth to reproductive maturity than another organism.

While the ability to effectively gather and use scarce resources has always been a part of evolutionary reproductive success, we in prosperous societies have gone about addressing and stalling that issue by providing support to those who would otherwise not live to reproductive maturity—social welfare programs, foster homes, food stamps, free inoculations, shelters, drugs, sanitation, medical intervention and incarceration. It is a luxury now transformed into an entitlement that we find increasingly difficult to continue.

Essentially, I'm asking, does the world run better when people possess heart or brains? The answer: we need both and we need to increase their quality and capabilities, no matter whether mankind lives or dies. And in order to develop the true capacities of our heart and brains, we need the courage to face the future, realize that when Stephen Hawking talks about moving to another planet, he’s not assuming it will be a better place than earth, but suggesting that mankind’s possible salvation may depend on taking the risk.

The days when we can solve the situation by planting more trees, driving fewer, more efficient cars, recycling more paper and developing alternative energy sources may well be relegated to naive wishful thinking long before we expect them. The notion that global warming will be gradual and not exponential may reassure us, but also may be the source of our doom.

The smart question today: what can I do to assure than I and the people I love will continue to thrive amidst future conditions that are most likely to make life more unpredictable, more stressful and more threatening—all while fighting the real war of the world to save the planet from ourselves? The answer cannot be found in our current crowd of political leaders, in our meaningless and excessive consumption, nor in our wasteful extravagances and shallow values. And we cannot take a decade to contemplate the answer, no matter what Al Gore hopes is true.

We need to acknowledge that our first step must be to move beyond a comfortable complacency that invites us to delude ourselves with social platitudes and baseless faith that it’s all OK and nothing is irreversibly amiss—that little measures will produce big results. Right now, right here, we need our best brains, our best moral unity and a tough, overwhelming courage to assure our future.