Matthew Manning, Still Psychic After All These Years

Here, I've added a great documentary of the young Matthew Manning beginning his psychic career. For his current stuff, visit his website (MatthewManning.net), he's still going strong, bending spoons, healings, etc.  I'm not recommending him over your own powers to heal by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but I am recommending him as one very cool guy living the psychic dream. 

The history of Matthew is that he became a thing in the 1960's as the focus of sustained poltergeist activity. These allegations were investigated (in the below video) by the Cambridge mathematician and psychical researcher, A. R. G. Owen. From 1971, long scripts appeared on Manning's bedroom walls, apparently penned by signatories from the seventeenth century onward. Manning realised that he could quell this poltergeist activity through the practice of automatic drawing and writings. It was noted at the time that Manning had been researching history as part of his school work. According to Joe Nickell who made an in-depth study of Manning's writings, they contain internal inconsistencies and the "signatures" are completely inaccurate for historical individuals. Nickell concluded that Manning has "traits associated with a fantasy-prone personality" and there is no evidence he possesses genuine paranormal powers.

Regarding his automatic drawings, he claimed to draw in the styles of many famous artists including Pablo Picasso. Manning told The San Francisco Examiner that an art expert at Sotheby's in London had thought one of his Picasso copies so good it might be mistaken for an original. The sceptic James Randi investigated this claim by writing to the gallery. A Sotheby's official replied that the claim was "absolutely not true" as they were forgeries of existing works. Manning told the London Daily Mirror his drawing of a monkey had caused "great excitement" because it was strikingly similar to an original by Jan Savery that the Rijksmuseum kept locked away from public display in a vault. This was also investigated by Randi who wrote a letter to the museum and it was discovered the claim was false as the original was on display to the public, not locked up in a vault.

Manning was also tested for psychokinetic abilities by parapsychologist William G. Braud of the Mind Science Foundation in the late 1970s, with results that, according to Braud and coauthors in a psychical research paper published in 1979, were better than chance. Additionally during this time, it was reported that he could "bend metal paranormally, affect electrical equipment, move compass needles, and make medical diagnoses." The magician John Booth has written Manning's metal bending is a magic trick performed while lightly stroking the object. The physicists John Taylor and Eduardo Balanovski tested Manning in distance viewing and the results proved "completely unsuccessful".

So that's the poop,  Truth is this guy is still around, and just as they called Madame Blavatsky and scam artist, they do the same to Matthew, however, those of us with eyes to see see beyond the pragmatics who suffocate anything they don't understand.  

My personal experience is psychic powers are hard to control.  I've only started understanding mine after 60 years of life.  For this guy to find his so young is a thing to be honorned, here on EsotericDaily.com

~~ Eso Terry 

Nazca Lines Seen From Sky

I hate to be the bearer of bad news. I try to be upbeat, positive, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but, well:

Plane carrying European tourists crashes in Peru, killing 13 people on Nazca
What does it all mean?
First, a quick refresher on the Nazca lines (according to https://www.britannica.com/place/Nazca-Lines):

"Nazca Lines, groups of geoglyphs, large line drawings that appear, from a distance, to be etched into Earth’s surface on the arid Pampa Colorada (“Coloured Plain” or “Red Plain”), northwest of the city of Nazca in southern Peru. They extend over an area of nearly 190 square miles (500 square km).

Most of the Nazca Lines were constructed more than 2,000 years ago by the people of the Nazca culture (c. 200 bce–600 ce), though some clearly predate the Nazca and are considered to be the work of the earlier Paracas culture. While the images dated to the Paracas are often humanlike and bear some resemblance to still earlier petroglyphs in the region, the subjects of the Nazca-made lines are generally plants and animals—such as a monkey (some 360 feet [110 metres] long), a killer whale (210 feet [65 metres]), a bird resembling a condor (443 feet [135 metres]), a hummingbird (165 feet [50 metres]), a pelican (935 feet [285 metres]), a spider (150 feet [46 metres]), and various flowers, trees, and other plants—as well as geometric shapes, including triangles, trapezoids, and spirals. Although the figures have been said to be virtually indecipherable from ground level, some claim that one cannot understand their meaning without walking what are now believed by some to be the sacred paths.

Since their discovery in the 1920s, the lines have been variously interpreted, but their significance remains largely shrouded in mystery. The American historian Paul Kosok observed the lines from an airplane in 1941 and hypothesized that they were drawn for astronomical purposes. María Reiche, a German translator who spent years studying the site and lobbying for its preservation, concluded that it was a huge astronomical calendar and that some of its animal sketches were modeled after groupings of stars in the night sky. In 1967, however, the American astrophysicist Gerald Hawkins found no correlation between changes in the celestial bodies and the design of the Nazca Lines."

And of course, there is the Ancient Aliens theories that the lines were a signal to the UFO's that came at the beginning of our civilizations. I won't go to deep into that here, but I believe the Aliens are from the future, but can manifest in the past through time travel. This explains why we don't see them now, they haven't arrived yet! -- my meds work, trust me.

Now, the importance of the tourist plane crash is just another of my omens that shit is about to hit the fan. This goes with my stock market crash prediction, Donald Trump's Omen, and of course my premonition that one of the big three leaders, Trump, Putin, Xi, will soon die., not to forget that a 2000 year old stature of Athena has been dug up, and that Homer's Odyssey is the top movie playing this summer, can there be any doubt something is happening with the gods -- or future Aliens -- telling us to stop what we're doing and pay attention to the climate change, poverty, depleted resources (to name a few)?

Now, don't be alarmed, this is all a part of the divine plan, so roll with it. I mean, to not do so is just outright delusional.

What is significant about the Nazca plane crash is signifiant because of a few things:

1. Thirteen people died, "Thirteen" means a few things, first, in the Major Arcana of the Tarot, the 13th card is Death. Contrary to popular fear, when upright this card signifies transformation, endings, and rebirth rather than literal death.

Then, the teachings of Jesus are framed around the formula 1 + 12 (Christ plus the apostles), producing thirteen. According to Pythagorean philosophy, one added to twelve creates an unlimited number, symbolising transcendence beyond completion. Through this principle, miracles—such as the multiplication of loaves and fishes—are said to occur.

Thirteen represents an all-or-nothing law of destiny:Death through failure and degeneration
Rebirth through regeneration and transformation

It is also the sacred number of the Great Goddess, reflected in the thirteen lunar cycles of the year.

2. As stated above, the Nazca Lines at the very least, are a message to the heavens, or possibly an answer, and I'll say a warning to us today that we need to obey the heavens or else.

3. The plane went down on August 2nd, 2026. Numerologically speaking, that's 8-2-2026 that's 20 = 2. "Two" is the coming together of feminine forces. Which I've have written about before with the Age of Aquarius. And what we are witnessing now in the world with all this Nationalism is the last grasp of the Masculine forces that have been ruling the world since the time of Jesus, or beginning of the Age of Pisces. This is the positive force that will happen after the negative troubles we will soon experience.

Finally, in the blogesphere, people are writing about how bad the aircraft was, some say they flew it and the warning lights kept flashing. Whatever the case may be, those flashing lights aren't only on that plane. They are all around us.

~~ Eso Terry

June 25th: A Time for Pagan Weddings and the 250th Anniversary of the USA's "Enlightened Despotism"

Ever wonder why May and June are the wedding months? Could be that on June 25th in the Blekinge province of Sweden, the pagan Midsummer Bride is still chosen from among the young women as she was in pre-christian times. She then selects a Bridegroom. Money is collected from the onlookers for the "happy couple." At the end of the daylong festivities, the collected money is distributed among the local charities and churches.

Hmmmm, isn't marriage a Christian union? Those damn pagans of old just keep popping back up and ruining the story!

Also, on June 25th, 1933, thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses gathered in Berlin to draft the "Declaration of Facts," a formal document attempting to appease the new Nazi regime by stating they were strictly non-political. The Gestapo immediately rejected this and began arresting them and closing their offices. 

That's scary.

And on this June 25th, 2026, President Donald J. Trump opens the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C. The multi-week event—part of the nationwide 250th birthday celebration—features pavilions and exhibits from all 56 U.S. states and territories. Why is this exoteric? Answer: June 25th serves as a focal point in academic analysis of autocratic rule, particularly the 18th-century "enlightened despotism" era when monarchs—such as Frederick the Great of Prussia and Catherine the Great of Russia—attempted to incorporate Enlightenment principles to consolidate and expand absolute state power. 

That's right, the founder of "Enlightened Despotism," Frederick the Great, explained it as: "My principal occupation is to combat ignorance and prejudice ... to enlighten minds, cultivate morality, and to make people as happy as it suits human nature, and as the means at my disposal permit." 

Frederick wrote an essay on "Benevolent Despotism" defending this system of government in which he abolished torture, streamlined the judicial system, and established a unified code of law to ensure faster, fairer trials for citizens. Frederick practiced broad religious freedom, famously stating that "in my kingdom, everyone can go to heaven in their own way." He even allowed a Catholic cathedral and a synagogue to be built alongside Protestant churches in Berlin. He introduced state-sponsored, mandatory primary education and boosted the economy by draining swamps, diverting rivers (like the Oder) to create farmland, and popularizing crops like the potato. 

Frederick was an intellectual who patronized arts and sciences, hosting prominent Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire at his palace. While he philosophically opposed Machiavellian rule in his early writings, he was a relentless military commander who expanded Prussia's borders through aggressive wars (like the Seven Years' War). His reforms were designed to strengthen the state and increase tax revenue for the military, rather than to grant democratic freedoms or decentralize his absolute power.

Yes, something to think about this June 25 when we begin our 250th year celebration as a... Democracy(?)

~~ Eso Terry 

AI to the rescue in Finding this 1960's Marimba beauty.

This may not be Esoteric to you, but it is to me, for I purchased an old 16mm footage of a woman playing the marimba with a Hawaiin Lei around her neck from the 60's. The cover had "Hawaiin-Jodie-Show in Las Vegas" written on it. I googled and no research came back, well, one did, but she was Ruth Underwood who played for Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Inventions, I was pretty sure it wasn't her. So I uploaded this screenprint of her from my 16mm film to google and asked AI who it was. 

And off this poor quality 16mm image, I got the following answers:

"This low-light, vintage style photo makes it difficult to definitively identify the exact performer based on facial recognition alone. However, the visual styling—a strapless gown paired with a high-neck wrapped scarf—strongly mirrors the classic mid-century lounge era of Las Vegas entertainment.

To help narrow down the identity, could you provide a bit more context? If you can share the approximate decade the photo was taken or the name of the venue (such as the Sands, Caesars Palace, or the Flamingo), I can help you cross-reference historical show archives."

Then I put "Jodie" and got this:

"The hint about a Hawaiian show completely unlocks this vintage photo. The performer you are thinking of is Jonie (often misspelled as Jodie) from the iconic Jonie and the Halekulani Boys, a highly popular Hawaiian musical act that regularly performed in Las Vegas during the mid-20th century lounge boom."

Then I put in "what was Jonie, of Jonie and the Haledulani Boys, last name:

"While Jonie was widely known strictly by her first name on marquee billings and album covers during her Las Vegas residencies, historical music and union records list her full legal name as Jonie Barcarse.

The Family Connection

The act was heavily anchored by family ties. The "Halekulani Boys" backing her featured her husband, Al "Pops" Makahinu Barcarse, a deeply respected multi-instrumentalist, steel guitarist, and singer. Following their successful decades performing across the Las Vegas Strip, the couple dedicated much of their later lives to passing down traditional Hawaiian culture, music, and language to younger generations.

If you are hunting for their music, checking vintage vinyl listings under both "Jonie and the Halekulani Boys" and "Al Barcarse" will yield the best results for their classic recordings."

I wasn't interested in knowing more, maybe you are.  

Here is the 16mm clip I posted for the records of this beautiful woman beating the marimba in her prime:

The Five Chinese Brothers

You could say that the Five Chinese Brothers is a story about the deep bond of love between brothers. You could say that the Five Chinese Brothers is a story about deception. You can say whatever, but the fact is, it touches something deep inside of us. 

I first read the story as a kid. It is actually the first book I remember reading on my own. I remember loving the thought of being in an ocean bottom without water. I didn't think about the boy dying in the water, or the men facing death sentences for having killed him. I do know it was better than any of the other books available to me as a five-year-old seeker. This is why I have digitized the school film of this book for my friends here on EsotericDaily.com.  I think this was the first book that touched my esoteric soul.  The scene where the man inhales the ocean in his lungs revealing the depth of the sea, was my inner esoteric-child crying out for something deeper than the "See Jane Run" books on the shelf with it. Maybe you are the same. Enjoy the film.

Esoteric Emily Dickinson

Some keep the Sabbath going to Church –
I keep it, staying at Home –

Emily wrote the above words in one of her many unnamed poems. When I read those words, at 16, I was liberated from organized religion.

Maybe I was Emily in a previous life, she calls out to me like no others.

On the night I found out I had cancer, I dreamed of Emily Dickinson, and it was the isolationist in me that marveled at her, I'm sure. I'll share her documentary at the end of this post, but she spent most of her life in her bedroom, she also died not knowing she would be immortal because of her words, or did she? Her words seem to suggest she knew she would live forever in words.

Fame is a bee.
It has a song –
It has a sting –
Ah, too, it has a wing.

She definitely thought of fame's immortality in her poem about death:

Because I could not stop for Death –

He kindly stopped for me –

The Carriage held but just Ourselves –

And Immortality.



We slowly drove – He knew no haste

And I had put away

My labor and my leisure too,

For His Civility –



We passed the School, where Children strove

At Recess – in the Ring –

We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –

We passed the Setting Sun –



Or rather – He passed Us –

The Dews drew quivering and Chill –

For only Gossamer, my Gown –

My Tippet – only Tulle –



We paused before a House that seemed

A Swelling of the Ground –

The Roof was scarcely visible –

The Cornice – in the Ground –



Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet

Feels shorter than the Day

I first surmised the Horses' Heads

Were toward Eternity –


But how did she know she would be famous? Her work was mostly rejected in her lifetime. How could she have known she would live "Eternity" in words?

Regardless,

there is no doubt that Emily,

was an,

 Esotericist.

~~ Eso Terry Poem to Emily.

The reason I wrote my poem calling Emily an Esotericist, is because of her own words in the following poem of hers:

’T WAS later when the summer went
Than when the cricket came,
And yet we knew that gentle clock
Meant nought but going home.

’T was sooner when the cricket went
Than when the winter came,
Yet that pathetic pendulum
Keeps esoteric time.

~Emily Dickinson

The Alchemist in the Cathedrals

Today, let's talk about the Alchemist in the Cathedrals, more precisely, the Gothic cathedrals. They are the Christian Gothic Cathedrals designed to impress the Pagans to the point of immediate conversion. They were impressive.  A closer look; however, points to the Pagan hold that has never left us as a people. This truth can be found in the writings of Fulconelli, in his Le Mystère des Cathédrales (The Mystery of the Cathedrals). In this writing I will cover the cathedrals of Notre Dame and Amiens, a good representation of the alchemist messages left to us in stone. 

The first thing Fulconelli wants us to understand is that we have fundamentally misread the Gothic buildings. We call this architecture Gothic.  And we assume the name refers to the Goth tribes of barbarian Europe. But Fulconelli plays with the sounds of words and he invites us to listen differently in French, where Art Gothique (Gothic Art) is a phonetic corruption of Art Got, or Art Gothic, which sounds like artgot or art of light.

Through this lens, Fulcanelli suggests that Gothic cathedrals are not just places of worship, but repositories of hidden knowledge, designed by initiated masters to demonstrate the alchemical great work through light and stone.

The cathedrals speak in a phonetic Kabbalah. The very name of the style is a pun hiding in plain sight. And this observation points to something deeper. The medieval builders, Fulconelli argued, were not simply craftsmen or pious Christians; they were initiates of an ancient tradition. They possessed knowledge that could not be spoken openly, knowledge that the church, at various times in history, would have considered heretical, even dangerous.

So they encoded it. They wrote it in stone, in sculpture, in the placement of figures and symbols that most viewers would dismiss as mere decoration.

Think of it this way. A manuscript can be burned. A book can be altered, censored, lost. This is what Fulconelli calls the sanctuary of the tradition. The cathedral; however, is a stone book that cannot be destroyed. And the tradition it preserves, he claims, is the same scientific and spiritual knowledge that built the pyramids of Egypt and the temples of Greece. It is universal, it is ancient, and it has been waiting for you to learn its alphabet.

                                              

Let us walk now to the central porch of Notre Dame de Paris. Most visitors glance at the sculptural program and see biblical scenes, the last judgment, the lives of the saints, etc.. But Fulconelli directs our attention to a particular figure, a woman seated on a throne. She holds a ladder in her hands. Her head touches the clouds. This, he tells us, is alchemy herself. The ladder she holds is the symbol of patience, the patient step-by-step ascent that the great work requires. This is not magic in the sense of instant transformation. this is craft. Beneath her, carved into the stone base are other stages of the alchemical process, and the first stage, the essential, unavoidable first step, is represented by a black crow.

The crow represents what the alchemists called putrefactio, putrefaction. The blackening, the rotting.This is perhaps the most important teaching in the entire alchemical tradition. And it deserves our careful attention.

Nothing transforms without first decomposing. The seed must rot in the earth before it can germinate. The caterpillar must dissolve into formless soup inside the chrysalis before it becomes a butterfly. The old self must die before the new self can be born.

The crow is black because this stage is dark. It feels like failure. It feels like the end. The alchemists called it the nigredo, the blackness. And they taught that when you see this sign, when you find yourself in the darkest night of the soul, when everything you were seems to be falling apart, you are not failing; you are beginning. This is what the crow announces. The first sign of success in the great work is the appearance of darkness.

Elsewhere on the porch, Fulcanelli identifies a figure he calls the alchemist of Notre Dame, an old man wearing a Phrygian cap, the ancient symbol of the initiate. This figure stands watching, observing what he calls the evolution of mineral life. He guards the athenor, the occult furnace in which the transformation takes place. And here is the secret hidden in the sculpture. The furnace is not merely physical. The athenor is also you.

The transformation of metal and the transformation of the human being are parallel operations, governed by the same laws, requiring the same patient fire, the fire and the dew.

Now, let us travel north to the cathedral at Amiens. Here, Fulcanelli draws our attention to a symbol he calls the fire of the wheel. It is carved into the stone, depicting a gentle, constant flame. Not a violent conflagration, but a sustained, rhythmic heat. This teaching is subtle, but crucial. The great work is not accomplished by intensity alone. You cannot force transformation by burning hot and fast. The fire must be constant and equal, maintained day and night, as the old texts say. It must turn like a wheel, steady and patient, neither flaring up nor dying down.

Think of how this applies to your own practice, whatever that practice may be. Meditation, prayer, creative work, study. The temptation is always to burn bright for a moment and then exhaust yourself. The temptation is to push hard, achieve quickly, and then collapse. But the alchemists knew that true transformation takes a different kind of fire. A fire that does not consume itself. A fire that can be sustained for years, for decades, for a lifetime. This is the fire of the wheel, gentle, rhythmic, unceasing.

But fire alone is not enough. The sculptures at Amiens also teach that the first matters of the work, the raw material upon which the alchemist operates, must be reduced to a primitive, inert state. They are symbolized by dead trees, by bare branches, by matter stripped of life. This echoes the teaching of the crow. Before rebirth, there must be death. Before the tree blooms again, it must pass through winter.

The alchemist takes what appears to be dead matter and, through the patient application of fire and a secret agent, brings it back to life. And what is this secret agent? Fulcanelli speaks of it as the universal spirit, sometimes called the dew of May. It is described as a celestial substance, a vital force that descends from above and animates what is dead. The alchemist must learn to capture and concentrate this spirit. To apply it to the prepared matter at precisely the right moment. In practical terms, this suggests something profound. Transformation requires not only your own effort, but also a receptivity to something greater than yourself. The fire is yours to maintain. But the dew work is a partnership between human discipline and divine grace. The pilgrim's path.

Of course, there is more. There always is more, and here at EsotericDaily.com, I will give you more, in dew time my friends.

Emily Dickinson's Karma Connection With T.W. Higginson.

 

 This is a 70's 16mm film I've had for years and want to share It is the letters Emily wrote T.W. Higginson, and his thoughts on the matter. As a Buddhist, I see how they are connected. Their relationship was never physical - this lifetime - they only met briefly twice, but were bounded by karma. We all have these relationships, contacts, that we know once were more and will be again, but not this lifetime.

~~ Eso Terry

Paracelsus As Seen by Academia - Film

The God-Fearing Paracelsus left us some good stories. In this college film played for students of medicine in the 60's, two things are apparent: 1. They were a lot smarter when it came to literature for they quote "Faust," and 2. Operations haven't changed much, a little more automated, but basically the setup.

~~ Eso Terry

Morning Star or Pentagram

The Pentagram, or Morning Star, is nothing to fear (or worship) boys and girls, it's an ancient symbol of harmony, health and mystical powers; nothing more, nothing less. 

The Pentagram, an astro-alchemical hieroglyph, is a geometric, five-pointed star with interwoven bars that can appear either isolated or within a circle, usually with one point uppermost, imbued with many esoteric qualities. Some commonly used alternative names for the pentagram include pentacle, pentangle, and pentalpha. It is believed to have originated over 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, as a graphic description of the astronomical movements observed in the conjunctions between the planet Venus and the Sun. Representing Venus, the pentagram is also known as the morning star.

Passing through Sumerian and then Egyptian cultures the pentagram is argued as being the original device central to the Seal of Solomon as well as serving as the ancient seal of Jerusalem for 150 years.

Many interpretations exist for the meaning of this mystical star, reaching across many cultures, religions and ages, mostly being of a positive or ‘good’ nature. Pythagorean mystics in ancient Greece interpreted the symbol as being the sum of the numbers two, (representing feminine/terrestrial), and three, (representing masculine/celestial), making five, the microcosm of the human mind and spirit. From that time, the symbol increasingly took on greater occult and religious significance. The five points came to represent, for Christians, the protective power of the Five Wounds of Christ; for alchemists and Gnostics, the five elements of spirit, air, fire, water, and earth; for medieval sorcerers and magicians, the force of Solomon over nature and the spirit world. 

Like the circle, the ‘endless’ attribute of the pentagram represents perfection, continuity and eternity, with the power of binding evil forces and elements and therefore denoting good luck. As illustrated by Leonardo, the symbol is an allegory of the outstretched figure, the microcosm of man reflecting his integral personality and potential perfection.

Talismans and amulets were frequently created using the pentacle as their focal point, often with the addition of Latin or Cabalistic Hebrew characters and within a protective circle. These could be drawn on virgin calfskin or chalked onto doors and floors, or fashioned from metals, ivory, etc as rings and amulets and inscribed in wood, rock or bone.

As with other emotively meaningful symbols, the pentacle’s inversion is usually, though not exclusively, used to mean the ‘Goat’s foot’, or Devil’s Goat, representing Satan, and the ‘black hand’ in medieval magic. 

Elvis was a Closet Esoterist

As a kid I wanted to be like Elvis.  I'll admit it.  I listened to the records of Elvis my folks had, learned guitar, and even became a Christian to sing gospel songs like Elvis.  Of course, as with my spiritual journey I've written about that took me from a Christian, to Atheist, Pagan, and finally, Buddhist from Zen to Nichiren where I finally found the answers I was looking for, I outgrew Elvis with the Beatles. 

As I grew I viewed Elvis as a materialist lost in the Christian myth.  I turned away from him and elevated my Rock and Roll tastes to the esoteric sounds of Led Zepplin, and thought Elvis was part of the exoteric problem.  Of course, now, after the book The Occult Elvis,  I see I was wrong for it has come out that Elvis was a closet Esoterist. 

As Miguel Conner explores in his book The Occult Elvis: The Mystical and Magical Life of The King, Presley had a deep interest in spiritual matters from the time he was young, and it did not take long for him to look beyond the tight confines of traditional Christianity.  His roots were in Pentecostalism, an evangelical Protestant movement centered on speaking in tongues.  Yes, those Christians that even other Christians think are weird. 

Elvis may not have spoken in tongues, but as Conner's book explains, "To deepen this direct connection, Presley turned to non-Christian texts like Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, which he read while stationed with the Army in Germany shortly after his beloved mother’s death in 1958. Though he had been only a fair student, he was a voracious reader, next turning to the essential texts of Theosophy—he loved H.P. Blavatsky’s Voice of the Silence so much that during his later career, he occasionally read from it on stage to a bemused crowd—and the very challenging works of Alice Bailey."

According to Peter Orvetti of the Theosopical Society review on Esoteric Elvis: "...there was one special reason why Elvis was so taken with Blavatsky: she strongly resembled Elvis’s late mother. On seeing a famous portrait of Blavatsky, Elvis remarked, 'Look at the eyes . . . The shape of the face, the cheekbones. I’ve never seen anything like it.'"

Madame Blavatsky

“For Elvis, the Bible was sacred, the blueprint of creation in allegorical and metaphoric form,” said Larry Geller, the hairdresser who, according to Conner, became “Elvis’s Guru.” “But his interest went beyond the orthodox, extending into Gnostic and esoteric literature” Geller added.

Presley met Geller in 1964, and they got to talking about spiritual stuff during a lengthy salon session. Geller was a self-taught student of the occult, and in him, Presley had finally found someone he could discuss these questions with. He gave Elvis books to read and got him into meditation, and with the exception of a brief falling out after Presley’s controlling manager, Colonel Tom Parker, convinced Elvis that Geller was a bad influence, he would remain Presley’s friend and guide until the latter’s death.

So there you have it boys and girls, Elvis was a closet Esoterist, but then, we already knew that, didn't we(?)

Elvis with his mom, not Madame Blavatsky, or was it?....

 

~~ Eso Terry  

Colorless World and the Rainbow - a children's video.

 An esoteric Rainbow message for those with eyes to see, to see. 

Esoteric Beards

Beards have been a thing since COVID. I grew one then and still have it. So did many of you. Having a beard these days is really cool, the flag of a modern-day hipster, the remnants of an aging hippy. Although beards appear to be fashion, esoterically speaking, they are more, much more. Beards are part of what Carl Jung called our Collective Consciousness, and so let's look at this Collective Consciousness together. 

Bearded Venus 

Today we see beards on athletes, musicians, actors, etc. Visually, they are associated with aesthetic jews, the Sunnah beard (a beard worn in the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad), and of course the beatnik's of the 50's, hippies of the 60's, and Nirvana grunge of the 80's. These are the external, or exoteric, images we associate with a beard, but esoterically speaking beards were regarded by the ancients of the middle east as a token of wisdom and a sign of power. So much so that even some of the Great Goddesses of the early Mediterranean cultures were depicted with beards, including a number of Bearded Venuses in Greece. 

In ancient Mesopotamia the beard was a mark of virility and many worth, and was carefully shaped and tended to give it distinction. Assyrian beards were meticulously arranged in tiers of circular curls stiffened with perfumed gum. 

In Islamic countries the beard was considered the supreme badge of male dignity for the faithful. Traditionally all the prophets of old before the time of Muhammad. Speaking of Muhammad, in "The Beast Within," by Benjamin Walker, he quotes the honored profit as having said, "Do the opposite of the polytheists, and let your beard grow long." Walker also states that Muslims used to "swear by the beard of the Prophet, and consider it a great insult to have their beard pulled."

Yes, beards were a thing until Alexander the Great forbade his soldiers to grow beards because they provided a convenient handle for the enemy. After that shaving became the thing gentlemen did for centuries leaving beards for the priesthood and nobility. 

In the reign of Elizabeth I there was a tax on beards in England. In Eastern Europe and especially Russia beards remained in vogue until Peter the Great decided to reform his country in line with western Europe and put a tax on beards and personally cut off beards of anyone he came across. 

Besides being a sign of manliness the beard was often regarded as a sign of mature wisdom. It was even believed that stroking the beard assisted thought and deliberations. Hence, the gesture of stroking the beard was often satirized to signify an imminent pontifical utterance that turns out to be worthless.

It has been argued that the beard, being the attribute of a mature male, must require a considerable amount of male energy to help it grow. But when the beard is full grown, the energy normally diverted to grow it becomes available for virile purposes. The beard should therefore never be cut by anyone who wishes to preserve his manhood unimpaired. 

Of courses, being a man who has grown a beard I call bullshit on the beard being anything but facial hair.  I mean, you never saw Buddha with a beard, did you? 

Putting all I've written on beards aside, there is a very real coinkydink with beards and history that should scare us all, and that is how divided our country is today between Right and Left political beliefs.  It is a divide not seen since the Civil War (1861-1865) when the US was torn apart with bloodshed in this country we haven't seen since. Now, consider this fact as reported in Google Arts and Culture, that "The American Civil War (1861-1865) coincided with a rise in the popularity of men’s full facial hair during the mid-19th century. Contemporary photography captured men’s experimentation with an endless variety of styles, including mustaches, muttonchops, underbeards and sideburns. President Abraham Lincoln embraced the widespread trend himself when he grew his iconic beard in 1860."

Yes, brothers and sisters, all the masculine facial hair we see today, is a sign of the inevitable troubles to come if we don't come together as human race, and live together as one. 

~~ Eso Terry  

 

 

Frosty the Buddhist Snowman.

It's Christmas Time, my favorite time of the year.

And yes, Christmas has always been a Buddhist Holiday to me, especially when I hear that phrase of "Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All."

That's the one that has stayed with me as I've grown from a Christian in my childhood, to a Zen, Tibetan, and finally, at last, the answer: Nichiren Buddhist by way of the Soka Gakkai, where I chant and pray for World Peace and Good Will to All, twice a day.

Of all the Christmas songs you hear this year, the one I hope you pay most attention to is Frosty the Snowman, for it is the most blatant buddhist Christmas song ever, and here's why.

First, let me sing the song for you -- please hold onto you ears as I do, for a good singer I am not.

Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
And two eyes made out of coal


Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say
He was made of snow, but the children know
How he came to life one day


There must have been some magic in
That old silk hat they found
For when they placed it on his head
He began to dance around


Oh, Frosty the snowman
Was alive as he could be
And the children say he could laugh and play
Just the same as you and me

[Chorus]
Thumpety-thump-thump
Thumpety-thump-thump
Look at Frosty go
Thumpety-thump-thump
Thumpety-thump-thump
Over the hills of snow

[Verse 2]
Ooh Frosty the snowman
Knew the sun was hot that day
So he said, "Let's run and we'll have some fun
Now before I melt away."


Down to the village
With a broomstick in his hand
Running here and there all around the square
Saying, "Catch me if you can!"


He led them down the streets of town
Right to the traffic cop
And he only paused a moment when
He heard him holler, "Stop!"


Oh, Frosty the snowman
Had to hurry on his way
But he waved goodbye, saying
"Don't you cry, I'll be back again someday."


Frosty, as we all remember, is “a jolly happy soul.” Born of heaven’s (Tibetan) white falling snow and seeing through his earthy black eyes of coal, his spirit is that of a child, but his foreknowledge of his own demise places him outside the realm of the purely innocent children. His crucial conflict—our crucial conflict—is this: Frosty the Snowman knew the sun was hot that day. Life is suffering, death will come, is coming. Yet, Frosty’s response is astonishing! “Let’s run and have some fun,” he says, “before I melt away.” Frosty is delivering the wisdom of the Buddha, and one can almost picture him meditating on the mantra Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as he is dashing through the snow. Frosty teaches the children that there is heaven in the present moment.

Frosty leads the children out of the pastoral forest into the town where the group faces the complications of daily life in the stern and officious police officer, who hollers, “Stop!” There is a temptation to dwell in the realm of fear, but Frosty’s stop in the town square is momentary. Time is too fleeting, too precious. The children must learn—while they can—how to play, for as we all know, nothing lasts forever and Frosty must “hurry on his way.”

As Frosty faces his own melting with the acceptance of Nichiren Daishonen, he teaches us the Buddha's most valuable lesson, that we will face death, but will return, or as Frosty says, "Don’t you cry, I’ll be back again someday." Then he fearlessly dances over the hills of snow back to the forest. Frosty shows us that our time is short, but that does not mean it has to be lived in fear and sadness.

Finally, as Second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda once said, and I paraphrase, "It's delusional to think you won't die!"

So, Happy Holiday's Brothers and Sisters, and let's be like Frosty before we melt away.

Acrostic Poem Edgar Allan Poe Knows

Not long ago, I came across this archaic poem that read funny to me.

On the surface, it was one of those nineteenth-century love poems

that makes little sense to us now because of its big words mixed with

our Artificially Ignorant (AI) minds from "clicking now" for anything

that we need, anytime we want. But that wasn't on my mind as I

reread those words several times searching for the correct

understanding associate with each letter. That's when the secret

meaning came to me: it's not just a well worded poem, it's an Acrostic

Poem. 

What Sayeth You, AI?

What is an Acrostic Poem? 

Acrostic writing is a form of poetry where the first letter of each line, read vertically, spells out a word or phrase. 

Expert Samples From The Experts Watching Over Us. 

This poem is one of several acrostics Poe wrote for the amusement of female admirers. Here, the first letter of each line spells “Elizabeth.” In the following text, the key for the acrostic is shown in red: 

Elizabethitisinvainyousay 

Lovenotthousayestitinsosweetaway 

InvainthosewordsfromtheeorLEL 

Zantippestalentshadenforcedsowell 

Ahifthatlanguagefromthyheartarise 

Breatheitlessgentlyforthandveilthineeyes 

EndymionrecollectwhenLunatried 

Tocurehislovewascuredofallbeside 

Hisfollyprideandpassionforhedied 

The poem was never published during his lifetime. It was discovered by James H. Whitty, who in his 1911 edition of Poe's poems printed it with the title “From an Album.” 

L. E. L. is presumably Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802-1838), a popular English poetess who typically signed her poems with those initials. 

Zantippe is actually Xanthippe, the wife of the famous Greek philosopher Socrates. Poe intentionally misspelled the name for the sake of the acrostic. Xanthippe, sometimes also spelled Xantippe, was known for her quick and violent temper. Somewhat humorously, Socrates is reputed to have explained to Alcibiades that he remained married to her because “She exercises my patience, and enables me to endure all injustice I experience from others.”  

Edgar Allan Poe: "An Acrostic" 

• E: lizabeth, it is in vain you say 
L: ove not — thou sayest it in so sweet a way: 
I: n vain those words from thee or L. E. L. 
Z: ealous of my despair, you make me so 
A: nd when I look upon thee, you are my only hope 
B: ut I will write a poem for you that can last forever 
E: very moment I spent thinking of you will be a line in this poem 
T: hat your name will be remembered forever 
H: ow I wish that you will be happy with this poem 

Sir John Davies: "Hymne VII: To the Rose" 

E: ye of the Garden, Queene of flowres, 
L: ove's cup wherein he nectar powres, 
I: ngendered first of nectar; 
S: weet nurse-child of the Spring's young howres, 
A: nd Beautie's faire character … 
B: ecause the world is beautiful, and the world is ours. 
E: verything in the world will be better. 
T: he world will change. 
H: appiness will come to you. 
A: ll will be well. 

Lewis Carroll: "A boat, beneath a sunny sky" 

A: boat, beneath a sunny sky 
L: ingering onward dreamily 
I: n an evening of July— 
C: hasing after the moon 
E: verything a dream 

William Blake: "London" 

H: ow the Chimney-sweepers cry. 
O: f every blackning Church appalls, 
W: here the hapless Soldiers sigh. 
T: hat runs in blood down Palace walls. 
H: ow the tears run down your face 
E: very night you cry alone 
C: arelessly you fall 
H: earts are broken in the process. 
I: n the darkness, you are alone. 
M: ay you find your way home. 
N: ever stop looking for the light. 
E: very night you will find it. 
Y: ou will get there someday. 
S: ee the sun shining on your face. 
W: ill you go home? 
E: ventually, you will find your way home. 
E: verything will be alright. 
P: erfectly safe, you will be. 
E: very night you will rest. 
R: eaching for the light, you will get there someday. 
S: ee the sun shining on your face. 
C: hildren of the world, you will get there someday. 
R: eaching for the light, you will get there someday. 
Y: ou will get there