"The Occultists, however, know that the traditions of Esoteric Philosophy must be the right ones, simply because they are the most logical, and reconcile every difficulty." — Helena Blavatsky
Good morning USA, Autumn is here, my Halloween was a blast with my LLP (Loving-Life-Partner), Texas is Blue, and I had my first Intravenous Cancer Treatment.
This Halloween I dressed as a Christian Monk and my LLP dressed as a Shaman Buddhist, we knew this would scare those close to us because of course, I am Buddhist and she is Catholic. how scary this is to those who fear we might convert? But as she said when we first met, "We are people with faith, and that's what counts"
And, hold on to your seat Cowboys, Texas -- and most of the USA -- went blue, Democrat, and after years of being A Political, I am now in the blue corner. Climate, Peace, Love, etc., the Blue Party is closer to that than the Red party. Still, I understand the need for both parties in the USA to keep us from going too far right or left, Anarchy or Totalitarianism. So try to focus on the good where you can.
Enough politics, I wish for the happiness of all people and that should cover that, for as Nichiren Daishonin warned, we are living in the age where people are at the mercy of greed, anger and foolishness; and are divided by mistrust and hatred. We need and can do better.
And so now I turn to cancer. As you know this is my second go with lung cancer. Five years ago they removed a lobe, I needed no chemo because of early detection -- which I know is 100% the result of my faith-- this time, although still found early, it did reach stage 2, and so yesterday, I started my chemo treatment of Pemetrexed and Carboplatin -- say that with a mouth full of pretzels. So far not so bad, only real side effect is my Tinnitus has my ears ringing a little more than usual, I hope its a temporary thing and doesn't go back to how bad it had gotten in the Navy when I was in a room with men drilling on the bulkhead next door while I was trying to sleep.
That's my update, sorry it isn't cute, or fancy, but I still have hair. Don't you want to stick around long enough to see how that goes?
I joke, for laughter. love, and smiles are a big part of the battle agaisnt cancer.
Things are moving right along, my lung lobectomy is tomorrow. If it is successful, I take two steps forward, if not, I try something else. All signs are pointing good. On my last update I told you about birds, a favorite sign of mine. And it took awhile, but yesterday a few returned. After I cut back the tropical forest, and then changed out the feed, a few returned. Not the cluster that use to feed, but enough to know that that part of my life is back in balance with the universe. Like I said, Birds stop coming, I get cancer, they return... you do the math.
Before I go any further, I've seen comments about my reading signs in everything, like it's not practical, or it's superstitious. I disagree, for one, according to ancient sanskrit text, during his six years of austerity, the Buddha had reached a point where he thought he might turn around and stop seeking enlightenment, and so he placed a golden alms bow in a river and said to the universe, "...if I am to go on and reach enlightenment, let this bowl go upstream, against the current, if not, let it simple float downstream." Of course the the bowl goes upstream, against the current, and Siddhartha Gautama becomes enlightened, or as we Nirhiren Buddhist know, became enlightened again for the up-tenth time as he had done numerous times before -- according to the Lotus Sutra, that is, the most important sutra of them all in my humble opinion -wink, wink. But that's a conversation for another time.
All religions have signs given by their god/gods, in Matthew 2:2 God places a star in the the sky as a sign to the wise men looking for the birth of a savior -- of course, the wise men are actually the Magi which represent the essential stages of our inner transformation on the spiritual path, none-the-less, they were given a sign, and had not they followed it....
Emperor Constantine the Great saw a luminous cross of light in the sky while marching his troops, and took it as a sign from the Christian War God to go kick ass and take names for his new found faith.
Simply stated: signs are there for us if we choose to see them. So as they say in Vegas, deal with it... or is it deal the cards(?) All the same.
So the sign I yesterday was a kingfisher bird. The first one I've ever seen in my life. Actually, I thought it was a deformed bluejay that might have escaped from Chernobyl - for you young ones out there that's a reference to the Russian nuclear reactor meltdown in 1986 which evacuate a whole city with parts still inhabitable today. But this was no nuclear mutant bird, this was the kingfisher bird with its long beak, and he/she/or its nonbinary self was staring right at me. I mean given me the look like, "what took you so long with the food?" It wasn't moving, and so I went to get a camera, but it was gone. If you remember with my last post and the Avian Oracles, the kingfisher was a sign of peace and prosperity. So I'll take that as a positive sign.
Yes, tomorrow is the same surgery I had five-years ago when I first had lung cancer. I know the routine, it's difficult, excruciating pain to inhale, but they make you. Excruciating pain to walk, but they make you. But it's worth it, and I've never been happier to endure the suffering. For I am committed to being here for my family, friends, and you, both of you - hi mom.
That's it for today, here's the shower kit I have titled "Ready to Prep," for my surgery. And I learned last time to read the instructions. For this stuff is bad on your head and private parts down there, I mean, wow, especially down there. Not again, not me.
Please stay tuned, I'll post again as soon after the surgery as I can.
Another Labor Day Weekend. Remember when "Labor" meant something? I do.
In the late 1800s, many Americans toiled 12 hours a day, seven days a week, often in physically demanding, low-paying jobs. Children worked too, on farms and in factories and mines. Conditions were often harsh and unsafe.
It was in this context that American workers held the first Labor Day parade, marching from New York’s City Hall to a giant picnic at an uptown park on Sept. 5, 1882.
The America Labor movement had begun and over the next century we would see a minimum wage, 40 hour work week, child protection laws, etc...
Personally, I celebrate Labor Day by relaxing and hiding from the world. It's MY day. I do this for my grandmother, who in her early twenties, back in 1922, had the misfortune of working in a Detroit auto-factory where one of the giant presses skipped a beat and took three fingers off her right hand. A hand you wouldn't see because she kept it hid behind her purse, or wore gloves whenever possible.
I can't imagine the pain she must have felt that day as they took her away screaming with a greasy rag over her hand. She didn't speak much about the accident, but she did speak about the employer who gave her a one-week's pay before letting her go because she no longer had two good hands. That was all she got. She would join in labor strikes after that, showing off her hand as a reason to fight for justice from greedy employers who choose profits over worker's safety.
Why am I writing about Labor on an Esoteric blog? Truth is, the Esoterics have always been for workers.
For example, the argument that, Pythagoras and his students were for the workers of the day can be made by his philosophy that the basic property of numbers was expressed in the harmonious interplay of opposite pairs, and that, harmony assured the balance of opposite forces. This obviously means there must be a balance between the workers and the profiteers.
Freemasons like Uriah Stephens who created a "brotherhood" to bring together every laborer, mechanic, and artisan who desired professional improvement, was founded in 1869, and was inspired by the ritual and lessons he himself had learned as a Mason in his Philadelphia Lodge.
Probably the greatest testament to esoterist involvement in Worker's Rights is none other than Madame Blavatsky. That's right, the woman who gave us the Secret Doctrines which is the foundation for most esoteric studies today, was also a supporter of worker's rights.
Annie Besant was a Theosophist who studied under Blavatsky during the last years of Blavatsky's life. In her biography, Besant gives a written documentation of Madame Blavatsky's support of the early labor movement in England. Besant writes, "Thus was ushered in 1889, the to me never-to-be-forgotten year in which I found my way 'Home,' and had the priceless good fortune of meeting, and of becoming the pupil of, H.P. Blavatsky."
Besant goes on to explain her personal growth in Spiritualism from her studies with Blavatsky, but also tells of her involvement in fighting for the working class people, more precisely, the "Female Labor" called the Matchmaker Girls, which Besant called "White Slavery" in an article in which she points out: "A typical case is that of a girl of sixteen, a piece-worker; she earns 4s(English Shillings) a week... out of the earnings 2s a week is paid for the rent of one room. The child lives only on bread and butter and tea, alike for breakfast and dinner...."
Besant's article title "White Slavery" got the girls fired and Besant sued for libel. The factory owner won the law suit by paying the workers to lie, and painting Besant as an evil atheist -- worked every time in 1882. Without jobs the workers were thrown out on the streets and Besant trashed in the newspapers. Still, Besant wanted to give the woman a home filled with "comradeship, and self-respecting freedom." This is where H.P. Blavatsky steps in.
Besant writes in her autobiography: "On August 15th it (the women's home) was opened by Madame Blavatsky, and dedicated by her to the brightening of the lot of hardworking and underpaid girls...Very tender was H.P.B.'s heart to human suffering, especially to that of women and children. She was very poor towards the end of her earthly life, having spent all on her mission, and refusing to take time from her Theosophical work to write for the Russian papers which were ready to pay highly for her pen. But her slender purse was swiftly emptied when any human pain that money could relieve came in her way. One day I wrote a letter to a comrade that was shown to her, about some little children to whom I had carried a quantity of country flowers, and I had spoken of their faces pinched with want. The following note came to me:
My Dearest Friend, I have read your letter...and my heart is sick for the poor little ones! Look here; I have but 30s. of my own money of which I can dispose (for as you know I am a pauper, and proud of it), but I want you to take them and not say a word. This may buy thirty dinners for thirty poor little starving wretches, and I may feel happier for thirty minutes at the thought. Now don't say a word, and do it: take them to those unfortunate babies who loved your flowers and felt happy. Forgive your old uncouth friend, useless in this world!
Ever yours,
H.P.B
That's my Madame Blavatsky Labor Day story. On an interesting note, I will leave you with this passage written by Annie Besant about her work in 1882. It was written over a hundred and forty years ago, but seems like something written today.
This branch of our work led to a big fight -- a fight most happy in its results. At a meeting of the Fabian Society, Miss Clementina Black gave a capital lecture on Female Labor, and urged the formation of a Consumers' League, a pledged only to buy from shops certificated 'clean' from unfair wage....
My cancer saga continues. As soon as I had ended my last post and pushed "Publish," I got the call to schedule my biopsy procedure; of which, I know little today, but will be sure to give you the poop on when it arrives -- yes, I've been in Texas too long.
So today I consulted with AI, I asked AI, "Can they remove another lung lobe after I've already had one removed?" And AI said they could, so, maybe it's that again. Who knows? I wouldn't even attempt to ask AI about other cancer treatments, because I know there are way too many.
The funny thing about cancer, is it was one of two things I worried about as a youth after seeing my grandmother die of lung cancer. The other was nuclear war. And I'll be goddamned -- to quote from my grandfathers favorite curse lexicon -- if both aren't a threat to me at this moment -- sorry conservative brothers and sisters, but you've unleashed a Donald Trump Frankenstein monster we can only watch now as he grunts his way through the village.
Cancer is not my focus today, my focus today is on tonight's August New Moon, which begins at 12:36pm here in Dallas. And this is not any-old new moon, this is the August New Moon, more precisely, what we Japanese -- wait, I'm not Japanese, I'm Nichiren Buddhist, same thing -- call the Otsukimi or Harvest New Moon.
Japan is rich with legends surrounding the moon. The most famous of these is the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (竹取物語), one of Japan’s oldest folktales. In this story, a radiant princess named Kaguya-Hime is discovered in a bamboo stalk and eventually returns to her home on the moon. This tale speaks to the mysterious allure of the moon and has inspired countless adaptations in literature, art, and film.
The harvest moon in most cultures is an important moon, and many festivals such as the Japanese Otsukimi. (or Tsukimi), will be happening tonight. In some areas there will be Pagans dancing, calling forth the moons energy to dance in unison, others will be casting spells -- most benevalent, I hope. Me, I'll show gratitude for the harvest I have, such as my three regular viewers, where would I be without you. Also, I'll chant for the happiness and protection of everyone under the moonlight, for years to come. And finally, I'll hedge my bets on this cancer, why not.
Pagan Moon Fun
Seriously, and most importantly, in Nichiren Buddhism, the moon is a frequent metaphor for truth, enlightenment, and the reflection of the Buddha's compassionate life in the human heart. This will be my main focus tonight. See you there. Let's dance.
~~ Eso Terry
Aug 3, 2026
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:
"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.
What day is it? It is Obon Festival Day. Yes, every year, Buddhists in Japan celebrate the custom of the Obon (or Bon) festival as a way to honor the spirits of beloved family members who have died. This Buddhist custom has influences from Confucianism as well. And how do we practice Obon Festival Day? That's up to you. This morning I placed some rice on my alter and chanted for an hour. I chanted for the souls of my deceased relatives. The otherday I had the breakthrough that I am the head of the family for all those who have past over, for I still can pray for them on this side of the realm.
The Japanese Buddhists honor the spirits of their beloved ancestors by cleaning their graves, they also know that the ancestors will visit their home alters, so I'll burn scented candles for them tonight. I see them walking around the house now, mom is very happy to see I'm no longer a slob and my sister is happy I'm out of her way in the kitchen, complaining about her undercooked hamburgers or sugar in our ice tea.
This Japanese festival dates back to when the official calendar for Japan switched from the lunar calendar to the Gregorian calendar. Eastern Japan, including Tokyo, celebrates “Shichigatsu Bon,” which means Obon is celebrated on July 15th. The most common time to celebrate Obon is on August 15th and is called “Hachigatsu Bon.” Lastly, people living in the northern part of Japan celebrate Obon as “Kyu Bon,” where the date is based on the lunar calendar and varies each year. Japan does not recognize Obon as a public holiday. It is standard, however, for people who celebrate to get approved time off from work obligations.
The meaning of Obon comes from the Sanskrit word of “Ullambana,” which means “hanging upside down”—supposedly symbolizing great suffering. Therefore, the festival serves as a form of release for grief as well as the suffering and anguish that many believe the spirits of their ancestors are experiencing. Similar to how people in New Orleans celebrate those who have died with a funeral filled with jazz music and dancing, the Japanese who participate in the Obon Festival celebrate the return of their beloved ancestors with their own dance called Bon Odori. The origin of this dance stems from the story of how one of Buddha’s disciples, upon seeing his dead mother suffering after having fallen into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, asked Buddha what could be done to remedy the situation. After making offerings to Buddhist monks, as Buddha told him to, the disciple’s mother was released and he danced out of pure joy and gratitude, hence the tradition of dancing was born. The type of dancing used to be strictly folk dancing that would celebrate the arrival of the spirits of the beloved ancestors. Nowadays, every region has a dance unique to them and the music varies in everything from specific songs about the spiritual meanings of Obon to local folk songs.
So honor your ancestors today, if nothing else, look up and give them a nod. They'll thank you I'm certain.
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.
Pythagoras was born around 570 BC on the Greek island of Samos.
Pythagoras made influential contributions to philosophy and religious teachings in the late 6th century BC.
Many
mathematical and scientific discoveries were attributed to him, as well
as discoveries in the field of music, astronomy, and medicine, but
Pythagoras is best known for the Pythagorean Theorem which bears his
name.
The Pythagorean Theorem simple stated is... well, math so we're going to skip it.
Pythagoras
and his disciples were the conceives of the "Golden Ratio" which is
1.618, the perfect analogy of the universe. More math, so we won't go
into this either.
Pythagoras
started a liberal school where the students weren't allowed to talk for
a year or look into a mirror beside a candle. He taught them
reincarnation, and the power of numbers.
Pythagoras and his disciples were the first to use the concept of "cosmos" and point out that the earth rotates around the sun.
Pythagoras was a vegetarian.
And most importantly for us, Pythagoras was a number freak and taught us that numbers are everywhere and in everything....
Watch the film for the complete run down. It's only 3 minutes. And as we know, Pythagoras thought the three was the "perfect number!"
According to the folks at Living With The Moon, a Black Moon is a rather rare occasion (about every 2.5 years) and refers to the
2nd New Moon in one calendar month.
So that's really all there is on the surface, but esoterically, wow! A Black Moon is seen as a real
turning point, either globally or in your private life. The key word here is "change." And like the Winds of Change Bob Dylan sang about in the early 60's, a Black Moon means change or new directions when it hits.
Of course, the Christian predict the return of Christ every chance they get, which is silly, since they've been doing this since the beginning of their faith, which really has to be a downer, and regarding the Black Moon it is no different, for example, for the Black Moon on Friday, September 30th, 2016, the Christian blog "Express" wrote:
Warning BLACK MOON tonight: Astrological event to herald 'End of Days' and second coming
That writer went on to state:
TONIGHT'S Black Moon could bring with it worldwide destruction and
the second coming of Jesus Christ, Christians and conspiracy theorists
have claimed.
Of course, again Jesus doesn't show, but that's okay for most of us.
According to NASA the Black Moon is... wait, they don't define it because it is not a big deal; furthermore, the term "Black Moon" only goes back to 2016, because, well, it is only a month with two new moons in it. Not an astronomical event.
Historically, the theme of events from the recent "Black Moons" or second new moon in a calendar month between 2010 and 2020 are:
*July 7th, 2011 - Moscow bans the book L. Ron Hubbard Scientology book.
*January 30th, 2014 - French Socialist Party defeated in major upset.
*October 30th, 2016 - FBI announces it will be reviewing Liberal President Hillary Clinton's email, a month before the presidential election; which gives Donald Trump the presidential election a month later.
*August 30th, 2019 - DOJ report finding the FBI violated policy investigating Donald Trump in 2016. Pro-democracy protesters arrested in Hong Kong.
*August 22nd, 2025 - To Be Determined, but whatever it is, "Dark Moons" seems to be favor President Donald Trump.
Finally, for the Pagan in us all, here is the Pagan definition according to
Spiritually, the Black Moon is a
powerful time for shadow work, release, and deep transformation as it
combines and amplifies the energy of the New Moon and the Dark Moon.
Whether you see it as the ultimate lunar reset or a chance to plant
long-term intentions, the Black Moon’s energy invites you to go inward,
shed what no longer serves you, and trust in the unseen process of
growth.
Since the Covid-19 virus I’ve been home a lot, as we all have. I thought I would use this time to catch up on work, but instead I sit here glued to the TV watching news reports of rising deaths, falling stock prices, and a presidential lies. My only break from this constant stream of bad news is looking out my living-room window at the old building across the street. The building was built by a wealthy businessman in the early 20th century who believed putting gargoyles on the ledges would bring him good luck. The logic didn't work because the building opened in 1929 a week before the Great Depression. The faces of the gargoyles are rumored to be the faces the owner made as he jumped to his death from the building after losing everything he had in the stock crash. I was told this story when I first leased my room and it didn't mean much to me then, but now, faced with my own Great Depression to deal with a hundred years later I had to know more about this creepy, yet reassuring creature staring back at me from outside my window. Most of the stories I found on the history of gargoyles pointed to a town in France outside of Paris called Rouen. The story tells of a dragon that lived in the Sene river and terrorized the town by eating people along the river banks and burning ships trying to pass. The dragon's name... you guessed it... Gargouille. The legend goes that around the year 600 AD a Christian monk named Romanus came to town and defeated the dragon and delivered the dead beast to the town's people who immediately decided to burn it. The body of the dragon went up in flames quickly, but the head and neck wouldn't burn. Taking this as a sign from God, the towns people mounded the head and neck of the dragon on a village wall as a reminder of God’s great power. This practice soon spread from town to town and the neck and head of Gargouille became the model of today's gargoyle.
The word Gargoyle comes from the French word Gargouille and so it should be no surprise that the oldest gargoyles standing today are found in France. These gargoyles are on Cathedrals and are a part of what is called Scripture in Stone. According to most scholars, these gargoyles were placed on religious structures to preach the gospels to the illiterate and warring classes by putting the fear of hell in them. Others believe the gargoyles are demons of lost souls placed there to scare away greater demons. Regardless of the reason, all the great cathedrals of France have them.
The two greatest of these cathedrals are Notre Dame and Chartres. The
gargoyles of Notre Dame are rumored to take flight after dark and watch
over the cafes of Paris. The gargoyles of Chartres are said to watch
over the countryside to scare away oncoming threats.
As I have already mentioned, the word Gargoyle is from the Old French word Gargouille which means throat. If you look at most of the old Gargoyles you'll see they have long necks with a head at the end in the form of a long spout. The English words gurgle and gargle share the same French root as the word gargoyle. This really makes sense because in architecture any drainpipe leaning off the side of a building is called a gargoyle. Conversely, if a stone carving does not carry water but does have a horrible face or image on it architects call it a grotesques.
Ostara (1901) by Johannes Gehrts. Spring feasts were held to honour the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre/Ostara.
Although gargoyles and grotesques placed on cathedrals are believed to be of Christian origin, a closer look does tell another story. A closer look tells the story of how a winter's solstice celebration became the birth of a savoir; and, how a Spring feast once held to honor the goddess Eostre became the resurrection Easter Sunday meal. Stonemasons
who had passed from being an apprentice to a journeyman knew this and so worked out
their own ideas in their carvings. They were, in a sense, independent
artist and so were free to do pretty much as they liked. So why then
did they choose
to place so many pagan images on the religious buildings of their day?
Could it be they still held onto the old beliefs in secret. After much research, I for one believe the carvings were a message for those with eyes to see. A prime example of this are the many gargoyles of The Green Man, also known as The Jack in the Green, who was the pagan god of tree worship and can be found in the many grotesques wearing crowns of leaves and branches. Another common image from paganism that is found on many cathedrals is the multi-face grotesques that represents Diana the virgin goddess and protector of childbirth.
Historically, Diana made up a triad with two other Roman deities: Egeria the water nymph, and Virbius, the woodland god. These three-faces of the gods to the cults were once worshiped as the Christian holy trinity, that is, until the Pope realized their true meaning and so had the practice banned. Still, the Pope left the pagan symbols on the cathedrals as to not upset the will of the people; seems, even the Pope had a thing for our pagan past. So, along with diverting rainwater and scaring off evil spirits, gargoyles seemed to me to be a way for the artist who placed them there to tell the story of the old religion; the old Pagan religion before the Christian church came along and gave the town's people the choice to convert to the new Man God, or, well... die. Knowing this, it's easy to see that these gargoyles are pagan messengers reminding us of the truth that all the Money God could not defeat. The natural religion in all of us that didn't need a priest for forgiveness. The natural religion in all of us that isn't a Man God, but both a man and woman god. The god of the trees, the wind, the earth; Gaia: the god in each of us.
Looking at the gargoyle outside my window now made sense. It wasn't a talisman of luck, scarer of demons, or messenger for god. No, it was more; the messenger of truth. A truth to not concern myself with the lies and craziness of the world today for they have always been there and always will be. The truth, as our ancestors knew, wasn't in their powerful lies, large cathedrals, or love of money. No, truth was in the whistling wind and swaying trees. The real god, the god inside of us, the earth god, Gaia. And she is speaking to us now. And the gargoyles, like the trees and the wind, are part of her message. I no longer needed to watch the news to know what was happening with the Covid-19 virus. I had all the news I needed outside my window. Everything is as it should be. The message of the gargoyles.
Let's talk gargoyles boys and girls, yes, those strange faces in stone telling us to behave or we'll get a massive growth on our heads.
In the apartment I lived in as a kid, there was an old building across the street with gargoyles on the top floor, and I would sit for hours looking up at the strange beings looking back at me, some were crying, others laughing, and if I shook my head fast enough, they moved. Of course, then I was giving ADHD medicine and stopped staring out the window so much.
Later I learned that the building across the street was built by a wealthy businessman in the early
20th century who believed putting gargoyles on the ledges would bring
him good luck. The logic didn't work because the building opened in
1929 a week before the Great Depression, and he subsequently jumped from the building.
The faces of the gargoyles
are rumored to be the faces the owner made as he jumped to his death
from the building after losing everything he had in the stock crash. You hear stories like these all the time, and probably the reason you never see gargoyles on buildings anymore. The history of gargoyles starts in a town in France outside of
Paris called Rouen. The story tells of a dragon that lived in the Sene
river and terrorized the town by eating people along the river banks and
burning ships trying to pass. The dragon's name... you guessed it...
Gargouille. The legend goes that around the year 600 AD a Christian monk named Romanus came
to town and defeated the dragon and delivered the dead beast to the
town's people who immediately decided to burn it. The body of the
dragon went up in flames quickly, but the head and neck wouldn't burn.
Taking this as a sign from God, the towns people mounded the head and
neck of the dragon on a village wall as a reminder of God’s great
power. This practice soon spread from town to town and the neck and
head of Gargouille became the model of today's gargoyle.
The word Gargoyle comes from the French word Gargouille
and so it should be no surprise that the oldest gargoyles standing
today are found in France. These gargoyles are on Cathedrals and are a
part of what is called Scripture in Stone. According
to most scholars, these gargoyles were placed on religious structures
to preach the gospels to the illiterate and warring classes by putting
the fear of hell in them. Others believe the gargoyles are demons of
lost souls placed there to scare away greater demons. Regardless of the
reason, all the great cathedrals of France have them.
The two greatest of these cathedrals are Notre Dame and Chartres. The
gargoyles of Notre Dame are rumored to take flight after dark and watch
over the cafes of Paris. The gargoyles of Chartres are said to watch
over the countryside to scare away oncoming threats.
As
I have already mentioned, the word Gargoyle is from the Old French word
Gargouille which means throat. If you look at most of the old
Gargoyles you'll see they have long necks with a head at the end in the
form of a long spout. The English words gurgle and gargle share the
same French root as the word gargoyle. This really makes sense because
in architecture any drainpipe leaning off the side of a building is
called a gargoyle. Conversely, if a stone carving does not carry water
but does have a horrible face or image on it architects call it a grotesques.
Ostara (1901) by Johannes Gehrts. Spring feasts were held to honour the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre/Ostara.
Although
gargoyles and grotesques placed on cathedrals are believed to be of
Christian origin, a closer look does tell another story. A closer look
tells the story of how a winter's solstice celebration became the birth
of a savoir; and, how a Spring feast once held to honor the goddess
Eostre became the resurrection Easter Sunday meal. Stonemasons
who had passed from being an apprentice to a journeyman knew this and
so worked out
their own ideas in their carvings. They were, in a sense, independent
artist and so were free to do pretty much as they liked. So why then
did they choose
to place so many pagan images on the religious buildings of their day?
Could it be they still held onto the old beliefs in secret? After much
research, I for one believe the carvings were a message for those with
eyes to see. A prime example of this are the many gargoyles of The Green Man, also known as The Jack in the Green, who was the pagan god of tree worship and can be found in the many grotesques wearing crowns of leaves and branches. Another
common image from paganism that is found on many cathedrals is the
multi-face grotesques that represents Diana the virgin goddess and
protector of childbirth.
Historically, Diana made up a triad with two other Roman deities: Egeria the water nymph, and Virbius,
the woodland god. These three-faces of the gods to the cults were once
worshiped as the Christian holy trinity, that is, until the Pope
realized their true meaning and so had the practice banned. Still, the
Pope left the pagan symbols on the cathedrals as to not upset the will
of the people; seems, even the Pope had a thing for our pagan past. So,
along with diverting rainwater and scaring off evil spirits, gargoyles
seemed to be a way for the artist who placed them there to tell
the story of the old religion; the old Pagan religion before the
Christian church came along and gave the town's people the choice to
convert to the new God, or, well... die. Knowing this, it's easy to
see that these gargoyles are pagan messengers reminding us of the truth
that religion can not be ordered by a king, but must be grown from within or else, well, it's gargoyle mouthwash.
In a study by Flamingo, a firm which helps companies manage employee absences and medical leaves, August 24th is the day most American workers call in sick. And why would this be? Hmmmm?...
Historically, Hawaii became an official state this day in 1959 and subsequently, Daniel K. Inouye was the first Japanese-American congressman to the U.S. House of Representatives, and Hiram L. Font of Hawaii became the first Chinese-American U.S. senator to the U.S. Senate. Now, there’s a good reason for a sick day on August 24th from a long night of celebrating.
On this day in 79 CE, Mount Versuvius erupted in Italy leaving us the Pompeii ruins of people frozen in time trying to escape death. This reminder of how quickly life can end is another good reason to skip work for a day of leisure at the company’s expense.
The craziest August 24th fact of all is a personal one for me, you see, on August 24th in 1930, it was announced that the recently discovered Planet X, the 9th planet in our solar system which had been named Pluto after the Roman god of the underworld, was not a massive Jupiter size planet as promised, but in all actuality, a “dwarf planet.” Which was okay, because it remained the ruling planet of those born under the Scorpio horoscope. That is, until August of 2016 when the International Astronomical Union- Bastards, (IAU-B), took Pluto off the list of planets in our solar system and life for Scorpio’s like me, got more confusing than ever. Fortunately, however, I am a Buddhist and understand that change is a part of life to be celebrated, and so, on August 24th in 2019 I received a gohonzon for my Buddhist altar — is it any wonder that I called in sick today to write on my blog?
Finally, August 24 is also the Festival of Luna, the goddess of the Moon. In her temple, Luna Noctiluca (Moon that shines by night), the cover was removed from the Mundas Cereris, the labyrinthine passage to the underworld, to allow the spirits of the dead to roam free.
Another good reason to skip work if you ask me.
So, brothers and sisters, if you are reading this from your “sick day” by the pool, you’re not alone, even if you think you are.
I love to talk Angels. For, they are everywhere. Mine spoke to me once when I was 24 years of age. I was in a car accident and just before my 1963 VW bug was smashed by a hot rod tank, I felt arms around me and a voice that spoke into my left ear: "It's going to be alright."
I imagine the next time I hear that voice I'll meet her, for she has remained silently in the background since.
So, let's talk Angels.
Peace
on earth and goodwill to all... yes, easier said than done, that is,
until you add in the one ingredient that could accomplish such a
thing? Angels.
Why
Angels? you ask! Well, they are the one common spiritual thing in us
all. That's right, from Jews, to Muslims, to Pagans, to Buddhist, to Erudite
Scholars, we all recognize the
angels.
The
Jews seem to have the oldest writings on angels written around
three-thousand years ago with the three angels that visited Abraham in
in Genesis 18: 1-5. Who were these masked crusaders? I'm not sure, but
it is funny that Abraham is the father of not only the Jewish faith, but
the Christian and Muslim faiths. Hmmmm, can you say Hedge-Your-Bets
boys-and-girls? But I digress, this is a loving, Esoteric Daily post
for world peace.
In
the New Testament there are two angels named, Gabriel, who announces to
Mary that she will bear a son who will be the promised Messiah (Luke 1:
26 - 38), and Michael, who fights against the Devil (Jude 9; Revelation
12:7). Both angels had already been named in the Jewish book.
Then
there are the Islamist who's Quran is said to have been transmitted by
Gabriel (Jibril) in chapter 2 verse 97. Yes, the same angel who
announced to Mary that she would bear the Messiah, met up with Mohammad
in the desert to give him the Quran.
Although,
less obvious, there are angels in Zoroastrianism/Hinduism symbol with
its spread wings, and of course with the New Age/Paganism, we see angels
in mind, body, and spirit of us all. Plato
believed that between human beings and the gods were intermediate
beings called 'daimons' who could inspire human thoughts and actions.
So
you see, angels are as common all spiritual life, no matter the belief system. So, let's stop fighting and listen to them. As I say whenever possible, "We are all in this together, so act like it!"
Come on: all angels are naked! Gosh, get your mind out of the gutter.
July 29th is the first day of the runic half-month of Thorn. Nothern traditon honors the god known to the Anglo-Saxons as Thunor and to the Norse as Thor.
