Alpha Omega: Our Struggle to Survive

by Anthropologist and AΩ High Priestess

Leslie McQuade

As High Priestess of the Alpha Omega's new Egyptian section, the Egyptian College of Isis, my duties are primarily of a spiritual nature. I constantly tend the fires in our Isis Mother temple, performing the Alpha Omega's Egyptian Pagan rites on a daily basis.

Thus I try my best to stay out of the mundane affairs of our order. If I write on the Internet, it is on my little blog, Whispers from Shadow Mountain, that you can find here, where I am today originally publishing this article that will also be reblogged on The Golden Dawn Blog here.

Our Lady Isis is a loving and gentle Mother, yet when her child is threatened Isis reminds us that she is also Lady of Magick and keeper of the words of power which command even great Ra by his secret name.

This morning I was saddenned when, on the blog of a man who leads a Golden Dawn order and claims to be a spiritual leader, I read vile personal attacks not only calling our AΩ Imperator a "tin-foil hat wearing loon" and a "muggle nutter," but calling the Alpha Omega itself "spiritually bankrupt" and our thousands of AΩ members across the globe just a "few lunatic followers."

By attacking each of you hard working, magick practicing, book buying members of our beloved Alpha Omega, those who have tried to destroy the AΩ for two decades now this time gone have too far!

I know that many of you, dear readers, are not particularly interested in the ongoing struggle for AΩ survival, freedom, and our independence from SRIA tyranny.

When I first became a member of the Alpha Omega, I too, was not particularly interested in this, as I was so busy learning, practicing and internalizing all the new material to which I had just gained access. 

It wasn’t until the recent Independence Day celebrations that it came home to me exactly WHY the aggressive defense of our Order is so important.

Just like the founding fathers, who fought for the independence of all Americans, whether they were interested in independence or not, and despite the huge army SRIA fielded to destroy the Alpha Omega and its leaders' reputation on the Internet, our Imperator has led us to survive against all odds through two full decades of attacks.

When they attacked AΩ in court, we defeated them, and preserved our right to call ourselves Golden Dawn, despite SRIA's huge financial war chest (which they continue to rebuild today!). Wherever and whenever they attacked AΩ on the Internet, we drove them back. Time and time again, we faced down an army of SRIA "researchers" falsifying our history.

Alpha Omega: Our Struggle to Survive!

Like many others, at first I did not believe the SRIA was actively and aggressively working towards monopolizing the Golden Dawn, and limiting access to certain materials based not on grade and ability as is traditional, but on other factors like religious affiliation. I most emphatically do not want to be forced into a mystical Christian mold, but if the SRIA had its way, that is exactly how things would be.

Our struggle is simple. AΩ must survive! We have sought peace over and over, extending an olive branch time and time again, only to have it roughly slapped away. We remain ever vigilant, faced with a ruthless and unrelenting enemy that will not rest until they destroy or seize control of the AΩ.

I love the freedom I have in the AΩ to study magick. I think it is absolutely beautiful that even Neophytes have immediate access to magick. I mean, really! Isn’t that a big part of why we all decided to become Ceremonial MAGICIANS in the first place? To practice Magick? I am quite a patient person, as any archaeologist must be, but I don’t think I could stomach waiting until 5=6 to practice magick, and I certainly wouldn’t continue with an Order that insisted I change my fundamental belief paradigm from Pagan to Trinitarian Christian to do it.

I guess what I really want to explain to those of you who are not interested, is that while it is your own business to be interested or not, know that you would not be able to study the materials you study, to practice the magick that you do, or to be the Ceremonial Magicians you aspire to be, were not for the tireless efforts of our Imperator. Let us recall that British tyrants also once called General Washington a "tin-foil hat wearing loon" leading a "few lunatic followers."

There are countless others who, like me, today stand beside our Imperator in defense of the AΩ.  I do it because I value my own freedom and the freedom of the Fraters and Sorores in our Order. I love you all very much, and like the soldiers who fought the Revolutionary war to free our great nation from the yoke of British tyranny, I fight for your freedom from another group of British Tyrants.

How could I do otherwise? How could I stand idly by and watch as these thugs destroy our Rose? The Initiatic Secrets our Order has carefully preserved for the spiritual development of its members is so sacred, so fragile and beautiful … To think of that a "men's only club" of SRIA Christian segregationist leaders are deliberately trying to break down our fences to stomp it into oblivion just breaks my heart. How can they be so obviously malicious? They are vandals in the worst sense of the word!

May we always remember that, first and foremost, we are MAGICIANS!

In the Alpha Omega, we struggle magically for a future world that will be equilibrated and where nature is decontaminated. We work magically to reawaken the sleeping powers inside man and womankind into full contact with the magical forces of nature, returning to the authentic, natural human being that existed prior to religious deformation and who is therefore incapable of harming the Earth. 

This will automatically result in the elevation of consciousness to its fullest spiritual potential.

In the AΩ, our Mission is to improve the human Soul, reveal to women and men their dormant powers, and to reveal the full power of love that completely transforms the mind and destroys egoism.

Our desire is to see free women and men living in harmony with the natural world, being active in society, and using magick to serve the entire Earth.

Our desire is to reveal to everyone the source of their hidden powers; to give them the true and complete key to the power of the human spirit.

Others build physical technologies. In the AΩ we specialize in spiritual technologies.

We desire that every woman and every man may always have the internal resources that can be used through magick to affront every type of problem that afflicts humanity.

So let the vulgar ruffians call us names and flame us on the Internet!

OUR magick creates smiles and joy, not fear and hatred.

Let the SRIA tyrants and their GD spies spread lies that the Alpha Omega is "spiritually bankrupt" and we are but a "few lunatic followers."

In truth we are legion, and struggle for the spiritual liberation of every woman and every man!

The British tyrants are desperately trying to draw attention away from their own inadequacies.

This is why they are spitting venom and bile, and calling every AΩ member names.

But, despite all this, I for one will NOT stoop to the level of the tyrants.

I for one will NOT flame them back and I urge each and every one of you to show the same restraint.

The SRIA tyrants and their GD spies will not succeed to start a flame war. They merely expose THEMSELVES as vulgar bullies.

This does not mean, however, that I will also allow ANYONE to defile that which I hold sacred. I may not have been interested in the beginning, but by Goddess I am now!

Our attackers have awakened in me a determination, a side of myself that I have never before given permission to act. I feel as any mother must when their child is threatened by anyone or anything.

And this maternal instinct will not be silenced for expediency. It will not be silenced simply because there are others who find it “distasteful." How can anyone who truly loves the AΩ, the Order that teaches the magicks to give you everlasting life, not be enraged by the SRIA tyrants' and their spies' unrelenting attempts to kill it?

I will not allow that to happen. Neither will my sisters and brothers of the AΩ! 

The Golden Dawn may be a path of initiation, but the Alpha Omega is also a path of spiritual liberation!

____________________

When I am in need of strength, I turn to great women of the past for inspiration. Here are some of the women who inspire me most in our fight for survival as the free and independent AΩ we all know and love:

Mercy Otis Warren

Mercy Otis Warren: Mercy wrote the first history of the Revolutionary War, and she had first person experience! Mercy got her start before the War officially began by spreading revolutionary ideas to the people. John Adams was impressed with Mercy's writing. Many of her stories/plays made fun of the British. One of her plays was titled "The Blockheads". With her husband gone off to fight, Mercy decided to write the history of the American Revolution using her notes from meetings and conversations. Her notes were published in 1805 under the title History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution. 

Abigail Smith

Abigail Smith: Abigail, John's wife, was a very well educated woman who often wrote letters to her friends, speaking of revolution and liberty. As John served in the First Continental Congress, she stayed home and tended to the farm, occasionally sending messages to her husband. Much of what she had to say made its way into our founding documents. When John and others were considering a declaration of independence, Abigail reminded him to take care of the women, who would not hold themselves bound by laws in which they had no voice. She was often called Mrs. President for her contribution to shaping our country.

Catherine Moore Barry

Catherine Moore Barry: A battle that occurred in Cowpens, South Carolina, was Catherine's chance to use her extensive knowledge of the area to help the Patriots. The British, under command of General Cornwallis was out to crush a group of Patriots commanded by General Morgan. Realizing how out-manned he was, Morgan turned to Catherine for help. Catherine single-handedly rounded up an impressive amount of local Patriots to join Morgan's cause. With Catherine's help, General Morgan laid a trap for General Corwallis and his men. After the trap proved as a success, Cornwallis retreated right into the hands of George Washington in Yorktown, Virginia.  With his surrender there, the colonies won their independence from Britain.

Margaret Corbin

Margaret Corbin: When Fort Washington was attacked, instead of running home, Margaret Corbin stayed and fought beside her husband. She took over her husband's job as matross, (the person who loaded the cannon) when the gunner was killed. Her husband was also lost in the battle. She was hit and left to die, but a passing doctor tended to her wounds. Margaret's wounds left her permanently disabled, thus making her the first woman to receive a lifetime pension for her service in a battle. 

Penelope Barker

Penelope Barker: Penelope led the Edenton Tea Party. Unlike the better known Boston Tea Party, Penelope and the other 50 or so women in her group wrote a declaration to the British. The British, of course, laughed at the attempt, seeing that the group was made up entirely of females. The women then joined the boycott of British goods and the British no longer made fun of their attempts, now that their actions were actually effecting the British.

Nancy Hart

Nancy Hart: When British soldiers came to question her about helping out a Patriot soldier, she brazenly admitted to it. Forced to cook the British a meal, she killed two of them. Not by poisoning the food, but rather by shooting them with their own muskets! On another date, when Patriots needed to steal British plans, she disguised herself as a man and went to a British camp to collect information. Nancy is honored in Georgia with a county named after her, called War Woman Creek.

Molly McCauley

Molly McCauley: "Molly, bring me a pitcher." Shortened, this became "Molly, pitcher".  Molly was the "water boy" of her time for the Patriots. One day while on duty near Monmouth, New Jersey, she saw her husband shot in the arm. After rushing to his side and tending to his wound, she manned the cannon, firing several rounds at the British forces. Her bravery and good aim earned the respect of other soldiers. They fought on and eventually the British retreated. Her action impressed General Washington, who later commissioned her as "Sergeant Molly Pitcher". 

Grace and Rachel Martin

Grace and Rachel Martin: These women took action because they could no longer tolerate the way British soldiers treated women and children. Disguised as men, the two sisters ambushed British officers carrying important documents one night. Returning home, they were surprised to see the same British officers enjoying a meal at their dinner table. Luckily, the British did not recognize them outside of their disguises. The documents were turned in to the Patriots, and Grace and Rachel's actions helped in the colonist victory.

Esther Reed

Esther Reed: Esther Reed was used to a comfortable life in Britain, but after the war's fifth year, she decided to take a stand. Along with other women in Philadelphia, Esther and the others left their warm, cozy lives to go out and raise money for the Patriots. General Washington was opposed to this plan and so they instead agreed to have the Association make warm shirts for the troops. Each woman stitched their names on the clothing's collars to help raise each individual soldier's spirit.

Nancy Ward

Nancy Ward: Nancy Ward, or Nanye'hi, saw her husband die in a battle with Creek Indians. She used her husband's bow to lead her tribe to victory. Nancy was named "Beloved Woman" of her tribe and became a member of the Women's Council and the Council of Chiefs. She was an important voice in the treaty between her Cherokee tribe and the Patriots.

Phillis Wheatly

Phillis Wheatly: Phillis Wheatley was America's first published black author. She was a patriot and symbol for abolitionists. At the age of 7, Phillis was bought as a slave. The children in the family that purchased her took it upon themselves to teach Phillis how to read and write. She become a local celebrity, reading her poems aloud to crowds. She wrote many poems about patriotism and freedom. She even wrote a poem about George Washington that she got to read to him in person. 

Hannah Arnett

Hannah Arnett: Hannah Arnett butted into a meeting to which she was not invited, and changed the minds of all the men in attendance. The men had gathered to speak of the Patriots persistent failures. They were thinking about giving up and returning to the British side by signing a Proclamation of loyalty to Britain. Hannah called them cowards, insisting that they should not give up. The meeting ended with the men deciding to continue the fight. Hannah helped to continue the move towards independence. 

Martha Bratton

Martha Bratton: Martha and her husband sold and kept something that was vital in their times - gun powder. With her husband away, Martha was left in charge. Hearing that the British were planning to steal the gun powder, Martha set a trap, blowing up the building as the British soldiers arrived. She even admitted to her actions when captured. She was let go, and when she was later question about her husband's location, a British officer spared her. She repaid the debt when the same officer was captured by Patriots and scheduled for hanging. Realizing the cruelty of war, Martha set up a hospital open to both British and American soldiers.

Lydia Darragh

Lydia Darragh: Lydia was a Quaker. The British, seeing that she probably wouldn't be one to fight or turn on them, used her house for meetings. At one such meeting, Lydia overheard the British planning an attack on General George Washington and his men nearby. She personally delivered the information to Washington's troops, turning a British victory into disappointment. 

Sybil Ludington

Sybil Ludington: Often called the female Paul Revere, Sybil made a trip twice as long as Paul's when British forces captured Danbury, Connecticut. Danbury was a Patriot supply center. Colonel Ludington was in charge of commanding local Patriots, but needed more soldiers. Sybil took the job, riding into nearby towns and gathering up Patriots. The battle was a Patriot victory, and the British retreated back to Long Island Sound. 

Patience Wright

Patience Wright: Patience was an American woman who later took a boat to England, but she didn't leave her strong love for the Patriots behind. She was talented in the art of making wax figures. When war broke out in America, she stayed in England, sending bits of information to the colonists that were hidden in her wax sculptures! When American prisoners were taken to England, Patience helped many escape.

Rebecca Motte

Rebecca Motte: Rebecca's home was ideal for a British fort, so they moved her out and took it over. Patriots planned to burn down the house. She may not have created the plan, but she provided the items necessary. She gave the Patriots fire arrows, the Patriots then used said arrows to burn down Rebecca's home. The British retreated and Rebecca even got her house back before too much of it had been damaged.

Betsy Ross

Betsy Ross: Sound familiar? She made the first American flag! Her real name was Elizabeth Griscom. Betsy left her Quaker society to marry John Ross. The couple set up a business. Her husband died in an explosion while guarding ammunition. Later that year, she met with George Washington, George Ross, and Robert Morris. This meeting led to the sewing of the first American flag.

Mary Murray     

Mary Murray: Mary used her brains instead of her brawn to help the Patriots. Mary was a conflicted woman, being a Patriot married to a man loyal to the British. Knowing that the British planned to attack Patriot soldiers passing through, she invited the Redcoats to a dinner party, stalling them long enough for the Patriots to pass through safely.

Leslie McQuade

AΩ High Priestess Leslie McQuade: "In moments of uncertainty or doubt, or when I need strength and hope, I draw inspiration from these women who helped forge our great nation. What inspires me is that these women were, like the women of the AΩ today, not only clever and resourceful, but also willing to make the necessary sacrifices for liberty, freedom, and independence.

It is for these values that I continue to hold my head high, shoulder to shoulder with my AΩ sisters and brothers to face down the tyrants time and time again, as we proclaim together with one united voice:

For the Rose!"

Planting the Date Palm Grove at Isis Temple

I really enjoy building and beautifying the Temple.  A few days ago, this meant planting ten Khadrawi Date palms.  There are eight females and two males.  I planted them along the front property line. There is a clump of six females and a male (planted upwind), and then the last three are planted decoratively a little further west of the others.

Putting one of the females into the mud.

Because of the "poof-dirt" we have here in Pahrump, I needed to excavate rather large holes and refill them with a mixture of potting soil, pea gravel and compost, all turned into a slurry with water.  This created a mud bowl perfect for planting.  Date palm roots cannot tolerate any airspaces around the roots because our air here is nearly always below 25% humidity, even a few hours of exposure can mean certain death for young trees. Planting directly into the mud eliminates this problem.  And as the water is absorbed by the tree and surrounding soil, the soil packs in around the root ball, making a perfect seal.  I learned this technique first when replanting roses in Omaha.  

I purchased the trees from China Ranch Date Farm.  China Ranch is a family owned and operated small farm.  According to available sources, a Chinese man named either Quon Sing or Ah Foo came to this canyon after many years of work in the Death Valley borax mines. He developed the water, planted fruits and vegetables, and raised meat for the local mining camps. It became known as Chinaman's Ranch. 

Sometime in 1900, a man named Morrison appeared, and, as the story goes, he ran the Chinese farmer off at gun point and claimed the Ranch for his own. Morrison eventually sold out, but the name had stuck. Since then the canyon has had many owners and worn many different faces, including a fig farm, cattle ranch, hog farm, alfalfa farm, and others. In 1970, the property was purchased by Charles Brown Jr. and Bernice Sorrells, the son and daughter of area pioneer and long time State Senator Charles Brown of Shoshone. It remains in these families today.

The date grove was planted from seed in the early 1920's by Vonola Modine, youngest daughter of Death valley area pioneer RJ Fairbanks. Approximately half of the trees are male and produce only pollen. The females bear in the fall, yielding from 100 to 300 pounds of dates per tree in a season.

The Khadrawi variety that I bought are classified as a soft date, and is considered by many in the Middle East to be the best date for eating fresh.  Dates have been a staple food of the Middle East and the Indus Valley for thousands of years. They are believed to have originated around Iraq, and have been cultivated since ancient times from Messopotamia to prehistoric Egypt, possibly as early as 4000 BCE. The Ancient Egyptians used the fruits to make date wine, and ate them fresh at harvest. The earliest archaeological evidence of date cultivation comes from western Pakistan, from about 9,000 years ago in a Neolithic civilization known as Mehrgarh.

We will probably have dates in just three years.  And the AΩ should get ready for a lot of new recipes including dates. With each tree producing up to 100 pounds of fruit per year, I'll have to be creative, or buy more freezers.

Why We Read Fiction

E. M. Forster

Fiction has a way of teaching us about the world that is simply not possible through non-fiction.  Science fiction, in particular, can offer alternate perspectives on technologies and cultural trends that would be impossible in any other way, due to the fact that the very technologies being explored might not yet have been developed.

Take E. M. Forster's The Machine Stops (1909) for example.  Written in Victorian England, it explores a world in which people fear first-hand experience, preferring instead to live through their connection to The Machine.  They live underground, not because the Earth is damaged, but because they no longer have the ability to live outside the machine.  It takes care of them in every way, attending to all their needs from physical to mental, emotional and even spiritual.

The protagonist is one who questions the validity of this kind of life, and seeks something more, something different.  I'll not tell you more, as you can easily learn it on Wikipedia or elsewhere.  I do recommend, however, that you forgo the spoiler and instead choose to either read the story in its entirety HERE, or have it read to you in its entirety HERE, or watch the BBC television adaptation HERE.

A still from the BBC Television adaptation of The Machine Stops

Once you have experienced the story, make some comments.  Then let the story percolate.  Watch the world around you.  Think about what you see in reference to the story.  I am confident you will have new insights as time passes, and I encourage you to share them here.  As with any bit of fiction, the true power of the teaching isn't always immediately apparent.

HERE is a link to a short biography of Forster.  Other well known works include  A Room With A View (1908), Where Angels Fear To Tread (1905),  and A Passage to India (1924).

NASA Confirms -Super Human Abilities Gained

Ever wanted to bilocate?  Live without eating?  Achieve perfect memory? That’s right, I’m talking about the super-human abilities that can be gained by those who follow the protocol for what’s known as sun-gazing, a valid practice recently confirmed by NASA.  Many proponents of this ancient technique, used by many cultures such as Mayan, Egyptian, Aztec, Tibetian and Indian yoga, report not only healing benefits to common illnesses, but obtaining super-human abilities such as advanced telepathy and going completely without the need for food.

What is Sun Gazing?

Sun gazing (also known as sun-eating) is a strict practice of gradually introducing sunlight into your eyes at the lowest ultraviolet-index times of day – sunrise and sunset.  Those who teach the practice say there are several rules to the practice.  First, it must be done within the hour after sunrise or before sunset to avoid damaging the eyes.  Second, you must be barefoot, in contact with the actual earth – sand, dirt or mud; and finally, you must begin with only 10 seconds the first day, increasing by 10 second intervals each day you practice.  Following these rules make the practice safe, says sources.

Nikolai Dolgoruky of the Ukraine calls himself a ‘sun-eater’.  He has been practicing sun gazing for the past 12 years and has largely subsisted off solar energy since he began.  Others have reported losing the need for food after only 9 months of sun gazing (by which time the practitioner has worked up to a maximum of 44 minutes).  After 9 months of practice, you need only walk barefoot on the earth for 45 minutes per day, 6 days in a row to further the process of what has been initiated by sun gazing.

Sun-gazing is a practice also called the HRM phenomenom, coined as such after Hira Ratan Manek, the man who submitted himself to NASA for scientific testing to confirm that he does indeed possess the almost ‘super-human’ ability of not eating, gained through his dedication to this interesting marvel.  Funded by NASA, a team of medical doctors at the University of Pennsylvania observed Hira 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 100 days.   NASA confirmed that he was indeed able to survive largely on light with occasionally a small amount of buttermilk or water during this time.

What happens to the body during Sun Gazing?

During your first 3 months of practice, the suns energy is moving through the eyes and charging the hypothalamus tract, says those who have studied this technique and used it.  The hypothalamus tract is the pathway to the rear of the retina which leads to the brain.  The brain then, over time, becomes activated by the energy supply being received by the sun.  You will first experience a relief of mental tension and worry, since most worry is fueled by the energy received by the foods we eat.  Since food gets it’s energy from the sun, it is said to be readily available to sun-eaters without the trouble of digestion.  Though hunger is said to eventually cease, it is fine to continue eating regularly during initial stages, until appetite disappears naturally.

Another benefit early on is said to be an increase in confidence and an ability to easily solve your problems, as you are without tension.  Everyone has at least a bit of psychosis, but during the first few months of sun gazing practice, it is reported that these attitudes go away and a positive nature gracefully replaces the old persona full of fears.  By the end of 3 months, the gazing time will have increased to 15 minutes per day.

Reports on sun gazing say that the bad qualities normally associated with any person will gradually disappear and good qualities will remain, explaining that ‘bad qualities’ only develop in the absence of sunlight.  Bad qualities like anger, fear, jealousy, lust – are said to disappear – and be replaced by a certain confidence and ‘spiritual knowing’ that senses more purely the heart of an issue.

At 3-6 months of gazing, the studies show that physical diseases start to disappear.  They say that by the time one is gazing 30 minutes per day (building up 10 seconds per day) all the colors of the sun will have reached the brain.  Color therapists attribute their healing of certain diseases to flooding the body and brain with the particular color that is lacking – depending on the ailment.  For example, in liver disease, the color green is deficient.  The kidneys need red, and the heart, yellow.  All of the organs and all of the systems are said to respond to different colors of the rainbow, which is why it is also recommended to eat a diet rich in a variety of colors.  It is recommended during the 3-4 month period that you use autosuggestion to see your body already healed of any perceived weakness or disease.  This action will facilitate the process of returning to wholeness.

As you continue the process, it is reported that after 6 months, the energy stored from the technique is no longer being used for repairing the body or the mind and can move now into supporting you in gaining more super-human abilities.

What’s Beyond Healing?

By seven and a half months of gazing, now at 35 minutes, need and desire for food is dwindling.  According to sun gazing experts, food is not actually needed to maintain the body, only energy – and ‘sun-eating’ provides that energy.  By 9 months, all taste for food, including aroma, all hunger pains and cravings disappear.  Those who make it this far say that they report a noticeable ’change’ in the way their brain feels – like it’s “charged up.”  After 9 months of sun-gazing – reaching a maximum of 44 minutes – it is advised that you give up sun-gazing and redirect your attention now to the Earth.

For 6 days straight, one is to walk barefoot on the earth, 45 minutes per day.  During this barefoot walking, the pineal gland is said to become activated.  Professional sun gazers and those researching the science say that each toe is connected to a specific gland, and by walking barefoot on the Earth, you activate these glands.  The big toe is thought to be aligned with the pineal gland, the second toe with the pituitary, then the hypothalamus, thalamus and finally the pinky toe correlates to the amygdala.  Walking barefoot, with the sun now falling on the top of your head, practitioners claim to create a sort of magnetic field in and around your body that recharges you and your brain.

Apparently this walking barefoot part is the most important aspect of the practice.   As you continue walking on the Earth, this is when the magic really begins.  The pineal gland is activated more and more by this walking  procedure.  Intellect is said to increase, along with memory. The pineal gland has navigational and psychic capabilities, meaning telepathy, the possibility of flight… now we are getting somewhere!  Have you ever thought you would like to have your body in more than one place at a time?  Well, sun-gazing is said to be the magical key to such abilities.

If you can barefoot walk 45 minutes every day for a year – you are golden.  At that point, only a maintenance of 3-4 days a week is necessary to maintain the capabilities you have acquired.

Are there any dangers?

Doctors and  eye care professionals caution against looking directly at the sun, saying that it will damage the retina.  However, if done correctly, sun-gazing at the correct times of day, studies show there is no risk of damaging the eyes.  Those who have been sun gazing for many years have had their eyes checked to show no damage, though it is advised that you have your eyes checked in the first few weeks of your practice, so you can know for yourself.

To sum it all up…

Remember, it’s 10 seconds the first day, at sunrise or sunset, adding 10 seconds per day each day there after.  After 9 months of accumulative gazing equaling 44 minutes, you cease the gazing and start the barefoot walking 45 minutes per day for 365 days.  At this point, I could imagine, hey – if you made it this far, what’s a year of barefoot walking for less than an hour a day to keep it all?  You will have to try it out and see for yourself.  

If you are really interested in gaining super-human abilities, confirmed by reputable organizations like NASA, as the ones mentioned above, sun gazing sounds like a fairly straightforward path to enlightenment.  To find out more about sun-gazing and how others have done it, visit the website on Sun-Gazing. For part one of the amazing Sun-Gazing documentary, check out the video below.

Written by: Stasia Bliss
Edited by: Leslie McQuade

Sources: Man lives 11 years on sun; David Icke; Sungazing 101

YOU CAN find the original HERE.

“THINGS AS THEY ARE”

As an anthropologist, it is important for me to understand THINGS AS THEY ARE, and to compare it with “Things As Others Say They Are”.  In the spirit of this, let us look at a few things, and think critically about them.

First, there is there is blogger guy that says Christians are black magicians.  Interesting idea.  Never considered it before, but I decided to See What Is There.  Now remember.  I’m going to look at this as if I have never before in my life looked at these symbols or heard anything about Christianity beside what I can observe from one visit to a typical church on the East Coast, and a few quick looks at the literature provided, and maybe a question or two of people I see in the parking lot. 

Here is what I see.

First, the location.  Lots of churches are surrounded by graveyards, aka dead people.  Skulls in fact.  Hmmm.  I never really thought about it much before, but don’t you think it is strange to have a place of worship surrounded by rotting corpses?  I mean, if it was a castle on a hill surrounded by graves, you would be terrified.  But somehow a church on the same hill surrounded by the same graves doesn’t terrify you?

Next, the symbol.  There is this fella nailed to some sticks prominently displayed at the front of the church.  He is skinny, bleeding and looks like he is in quite a lot of pain.  Strange symbol for a religion professing life, love and gentleness, don’t you think? 

So.  Tortured guy to look at while you pray on your knees and dead people surrounding the building you worship in.  

How about their practices? -- the most revealing of all, in my opinion.

A fella in a black dress says some words and transforms wine and bread into the literal body and blood of Christ. “Is that really blood and muscles?” I ask the woman beside me.   “Yes, it is.  It might not taste that way, but you really are eating those things.” “And why do you do this?”  “It’s important if you want to go to Heaven.” Wow! Now, I’m working hard to be a good anthropologist, but honest to God this is the explanation I was given by a priest to whom I posed this question.  I’m thinking I’d really rather sit down to a squirming bowl of wichity-grubs right about now. I saw everyone line up for the event.  Is this who Heaven is filled with? 

In short, these guys are telling me that in order to live forever in the presence of elevated beings, a place of love and forgiveness I have to kneel in a building surrounded by dead bodies and pray to a suffering, nay, dying guy while eating human flesh and drinking blood I’d tell you -- you are absolutely and with out a doubt completely insane.

You know, our language has words for people who eat other people and for people who drink blood.  So who eats human flesh and drinks blood?  Zombies and Vampires.  Yikes!  Maybe Zombie-Vampires?  Or Vampire-Zombies? This isn’t scary?

I am afraid of cannibals, and those who would drink the blood of others.  I mean, aren’t these some of the most damning accusations leveled at witches and the magical practitioners of non-western societies?  How many horror stories are there about Cannibals in the Pacific?  Tribal people with bones in their nose waiting to barbecue people or drink their blood?  And yet every day, in Catholic churches across the world, people line up ON THEIR KNEES LIKE PRISONERS in a building surrounded by corpses to have some guy in a black dress shove human flesh dipped in blood in their mouths.  Egad.  Is it any wonder tribal people thought missionaries were insane?

I am really surprised that these realizations of THINGS AS THEY ARE haven’t occurred to more people.  I mean, aren’t these the things that Christians are so fond of accusing others of?  And telling us over and over how evil these practices are?  Is this another case of “the one who smelt it dealt it”?

Scientists in general and Anthropologists in particular put aside their pre-conceived notions about the could’s, should’s, oughta’s and used-to’s of the world to look at what is happening around them as though they were seeing it for the very first time.  While difficult, it is absolutely necessary if one is to truly understand the world in which you live.

I am sure there are those who will call me a Reductionist.  They will say I’m Flaming, or a Liar, or many other Such Names as one calls those who point out Uncomfortable Truths.  But really…

Don’t you see it? 

Upcoming Events

Calendar of Events

2013

These three events all occur at Well of the Moon, http://www.wellofthemoon.com/.  This little gem of a Pagan shop is located at:

2650 S. Decatur Blvd. Suite A02, Las Vegas NV 89102 

(702) 666-7200

 JANUARY

       12              SHAMANISM 101 -- NEW MOON WORK

SATURDAY

    6-8pm

Join Anthropologist Leslie McQuade for fascinating and informative evenings of Practical Shamanic work related to first the New Moon and then the Full Moon.  Her extensive international experience as a field archaeologist and ethnographer blends the best of academic discoveries in the field of Shamanism with down-to-earth practical applications learned from native practitioners all over the world.  

Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable clothes, bring a blanket, journal or notebook and advanced practitioners are encouraged to bring their working tools.  Free-will donations are accepted and will become part of the Isis Temple Educational Outreach Fund. 

 JANUARY

       26              SHAMANISM 101 -- FULL MOON WORK

SATURDAY

    6-8pm

FEBRUARY

        2              CANDELORA / IMBOLGC / CANDELMAS 

SATURDAY       

    7-8pm                                              

The Dark Days of Winter

"The period between the first week in December and the first week in January could well be called the "dark days" for the mid-northern latitudes. At latitude 40 degrees north, earliest sunset occurs around 8 December each year, and latest sunrise occurs around 5 January. The day with the least amount of daylight is the winter solstice, the first day of winter, around 21 December. Why are not all these dates the same? The answer is not simple. There are two effects which, together, determine the local time of Sun phenomena, such as sunrise, sunset, and transit. One is called the Equation of Time; the other is the Sun's declination.

The Equation of Time is a way of describing the variation in the time of Sun-related phenomena within our standard 24-hour timekeeping system. In any time zone, the Equation of Time is simply the difference between 12:00 noon on a clock and the actual time of the Sun's transit (sundial noon) across the central meridian of the time zone. The time between successive transits of the Sun - the length of the solar day - varies considerably over the year. It is determined by two factors, both dependent on the position of the Earth in its orbit. Suffice it to say that from mid-November to early February these two factors work together to make the solar day longer than 24 hours: in late December, as much as 30 seconds longer than 24 hours. Since we don't adjust our clocks for this effect, the Sun's transit moves later and later each day during this period.

All other things being equal, the times of all Sun phenomena are tied directly to the time of transit. But all other things are not equal. The Sun's declination, its angular distance above or below the equator, changes on a yearly cycle, causing our seasons. 

The Sun's declination determines the maximum height of the Sun in the sky on any given day; hence, it also determines the azimuth of the sunrise and sunset points and the length of time the Sun is above the horizon. Most of us know the Sun is at its "lowest point in the sky" on the first day of winter, so we expect the Sun to be above the horizon the least amount of time that day.

So two effects determine the times of sunrise and sunset: the Equation of Time and the Sun's declination. But their relative magnitudes vary. In late December, the daily rate of change of the Sun's declination is quite small and is, of course, zero at the December solstice; "solstice" means "Sun stationary". However, the daily rate of change of the Equation of Time reaches a maximum just a few days later. Thus in late December it is the Equation of Time that has the dominant influence over the changes in sunrise and sunset times from one day to the next. In fact, the Equation of Time dominates, at latitude 40 degrees north, from about 8 December to 5 January. Outside of these few weeks, the Sun's declination changes are dominant. These two dates represent the dates on which the magnitudes of the two effects "cross over" at this latitude. (At higher latitudes, the crossover dates are closer to the solstice since the declination effect is greater there.)

The 8 December crossover day is the date of earliest sunset. Why? In the weeks before solstice, the two effects act in opposite directions on the time of sunset: the declination effect pulling it earlier and the Equation of Time pushing it later. On 8 December the Equation of Time begins to dominate and sunset begins to move later. Meanwhile both effects are pushing sunrise later and later. After solstice, the situation reverses. Both effects push sunset later. But for sunrise, the declination effect now pulls it earlier while the Equation of Time effect continues to push it later. The Equation of Time prevails until 5 January, when the declination effect takes over and sunrises begin to move earlier. So 5 January is the date of latest sunrise.

A similar situation occurs at the summer solstice, although the effect is not as extreme. Solstice occurs around 21 June, but at latitude 40 degrees north the earliest sunrise occurs around 14 June and the latest sunset around 28 June."

original text can be found here:  http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/dark_days.php.