Messages In This Digest (6 Messages)

1.: Hallowe'en martini hour From: Tim Hartridge

2.: Apple Pentacle siren From: Tim Hartridge

3a.: Re: Surviving Indo-European Pagans of Central Asia: Kalash: From: carteblanche13
3b.: Re: Surviving Indo-European Pagans of Central Asia: Kalash: From: carteblanche13

4a.: Re: Russian lawmakers move to ban faith healers, witches and sorcere From: carteblanche13

5.: Psychic Development Circle - Wollongong, 10/13/2010, 7:00 pm From: WitchesWorkshop@yahoogroups.com

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1.: Hallowe'en martini hour

Posted by: "Tim Hartridge" ozpagan@ozpagan.com wwwozpagancom

Thu Oct 7, 2010 4:07 pm (PDT)

Rebecca (Big Cats) of "Strange Nation" saw the word "martini" and
thought of me.

This wonderful 'hocus pocus' martini that changes colour is called
appropriately the "Morphing Martini". I'm not sure if this isn't a
blasphemy against the code of all true believers in the Martini! But
hell, this baby bubbles more than a Witch's cauldron while we are
treated to the demonstrator in the video whispering in hushed tones,
"Wow, that is wicked!"

Instructions:
http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Morphing-Martini/

Video demonstration:
http://vimeo.com/8361135

NB - no children were harmed in this experiment.

PS - do try this at home.

chin, chin, vinum sabbati,
Tim

PPS - Rebecca and partner Mike are authors of "Australian Big Cats"
see - http://www.australianbigcats.com.au/

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2.: Apple Pentacle siren

Posted by: "Tim Hartridge" ozpagan@ozpagan.com wwwozpagancom

Thu Oct 7, 2010 5:07 pm (PDT)

Louisa John-Krol performed at the recent "Witches' Ball" and swooned
us with her ethereal vocal talents.

I have Louisa's pagan titled "Apple Pentacle" CD. The album is
bewitching, melodic and powerful, using old mythic themes in a
contemporary style; by which I mean there's a number of ancient
stories and references told through a new voice.

Louisa's style has been described as "romantic, pop-etheral, faerie
music", but I think this misses the range that her voice explores and
the influences coming from both traditional and contemporary
instrumentation. I'd also strongly suggest you listen to her music on
a proper stereo; the tracks I heard online don't compare with quality
of the CDs.

I was surprised too that I hadn't come across this Melbourne based
siren's work before now because Louisa has an amazing six CDs to her
name; including French and American distributors. I'd love to see
Louisa in a concert performance, rather that the fun-loving 'rabble'
at the "Witches' Ball". There's many subtle moods and lyrics wrapped
the haunting echo of her voice. The ethereal mists of Louise's
seductive sound deserves a more intimate performance space.

I hope Sydney will be treated to more of Louisa's performances.

http://www.louisajohnkrol.com

vinum sabbati,
Tim

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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3a.: Re: Surviving Indo-European Pagans of Central Asia: Kalash:

Posted by: "carteblanche13" carteblanche13@yahoo.com.au carteblanche13

Thu Oct 7, 2010 7:17 pm (PDT)

--- In WitchesWorkshop@yahoogroups.com, "Kerrie Adie" <kerrielou@...> wrote:

> (C.B. said:) Alexander the Great was, in fact, Greek

> Umm..... I thought he was Macedonian?? :)

LOL thanks, Kerrie - technically yes, "Al the Awesome" was born in the ancient kingdom of Macedonia, of course - which was, like its bordering states Thrace, Thessaly, etc., simply a region of (what was then called) the Greek peninsula - ie., the peninsula where the "Greeks" lived, whatever their particular region.

He did however, get his thinking personally from Aristotle, who got his from Plato, who got his from Socrates. His thinking was therefore in a very real, essential sense, strongly influenced by native and quintessentially "Greek" thinkers.

Macedonia (courtesy of Alex's family) ruled most of Greece - so in one sense (if we really wanted to miss the point of what the word "Hellenic", and "Hellenistic", ie. Greek, means) we could even say that in one sense at least, Greece was Macedonian. But I wouldn't, because it wasn't. "Greece" is the broader cultural, and geographical, context of Macedonia - not the other way round. Not even (especially) then.

I have no wish to be called racist - so I would therefore say that in many important respects, perhaps Alexander was more Greek than he was Macedonian, and also, that Macedonia was always more "Greek", than Greece was ever Macedonian. Even when it was ruled by Macedonians.

Just like Rome "was" more Greek, than Greece was ever Roman - or at least, tried very hard to be.

best regards,
C.B.

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3b.: Re: Surviving Indo-European Pagans of Central Asia: Kalash:

Posted by: "carteblanche13" carteblanche13@yahoo.com.au carteblanche13

Thu Oct 7, 2010 7:34 pm (PDT)

Jonathan,

I don't pretend to know any more about the Kalash than I discovered last week - that they claim to be descendants of Alexander's army, which, regardless of the ethnic make-up of the particular wing with which he conquered northern Pakistan, was operated as an extension of ancient Greek culture of which he was then the chief exponent.

I can understand if modern Greeks (and for that matter, pagans) enthuse about this undisputed set of facts. I also understand that the Kalash most likely have more in common with Zoroastrians and certain Hindu sects than they would to ancient Athens, for any number of reasons. I don't believe that anybody - even the Greeks - would miss these rather obvious points.

I think the essential point is that they are an isolated pagan, polytheistic, and indo-european culture, and a minority, in an Islamic country.

Personally, I am perhaps more excited by the Persian conneciton (in the light of what has happened to Iran) than the Greek, myself, so I'd probably be among those in Alexander's army (perhaps like the ancestors of the Kalash) who opted for this, rather than that - especially if the brand of Hellenism being espoused was of the Aristotelian variety.

As far as your remarks about the "Yazidi" lore in modern Western occultism go, I agree, to a point - but to call making use of out-of-date or inaccurate information "concocting lies" is unnecessary, unkind, and untrue. We all do our best with what we have available to us at the time - and the use to which information, whether fact or fiction, is put, has its own value.

You know, myth.

best regards
C.B.

--- In WitchesWorkshop@yahoogroups.com, "Frater Carfax" <tzuflifu@...> wrote:
>
>
> Happy Spring CB.
>
> > However, they do in fact claim -all by themselves, without the help > of bleeding heart middle-class first-worlders- to be descendants of > the army of Alexander the Great. That's their own story. Alexander > the Great was, in fact, Greek (if that's okay with you). Therefore, > there is an actual direct connection with Hellenic antiquity,
> > literally, and according to their own customs and folklore -
>
> Well, that depends on whether you regard the Army of Alexander in totality as emissaries of Hellenic culture, and if so to what degree.
>
> There seems to be some agreement, from at least half reputable sources that one can google at a pinch anyway, that the Kalash culture is Indo-Iranian - including the religious structures - to greater or lesser degrees.
>
> Now, this probably makes sense given Alexander conquering and having rulership of the Persian Empire.
>
> But I guess this is the question I have not yet seen answered - what 'version' of Alexander's army do they have their connection to?
>
> To be sure the initial force was primarily Macedonian/Hellenic - but of every colour and hue of Hellenic culture, a very broad cultural palette and not just "Greek".
>
> As the campaigns grew and headed eastward the Persian contingent of the army grew enormously to be the dominant culture, with many of the Macedonian and Greek veterans being placed in garrisons or sent home around 324BC.
>
> It is probably fair to say that Persia was in process of being Hellenised, but then it raises the question as to whether further Hellenisation on conquered peoples were "by proxy" of non-Hellenic military and to what degree, given the time often required for cultural adoption and integration to take. One reference I have encountered indicated that proper Hellenisation of conquered territories of Alexander in fact really did not occur until well after his death. There is also the point that there was general unhappiness amongst the Hellenic troops in Alexanders army in late years because of his preferential adoption of Persian dress and culture.
>
> So, with regard to the Kalash and Alexanders Army - When did this contact occur? How did this contact occur? Was there conquest? Was there integration? And what cultures were of the greater influence? How was this an ongoing process? When did cultural isolation occur post-Empire?
>
> On his basis - being "descendants of Alexanders Army" throws up many more questions to me than it answers - hence my personal confected outrage at cultural assumption, projection and interference.
>
> There are in fact many of these cultural outposts around, and they do make fascinating reading and research - but of course have been subject to exploitation in various forms.
>
> For example - the Yezidi of Iraq/Kurdistan have been the topic of much deplorable and inaccurate writings, not only by early Eurocentric historians, Islamic rulers but also by the Western occult writers who have concocted almost as many lies in order to justify certain esoteric theories.
>
>
> LLL
>
> Jonathan
>

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4a.: Re: Russian lawmakers move to ban faith healers, witches and sorcere

Posted by: "carteblanche13" carteblanche13@yahoo.com.au carteblanche13

Thu Oct 7, 2010 8:59 pm (PDT)

Wow thanks for posting this guys- so the Russians (of all people) are introducing laws which Britain repealed last century. On "moral" grounds. L O L!

Especially funky juxtaposition with the article Tim posted above - about a Swede company advertising for witches for precisely the stuff the Russians are outlawing, as a job.

A shame - there's a lot to be said for (what may be loosely called) Traditional Craft in Russia, and that's not even counting Siberia.

I had a Russian gf (well, part Uzbek) when I lived in Milan, who remains the most outstanding natural exponent of witchcraft I have met to date - entirely ignorant and uninterested as she was in any of these subjects. It was all either a matter of 'direct transmission' (i.e. intrinsic, unconscious, spontaneous, and unique) or snippets of oral instruction from her mother, (another impressive specimen), as seems to so very often be the way.

C.B.

--- In WitchesWorkshop@yahoogroups.com, "Jamie&Vera" <alchemy62@...> wrote:
>
> An interesting news article I stumbled upon this morning:
>
> http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/russian-lawmakers-move-to-ban-faith-healers-witches-and-sorcerers/story-e6frfku0-1225934643070
>
> RUSSIAN lawmakers backed a bill banning faith healers, witches and sorcerers from advertising their services today in a potential blow to the booming business.
>
> According to lawmakers who proposed the bill, faith healers cause "moral and physical harm to the people and economic harm to the country."
>
> Lawmakers in Russia have passed an initial reading of the bill. They need to vote for a draft in three readings before it is signed by the president and becomes a law.
>
> Russians often turn to folk healers and fortune-tellers to solve problems, and tabloid newspapers fill pages with ads for "psychics."
>
> The healers promise to return cheating husbands, cure alcoholism and bring business success.
>
>
>
> Advertising of esoteric services in the mass media means that "charlatans attract a lot of clients without giving any guarantees, and sometimes engage in fraud," the bill's authors said.
>
> Esoteric healers outnumber doctors in Russia, and the annual turnover of the business is close to $2 billion, said lawmaker Tatyana Yakovleva, who sits on Russia's parliamentary health committee.
>
> "The number of healers has reached 800,000 people, while there are only 620,000 medical doctors," Ms Yakovleva said in a statement, calling claims by some to cure cancer and AIDS 'criminal'."
>
> "It's ridiculous to treat toothache by dangling a rat's tail near your cheek," she added.
>
> A survey carried out by Levada independent polling agency in August found that 20 percent of Russians have visited alternative healers for their problems and only 10 percent have ever seen a psychotherapist.
>
> Televised psychic sessions were prevalent in Russia in the 1990s, with some of the more popular psychics even running for legislative offices around the country.
>
> Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/russian-lawmakers-move-to-ban-faith-healers-witches-and-sorcerers/story-e6frfku0-1225934643070#ixzz11WI0OIn8
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

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5.: Psychic Development Circle - Wollongong, 10/13/2010, 7:00 pm

Posted by: "WitchesWorkshop@yahoogroups.com" WitchesWorkshop@yahoogroups.com

Fri Oct 8, 2010 1:55 am (PDT)

Reminder from: WitchesWorkshop Yahoo! Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WitchesWorkshop/cal

Psychic Development Circle - Wollongong
Wednesday October 13, 2010
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
(This event repeats every week.)
Location: Smith Street, Wollongong

Notes:
Explore your psychic gifts and the world of the unseen.

Within these circles the atmosphere is calm and protected, so you are free to explore your connections through meditation and practical techniques, in a safe environment.

Increase your knowledge of Meditation; Tarot; Oracle; Psychometry; Aura Reading; Dowsing; Spirit Connection; Angels; Fairy and many other psychic energies and tools, as we explore the unchartered world of psychic wisdom together.

Our Psychic Circle runs every Wednesday evening at 7pm

All are welcome and no experience is needed.

Contact Ali on 042 020 8879 or email alison@shamanicspirit.com.au

www.shamanicspirit.com.au

All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2010
Yahoo! Inc.
http://www.yahoo.com

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