nafjohannahairas

[nafjohannahairas]

This week we did something very interesting! Our teacher found a dead badger on the side of the road and she decided that it is a good idea to draw it, since it wasn't too bloody. It was such a good exercise to draw the badger in different positions and to also go into detail like the paws and the mouth.

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Front Cover

I changed my front cover of my portfolio, because the painting I did was not that good and also it was a bit too big for a cover. So I developed a little sketch, that I think looks quite cute. At first I did struggle with what to use for a front cover, and I stressed out a bit because I was thinking that it literally had to be a coloured piece. Now I know that a simple sketch is just as nice looking.

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Artists That I Look Up To

Here are my favourite two artists that I look up to and follow tutorials from on YouTube. On top of the list is definitely Walid Feghali, who has loads of tutorials and tips on YouTube and I liked his way of teaching and painting style so much that I did his online course for Concept Art during the summer holidays. This is where I learned so much and was able to actually paint something that I like for this project.

And my second favourite, where I look up his tutorials and tips and critiques on YouTube is Tyler Edlin. I quite like his style and he is very straight forward.

[nafjohannahairas]

Translation For The Testing Report

Basically what I wrote down in German, I only translated a few parts on the worksheet. Not because I did not want to have it on there, but to make it more mysterious. I am writing the full translation on here though:

Testing subject number: 105

Species: Hyena

Experiment: XT:200

Date: 08th April, 1920

The scientist working on the project is called doctor Franz Hartlinger

The assistant working on the project is Mrs. Markel

Day 1: The fluids were subjected into the veins. Two positive blood drawings were taken within 24 hours (first and last one confirmed phase-1-lgG antibody>1:8000 Microbiological detection: blood infection positiv, characteristic attributes: effusion of blood underneath the eyes, swelling of the neck. Subject is alive.

Day 2: One positive drawing of blood was taken at 08:00 in the morning. Main criterium is an active infection of the virus XT:200. Characteristic changes are aggressive and hunger. Subject is alive.

Day 3: Subject number 105 has escaped out of the holding facility. Subject is nowhere to be found.

Day 4: Danger is high, high risk of infection. Subject still not found. A special ops team is looking for it.

Testing subject number: 105

Species: Hyena

Experiment: XT:200

Date: 08th April, 1920

The scientist working on the project is called doctor Franz Hartlinger

The assistant working on the project is Mrs. Markel

Day 1: The fluids were subjected into the veins. Two positive blood drawings were taken within 24 hours (first and last one confirmed phase-1-lgG antibody>1:8000 Microbiological detection: blood infection positiv, characteristic attributes: effusion of blood underneath the eyes, swelling of the neck. Subject is alive.

Day 2: One positive drawing of blood was taken at 08:00 in the morning. Main criterium is an active infection of the virus XT:200. Characteristic changes are aggressive and hunger. Subject is alive.

Day 3: Subject number 105 escaped. Subject was found in a warehouse in the facility.

Day 4: Various tests were taken. Subject 105 deceased 12 hours after escaping from the virus XT:200

[nafjohannahairas]

Evaluation

During this project I have learned so much. For example I now know how to work with photoshop better than before and I learned to use more and different brushes for my paintings. I did a lot of sketching and it really helped develop my drawing skills further. In my first year I mentioned that I was not confident in using colours in my paintings and this was the reason why my paintings from first year are only in black and white. I have worked on this issue though and now I feel more confident than before in using colours. Also I have been working on implementing little environments and I have decided that I will not focus on character design anymore. Simply because I found out that I enjoy drawing or sketching  animals and environments a lot more than humans. I also said that on my final major project last year I rushed the final outcome and obviously it did not work out as well. I did avoid this problem with this project and started to work on the concepts relatively early and I also did a lot of work at home, that gave me enough time to then work on the rest later on.  

For my first project in year two I have chosen the subject animal testing. It turns out I really like and enjoy drawing different animals and I was able to develop three final outcomes. I drew a hyena, which has been genetically modified and now has horns. To change up the story I developed two different backgrounds. In one painting the hyena survives the break-out and in the other the hyena will die. Both hyena concepts relate clearly to the theme animal testing, especially the one in the warehouse, because of the toxic sign in the background. This is all documented in a test report that I have made, to take the final outcome a step further. The other piece of concept that I worked on is a stag, which also has been genetically modified, but his antlers are showing signs of toxic streams and his coat is white instead of brown. In my initial sketch I drew that the stag has been shot with tranquilizer arrows, but I have not used this idea in my final concept, because I thought that it was already complete and it did not really need more to it. This  brings me to my next point of what I would do if we would have had more time for the project. I would probably make a second concept of the stag, but this time I would add the tranquilizer arrows and maybe it would look even better. Although when I think about the stag painting now, then I am not sure how well it would actually relate to the theme animal testing. I thought that the different coloured coat and the toxic antlers would be enough, but when I really think about then it could as well be a magical fantasy stag. When I was working on my sketches, I found that a simple splash of grey and putting a darker box around a sketch can make it so much more interesting looking. Also what I have noticed when I printed out my work it changed the resolution and it did not look as good once it was printed on paper.

When I print my evaluation sheet it does not have any photographs of finished drawings on it, because an evaluation is all about the process and this is why decided to put only one finished concept on it. I then changed the stag, because I do not like this version too much.

[nafjohannahairas]

Industrial Lifestock Farming

Livestock production used to be an important part of small- and medium-sized independent farms; animal manure fertilized crops, animals ate farm waste products, and the sale of animal products in local markets provided important additional income to farmers. Some farms still operate this way, but they are no longer the norm, as livestock production has become big business.

Industrial livestock production generally refers to a modern type of agriculture wherein densely populated groups of animals are confined to cages, barns or feedlots. Rather than the animals grazing or foraging, feed, water and medical inputs are provided to them, while their excrement is collected in ponds (called lagoons) or pits which is then sprayed onto nearby fields. Sustainable food advocates often call these operations factory farms, while people in rural areas where they are common call them confinements.

Intensive crop (plant) production (frequently termed industrial agriculture) artificially divorces two countering aspects of a naturally closed-loop and renewable cycle – nature’s reciprocal and balanced system whereby crops feed animals and animal wastes fertilize crops. What we have instead are depleted soils on one hand and toxically excessive animal wastes on the other – both problems generated by commercial agriculture.

Industrial livestock production has become so far removed from the natural cycle of farming that laws and regulations no longer refer to these operations as farms, but animal feeding operations, or AFOs. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates AFOs, defined as “agricultural operations where animals are kept and raised in confined situations.”

Proponents of industrial agriculture point to the high volume of the low-cost food it produces. Meat has become cheaper than would have been thought possible a century ago, such that every American consumes, on average, nearly 215 pounds of red meat and poultry per year. The drop in meat cost is partly due to how confinement production takes advantage of economies of scale; it is also due to the externalization of costs and to the political power of the meat industry.

Industrial meat production is built for maximum output in the form of billions of pounds of meat consumed but does not take into account the disastrous effects of such consolidated production on the environment, animals and people.

In confinement, animals are treated essentially as cogs in a machine, with no regard for their natural behaviors or needs. Birds’ beaks are often cut off to prevent them from pecking each other and tails of cows and pigs are amputated (called docking). Animal behaviors, like pigs rooting in the dirt or chickens taking dust baths, are stifled when animals live in cages or in houses with metal floors; in some cases, such as with veal calves and nursing pigs, animals are unable to turn around. Animals also have to live in or on top of their own excrement, breathing in the toxic fumes, and in perpetual stress from the crowded conditions.

It is wrong to do that to animals, and I do not support industrial lifestock farming!

[nafjohannahairas]

Vegans And Vegetarians

Vegans and vegetarians choose not to eat meat. However, veganism is stricter and also prohibits dairy, eggs, honey, and any other items that derive from animal products, such as leather and silk.

Both veganism and vegetarianism are growing in popularity. However, some people may find the differences between these two diets a little confusing, particularly as there are several variations of vegetarianism.

In this article, we explore the similarities and differences between veganism and vegetarianism. We also discuss health benefits, which diet is more healthful, which is better for weight loss, and risks and considerations.

many vegetarians do consume byproducts that do not involve the slaughter of animals. These include:

eggs

dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt

honey

Vegetarians typically consume a range of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and pulses, as well as "meat substitutes" that derive from these food types.

Vegetarianism is generally less strict than veganism, so there are several well-known variations of the vegetarian diet. 

Veganism is a stricter form of vegetarianism. Vegans avoid consuming or using any animal products or byproducts. The Vegan Society define veganism as "a way of living, which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of and cruelty to animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose."

Strict vegans also extend these principles beyond their diet and will try, where possible, to avoid any product that directly or indirectly involves the human use of animals. 

Scientific research suggests that vegetarian and vegan diets may offer several health benefits. Both diets offer similar health benefits and generally encourage people to eat more antioxidant-rich and nutrient-dense whole foods. It is difficult to say which diet is more healthful because both diets have advantages and disadvantages.

For example, plant-based foods do not naturally contain vitamin B-12, which is an essential mineral that supports the nervous system and cardiovascular health. Vegans and vegetarians can get vitamin B-12 from fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals and some types of plant based "milk."

A range of multivitamin supplements suitable for vegetarians and vegans are available to purchase from pharmacies, health stores, and online.

I believe that we have to be thoughtful of what kind of meat we buy and when we buy meat we have to know that an animal died for us to eat, so we really have to eat it and enjoy it. We should not take meat for granted and let it get old and throw away. I myself eat not a lot of meat and if I do, then I make sure I do not support industrial lifestock farming. My parents at home buy their meat directly from a farmer they know well.

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Halal Slaughter

The debate over when meat is halal and whether it should be clearly labelled has been put back on the agenda by vets and animal welfare campaigners who want all animals slaughtered for food to be stunned before killing.

The Arabic word halal means permissible, and the rules of slaughter are based on Islamic law. The animal has to be alive and healthy, a Muslim has to perform the slaughter in the appropriate ritual manner, and the animal's throat must be cut by a sharp knife severing the carotid artery, jugular vein and windpipe in a single swipe. Blood must be drained out of the carcass.

Only one animal can be ritually slaughtered at a time and the other animals must not witness any death.

The religious law also says how the animal must be treated during its life, with the animal not allowed to have been mistreated or caused any pain. It must also be provided with enough space to roam, clean water, food and fresh air.

About 40m cattle, sheep, pigs and calves and 900m poultry birds are killed in British abattoirs each year, according to a Food Standards Agency (FSA) report two years ago, and one estimate has suggested that 114m of these animals, including poultry, are killed using the halal method. The value of the market could be £2bn a year or more.

The question of whether religious slaughter is more or less humane than other forms is a matter of debate.

Shuja Shafi and Jonathan Arkush, writing in The Guardian, say religious slaughter is as humane as the alternatives, arguing that traditional methods of stunning, using a captive bolt, gas or electricity, only paralyse the animal so it cannot move. “It is impossible to know whether the animal is feeling pain or not,” they say.

In both Muslim and Jewish religious slaughter, the act of slitting the throat "stuns the animal", they add, and “there is no delay between stun and subsequent death”.

Animal health experts and campaigners disagree. The RSPCA argues that killing animals without stunning them causes “unnecessary suffering”, while activist group Peta calls halal slaughter “prolonged torment”, saying the animals “fight and gasp for their last breath, struggling to stand while the blood drains from their necks”.

How does it differ from Kosher practice?

Unlike halal, the Jewish method of slaughter, known as Shechita, cannot involve pre-slaughter stunning at all.

Its proponents say the use of a chalaf, a surgically sharp instrument twice the width of the animal's neck, by practitioners who have trained for a minimum of seven years, “meets the European Union's requirement for stunning in that it brings insensitivity to pain and distress.

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Hindu And Animals

Again there would be too many to list them up here, but here are a few and probably the most well known ones.

The Hindu faith, the cradle of which is India, is a religion which dotes upon the birds and animals. In fact, the religion has bestowed the fur, feathers and fins species the status of divinity by linking their multifarious gods and goddesses to various animals. All the numerous Hindu gods and goddesses are considered the manifestations of one supreme creator, the Almighty God. The gods and goddesses in Hindu mythology travel in supersonic speed on animals and birds. Different gods have different vahanas (animal vehicles). The literal meaning of the word ‘vahana’ is ‘that which carries, that which pulls’. Mesopotamian gods and goddesses were all associated with vahanas. According to some historians, the concept reached Indian shores in the second millennium BC via the trade route between the two ancient civilizations.

Surya – Horses

The sun god, Surya, mounts on a golden chariot, pulled by seven white horses. Seven is a sacred number in Hindu mythology. The seven horses are representative of the seven major sins and how the Sun God triumphs over them. They also symbolize the seven chakras (spiritual vortexes in the human body).

Agni – Ram Agni, or the fire god, rides upon a ram. Sacrifices are offered to Agni and to many other gods through him. Interestingly, the ram is a sacrificial animal, which has been linked to the Hindu fire god, to whom sacrifices are offered.

Brahma- Swan Brahma, the god of creation, travels all over outer space on a swan, chanting the sacred Hindu scripture the Vedas. The elegant swan is symbolic of intelligence. As per Hindu tradition, it’s a bird which can figuratively sift the pure from the impure, like it sieves milk from water. Sometimes, Brahma is shown riding seven swans.

Durga – Lion Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of war is seen with a lion. Similarly, Durga, the mother of the universe and the warrior goddess, pierces a spear into the buffalo demon’s heart, while riding a lion. The lion, as we all know, has been nicknamed the King of the Jungle. In Hinduism it’s also considered the supreme of all animals. Also, let’s keep in mind that the goddess rides a tame lion. The lion may also represent gluttony and the craving for sensory pleasures which gives birth to lust. The goddess riding a lion may also symbolize that she has tamed the instincts of greed, lust and gluttony to rise to a spiritual height.

Ganesha–Mouse Ganesha, the huge elephant headed god, who is worshipped for wealth and prosperity, mounts on a mouse. This rodent was actually a god named Kroncha in his previous life. He had accidentally stepped on the toes of Saint Vamadeva, who was also worshipped as a god. Stepping on a spiritual being, is considered blasphemous in Hinduism. Kroncha desperately begged apology. Vamadeva’s wrath simmered down. Undoing a curse is mythically impossible, but he toned it down by saying that he would become Ganesha’s vehicle. As per mythologists, the mouse is symbolic of basal desires. Being dark in colour, it is also averse of light or truth. Some feel that the mouse is representative of the egoistic mind, as it can metaphorically gnaw on the virtues of man. Ganesha, by mounting the mouse, thereby symbolically conquers impure desires, spiritual darkness and pride.

Indra–Elephant Indra, the god of rain and thunderstorms, rides a white elephant called Airavata. This winged elephant was hatched from a cosmic egg. Of the 16 elephants that were born from this egg, Airavata was by far the strongest. This mythical creature sucks water with her trunk and sprinkles it on earth thereby creating rain. He had fathered winged white elephants as well. One day they accidentally interrupted a class conducted by a sage when he was teaching. He put a curse on them which clipped their wings. The white elephants of today are said to be Airavata’s descendents. Airavata besides being Indra’s vahana is believed to, along with his siblings, hold up the eastern hemisphere of the globe.

Kartikeya –-Peacock Kartikeya, the god of war is seen in pictures as perched on a magnificent peacock. The prevailing myth is that the peacock doesn’t copulate with the peahen. Therefore it is regarded as a chaste bird. As the old wives’ tale goes the peacock is contented with its magnificent plumes but is deeply embarrassed by its unattractive legs. While it joyfully dances under a cloudy sky, when it glances at its legs, it is moved to tears. The peahen sips the tears and conceives. So, the message to all warriors is that they should forgo all sexual desires, if they wish to emerge victorious in war. The scientific truth however is that peacocks do have sexual intercourse.

Lakshmi–Owl Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, wealth and prosperity mounts the wise old white owl. Besides wisdom, the bird also symbolizes patience and intelligence. Its white plumes denote spiritual purity. It is also bestowed with the mythical powers of fortune telling. Simultaneously, this owl also serves the practical purposes of a barn owl. In the state of Bengal in India, the annual festival dedicated to the worship of Goddess Lakshmi, is celebrated in late autumn. This is when the farmers have just reaped a rich harvest and have stocked their granaries with food grains. The owl cleanses the granaries of all pests, thereby protecting the grain. The more grain the farmer sells, the wealthier he/ she will become.

Shiva–Bull Shiva, the destroyer, rides a bull named Nandi. The bull being a strong animal symbolizes virility. Nandi is Shiva’s ardent devotee. He is said to have lived with the god in the heavenly snowy abode of Kailash.

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Animal Gods In Greek Religion

Aphrodite - Goddess of love, beauty and sexuality

Sacred Animal - Dove

Aphrodite (Love Goddess)

Apollo - God of music, poetry, art, oracles, archery, plague, medicine, sun, light and knowledge

Sacred Animal - Swan

Apollo (Music God)

Ares - God of war, bloodshed, and violence

Sacred Animal - Vulture

Ares (War God)

Artemis - Virgin goddess of the hunt, the moon, wilderness, animals, young girls, childbirth, and plague

Sacred Animal - Deer

Artemis (Hunting Goddess)

Athena - Goddess of reason, wisdom, intelligence, skill, peace, warfare, battle strategy, and handicrafts

Sacred Animal - Owl

Athena (Wisdom Goddess)

Demeter - Goddess of grain, agriculture, harvest, growth, nourishment and sacred law

Sacred Animal - Pig

Demeter (Harvest Goddess)

Dionysus - God of the vine, grape harvest, winemaking, wine, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre

Sacred Animal - Tiger

Dionysus (Wine God)

Hades - God of the Dead, of the Underworld, Death, Darkness, Fertility, Riches, Mortality, Afterlife and Metals

Sacred Animal - Cerberus

Hades (Death God)

Hephaestus -God of fire, metalworking, stone masonry, forges, the art of sculpture, and blacksmiths.

Sacred Animal - Donkey

Hephaestus (Sculpture God)

Hera - Goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, and family

Sacred Animal - Peacock

Hera (Queen of Gods)

Hermes - Messenger of the gods, god of trade, thieves, travelers, sports, athletes, and the guide to the Underworld

Sacred Animal - Tortoise

Hermes (Messenger God)

Poseidon - God of the sea, earthquakes, soil, storms, and horses

Sacred Animal - Horse

Poseidon (Sea God). All rights go to the creator - John Rocco (John Rocco)

Zeus - God of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order, and justice

Sacred Animal - Eagle

Zeus (King of Gods)

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Animals Gods In Egyptian Religion

Some of the more famous religions have gods in animal form. Egyptians, Hindu and the Greek for example. There would be too many to mention here, so I will only list up a few.

Anubis

Protector of the Dead Anubis is shown as a jackal-headed man, or as a jackal. His father was Seth and his mother Nephythys. His cult center was Cynopolis, now known as El Kes. He was closely associated with mummification and as protector of the dead. It was Anubis who conducted the deceased to the hall of judgment.

Bastet

Bastet is depicted as a woman with a cat’s head or simply as a cat. Originally an avenging lioness deity, she evolved into a goddess of pleasure. Her cult center was in the town of Bubastis in the Western delta. Many cats lived at her temple and were mummified when they died. An immense cemetery of mummified cats has been discovered in the area.

Horus

Horus was the son of Osiris and Isis and the enemy of the wicked God Seth. He is depicted as a hawk or as a man with the head of a hawk. Sometimes he is shown as a youth with a side lock, seated on his mother’s lap. He was the god of the sky and the divine protector of kings.

Horus was worshipped throughout Egypt and was particularly associated with Edfu, the site of the ancient city of Mesen, where his temple can still be seen. There are many stories of his wars against his uncle Seth, who murdered his father and usurped the throne. Eventually Horus defeated Seth and became the king of Egypt.

Khepre

Also known as, Khepri, Khepra, Khepera, Khepre was a creator god depicted as a Scarab beetle or as a man with a scarab for a head. The Egyptians observed young scarab beetles emerging spontaneously from balls of dung and associated them with the process of creation. Khepre was one of the first gods, self-created, and his name means “he who has come into being,” Atum took his form as he rose out of the chaotic waters of the Nun in a creation myth. It was thought that Khepre rolled the sun across the sky in the same way a dung beetle rolls balls of dung across the ground.

Ra

Also known as Re The supreme sun god was represented as a man with the head of a hawk, crowned with a solar disk and the sacred serpent. However, in the underworld through which he passes each night, he is depicted as ram-headed. Each day Ra traveled across the sky in the form of the sun, riding in his solar boat, and each night he journeyed through the underworld where he defeated the allies of chaos. He was reborn each morning in the form of the sunrise. His influence on the other gods was so strong that he subsumed many of their identities. Thus Amun became Amun-Ra, Montu became Montu-Ra and Horus became Ra-Horakhty. Pharoah Akenaten’s god, the Aten, was another form of Ra, the solar disk.

The Egyptian kings claimed to be descended from Ra, and called themselves “The Son of Ra.” His cult was very powerful during the period of the Old Kingdom,when Sun Temples were built in his honor. His cult center was at Heliopolis, which nowadays is covered by the northern suburbs of Cairo.

Sobek

Sobek was a crocodile god, depicted as a crocodile on an altar or as a man with a crocodile head wearing a headdress in the form of the sun disk with upright feathers and horns. Sobek’s main cult centers were at Medinet el Fayum and at the temple of Kom Ombo, which he shared with Horus and which still exists today. There was a pool at Kom Ombo containing sacred crocodiles and it is still possible to see original mummified crocodiles at the temple.

Seth

Also known as Set, Setekh, Suty and Sutekh Seth was the son of Geb and Nut, and the evil brother of Osiris. He was the god of darkness, chaos, and confusion, and is represented as a man with an unknown animal head, often described as a Typhonian by the Greeks who associated him with the god Typhon. He is sometimes depicted as a hippopotamus, a pig, or a donkey. Seth murdered his brother and usurped the throne of Egypt and most of the other gods despised him.

Horus eventually defeated Seth, but it was thought that their battle was an eternal struggle between good and evil. Although Seth failed to keep the throne of Egypt he continued to be a companion of Ra. He sometimes accompanied Ra across the sky in his solar boat, causing storms and bad weather.

Seth was venerated by some, and his main cult center was at Naqada. Some kings would liken themselves to Seth in battle, but for the most part the people loathed him and his defeat by Horus was regularly celebrated.

Thoth

Thoth was the god of writing and knowledge, and was depicted as a man with the head of an ibis holding a scribe’s pen and palette, or as a baboon. The Greeks associated him with Hermes and ascribed to him the invention of all the sciences as well as the invention of writing. He is often portrayed writing or making calculations.

Thoth stands apart from most of the other gods. He was as old as the oldest gods and often acted as an intermediately between gods. He was associated with the moon, and is sometimes shown wearing a moon disk and crescent headdress. One of his most important roles was to record the deeds of the dead at the day of their judgment and is often seen doing this in the Book of the Dead. His main temple was at Hermopolis in Middle Egypt.

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Rituals And Animals

Some Pagans use animal parts in ritual. While this may seem a bit unsavory to some folks, it's really not that uncommon. A good guideline to follow is as follows:

If your tradition doesn't forbid the use of animal parts, AND

the parts are gathered humanely and ethically

...then there's no reason you can't use them. Let's look at why you might do this, as well as some of the different parts you might want to incorporate into rituals or spell work.

Thousands of years ago, our ancestors performed rituals and ceremonies. They didn’t have tools ordered from an online catalog or purchased at the Local Wytchy Shoppe. They made do with what they had. For the ancients, many of their tools—both magical and mundane—came from the animal kingdom. Few things went to waste. Bones could be turned into anything from a knife to a sewing needle. An antler could be used as a weapon or a farming tool. A horse's bladder might become a pouch to carry herbs. Anything was usable.

In some shamanic traditions, animal parts can be used to connect the practitioner to the animal. One might wear a necklace made of bear claws, a headdress of antlers, or use a fetish of bone and feathers. Some traditions still use these today. Someone wishing to celebrate fertility might use the antlers of a stag, for example. An individual hoping for transformation could perhaps powder a bit of snakeskin for use in a spell. A person who wants to develop their inspiration and creativity might use feathers in a working, and so forth.

Naturally Dropped Items  

These are the items that animals discard on their own as part of the natural cycle. Snakes shed their skin regularly. Deer shed antlers after the fall mating season has ended, typically around January through April. A bird may lose feathers as it flies overhead. These are all items that drop on their own naturally, and there is nothing wrong with picking them up and using them.

Do keep in mind that some states have regulations as to the collection of feathers from certain types of birds. Check with your state's regulatory agencies to determine if this is the case where you live.

  Items from a Dead Animal  

Animals die. It's part of the natural cycle of things. After they've died, sometimes you may find pieces of carcasses lying around. Bones, fur, and other parts can be gathered from an animal that has died on its own. If you happen to be a Pagan who hunts for food, you may wish to use some of the parts of the animal you've killed. This prevents waste and allows you to maintain some connection with the animal after death. If you are the one who has made the kill, be sure you have done so in a humane and ethical manner.

Although in most modern Pagan traditions, it's never okay to kill an animal just to use its parts in ritual, there are a few belief systems in which the slaughter of the animal is part of the ritual process. Some shops, particularly in areas with a large population of practitioners of Santeria and other diasporic religions, are specifically regulated and licensed to sell animals for just this purpose.

  Purifying Animal Parts  

It's generally a good idea to offer some sort of thanks to the animal before using the item in ritual. As part of this process, you might want to cleanse or purify the object–you can use smudging, asperging, or any other method of ritually purifying the item. You can also consecrate it as you would any other magical tool.

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Spirit Animals

There are many sacred Native American animals. Native Americans believe humans were created to serve as caretakers of Mother Earth. This role bestows insight that all living things are connected and each has a spirit, none lesser than any other. Nature is viewed as a benevolent friend and ally. This brotherhood with all things is reflected by the respect and reverence they give to animals, including those on this Native American animals list, which are viewed as guardian spirits.

Although many Native Americans believed in a great spirit - called Wakan Tanka - their religion was animistic. It was based on the desire to appease 'the spirits', which they did in a variety of ways.

When a young man came of age, he would take part in a ceremony which involved fasting, self-harm, going into a trance and seeing an animal that was a spirit friend.

One of these ceremonies - the Sun Dance - featured a structure with a central pole signifying the sun, from which the young men hung themselves by their nipples.

Native Americans believed that spirits caused the harsh weather of the Plains, as well as illness. They thought that 'medicine men' could speak to these spirits, and ask for their help.

They performed the Mandan Buffalo Dance, which they thought would bring buffalo to them.

The study of animal roles in Native American mythologies, viewed through a depth psychological lens, oriented in C. G. Jung's model of the individuation process, reveals the crucial nature of the relationship between animals and the human soul. This dissertation demonstrates the distinctions of this relationship through the exploration of the kinship, reciprocity, and interiority with animals in traditional Native American mythologies, worldviews, and shamanic practices; it finds a fluid and permeable relationship between human and animal lives, bodies, and psyches. The animal is engaged in its entirety, from matter to spirit, as it informs human maturation. Building upon the work of Vine Deloria, Jr., C. G. Jung and the Sioux Traditions. Dreams, Visions, Nature, and the Primitive, Jungian worldviews are compared and woven with traditional Native American perspectives to examine contemporary Western viewpoints.

  The Navajo creation story, the Diné bahane', recounted by Paul Zolbrod, begins with the bugs, thus paralleling the structure of the human psyche from its archaic, ancient, animal beginnings. The Mountain Chant, recounted by Washington Matthews, is studied in its portrayal of the role of animals as helpers, guides, spiritual beings, and bearers of transformation as a young Navajo undertakes the Hero's Journey. Stories from the Northwest regions of Alaska and the Yukon reveal the reciprocity and kinship of people, place, and animal as the foundation for social relationships that include all Beings and land formations. Finally, the interiorized animal is researched through animal dreams and shamanic journeys that reveal the roles animals play as guides, familiars, and shamans in engaging the fragile human ego and stimulating psychic movement towards wholeness.

  This research uncovers an animal munificence towards human well-being in regards to psychological maturation. The concurrent disruption of animal well-being through human activity creates a profound dissonance within the interior domain of humanity and thus sheds light on the displays of psychological distress amongst a human family that lives unrelated, not only to its own instinctual foundation, but also to the enormous web of connectedness with all that lives. 

[nafjohannahairas]

Do Animals Have A Soul?

Different people may have different reasons for asking this question: some may want to know if they will meet up with their pet in the next world; others may be interested in the psychic powers of animals; others may be concerned at the inhumane way we treat animals nowadays; and others may wonder whether or not we should eat animals or become vegetarians. All of these questions will be affected by the way we answer the question: “Do animals have souls?”

The existence of the soul (whether animal or human) cannot be either proven or disproven from an objective point of view, because by its nature it is something immaterial and intangible, and therefore not subject to objective verification. Apart from relying on our intuition, all we can do is look at the ideas found on the subject in the philosophies and religions of the world and contrast them with the prevailing belief that the soul does not exist.

A common idea in many traditions is that of the World-Soul: in Latin this was called “Anima Mundi”, from which we can see that the very word “Animal” comes from the Latin word for Soul.

The World Soul is an invisible living being which animates the whole of creation. It is like an intermediary between God (also called Spirit) and Matter. One Roman philosopher (Plotinus) explains the relation between Soul and Matter with an image: Matter is like liquid sealing wax and Soul is like a seal, which impresses it with a living idea. Matter, on its own, is a mere formless substance waiting to be given life and form, which comes from Soul. Without Soul, then, the world and all its creatures could not possibly exist.

In this way, there is no such thing as an inanimate (in-animate = “soul-less”) object. Everything is pervaded with Soul, even a stone, water, fire, the air. Everything is alive.

Not only this, but also everything in Nature is in some way intelligent and has some form of consciousness. Seeds do not grow blindly into trees, but follow a predetermined plan which is capable of adapting to their environment. Flowers respond to the sun, rhythms, and even (so gardeners say) to the words and intentions of humans. Molecules behave in an organised way – if they didn’t everything would fall apart – not to mention the highly organised behaviour of ants and bees. All of this implies a high degree of intelligence. It may be objected that trees, flowers and animals are just following automatic, instinctive patterns, programmed into them by evolution or nature. On the other hand, the same could be said of us in many cases. How often do we not just react instinctively to situations, instead of freely choosing our acts independently of our conditioning? We are all souls, with varying degrees of freedom and consciousness.

In traditional cultures, mountains, for example, are regarded as great living beings, spirits to be venerated. Stones and precious metals have soul and consequently special powers for magic and healing. They are channels for powerful invisible forces. The earth itself is the body of a great soul, and all the beings of the earth are a part of that great being, the children of a benevolent mother. Only now, because we have stopped believing in Soul, have we become capable of poisoning our own mother, the earth.

Animals, too, are souls; and, like all of us on this earth, they are evolving towards higher levels of consciousness, towards the conscious reunification with the Great Universal Spirit, or ‘God’.

From a scientific point of view, the notion of the group soul could solve a number of enigmas. For example, what is the intelligence that enables natural selection to take place over a relatively short space of time? A century ago, the British Peppered Moth was light-coloured throughout its range. But now it has become dark-coloured in polluted, industrial regions, while remaining light-coloured in rural areas, showing that it has intelligently adapted to blend in with different environments in order to avoid its predators. It implies the existence of a central intelligence (the group soul) which is receiving information from the members of its species and adapting accordingly. Another example given by the biologist Rupert Sheldrake is of some rats which were taught a task and gradually got better at it through practice. The same task was then given to another group of rats on the other side of the world some years later, and they learnt the task more quickly than the first rats had, implying that the knowledge of the first rats had somehow been imparted to them.

Growing up with animals, I do believe that animals have a soul. 

[nafjohannahairas]

Religious Conflicts

Religious violence is undergoing a revival. The past decade has witnessed a sharp increase in violent sectarian or religious tensions. These range from Islamic extremists waging global jihad and power struggles between Sunni and Shia Muslims in the Middle East to the persecution of Rohingya in Myanmar and outbreaks of violence between Christians and Muslims across Africa. According to Pew, in 2018 more than a quarter of the world's countries experienced a high incidence of hostilities motivated by religious hatred, mob violence related to religion, terrorism, and harassment of women for violating religious codes.

The spike in religious violence is global and affects virtually every religious group. A 2018 Minority Rights Group report indicates that mass killings and other atrocities are increasing in countries both affected and not affected by war alike. While bloody encounters were recorded in over 50 countries, most reported lethal incidents involving minorities were concentrated in Syria, Iraq, Nigeria, India, Myanmar, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Hostilities against Muslims and Jews also increased across Europe, as did threats against Hindus in more than 18 countries. Making matters worse, 55 of the world’s 198 countries imposed heightened restrictions on religions, especially Egypt, Russia, India, Indonesia and Turkey.

How is it that religions - which supposedly espouse peace, love and harmony - are so commonly connected with intolerance and violent aggression? Social scientists are divided on the issue. Scholars like William Cavanaugh contend that even when extremists use theological texts to justify their actions, “religious” violence is not religious at all - but rather a perversion of core teachings. Others such as Richard Dawkins believe that because religions fuel certainties and sanctify martyrdom, they are often a root cause of conflict. Meanwhile, Timothy Sisk claims that both hierarchical religious traditions (such as Shi´ism) and non-hierarchical traditions (such as Buddhism) can both be vulnerable to interpretation of canon to justify or even provide warrants for violent action.

War because of religion should not happen, but again and again religion seems to be the reason why there are wars. We need to stop that and just accept each others believes and not force someone to change or even to believe.

[nafjohannahairas]

Antimicrobial Resistance

The development of antibiotics, antivirals and antimalarials are some of modern medicine’s greatest successes. Now, time with these drugs is running out. Antimicrobial resistance – the ability of bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi to resist these medicines – threatens to send us back to a time when we were unable to easily treat infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhoea, and salmonellosis. The inability to prevent infections could seriously compromise surgery and procedures such as chemotherapy.  Resistance to tuberculosis drugs is a formidable obstacle to fighting a disease that causes around 10 million people to fall ill, and 1.6 million to die, every year. In 2017, around 600 000 cases of tuberculosis were resistant to rifampicin – the most effective first-line drug – and 82% of these people had multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Drug resistance is driven by the overuse of antimicrobials in people, but also in animals, especially those used for food production, as well as in the environment. WHO is working with these sectors to implement a global action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance by increasing awareness and knowledge, reducing infection, and encouraging prudent use of antimicrobials. 

[nafjohannahairas]

Noncommunicable Diseases

Noncommunicable diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, are collectively responsible for over 70% of all deaths worldwide, or 41 million people. This includes 15 million people dying prematurely, aged between 30 and 69. Over 85% of these premature deaths are in low- and middle-income countries. The rise of these diseases has been driven by five major risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and air pollution. These risk factors also exacerbate mental health issues, that may originate from an early age: half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14, but most cases go undetected and untreated – suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-19 year-olds. Among many things, this year WHO will work with governments to help them meet the global target of reducing physical inactivity by 15% by 2030 – through such actions as implementing the ACTIVE policy toolkit to help get more people being active every day. I think that we already have a cure for cancer and all this diseases but the sad fact is that the government makes money from the ill ones. Instead of giving us a cure, we pay and pay for medications.