#Zoroastrian Death Ritual

[givemearmstopraywith]

i just watched someone saying "christianity is and always will be the cultural appropriation of religions" and they mentioned the resurrection, which surprises me a little. do you know what they could be referring to? they also called it a very common trope and i'm no theologian, don't know that much about other religions or mythology, so maybe you could help?

resurrection narratives are absolutely not unique to christianity. there are resurrection narratives in the religion of ancient egypt (osiris), greece (adonis, zagreus, dionysus, and attus), and sumer (dumuzid and inanna). all of these predate christianity by centuries. to consider resurrection myths appropriation is, however, rather ignorant: the mythologies of the ancient near east are absolutely woven together, to the point where they are almost indistinguishable from each other, especially in the early history of the hebrews. the roman empire was heavily influenced by hellenic culture, religion, and philosophy. consider dionysus, the god of wine: plutarch stated that the stories of osiris and dionysus were identical and that the secret rituals asociated with them were obviously paralleled: the second century AD saw the emergence of greco-egyptian pantheons where the god serapis was synonymous with osiris, hades, and dionysus. this is also similar to the interrelationship between inanna, ishtar, asherah, astarte, and multiple other near eastern female deities (and she likely played an influence in the development of lilith as well). how much did the cult of dionysus influence later rites of the wine and the eucharist in early christianity, especially given that within fifty years of christ's death most christians were greeks? romulus and remus were said to have been born to a virgin, and so was the founder of zoroastrianism, zoroaster, a religion that influenced platonic philosophy and all abrahamic faiths.

christianity is more guilty of appropriation that most other faith practices of appropriation because of the crudeness and hatefulness with which it borrowed judaism and then turned on the jews. but attempting to divide western and near eastern religious traditions into pure (original) and impure (appropriated) is next to impossible. otherwise we can start trying to particularize everything as either pure or impure and discard what we deem as "impure" or unoriginal because we think it is valueless, hackneyed, or unethical. religion does not work like that. christianity does require critical consumption and practice because it has both appropriated judaism and because the way in which it exerted itself as a dominant religion over other faith practices. and the appropriation of judaism must be especially viewed as troubling, because judaism cannot be compared, historically, to religions like those of ancient egypt and greece because until the state of israel it was never a dominant or state religion, and the fact that it survived some odd thousand years without being recognized as a state religion is part of why it's particularly interesting. of course, that has changed now, but this ask isn't about israel/palestine and i won't dwell on it this issue much except to reaffirm that christianity appropriating an oppressed minority religion that emerged out of colonial contexts is very different than christianity utilizing aspects of ancient greek religion or zoroastrianism, and also different from jesus being included in islam, for instance.

interestingly, quetzalcoatl, from the ancient aztec religion, was the patron of priests and a symbol of resurrection. this gestures to the hidden sacred, eliade's hierophany: the hidden holiness, the sacrality and beingness of something beyond ourselves, that underlies all existence, with its own explicit truths that emerge consistently in faith practices that, unlike those of the near east, never interacted. maybe we all carried the same stories out of the cradle of civilization; maybe there is a perpetual and accessible truth that transcends boundaries. i don't know. but everything is borrowed. everything is copy. humanity is not capable of true originality: and isn't that beautiful? everything is taken in communion. everyone is interconnected. everyone wants to believe something, and we seem to be universally compelled by the same truths, motifs, meanings, and stories.

[ryin-silverfish]

Into the Erlang-verse: Li, Zhao, Yang

-This is something I wrote for fun and reference purposes, back when I was starting to seriously get into Chinese mythology. As such, there is no citations, and is meant to be more of a general introduction to Erlang Shen in pre-modern writings.

(Emphasis on "pre-modern", because, as much as I love the Lotus Lantern + Prequel TV series, it's just a little frustrating to see people taking the shows' version as the end-all-be-all of such a complicated deity, y'know?)

-Anyways, much like Nezha, his Archery Accident Bro, Erlang has what I'd refer to as his "Pop Culture Form": Handsome three-eyed warrior god wielding a three-pronged spear, accompanied by his doggo Xiaotian Quan(Literally "Skyhowler"), going by the surname "Yang", jade emperor's nephew, etc.

-However, The Second Lad is an even messier amalgamation of deities worshiped in different parts of China, even in his supposed "home domain", Sichuan. Here, I'm only gonna talk about the most well-known and significant Erlangs.

(Not even gonna go into the possible Zoroastrian influences and the Dujian thing...)

1. Lord of Sichuan, "Li Erlang"

Key words: Hydraulic engineer, based on a historical official and his son, fierce competitor with Zhao Erlang for the Lord of Sichuan title

Weapons: Knowledge

Power: Can turn into a bull/dragon 

Pets: N/A

"Who's Yang Jian? I've been watching over Sichuan since the Qin dynasty."

Li Bing was a pretty typical case of famous historical figure being worshiped as gods posthumously; born in the Warring States era, this official was put in charge of the Shu Prefecture (modern Chengdu) by King Zhao of Qin, and he was known as the creator of Dujiang Yan, an ancient irrigation + flood control project.

Later Tang legends deified him with a bunch of traditional "Flood-control hero" tropes taken from Yu the Great (heads up JTTW readers, SWK's staff is originally his extendable ruler), mostly the "hero turn into a giant animal" and "fight and subdue local water demons" aspect.

Though he wasn't yet known as an Erlang, or gained a son called Erlang as later folklore would have it, Li Bing's worship began in the Eastern Han dynasty, and he had a long tradition as Sichuan's guardian deity.

Even as later versions of Erlang began to populate, in the Qing dynasty, people of the province were still like "Our Lord of Sichuan is Li Bing/Li Erlang, not Yang Jian, as the novels would have you believe!"  

What made Li Bing and his likely nonexistent son into "Li Erlang" could be traced to the two "warlord states" that occupied Sichuan after the fall of Tang dynasty: both states tried to use the Lord of Sichuan worship to strengthen their own legitimacy, and passed decrees that 1) said Erlang was Li Bing's son and 2) granted both father and son honorable titles, as mentioned in Song dynasty records. 

However, due to the association of Erlang with previous warlord states, the first emperor of Song had reassigned Li Bing a lesser title and taken away his son's title altogether, reducing him to just "God of Guankou", and worshippers were quite disgruntled by the change; there was even a rebellion using the Guankou worship rituals to legitimize itself, a decade after said emperor's death.

Fun fact: when I went to the Two Lord’s Temple (of Li Bing and Li Erlang) in Dujiangyan, even though the god worshipped in the main hall was supposed to be Li Erlang, the plaque next to it still said something like "Li Erlang, also known as Yang Jian"...

Which really shows just how influential FSYY is on popular worship, to the point of overshadowing older incarnations of certain deities.

2. Immortal Master of Illustrious Sagacity, "Zhao Erlang"

Key words: Chief of Jiazhou Prefecture, dragon slayer, No.2 violator of archery safety (first place goes to Nezha)

Weapons: A scribing tablet, slingshot, sword, bow and arrows

Power: Supernatural strength, monstrous giant form

Pets: unnamed white horse, hunting hawks and hounds

"C'mon, my aim isn't that bad! What happened in the Zaju was a one-time thing!"

The prototypical Taoist Erlang, his name, "Zhao Yu"(赵昱) first appeared in a Song dynasty source. At this point, the story of Erlang was mainly defined by two traits: 1) was, or was related to an official in charge of Sichuan in bygone times and 2) Did heroic flood control stuff, probably through dragon-slaying. 

One notable strand of local worship was the "God of Guankou"; historical records mentioned that people sacrificed hundreds and hundreds of goats to him, as well as a regional festival in Sichuan where people played out his confrontation with dragons. It coexisted and entwined with the "Lord of Sichuan" worship, until the Song dynasty.

In typical Song dynasty fashion, the officials decided to give their own official title to this...Erlang/Lord of Sichuan/God of Guankou guy, bringing our titular "Zhao Erlang" into existence.

Also a deified official from the Tang dynasty, his image was more heavily influenced by Taoism (historically popular in Sichuan) and centered around one of its holy places, Mt. Qingcheng, which just happened to be quite close to Dujiang Yan.

Though in the Northern Song dynasty, the state-recognized Erlang was still "Li Erlang", the Taoist Zhao Erlang had proven himself to be a strong competitor by the Southern Song and Yuan dynasty, thanks to a massive amount of opera plays.

First we have SJSSDQ (三教搜神大全, Yuan Dynasty), an encyclopedia of Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian gods, where his traditional backstory as an ascended mortal official was combined with the dragon-slaying feat to nudge Erlang toward a more warrior-esque image, a hunting god who appeared on a white horse with his entourage of hunters.

-We also got the first mention of what would become his six/seven sworn brothers; the "Seven Sages" who jumped into the water to assist him in the dragon fight.

Then we have two Yuan-Ming Zaju plays, "Erlang of Guankou Slays the Jian-jiao"(灌口二郎斩健蛟) and "Erlang Drunkenly Shot the Demon-locking Mirror" (二郎神醉射锁魔镜), in which many traits associated with JTTW's Yang Erlang could already be seen: first, his three-pronged weapon, seven brothers and bow/arrows, second, the naming of his brothers as the "Seven Sages of Mt. Mei" and his ability to shift into a "true form", aka the monstrous giant form he used in JTTW.

(The plot of the second Zaju is exactly like it sounds: Erlang and Nezha had a drunken archery competition, accidentally broke the Demon-locking Mirror and released the Bull Demon King + Hundred-Eyed Demon, and spent the rest of the play doing damage control.)

3. The Little Sage, "Yang Erlang" (JTTW)

Key words: Jade Emperor's nephew, cleaver of Peach Mountain, SWK's true equal in battle

Weapons: Three-pronged, Double-bladed Spear, slingshot, bow and arrows, axe

Power: transformations, Cosmic Body, divine sight/Phoenix Eye(?)

Pets: a celestial Xiquan, literally "Thin Dog"

"First time we met, and that monkey made fun of my origins as a conversation opener. Could you believe it."

The Man, The Myth, The Legend! As I said before, a lot of his traits were inherited from "Zhao Erlang", including his Taoist title, his temple at Guankou, etc.

However, Erlang being Jade Emperor's nephew seemed to be mostly popularized by JTTW: the only other work that might have given Erlang this backstory was The Precious Scroll of Erlang, previously dated to the 1560s, though a Chinese paper published in 2018 proposed a later creation date (1620s).

Much like JTTW Nezha, his backstory was somewhat barebones: we knew from SWK's taunt that his mother was the Jade Emperor's sister, who got chummy with Yang the mortal, gave birth to him, and was presumably locked under the Peach Mountain for that, bc Erlang then rescued her by cleaving it in half with an ax.

(Sounds familiar? The same backstory would later be copied over to Erlang's nephew, in the Lotus Lantern legends)

His other notable feats include falling 2 phoenix with his slingshot, as well as slaying the "Seven Demons of Mt. Mei ''. Out of pride, he chose to remain in Guankou instead of associating with his heavenly relatives, and did not answer to general summons to court from the Jade Emperor, only taking special assignments (听调不听宣).

Apart from his famous fight with SWK, Erlang also appeared in JTTW chapter 63, where, together with his sworn brothers, he helped the pilgrims fight the Nine-Headed Wyrm, son-in-law of Bibo Lake's dragon king. His dog continues to be the MVP in this fight, biting off one of the demon's heads, leaving it wounded and fleeing toward the north sea.

Though the description of his battle with SWK implied that he did have some sort of supernatural sight, at this point in time (Ming dynasty), Erlang wasn't yet depicted with a third eye in artworks and literature.

There are a small amount of evidence that suggest the third eye thing might have shown up in statues of this period, though.

4. Master of the Ninefold Mystic Way, "Yang Jian" (FSYY)

Key words: Disciple of the Taoist sage Yuding, veteran of the Investiture War, Nezha's comrade-in-arms

Weapons: Three-pronged Spear, slingshot

Power: Ninefold Mystic Way, 72 transformations, invulnerable to physical attacks, Samadhi Fire (in FSYY it's on the same level as a D&D wizard's Fireball spell)

Pets: Howling Celestial Dog, unnamed white horse

"I fought a transforming monkey demon too!"

Fun fact: the guy whose name was most often taken as Erlang's "real name" by pop culture was never actually referred to as "Erlang" in his debut novel. Could ya believe it.

Quick, dirty summary of FSYY: kinda like the Chinese Iliad, about the overthrowing of Shang dynasty and its tyrannical King Zhou by King Wu of Zhou, with a dash of Taoist infightings, and almost everyone who died in the fight got revived as gods and became part of the celestial bureaucracy, thus "Investiture of the Gods".

Under the order of his master, the Taoist sage Yuding (literally "jade tripod"), Yang Jian makes his first cameo in chapter 40 to assist his senior, Jiang Ziya, in the fight against the Four Generals of Clan Mo.

A master in the arts of the Ninefold Mystic Way and 72 transformations, he has the same divine title as Zhao Erlang and is considered "A Sage in Flesh" after the end of FSYY.

As such, he's able to survive getting eaten by a monstrous weasel, a metal whip in the forehead, graphic disembowelment, etc. and used his transformation skills for some SWK-style "beating people up from inside their stomachs".

On one very notable occasion, he transformed into a beautiful palace consort to dupe Tu Xingsun ("Earth-traveling Son") and capture him.

Oh, and also, on his way to get Tu Xingsun's master, he ran into this random demon in a lake, who led him into a cave. After he got inside, the demon just disappeared, leaving him with the Three-pronged Two-bladed Spear, as well as some nice bling.

Then two kids burst in, accused him of stealing the bling, and...instantly became his students after learning his name? Yeah that was a weird sidequest.

However, Yang Jian's most iconic battle is probably his fight with Yuan Hong, the White Ape of Plum Mountain...who also practiced the Ninefold Mystics, used an iron cudgel, and were sworn brothers with six/seven demon kings.

Only with the help of Nvwa's magical painting, the Shanhe Sheji Scroll, was Yang Jian able to capture the ape, and subsequently, let Jiang Ziya decapitate him with Sage Luya's Immortal Slaying Flying Knife.

When the Three Demonesses were caught and executed at the end of the book, he was the one responsible for slaying the Nine-headed Pheasant Demoness, which is a neat parallel with JTTW.

His Howling Celestial Dog appears in chapter 47, and is even more of an MVP in fights: 12 immortals and demons have been bitten by this dog, which was "as large as a white elephant and as swift as an owl".

Funnily enough, every time Yang Jian summoned his hound, it is described in the same way as, say, other immortals may summon a flying sword, and my mental image is just him yeeting his giant monster dog at the enemy like you'd throw a Pokeball.

(A list of everyone Xiaotian had bitten in FSYY: Zhao Gongming, his sister Bixiao, Xinhuan, Deng Chanyu, Zhou Xin, Hua Huan, the Winged Immortal, Yuyan, Lv Yue, Yu Hualong, Dai Li the dog demon, the Nine-headed Pheasant Demon.)

Conclusion:

-The way I see it: Li is the Erlang of regional worship, Zhao is the Erlang of Zaju plays, and Yang is the Erlang of vernacular novels, who becomes super popular and overshadows his two predecessors.

-And Erlang's depiction in premodern Lotus Lantern tales is what we in the business call "a whole new can of worms". But that's a series for another day.

[theupfish]

One of the world's oldest and most persecuted religions is making a comeback

If you live in "the West," you might not have heard much about the Zoroastrian religion, outside of that memorable monologue in the first "Austin Powers" movie. But as priceless as that speech is, the Zoroastrian religion deserves to be known for more than just shaving Dr. Evil's balls. Actually, if you follow any Abrahamic faith, your religion owes its existence in part to Zoroastrianism.

Originating in Iran, Zoroastrianism is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions. It's founder Zarathustra, AKA Zoroaster, lived some time between 1,500-1,000 BCE. He was one of the first in his part of the world to preach the idea of a single, non-corporal deity, as well as the idea of an eternal battle between good and evil. Fire factors into many Zoroastrian rituals, but they don't literally worship it, which is a common misconception.

In Hebrew school, my teachers taught us that ours was the first monotheistic religion. In my Hebrew teachers' defense, it was the 90s, and information was nowhere near as easy to come by as it is now; plus, half of them were in still high school themselves (our synagogue was tiny). In any case, Judaism took inspiration from Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism is to Judaism as "Dune" is to "Star Wars." And by extention, Christianity, Islam, Baha'ism, and the Druze religion have a bit of Zoroastrianism in them.

Zoroastrianism uh, declined after Islam became the main religion of Iran. Some Zoroastrians chose to remain in their homeland despite persecution. Others emigrated, and moved throughout the Middle East and South Asia before finally finding refuge in India. This group is now known as the Parsi people.

Freddie Mercury of Queen was a Zoroastrian Parsi.

Zoroastrianism has remained a small religion in numbers, not only due to the persecution, but also because like Judaism, Zoroastrianism has red tape for converts, which it doesn't seek out, and sometimes the kids of mixed marriages aren't counted as members of the faith. (Link)

However, Zoroastrianism is now making a comeback in Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran has backfired, causing many Iranians to secretly leave Islam for other faiths. Since apostasy is punishable by death in Iran, the exact numbers of those who do so are hard to pinpoint, since they won't exactly broadcast it. Zoroastrianism, Baha'ism and Christianity are all popular choices, while many others are simply Atheist or Agnostic.

Zoroastrianism growing particularly among Kurds rediscovering their roots, and who particularly tend to feel disillusioned with Islam, what with the oppression and genocide and all that.

Many Iranian Muslims have a positive view of Zoroastrianism, recognizing its influence on their culture. Some more fundamentalist individuals on the other hand deny the identity and authenticity of this indigenous faith (And if you're Jewish, you're now saying to yourself, "Woa, deja vu!") But there are also many Muslim leaders who defend Zoroastrians, and call for peaceful coexistence.

And peaceful coexistence should always be the goal.

[lifeafterlifeparks]

Sky Burial: Learning from Ancient Deathcare Practices

The idea of giving one’s body back to the earth as a form of charity is an ancient idea. One form still practice in parts of the world even today is Sky burial, also known as celestial burial - a traditional funeral ritual practiced by Zorastrians and Tibetan Budists in parts of India, Buhtan, Mongolia, and China. This ancient ritual involves placing the deceased on a mountaintop or other elevated location where vultures and other scavenging birds can consume the body. The remains are believed to return to nature, and the act of feeding the birds is seen as a form of charity.

The practice of sky burial has a deep spiritual significance in Tibetan Buddhism and Zoroastrianism, where it is believed that the body is merely a vessel, and that the soul has moved on to the afterlife. The act of giving one's body back to nature is seen a gift, and a way of showing respect for the natural cycle of life and death. Additionally, the vultures are believed to carry the soul to the afterlife, which is seen as a sacred act.

Sky burial is also a practical solution for those living in remote areas where burial or cremation may not be possible due to lack of resources, such as wood for cremation or land for burial. In these cases, sky burial is seen as a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional burial or cremation.

While sky burial may seem like a gruesome or macabre practice to outsiders, it is important to understand the cultural and spiritual significance it holds for those who practice it. It is a deeply meaningful and respectful way of honoring the dead and giving back to nature.

In India, following the rapid expansion of urban population and the near extinction (97%) of the indigenous vulture population due to agricultural pesticide use – sky burial practitioners have been forced to adapt. They have begun using solar cremation in leu of what the vultures used to provide for them. However, repopulation efforts for the endangered birds are being pushed by arbiters of the religion.

The link between deathcare and conservation has deep roots. At Life After Life, we find ourselves interestingly in parallel with the philosophy to deathcare that these ancient religions hold. At the intersection of many different religious philosophies is a similar vein of thought. One of giving back to the earth. For the past few centuries our culture here in the United States diverged into a deathcare tradition of taking and preserving. It is time to go back to a “circular economy” philosophy of funeral practice.

By choosing eco-friendly burial options such as natural burial, which involves burying the body in a biodegradable casket or shroud without embalming chemicals, the bodies stored nutrients are allowed to return to the earth naturally, without harming the environment. Through Life After Life, this practice allows patrons to remediate pollution and build new, critically-endangered habitat that would otherwise never be redeveloped.

The ancient principles of sky burial remind us of our interconnectedness with the natural world and the importance of respecting and caring for our planet. By giving back to nature in ways that each of us can, we can honor those who have come before us and ensure that future generations have a healthy and sustainable planet to call home.

References:

https://https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/sky-burial

[underbootsociety]

Going to add a cool fact I learned recently:

The funerary ritual of Zoroastrians involves placing the deceased in a structure called a Tower of Silence and letting vultures and other death- eating organisms take care of the remains.

Vultures are holy creatures.

Tending the dead.

Bowing low.

Bared head.

Whispers to cold flesh,

“Your old name is not your king.

I rename you ‘Everything.’”

[soma-soc-funeralindustry]

Zoroastrians conduct funerals that consist of the exposure of the bodies of the deceased to the sun, wind, and vultures (Coronado et al. 2023). These funeral rites have no class system; this is done regardless of whether the deceased is rich or poor. It is important to Zoroastrians to preserve the “seven creations”: soil, water, earth, animals, man, and fire. It is believed that death is the triumph of an evil spirit, Ahriman, who strives for the destruction of divine order.

Someone dying means the demon entering the body, taking possession, and contaminating it and anything that comes into contact with it (Coronado et al. 2023). The body is considered impure, which would only contaminate the earth by burying it; contaminating fire by burning it; or contaminating water by releasing it into the ocean. The body is bathed, dressed in white cotton clothing, prayed to, and watched over by relatives, nassesalars (coffin bearers), and a dog that is kept specifically for this ritual of confirming several times that the person is dead. Fire is brought into a room with the body to destroy invisible germs of disease before performing last rites with a priest and loved ones of the deceased.

The body is then brought to the Tower of Silence, a circular building with a flat roof divided into three concentric circles, by the nassesalars, with the funeral procession dressed entirely in white and about 30 steps behind (Coronado et al. 2023). The body is placed on one of the concentric circles depending on if they are male, female, or a child. The body is then left exposed to the sun, wind, and carrion birds until the body is bleached, which can take up to a year. The deceased disintegrate over time until they are washed away by rainwater and are lost in the earth and sea through radial channels built into the tower.

[metalmessage]

✨ 𝐼𝓂𝓂𝑜𝓇𝓉𝒶𝓁, 𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒶𝓅𝒽𝓎𝓈𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓁 𝓂𝓎𝓈𝓉𝒾𝒸𝒾𝓈𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌𝓈 𝓃𝑜 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒 ... Action: ANOUSHBARD Base: Tehran • Iran Genre: Extreme Ethno Progressive Metal Title: Abandoned Treasure FFO: Orphaned Land, Melechesh, Opeth Format: Album Label: Independent Distro: / Release: April 01, 2023 Bulletpoints: 🔘 Second album of the soulful Iranian top artists 🔘 Sophisticated progressiveness, emphatically varied 🔘 Uniquely melodic, atmospheric, with strong identity http://www.facebook.com/anoushbard/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/4vn1sbM398VhKpkvXMO78d https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Anoushbard/3540462240 https://anoushbard.bandcamp.com/album/abandoned-treasure https://youtu.be/wHA41wTOOnY [ The Righteous Ardaviraf (Preparation) Official lyric video ] The band says about "The Righteous Ardaviraf": "The song describes what our ancestors thought and believed about life after death. It happened many centuries ago: In the book 'Arda Viraf' the story of the upright and meaning-seeking Wirāz is written down. Wirāz was a fervent, deeply devoted priest of the ancient Zoroastrian religion, who was chosen to go on an afterlife journey - to find out what really happens to a person and his soul after death. This was celebrated in a very special ritual intimately, with appropriate, solemn clothing. Thereby the holy book of the religious cult was read, the 'Arda Viraf'. The traveler was given three goblets of wine, which, by means of a special addition, caused him to fall into a death-like sleep for seven days. When he woke up, he could tell his experienced story. We strongly recommend our followers and fans to read more about this truly famous story, especially in its country of origin, Persia, which is set several centuries before Dante Alighieri's kindred 'Divine Comedy'." Deepest spirituality: The - rebellious - appeal of the forbidden has always represented an additional attractive element for true passionate and fervent idealists to live out their inclinations. This is also the case with ANOUSHBARD. The band risks so much to be able to fully devote themselves to their music.And the correspondingly profound and lovingly polished, consistently convincing to brilliant result is ultimately also the fascinating mirror of the artistic ideal of these absolute conviction offenders.With their second album "Abandoned Treasure" these highly estimable thoroughbred musicians have completed a fabulous, completely timeless work, which reveals itself to be as hard-hitting as it is stylistically uncompromising - and which can intoxicate the senses with sophisticated high-quality sounds! FLASHBACK: Founded in 2017 by Sherwin Baradaran and Siavash Motallebi, the first album "Mithra" was released in 2020. The debut album consists of 6 tracks, all of highly unique identity. Already on it, the participants had found their very own, fascinating and completely distinctive style. Most of the extremely varied and diversely dynamic compositions thematize Iranian culture and often mystical stories passed down from it. Subsequently, ANOUSHBARD worked on another album, titled "Abandoned Treasure" and featuring 8 tracks. As on the previous album, those involved mastered to focus on Persian literature and stories.During all the years of existence, ANOUSHBARD had many difficulties in finding suitable co-musicians such as drummers or bassists. In 2021, Arman Tirmahi officially joined the formation as a bassist. He helped the group with the second album. Nima Seylani, an accomplished Oud player, also joined the line-up. Many in the Western industrialized nations will find it hard to imagine: but the biggest obstacle in ANOUSHBARD's path are the government regulations for Metal music there. Unfortunately, Metal is completely banned in Iran, so it's not possible at all to perform in public or release an album. Singer and guitarist Sherwin says: "We named the band ANOUSHBARD, which was a political prison in the Sasanian Empire (224 - 651 AD) and which means a place where you forget your identity and disappear forever. As a band, we call ourselves that because we are very interested in the history of our country and in our Persian roots." [ Logo & Artwork: Anoushbard • Pic: Anoushbard ] MEDIA FEEDBACK: 7,5 / 10 ➤ "... reminiscent of bands like Orphaned Land or Al-Namrood ... Death Metal elements crossed with oriental melodies and acoustic guitars and folkloric percussion elements ... works well in one piece ... despite many ideas, however, ANOUSHBARD never lose the thread ... the production is nice and clean and transparent ..." 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The legacy and history of a civilization must be shared in schools so that memories and lessons are never lost … ANOUSHBARD brings Iranian culture, myths, religion and rituals … an interesting and unique blend of Persian music and Progressive Metal, sometimes with more traveling and spiritual passages and others with more aggressive moments where the throat is present … the band also sometimes uses local instruments, such as the Daf, an Iranian percussion instrument." 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➤ "… ANOUSHBARD managed to find their own formula … I believe that’s one of the best middle eastern influenced Metal records I’ve ever listened to … well-written, well-arranged, and perfectly delivered …" (Rock Era)

➤ "… a complex album … interesting … many layers and layers of different sonancies … deals with a such a variety of influences from oriental music to Extreme Metal features … many details … Rock instances …" (Metal Addicts)

➤ "… very good … 8 well constructed tracks … I highlight the great 'Blacksmith's Apron' and the excellent 'Tower Of Silence (Dakhma)' … a great job, well rounded … they have plenty of potential …" (Rock Vibrations) etc. 🌐 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙤 & 𝙋𝙍 Action: 𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘 ᴳᴸᴼᴮᴬᴸ • 𝐸𝓈𝓉. 2001 https://www.metalmessage.de/PR_ANOUSHBARD_en.php 💥 𝙌𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙨!

[penhive]

New Narratives about Legends and Myths

In this narrative, I would like to take some personalities from legends and myth and weave them into psycho/narrative/fiction.

Perunthachan Complex

Perunthachan comes from a folk tale of Kerala and he is a skilled architect who murders his own son out of sheer jealousy.  From Perunthachan I have developed the Perunthachan complex and he can be considered as a father figure who hates his son and out of spite murders him. It is a complex of father atrocity.

Mahabali Complex

King Mahabali is the legendary, mythical figure of Kerala and his reign was one of prosperity and happiness. God Vaman grew jealous and visited him in the disguise of a dwarf and asked him for three boons. King Mahabali willingly complied and as soon as this happened Vaman grew in stature and his first step covered the earth and the second step the Heavens and then asked Mahabali for the third. The King Mahabali in obeisance offered his head and set a condition that he should visit his people every year as a festival and that’s how the festival of Onam is celebrated in Kerala. Mahabali complex can be described as a ritual of Gods being jealous of man’s success and also the death and return of a king.

Zarathustra Complex

Zarathustra was the God of Zoroastrian religion and he was later adopted by the Philosopher Nietzsche as Zarathustra the over-man or superman an embodiment of ego gratification and self-deification. Zarathustra complex stands for the triumph of individuality.

Abraham Complex

Abraham is the Old Testament patriarch and God wanting to test him asked him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. This Abraham willingly complied and when Abraham was about to sacrifice his son: God told him: ‘don’t: sacrifice a ram entangled in the thicket’. Abraham complex refers to personal gain and favor coming out of sacrificing something.

Icarus Complex

Icarus was the son of Daedalus who built the labyrinth to house Minotaur. He made wings for Icarus who flew close to the sun and got himself burned. Icarus complex refers to egoistic pride and satiating ambition.

Daedalus Complex

Daedalus was the skillful architect who built the labyrinth to house the bull Minotaur. Daedalus complex stands for perfection, harmony and balance.

Minotaur Complex

Minotaur was the bull who was placed in the labyrinth built by Daedalus. Minotaur complex refers to a peculiar situation where passions and emotions are subdued.

[daikini-in-the-twilyhtmist]

Is it a New Year? REALLY?

I got a wild hair up my butt to look at the name and meaning of the months of the year for some reason... and I discovered quite a lot, actually...

So, the Roman Catholic "New Year" that we are entering into is actually the 2 DEAD MONTHS that most Romans ignore calendar-wise, even though it still takes place time-wise. It starts with the Janus Month (January), and then The Februalia/Februus month (February -The Februus 'god' was a later "personality/embodiment" created out of the Februalia holiday… like the Easter Bunny with Easter/Ishtar's holiday). The real new year begins with SPRING, just like all other plant life, that sprouts and starts growing anew; are we not walking trees, animated funguses? Most of our bodily systems, like the Nervous and Circulatory systems are very fine, delicate tree networks layered upon and woven within one another; all fit within a soft spongey body that holds a LOT of water, like a fungus… so the natural thing for us, would be to follow the natural cycles - and NOT begin our "New Year" with DEATH, and the worship of currency. And then follow that with the (month of the) technology of scapegoat-ism, to purge and cleanse ourselves of everything bad we did earlier in the year, to 'make up for it'. Just to go to war as soon as MARCH arrives; the month were the "season of warfare" begins, for the Romans - and lasts throughout Fall - for those who live as a "living death", the seasons of planting and harvest is ALL THE SEASON OF WARFARE - violently attacking life & plundering the living. So you see how we have been casually corralled into this toxic modality of living, whether or not we actually believe it? It still guides you, and you still 'believe & see it' that way, by casually going along with 'society's observed holly-daze' - a social inebriation to keep you jolly and dumb, and just keep playing along. Interesting, too, is how there is an orb/apple of light in New York city - TIME's SQUARE - that FALLS into darkness & a lower stature as part of this ritual. It shows how we are entering into the Dead realms symbolically… and everyone has been trained to celebrate it. Good doggy... now sit, & beg for a treat to prove you're a good boi (Februalia). Because soon you'll need to attack on command. SMH. My notes below, for those interested. This reminds me of a LOTR quote...

JANU-ary = JANUS >> DEAD MONTH #1 Related or belonging to Janus: the God of portals, gateways, doors & all beginnings/endings; also rules time (NY Apple falling in Time's Square), transitions, & duality (polar opposites). The Roman Catholic church established this as the first month of the year, for their agendas and false timeline calendar. Traditionally, Janus presides over THE MONTH OF JUNE, not January; and the beginning & ending of war/peace, journeys and ALL Exchanges (monetary connections there). Highlights the 2 sides of a singular coin, and BICAMERAL mind. Side note/thought: Typically taught, unstudied/uncross-referenced Christianity (as in: not compared with other religions/belief structures) teaches the ignorantly initiated (church goers who don't know they are being taught magickal practices) to exchange worship, time, energy & attention (CURRENCY) for FAVORS, protection and blessings. Zoroastrian scholars have noted that this is "the technology of beggary". Interesting to note the differences between that, and what the 'Jesus-embodiment' teacher of that time exemplified/taught. They are not the same processes at all, & they each require completely different internal POV's and innerstanding/self knowingness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janus

FEBRU-ary = FEBRUUS & FEBRUALIA >> DEAD MONTH #2 Februus is the God of purification and the underworld (Pluto/Hades), and this was a month long observation of self purifying, and making ritual sacrifices & atonement for anything done throughout the earlier 10 months of the year. Showing that this is the true END OF THE YEAR, which begins anew in MARCH (on the spring Equinox?, most likely).

Understanding the Roman Calendar The festival known as Februalia was held near the end of the Roman calendar year–and to understand how the holiday changed over time, it helps a bit to know the calendar's history. Originally, the Roman year had only ten months–they counted out ten months between March and December, and basically disregarded the "dead months" of January and February. Later, the Etruscans came along and added these two months back into the equation. In fact, they planned to make January the first month, but the expulsion of the Etruscan dynasty prevented this from happening, and so March 1st was considered the first day of the year. February was dedicated to Februus, a god not unlike Dis or Pluto, because it was the month in which Rome was purified by making offerings and sacrifices to the gods of the dead. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Februus https://azenofmyown.blogspot.com/2015/02/februalia.html

MARCH = MARTIUS = MARS, Roman god of war Also the first month of the year, typically, when the ground is dry enough to go marching about on (for any reason, really). Typically its the beginning of the planting AND warfare season, which lasts thru October. Associated with the Zodiac sign PISCES until March 20th, and the BODY/HEAD/YEAR starts anew in Aries on March 21st. Pisces is the FEET of the body, and Aries is THE HEAD - so this also reflects that March and the spring equinox is the true beginning of the year, since every month & astrological sign that's cycled through is associated with a different area of the body, starting at the head & ending with the feet.

[fetid-tomb]

Full album stream of Dakhma’s sophomore album, Blessings of Amurdad. Dakhma play Zoroastrian themed Black/Death Metal and are part of the Helvetic Underground Committee of Switzerland.

[theparanormalperiodical]

The Do’s And Don’ts Of Demonolatry: A Brief History Of Demons And An Even Briefer Guide To Worshipping Them

I mean, I think we were all traumatised.

Watching someone’s mother gently hover above the ground whilst she saws through her own neck with piano wire definitely qualifies as traumatic.

But what the film Hereditary (2018) tapped into was not just super-leaded nightmare fuel, but a little known religious movement. So little known that mere mention of it is only found in scrapes n’ scratches across the cob.

It’s called demonolatry.

In Ari Aster’s cinematic hit, we follow a family as they contend with a demon conjured by a family member’s demonic cult.

This is the first time I ever heard of the worship of demons.

I don’t mean Stan. And I don’t mean Lucifer. A demon known as King Paimon. Satan gets his fair share of attention in this blogpost. 

But today we look a little further afield. And that field is hell.

There are lots of entities to choose from, and to some not all fulfil the definition of ‘evil’ necessary. Demonolatry and demonology, though confused, expose a hidden side to the alleged world of demonic spirits.

This article will take you through what demonolatry is, what demons are and an emo kid’s guide to your favourite demonolatrist rituals.

What Are Demons?

They’re bad. They’re evil. They’re the entities sent out to do the Devil’s bidding!

Or are they?

Sure, that’s the definition set out by Christianity, but not all belief systems - especially the ones preceding Christendom - agreed.

A demon is a supernatural being that can cause harm, be conjured or be controlled. We know Abrahamic religions take the former line of thought, but Occultist religions follow the latter. However, demons started out long before Jesus was born.

We start our journey all the way back in Ancient Greece.

The original word, daimon, just meant a spirit or a divine power. They weren’t negative, evil creatures of the night. But biblical morality quickly replaced that. When Christianity seeped into the early Roman Empire, the old Pagan statues were quite literally demonised.

1000 years prior to the establishment of the Roman Empire, Ancient Egypt took a more spirit-based approach. They believed deities and demons delivered messages to humans, just like in Greece. In fact, the lines between the two types of entities often overlapped.

However, some of their demons could take on harmful or malicious traits. Their names were even written in red ink to highlight this fact. They also fell into two classes: guardians and wanderers.

The wanderers were the problems. They were associated with possession, death and mental illness. They were destined to bring misfortune and inspired by evil. Just like our modern interpretation of demons, they could be summoned and kept away with specific religious knowledge.

Ancient Mesopotamians followed suit. Just like Egyptian guardians, they guarded the underworld but also dragged back mortals there.

Zoroastrianism also had a sharp divide between the divine and evil demons. The first archdemons created were supposedly in response to the immortals created that were founded on the principle of good.

Their aim is to destroy, kill and torment mortals.

The most infamous demons take hold in Christian texts. That being said, the Old Testament doesn’t actually mention evil demons. Yes, there are evil spirits that serve Satan, but they weren't demonic per se. It’s only in the New Testament that evil spirits take on the name.

A majority of their mentions refer to demonic possession or exorcisms.

Mirroring this Christian approach in another Abrahamic religion - Islam. Again, their demons lead humans away from the teachings of God. They lead to sin and sorcery. They can be conjured and are the children of Satan.

What Is Demonolatry?

Demonolatry is the worship of demons.

This is a rare practice - if you wanted to worship a demonic force, you might as well go for Satan. But some do pick particular demons which have specific attributes.

In the film Hereditary we see the cult choose King Paimon.

This demon has "knowledge of past and future events, clearing up doubts, making spirits appear, creating visions, acquiring and dismissing servant spirits, reanimating the dead for several years, flight, remaining underwater indefinitely, and general abilities to 'make all kinds of things' (and) 'all sorts of people and armor appear.'"

Of the few forums that discuss demonolatry, some choose King Paimon as he can shed light on the past and future or cast doubts away.

Another term you might have come across is demonology.

This is the (scientific) study of our beliefs in demons. This doesn’t include praise or practice of rituals to conjure or worship demons.

Demonolatry often includes specific rites, magic and practices that honour both Satan and his demons.

Let’s talk about some of them.

5 Demonolatry Rituals You Can Try Today (FOR FREE! GET YOUR MONEY BACK 90 DAY FREE TRIAL LOSE 20 POUNDS IN 4 DAYS DOCTORS HATE HER)

(I found these from this document online.) 

The Self Dedication Ritual

This is a rite that solidifies a link between you and a demon. You can choose to work with many different demons, but many find they are drawn to and work with a specific one the most.

The ritual involves knowing the demon you want to dedicate yourself to and a specific chant. 

You need to call the elements in your ritual circle and then write a mini contract that dedicates yourself to a demon. When you feel their presence, burn the dedication and close the ritual.

The Baptism

(Not sure I’d recommend this one.)

This ritual fits the bill of demonic worship a little more than the others. Unlike a Christian baptism which involves being dipped in water, the adult baptism results in blood being extracted and marks being burnt into the skin..

During this ritual, the blood of the adult is mixed with ‘unholy water’ (blessed by Lord Leviathan) on the altar.

The priest or priestess then says something along the lines of “Hail our infernal lord, satan. Hail [sect demon or matron/patron name].”

A brief blessing is then said, calling upon Lucifer, Leviathan, Flereous, Satan and Baphomet.

More unholy water is then used to extinguish the candles and the person to be baptised is led to the altar.

At this point, they are anointed with the blood-water and branded with an iron on their thigh of the mark of their sect demon or matron/patron.

The Elemental Balancing Ritual

Sometimes we all need a good cleanse. Even demon worshippers.

To carry out this ritual, you need to invoke your elemental demonic circle - butt naked, of course - and ‘remove the elements’ from you.

To do so, imagine you are holding a box. Put all of your elements into the box, and then throw it from you.

Picture the earth as soil and leaves. Air as smoke. Water as, well, water. And fire as fire.

Many report feeling exhausted at the end of this ritual. From here you can replenish yourself and refill the imaginary box with new elements.

Have you ever practiced demonolatry?

Then impart some wisdom! If I’ve left out something important please let me know in a comment or a message and I can edit the blogpost to include it.

If you liked this article please like, reblog and follow.

[divinum-pacis]

Divinum Pacis’s  Reference Guide- UPDATED 2021

Let’s face it, schooling is expensive, and you can’t cram everything you want to know into 4+ years. It takes a lifetime (and then some). So if you’re like me and want to learn more, here’s an organized list of some books I find particularly insightful and enjoyable. NEW ADDITIONS are listed first under their respective sections. If you have any recommendations, send them in!

African Religions  🌍

African Myths & Tales: Epic Tales by Dr. Kwadwo Osei-Nyame Jnr

The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead: Prayers, Incantations, and Other Texts from the Book of the Dead by E.A. Wallis Budge

Prayer in the Religious Traditions of Africa by Aylward Shorter (a bit dated but sentimental)

The Holy Piby: The Black Man’s Bible by Shepherd Robert Athlyi Rogers

The Altar of My Soul: The Living Traditions of Santeria by Marta Moreno Vega (autobiography of an Afro-Puerto Rican Santeria priestess)

African Religions: A Very Short Introduction by Jacob K. Olupona

Buddhism ☸

The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Dhammapada by Eknath Easwaran (collection of Buddha’s sayings)

Liquid Life: Abortion and Buddhism in Japan by William R. LaFleur 

The Tibetan Book of the Dead by John Baldock (the texts explained and illustrated)

Teachings of the Buddha by Jack Kornfield (lovely selection of Buddhist verses and stories)

Understanding Buddhism by Perry Schmidt-Leukel (great introductory text)

Essential Tibetan Buddhism by Robert Thurman (collection of select chants, prayers, and rituals in Tibetan traditions)

Christianity ✝️

The Story of Christianity Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation by Justo L. Gonzales

The Story of Christianity Volume 2: The Reformation to Present Day by Justo L. Gonzales

By Heart: Conversations with Martin Luther's Small Catechism by R. Guy Erwin, etc.

Introducing the New Testament by Mark Allen Powell

Who’s Who in the Bible by Jean-Pierre Isbouts (really cool book, thick with history, both Biblical and otherwise)

Synopsis of the Four Gospels (RSV) by Kurt Aland (shows the four NT gospels side by side, verse by verse for easy textual comparison)

Behold Your Mother by Tim Staples (Catholic approach to the Virgin Mary)

Mother of God: A History of the Virgin Mary by Miri Rubin (anthropological and historical text)

Systematic Theology by Thomas P. Rausch

Orthodox Dogmatic Theology by Fr. Michael Romazansky (Eastern Orthodox Christianity)

Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska (very spiritual)

The Names of God by George W. Knight (goes through every name and reference to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Bible)

Icons and Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church by Alfredo Tradigo (for those who like art history AND religion)

The Orthodox Veneration of the Mother of God by St. John Maximovitch (the Orthodox approach to the Virgin Mary)

East Asian Religions  ☯️

Shinto: A History by Helen Hardacre

Tao Te Ching by Chad Hansen (a beautiful, illustrated translation)

The Analects by Confucius

Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell

Shinto: The Kami Way by Sokyo Ono (introductory text)

Understanding Chinese Religions by Joachim Gentz (discusses the history and development of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism in China)

Taoism: An Essential Guide by Eva Wong (pretty much everything you need to know on Taoism)

European (various)

Iliad & Odyssey by Homer, Samuel Butler, et al.

Tales of King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table by Thomas Malory, Aubrey Beardsley, et al.

Early Irish Myths and Sagas by Jeffrey Gantz

The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology by Snorri Sturluson and Jesse L. Byock

Mythology by Edith Hamilton (covers Greek, Roman, & Norse mythology)

The Nature of the Gods by Cicero

Dictionary of Mythology by Bergen Evans

Gnosticism, Mysticism, & Esotericism

The Gnostic Gospels: Including the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene (Sacred Texts) by Alan Jacobs and Vrej Nersessian

The Kybalion by the Three Initiates (Hermeticism)

The Freemasons: The Ancient Brotherhood Revealed by Michael Johnstone 

Alchemy & Mysticism by Alexander Roob (Art and symbolism in Hermeticism)

The Gnostics: Myth, Ritual, and Diversity in Early Christianity by David Brakke

What Is Gnosticism? Revised Edition by Karen L. King

The Essence of the Gnostics by Bernard Simon

The Essential Mystics: Selections from the World’s Great Wisdom Traditions by Andrew Harvey (covers Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Greek, Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist traditions)

The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall (huge book on esoteric and occult religions)

Freemasonry for Dummies by Christopher Hodapp

Hinduism 🕉

The Ramayana by R.K. Narayan

7 Secrets of Vishnu by Devdutt Pattanaik (all about Vishnu’s various avatars)

7 Secrets of the Goddess by Devdutt Pattanaik (all about Hindu goddesses, myths and symbolism)

Hinduism by Klaus K. Klostermaier (good introductory text)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is by Srila Prabhupada (trans. from a religious standpoint)

The Mahabharata, parts 1 & 2 by Ramesh Menon (super long but incredibly comprehensive)

The Upanishads by Juan Mascaro (an excellent introductory translation)

In Praise of the Goddess by Devadatta Kali (the Devi Mahatmya with English & Sanskrit texts/explanations of texts)

Beyond Birth and Death by Srila Prabhupada (on death & reincarnation)

The Science of Self-Realization by Srila Prabhupada

Krishna: The Beautiful Legend of God (Srimad Bhagavatam) by Edwin F. Bryant (totally gorgeous translation)

The Perfection of Yoga by Srila Prabhupada (about “actual” yoga)

Islam  ☪️

The Handy Islam Answer Book by John Renard (a comprehensive guide to all your questions)

The Illustrated Rumi by Philip Dunn, Manuela Dunn Mascetti, & R.A. Nicholson (Sufi poetry)

Islam and the Muslim World by Mir Zohair Husain (general history of Islam)

The Quran: A Contemporary Understanding by Safi Kaskas (Quran with Biblical references in the footnotes for comparison)

Essential Sufism by Fadiman & Frager (select Sufi texts)

Psychological Foundation of the Quran, parts 1, 2, & 3 by Muhammad Shoaib Shahid

Hadith by Jonathan A.C. Brown (the history of Hadith and Islam)

The Story of the Quran, 2nd ed. by Ingrid Mattson (history and development of the Quran)

The Book of Hadith by Charles Le Gai Eaton (a small selection of Hadith)

The Holy Quran by Maulana Muhammad Ali (Arabic to English translation, the only translation I’ve read cover-to-cover)

Mary and Jesus in the Quran by Abdullah Yusuf’Ali

Blessed Names and Attributes of Allah by A.R. Kidwai (small, lovely book)

Jainism & Sikhi

Understanding Jainism by Lawrence A. Babb

The Jains (The Library of Religious Beliefs and Practices) by Paul Dundas

The Forest of Thieves and the Magic Garden: An Anthology of Medieval Jain Stories by Phyllis Granoff

A History of the Sikhs, Volume 1: 1469-1839 (Oxford India Collection) by Khushwant Singh

Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction by Eleanor Nesbitt

Judaism  ✡

Hebrew-English Tanakh by the Jewish Publication Society

Essential Judaism by George Robinson (this is THE book if you’re looking to learn about Judaism)

The Talmud: A Selection by Norman Solomon

Judaism by Dan & Lavinia Cohn-Sherbok (introductory text)

The Jewish Study Bible, 2nd edition by the Jewish Publication Society (great explanations of passages)

The Hebrew Goddess by Raphael Patai

Native American

God is Red: A Native View of Religion, 30th Anniversary Edition by Vine Deloria Jr. , Leslie Silko, et al. 

The Wind is My Mother by Bear Heart (Native American spirituality)

American Indian Myths and Legends by Erdoes & Ortiz

The Sacred Wisdom of the Native Americans by Larry J. Zimmerman 

Paganism, Witchcraft & Wicca

Magic in the Roman World: Pagans, Jews and Christians (Religion in the First Christian Centuries) 1st Edition by Naomi Janowitz

The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation: Including the Demotic Spells: 2nd Edition by Hans Dieter Betz

Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice by Thea Sabin

The Path of a Christian Witch by Adelina St. Clair (the author’s personal journey)

Aradia: Gospel of the Witches by C.G. Leland

The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, & Witchcraft, 3rd ed. by Rebecca L. Stein

Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions by Joyce & River Higginbotham

Christopaganism by Joyce & River Higginbotham

Whispers of Stone by Tess Dawson (on Modern Canaanite Paganism)

Social ☮

Tears We Cannot Stop (A Sermon to White America) by Eric Michael Dyson (concerning racism)

Comparative Religious Ethics by Christine E. Gudorf 

Divided by Faith by Michael O. Emerson (on racism and Christianity in America)

Problems of Religious Diversity by Paul J. Griffiths

Not in God’s Name by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (on religious terrorism)

The Sacred and the Profane by Mircea Eliade (difficult but worthwhile read)

World Religions  🗺

Understanding World Religions by Len Woods (approaches world religions from a Biblical perspective)

Living Religions, 9th ed. by Mary Pat Fisher (introductory textbook)

The Norton Anthology of World Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism & Daoism by Jack Miles, etc.

The Norton Anthology of World Religions: Judaism, Christianity, & Islam by Jack Miles, etc.

Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices by Mary Boyce

The Baha’i Faith by Moojan Momen (introductory text)

Saints: The Chosen Few by Manuela Dunn-Mascetti (illustrated; covers saints from Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and more)

The Great Transformation by Karen Armstrong (the evolutionary history of some of the world’s greatest religions)

Roman Catholics and Shi’i Muslims: Prayer, Passion, and Politics by James A. Bill (a comparison of the similarities between Catholicism & Shi’a Islam)

God: A Human History by Reza Aslan (discusses the evolution of religion, specifically Abrahamic and ancient Middle Eastern traditions)

A History of God by Karen Armstrong (similar to Aslan’s book but much more extensive)

The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions by Keith Crim

[aboutanancientenquiry]

Atum, Osiris and Achaemenid theology during the First Persian Period in Egypt-II

The Tomb of Cyrus the Great , the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, at Pasargadae, Fars Province, Iran. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_Cyrus#Reconstruction_of_the_tomb

This is the second part of the paper of Pr. Jared Krebsbach  “ The Persians and Atum Worship in Egypt's 27th Dynasty” 

“Persian funerary rituals 

During the Achaemenid Period, the bodies of dead Persian kings were placed in wax and interred in tombs but not mummified (Herodotus 1996, 64, Book I, 140; Olmstead 1959, 66). Eventually, Persians adopted a mortuary ritual in which the body of the deceased was left for vultures to consume (Clark 1998, 114-117). The theological reason for the ritual of exposure originates with the Persian belief that corpses were unclean vessels of evil spirits. One scholar of Persian religion stated:

“The greatest pollution in death, however, the priests maintained, was from the bodies of righteous people, for a concentration of evil forces was necessary to overwhelm the good, and these continuedto hover round the corpse. So from the moment of death the body was treated as if highly infectious  and only professional undertakers and corpse-bearers approached it, who were trained to take ritual precautions. If possible the funerary service was performed the same day, and the body was carriedat once to a place of exposure” (Boyce 2001, 44). 

Although the Achaemenid kings did not practice the ritual of corpse exposure themselves – there is evidence of Persian nobles participating in this ritual during the Achaemenid Empire (Boyce2001, 59) – it probably originated during their rule. Herodotus observed that some Persians performed this burial ritual in his time:

“There is another practice, however, concerning the burial of the dead, which is not spoken of openly and is something of a mystery; it is that a male Persian is never buried until the body has been torn by a bird or a dog. I know for certain that the Magi have this custom, for they are quite open about it. The Persians in general, however, cover a body with wax and then bury it. The Magi are a peculiar caste” (Herodotus 1996, 64, Book I, 140).

Modern scholars of Persian religion believe that at around the time of the Achaemenid Empire the Magi, who “were a hereditary caste entrusted with the supervision of the national religion”(Zaehner 1961, 163), introduced the practice of exposing corpses to vultures, among other traditions, that would later become known as “Zoroastrianism.” Zaehner wrote:

“It does, however, seem fairly certain that it was the Magi who were responsible for introducing three new elements into Zoroastrianism – the exposure of the dead to be devoured by vultures and dogs, the practice of incestuous marriages, and the extension of the dualist view of the world to material things and particularly the animal kingdom” (Zaehner 1961, 163).

It should be noted that although the Achaemenid kings did not practice the ritual of corpse exposure themselves, their tombs still separated the living from the unclean corpse. The tomb of Cyrus demonstrates “with what care Zoroastrian kings prepared their sepulchers so that there should be no contact between the embalmed body – unclean in death, even though there was nodecay – and the living creations” (Boyce 2001, 53). Perhaps the Egyptian ritual of mummification – with its excessive handling and reverence of “unclean” corpses – seemed too foreign to a people who were accustomed only to burial, but were on the verge of accepting a new practice that involved the annihilation of the corpse. Therefore Osiris, a god associated with mummification, by extension may also have been viewed as strange and foreign to the Persians. 

The Tomb of Darius I of Persia in Naqsh-e Rustam, Fars Province, Iran. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_Darius_the_Great

Achaemenid Persian theology

Osiris’ subordinate position to Atum in many of the Pyramid Texts (Faulkner 1969, 46 -48,Utterance 219) and his association with mortuary myth and cult, may have played a role in his subordination and/or omission in 27th dynasty religious texts, but in order to truly understand why the Persians chose Atum over Osiris one must examine the royal Achaemenid inscriptions from Persia, particularly those of Darius I. In terms of written texts, Egyptian religion was much older than Persian, so was therefore articulated in a much more complex way, but we do have texts at our disposal that can aid in the understanding of Achaemenid Period Persian theology. The trilingual inscription of Behistan – which was inscribed on the face of a cliff above an ancient caravan route in Persia – relates the accounts of Darius I’s suppression of rebellions in the Achaemenid Empire. In the five columns of Old Persian inscriptions, Ahuramazda, the primary Persian god, is invoked seventy times (Kent 1953, 116-134). In these texts, Ahuramazda mainly serves as a protector of Darius and bestower of his role as the king of the Achaemenid Empire. Lines 48-61 of column one proclaimed:

“After that I besought the help of Ahuramazda; Ahuramazda bore me aid; of the month Bagayadi ten days were past, then I with a few men slew that Gaumata the Magian, and those who were his foremost followers. A fortress by name Sikayauvati, a district by name Nisaya, in Media – there I slew him. I took the kingdom from him. By the favor of Ahuramazda I became king; Ahuramazda bestowed the kingdom upon me” (Kent 1953, 120).

In the fourth column of the Old Persian inscription from Behistan, Darius further explained that Ahuramazda gave him aid because “I was not a Lie follower” (Kent 1953, 132). The Lie – known in Persian as Drugh – is, in the Behistan texts, explicitly equated with the rebellions against Darius, on both a physical and metaphysical level, as “a violent onslaught against the established order” (Zaehner 1961, 156). As such, Darius was viewed as “Ahuramazda’s chosen representative on earth [...] who maintains the just moral order within society while protecting society from rebellion” (Malandra 1983, 47). The Behistan inscriptions were written to commemorate Darius I’s victory over numerous usurpers, but gives us a glimpse into the theological functions of the god Ahuramazda as protector, upholder of order, and bestower of kingship. Other Achaemenid Period inscriptions from Persia also describe this deity as the creator of the universe.

Darius I’s inscription of Behistun, Mount Behistun, Kermanshah Province, Iran. Punishment of captured impostors and conspirators: Gaumāta lies under the boot of Darius the Great. The last person in line, wearing a traditional Scythian hat and costume, is identified as Skunkha. His image was added after the inscription was completed, requiring some of the text to be removed. Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behistun_Inscription

Inscriptions from the magnificent palace at Persepolis, built during the reign of Darius I,and his tomb at Naqsh-i Rustam also reveal much about how the Persians viewed Ahuramazda. At Persepolis, Ahuramazda is credited as the one who “created Darius the king, he bestowed on him the kingdom” (Kent 1953, 136) while at his tomb the god is described as the one “who created this earth, who created yonder sky, who created man” (Kent 1953, 138). Perhaps the most important Old Persian inscription, as far as the current topic is concerned, that invoked Ahuramazda and his attributes as a creator is on the statue of Darius I mentioned above. The Old Persian, Akkadian, and Elamite cuneiform inscriptions on the robes of the statue proclaimed Ahuramazda as the god “who created the sky and the below, who created man, who created happiness for man” (Vallat 1974, 161  170). The fact that Ahuramazda is invoked on the same statue as Atum – and is the only known such occurrence – suggests that Atum is extremely important when considered in the context of the current study.

Ahura Mazda’s image at Persepolis. Source: http://beautifulcity2015.weebly.com/persepolis.html

The Persian affinity for Atum appears to originate with their own religious beliefs, as Atum’s attributes concerning creation, kingship, and protection most closely mirror those of their own god, Ahuramazda. Ahuramazda’s hatred of the Lie and love of the Truth can also be seen in the Egyptian idea of truth or Maat, versus chaos or  Isfet.The Persians would have had access to the Egyptian priesthood and knowledge of Egyptian myth and cult, as seen in the example of the Egyptian priest/doctor and ‘collaborator,’ Udjahorresent mentioned above (Posener 1936,1-26), so therefore would have been able to choosean Egyptian deity in 27th dynasty texts who most closely represented their own theological ideas. As much as the functions and attributes of Atum corresponded closely to Ahuramazda, Osiris, who ruled from the Underworld and was associated with death and mortuary cult, may have appeared foreign and strange to the Persians. These theological factors for the Persians’ affinity to Atum are compelling, but a final reason for their worship of this god which concerns the Persian concept of kingship must be examined.

The Achaemenid Persian concept of kingship and Atum

 Unfortunately due to a dearth of textual evidence, the Achaemenid concept of kingship was rarely articulated in writing. Henri Frankfort believed that the origins of Achaemenid Period kingship can be traced directly to Mesopotamia. He wrote:

“In the ruins of Pasargadae, Persepolis, and Susa we have material proof that kingship under Cyrus the Great and Darius I was given a setting for which there were no Persian precedents and in which the Mesopotamian ingredients are clearly recognizable. If the pillared halls of the Achaemenian palaces had prototypes in the vast tents of nomadic chieftains, the walled artificial terrace, the monstrous guardians at the gates, the revetments of sculptured stone slabs, and the panels of glazed bricks derived from Babylon, Assur, and Nineveh, even though they were executed by craftsmen from all over the empire and transfused with a spirit demonstrably Persian” (Frankfort 1978, 338).

The Mesopotamian idea of the king as the ruler of the world can be traced back to Sargon of Akkad who first designated himself as “he who rules the Four Quarters” (Frankfort 1978,228) while his son Naram-Sin took the epithet “King of the Four Quarters” (Frankfort 1978,228). Later, the Assyrian king Shamsi-Adad would modify the epithet further to “King of the Universe” (Frankfort 1948, 229). It was from these ideas of kingship that Cyrus, the first king of the Achaemenid Empire, styled himself as ruler when he marched victoriously into Babylon in 539 BC as is written on the Cyrus Cylinder. On the cylinder Cyrus was very explicit that he was king not just of Persia and Mesopotamia, but of the entire world. He stated:

“I am Cyrus, king of the world, great king, legitimate king, king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four rims of the earth” (Oppenheim 1992, 316).

As mentioned above, Atum was often referred to in religious texts as the “All Lord” or “Lord of All” which coincides with the Persian concept of kingship. When Cambyses conquered Egypt he found a god, Atum, who not only corresponded theologically in many ways with his god, Ahuramazda, but also with his inherited position as king and lord of the universe.”

The Cyrus Cylinder. Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_Cylinder

Source: https://www.academia.edu/824587/The_Persians_and_Atum_Worship_in_Egypts_27th_Dynasty

[gabriulio]

Persona World’s Demon Encyclopedia - Days 7-10

Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Twitter thread

All entries can be found in my blog, tagged as “demonic compendium.”

Sorry for not posting anything in the past few days. Real Life™ has been hectic, but here’s all the profiles that should have been posted if everything went according to plan. Since I missed four days it should’ve meant 12 profiles, but 3 of those are stuff I’ve already translated in the past so they don’t count. Which means here’s a whooping FIFTEEN profiles in total. Enjoy!

Ah Puch

Mayan death god. He looks like a white skeletal figure with protruding ribs and patches of decayed skin. He wears bells all throughout his body and is accompanied by a dog and an owl.

Ah Puch is the leader of the Bolontiku, a group of nine gods who govern Xibalba, the Mayan underworld. He also presides over Mitnal, the lowermost layer of Xibalba.

Abe no Seimei

An onmyōji who lived in Japan during the Heian (794-1185) period. It is speculated that he’s a descendant of Abe no Musaki, but his mother’s identity is unknown, though some believe that his mother was the fox spirit Kuzunoha.

Seimei’s name has also been recorded in multiple manuscripts, some of them depicting legends that stray from reality. In the Konjaku Monogatari, Seimei was a pupil of Kamo no Tadayuki and learned the secret arts from him. It was also said that he had outstanding abilities, such as being able to divine the cause of the Emperor’s illness, and also employ a total of twelve shikigami.

Seimei’s arch nemesis was Ashiya Douman. The two of them once competed to see who was superior and Seimei won. In retaliation, Douman assassinated Seimei’s father, but Seimei was able to revive him using his power.

Nowadays, the Seimei ward of Kyoto houses the Seimei Shrine, which celebrates the anniversary of Seimei’s death every year with a festival on September 26.

Apep

Egyptian snake god born from the primordial sea. He embodies chaos itself, and is also called “The Great Serpent.” He’s also associated with Ouroboros, the giant serpent from Greek mythology that surrounds the world.

As his name suggests, Apep’s body is gigantic. Every day, the sun god Ra carries the sky from West to East, and Apep attempts to swallow it. As a result of Apep’s actions, the day-night cycle exists.

Apollo

A Greek god. He and his twin sister Artemis were born from Zeus and the goddess Leto. He was fed nectar and ambrosia, the drink and food of the gods, and thus grew into an adult in only a few days. He performed many heroic deeds, such as slaying the giant snake Python and the giant Tityos.

Apollo was a young and beautiful god, and so there are many legends that talk about his love life. However, he was repeatedly deceived and betrayed, and so his love was never returned.

Amatsu Mikaboshi

Also known as Ame no Kakaseo or Hoshi no Kakaseo, he is the Japanese god of stars.

In the Nihon Shoki, the gods Take-Mikazuchi and Futsunushi tried to subjugate Ashihara no Nakatsu Kuni during the Tenson Kōrin, but Amatsu Mikaboshi resisted them until the very end, granting him the epithet of "disobedient fierce god." However, in the end he was defeated by Shitsuri and Take-Hazuchi.

Maihime Amano

An original character appearing in Eternal Punishment.

She is a daughter from one of Kiyotada Sumaru’s branch families and Maya Amano’s ancestor. She and her lover Tatsunoshin Suou assassinated Kiyotada Sumaru, the tyrant who wanted to take over all of Japan. Even after Kiyotada’s death, her mummified remains keep watch over the city of Sumaru.

When summoned as a Persona, she has the appearance of a red-haired woman sporting two horns and wearing long-sleeved clothes.

Ameretat

One of the seven archangels from Zoroastrianism, the Amesha Spenta. She’s a daughter of the chief god Ahura Mazda and her name means “Immortality.” She’s the guardian angel of plants and responsible for governing the spiritual power of the sacred tree Haoma.

She often appears in conjunction with the god Haurvatat, whose name means “wholeness” and “satisfaction,” as the two of them are associated with water and plants. By uniting their powers, the two of them are capable of sending forth rain. Flowers are given as offerings in rituals that worship Ameretat.

Ame no Uzume

Japanese goddess of kagura and performing arts. When the goddess Amaterasu hid herself inside a cave known as Ama no Iwato and darkness fell over the world, Ame no Uzume danced in front of it with her breasts and crotch exposed, attracting Amaterasu’s attention and drawing her out of the cave.

“Uzume” means traditional Japanese hair ornaments, also known as kanzashi, which she wears when performing a kagura. It’s also believed that Ame no Uzume was originally a mortal woman who became deified.

Amon-Ra

The chief god of ancient Egypt. His name means "he who is hidden," and he's commonly depicted in murals as a person wearing a large feather hat.

Originally, Amon and Ra were two separate gods, but once the capital was moved to Thebes during the Middle Kingdom, the two gods were merged into one. They became Amon-Ra, sun god and supreme deity of Egypt. He's also the guardian deity of the pharaohs, and according to legend the pharaohs are his descendants.

Pride

An original demon from Ibunroku with the shape of a mask. It represents the human emotion of believing oneself to be superior and looking down on others. Other names for this emotion include: arrogance, haughtiness, and insolence.

Alastor

From Greek mythology, he’s the official in charge of performing executions in Hell. Alastor is also known as “the executioner” in Zoroastrianism.

He was originally the son of the sea god Nereus, but Alastor had his wife stolen by his step-father, which prompted him to take revenge. Ever since the Middle Ages, Alastor came to be seen as an executioner who follows the orders of the devil. Because of this, the name “Alastor” itself means “avenger.”

Arianrhod

A Welsh goddess worshiped as the guardian deity of the Corona Borealis. She’s the daughter of the mother goddess Don and sister of Gwydion. Her role is to keep the silver wheels representing time turning for all eternity. Aside from turning the wheels of time, Arianrhod is also responsible for ferrying those who die in combat to the afterlife in a large boat. She’s also called the mother of the Aryan race and believed to be the same entity as the Greek Ariadne.

Alice

A mysterious girl. Her name and features resemble the protagonist of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

She's an original demon in the Megami Tensei series, first appearing in Shin Megami Tensei. Afterwards, she kept appearing in other games of the franchise as a rare demon.

Arachne

Greek goddess of wisdom, crafts, and weaving. She was the daughter of the famous dyer Idmon and possessed exceptional skill at weaving. However, Arachne’s pride grew too big, which made her challenge the gods to a weaving contest. In the contest, she weaved various depictions of scandals committed by the gods in a tapestry, which drew their ire. As punishment, the goddess Athena transformed her into a spider.

Artemis

One of the twelve Olympians from Greek mythology. She is the goddess of the moon and hunting. She can always be found running in the woods, carrying bow and arrows and accompanied by a group of nymphs and hunting dogs.

Artemis is fastidious and merciless. She once transformed Actaeon, a hunter who caught a glimpse of her naked body, into a stag and then had his own hunting dogs kill him. She also transformed a woman who broke her vow of chastity and got pregnant into a bear.

Her Roman counterpart is the moon goddess Selene.

Wow, this was a lot!

TOMORROW: Alecto, Ares, and Aonbharr.

[lifeafterlifeparks]

Sky Burial: Learning from Ancient Deathcare Practices II

As discussed in Part I of our Sky Burial discussion, the ancient practice of sky burial, also known as celestial burial, is observed in various parts of the world today. Embodied by Zoroastrians and Tibetan Buddhists in regions like India, Bhutan, Mongolia, and China, this sacred ritual involves placing the departed on elevated sites where vultures and other scavenging birds consume the remains. Seen as an act of charity and respect for the natural cycle of life and death, sky burial holds deep spiritual significance. In the realms of Tibetan Buddhism and Zoroastrianism, the body is regarded as a mere vessel while the soul embarks on its journey to the afterlife. The act of giving one's body back to nature through sky burial is viewed as a gift, symbolizing respect for the sacred cycles of existence. Vultures, considered sacred carriers of the soul, play an integral role in this transcendent passage, forging a profound connection between the ritual and the spiritual realms. By embracing this ancient tradition, communities honor their departed loved ones while minimizing their ecological impact. It serves as a niche example of a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative.

However, the convergence of reverence in Hinduism for sacred cows and the use of veterinary medication for their care on vulture populations historically created a complex layer to the preservation of this time-honored tradition and the delicate ecological balance.

In Hindu dominated areas of the world, cows are cared for well into their elder years. As they age, veterinarians would often administer pain killers to relieve ailments in the elderly cattle. The administration of veterinary medications, particularly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as diclofenac, inadvertently sets off a chain of ecological repercussions. When vultures feed on the carcasses of medicated livestock, they face toxic effects, leading to kidney failure and devastating consequences for these majestic scavengers. This unforeseen connection highlights the urgent need for sustainable solutions that preserve both cultural practices and the delicate balance of the natural world.

Within this intricate landscape, the convergence of sacred cows and the decline of vultures poses a captivating challenge. Sacred cows hold immense reverence in various cultures, symbolizing a profound respect for life and abundance. The compassionate care extended to these gentle beings often involves the use of veterinary medications, intended to alleviate their suffering. However, life reveals the unintended consequences of our actions, with vultures, the custodians of the sky burial ritual, bearing the brunt of this unintended harm.

The exponential growth of urban populations and the prevalent use NSAIDS across South Asia and the Middle East decimated the indigenous vulture population by a staggering 97%. The collateral effect on sky burial practices has necessitated adaptations. Solar cremation has emerged as a substitute, allowing communities to preserve their ancestral customs while addressing the urgent need for vulture conservation. Concurrently, concerted efforts are being made by religious authorities to repopulate these endangered avian species.

Preserving the delicate interplay between cultural traditions, care for pets, and other domesticated animals, and environmental conservation demands ingenuity, collaboration, and unwavering dedication. Enlightening communities about the ecological impact of bovine medications on vultures becomes crucial. By fostering understanding and promoting vulture-safe alternatives like meloxicam, the gap the Himalayan Vulture population collapse was prevented. The case stands as a testament to the cascading effects that human intervention can have on conservation.

[witchyfashion]

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death

“Doughty chronicles [death] practices with tenderheartedness, a technician’s fascination, and an unsentimental respect for grief.” ―Jill Lepore, The New Yorker

Fascinated by our pervasive fear of dead bodies, mortician Caitlin Doughty embarks on a global expedition to discover how other cultures care for the dead. From Zoroastrian sky burials to wish-granting Bolivian skulls, she investigates the world’s funerary customs and expands our sense of what it means to treat the dead with dignity. Her account questions the rituals of the American funeral industry―especially chemical embalming―and suggests that the most effective traditions are those that allow mourners to personally attend to the body of the deceased. Exquisitely illustrated by artist Landis Blair, From Here to Eternity is an adventure into the morbid unknown, a fascinating tour through the unique ways people everywhere confront mortality.

45 illustrations

https://amzn.to/2SprG2O