#and using them for a purpose other than their original spiritual intent by the indigenous merfolk

[fisheito]

yakuya in MY swamp? in MY ecosystem? no . i am still in disbelief. i hope you all know that my particles are bouncing off the everything. i am using periods as punctuation but the state of my mind is naught neareth final.

[blackhistorystoryteller]

AFRICAN VOODOO

The deep truth about AFRICAN VOODOO

African Voodoo: Unraveling the Mysteries of a Rich Spiritual Tradition

African Voodoo, often shrouded in mystery and misconceptions, is a complex and fascinating spiritual tradition with deep-rooted cultural significance. This ancient belief system, practiced in various forms across the African continent and the African diaspora, offers a unique perspective on the relationship between humans, nature, and the divine. In this article, we will delve into the world of African Voodoo, exploring its history, beliefs, rituals, and its enduring impact on the cultures and societies where it thrives.

A Diverse Tradition

Voodoo, also spelled Vodou or Vodun, is not a monolithic belief system; rather, it is a diverse and adaptable spiritual tradition that has evolved differently in various regions of Africa and beyond. Its origins can be traced back to the indigenous religions of West and Central Africa, where it was practiced by different ethnic groups. Over time, African Voodoo underwent syncretism with Catholicism and indigenous beliefs in the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti, giving birth to Haitian Vodou, which is perhaps the most well-known form of Voodoo.

Core Beliefs

At its core, African Voodoo centers around the veneration of spirits, ancestors, and deities. These spirits are believed to have the power to influence human life and the natural world. Each spirit has a specific domain, and practitioners seek their guidance and assistance through various rituals and offerings. Ancestor worship is a fundamental aspect of Voodoo, as it connects the living to their familial lineage and heritage.

The Loa, or spirits, are a central focus of Voodoo ceremonies. These spirits are intermediaries between humans and the ultimate divine force. Practitioners often enter trance-like states to communicate with the Loa, who possess them temporarily during rituals. The Loa are known for their distinct personalities and preferences, and offerings such as food, drinks, and dance are made to appease and honor them.

Rituals and Practices

Voodoo rituals are colorful and lively events filled with drumming, dancing, singing, and the use of symbolic objects. Rituals are often held in temples or outdoor spaces, and they vary widely depending on the specific tradition and purpose. Some rituals are celebratory, while others are intended to seek protection, healing, or guidance.

One of the most famous Voodoo rituals is the "Voodoo Doll," which is often misunderstood. These dolls are not meant for causing harm but are used as tools for healing or connecting with a specific person's spirit. Pins may be used symbolically to focus intention.

Voodoo in the African Diaspora

The transatlantic slave trade played a significant role in spreading African Voodoo to the Americas, particularly in regions like Haiti, New Orleans, and Brazil. In these places, Voodoo underwent further syncretism with local beliefs and Catholicism, resulting in unique variations of the tradition.

Haitian Vodou, for instance, is a vibrant blend of African Voodoo, Catholicism, and indigenous Taino beliefs. It has had a profound impact on Haitian culture and played a central role in the struggle for independence from colonial rule.

Misconceptions and Stereotypes

African Voodoo has been the subject of many misconceptions and stereotypes, often portrayed negatively in popular culture. These portrayals frequently focus on the more sensational aspects of Voodoo, such as curses and zombies, rather than its rich cultural and spiritual dimensions. It's important to recognize that Voodoo is a legitimate religious practice for millions of people, and like any belief system, it encompasses a wide range of beliefs and practices.

African Voodoo is a complex, multifaceted spiritual tradition with a deep and enduring cultural significance. It is a testament to the resilience of African heritage and the ability of beliefs to adapt and evolve over time. Beyond the stereotypes and misconceptions, Voodoo represents a profound connection between humans, nature, and the divine—a connection that continues to shape the lives and cultures of those who practice it.

Communication with the spirits, often referred to as Loa or Lwa in Voodoo, is a central aspect of Voodoo rituals and practices. Here's an overview of how practitioners communicate with these entities:

1. **Rituals and Offerings**: Voodoo rituals are the primary means of communication with the spirits. Practitioners gather in a designated sacred space, such as a temple or outdoor altar. They often create an elaborate ritual environment with symbols, candles, and ceremonial objects. Offerings, including food, drinks, tobacco, and other items, are presented to specific spirits to gain their favor and attention.

2. **Dance and Music**: Music and dance are essential elements of Voodoo ceremonies. Drumming and chanting create a rhythmic and trance-inducing atmosphere. Through dance and music, practitioners enter altered states of consciousness, allowing them to connect with the spirits more profoundly. It is believed that the spirits may possess individuals during these ceremonies, providing a direct channel for communication.

3. **Possession and Trance**: One of the most distinctive aspects of Voodoo rituals is the concept of spirit possession. Practitioners, often referred to as "servants of the spirits," may enter a trance-like state during which a particular Loa or spirit is believed to take control of their body. In this state, the possessed individual may speak in the voice of the spirit, offering guidance, advice, or requests on behalf of the spirit.

4. **Divination**: Divination is another way to communicate with the spirits in Voodoo. Practitioners may use various divination tools such as tarot cards, cowrie shells, or casting of objects to seek guidance from the spirits. These divination practices help practitioners understand the desires and intentions of the spirits and may provide insights into their own lives.

5. **Prayer and Invocation**: Voodoo practitioners often use prayer and invocation to establish a connection with the spirits. Specific prayers or invocations are recited to call upon a particular spirit's presence and assistance. These prayers are typically passed down through generations and may be spoken in a specific language or dialect.

6. **Voodoo Dolls**: Contrary to popular misconceptions, Voodoo dolls are not used for causing harm but are symbolic tools for communication. They can represent a specific person or spirit and are employed in rituals to convey intentions, requests, or healing energy to the spirits associated with them.

It's important to note that communication with the spirits in Voodoo is a deeply spiritual and cultural practice, and the methods may vary among different Voodoo traditions and communities. Voodoo practitioners believe that these rituals and practices maintain a reciprocal relationship with the spirits, offering offerings and devotion in exchange for protection, guidance, and assistance in various aspects of life.

Masquerades and Voodoo in Africa: A Cultural Tapestry of Spiritual Expression

Africa is a continent rich in cultural diversity, and its spiritual practices are as varied as its landscapes. Among the many vibrant traditions that permeate African culture, masquerades and Voodoo (often spelled Vodun or Vodou) hold significant places in the hearts and lives of its people. This article explores the fascinating intersection of masquerades and Voodoo, shedding light on how these practices are intertwined with African spirituality.

**Masquerades: The Embodiment of Spirits**

Masquerades are a prominent cultural phenomenon across Africa, characterized by elaborate costumes, masks, and dances. These performances serve multifaceted purposes, including entertainment, social commentary, and spiritual expression. However, it's the latter aspect, the spiritual dimension, that ties masquerades to Voodoo and other indigenous African belief systems.

1. **Role of Ancestors**: In many African cultures, masquerades are a means of connecting with ancestors and spirits of the deceased. The masks and costumes worn by performers often represent these spirits. During masquerade ceremonies, participants believe that the spirits inhabit the masks and interact with the living. This interaction serves as a way to honor and seek guidance from the ancestors.

2. **Protection and Cleansing**: Some masquerades have protective roles in communities. They are believed to ward off evil spirits, illnesses, or other malevolent forces. These masquerades often perform purification rituals, symbolically cleansing the community and its members.

3. **Harvest and Fertility Celebrations**: Masquerades are frequently associated with agricultural and fertility rites. They may perform dances and rituals to ensure a bountiful harvest or to promote fertility among the community members.

4. **Social Order and Governance**: Masquerades also play a role in enforcing social norms and maintaining order within communities. They may act as judges, mediators, or enforcers of communal rules during their performances.

**Voodoo: The Spiritual Heartbeat**

Voodoo, a widely practiced religion across West Africa and its diaspora, is deeply entwined with masquerades and the spiritual fabric of the continent.

1. **Ancestor Worship**: Voodoo places a significant emphasis on ancestor worship, much like masquerades. Practitioners believe that the spirits of ancestors are ever-present and can influence the living. Offerings, rituals, and masquerade performances are ways to honor and seek the guidance of these spirits.

2. **Connection to Nature**: Voodoo, like many African belief systems, recognizes the close relationship between humans and nature. It views natural elements, such as rivers, forests, and animals, as inhabited by spirits. Masquerades often incorporate nature-centric symbolism in their performances.

3. **Trance and Possession**: Both Voodoo and certain masquerades involve altered states of consciousness. In Voodoo, devotees may enter trances and become possessed by spirits, similar to the possession experiences during some masquerade ceremonies. These states facilitate direct communication with the divine.

4. **Rituals and Sacrifices**: Offerings and sacrifices are common in both Voodoo and masquerade traditions. These rituals are believed to appease spirits and seek their favor.

**Cultural Resilience and Transformation**

While masquerades and Voodoo have endured the test of time and colonization, they have also adapted and evolved. In the African diaspora, especially in the Americas, they fused with other cultural elements and religions, giving rise to unique traditions such as Haitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo.

masquerades and Voodoo in Africa are vibrant expressions of spirituality, culture, and identity. They are living traditions that continue to shape the lives and beliefs of countless individuals and communities, offering insights into the enduring resilience and adaptability of African cultures in the face of change and adversity.

The timing for Voodoo practices, like many spiritual traditions, can vary depending on the specific tradition, the purpose of the practice, and the preferences of the practitioner. There is no universally "best" time for Voodoo practice, but certain times and occasions are commonly observed:

1. **Festival Days**: Many Voodoo traditions have specific festival days or holidays when practitioners gather to perform rituals and ceremonies. For example, in Haitian Vodou, the Festival of the Ancestors (Fèt Gede) is a significant event where people honor and communicate with their ancestors. These festivals often have fixed dates in the Voodoo calendar.

2. **Full Moon and New Moon**: Lunar phases are significant in various spiritual practices, including Voodoo. Some practitioners prefer to conduct rituals during the full moon or new moon, believing that these phases are particularly potent for spiritual work. The full moon is often associated with amplifying energy and intentions, while the new moon is seen as a time for new beginnings.

3. **Nighttime**: Many Voodoo rituals take place during the nighttime. This is believed to be a time when the veil between the spiritual and physical realms is thinner, making it easier to communicate with the spirits. Candlelit ceremonies, drumming, and dancing are common elements of Voodoo rituals conducted at night.

4. **Personal Preference**: Individual practitioners may have their own preferred times for Voodoo practice based on their personal experiences and beliefs. Some may feel a stronger connection to the spirits during specific times of the day or year.

5. **Life Events**: Voodoo is often integrated into various life events such as births, marriages, and funerals. The timing of these rituals is determined by the occurrence of these events.

6. **Consulting a Voodoo Priest/Priestess**: For more specific guidance on the timing of Voodoo practices, consulting a Voodoo priest or priestess is advisable. They can provide insights based on their knowledge and experience within their particular Voodoo tradition.

It's essential to remember that Voodoo is not a monolithic practice; it encompasses various traditions and regional variations, each with its own customs and beliefs. Therefore, the best time for Voodoo practice can differ significantly from one tradition to another. Additionally, Voodoo is deeply rooted in cultural and spiritual contexts, so practitioners often follow the customs passed down through generations within their specific communities.

[shamandrummer]

The Mystical Journey of Shamanic Dance

Shamanic dance, a practice deeply rooted in ancient traditions, serves as a powerful means of connecting with the spirit world. This transformative art form encompasses rhythmic movements, chants, and rituals that transcend the ordinary and invite participants to explore the depths of their consciousness. This blog post delves into the origins, significance, and transformative power of shamanic dance, offering insights into how it can enrich our modern lives.

The Origins of Shamanic Dance

Shamanic dance traces its roots to prehistoric times, long before written history. It was practiced by indigenous cultures around the world, from the Siberian steppes to the Amazon rainforest. Shamans, the spiritual leaders of these communities, used dance as a medium to communicate with the spirit world, heal the sick, and guide their tribes. Each movement, rhythm, and chant was imbued with symbolic meaning, creating a language that transcended words.

The Role of the Shaman

The shaman, often regarded as a mediator between the physical and spiritual realms, played a crucial role in these rituals. Through dance, shamans entered altered states of consciousness, allowing them to journey to other worlds and communicate with spirits, ancestors, and deities. This connection provided guidance, wisdom, and healing for their communities. Cultural Variations

While the core principles of shamanic dance are universal, the practices vary significantly across cultures. In Siberia, shamans used elaborate costumes and drumming to induce trance states. In Africa, rhythmic drumming and body movements played a central role in connecting with ancestral spirits. In the Americas, indigenous tribes incorporated elements of nature, such as feathers and animal skins, into their dances to symbolize their connection with the Earth.

The Significance of Shamanic Dance

Shamanic dance is more than just a series of movements; it is a holistic experience that engages the body, mind, and spirit. This practice holds profound significance in several key areas:

Healing and Transformation

One of the primary purposes of shamanic dance is healing. By entering a trance state, shamans and participants can access deeper layers of their psyche, uncovering and releasing emotional, mental, and spiritual blockages. This process promotes physical and emotional well-being, leading to profound transformation.

Connection with Nature

Shamanic dance fosters a deep connection with the natural world. Many dances mimic the movements of animals, plants, and natural elements, reminding participants of their intrinsic bond with the Earth. This connection nurtures a sense of respect and reverence for nature, encouraging sustainable living practices.

Spiritual Awakening

Engaging in shamanic dance can lead to spiritual awakening and enlightenment. The rhythmic movements and trance states open channels to higher consciousness, allowing participants to gain insights, receive guidance, and experience a profound sense of unity with the universe.

The Elements of Shamanic Dance

Shamanic dance incorporates several key elements that create a transformative experience. Understanding these elements can enhance your appreciation and practice of this ancient art form.

Rhythm and Music

Rhythm is the heartbeat of shamanic dance. Drumming, chanting, and music create a vibrational field that facilitates trance states. The repetitive patterns of sound and movement help to quiet the mind, allowing participants to enter altered states of consciousness.

Movement and Gesture

Every movement in shamanic dance has symbolic meaning. Gestures, postures, and dances often mimic the natural world, embodying the essence of animals, plants, and elemental forces. These movements are not just physical; they are energetic expressions that connect the dancer with the spiritual realm.

Intention and Focus

Intention is a vital component of shamanic dance. Participants set clear intentions for their journey, whether it is healing, guidance, or spiritual connection. This focus directs the energy of the dance, amplifying its transformative power.

Sacred Space

Creating a sacred space is essential for shamanic dance. This can be done through rituals, the use of sacred objects, and invoking protective spirits. The sacred space provides a safe and supportive environment for participants to explore their inner worlds.

Modern Applications of Shamanic Dance

In today's fast-paced world, shamanic dance offers a powerful antidote to stress and disconnection. Its timeless principles can be adapted to suit modern needs, providing a path to holistic well-being.

Therapeutic Practices

Many therapists and healers incorporate elements of shamanic dance into their practice. Movement therapy, for instance, uses dance to help clients process emotions and trauma. The rhythmic, repetitive nature of shamanic dance can be particularly effective in promoting relaxation and emotional release.

Personal Growth

Individuals seeking personal growth and self-discovery can benefit from shamanic dance. Regular practice can enhance self-awareness, foster a deeper connection with nature, and promote spiritual development. Workshops and retreats offer opportunities for immersive experiences, guided by experienced practitioners.

Community Building

Shamanic dance can also serve as a powerful tool for community building. Group dances foster a sense of unity and shared purpose, strengthening social bonds and creating a supportive network. Community rituals and celebrations that incorporate shamanic dance can promote collective healing and transformation.

Conclusion

Shamanic dance, with its rich history and profound significance, offers a unique pathway to healing, transformation, and spiritual awakening. By embracing this ancient practice, we can reconnect with our true selves, our communities, and the natural world. Whether you are seeking personal growth, therapeutic healing, or a deeper spiritual connection, shamanic dance provides a timeless and powerful tool for transformation. As we dance, we journey beyond the physical, opening ourselves to the mysteries of the spirit world and the wisdom it holds.

[18mr]

Join us as we slow the fuck down with Angela Angel (and her plants!) in our 3rd interview in the “What Is Healing for Asian Americans?” series:

sumi: You are a gardener, artist, medium, and ceremonialist. As a young traditional healing practitioner, your work is a continuation of your indigenous lineage– the Bontoc and Ibaloi tribes (the Igorot) of the Philippines. What does living out your purpose and traditional healing practices look like in Oakland, CA (your current home)?

Angela: Aside from when I’m with students or clients, I spend most of my time interacting with the plants, the earth, and my ancestors. I’m really talking to them and returning back to my ancestors’ ways of animism.

I spend my time cultivating my relationship back to our earth, because we have broken lines. This isn’t this glamorous thing. I’m in a big process of decolonization and a big part of my spirituality is decolonization. What that looks like is diving deep into ancestral work. I spend a lot of time sitting at my altar and working there. Making medicine and being in the garden. This requires a lot of spaciousness – to slow down and connect with the earth.

Unfortunately, this process of rematriation sometimes feels like a privilege to me because most of my friends, family, and the public are very much in the grind. When I’m in my home and garden space, I feel like I’m just playing. Which is beautiful to me, but if you contrast it with most of the world, it feels like a privilege. But that’s the only way at this point.

sumi: What is a medium?

Angela: A translator of languages, frequencies, vibrations, colors. An empath, but in a way that we are able to control that sensitivity and use it to support clarity and healing for others. A deep connection with the earth and the elements. An avatar, being in tune so deeply and authentically that you’re able to work with the elements around you.

sumi: The dominant Western worldview does a tremendous job of separating us [humans] from nature. Similarly, trusting your psychic visions in a culture which doesn’t honor your feelings and sensations as real information, is no small thing. How did you learn to trust your visions and the land?

Angela: That’s pretty much what it means to be Indigenous– to have full trust and deep connection with the earth. It’s our way of life.

I feel hopeful because we are in a time of decolonization. Our dominant culture doesn’t allow for us to trust in the earth and in things that are unseen. Religion, colonialism, internalized colonialism, and capitalism have all violently impressed upon us not to trust in our Mother, Our Earth. When you’re severed from the earth, you completely forget her. We’ve been in that great forgetting for a while now.

For me, I feel blessed that I was raised that way. Next to the earth, my mama was my first teacher and I learned to take care of the land from her. Nature is what should feel natural because it’s our inheritance and it’s our inherent-ness. As human beings, we have a long way to go with rebuilding that trust.

sumi: For folks who didn’t grow up with someone who taught us this value of trusting earth, or seeing the earth as our mother – where’s a place to start?

Angela: I think it’s both subtle and also a product of assimilation that people didn’t grow up with that direct connection. For the most part, it’s always been there.

THE SUBTLETY COMES FROM ESTABLISHING A RELATIONSHIP TO NATURE, THE SAME WAY YOU WOULD ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP WITH A NEW FRIEND.

You pay attention, you make acknowledgements, you give them a gift, you listen to them, you respect them, you establish consent, you make a meal for them, you tell them you love them.

All of that is the same when you are working with the plants: you observe, you become quiet, you become still, you pay attention to the way they grow, you offer them water, you ask permission to take from them, you also greet them, and tell them you love them. The same reverence we give to our human loved ones is the same reverence I carry with the earth.

sumi: Healing historical and ancestral trauma is central to your work as a practitioner. Why is this so important? And are ancestors more than just our blood family?

Angela: Yes. We are connected to so much rich history that is within our blood lineage, but if you go further back, we are connected to so much more. We’re connected to the animals, the plants, and to what is known as the unseen. There’s multiple worlds that we’re connected to that I would consider our ancestors.

We’ve been on this planet as a peoples and as our lineages for a very long time. When people describe themselves as an old soul, I sometimes laugh at that. At this point, everybody is an old soul! If you look at it generationally and spiritually, we have our grandmothers that are being reborn into this planet. We’re very, very old. We’ve accumulated thousands of years of trauma and repeating history in a cyclical, destructive way.

ONCE YOU’VE GOTTEN TO A CERTAIN LEVEL OF YOUR HEALING WORK, YOU’LL HIT A TENSION THAT EITHER YOU NEED TO CONFRONT, OR IT’S GONNA CONTINUE AS THIS PATTERN IN DIFFERENT WAYS. THAT IS ANCESTRAL WORK.

In order to change our world, we have to get into the deep inner work, coupled with all the other things which we may already be doing, like organizing and taking care of our daily needs. It’s vital to our systems, especially in our partnerships and families.

[Often] we get so enthusiastic and ready to change the world in this very external way. It’s what I would describe as hypermasculine. I definitely think this needs to continue happening and it has its role. But if we’re having all this turmoil in ourselves and families and we just keep running away from that – either because it’s too hard or we don’t wanna deal with it – that extends into the rest of our work. We can’t just change things from the outside in, we need to do it both ways.

sumi: What does ceremony mean to you?

Angela: I would describe my life as ceremony. That’s how our ancestors lived and continue to do so.

CEREMONY IS A LIFESTYLE. NOT LIKE, “I’M GONNA DO YOGA BECAUSE IT’S TRENDING,” BUT A LIFESTYLE WHERE YOU HAVE TO WALK IN SUCH A WAY WHERE YOU ARE REALLY IN TUNE AND PAYING ATTENTION TO THINGS.

It’s a mothering way of being. For me, ceremony could be as small as daily rituals like waking up in the morning and stretching, or it could be much more formal and intentional.

To talk about ceremony is to talk about why we even need it. It’s at a level where language feels very limiting. It’s a way of us mirroring the natural order of the universe. When we mirror that, we become in tune with the sacredness of all and the natural cycles of things.

Ritual is a way of continuously birthing yourself into existence. Specifically, rites of passage rituals are so important. We barely have that today, perhaps only in the form of weddings or giving birth.

In our ancestors’ time, people were initiated often. For example, when a child is stepping into a certain level of their maturity or when you’re becoming an elder. We honor different stages of life and death.

We used to have these rituals to understand our role as members of our community. What we’re seeing now is when we’re not formally initiated, we get initiated a different way. Either it becomes a disaster, we become ungrounded from it all, or we find our way. For example, when there’s a shocking death in the family. If people don’t honor it, if they don’t create a ceremony around it, the soul and the family becomes lost.

When we do ceremonies, we’re creating space for people to come into themselves and into the reality that their loved one has now graduated from life. We’ve lost a lot of that, or we have diluted versions of it which are based on pressures to look and be a certain way– like weddings.

sumi: What is the gift of an imperfect ancestor?

Angela: It means working with all the different lines within us. We have a history that is violent and full of terror and trauma and that exists within us.

WE HAVE ANCESTORS THAT ARE OUR COLONIZERS. BUT IT IS ALSO A GIFT BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT THAT TO CONTINUE.

By doing ancestral work we’re able to see our imperfect ancestors through compassion, through their original innocence.

sumi: What do plants want us to know?

Angela: To learn their song.

[scrollofthoth]

So it begins...

Emergent Animism: Exploring a Spirit Haunted World

By Threskiornis

Foreword

“Magick is, if anything, extradimensional diplomacy.”

– Gordon White, Pieces of Eight: Chaos Magic Essays and Enchantments

Magi throughout the ages have defined themselves through their relationships with spiritual entities. Call them what you want. Their names are legion. Gods, angels, demons, djinn, elementals, faeries, ghosts, specters – the names and classifications vary from age to age and place to place. Every land and every culture has had contact with creatures that were in some way more than just material being. The nature of these beings often reflects that of the culture which discovered them, but they also have surprising commonalities no matter their origin. Even today people report contact with a multitude of cryptids and aliens. A Devil stalks New Jersey. A monster swims in Loch Ness. Bigfoot roams the Pacific Northwest, and Yeti in the Himalayas. Mothmen, Dogmen, and Lizardmen continue to be sighted all around the United States, and the world.

Some magi approach these beings for personal gain. Others simply want to communicate with and understand beings that exist beyond our knowledge of space and time. They can be approached with reverence, awe, and worship. Although most magi see themselves as equals. They can be approached with the intent to cajole, threaten, and command. Though I hope to convince you that a bully that attacks spirits is still just a bully.

To be certain, a magus can be successful without ever communicating with a spiritual entity. There exists plenty of valid magical paradigms that eschew dealing with spirits and concentrate on more abstract ideas. But if you’re like me, you thrive on the interchange with things that communicate and think. You need something more than just an idea to contemplate, but something that wants to engage with you just as much as you want to engage with them.

In our last book, Emergent Magick, some felt that we failed to deliver on the goods. It was never meant to be a how-to of spells and formulae. We insist that each magus find their own way. I’m afraid some of you may be disappointed again. This is a book on animism, not shamanism. And it defines animism in the broadest sense – communicating with spirits. There will be discussion of shamanistic techniques. This book will talk about communicating with the spirits of trees, animals, mountains, and rivers. But it contains much more than that. It’s an all-encompassing paradigm that gives a magus the tools to approach any spiritual entity.

It must also be stressed, and will be repeated, that Emergent Animism is just one Emergent Magick paradigm. It is not the “official” Emergent Magick paradigm. In fact, the contents of this book are in no way required to practice Emergent Magick. What it does provide is an excellent example of a classical magical belief system explored through the process of Emergent Magick. Even if your own personal magick doesn’t focus on spirit contact, Emergent Animism will give plenty of insights on how to use the Emergent Magick process in your own work.

Let’s get started. The spirits are waiting.

 Threskiornis, 16670, “Ego Sum Legio”

Scribe of the Order of Emergent Magi

11/20/2019

 Introduction

 As much as I would like to avoid it, I feel I must first define Emergent Magick (EMK). If you enjoy this publication, I recommend picking up, Emergent Magick: Rebuilding Our Tribes Through Ritual and Meaning. It really needs an entire book to get the concept across.

EMK defines magick as, “The art of altering consciousness.” In essence, the universe itself is created and directed by consciousness, and magick is a way to influence that consciousness. Consciousness itself lacks universally accepted definition. For our purposes it includes any sufficiently complex system that can perceive. If you accept that sub-atomic systems are sufficiently complex, and quantum theory proves that particles have some form of perception (in that they will act as individual particles or as a wave, depending on if they are being watched), this includes everything in the universe to a greater or lesser degree. Art, the activity of creation, influences consciousness. Ritual is the art of the magus, and it is specifically designed to alter consciousness.

In Emergent Magick, a magus performs rituals with the purpose of creating altered states of consciousness. The magus then takes what they learn from those rituals to build an ever more concise paradigm, essentially a model for the universe and a method to alter it. While a magus can certainly learn from the magi who came before them, it is what they learn through altered states of consciousness that best informs their magick. What a magus learns through altered states has more weight than anything they can learn by other means.

The ultimate goal of the magus is to perceive the unity of consciousness. To interact with it as part of a larger whole. This manifests in the physical plane by forming tribes of magi and working with them to experience their paradigm, form bonds of love and acceptance, and to influence the collective unconscious through the creation of culture.

At least that’s the short form description of Emergent Magick. Which finally brings us back to Emergent Animism (EMAN).  

 Emergent Animism is the art of communicating with the spirits.

 At least that’s the one-sentence vital core of it. Some old-school magi like to have things summed up in a sentence or two (and I am one of those magi). Why Emergent? First, because I am one of the creators of Emergent Magick and it is how I currently define my practice. Since Emergent Animism is my personal paradigm, it comes from an EMK perspective. Because the methods used to explore and define the paradigm are the methods of EMK. Personal experience takes precedent over accepted knowledge (though you should still be doing research). Those experiences are then shared with my personal tribe and their experiences added to the body of knowledge. You may notice the shifting tense there, because this is work that has been performed and is ongoing.

Which brings us to animism. Much smarter people with better sources have described animism. And I really want to just tell people to go read Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy, by Mircea Eliade and Willard R. Trask, and then come back and continue reading this. But I understand that’s not a realistic expectation, so I’m going to give you my woefully inadequate description. Animism has been called the world’s first religion, and from the archaeological evidence and current anthropology there is little reason to doubt that all hunter-gatherers practiced some form of animism. Animism as a world view, sees the universe as populated with spirits. In animism, all things have some vital essence that can be communicated with, from spirits of rivers, mountains, and lakes, to trees, rocks, and clouds, also the spirits of humans, animals, insects, and the spirits of those living creatures that have died. Some animists also believe in alien spirits that come from other dimensions of reality. The practice of animism is the communication with these spirits through some form of altered state of consciousness. This can be ritual, dance, music, meditation, and the use of psychoactive substances. Shamanism is a particular type of animism where individuals of a tribe use altered states of consciousness to contact the spirit realm, referred to as journeying, and petitions the spirits for the benefit of the shaman and their tribe. I do not consider myself a shaman because I do not belong to an indigenous culture with a shamanistic tradition. I do, however, use many of the tools of shamanism in my practice.

In Emergent Animism, spirit is synonymous with consciousness. So, the art of magick in EMAN terms is the art of communicating with the spirits. Which entails all forms of conversations, pacts, offerings, and all the other traditional and non-traditional methods of contacting them. Although the goal of realizing a universal consciousness remains, perceiving a fragmented consciousness is the best humans can do in most circumstances. EMAN theorizes that working with beings made of pure consciousness will bring us closer to that goal.

Know right off the bat that I don’t think anyone should try to pick this up whole-cloth and use it as their own. All magi must ultimately discover their own paradigm and follow that. But I do know it has been helpful for me as a magus to read about other people’s magical perspective. To see what works for them and learn from it. I find the magical world to be sorely lacking in resources that describe exactly what magi are doing. There’s plenty of description of rituals and theory, but little of what a magus actually does on a day-to-day basis. I hope I can add a unique perspective and inspire some people to try these practices themselves. I say, “don’t follow my path,” but do feel free to steal anything that can work for you.

In Emergent Magick: Rebuilding Our Tribes Through Ritual and Meaning, there was some brief discussion of the Models of Magick. The Models of Magick are essentially different theories on how magick works. These include: Spirit Model, Energy Model, Psychological Model, and Meta-model. The Spirit Model is essentially synonymous with our definition of animism, in that all magick works through the agency of some spiritual being. The Energy Model posits that all magick works by manipulating certain energies. The Psychological Model sums up magick as a means to influence your own conscious and subconscious mind to make changes through yourself. The Information Model is somewhat similar to EMKs belief that consciousness creates the universe, and that consciousness is simply information. The Meta-model encompasses all other models and instructs the magus to use whichever model they find most useful at the time. Most magi follow a nuanced form of the Meta-model, since no one model can fully explain all forms of magick.

At first glance, EMAN seems firmly entrenched in the Spirit Model. You will notice that this book generally takes that perspective, and sees spirits as actual, fully-realized, entities in their own right. This doesn’t mean that EMAN can’t be effective within other models of magick. Perhaps you see spirits as just another form of energy. Maybe for you, the spirits are a reflection of your own subconscious. In the end, it doesn’t matter, as long as your magick is working for you.

[alexicacvs-a-blog]

🔥

This is going to be really salty. Though it’s not RP related but more so based on my experiences going into multiple Pagan communities over the years. This will be under a read more.

Anyway a post I saw reignited a massive pain in my ass and that’s the whole White Witchcraft movement that’s been a thing since the 1950′s. This is going to delve into the history and why it’s such a pain in the ass and also go into my reasons for hating Silver Ravenfuck. I mean Silver Ravenwolf.

So before I begin let me just say that White Witchcraft isn’t a thing that solely white people. It was never a thing that solely white people did. In fact it’s whole start was during McCarthyism. We all know about McCarthyism right? For those who don’t, McCarthyism was a period in the 50′s where McCarthy would round up people who were perceived as being Commie scum, typically those who were athiests and Jewish. Believing good American citizens to be god fearing Christians, anyone else is a commie scum. Thus why 90% of Jewish Filmmakers were blacklisted and spent time doing trials in the 50′s.

Also to note that Wica or commonly known as Wicca or British Traditional Wicca (Due to Scott Cunningham writing Wicca: A Guide to the Solitary Practioner and it being a hit in the US and Canada and distingtion needed to be made. However everywhere else in the the world BTW is simply Wicca.) came about in 1954, created by Gerald Gardner and helmed by Doreen Valiente (until I think either the 60′s or 70′s then she helped out Robert Cochrane with his 1734 tradition.). Now Doreen and several other high profile witches were trying to not get caught into the web of McCarthy, and did the one that that Christians have perfected for centuries: Throw people under the bus.

Now mind you this group of witches weren’t all white people. According to Amber and Jet, Desi Arnaz was one of the witches involved in this new movement. Desi was a Cuban immigrant who practiced Santeria. Santeria is an indigenous form of witchcraft that combines witchcraft with Christianity, it’s what Issac Bonewits would describe as a idiosyncratic form of witchcraft. And there were probably several others. Again when you have McCarthy breathing down your back the only thing left to do is to throw people under the bus.

Now the terms for black magic or white magic weren’t chosen because of racial attitudes. In the west and in the east colors have meaning, this is known as symbology. We know that white means pure in the West and black means evil. If you played Final Fantasy, White Mages do healing. Black Mages hurt and poison.

Now in modern times there should be no classification for a color for witchcraft. Your classification should be the type and intent of witchcraft that you do. If you’re a Storm Witch, you work with storms. Water Witch, you work with water. Want to heal people? Then you’re a healer. What to harm people then you’re a Hex Witch. Like Chaos well you’re a Chaote/Chaos Magician.

Even Anton LaVey, leader and founder of the Church of Satan said something similiar in his book The Satanic Witch in his first chapter “Are You A Witch?”. Now mind you this book is more so focused on the notion that only girls are witches and boys are warlocks, also given that the cover is pink it’s possible that he was gearing this book more so towards women and having them embrace their femininity.. Never mind the fact that the word warlock means oathbreaker in Scottish Gaelic. But whatever. I’ll amend it so bear with me.

Aside from the tricks of the movie or TV witch, usually accomplished with special camera techniques, there is no reason why any girl who puts her mind to it and learns the proper methods cannot become a full-fledged witch in accord with the popular conception. Only those who either do not know the means or are too stubborn to use them, once having been told, will persist in defining themelves as witches by using the sanctimonious definitions of so-called “white witches” working for “the benefit of mankind.” There will always be those who, furitvely desiring personal power but unable to do anything about gaining it, will devise their own definitions of what a which should be like, seeing to it, of course, that their definition fits them.

The “white witch” is the by-product of an emergence in England of an above ground witchcraft interest at a time when witchcraft was still technically illegal. In order to pursue the “craft” without harassment and prosecution, the spokesmen for witchcraft attempted to legitimize and justify what they were doing by proclaiming the existence of “white” witchcraft. (The footer note states that the term was first used by William Seabrook in his book, Witchcraft, its Power in the World Today. Which was written in 1940. So it hasn’t been a term that’s been used long. ) “White” Witchcraft, it was simply a belief in the religion of the old wise ones or “Wicca.” (This is based more on Scott Cunningham than Gardner. Also Margret Murray incorrectly stated that and was debunked. Several times.) The use of herbs, charms,  and healing spells was only employed for beneficial purposes.

It was believed that the kind of witches that were dangerous to have around were “black” witches. These were supposedly evil in their pursuits and worshipped Satan. The fact that the “good” or “white” witches employed a hormed god in their ceremonies was justified because it “doesn’t represent the Devil.”

Of course, no one admitted to practicing witchcraft ceremonies of any kind. Anything that was associated with witchcraft was pursued in the name of “study” or “research.” This was the climate in England between 1936 and 1951.

With the repeal of English witchcraft laws in 195, all of the underground witches started creeping to the surface and as their eyes became accustomed to the light of sudden legality, they ventured forth. Unused to such freedom and heavy with the stigma of illegality, they went about shouting “white witchcraft” even louder than ever, as if expecting at any moment to be snared by a heretic hook.

About this time, interest in the occult was becoming popular in the US, so naturally attention was focused on the British Isles with its rich heritage in all matters ghostly and fanciful. As might have been expected, newly emerged English witches saw the US as a fertile stamping ground for safe recognition of their “witchiness”. Concurrent with the first post-war writings out of England came the first diplomats of witchdom, and America was more than curious. Having no other literature but Margaret Murray, Montague Summers and Dennis Wheatly to read it, it was assumed the new revelations by Gerald Gardner and his followers were the straightest stuff available.

“White witch” became a definitive term, and thousands who wouldn’t touch the practice of witchcraft with a ten-foot broomstick found a conscience-redeeming opportunity to follow the “art” by using the new rules of the game. Regardless of what these people would like to believe, the image of the witch had been stigmatized for centuries. All witches were considered to be agents of the Devil, antagonistic to scriptural teachings, and a direct part of the dark side of nature. As there is always a relative outlook as to what is good and what is evil, once witchcraft emerged from its “all evil” state into neutral territory, a differentiation was bound to occur. The righteous, of course, will always wear the mantle of “good”, white light”, “spiritual” and varying shades of holiness.

An analogy might be made concerning “white” and “black” witches.  Let us assume that warfare had, for centuries, been called wholesale murder and the men who fought called “murderers”. One day it was decided that there was something quite noble and dignified about this old activity of wholesale murder. All the murders, basking in the light of new-found legitimacy, began calling themselves “good murderers”. The enemy’s troops, of course, were the “bad murderers.” The stigma of the word “murderer”, still remained, but at least the good murderers felt more at ease. Now, maybe these murderers always had a fairly legitimate reason  for going into battle. Maybe they succeeded in saving their homeland from that which threatened it. They might have even had a scholar among them who had traced the origin of the word “murder” to an ancient word that meant “murder”. But the fact remained, “murder” was still a negative term in the public’s mind. So instead of simlply revelling in their subsequent acceptance by the public, necessitated their placing of the word “good” in front of “murderer” as sort of a self-reassurance that they doing the right thing!

Basically to gather from this that in England there was a witchcraft law. It lasted for about 100 years or so and only was repealed in 1951, because a psychic during WW2 was helping naval officers find a ship or something, seeing that she was a psychic threw her in jail. Parliament thought it was a stupid law and abolished it.

Now while Seabrook does place Voodou to be under black magic it’s less that it’s apart of the African Diaspora and more that involves a level of harm. Silver Ravenwolf says the same thing in her 1992 book To Ride A Silver Broomstick and several of her books (along with the Llwellyn Crew) along with curses, hexes, and other means that does harm. That’s the whole crux of the matter. If it does harm then it’s bad. And this new crew of white witches all follow the Wiccan Rede as law. (Which is ironic cause the word rede means advice.). “An it harm none, do what ye will.”

For this new group if you harm. You’re doing evil and worship Satan. Doesn’t matter if it’s a practice passed down for generations. If you harm others, you are evil. Are you reconnecting with your roots? Don’t care if you harm you’re evil. And that’s not just for those that practice Voodou, Hoodou, Santeria, or other practices among the African Disapora but also for those witches who are White. For those who are Satanist. Who are Chaos Magicians or Thelemites. If you harm you are evil. It’s a black or white morality when it comes to White Witches.

Especially when those whose first book into witchcraft is Silver Ravenwolf. No matter who you are the first time you get interested in witchcraft is as a young teen is always going to be Silver Ravenwolf. That’s what you see in a bookstore or at your library, that’s what you’re going to read. That’s what your friends read.

TL; DR: Magic is based on intent. Basing one’s intent on a color is stupid. The terms black witchcraft or black magic or white witchcraft was boiled down into good or bad. Voodou got lumped in cause it dealt harm. That’s the only reason why it got lumped into black magic.

[geracaoalpha]

Desert-X 2021: A dialogue between arts, land and people

As our world begins to reopen, we are excited to once again be able to experience exhibitions and explore new works. Our co-founder, Manuela Séve, recently visited Desert X 2021 to explore these works first-hand. 

Running from March 12 - May 16 in Coachella Valley, CA, Desert X 2021 is an art exhibition that explores the desert as both a place and an idea. Curated by Cesar Garcia-Alvarez and Neville Wakefield, the exhibition acknowledges the realities of people who reside there, as well as the political, social, and cultural landscape that shapes our stories. Newly-commissioned works explore a variety of themes including land rights and ownership, migration, racial narratives of the West, social justice, water exploitation, and the gendered landscape.

Site specific installations by almost a dozen renowned international artists activate the desert landscape, and some works will remain on-site for viewing even after the exhibition closes. 

Safely Operating During COVID-19

Given the rapidly-evolving conditions associated with a global pandemic, Desert X was postponed from its initial scheduled opening in February. By March, restrictions had eased enough that the exhibition was allowed to open. While public bus tours were not offered as they had been in previous years, trained docents were available on-site. Desert X 2021 was one of the first events in the region after the COVID pandemic lockdowns, offering a safe, outdoor setting for visitors. 

Over 650,000 visits were recorded during the event, which took place from March 12 – May 16. This year’s visitor records exceeded the 2019 event by more than 200,000 visits.

Alpha’a Visits Desert X 2021

Our experience attending and interacting with the works was extremely insightful. Key themes from this year included the challenge histories of land art, what we can do as individuals and communities, reflecting on the moment, speaking from indigenous land, working with indigenous people, and land art. We are thankful that we were able to partake in this experience along with so many others.

Artists & Artworks

Here are some of our favorite works from the exhibit - 

“This Land: Making Never Forget” Nicholas Galanin

Nicholas Galanin’s monumental project “This Land: Making Never Forget” explores the complex histories of the land it stands on. Galanin’s inquiry compels us to assess who we are as individuals and human beings and our personal connections to the desert while reflecting on this current moment. The work battles conversations that are endangering people and their forceful removal from the land they belong to. The work’s focal intention is to bring a call to action to this cause. Today, we live in a world where land acknowledgment has become normalized in institutional societies.

The work connects with the iconic imagery of the Hollywood sign, which initially was spelled “Hollywoodland” and was built in a black neighborhood with the purpose of selling real estate for the elite from the film industry. California has a major history of moving out local communities to promote “development”, such as the indigenous that originally inhabited Palm Springs, and the black community that used to live in today’s region of Hollywood sign. This is the history of America and the american dream that often excludes non-white communities from the conversation.  “Never Forget” stands as reference to the land and its history.  It is not about the piece itself or the letters, but how it engages with people and invites them to participate in this call to action through the powerful meaning the work conveys. 

The Future of the project is how the work evolves through peoples histories, conversions, and ideas. The work can move to other locations to see how the conversations will evolve in those different communities. “The work is not done when it is up, it’s just the beginning” 

— Nicholas Galanin’s Never Forget until August 15

“In What Lies Behind the Walls” Zahrah Alghamdi 

Alghamdi’s work explores hope and a promise of spiritual preservation and human freedom. The piece is a sculptural work of a wall, almost 25 feet high, created with what visualizes as stacks of turf or folded fabric. The work was built using the earth in Palm Springs.  The colors, mountains and desert resemble those of her own country. 

The wall is positioned facing northwest and southwest, touching on the directions of Mecca, representing on one side the roots of her islamic faith and her hometown in Saudi Arabia and to the other side, the union between what’s in both sides of it. Her work is inspired by her hometown in Al-bahah, as well as the stories and memories she has lived. She explores ideas of history, memory, trade and cultural convergence. In her own words “You might always see a wall as a barrier, that’s a problem that you face, which makes you sit behind the wall. My idea is that we shouldn’t build walls between us”.

https://desertx.org/dx/desert-x-21/zahrah-alghamdi

Zahrah Alghamdi, “What Lies Behind the Walls,” 2021, mixed media

“The Wishing Well” Serge Attukwei Clottey⁠

The Wishing Well is a sculpture of two 9 ft  installations of large-scale towers, created with pieces of yellow plastic Kufuor gallons used to transport water in Ghana.

The work is in response to the shared struggles with water insecurity that are occurring,  representing the many wells around the world that people must trek to daily to collect water, especially during the 6 year drought in Ghana that took place by the end of the 60’s. The installation also speaks to the land it sits on, situated in Coachella Valley, whose future is also dependent on water. 

This is an issue that African communities deal with every single day. Even in modern African life, this is a necessity,  and their lives revolve around the consumption of water through these jerrycans. The yellow cubes represent a form of richness and the material is tied to a larger critique on colonialism. 

The artist is interested in the community aspect, bringing people together and collaborating. This conversation translates across geographies. 

https://desertx.org/dx/desert-x-21/serge-attukwei-clottey

If you want to discover more contemporary artists that explore similar discourses and themes, have a look in these selected artists from Alpha’a Inc community: 

Marvin Amberg, a photographer with a series of ghost towns in Namibia.

Elias Souza is a photographer, whose work revolves around the nature and culture of the Amazon.

Julia Vanderput, writer, photographer and creative strategist from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her work explores dismantling all oppressive structures and how decolonization is now more pertinent and urgent. 

Moises Patricio, who lives and works in São Paulo, Brazil, explores art and its relation with social media, everyday life in São Paulo, and the politics of race in Brazil today.

Steve Lefkovits is a landscape and nature photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His work explores themes of the importance of nature and how it is connected to the spiritual understanding of life. 

Nick Turner is an American artist born in Boston in 1983. There is a  deeply personal relationship with nature and his personal interest in horses and surfing that are juxtaposed against family history motifs and vast empty landscapes from around the globe. There is a play between his individual experiences in life as an artist and the larger dialogue about society and man’s place in the natural world.

[maryisis]

A “coming out” post...

I am choosing to participate in a global “coming out” movement called “Thank you Plant Medicine”(TYPM)- (from the website: This movement was born as a response to the stigma in society about the use of psychoactive plants and therapy-assisted psychedelics.We dream of a world where these substances are free from stigma and discrimination, for personal and collective healing.We are organizing a global wave of gratitude for February 20, 2020, calling on people to “come out” with their stories of healing and transformation on that day, using the hashtag #ThankYouPlantMedicine. www.thankyouplantmedicine.com

I would first like to preface by saying that the use of psychoactive/consciousness altering plants or fungi is NOT for everyone and by sharing my perspective I mean in no way to persuade or promote it. Okay? Okay. 

At the young and seemingly fearless age of fourteen I learned through reading some books and magazines about how a person could consume specific kinds of mushrooms and totally alter and explore their consciousness, and perhaps other dimensions of reality (this was before internet use was widespread). I was utterly fascinated and being the curious and hungry-for-the-meaning-of-life young teen that I was I decided to seek out these magical fungi. It didn’t take me long to find them, with the help of a more experienced person who knew how to find them in the cow pasture.....(Panaeolus cyanescens). I had only read about effects from various books and articles but I really was not prepared at all for what I was about to experience. After consuming who knows how many mushrooms (not very smart...) about 20 minutes later I began to feel my senses becoming highly elevated and intensified. The intensity only grew stronger and stronger, to the point of becoming totally overwhelming with surging feelings and emotions and then also altered perception to the point of only being able to see vibrant pulsating rainbow dripping rootlike formations filling my vision. I had no idea how to navigate this unknown realm of feeling and perception, yet I rode it out meeting the experience with utter awe. Then, I started to feel some background trepidation at how I was supposed to return home in such a state, with it being a school night and all...long story short I made it home safely with my tripper “boyfriend” at the time and he informed my parents what we had done, much to their dismay at seeing their daughter in such a state. I somehow floated up to my room where I spent the remainder of the experience laying in a bed that I felt I was continuously sinking into, watching the trees dance outside my window. I had deep insights that night into the personal truth of my being and regard the experience as a sort of “rite of passage” out of my childhood self. That was 25 years ago. Now in retrospect- had I known how the brain develops, I probably would not have done such a thing...I think there’s something to be said for the importance of having your brain fully developed before altering the brain chemistry ...yet I’m pretty sure I ended up alright and I can’t say I regret any of my use of mind altering substances (ok-except maybe a couple of times....lol). As I said before- I was a very curious soul, and it didn’t take me long to realize that the “Just Say No” propaganda campaign that I grew up with was more than just a war on drugs- it was a war on consciousness. How we got to this point of “mind control” is something to ponder.

My relationship with psychedelic plants/fungi has changed a lot over the years and I would say that the major shift happened about 19 years ago when I participated in my first plant medicine ceremony. Finally- I got a taste of what my soul has been thirsting for- Ceremony and experiencing the sacred and divine aspects of existence. Rewind-I lived most of my life in a community and area where Cannabis was freely and frequently used recreationally. I also began using cannabis in my teens- in a non-intentional way- not to say that I didn’t have meaningful experiences in that non-intentional context- However I have learned that intention, ritual and/or ceremony can greatly enhance the benefit in the communing with these “entheogens”- a term I like to use which translates literally as “becoming god within.” When I realized the extent as to which the society in  I lived tries to govern our lives- to the point of having laws that make NATURE ILLEGAL- I felt very passionate about RECLAIMING MY BASIC HUMAN RIGHT- to explore my consciousness. When I saw peaceful and kind people I knew facing jail time and/or having their houses taken away because of growing cannabis, it deeply disturbed me. And so my motivation in “coming out” comes from this place within, that believes that it is morally WRONG that plants and fungi that have awesome potential healing value are illegal. Anyone who does their studies of scientific research as well as historical/cultural studies will learn how much value the plant of Cannabis, for example, has for healing. The endo-cannabinoid system of the human body is proof that humans have evolved, in close relationship with this plant. And of course HEMP, which is the non-psychoactive cannabis species has a plethora of amazing uses which would greatly help our society and environment if it were more widely embraced and cultivated.

Thankfully “the times are a changin!’” More and more studies are being allowed and funded, the laws of the land are starting to change in many places and more and more people are beginning to learn about and honor the deep inherent value of these natural plant medicines. These are exciting times and yet we still have a long way to go! And it is my perspective that we need these plant medicines now more than ever so as to help with the healing of humanity on a spiritual level- to awaken us out of the materialist mindset trance of scarcity, unworthiness, fear and disconnection from nature. The fascinating scientific studies are showing us how the chemicals in these plants and fungi work on the brain, in beneficial ways to help people heal with ailments such as depression, PTSD and anxiety. The healing potential of these plants and fungi have been known for thousands of years to various indigenous cultures, who have kept such wisdom alive throughout the millennia through their initiated healer lineages. It is very important to honor the traditions and lineages from which the traditional ceremonial use of these plant medicines originate from because it is these people that have the deeply developed relationship with these plants and understand them in intimate ways which most western psyche’s do not and I dare say cannot (unless immersed in the studies and apprenticing with these traditional plant medicine healers.) And so while these are hopeful times with potential healing that these plant medicines present our deeply troubled and sick society, we must be mindful that our own egoistic tendencies don’t get the best of us.  I have been working with powerful plant medicines for over 20 years now and I am still most definitely a humble student on the path of healing...still learning the delicate process of surrender to the inexplicable healing powers of these plant teachers and the wisdom teachings and deeply meaningful insights they bestow.

Personally, most meaningful and valuable to my own life, of which I have received from my relationship with plant medicine teachers, namely Ayahuasca and Psilocybin mushrooms, has been my feeling of CONNECTION- Connection to Nature, to Spirit, to everything! In my expanded states I can see clearly how my thoughts and actions affect those around me and the whole. In working with these plants/fungi I naturally gravitated towards living a more healthier lifestyle- being careful of what I choose to consume physically or mentally.  Unhealthy habits steadily and easily fell away. A significant healing aspect of these plant medicines is how they have the capacity to disrupt our conditioned thought patterning- which is a very good thing because much of our behavior and thought processes are governed by our habitual patterning- which keeps us very limited in our perception and what we are capable of experiencing. This can lead in turn to depression, addiction, frustration, and other mental and physical ailments. As we are learning with the exciting field of neuroscience, our thoughts, emotions and perceptions are closely linked and work in a cyclical way. This leads me to honor the ways that these plants have helped me to develop my visionary abilities. One of the most powerful visionary perceptions I have had to date through Grandmother medicine was the experience of perceiving the ALL, underlying state of UNITY- it was an ineffable experience- impossible to put into words- but made a very deep impression on my life and perception of reality. I felt completely liberated from all fear and filled with AWE, totally absorbed in the interconnected matrix of all creation. One more thing. Being a singer and musician- it has been a profound gift and one of my greatest joys to sing my prayers and songs while in communion with plant medicine, in ceremony. I am so deeply grateful for all the plant teachers in my life- they are so dear to my heart and my relationship with each continues to evolve in mysterious and miraculous ways. Deep bows of reverence and respect.

 One of the main ways I have integrated the visions and insights that I have received from these plants/fungi is through music. I have always been a musical person, since before I could even talk I was already singing. In my life today, Music is a central aspect and purpose of my incarnation. I feel inspired to add here that the wisdom of the Yogic path has also played an equally important role in my evolution- I was introduced to the path of Yoga also at 14, which has helped me immensely on my journey with its ancient and very relevant wisdom teachings of self realization.  I have also always had an interest in the healing plants and started studying herbal healing in depth in my late teens. I have many healing plant allies that I work with on a daily basis. 

 Above photo with a Chacruna plant, the pair to the Ayahuasca vine, which contains DMT- the potent visionary molecule, belonging to the “Tryptamines,” indolealkylamine molecules, which evoke release of Seratonin and Dopamine. DMT is present naturally in the human body, especially in the gut. But only when paired with a MAOI (Monoamine oxidase inhibitor), which is found in Ayahuasca vine, can this molecule actually have its effects. The MAOI that are in the vine are classified as Beta-carbolines. These very special molecules are Harmine and Harmaline. Below is a photo of Ayahuasca vine Banisteriopsis caapi. Interestingly, when the molecule of harmine was first discovered in the vine, it was called “telepathine,”  because “of the reported effects of Ayahuasca among the indigenous users, including: collective contact with and/or visions of jaguars, snakes, and jeweled birds, and ancestral spirits; the ability to see future events; and as the name suggests, telepathic communication among tribal members.”(from wikipedia)

Harmine can also be found in Syrian Rue seeds (Peganum harmala) as well as in Passionflower leaf (much lower amounts.) My experiences with Syrian Rue seed (extract) have been very significant actually, while it isn’t really psychedelic all on its own, I highly value the medicine that it is for calming the mind, increasing serotonin and inducing flow states of consciousness. It also creates energetic sensitivity and increased psychic(”telepathine”) ability.  It ALSO is a powerful anti-parasitic- amazingly and much to my shock it rid my body of parasites! Thankfully it is NOT ILLEGAL(except in Australia where its controlled). The studies on Harmine and Harmaline are very promising and are shown to have significant healing properties, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer actions. I’m very enthusiastic for the healing potential of Syrian Rue and Ayahuasca vine! 

One last thing before I close this share and it has to do with integrity and sustainability. The way I see it is that these plants are coming into prominence in our society right now because they are very much needed for our healing. We are facing various levels of existential crises, and I see these medicines acting like the white blood cells of this earth, to help us humans heal our sickness and reconnect to our sense of purpose and belonging to this world (not the world belonging to us, for our use/abuse). However, we cannot continue to take and take without giving back- that sort of behavior is how we’ve gotten ourselves into this imbalance within ourselves and the planet. It is my prayer and vision that those who are called to plant medicine path, do so with the intention of healing themselves so that they may be of service to the healing of the WHOLE. (There’s a lot more that could be said here about safety, the ceremonial container and the facilitator/shaman/medicine healer that creates the ceremonial container.I would recommend this article for this specific topic). Each person has their own unique calling and purpose in which they can serve the whole and that is for each soul to discover within. We start by healing ourselves...that is the key- because our individual healing ripples out. The healing light and love that we cultivate within shines out to inspire and awaken light and love in others. Our own inner harmony will reflect to the outer world. When we live our lives from a balanced place of “right relationship” and reciprocity, as a result we cultivate more integrity and mutual respect. We must integrate the wisdom we gain into daily practices that anchor more loving kindness and compassion because that is what is needed on this planet. 

Thanks for reading!!

[communistcountryclub]

At 84, Ms Esau is one of the last three fluent speakers of N|uu, one of the languages spoken by South Africa's San community, also known as Bushmen.

N|uu is considered the original language of southern Africa.

With no other fluent speakers in the world apart from this family, the language is recognised by the UN as "critically endangered".

"When I was a child, I only spoke N|uu and I heard a lot of people speaking the language. Those were good times, we loved our language but that has changed," says Ms Esau in Upington, a town in the Northern Cape Province.

For centuries, the San roamed this region freely, gathering plants and hunting animals to feed their families.

But today the traditional practices of the San have all but died out and their descendants tell me that language is one of the only things left that connects them to their history.

Inside a small wooden hut, she teaches the 112 sounds including 45 distinct clicks of N|uu with the local children.

"I'm teaching the language because I don't want it to become extinct when we die," Ms Esau says.

"I want to pass on as much of it as I can but I am very aware that we don't have a lot of time."

Ms Esau has been running the school in her home for about 10 years.

The people in this community, including Ms Esau now mainly speak Afrikaans, which is related to the language spoken by the Dutch settlers who arrived in South Africa in the 17th Century.

"We would get beaten up by the white man if we were caught speaking our language," she tells me.

"Because of our history, people today do not want to speak the language any more, there is so much pain around it.

"We abandoned the N|uu language and learned to speak Afrikaans, although we are not white people - that has affected our identity," she adds.

Ms Esau's two sisters Hanna Koper and Griet Seekoei - both over 90 - are listening intently as she speaks with bitter fondness of their childhood.

They don't speak much but nod in agreement as she speaks.

Ouma Geelmeid, as she is affectionately known, says she is hoping to remove the shame around speaking N|uu today.

During lessons, with a stick in her hand, Ms Esau points out the N|uu names for body parts on the white board as the students read in chorus.

Like many other African languages, this language had been passed down orally over generations - but this is now threatening its survival.

Until recent years there was no record of it as a written language.

Ms Esau worked with linguists, Professors Sheena Shah from the School of Oriental and African Studies (Soas) in London and Matthias Brezinger of the Centre for African Language Diversity in Cape Town to create a N|uu alphabet and basic rules of grammar for teaching purposes.

"From the work we did with Ouma Geelmeid's community, we learned that these communities view language as an important marker of their identity." says Ms Shah.

Experts say personal identity is becoming increasingly important in a world that is embracing globalisation.

Language is about more than simply an idea to communicate with one another, it is also tied in with culture and a way of life for a community, the experts tell me.

"When you look at the African languages, you learn that they help communicate different perspectives on life, relationships, spirituality, the earth, health, humanity," says Mr Brezinger.

"There is a wealth of knowledge on survival that has been passed down through the years in indigenous communities that the Western world knows very little about and when these languages die, that unique knowledge is also lost," he continues.

Back in the classroom, there are about 20 children, most of them under 10 years old and a few teenagers.

Mary-Ann Prins, 16, is Ms Esau's best student and hopes to one day teach this class.

"I love learning this language. It makes me feel like I belong, like I am connected to my great-grandparents. I'm told that they used to speak it and today I can be a part of that too," she says with a broad smile.

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Two-Spirit (also two spirit or, occasionally, twospirited) is a modern, pan-Indian, umbrella term used by some Indigenous North Americans to describe Native people in their communities who fulfill a traditional third-gender (or other gender-variant) ceremonial role in their cultures.

The term two-spirit was created in 1990 at the Indigenous lesbian and gay international gathering in Winnipeg, and "specifically chosen to distinguish and distance Native American/First Nations people from non-Native peoples." The primary purpose of coining a new term was to encourage the replacement of the outdated and considered offensive, anthropological term, berdache.While this new term has not been universally accepted—it has been criticized by traditional communities who already have their own terms for the people being grouped under this new term, and by those who reject what they call the "western" binary implications, such as implying that Natives believe these individuals are "both male and female" —it has generally received more acceptance and use than the anthropological term it replaced.

"Two Spirit" is not interchangeable with "LGBT Native American" or "Gay Indian"; rather, it was intended, despite being in English, to carry on the traditional meanings of the terms in Indigenous languages for the culturally-specific ceremonial roles that are recognized and confirmed by the Elders of the two-spirit's ceremonial community. Opinions vary as to whether or not this objective has succeeded. Often incorrectly used as a synonym for "LGBT Native", the term and identity of two-spirit "does not make sense" unless it is contextualized within a Native American or First Nations framework and traditional cultural understanding. However, the gender-nonconforming, LGBT, or third and fourth gender, ceremonial roles traditionally embodied by Native American and FNIM people, intended to be under the modern umbrella of two-spirit, can vary widely, even among the Indigenous people who accept the English-language term. No one Native American/First Nations' culture's gender or sexuality categories apply to all, or even a majority of, these cultures.

Origin and evolution of the term two-spirit

The term two spirit was adopted in English, and created in Ojibwe, in 1990 at the third annual Native American/First Nations gay and lesbian conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, as a replacement for berdache. The decision to adopt this new, pan-Indian term was deliberate, with a clear intention to distance themselves from non-Native gays and lesbians, as well as from non-Native terminology like berdache, "gay", "lesbian", and "trans".

Cameron writes, "The term two-spirit is thus an Aboriginal-specific term of resistance to colonization and non-transferable to other cultures. There are several underlying reasons for two spirited Aboriginals' desire to distance themselves from the mainstream queer community." Lang explains that for Aboriginal people, their sexual orientation or gender identity is secondary to their ethnic identity. She states, "at the core of contemporary two-spirit identities is ethnicity, an awareness of being Native American as opposed to being white or being a member of any other ethnic group".

While the words niizh manidoowag (from Ojibwe) were also proposed at the same time in this discussion (to honor the language of the Peoples in whose territory the conference was being held), this term had not been previously used, in either Ojibwe or English, until this conference in 1990, nor was this term ever intended to replace the traditional terms or concepts already in use in Native ceremonial cultures.

While it has gained far more mainstream recognition and popularity than any of the traditional terms in Indigenous languages, the term has never met with universal acceptance. The primary purpose of coining a new term was to encourage the replacement of the outdated, and offensive, anthropological term berdache, which means "passive partner in sodomy, boy prostitute."

While use of the term to replace berdacheproceeded, the word also began to replace tribally-specific terms and cultural teachings, leading to criticism, largely from more traditional members of Indian Country,

{Nation and tribes used various words to describe various genders, sexes and sexualities. Many had separate words for the Western constructs of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, intersex individuals, cross-dressers, transgenders, gender-variant individuals, or "changing ones," third genders (men who live as women), and fourth genders (women who live as men) Even these categories are limiting, because they are based on Western language and ideas rooted in a dichotomousrelationship between gender, sex, and sexuality. This language barrier limits our understanding of the traditional roles within Native American/First Nations cultures.}

Other concerns about this pan-Indian, English-language term have centered around the binary nature of two-spirit, a sense not found in the traditional names for these individuals or their roles in traditional cultures.

{It implies that the individual is both male and female and that these aspects are intertwined within them. The term moves away from traditional Native American/First Nations cultural identities and meanings of sexuality and gender variance. It does not take into account the terms and meanings from individual nations and tribes. Although two-spirit implies to some a spiritual nature, that one holds the spirit of two, both male and female, traditional Native Americans/First Nations peoples view this as a Western concept.}

It is unclear who first coined the term two-spirit in English. Pember notes the involvement of non-Native Will Roscoe who, like his also non-Native mentor Harry Hay, is involved in the hippie/counterculture gay men's group, the Radical Faeries, "a non-Native community that emulates Native spirituality" and engages in other forms of cultural appropriation.

{Non-Native anthropologist Will Roscoe gets much of the public credit for coining the term two spirit. However, according to Kristopher Kohl Miner of the Ho-Chunk Nation, Native people such as anthropologist Dr. Wesley Thomas of the Dine or Navajo tribe also contributed to its creation. (Thomas is a professor in the School of Dine and Law Studies.)}

Even at the series of conferences where the term was gradually adopted (1990 being the third of five), concern was expressed by a number of the Native attendees that traditional Natives back in the reservation communities would never agree to this newly-coined concept, or adopt the neologism being used to describe it.

{At the conferences that produced the book, Two-Spirited People, I heard several First Nations people describe themselves as very much unitary, neither "male" nor "female," much less a pair in one body. Nor did they report an assumption of duality within one body as a common concept within reservation communities; rather, people confided dismay at the Western proclivity for dichotomies. Outside Indo-European-speaking societies, "gender" would not be relevant to the social personae glosses "men" and "women," and "third gender" likely would be meaningless. The unsavory word "berdache" certainly ought to be ditched (Jacobs et al. 1997:3-5), but the urban American neologism "two-spirit" can be misleading.}

Some who enthusiastically took up the term and used it in the media said that this new, English-language term carried on the full meaning and implications of the Indigenous-language terms used in-community for the specific traditional, ceremonial roles that the anthropologists had referred to - emphasizing the role of the Elders in recognizing a two-spirit person, stressing that "Two Spirit" is not interchangeable with "LGBT Native American" or "Gay Indian"; and that the title differs from most western, mainstream definitions of sexuality and gender identity in that it is not a modern, self-chosen term of personal sexual or gender "identity", but is a sacred, spiritual and ceremonial role that is recognized and confirmed by the Elders of the Two Spirit's ceremonial community. Talking to The New York Times in 2006, Joey Criddle said,

{The elders will tell you the difference between a gay Indian and a Two-Spirit," underscoring the idea that simply being gay and Indian does not make someone a Two-Spirit.}

At the same time, others saw it as a capitulation to urbanization and loss of culture that, while initially intended to help people reconnect with the spiritual dimension of these roles, was not working out the way it had been intended. In 2009, writing for the Encyclopedia of Gender and Society, Kylan Mattias de Vries wrote,

{With the urbanization and assimilation of Native peoples, individuals began utilizing Western terms, concepts, and identities, such as gay, lesbian, transgender, and intersex. These terms separated Native cultural identity from sexuality and gender identity, furthering a disconnect felt by many Native American/First Nations peoples in negotiating the boundaries of life between two worlds (Native and non-Native/Western). The term two-spirited was created to reconnect one's gender or sexual identity with her or his Native identity and culture.

Some Native Americans/First Nations people that hold to more traditional religious and cultural values view two-spiritas a cultural and social term, rather than one with any religious or spiritual meaning.

Since historically, many "berdache/two-spirit" individuals held religious or spiritual roles, the term two spirit creates a disconnection from the past. The terms used by other tribes currently and historically do not translate directly into the English form of two spirit or the Ojibwe form of niizh manidoowag.}

While some have found the term a useful tool for intertribal organizing, "the concept and word two-spirit has no traditional cultural significance". Not all tribes have ceremonial roles for these people, and the tribes who do usually use names in their own languages.

Traditional Indigenous terms

With over 500 surviving Native American cultures, attitudes about sex and gender can be diverse. Even with the modern adoption of pan-Indian terms like two-spirit, and the creation of a modern pan-Indian community around this naming, not all cultures will perceive two-spirits the same way, or welcome a pan-Indian term to replace the terms already in use by their cultures. Additionally, not all contemporary Indigenous communities are supportive of their gender-variant and non-heterosexual people now. In these communities, those looking for two-spirit community have sometimes faced oppression and rejection. While existing terminology in many nations shows historical acknowledgement of differing sexual orientations and gender expressions, members of some these nations have also said that while variance was accepted, they never had separate or defined roles for these members of the community. Among the Indigenous communities that traditionally have roles for two-spirit people, specific terms in their own languages are used for the social and spiritual roles these individuals fulfill.

°Cree: napêw iskwêwisêhot, "A man who dresses as a woman".

°Cree: iskwêw ka napêwayat, "A woman who dresses as a man".

°Cree: ayahkwêw, "A man dressed/living/accepted as a woman"; possibly not a respectful term; others have suggested it is a third gender designation, applied to both women and men.

°Cree: înahpîkasoht, "A woman dressed/living/accepted as a man"; also given as "someone who fights everyone to prove they are the toughest".

°Cree: iskwêhkân, "One who acts/lives as a woman".

°Cree: napêhkân, "One who acts/lives as a man".

°Lakota: wíŋkte is the contraction of an older Lakota word, Winyanktehca, meaning "wants to be like a woman" Winkte are a social category in historical Lakota culture, of male-bodied people who adopt the clothing, work, and mannerisms that Lakota culture usually consider feminine. In contemporary Lakota culture, the term is more commonly associated with simply being gay. Both historically and in modern culture, usually winkte are homosexual, though they may or may not consider themselves part of the more mainstream LGBT communities. Some winkteparticipate in the pan-Indian Two Spirit community. While historical accounts of their status vary widely, most accounts see the winkte as regular members of the community, and not in any way marginalized for their status. Other accounts hold the winkte as sacred, occupying a liminal, third gender role in the culture and born to fulfill ceremonial roles that can not be filled by either men or women. In contemporary Lakota communities, attitudes towards the winktevary from accepting to homophobic.

°Navajo: nádleeh (also given as nádleehi), "One who is transformed" or "one who changes". In traditional Navajoculture, nádleeh are male-bodied individuals described by those in their communities as "effeminate male", or as "half woman, half man". A 2009 documentary about the tragic murder of nádleeh Fred Martinez, entitled, Two Spirits, contributed to awareness of these terms and cultures. A Navajo gender spectrum that has been described is that of four genders: feminine woman, masculine woman, feminine man, masculine man.

°Ojibwe: ikwekaazo, "Men who chose to function as women" / "one who endeavors to be like a woman".

°Ojibwe: ininiikaazo, "Women who functioned as men" / "one who endeavors to be like a man".

{[In Ojibwe cultures] Sex usually determined one's gender, and therefore one's work, but the Ojibwe accepted variation. Men who chose to function as women were called ikwekaazo, meaning 'one who endeavors to be like a woman'. Women who functioned as men were called ininiikaazo, meaning, 'one who endeavors to be like a man'. The French called these people berdaches. Ikwekaazo and ininiikaazo could take spouses of their own sex. Their mates were not considered ikwekaazoor ininiikaazo, however, because their function in society was still in keeping with their sex. If widowed, the spouse of an ikwekaazo or ininiikaazo could remarry someone of the opposite sex or another ikwekaazo or ininiikaazo. The ikwekaazowagworked and dressed like women. The ininiikaazowagworked and dressed like men. Both were considered to be strong spiritually, and they were always honoured, especially during ceremonies.} - Wikipedia

[boothanita]

6 Hours Zen Reiki Healing Music Sublime Useful Tips

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Exactly How Can Yoga Teacher Training Be Considered a Mystical Quest?

Yoga instructor preparing can surely help salvage life by showing the correct method to live healthy. You no uncertainty realize physical exercise is beneficial for you. In a perfect world,, you are searching for approaches to coordinate physical exercise into your everyday calendar. If your vigorous activities aren't offset with a decent dose of weight preparing, however, you are passing up a basic segment of complete wellbeing and wellness. So why turned into a yoga practice proficient?

In a sensibly aggressive world, by and by there are hundreds and on occasion 1000s of yoga teachers in each region. With such a great amount of rivalry, to be a prosperous yoga educator you should have intrigue, learning, and a field of aptitude. The cerebrum and heart must be opened to be a part of the nonstop advancement of yoga. Yoga instructor preparing depends on association, experience and information, karna yoga which is the capacity to connect wholeheartedly and with vitality in the every day errands paying little mind to whether huge or minor, and self-learning. The yoga educator preparing draws on a practical take a gander at every day life, where it isn't plausible to agree the laws of the action. In your ordinary living, you should depend on yourself, alongside heart and psyche. The educating more often than not happens when the understudy is being educated or when the person is training at the same time, over all through the work and common life at any of the yoga schools. By utilizing the yoga activities and contemplations you create comprehension of human body, psyche and power. This specific experience is caught up with related subjects in physiology, life structures and therapeutic investigation into yoga and contemplation - the investigation of the underlying yoga writings is a basic bit of the instruction.

Any individual who's joined something other than a couple of yoga instructional classes perceives that yoga is something other than physical exercise; it is a device for seeing and encountering. Yoga is a physical just as mental exercise that causes you to perceive from inside that you and the whole world are interconnected. We result in these present circumstances planet through our friends and family. Truth be told, various preparing projects offer consideration regarding family and network. They accept that the harmony and satisfaction of yoga could experience further into our reality by offering it to families. Instructional classes may guarantee you to show Fertility Yoga, Women's Yoga (Women's cycles and hormonal changes), Prenatal Yoga, Postnatal Yoga, Baby Yoga, Yoga for children, Yoga for Teens, Family Yoga, Partner Yoga, and Society Yoga. It is for all intents and purposes all yoga. The thing is, there are two classifications of yoga: Yoga Mat Yoga, which is your preparation in class, and Living Yoga, which is the disposition, genuine feelings of serenity, the soundness just as the fervor about presence that remaining parts with you.

Various projects are exceedingly functional, they train people the manner by which to TEACH yoga, not just the postures. Here and there they likewise incorporate bleeding edge systems, for example, life systems study, corpse labs, film appraisal, act extraordinary courses, and substantially more for an exhaustive encounter. These one of a kind offering gives you a chance to take your activity to an alternate level, offers a wide information of asana mechanics, and investigates the a lot further physical and mental part not really incorporated into individual classes. Preparing projects transform people - it's a passionate encounter, significantly fortifying, work improving and extraordinary. The preparation likewise portrays approaches to fortify your framework. By joining the program, you will at that point perceive how to instruct a dynamic and fruitful yoga class; obtain basic showing learning; construct the self-assurance to encourage a principal yoga exercise class; build up your perceived abilities and advancement; and be given an affirmation of preparing culmination structure.

A yoga educator preparing must set up the yoga mentor to help his/her understudies in their otherworldly development through the act of asana, pranayama, unwinding, contemplation and furthermore most likely through quick guidelines in yoga way of thinking and yogic standards. A yoga Buddhism and Yoga - A Brief Summary

Buddhist Yoga

Hatha Yoga is getting a charge out of extraordinary development comprehensively and is being utilized as a device for physical wellness, exercise based recuperation, and otherworldly advancement. Current practice is gotten from old Tantric activities, however less outstanding are the frameworks of Buddhist Yoga, which offer a typical heredity with the old control.

History of Buddhist Yoga

"Yoga exists on the planet on the grounds that everything is connected"

References to Hatha Yoga originate before the Buddhist time frame (sixth century B.C.) by numerous hundreds of years. It was initially created as a necessary piece of the Spiritual Path, and as readiness for higher thoughtful practices. With the introduction of Buddha in the sixth Century BC and resulting ubiquity of the Buddha's lessons reflection wound up one of the fundamental articulation of Spiritual Practice alongside activities intended to at present the psyche towards this state.

Over 500 years after the Buddha's passing, two extraordinary focuses of Buddhist thoughts were set up in India. Nalanda turned into the focal point of the Hinayana - Narrow Path Buddhism and Mingar turned into the inside for Mahayana - Great Path Buddhism.

The Narrow Path Buddhism guaranteed universality, while the Greater Path received an increasingly liberal perspective on the lessons of the Buddha and furthermore joined a few practices not legitimately addressed by the Buddha during his life. This incorporated some indigenous Tantric works on, including Hatha Yoga Exercises.

The Buddha and Yoga

"This quiet unfaltering quality of the faculties is called yoga.

At that point one ought to end up careful, moves toward becoming yoga comes and go."

It is felt that an Indian follower of the Buddha, Batuo transmitted Zen from India to China in the mid sixth century C.E. what's more, most present day Zen genealogies follow their past straightforwardly to this priest and the Shaolin Monastery where he instructed.

As per convention, it was said he found the priests at Shaolin too frail to even consider making acceptable advancement on their Spiritual Paths. So Batuo separated himself in a cavern for a long time, rising with an answer (counting Yoga) to the medical issues of the Shaolin Monks and incredible practices to help their otherworldly improvement.

These practices turned into a lot of Yogic activities.

Prior to the landing of the Batuo, reflection was the essential technique utilized by Chinese Buddhists for looking for illumination. Yoga strategies utilized in India had not been passed to the Chinese Monks

Buddhism, Meditation and Yoga

"Yoga is materially gospel."

Early Buddhism joined reflection into its training. Actually the most seasoned articulation of Yoga is found in the early messages of the Buddha. A creative educating of the Buddha was that reflection ought to be joined with the act of care with which Yoga could help the expert to this end.

So the distinction between the Buddha's instructing and the yoga exhibited in other early Indian writings is striking. Reflection alone isn't an end, as indicated by the Buddha, and even the most elevated thoughtful state isn't freeing.

Rather than achieving a nothingness, the Buddha encouraged that some kind of mental movement must occur: in light of the act of careful mindfulness.

The Yogic contemplations of the Buddha additionally withdrew from other conventional musings and the quintessence was that their perspective turned into the wise who is freed throughout everyday life.

Buddhism and Yoga: Where the Paths Cross

"Yoga is the act of calming the psyche."

In the woodlands of Vedic India, understudies pursued educators who trained them in the way of freedom called yoga, which signifies "association." Three centuries after the life of the Buddha his lessons of yoga were assembled by Patanjali as the Yoga Sutras, and another 2,000 years after the fact, the lessons of both Buddha and Patanjali have discovered another home in the West.

Buddha upheld preparing the physical body just as the brain. "He knows himself through interior intelligence and deals with his body through outer control"

A solid body made Spiritual Cultivation less troublesome, and a similar yoga practices that could reinforce the physical body could likewise be utilized to set up the psyche for freedom."

Yoga Channels and Chakras

"Yoga is the ideal chance to be interested about what your identity is."

Buddhist and Yoga specialists utilize three vitality diverts and seven chakras in their working model of major enthusiastic/otherworldly structures.

The channels that Buddhist and Yoga Practitioners use are the focal channel (Sushumna) which keeps running up the center of the body, the left channel (Ida) which keeps running on the left half of the spine and the correct channel (Pingala) which keeps running on the spine's correct side. These channels start at the base of the spine and end at the Brow Chakra.

The left side channel is viewed as negative (Yin) and the correct side channel is viewed as positive (Yang). The center channel is believed to be impartial.

Buddhist Yoga Exercises

"Yoga acknowledges. Yoga gives."

It is felt that the Buddha trained three unique arrangements of Buddhist Yoga works out. These Yoga activities met with solid opposition from numerous in the set up Buddhist people group with this Yoga in the long run getting to be "mystery" works on, going to just a couple of supporters in every age. It is believed that this mystery Yoga convention will prompt a sound body and an incorporated passionate life.

18 Buddha Hands Yoga

"Yoga is hard for the one whose psyche isn't curbed."

This is one lot of yoga practices that follows its beginning appropriate back to the Buddha. One framework utilized today contains 18 parts of from one to three activities each. Also there is a standing yoga position following every section to permit vitality that has been activated during the activity to come back to adjust.

Like Hatha Yoga, this strategy is aimed at directing body, breath, and psyche. The motivation behind this Yoga exercise is to expand the amount and nature of vitality in the body and to encourage a smooth adjusted progression of vitality, evacuate any deterrents, accordingly quieting the brain, and feeding the soul.

abilities, self-restraint and sympathy. These are essential characteristics for yoga teachers on the off chance that they are to work adequately with their understudies. It is essential for yoga instructors to recall that a yoga educator's preparation is never finished. Yoga is a lifestyle. The yoga way is a long haul mission wherein we all are continually finding and creating. The minute authority preparing is done, a yoga instructor's preparation goes on with every yoga class that is educated and rehearsed: yoga students become the educator's instructors! What's more, the preparation carries on through the instructor's private yoga practice. Yoga is extremely a mission for association of the individual soul with the boundless. It is a dynamic and mystical method for re-adjusting ourselves yet again to the Divine, to the Truth of who we truly are. The contemplating, the s hence is without closure for both understudy and instructor: all keep on being consistently understudies of yoga.

Restorative Yoga Reno map

BUSINESS ADDRESS:Sparkle Yoga465 S Meadows Pkwy #11, Reno, NV 89521C6QP+MV Reno, NevadaWEBSITE:  https://sparkleyogareno.com/PH: (760) 505-0952

[wineanddinosaur]

Can Craft Mixers and Heritage Ingredients Ever Dethrone Big Soda?

Coca-Cola needs no introduction, but the nut that gave the brand its name barely gets a whisper. Kola, a crop indigenous to Africa’s tropical rainforests and packed with naturally occurring caffeine, has been written out of Coca-Cola’s history.

Wellness culture and the ubiquity of the term farm-to-table have cast ingredients in starring roles. Restaurant menus celebrate the provenance of their country hams and heritage grains, and coffees are sold by country of origin. Fizzy fountain sodas, however, exist outside the realm of nature for most drinkers.  We think of them more as consumer products than actual foodstuffs, thanks to their multisyllabic components and epic advertising campaigns.

Could savvy, independent soda producers eventually give Coca-Cola a run for its (considerably stacked) money?

“When I visited the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta in 2017, they did not mention the origins of kola nut or how significant it was in the product’s early history nor in the construction of its name,” says Dr. Shantel George, an assistant professor of history at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. She has been researching the significance of kola nut as a global commodity, specifically its role in Orisha spiritual practices in the island nation of Granada.

Kola nuts, a crop indigenous to Africa’s tropical rainforests and packed with naturally occurring caffeine, were essential to the original, 19th-century Coca-Cola recipe.

In her view, it’s been easily erased and under-studied because it didn’t become as important to European and American diets as other products of the global south, like cocoa and coffee. But there’s no reason not to consider its influence among those crops. “Africans were more than laborers in the Atlantic world; they were also distributors and consumers,” she says, “which can be clearly seen when looking at kola on a global scale.”

The kola nut is grown, distributed, and consumed in western Africa still today, where “it has multiple uses,” George says. She is currently exploring its religious uses in Caribbean and South American destinations. “In Jamaica, it is mainly consumed as bissy tea for medicinal purposes,” she says.

Back in the 19th century, when American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton created Coca-Cola, it was designed as a painkiller to ease himself off a morphine addiction. Kola nuts were essential to the formula.

After Pemberton sold the recipe to his business partners and another Atlanta-based pharmacist, not long after the development of a non-alcoholic formula, the once-medicinal concoction gradually morphed into the soda we know now, which provides a massive serving of high-fructose corn syrup, caramel coloring, and caffeine. The recipe doesn’t list kola nuts, or even kola-nut extract. Kola became cola.

Jordan Silbert, CEO of Q Drinks, made a very intentional decision to spell cola with a “k” on its craft mixer. Credit: Instagram.com/Qmixers

So dominant was the transformation that, now, the first definition of “cola” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary does not mention the kola nut at all. “Brown carbonated drink that is flavored with an extract of cola nuts, or with a similar flavoring,” it reads. If one searches specifically for “kola,” they’re told it’s a “variant spelling of cola.”

For the CEO of Q Drinks mixers, Jordan Silbert, putting “kola” with a k on the label of Q’s version, launched about four years ago, was a very intentional choice. According to him, Coca-Cola went for the c because alliteration was “cool” at the turn of that century.

“The very first thing I did when developing the flavor was go to Flatbush and buy kola nuts,” he says, referring to a Brooklyn neighborhood with longstanding African and Caribbean communities. Silbert wanted to understand kola nuts’ role in the original recipe — caffeine, mainly, but also a bit of bitterness, which provides a balance to what is famously a sweet beverage.

“When you think about what cola should be, it should be some balance of four flavor components,” says Silbert, who formulated his blend specifically for use in cocktails, “a spice, a tang, a sweet, and a savory. However, today’s Coke is mostly sweet and tangy. It doesn’t have the spice and savory notes.” And it has no kola nut, not even extract.

Fever-Tree, the other major maker of artisanal mixers for bars, offers a Madagascan Cola that features vanilla bean, Mexican lime, and Indonesian cassia, also known as Chinese cinnamon, for the same balance of sweet, spicy, and acidic that Silbert notes was key to the original recipe.

It’s the acidic kick, lost in the corporate recipe to syrupy sweetness, that is what makes cola a valuable mixer for whiskeys and rums. While both the Q and Fever-Tree variations are often found at bars, some bartenders have opted to develop their own cola syrups. The Cuba Libre at NYC’s BlackTail, famous for its combination of Fernet-Branca and Champagne, features a house-made cola syrup. At Sylvain in New Orleans, the recipe includes lime and lemon zest, star anise, lavender, vanilla, and ginger. With ready-made colas or housemade syrups like this, with balance, the Cuba Libre becomes once again a refreshing cocktail and not something for customers to be shamed out of ordering for being cloying and imbalanced.

Fever-Tree’s lineup of artisanal mixers includes a Madagascan Cola made with vanilla bean, Mexican lime, and Indonesian cassia. Credit: Instagram.com/Fevertreemixers

The Coca-Cola company expects its billion-dollar business to slow this year, while soda generally continues to be taxed and admonished by doctors. But cola, or kola, will likely never stop having a role in general life and cocktail menus. The next time you’re sipping an artisanal blend, or something by the big guys, remember: There would be no cola without kola.

The article Can Craft Mixers and Heritage Ingredients Ever Dethrone Big Soda? appeared first on VinePair.

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