#what a day for fusing jewish and greek traditions - but it's been a great day tbh

[anghraine]

I decided to enjoy Christmas this morning by getting off my very pained feet (I spent much of yesterday and the day before walking around or standing at the stove) and playing Mass Effect. My Shepard had just become a Spectre and finished her Citadel missions, so I decided to do her first side mission ever and randomly ended up here:

♫ I'm dreaaaaaming of a white Christmasssss ♫

Anyway, Merry Christmas and *squints at the sky* soon from here in the PNW, Happy Hanukkah to all of you who celebrate!

[gregellner]

Covers by Larry Rostant.

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Today, rather than reviewing David Alan Mack's three Dark Arts novels (The Midnight Front, The Iron Codex, and The Shadow Commission), I have elected to instead do an analysis of what is known regarding some of the less-explained elements of the supernatural systems underlying his secret history series, especially those that are not fully explained in the glossaries or on his website. To simplify, angels and demons will be called "Presences" for their overall designation.

For more information regarding the terminology of for the practice of magick within the series, see the pages for generalized information and the glossary. To learn more about Black Magick affiliated with the powers of Hell, see the Infernal Hierarchy and a list of demons. To look into the less common White Magick associated with Celestial powers of Heaven, see the Celestial Hierarchy and a list of most, but not all, angels present in the story.

In referencing individual angels or demons, their names will be listed entirely in capital letters, much like how they are presented within the novels and by David Alan Mack in external communications. Furthermore, the word "magick" will be capitalized when referring to one type or another, and the words "karcist" and "magician" will be relatively interchangeable, as they were in the third novel.

Disclaimer: Mentions of various entities within this analysis do touch on real-world religions, but are not to be taken as opinion on the matter beyond basic objective commentary on the story as it is presented in the novels.

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As a note: There are other systems presented within the story, primarily through general mentions, such as "Wūshi of the ancient Chinese way, Arctic shamans, [and] doctors of the African Rites" (colloquially known as "witch doctors" in common parlance), is has been confirmed that they are still working with the same Presences, just through different names and rituals.

This approach has precedence in the books, particularly in The Iron Codex's examination of the creation myth of The Mystery of the Dead God. Cultures across centuries and countries, each of them with their own cultures, all contribute to the same story of creation. The range is pretty extensive, as can be seen chronologically in Cade Martin's examination: roughly 3000 BCE Egypt, 1700 BCE Babylon, 1000 BCE Zhou dynasty China, ninth century BCE Greece, 800 BCE Judea, and third century BCE Maya, each of which would have had completely different ways of using magick to learn of the mystery.

In terms of practitioners of these non-Eurocentric methods of the Art, there are at least two culturally distinct examples deliberately shown.

First, there is the Vate Pythia, the last Oracle of Delphi, who works in prophecies and can call out to individual people who are in need of and deserving of her aid. The way that she functions seems to follow an ancient Greek form of magick, one of divine inspiration rather than yoking demons or angels into one's body or calling on them in the same ways as modern European karcists. She also appears to still worship the old gods, mentioning Chronos, the Greek god of time.

Second, there are the uses of Kabbalah, a form of Jewish mysticism. In The Iron Codex, they are alluded to in that they apparently work with White Magick in ways that would enable them to translate the eponymous codex of magickal knowledge. In The Shadow Commission, a user of magick under the employ of Mossad sends a golem, a nigh-indestructible assassin, after a former Nazi agent in the United States, with its sheer durability and the method of its defeat directly referencing the way in which the most famous story of a golem in Jewish folklore was shut down (by turning the "Truth" word on its forehead to "Death" by removing one of the Hebrew letters). This more hostile usage of Kabbalistic magick is likely their "Black Magick" variation, Sitra Achra.

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The nadach and the nikraim are, respectively, mortals who have had their soul bound with that of a particular demon or angel, boosting their magickal power significantly. While these can occur naturally from birth, as in the case of the sole known nadach in the story and one of the two nikraim examples, certain rituals can be called forth to artificially invoke that connection to create a powerful magick user from a normal person, with powers as strong as the Seraphim. While these people are not immortal by any means, they are known to handle yoking demons or angels with less strain, with those naturally formed doing so with less need to indulge in distractions such as drug abuse than those who are created artificially.

As an added bonus, those who are fused by soul with the infernal or the holy seem capable of utilizing specific supernatural powers even without yoking a single spirit. The nadach who was bound to LEGION proved capable of splitting his consciousness into three distinct beings, and perhaps more given sufficient the time and practice. The natural nikraim in the books was capable of using an unnamed angel's abilities to project her thoughts telepathically to animals in her vicinity, nudging them to act in her favor, though not directly hearing them in response. The artificial nikraim had a more unusual gift supplied by the Seraph GESHURIEL, namely that of being able to yoke a tremendous amount of demons without being driven to madness, along with his ability to read proto-Enochian, "the language of angels in the epoch before the Fall," with relatively little difficulty compared to many others, to the point that it was described as "preternatural ease" by an onlooker. However, that one still felt weaker than the natural nikraim.

==========

There are some particulars about the Pauline Art (as opposed to the Black Magick "Goetic Art" of working with demons) that help to distinguish itself pretty extensively from the primary magick used during World War II (and, for that matter, apparently beforehand in Europe). First, let us go into the etymology of the two terms, each of which are named for books in The Lesser Key of Solomon, a five-volume grimoire on demonology compiled in the mid-17th century from materials that preceded it by several centuries.

The "Goetic" Art is named for (arguably) the most famous of the aforementioned books, the first named Ars Goetia. As it so happens, "Goetia" is also a term for a form of magick that includes the conjuration of demons.

The "Pauline" Art is named for the third of the volumes, Ars Paulina, itself named for Paul the Apostle who is purported to have communicated with heavenly powers. This two-book work encompasses the twenty-four angels aligned with the fwenty-four hours of the day and the three hundred sixty spirits of the degrees of the zodiac.

As Pauline magicians are bound by oaths of non-interference with the machinations of Black Magick karcists by the inter-order "Covenant," they tend to restrict their interactions with the Divine to remotely viewing actions, divining the future, healing the wounded, and defending with a variety of magickal shields. Only those who breach the boundaries and decide to become gray magicians such as Father Luis Pérez. Whether or not this is true for other traditions of magick is unclear, or if it is restricted to the White Magick side of the Eurocentric model.

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As stated in the general analysis of magick, yoking angels is much harder than their fallen counterparts, with the one calling for them needing to be granted the favor of the Divine and to beg of the Celestial forces, rather than invoke demands in accordance with a pre-existing pact, on account of angels still having the link to the Divine and the will behind it rather than not having that will as demons. In fact, there are no defined pacts linking humans to any one angelic patron when using White Magick, meaning that multiple distinct highly-ranked angels capable of being called upon at any one time, or even all at once.

Although not entirely unique to the Celestial side of the Art as shown in the novelette “Hell Rode With Her,” there seems to be an added focus on taking up the powers of one or several of the seven archangels and utilizing their powers in a manner similar to that of yoking demons into a karcist's body. As some notable examples, there has been the use of MICHAEL and URIEL's swords and GABRIEL's shield.

The organization of angels makes for a very different kind of chess game regarding how to defend against any one Presence. There do appear to be "dukes" affiliated with individual higher powers, as is mentioned in the aforementioned Ars Paulina itself. One example was the yoking of DAROCHIEL, BENOHAM, and MALGARAS after asking permission from the archangel SAMAEL, and another was the yoking of that of HAMARIEL after asking it of ABASDASHON, who has notably not been directly identified as an archangel in the novel nor the associated website. Specific Orders of these angels are not always described, but those who are called upon to seek aid from another angel seem to primarily be of the upper Orders. According to dialogue in The Shadow Commission, even if one were to exclude one of the seven archangels who likely take up a great many of the Presences, there are still dozens of alternative protective barriers that can be made.

Owing to the lack of contracts, and perhaps to some other oddities, it appears that specific angels can be called upon for protection against harm except for those weapons that bear the sigil of the protecting angel. While this is not entirely unique to angels, especially given its prominence throughout the novels on the demonic side, demons only appear to be used for defensive sigils of individual patrons, one of six apparent options.

One particular "trap" is known for those who use White Magick: the angel's snare, a version of a "devil's trap" used for angels rather than demons. Those who are caught within its binds when it is invoked are rendered paralyzed so long as they hold on to the Celestial Presences within. The arcane sigil itself is formed with proto-Enochian script, the language from before the demons' fall from grace.

A variety of powers provided by angels are known even outside of individually named ones, even barring those already mentioned above. While magickal injuries are difficult to heal, if not impossible, the power of an angel can be used to draw the dwindling life force from one person and apply it to another, saving one life at the expense of the one from which said life was taken. Blasts of pure light are a fairly standard use of angelic power that is easily associated with their kind.

Another relatively common ability is the use of holy fire, which appears to take the form of invisible or white-hot tongues of flame rather than the blues, greens, and perhaps other colors associated with hellfire. This form of fire seems to be more versatile than the nearly always destructive hellfire, with uses such as the conjuration of weapons, beams from the eyes, a breath of flame, and even usage in conjunction with other angels to create temporary flames for torturing the infernal powers or banishing spirits and demonic sigils.

The usage of the Sight, identified by Mack as "full-spectrum vision, including perception of invisible or magickally concealed persons and things," is different from that of Black Magick karcists. According to those viewing users of the Pauline Art, said vision takes the form of green flames replacing the eyes, or the eyes themselves seeming to "flicker" in some way to see what is hidden.

In terms of teleportation, some White magicians may be capable of teleportation, be it through a "thunder jump" in a bolt of lightning from one location to another (seemingly only through single use in at least some angels), or by summoning enormous, feathered angel wings to near-instantaneously move to another person, take hold of them, and transport themselves to another, safer location.

One of the most potent uses of White Magick in the series is the use of something identified as a "spirit hammer," a way to sever the bonds of all of the yoked spirits of a Black Magick karcist (though perhaps not a White Magick one; unproven one way or the other) from a distance by invoking an exorcism rite, with this ability only able to be utilized once before the angel ascends back to Heaven.

Certain angels can be called upon to let loose individual spells, much as demons probably can be used to the same effect, each of which have their incantations stated in Latin. While the most common incantations beyond the experiments to yoke demons or angels that are shown in the series are for exorcism, there is at least one case of a spell cast that is deliberately mentioned as tied to an individual angel, namely MARBAS, which has its incomplete incantation translate to "Spill blood."

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In The Shadow Commission, an intriguing magickal artifact is brought up, one that invites another wrinkle into the overall system: phylacteries. The original phylacteries are derived from Jewish folklore, more commonly known amongst the religion as tefillin. They are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, and are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers on the forehead and one palm.

In fantasy, including in this magical system, they are more often a container to hold someone's soul, allowing them to live continuously and often not age at all unless the container is somehow destroyed. Destruction of the phylactery can cause instantaneous acceleration of the soul owner's age to befit their chronological age.

In The Shadow Commission, at least one member of the eponymous group, along with probably the rest as well, has one of these artifacts, and it is known to be a particularly powerful one. It is described as thus:

It was a bottle of hand-blown lavender crystal, its body broad at the base and tapering at the top to meet a long and narrow neck. The surface of the bottle was etched with eldritch sigils, many of which Anja recognized as Enochian, the language of the angels. A fine metallic mesh had been woven around the bottle, a delicate web of precious metals pulled into hair-thin filigree. Sealing the bottle was a long cork secured with an abundance of tightly wrapped steel wire.

The use of Enochian, the language of angels, rather than proto-Enochian, helps to figure out that the means of producing a phylactery are likely infernal in origin, as said language is used in Black Magick experiments extensively, as opposed to the proto-Enochian for White Magick.

These devices are evidently extremely volatile, as a blast that was capable of destroying it caused the artifact to let loose all of its energy very explosively, to a degree similar to a very strong hand grenade, or even stronger, capable of dealing lethal damage even to an accomplished nikraim.

The most interesting element of phylacteries, by far, is the fact that, according to the owner of the one known, the soul within does not need to be that of an actual magician. The owner was not a user of any form of magick beyond that which he hired from elsewhere, but still had a phylactery, and the same can be said of the various members of the Commission, showing that one does not need to have extensive power with magick directly to be able to have a serious impact on its use and prevalence as the centuries continue ever onward.

[spirit-science-blog]

Welcome to Patch Tarot!

What is Tarot? In Essence, the Tarot is a detailed pictographic diagram of the universe and everything within it, and is based on many ancient teachings and spiritual practices; including but not limited to the Holy Qabalah and the Sacred Toroidal Field.

Tarot encompasses the five elements (physical earth, emotional water, mental air, spiritual fire, and the astral – ether), describing how these five geometries weave together to depict the totality of life experiences and the structure by which the laws of creation are set.

Tarot is a language of symbology, numerology, cosmology, geometry, and art – which fuse together in an intricate web of ideas providing a means by which one’s consciousness can engage, and come to know itself better with. The Tarot then becomes a guidebook through the many different aspects of life and supports a higher understanding of one’s experiences in a deeper, more meaningful way.

The history of Tarot has the potential to be quite a lengthy exploration, and so here we shall only discuss the basics. The story appears to begin with the emergence of the cards in the mid-1300s among the wealthier members of society who would use the cards as simple playing cards. To them, there wasn’t anything mystical or spiritual about it, it was just a toy. For several hundred years, they were just that, and nothing more.

However, in 1781 a man named Antoine Court de Gebelin published a book called “Le Monde Primitif”, in which he hypothesized and linked these popular cards to the ancient Egyptians; in particular, the writings attributed to the sage known as Thoth. When these cards first emerged, the writings of the Egyptians and Greeks were almost altogether unknown, due to the destruction of the Library of Alexandria by angry mobs a thousand years prior to their re-emergence in the period known as the Renaissance.

Gebelin’s work in the connections between the Tarot and the Ancient Egyptians propelled a massive surge of spiritual awakening in the esoteric communities, and Tarot soon became realized as a powerful tool for divination. This, however, was only just the beginning for the Tarot, for in the 19th century a French occultist named Eliphas Levi became the catalyst for the connection between Tarot and the Kabbalah. Through his work, now Tarot had not only been linked to the Ancient Egyptians but the Hebrews' mystic sect as well. This would put the symbolism within the Tarot to potentially share roots to the time of pre-Exodus when the Hebrews were still under Egyptian rule.

However, all of these connections which are powerfully demonstrated are still the only speculation in history, due to the fact that the oldest cards that are available in history are from the 1300s, and there does not appear to be any record of them prior. Speculations seem to suggest however that whenever these cards were first drawn, they were likely done so by a hand who had a great deal of understanding – or at least – drew from older sources of information which correlated these ancient faiths.

In 1888, the connections between Tarot, Astrology, Numerology, Jewish Kabbalah and the Ancient Egyptian Mysteries would be realized in a much brighter light, by the work of an established esoteric order called The Order of the Golden Dawn

This Order drew a tremendous number of parallels between these ancient systems and established a new modern understanding of the Tarot (among many other magical practices), and thanks to their work, began a new age for modern Tarot. Almost all of the decks which are available today are based on the two principle decks which emerged from the work of the Golden Dawn, which are called the Rider-Waite-Smith (or simply Rider, or Rider-Waite), and Thoth Tarot.

However, regardless of the history of the Tarot, there is one thing that remains an inherent truth which applies to all things, but especially this subject: The history of Tarot does not make a difference. This can be summarized by this exquisitely simple quote by the author of Thoth Tarot, Aleister Crowley – “The origin of Tarot is quite irrelevant, even if it were certain. It must stand or fall on its own merits.”

One thing that should be noted about the Tarot and these esoteric connections is that for most people, the information is quite impenetrable. There are tens of thousands of books available in the world which seek to explore and dissect the symbolism of Tarot, and the understanding of the ancients for the modern mind; however there is so much information, that it is not easily comprehensible without a great deal of study. This brings us to where we are now, and the creation of a new deck – which seeks to make known the hidden mysteries in a simple, yet comprehensible manner: Patch Tarot.

What is Patch Tarot?

Over the ages, many different Tarot decks have been crafted. Patch Tarot is a continuation and evolution of today’s most prominent Tarot decks of the past hundred years. This deck is a purposeful fusion of the most prominent symbolisms and descriptions across the most notable decks, into a singular unified Tarot deck made for you – the modern alchemical scholar. Herein you will find all of the familiarity of other great Tarot packs, such as Thoth and the Rider-Waite-Smith, along with a touch of Patchman for good measure.

The Book of Patch

Along with Patch Tarot comes a new literary work from our own hearts – The Book of Patch. This is an in-depth explanatory textbook adventure about Tarot, and specifically – Patch Tarot. Similar to Aleister Crowley’s “The Book of Thoth”, this book dives into each card in Patch Tarot, looking at how and why they exist, what their purpose is, and how they fit together with each other.

The Book of Patch also offers in-depth discussions on the esoteric relationship between each card and card sets, going into depth on the Qabalah, Astrology, and Numerology of each card. What you find here on this website contains an abridged version of the Book of Patch, which is more than enough for any avid learner to get started with, and might even be beneficial for you seasoned experts out there.

The Book of Patch is now available for Print! Click here to view it in our shop!

Stepping into the Tarot

Now that you have an idea about what Tarot is as a whole, we can begin to break down the various ways in which this system is established. It is generally observed that there are two or three predominant sections within the cards; the main two are called the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The third section is called the Royal Arcana, but are traditionally observed as the “court cards”, and most often attributed as an aspect of the Minor Arcana because they deal with the principle forces of each suit of the Minor Arcana. In Patch Tarot, and in the support of learning, we have agreed that these court cards are their own unique system unto themselves, and thus delineate this section as the “Royal Arcana”, but will also use each term (Royal Arcana and court cards) synonymously throughout this material.

The word “Arcana” is a Latin word which translates to “Mysteries” or “Secrets”, and so these three sections translate to say: The “Greater (Major) Secrets”, “Lesser (Minor) Secrets”, and the “Total (Royal) Secrets” – this last one can also be observed as the “Familial or Hierarchical Secrets”, because they describe the hierarchy of elements in the makeup of the universe and across the planes of creation, essentially describing how the various suits of the minor arcana interact with each other. The use of “total” comes from the etymological definition of a royal from the 13th century, which also may translate as “splendid”.

As previously mentioned, within the Tarot there are five elements described. These are Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Ether. Four of these suits collectively make up the “Minor Arcana”, and the fifth element is then represented by the entire 22 cards of the Major Arcana. The Major Arcana is sometimes numbered 1 to 22 but in Patch Tarot, we have decided to stay with the traditional 0 to 21 numbering system, because of the numerological symbolism associated with “Zero” as a sphere or voidness, which is quite appropriate when you understand the nature of the card titled “The Fool”, which is related to this number… or rather, lack of number.

The Minor Arcana contains ten principal cards for each respective element, thus making a forty card grid with ten numbered cards for each of the four elements. The Royal Arcana has sixteen cards with four members of a royal family for each element. This is virtually identical to a modern-day playing deck of cards with the Jack, Queen, and King; but with the addition of a female mirror of the Jack, most often titled as a Page or a Princess. In a very simple sense, modern playing cards were a game-focused adaptation of the Tarot, with much of its spiritual significance removed. There is a lot more to this story, but we’ll save that history lesson for another time.

Each section of the Tarot individually tells their own story; sharing an image of the circle of life from different perspectives, utilizing numerology, symbology, ancient esoteric wisdom, astrology, and much more. Therefore, the more that you learn, and the deeper you go into these subjects, the more and more the Tarot will speak to you. In Patch Tarot, we’ve specifically included a number of keys around the edges of the cards, in order to highlight the most important aspects of the cards, and support you in your spiritual learning.

To learn more about Patch Tarot, check out our site completely devoted to it!

[romancatholicreflections]

21st July >> Daily Reflection on Today's First Reading (Exodus 11:10) for Roman Catholics on Friday of the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Commentary on Exodus 11:10 We have skipped several chapters of Exodus to come to today’s reading. The sufferings of the Hebrews became intolerable and eventually God sent what we call the Ten Plagues on Egypt in order to persuade the Pharaoh to let the Hebrews leave. After each one, his heart hardened and he refused to the let God’s people go. The Ten Plagues were as follows: Water turned into blood (most likely caused by a plant which discoloured the water). An infestation of frogs which penetrated every place and every home. An infestation of gnats (mosquitoes?) on man and beast alike. A plague of flies. An epidemic which attacked all the livestock of the Egyptians, but not those of the Hebrews. An epidemic of boils on humans and beasts. A fall of hail, accompanied by thunder and lightning, which killed everyone and every animal that was in the open air. A plague of locusts which devoured every plant which had survived the previous plagues. Total darkness for three days. The killing of all the first-born of the Egyptians, from the Pharaoh to the lowliest slave. Most of these ‘plagues’ actually correspond to natural phenomena found in Egypt. But they are represented here as supernatural at least in their greater intensity and in their occurring exactly according to Moses’ command. In each of the plagues, the Hebrews were not affected, another sign of God’s intervention in what would normally be natural calamities affecting everyone. With these plagues we are coming to the great finale and the high point of the Exodus story. Nine plagues inflicted on Egypt have not softened Pharaoh’s heart and “he would not let the Israelites leave his land”. The Hebrews are now told to prepare for the final catastrophe with which God will strike the Egyptians. As our reading opens, the Tenth Plague has not yet taken place. Once again, “the Lord made the Pharaoh obstinate”. It is as if, in the eyes of the author, God wanted the Pharaoh to be hard-hearted, so that eventually the situation would become so bad that he would have no alternative. The passage we read today is not really a historical account of how the Hebrews actually prepared for that last night in Egypt. It consists rather of formal instructions to a later generation on how to celebrate the great event that is about to take place. The instructions are presented as coming from God to Moses and Aaron. First, the month in which it is taking place is from now on to be regarded as the first month of the year. It is the month of Abib, meaning the month of ‘young corn’ or ‘ripe grain’. It occurred around the time of the spring equinox, in a period between March and April in our Gregorian calendar. After the Exile it came to be known by the Babylonian name of Nisan, the name used in later books of the Old Testament e.g. Nehemiah 2:1 and Esther 3:7. First, on the 10th day of that month each family is to procure for itself a lamb. If a family is too small to finish one lamb, then it can join with another family and they can share the lamb between them, including perhaps the cost of purchasing it. The lamb must be male, one year old and free from any blemish. It may be a sheep or a goat (in fact, sheep and goats are closely related animals). The animal is to be kept until the 14th day of the month, then it is to be slaughtered in the presence of all the assembled Hebrews. This should happen “between two evenings”. This was understood as either between sunset and darkness (the Samaritans) or between afternoon and sunset (the Pharisees and the Talmud). In every house where the lamb is to be eaten, its blood is to be applied on the doorposts and lintel of the house. This, in a way, was the most important requirement. On the night of the 14th day of the month, the same evening on which it had been slaughtered, the roasted flesh of the lamb will be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The animal is to be roasted, not to be eaten raw or boiled, and the whole animal, including head, limbs and internal organs is to be roasted as one. Nothing must be kept over till the following morning. Anything that is uneaten is to be burnt. This was to preclude any possible profanation of something regarded as ‘holy’. The Greek text adds “You shall not break a bone of it”, a requirement mentioned in further instructions in the same chapter (12:46). In John’s account of Jesus’ passion, he notes that the soldiers, seeing that Jesus was already dead, pierced his side with a lance but did not break his legs, as they did with the other two men being crucified, and then quotes from this part of Exodus: “Break none of his bones”. This happened because Jesus was the Paschal Lamb of the New Covenant. Then follow instructions for the way the meal is to be conducted: It is to be eaten standing, with loins girt (that is, with clothes belted), wearing sandals and with a walking staff in one hand. In other words, the meal is to be taken like people preparing to make a hasty departure. And it is to be called the Passover of the Lord. The origin of the word is disputed. The word pesah (Greek, pascha, ) means that Yahweh ‘leaped over’ the marked houses, as one might skip names on a list. The word may be originally from the Egyptian, pesach, meaning ‘the blow’, that is, the final plague which is about to happen. Both meanings, obviously, are applicable. On this very night, the Lord would go through Egypt and strike down every first-born in the land, humans and animals alike, and thus pass judgement on all the gods of Egypt. But, because the blood of the lambs has been painted on all the houses of the Hebrews, when the Lord sees the blood, he will pass over, or skip over, those houses and no harm will come to them. Hence the name of the feast. Then comes the final instruction to Hebrews of every future generation: “This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the Lord, as a perpetual institution.” An instruction which Jews continue to observe to this day. For us Christians all this has great meaning because we see in it a foreshadowing of another Passover which Jesus celebrated with his disciples. It took place at the same time as the celebration of the traditional Jewish Passover but, because of what immediately followed, it was seen as the sacramental anticipation of the new Passover in which Jesus is the Sacrificial Lamb whose blood poured out becomes the instrument of our salvation and liberation. It is significant that, in the descriptions of the Last Supper, no gospel mentions the lamb as the main dish. There is now a New Passover Lamb – Jesus himself. And in the eating of the Bread and the drinking of the Wine, those present had ‘eaten’ and ‘drunk’ of the Lamb. So this passage from Exodus is the First Reading of the liturgy on Holy Thursday. It might be noted, too, that some Catholics now celebrate during the earlier part of Holy Week a ‘seder meal’ which is a re-enactment of the Hebrew paschal supper, at which there will be cooked lamb, unleavened bread, wine and bitter herbs. Finally, the Jerusalem Bible has the following comment on the feast: The long section of the Passover and the feast of the Unleavened Bread (12:1-13:16) combines the Yahwistic and the Priestly traditions and some editorial additions the style of which is ‘Deuteronomic’. With this passage should be compared the liturgical calendars of Leviticus 23:5-8, Deuteronomy 16:1-8, and the legislation of Numbers 28:16-25. The two rites may have had separate origins: the Passover is primarily a pastoral feast, offering the first-fruits of the flock; the feast of Unleavened Bread is primarily agricultural, offering the first-fruits of the barley harvest. But they were both springtime festivals and became fused at a very early date. Once associated with a historical occurrence, that decisive event in the history of Israel’s election, the deliverance out of Egypt, these rites took on an entirely new religious significance: they recalled how God had saved his people, cf. the explanatory formula accompanying the rite, 12:26-27; 13:8. The Jewish Passover hence becomes a rehearsal for the Christian Passover: the Lamb of God, Christ, is sacrificed (the cross) and eaten (the Last Supper) within the framework of the Jewish Passover (the first Holy Week). Thus he brings salvation to the world; and the mystical re-enactment of this redemptive act becomes the central feature of the Christian liturgy, organised round the Mass which is at once sacrifice and sacrificial meal. (edited)

[dawningasalenna]

Having more days left for spring break, Tainan would be the perfect city to stay in for the rest of the days I have left without classes. There’s so much more left to see. Finally, I crossed out my other plans.

Anping District (04/06)

As a new day started, I woke up with the sun shining brightly. It was another perfect day for a bike ride. As Dennis recommended, I should head off to Anping District to see the treehouses. I immediately looked it up online and saw that the area is surrounded with a lot of attractions. I swiftly got out of bed, grabbed breakfast, and hopped on a bike.

Using Maps.Me for bike rides, I journeyed through the city for a 9KM cycle. It was not as fascinating as expected it to be since there were just plain buildings that looked the same. However, the dismay died down and my excitement rose upon the sight of the river. I went biking at the riverside until I reached the Zhahamuyuanzhumin Park (札哈木原住民公園). It was just across the Lin Mo-Niang Memorial Park (林默娘公園) which sat beside the scenic Fishermen’s Wharf (安亿桥下河底观景步道).

Walking past the bridge, one can easily spot the Anping Customs which is quite an interesting establishment.

Just a few steps away, the Anping Old Street is quite interesting to wander around. Filled with mini stands that sells various kinds of knickknacks, key chains, and other interesting items, the vendors stand by their booths with smiles reaching their ears.

As I’ve mentioned before, everything is close to each other. Walking was the best way to just see everything. I stumbled upon Fort Zeelandia, Zeelandia Museum, and Anping Old Fort who were side by side each other. All of these spots were touristy, but the walk and sightseeing experience throughout the fortresses was great.

Searching for more food, I found a little shop that sells fried vegetable pockets. I actually thought they were huge dumplings! They were tasty. (I had 3 of them!) Before heading further, I grabbed some shrimp rolls from a restaurant along the street near Anping Old Fort. They were so yummy! I went on for a walk to the Old Tait & Co. Merchant House since it’s where the Anping Treehouse was located. I was fascinated by how natured fused with man-made structures. It was not your typical treehouse. It took the definition of a treehouse to a whole new level. After long walks and going in and out of the museums, I eventually was tired out and napped in one of the parks.

Making my way back to West Central District, Dennis was having his Chinese Class at Cheffresh. It was great since I couldn’t pedal more to the east district, 6KM was enough. Getting enough rest, I came along to watch his basketball game with his Taiwanese teammates. Watching the game was so much fun! Goofy music, announcers, multiple courts, simultaneous games, and crazy players – it was very similar to the local basketball games in the Philippine provinces. We ended the night with a beers with the team. They actually won, unexpectedly – last-minute luck!

Chimei Museum (04/07)

FriYAY: last day of the weekday! Hearing great things about this museum, I decided to go on another 8KM bike ride. The great thing about the day was its weather. It was a bit cloudy, not too much sunshine. The guide led me to a path that was so refreshing. Rural vibe all over – bustling poultry areas, stretches of farmlands, abandoned streets, hidden forests; these were the sights that I’ve been surrounded about during biking. It made me really happy to be around nature rather than taking the highway fighting roads with scooters and cars.

After less than half an hour, I was at the Tainan Metro Park. I sat down for a while and started walking. I went up the viewing deck first to catch an overview of the whole area. It was huge: green fields, a stretch of lake, and the museum grounds were perfectly laid down on this whole space.

I first stopped at 觀景平台 which is the best spot to take a photo of the museum combined with the lake scenery. Seeing this view, I was reminded of Sun Moon Lake in Taichung. It gave off the similar aura due to its setting.

To enter the museum, I followed the signs that led to 丘比特橋 which bridged the path to the museum. Welcoming visitors is the Cherub Fountain where tourists flocked for photos.

Filled with excitement, I walked quickly to the museum’s main entrance. Upon entering this architectural fascination, I was lost for words in enchantment of how beautiful the interior is. The outside appearance was justified by its inner contents. The collection housed by the museum was definitely worth viewing. I easily spent about three hours inside by just walking and observing their displays.

As I exited the building, I was greeted by the Muse Plaza which was connected to the Olympus Bridge leading to the Apollo Fountain Plaza. Filled with the gods and goddesses we all know from Greek mythology, I sighted Athena. (Fun fact: My mom was supposed to name me Athena!) I sat beside her and took out the book entitled Everything and More by David Foster Wallace. (Check it out!)

Having the sun rise again, I went back the grass fields to look for a spot to lay down and read. Some of the visitors were having a picnic around the area. I grabbed some food from one of the stalls and the Taiwanese vendor exclaimed, “You’re Filipina!”  That made my day even brighter, it was actually refreshing to be recognized as a Filipino while traveling. Finding the perfect spot, I sat down below a tree which was situated by the lake where the ducks were all hanging out. I was able to read the book peacefully while enjoying the view. I even found time to take a nap. Chimei Museum easily became my favorite in Tainan.

Once again (I never learn.), my phone battery was about to die. I asked Dennis if he could pick me up from the Tbike station at the Baoan bus stop. The bus stop was actually a nice place to just sit down and read a book at. It has an interesting tree growth on a wall, similar to the treehouse.

After a few minutes, I hopped on the motorbike! Searching for Costco, Google Maps led us to the rural road. What a refreshing ride! The cool thing about riding at the rural area of Tainan is knowing that its vicinity to the city is so near. We did some grocery shopping for the traditional dinner since it was a Friday. For Jews, it was called Shabbat. (Both Dennis and Noah are Jews.) For the first time, I witnessed a Jewish tradition which was astonishing. They sang a few songs while the candles were lit firsthand. After the tradition, we ate some of the Challah (bread) with hummus then ravioli was served for dinner. Geshmak! Bringing people together, they played a couple of songs with their ukuleles as we drank beers and wine. The night passed swiftly. Indeed, another great day in Tainan.

Chiao Tou Beach Park (04/08)

For the lovely Saturday morning, we headed for brunch after lazing around the early morning. The Artful Dodger was a nice breakfast place where they serve great food. A few minutes after we arrived, Addy and Tina came to join us. Eggs, toast, salad, bacon, coffee, tea, and even fries – everyone had a great brunch in this cozy place that has good atmosphere. Bidding goodbye, we agreed to meet at the beach in the late afternoon.

Rest up! It was a chill Saturday. After napping, we headed off to Anping Beach.  It was about a 15 minute motorbike ride from the city to the beach. With only a few people walking around, we sat down to enjoy some beers with the scenery. People were relaxing through the afternoon in the ocean by kitesurfing and kiteboarding too. The beach might not have white sand, swaying palm trees, and pristine water, but it’s a nice spot to watch the sunset. It wasn’t bad at all. Dipping into the ocean, the beach was nice to swim at as well.

As the sun went down, we had dinner at a Taiwanese restaurant. Once again, I had a taste of Taiwanese food that I’ve never tried before! My favourite was specifically the shrimp with sprinkles on top. It was heavenly. Finishing off, we went back to prepare for the night. The destination: Legends Sports Bar. It was the night before Noah‘s birthday, so it was a time to celebrate! 小case – 樂團 was the band name of Dennis’ friends. This band is specifically different because they have a trombone player! It was quite interesting. As they started to play their music, the crowd gathered up near the stage to jam with them. Growing up listening to live bands, I personally enjoyed watching them and listening to their music. The vibe that they gave off influenced the crowd’s mood of having a good time. Great job!

For my last day in Tainan, we had brunch at Dennis and Noah’s place. (It was Noah‘s birthday!) Some band members of Xiao Case came over. Coffee, french toast, bacon, mushrooms and peppers, fruits – it was a nice meal. The whole noon till early afternoon was spent on chatting. Before everyone had to head to Taipei, we dropped by Mary B’s. It’s a cupcake shop owned by Dennis’ friend, Mary! She’s a really pretty woman with nice blonde hair and a great personality. Her cupcake shop was superb! As cuteness was overloading the atmosphere, there were food shaped pillows on the colourful sofa, random paintings of creative figures pinned against the wall, and the best part: bite sized cupcakes! We had coffee to wake us up and most had cupcakes. I wish I tried some, but my stomach was sickly the whole afternoon till the evening. Definitely would go visit Mary B’s again to eat a dozen or more of those cute yummy tiny cupcakes! (Check out Noah’s birthday video.)

As Sundays go, it was time to unwind. We visited a park and sat down to relax. I spotted a lot of Filipinos in the park! They were actually numerous. It was a nice afternoon. Saying our farewells, the band headed out to catch their trains going to Taipei. I decided to stay and just leave in the morning since my classes don’t start till the afternoon. Hanging out with Dennis and Noah for the rest of the night, we watched a couple episodes of Rick and Morty. A weirdly addictive show, it’s a good watch for when you want to have a good laugh while having your mind messed up. It’s absolutely hilarious. My sickly self enjoyed it a lot.

Concluding my spring break, I took a train back to Zhongli for three hours. Undoubtedly, I had a blast during my stay in this beautiful city. Immersing myself in culture, tradition, art, and music – it was a rejuvenating experience for me. It has been a long time since I acted as a “touristy traveler,” I surely liked being one for that whole week. If ever one visits Taiwan, Tainan is a city that must be on the list!

#DawningInTaiwan: Knowing Tainan Better Having more days left for spring break, Tainan would be the perfect city to stay in for the rest of the days I have left without classes.