 Cagliostro - as represented in a silent movie Cagliostro – a remarkable man – has been much maligned*. Born in 1700's, he was very likely the (illegitimate?) son of royal blood, connected to the now vanished monarchy of Trebizond. He was raised in Medina and deeply imbued with the learning and insights of the East. He fell foul of certain elements in the Catholic Church, and this led to attacks on his good name throughout his adult life. *See note at the end of this post ChildhoodHis own recollection is that he was raised by various dignitaries, including Mufti V Salahaym of Medina. He had as his tutor, Althotas, an Alchemist. Deriving from Trebizond, a Christian enclave in the then mighty Ottoman empire, meant Cagliostro was raised as a Christian, but with access to the learning of the Orient, which in many areas far exceeded that available in Europe and the Americas. Cagliostro wrote of Althotas: "It was he who taught me to adore God, love and serve my neighbour, and to respect religion and law in all places." He travelled with his tutor to Egypt in 1763, where he could immerse himself in learning. At some point he met an even more enigmatic figure of this age, the Comte de St Germain. The remarkable philosopher and historian, Manly P Hall write about St Germain in these words:
Cagliostro studied Paracelsus (with whom he shared more than a few characteristics). Paracelsus had gone against the medical orthodoxy of his day, attacking many of their practises as bogus. He was deeply learned in naturopathy as well as a profound student of Alchemy. Like Paracelsus, Cagliostro treated the poor, and made no charges. Stories suggest that his understanding of the more hidden qualities of nature meant he could do what appeared magical to those who saw it. He became the darling of the great aristocratic houses of England, France and beyond, but gradually his reluctance to astound people with tricks and phenomena, meant some turned on him and denounced him as a fraud. He was moving through Europe rife with intrigue, and the seeds of the French Revolution were being scattered far and wide at this time. He was perceived as a threat to both State and Church, and so it is no wonder he made enemies. But he made friends too, as the quote below suggests. Cagliostro—the idol of France, surnamed "the Father of the Poor," who never received anything from anyone and gave everything to everyone ... Manly P Hall  Cagliostro Mystics, philosophers, and alchemists were all bound together with a secret tie and dedicated to the emancipation of humanity from ignorance and oppression. Manly P Hall He has had his detractors but also those who have been more than happy to defend him. His knowledge of medicine appears to have been profound, and his grasp of the occult (hidden forces of nature in this context) was equally deep. More important, his time in Egypt had given him a sensitive understanding of Theurgy: this art and science that is the 'magic of the Divine', the use of Ritual with language and movement for spiritual purposes. Cagliostro, the Great Master Cagliostro, had nothing to do with the character described by Alejandro Dumas in his work, The Life of Giuseppe Balsamo, nor with the character invented by the Inquisition to discredit the Rosicrucian Grand Master. Quote taken from a Rosicrucian site here Recently it has been suggested that St Germain gave him the task of protecting the Mysteries of Isis. He had developed the famous Egyptian Rite, which he had introduced into Masonic Lodges all over Europe. He was able, through his contacts with high society, to introduce aspects of the Knowledge of Isis to aristocratic women. Some of this lore can be seen in the content of the paintings shown below. The pictures above come from a collection here. They show ladies at their toilette. The hand positions show mudras - or meaningful arrangement of hand and fingers. The open palmed hand (fourth row right) is known as the Bestowing Posture, and can be seen in Buddhist sculptures. Some of the Eastern meaning of mudras are given here. Mystical Masonry In the quotation below from Rudolf Steiner's third lecture in Berlin (1904), entitled THE ESSENCE AND TASK OF FREEMASONRY FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF SPIRITUAL SCIENCE something of the mysterious nature of Cagliostro and his real purpose is hinted at. Now I must mention the various branches of Freemasonry and their tendencies, even if I am only to indicate some thing briefly. First of all, it is to be borne in mind that the whole of the masonic higher degrees trace back to a personality often spoken about but equally very much misunderstood. He was particularly misunderstood by nineteenth century historians, who have no idea of the difficult situations an occultist can meet in life. This personality is the ill-famed and little understood Cagliostro. The so-called Count Cagliostro, in whom an individuality concealed itself which was recognised in its true nature only by the highest initiates, attempted originally to bring Freemasonry in London to a higher stage. For during the last third of the eighteenth century, Freemasonry had fairly well reached the state that I have described. He did not succeed in London at that time. He then tried in Russia, and also at The Hague. Everywhere he was unsuccessful, for very definite reasons. Then, however, he was successful in Lyons, forming an occult masonic lodge of the Philalethes [Searchers after Truth] out of a group of local masons, which was called the Lodge of Triumphing Wisdom. The purpose of this Lodge was specified by Cagliostro. What you can read about it is, however, nothing but the work of ignorant people. What can be said about it is only an indication. Cagliostro was concerned with two things: firstly, with instructions enabling one to produce the so-called Philosopher's Stone; secondly, with creating an understanding of the mystic pentagram. I can only give you a hint of the meaning of these two things. They may be treated with a deal of scorn, but they are not to be taken merely symbolically, they are based on real facts. We will leave the final words of this short biographical sketch to Cagliostro himself. "I am not of any time or of any place; beyond time and space my spiritual being lives an eternal existence. I turn my thoughts back over the ages and I project my spirit toward an existence far beyond that which you perceive, I become what I choose to be. Quote attributed to Cagliostro  Note: In researching this very brief biography it is impossible to miss that many of his biographers hated him. In his lifetime he was called a fraud, and information was put out that he was in fact a trickster from Sicily by the name of the Sicilian,Giuseppe Balsamo.
Sources I trust suggest this story is a calumny. An equivalent would be to look at current US government statements on Edward Snowden. These describe him as a traitor. Indeed some ask for the death penalty for him. But it is clear there are many millions who disagree with that view. Both Rudolf Steiner and Manly P Hall saw Cagliostro as a man of exceptional gifts, and a recent commentator has posted here (in January 2017) that he had an important part to play in keeping the Mysteries of Isis safe for posterity. For that alone we should be deeply grateful.
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 Juana Inés de Asbaje y Ramírez de Santillana What is now Mexico, used to be part of New Spain, a much bigger territory including much of the West Coast of America. Ruled by a Spanish viceroy, it repressed local regions, languages, practices and peoples, using the full might of the Spanish Inquisition. Born into this constricting and conservative society was Juana Ines, the illegitimate daughter of a concubine. Self taught and utterly brilliant, she has been called "the Tenth Muse". She had learned Latin by the age of three and later taught other children. Abandoned by her uncle she made her way to Court where her brilliance captured the attention of the Viceroy and his frustrated wife. She impressed the clergy at Court sufficiently to become tutor to the Viceroy's daughter.
The first great New World poetIn Spain and Spanish America, Sor Juana is an acknowledged classic of 17th-century letters. Her works stand at a point of historical privilege; she was the first great New World poet, the last of Spain's Golden Age, and she is part of an international, not just a Mexican, cultural tradition. From a New York Times Review, found in full here.  Sor Juana Inés commemorated on a Mexican banknote Criticised by the Church for writing on topics beyond the religious, she responded with a feisty defence: "One can perfectly well philosophize while cooking supper," A Mexican Television Series has serialised her life. The production values are excellent, and although it is a drama, the main elements of the story appear to stick reasonably closely to the truth. Netflix are currently running this series Juana Inés with excellent subtitles. It is highly recommended to those who like their history with a touch of melodrama!  Arantza Ruiz as Juana Inés PoetryAlthough some of her work has been translated into English she remains largely unknown in the English speaking world. except within Feminist Studies.
Here are the opening verses of one of her more famous poems. You foolish men who lay the guilt on women, not seeing you’re the cause of the very thing you blame; if you invite their disdain with measureless desire why wish they well behave if you incite to ill. the full poem can be found here.  The so called Dendera Light Bulb Recently we have seen how Carmen Boulter suggests Nefertiti travelled, with many Egyptian artefacts, to Turkey. In her next presentation, she is going to suggest a link to the fabled Atlantean civilisation. Gregg Baden presented information suggesting a Peruvian city and civilisation, entirely pre-dates that of Egypt. Evidence of the age of civilisation is often measured in terms of objects (artefacts) But what if the artefacts were to suggest civilisation far pre-dating our accepted idea of the Earth's history? Out of place artefacts (OOParts) cause problems for the consensus view of history. So they are simply dismissed. Here is how Rational Wiki does it: An out-of-place artifact ... is a name given by creationists and woo-pushing fringe scientists for historical and archeological artifacts they feel could not have been created by a particular culture due to a lack of knowledge or materials So this post will appeal to the woo-pushing fringe amongst us (or that part of you that wonders if people who contribute to RationalWiki would say that wouldn't they). Note that rational wiki tars anyone even pondering these anomalies as being "a Creationsit". Gregg Braden's contribution to Gaia continues with a very interesting presentation pointing out serious anomalies that tend to be simply ignored. His Missing Links series can be found here.
There are a number of problems with this find. It shows a remarkable understanding of astronomy, not matched until the 20th Century. It also shows very sophisticated gearing and metallurgy, that is hard to explain in the era it came from.
It was a female figure, and had the lifelike lineaments in the parts which were finished that would do credit to the classic centres of art." "Upon showing the object to Professor F. W. Putnam," wrote Wright, "he at once directed attention to the character of the incrustations of iron upon the surface as indicative of a relic of considerable antiquity. There were patches of anhydrous red oxide of iron in protected places upon it, such as could not have been formed upon any fraudulent object." Of course, the simplest response to a find like this is to say it is a forgery. and there have indeed been clever forgeries in the past, the Piltdown Man hoax being one of the most famous. But by taking all such finds and either saying they are forgeries, or ignoring them, we may be missing the possibility that life forms, as intelligent as we are, have been involved with Earth's history for much longer than we currently accept.
But, by assuming that such intelligent contact with Earth (or previous civilisation on Earth) is impossible) may be closing minds to a better understanding of our universe. There is considerable speculation currently that NASA are quietly releasing images relating to what is called 'soft disclosure' that our history is very different to what we have been taught so far. And the flurry of interest in the Antarctic, right now, is raising a lot of speculation that dramatic finds will be announced there shortly.
We will cover breaking news on that, as and when (and if) it occurs.  This Peruvian City, with its pyramids, is now estimated to have thrived between 5,000 and 7,000 years before our present date. That makes it 2,000 years older than Egypt.  Gregg Braden in his very recent Gaia presentation suggests our historical timeline is simply wrong, and that the Peruvian civilisation of Caral pre-dates both Egypt and Sumeria by some two thousand years. As a geologist, his viewpoint should be taken seriously, as it turns all our assumptions about the origins of civilisation on their head. As we saw hinted in Carmen Boulter's work (see here) we may have to make a lot of changes in how we see the history of the world now! His work is summarised in his current series on Gaia.com. It can be found here. Part of the time line suggested by Gregg Braden - with BP = Before Present.
He makes a point that there seem to be significant shifts on Earth every 5,000 years. Note his estimate of the age of Caral puts it almost entirely before Egyptian civilisation . 
The video below - with music, images but no commentary – gives an idea about how impressive Caral and its pyramids are.  Time and The Three Fates - by Pieter Thijs An aunt of mine was fond of saying "there is no justice in this world and probably none in the next”! As she was a minister's wife, living in a vicarage, we may rightly conclude her tongue was somewhat in her cheek when she said this. The first part of her statement can appear true on occasion. There can seem to be so many injustices in this world of ours. Dictators can apparently commit crimes with impunity. Drug barons can become exceedingly wealthy. The great forces of Nature can wreak havoc equally on the virtuous and the unjust. It is only human to wonder "Does God care? And is God fair?" Michael Douglas committed a stupid indiscretion in the film Fatal Attraction. Having been briefly unfaithful to his wife, he and his family are pursued in a way that is truly scary. To be attracted to Alex Forest (Glen Close) in this story at least, is a fatal mistake. The Ancient Greeks would have understood Mr Douglas’s dilemma. To act in this way was indeed to put himself in the power of the Fates. In Greek Mythology there were three Fates, one who span, one who measured and one who cut life’s thread. If we are unlucky in love or in business, or if good fortune visits us, we may believe that it is just a matter of fate. Does this mean that our world is indeed capricious? Or is there a serious idea behind the myth of the Fates? If, as many believe, the world is indeed capricious, then my aunt's first dictum is probably correct. There is much that we can see and indeed experience ourselves, where justice does not appear to have been done. At the time of the recent devastating tsunami, the news was full of reports about what a challenge this was to ‘people of Faith’. If acts of Nature are indeed arbitrary, then we would be right to question whether God is infinitely Good and Absolutely Just.  Hurricane damage – an act of God? If our perspective is limited to the tiny portion of space and time that we personally experience, then we may well question Divine Justice. Any event in time and space may appear unjust, for by definition we can only see it in part. Even the most elaborate computer that we might envision, cannot calculate all the possible causes of a given event, nor can compute all the possible outcomes until the end of the time. Yet, such a vision would be a necessary yardstick in order to judge Divine Justice. If we conclude that we are "only bodies", then the world in which we live does indeed look capricious. If we accept as a working hypothesis or if we know in the depths of our being, that we have a Soul, then our perspective can be entirely different. The Soul participates in time and space. However, the Soul is not limited to time and space. It is at this Soul level that we need to consider the question of Justice. If we reflect on the idea that the Soul has really been gifted with free will, then certain conclusions inevitably follow. For free will to mean anything, the Soul has to live with the consequences of its choices and its actions. If this was not the case, then free will would really have no meaning. If we consider the individual at the level of their body, then they may appear subject to grave injustice. If we recognise that every individual is a Soul, then we can hold, at least as a working hypothesis, that the Soul has chosen its current experience. It is from this viewpoint that we may be able to conclude, that every experience a Soul receives is the most timely and perfect that can be imagined. For if this was not so then God’s Justice would be less than perfect. God would not be the Good. This would be a contradiction in terms.
By this he meant being conscious and aware of what we do and using our best understanding. Our behaviour is then prudent rather than impulsive. The second is ‘courage’. It takes real fortitude to do what we know is right rather than what may be expedient. The third has been translated as ‘moderation’. If we are moderate, then we avoid the excesses of our emotional life. This does not mean we become coldly calculating but rather we warmly embrace life, avoiding extremes. With these three virtues operative we will, according to Plato, enjoyed the fourth virtue which is justice. To live a virtuous life does not mean to emulate being uptight and Victorian in all that we do. It means to be fully human, because the word virtue has as its root (in Latin and Sanskrit) the word vir or ‘man’. In other words to be virtuous is to embrace our full humanity. In so doing, we leave behind the world of the Fates, and participate in the realm of Providence. To live a life providentially is to "go with the flow". However, the flow in this case is of divine origin rather than being merely worldly. For, to the degree that we can participate in Providence, we can recognise that there is both justice in this world as well as the next. This article was first published in the magazine New Vision.
 Did Nefertiti, wife of Pharaoh Akhenaton, flee Egypt and arrive in Turkey with a treasure trove of of beautiful Egyptian possessions, relating to a history going back to Ancient Atlantis? That is the suggestion of Dr. Carmen Boulter. The gold figurines shown above, and a sarcophagus, remarkably like that of the one used for Tutankhamen, have been found in an undisclosed location in Turkey. Boulter took the photo above on her cell phone, but military trouble meant she had to leave the site before taking higher quality pictures. , In the latest episode of Dark Journalist, Dr. Carmen Boulter, Professor at the University of Calgary in Canada, tells about this find, Part 2, which has not yet been released, will show many more of the remarkable finds, and – Boulter claims – suggests a continuous culture going back to 10,000BCE As an antidote to the important, but disturbing post about brain washing, here, two acts of creativity with chalk to bring a smile to the heart and a song to the soul.  For a different experience with chalk watch the video below - time lapse - of monks producing a Mandala in chalk. Both types of artists are aware of how life is ephemeral - but beauty (in its essence) is eternal.  The post below is summarised from Want-to-Know article to be found here Can people be brain-washed? Sadly, the answer undoubtedly is "yes". Are people being brain washed in the West? Sadly, the answer also is "yes". In April 2010, an American professor of Psychology, Professor Hammond, spoke out on this topic to his colleagues. in a lecture entitled "Hypnosis in MPD: Ritual Abuse". The full transcript of this lecture is available. He has never spoken in public on this topic again. Some key points from his 2010 talk
I came out of that with a grasp of a variety of brainwashing methods being used all over the country. I started to hear some similarities. Whereas to begin with, I hadn't known how widespread things were, I was now getting a feeling that there were a lot of people reporting some similar things, and that there must be some degree of communication to cause this. The material in his talk is very disturbing. the implications are profound, We have touched on some of them here (see end of this post). This is how Hammond ended his 2010 presentation: "My personal opinion has come to be if they're going to kill me, they're going to kill me. There's going to be an awful lot of information that's been put away that will go to investigative reporters and multiple investigative agencies. If I ever have an accident, an awful lot of people like you, I hope, will be pushing for a very large-scale investigation. I think we have to stand up at some point as some kind of moral conscience."  How dare you talk intelligently about design!You have to look quite hard to find out, in a dispassionate way, about Intelligent Design. Generally, you will be told that those who suggest there might be an over-arching Intelligence behind the Earth and the Human Race, are simply Bible-bashing God-botherers, who have no scientific credibility at all. But if you read what the founders of this critical movement within science actually say, you find something else altogether.  Stephen C. Meyer No! The world was not created in six days, with a day off on the seventh because the Creator was tired. (That description is purely symbolic.) To show an interest in Intelligent Design, and the provocative work of Stephen Meyer and Michael Behe, is not to buy into simplified versions of Creation Myths as though they were reality. Yet, it is easy to discover, that if you write about topics like this on Facebook or similar, you quickly invite the comment that you are a creationist, and Behe and Meyer are creationists too. Try it and see!
The Consensus RealityThe consensus reality is that Darwin got it right. It asserts – as though there was proof – that the theory of 'Survival of the Fittest' has been demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt, and all that is happening now is filling in the details of Evolutionary Theory. To step outside of this consensus reality, and raise awkward questions, is to find yourself embroiled in a war of words and ideas that can quite literally destroy reputations and careers. We considered an example here. Darwin be Damned The proponents of Intelligent Design are articulate, thoughtful and thought provoking. Their ideas deserve to be considered seriously and in their own terms. They should be taught in schools, not because they are correct, (they may or may not be) but because they are an alternative scientific viewpoint, to a very intriguing question: namely, "what is the origin of species?" The current writer taught for many years and had a specific interest in the Sociology of Science. One of the Intelligent Design sites has a list of Questions for a Biology teacher. These simply are gold dust for developing critical thinking, whether there is any merit in the theory of Intelligent Design or not. And yet, in America at least, there have been court cases to ensure such questions are not asked (in this way) within school classrooms. This is censorship and it is pernicious. Below is one example of a really good question for intelligent people of any age to grapple with. It involves The Mousetrap Dilemma. Michael Behe’s concept of irreducible complexity raises acute difficulties for Darwinism. Irreducible complexity is a 'package-deal” feature of many biological systems. Package deals are all-or-nothing deals. You can have the whole package or you can have none of it, but you can’t pick and choose pieces of it. In biology,especially at the molecular level, There exist molecular machines that cannot be simplified without losing the machine’s function. In other Quote taken from Discovery.org and the full set of Questions to ask your biology teacher, can be found here.
Above - images of the 'flagellum machine' as found in textbooks Behe, using an analogy for the complexity in the flagellum above, talks of the humble mousetrap. It is simple, but is designed with intelligence. It is hard to conceive of a mousetrap arising by chance.  Behe makes the point that a mousetrap - to work - needs a level of complexity that has to be designed in. Someone with a mind thought it into being first. Without this it will not work. He draws the analogy with highly complex 'machine-like' aspects of cells (illustrated above). Neo-Darwinism as professed by Richard Dawkins and similar writers, says the Blind Watchmaker (random chance over incredibly long time periods) produce all the complexity we see in cells. It is worth commenting, that Darwin had no idea at all that cells were as complex as we now know they are. You can search high and low on Google or in Biology text books, you will not find a single example of a complex cell (or indeed any cell at all, as they are all complex) arising from a molecular soup, under lab conditions. And yet the current writer is old enough to remember in Zoology lessons in the 1960's, being told that this would be achieved in a few years. It has not been. Debunking the mousetrap The thought police are quickly deployed, if you have the temerity to mention Michael Behe in a Facebook debate. You will be told that John H. McDonald has shown that Behe's argument is simply wrong. McDonald does so here and you can read his argument in full if you wish. It is closely reasoned and on the surface appears to confound Behe's proposition. And of course, it comes with the imprimatur of a University Department, meaning it is the work of a real scientist, not a specious (and secret) God follower. McDonald suggests that a series of simple springs can be used to strangle mice. Gradually, they get more complex. The early ones are not very efficient, but the later ones become more so. Eventually we get the efficient killing machine like the one shown above. But the argument he puts forward is simply wrong. Read it for yourself and you will see. He states there have been simpler mousetraps and they have become more complex. But he makes a huge error in logic. Mousetraps live in the universe of the market place. They are made to be sold (or are made to achieve an effect, killing mice). If they simply do not work efficiently, then no-one makes them or buys them. If they do not work - they will not 'survive'. Everyone will get a cat instead.
This destruction of McDonald's so called 'debunking' article does not mean Behe is right. But his work, and that of Meyer, is very carefully reasoned. Meyer in particular, writes beautifully, and sets out his arguments with great care and attention to scientific facts. But he is implicitly criticising the consensus reality - that Darwinism (not what Darwin actually wrote) is right and the final explanation of life on Earth. For this sin he is attacked relentlessly by the thought police and the academic establishment. A beautiful example of the complexity of the operation of the cell can be seen below. The video lasts around 3 minutes.   Krishna persuades Arjuna, that although both sides are his family, he has to fight. We are in the middle of a war. It is undeclared, but very real. And it is for your mind. Have you noticed that certain ideas are allowed and certain ideas put you outside of what is taken as 'common sense'? Those who are the guardians of the Common Sense perspective will often quote science and scientists, as though there is one scientific view and it is always correct. They will direct the unwary to sites devoted to self-proclaimed rationality to 'debunk' any ideas that do not form part of the acceptable reality. This war is every bit as real as the great battles, real and philosophical, between the Catholic church and the Reformed church. The stakes are just as high (only now we do not burn people at them - but we can completely burn reputations). Not long ago, two remarkable thinkers were invited to share their ideas on TED. This site, Ted.com invites people at the top of their game, to share their ideas on the arts, science, psychology and so forth. They do so in around 15 to 20 minutes; many of these presentations are electric and some have been seen by millions. The idea behind TED was excellent. And then the thought police arrived.
Both Rupert Sheldrake and Graham Hancock, separately, had been asked to talk about the ideas engaging them at the present time. Both men have diverged from mainstream thought, but have done so with ideas based on deep research. Sheldrake is a Cambridge graduate with a double first, and a PhD in science; Hancock is a highly successful author, journalist and TV presenter, who has done deep research into Ancient Societies. Rupert Sheldrake Rupert Sheldrake had started a brilliant career at Cambridge University, involving plant biology, when he came up with the idea of Morphic Resonance. This idea suggested that within species, information could be passed non-locally. One example he used was Blue Tits learning to peck through the foil tops of milk bottles (back in the day when milk was delivered in bottles on the doorstep). He pointed out that for years no bird had ever pecked through to the cream at the top of the milk. Then one did. And then the phenomenon spread, rapidly, and was occurring over a wide geographical area. He suggested that what one bird had learned, passed – through morphic resonance - to the others of that species. This idea threatened his tenure at Cambridge, and in the end he left, but published his views in books that have been very widely read, but never accepted through main-stream science. The reason his ideas have not been acceptable is because they suggest a non-local consciousness and parapsychological aspect to reality that is anathema to the acceptable consensus view of the world, monitored by the thought police. His TED talk - removed at the request of fellow scientists - can be found below, and is well worth watching. Paradoxically, it has now been viewed on this one You Tube posting, by over one million people. Graham HancockGraham Hancock has had a particular interest in Ancient Egypt. His work with Robert Bauval in this context deserves a post of its own. But in his banned TED talk, he was speculating on the effects of psychotropic drugs (and why these are banned - drugs like LSD and Marijuana) whereas the pharmaceuticals that are not banned have a profoundly deleterious effect on consciousness. As it happens, the current writer disagrees with Hancock's take on spirituality and the 'reality' discovered through hallucinogens, but his views should be heard. He, like Sheldrake, was banned from TED because he challenged powerful interest groups as well as the very active thought police in the scientific community. His talk has also been seen now by well over one million people.  One of the most famous adventures of Odysseus, is when he comes up against the Cyclops. These one eyed monsters live on their own island (which some say is Sicily!). Odysseus arrives with twelve sailors and starts exploring. He finds a cave and decides to enter! (For his previous adventures click on 1 or 2 below) The Return
Polyphemos and the Cave  The Greeks, accustomed to plundering, steal cheeses and lambs from the cave. Odysseus is interested in who lives there and remains behind with his men. A huge creature blocks all the light from the cave entrance, and proceeds to roll a stone to block it, that twenty teams of horses could not shift. Expecting hospitality (for Zeus punishes those who do not offer it) Odysseus makes himself known, but the great giant, Polyphemos, with one eye in the middle of his forehead has no time for Zeus and hospitality, and promptly eats two sailors raw! Odysseus dare not kill the giant with his sword, as they cannot move the stone, and at dawn the hungry monster breaks his fast with two more hapless sailors, and leaves, rolling the stone across the entrance. Wily Odysseus plots their escape, and using a club of olive wood left by the giant, they sharpen it and harden the point in the smouldering fire. When Polyphemos returns, he eats two more sailors and, drunk on Odysseus's wine, asks his name, and is told 'Nobody'. When he falls into a drunken stupor, Odysseus and the remaining six sailors drive the stake of hardened olive wood into his eye, blinding him. He screams out and other giants come running to help him. when they ask who is hurting him, he responds "Nobody is", so they ask him to quieten down and go away. The giant guards the entrance to the cave when the sheep and goats need to get out, so Odysseus groups them in threes and ties a man under each group; he leaves hanging under the biggest ram. Polyphemos feels their backs but misses the fleeing mariners. When they reach their ship Odysseus calls out a taunt, and reveals his real name. the outraged giant hurls a rock that nearly sinks their vessel, and Polyphemos calls on his father Poseidon to avenge him, ensuring Odysseus has a most uncomfortable journey home.  Interpretation There are various motifs here that are indicative:
The cave: This is a beautiful analogy of the skull, bearing the brain and the mind. Odysseus enters in as a thief. He has no idea whose cave it is or that he might be in real danger. His arrogance leads to the death of six of his sailors. The giant: This lawless giant (and shepherd) devours human beings. He can be seen as the baser instincts and the lawless mind. He is destructive and indolent (and so represents the way the crew of Odysseus were raping and looting, as well as 'under the influence' in the land of the Lotus Eaters). One eye: The one eye lacks perspective. It is also suggested by Rudolf Steiner that such a single eye (or three eyes) represents an older clairvoyant awareness, whose time has past. Odysseus is moving on to the power of reason and (eventually) spiritual intuition. Olive wood club: The olive features five times in The Odyssey, and is associated with Athena (who is helping Odysseus's son, Telemachus to find his father). In other words the presence of the olive suggests the deployment of wisdom. The sharpening of the wood: The making a sharp point and the hardening in the fire both symbolise the use of intellectual power, and being 'one-pointed' about things. The blinding: By putting out this one eye, that clairvoyant faculty is blinded or restrained, and also instinctive wild emotion or dream consciousness no longer drives thought. Clever means of escape: Polyphemos blinded, says 'Nobody' is hurting him. Odysseus uses his cunning to escape under the sheep and goats, rather than riding on them. The power of Polyphemos has been limited and Odysseus can get away from the limitation of this archaic form of thinking. Taunting the son of Poseidon: However, Odysseus is still is foolish enough to taunt the immortal giant, who calls out to his father, Poseidon, to revenge him and nearly destroys Odysseus's ship. Odysseus still has much to learn. Poseidon, God of the 'Waters of Transiency') is ruler of the realm of life where Odysseus is. It is his tempestuous environment that Odysseus has to contend with, and by blinding the Cyclops he makes an enemy of Poseidon. Dealing with the one-eyed Cyclops is the first step taken by Odysseus to rise above instinctive consciousness, and to - essentially - wake up. He manages to escape the limitations of dream-like thought and takes the first tentative steps towards wisdom, hanging on the underside of a sheep (sheep's wool is symbolic of knowledge and wisdom as in the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece) Odysseus is beginning to think, and not just react.  Below, is one of the cleverest tests you will come across on the Internet. It has been around a bit, but maybe enough time has gone past that some of you have not seen this. How many basketball passes does the team in white make? This is NOT a trick question.  In the image above, which is the longer table? Sure? Now measure them. Use a bit of paper ... One of our favourites, below We would often start programmes with executives, using this picture (amongst others). A volunteer would read out what they saw, provided they thought there was nothing unusual. We would have this written on a flip chart.  We would invite someone who was sure there was nothing odd, to walk out and read each word touching it with their finger. The result was dramatic
If you can see nothing unusual about the image above, read it word by word, with your finger on each word in turn. See? (Originally in Arthur Mee's Children's Encyclopaedia ... anyone remember that?  Warriors will be warriors
Land of the Lotus Eaters
InterpretationThe whole story of the Odyssey can be seen as the journey of the Soul back to its Source. More precisely, it is a journey in awareness, and the awareness is that of Odysseus. Odysseus's name means wrathful, he is an angry man. We also know he is a clever man, The anger never leaves Odysseus, and he draws on it when he finally gets back to Ithaca, and has to deal with the feckless suitors and their faithless maids. At first, his mind is unwise. This is represented by the rape within the temple of Athena. The band of sailors is beaten back by the Cicones. Their next trial is to even be bothered. It is easy simply to stay in a state of lethargy. Soul culture, soul growth, training the mind and hear and will, is hard work. Mostly the indolence and lethargy of the untutored soul has to be overcome. One of the major inner battles is against inertia. Odysseus, being a hero, knows this and thus forces his sailors, less developed aspects of himself, back on the ships and their return journey. This will bring him against one of the most fearsome of his opponents, a story we will consider in the next post. The first two ports of call for Odysseus represent the great interior trials of the Soul, underpinning much else. He has to deal with:
 A good friend once told this writer that the Iliad and the Odyssey are the story of the phases of the Soul. The Iliad tells of the descent of the Soul into matter. This becomes quite clear when we look carefully at the Odyssey and how the story is constructed. The confirmation comes particularly with certain stages of the story, as when Odysseus arrives without clothes to be found (and dressed) by Nausicaa on the Kingdom of Scheria (Phaeacia); early in the story the blinding of Polyphemus is also indicative as we shall see. But the story does not start with Odysseus, it starts with the Goddess of Wisdom Athena, and the search for Odysseus, lost since he set sail for Troy. His son, Telemachus, is encouraged to search for him. His home is in disarray, as suitors vie for Penelope's hand. There is not a moment to lose. The story is set on the 'wine dark sea' of the Mediterranean, But Odysseus' journey cannot really be made to fit to any real geography, especially when some of the places he visits are so clearly states of being, rather than actual islands. Our map, as we work through the key stages of the return to Ithaca, is more of a hierarchy of consciousness. The Map
As with the story of Herakles, there are twelve testing places before Odysseus returns to his home and wife, Penelope. Odysseus on his return, must deal with each of these twelve challenges. he is never really alone, although towards the end he feels as though he is. In the first part of the story, his son Telemachus (which means "he who fights for ends") seeks news of his father.
Telemachus represents the spiritual soul, the true soul purpose. This is why, in his seeking, Telemachus is always accompanied by Athena, or Divine Wisdom. However far the individual soul strays from its true purpose, there is always that part that has never left its true home or its connection with Divine Wisdom, and will search. This is why the story starts here with the son, before we meet Odysseus, for there has to be a stirring of spiritual yearning for the soul to move at all. And, as we shall see, Odysseus makes plenty of errors before he gets anywhere near Ithaca.
More than 20 veterans of US Intelligence services have written to President Obama to ask him to release substantive information on the alleged Russian hacking or to confirm such intelligence simply does not exist. The fact they have released this open letter is news in itself. If this has not been covered by the BBC, or CNN, or MSNBC or in your newspaper of record, is in itself significant. We urge you to authorize public release of any tangible evidence that takes us beyond the unsubstantiated, “we-assess” judgements by the intelligence agencies. Otherwise, we – as well as other skeptical Americans – will be left with the corrosive suspicion that the intense campaign of accusations is part of a wider attempt to discredit the Russians and those – like Mr. Trump – who wish to deal constructively with them. As significant players have dubbed the alleged hack "an act of war" and called Trump a "Traitor" the stakes are very high. And yet, in the opinion of this significant and very experienced group, as of yet nothing approaching tangible evidence and proof has been offered. They include:William Binney, former Technical Director, World Geopolitical & Military Analysis, NSA; co-founder, SIGINT Automation Research Center (ret.) Marshall Carter-Tripp, Foreign Service Officer (ret) and former Office Director in the State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research Thomas Drake, former Senior Executive, NSA Bogdan Dzakovic, Former Team Leader of Federal Air Marshals and Red Team, FAA Security, (ret.) (associate VIPS) Philip Giraldi, CIA, Operations Officer (ret.) Mike Gravel, former Adjutant, top secret control officer, Communications Intelligence Service; special agent of the Counter Intelligence Corps and former United States Senator The full letter can be read here. Anyone following this link can see that in an issue of this importance, there is precedent for revealing information that might possibly compromise other activities. It was done:
 It is the view of this writer, that a propaganda war is being fought at the moment. Russia is being made the whipping boy so that other issues, closer to home in America, are not looked at. The actual details of the Wikileaks emails have dropped from the headlines a long time ago, even though in the alternative media (so called fake news media) important questions are being raised.
There is no discussion for example, of the cyber-espionage activities of the West - and the USA in particular, nor the spying by diplomats in Russia, nor the long and inglorious history of direct American actions over 60 years in the democracies of other nations – Iran (1953), Chile (on 9/11 1973), In fact political scientist Dov Levin of Carnegie Mellon University, estimates 81 such interventions between 1946 and 2000. We are entitled to ask what exactly is going on, and why our 'trusted' media outlets are so evidently not doing their job. Is their a silent coup occurring in the USA?  Heroes The stories associated with Masters often have elements of the hero's quest about them. Often divinity is involved with their birth, and miracles abound. Buddha has his time of wandering and his testing under the Bodhi Tree. Jesus also has his (supposed) travels and his testing in the desert. Krishna deals with demons. With those Masters who did not found religions, there are elements too, like the wanderings of Pythagoras or the mysterious powers of the Theosophical Savants. In this post we will consider the relevance of heroes to our own spiritual journey today. In the recent post on Masters, we looked briefly at the life of Orpheus. His story rests somewhere between myth and history, as it is very likely there was an individual called Orpheus, and there was an Orphic School. However, his life story follows the pattern of that of a hero, complete with the (almost) obligatory visit to the Underworld or Land of the Dead.
He fits the pattern of a hero, because like so many he has to cope at some point with the Underworld. In our earlier consideration of the story of the Soul and Persephone, we saw how that myth indicated the Underworld was - in fact - this world, the Mundane, or in some cases Mundi. The great love of Orpheus, Eurydice, running from the amorous advances of a Satyr, dies through a snake bite. Orpheus, inconsolable, travels (safely, because the Gods love his music) to the Underworld to retrieve her. Hades and Persephone whose hearts are softened by his music, take pity on the couple. He is allowed to return with her following him, to 'the upper world' but only if he does not look back. But when he is safe, he looks back and she is lost to him for ever. The full story is given here. Meaning of the mythMyths can be considered to have layers of meaning and are always worth thinking about as they reveal their treasures slowly. One way of considering this myth is seeing Orpheus and Eurydice as different aspects of the Soul. Orpheus is in touch with the harmonies of Apollo; he is the spiritual soul. Eurydice (whose name means 'wide justice') is that aspect of the soul that descends into time and space. She, entangled with baser desires (the satyr) receives the deathly bite of a snake and so enters the underworld (in other words the Mundane realm of 'dream existence'). Orpheus, the heroic aspect of the soul, is unable to sustain the divine law (the interdiction to 'not look back') and indicates the soul that is not yet ready fully to 'ascend'. So part of the soul (Euridyce) remains under the rule of Hades and Persephone. Jason and the Argonauts  Jason, raised by a centaur (half man half horse), returning to his home, carries an old woman across a river. But she is Hera, Queen of the Gods, and gets heavier and heavier. He struggles and loses on gold sandal. Later he travels with other heroes (the Argonauts, who include Orpheus and Herakles. to recover the Golden Fleece from Colchis. If he is successful, he will gain his father's throne. On the way he has various trials, which he largely succeeds in overcoming. Herakles leaves them along the way (having lost his lover, Hylas). He copes with the Harpies, and like Odysseus, learns how to manage to get past the clashing rocks. When he arrives at Colchis, where the Golden Fleece is to be found, he is seen by Medea, the beautiful daughter of the king, but one who has the powers of a sorceress. She helps him with the task of dealing with the dragon's teeth that turn to soldiers, and the yoking of two great bulls; Medea guides him in dealing with the dragon that guards the fleece. Her price, in his success, is to escape with Jason, and to marry him. She does this when they reach the land ruled by Alcinous. Later, when Jason is unfaithful, Medea wreaks destruction on Corinth, where he rules, igniting the city with her fire breathing dragons. A fuller version of the myth can be found here
Meaning of the myth Each element of a story like that of Orpheus or Jason, or indeed Herakles and Odysseus, can be seen to have symbolic significance. The hero's journey is the journey of the Soul. We will consider just a few of the elements. The Golden Fleece  The golden fleece of the ram travels from West to East, and can be seen as representing the knowledge pre-dating both Egypt and Greece (some would say from the – Druids – of Ireland. This will be the subject of another post in due course.) Jason, cannot carry Hera as he crosses the river (moving from the spiritual reality of the centaur to the ordinary world) and he loses one golden sandal. In other words he has not sustained all his youthful spiritual power and strength, but must now prove himself. To gain his throne by right - from his uncle who has usurped it – he must find the lost wisdom (Golden Fleece). His uncle Pelias who has stolen his throne represents ignorant power, Jason gathers many talents in his ship the Argo. But in time he loses Herakles, whose lover, Hylas, has been abducted by a river nymph (Hyle = illusion). The loss of Herakles, who represents a Soul who has mastered all twelve challenges of the Zodiac, indicates Jason still has not overcome the illusions of this transient world. Medea Medea, (a sorceress like Circe who beguiles the sailors of Odysseus), loves Jason and is prepared to help him, provided he takes her with him. She – like Circe – has enormous power, for she can be seen as representing the power and knowledge of Nature. She therefore provides Jason with the wisdom to deal with the dragon's teeth, the two bulls and the dragon that guards the Golden Fleece. As long as Jason is in right relationship with Medea, he is safe. he marries her when they reach the realm of Scheria and King Alcinous. The name of the King has the suffix 'nous'. The meaning of Nous as Highest Mind has been discussed here. Jason, in reaching Scheria, has attained the power of reason. He marries Medea there, meaning the powers of Nature are under the control of reason, and are safe. When, later, he is unfaithful to Medea (unreasonable) then she wreaks havoc, using her chariot driven by two (duality) dragons. Like Circe, she is a goddess and cannot be destroyed. Underworld
Relevance of the Hero Myth Find the hidden tiger. We used to use the picture below with clients, to make the point that something that was right in front of them could be missed. The take away from an exercise like this was that the obvious is not always so obvious when you are expecting something different. So in the picture below, find The Hidden Tiger. You will know - for sure - when you have found it. If in doubt ... you haven't.   The Masters In the Lightworker and Spirituality Community (what used to be referred to often as New Age) there is much talk of Masters. This has been particularly influenced by the Theosophical Movement of the 19th Century. Prior to that, the masters tended to me drawn from the ranks of the Ancients, and might or might not include the founders of great religions, like Krishna, Buddha and Jesus. We will look at known great masters, divine teachers, masters contacted telepathically and how (and when) masters may arise. Orpheus
In the telling of his myth, Orpheus is decapitated, and his head floats to Lesbos. This indicates the dissemination of his teachings and how his ideas flowed on through time. "HERMES, draw near, and to my pray'r incline, From Orpheus' Hymn to Mercury trns Thomas Taylor Pythagoras
He plays a part in this novel. In one tradition he married the remarkable Theano from Crete, who led his school for many years after he died. Pay honour first to the immortal Gods, Lao Tze
"The Tao that can be expressed in words is not the All-embracing and Immutable Tao; the name which can be uttered is not the Ever-applicable Name." Plato
Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind Plato The Republic Krishna
Just as with Jesus, there is a question over whether we are dealing with a God in human form, or a human that in some way transcends their humanity, so with Krishna, some see him as Divine as such and some as the Messenger of the Divine. Beyond the Manifested there is another, Unmanifested and Eternal, Patanjali
When the agitations of the mind are under control, The Arrival of Theosophy
With the arrival of Madame Blavatsky and her extraordinary teachings, the Western World was introduced to a range of Masters reputed to be living in the fastness of Tibet or the Himalayan Mountains. Although the images above look like early photographs of these august teachers, it is unlikely that anyone took pictures of them in India.
As a psychologist, the current writer has always been perplexed at the lack of interest in the prolific writings of people like Helena Blavatsky and also Alice Bailey (whose works are shown above). Both claimed to have received teachings from "Masters'. In both cases the content of the teachings have been highly influential. The valuable school of psychotherapy called Psychosynthesis was developed by the Italian Psychologist Assagioli. He was directly influenced by Alice Bailey's teachings (amongst other things). He is reputed to have been one of the Disciples referred to cryptically in her writings. The Problem with the Masters With the Masters as described by Blavatsky (19th Century), Alice Bailey, David Anrias (early 20th Century) and many who have written since, much has to be taken on trust. With Saint Germain. Khut Hoomi, Hilarion, and The Tibetan we do not have direct access to their teachings, in writing or from those who have literally 'sat at their feet'. In each case their work is through the medium of those who received the words in some form of telepathic state. With many of these masters, there have been a multitude who claim to have channelled their words, so a huge amount of discernment has to be exercised to differentiate between what might be the teachings of a great mind (received by one attuned to that mind) and the deliberate disinformation arising from either a discarnate being with mischievous intent, or the rearrangement of commonplace truths within the subconscious of the one channelling. But knowing that certain writing is truly the work of a great mind, or indeed revelation, requires a certain element of trust. This applies in all cases. If we take, for example, The Beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in spirit, These words were not spoken in the English language, however beautiful the King James version manages to be. Nor were they spoken in Greek. Can we be sure that they were written down as they were spoken (in Aramaic or whatever language we assume Jesus used). Or were they transcribed by an inspired genius decades later? Or possibly centuries later? In the end, we have to judge the words according to their own merits and the beauty, truth and goodness of the ideas they convey. Although religions will claim the words of their scriptures have been protected by Divine Fiat, a glance at the different Bibles of Catholicism, Orthodoxy and the many sects of Protestant Christianity in America, will show that a bewildering number of versions of "God's Word" exist, each with subtle (and unsubtle) differences. So the teachings of the known great teachers of mankind rest partly on the teachers being real and not fictitious, but more so on the wisdom of the teachings themselves. The persistence of teachings over great periods of time, when they have been the object of study and inspiration to generations of fine minds, is another indication that the ideas are worth careful reflection. So what is a Master? The very concept of a Master, suggest an exceptional being delivering a teaching necessary at a particular time, for certain historical groups or for humanity as a whole. We need to address first the lack of women amongst the Masters mentioned above. There may be many reasons for this, and we should bear in mind that the Soul of each of us is both male and female. The expression of a teaching through a male body may reflect requirements both esoteric and exoteric, cultural and social. In the case of many Masters, there is often a woman who is absolutely crucial in the development and life of the individual. Pythagoras was the son of Pythia, a priestess and his earliest teacher. Plato's mother, Perictione, is considered to have been of utmost importance in his intellectual development, as was the mysterious philosopher, Diotima for Socrates. With Jesus his mother Mary (almost certainly an Essene and trained in their wisdom) and – more controversially - Mary Magdelene (who some suggest was a priestess of Isis and whose true import has been deliberately distorted) were crucial to his fulfilling his destiny. Similarly, Krishna has Radha as his lover. Sri Aurobindo, a Master within living memory, could not have done his work without 'The Mother' a French woman of remarkable abilities. So although the teachings may be associated with a given man, the conception, reception and dissemination of those teachings required specific women (for example Blavatsky and Bailey). The making of a Master Various factors may be considered in the 'making of a master'. They need teachers who are wise and steeped in a tradition. They need to be part of a tradition that can receive their insights and wisdom. Some, it is said, are God taught (without a teacher). This title was given to Ammonius Saccas of Alexandria. But even they need a tradition receptive to their revelation. They have to have the right body (genetic constituency). This is one reason that the idea of blood-lines is emphasised with certain of the great teachers. Their ancestry is important. We may assume that they are remarkable Souls. This does not require a belief (or indeed necessity) for reincarnation. But it is clear that the individuals listed at the beginning of this post were in no way 'run of the mill' and that they brought some extraordinary capacity with them at birth. Often their births appear to have miraculous elements. In today's parlance we would say they are 'old souls'. We may suggest that in some way they can access the Higher Mind and the collective higher minds of the tradition to which they belong. In this way they are in tune with their times and their teachings have a huge impact at that time to those who can 'hear' what is being said to them. All, without exception, have many moments when they are inspired, The Divine Spirit, raises their thinking and actions to a higher level of significance. They see further, their ideas fly higher. And with all true Masters, there is also Revelation. They are the conduit of a new Divine Teaching, that is not and cannot be in contradiction to any other Divine Revelation that has gone before. Their teachings have a beauty and a simplicity and carry the spark of inspiration across millennia. 
This picture has been around is Psychology circles for a long time. But there are still some for whom this is new.
The simple question - if you have not seen this picture before - is "how old is this lady"? When you have your answer, show it to a friend and ask them. Eventually you will find someone who estimates the age decades different to your estimate. Go figure. Seeing is believing - but then what do we see? |
AuthorMurray Morison is a novelist living in Crete RE-POSTING
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Teenager Rhory is thrown into a mission through the ages... can he survive a second battle across time? 
When a teenage priestess, living 5,000 years ago in Ancient Egypt, connects with Rhory, an English schoolboy visiting the British Museum, she puts herself and him in grave danger. Click here to learn more about M C Morison's time slip book Recent Posts...
Is our History Simply Wrong The World's Oldest City Is God Fair Queen Nefertiti and Treasure in Turkey Dark Deeds - Mind Lab Darwin and the Mousetrap Thought Police One eyed monsters Do Angels have wings Psyche Soul and Mind 2 Psyche Soul and Mind 1 Atlantis Old and New 2 Atlantis Old and New 1 Secret space programme Spirit and spirits Awareness and Higher mind The fake news war Citizens hearings on disclosure Understanding the Goddess Thrive - did you miss this Fake news and the alt media Ascension Part 2 Ascension Part 1 Tradition Mundi - a mind trap The Mundane and mundi 2 The Mundane and mundi 1 Affirmations |
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