First-Quarter Moon

August 31, 2006 | Leave a Comment

First Quarter Moon

At first-quarter moon, the dance between light and dark has reached it’s midway point, once more. The male-female energies of sunshine and earth-shadow balance each other out, with the male energies starting to increase. Light, display, definition and clarity are all on the rise, so start implementing a new plan or idea, or work out the kinks. It will be easier to see the details in the coming days.

Of course, the moon is always feminine, it is only the reflected light which is male. So the feminine shines that much brighter when the male gaze falls upon her.

Posted by Jane Hansen | Filed Under Moon Lore 

North Country Binges

August 25, 2006 | 1 Comment

Minneapolis-St. Paul ranks 2nd among America’s Drunkest cities according to a Forbes.com Special Report. Guess who ranks #1? You got it, Milwaukee.

Yes, it’s cold. But so is Duluth. Even colder. I personally think it has something to do with a social climate more than the physical one. When you go up nort’, well, people are people. They don’t have to be so “nice” and stuff themselves into a mold which requires lubrication to fit into. Or it might be our habit of denial. Or it might be that we are so close to Milwaukee.

Although it’s interesting to know this little tidbit. I’m really more interested in why. 

Posted by Jane Hansen | Filed Under Fresh News 

The Eye has Karma

August 24, 2006 | Leave a Comment

Spam Karma, that is.

We’ve had comments reserved for registered users before now because of the hundreds of spambots out there posting nasty stupid things.

But now we’re good. Y’all can post your comments, just don’t go overboard all at once. Frequency is one of the tests.

Posted by Jane Hansen | Filed Under Fresh News 

Holy cow, Sita Sings the Blues

August 24, 2006 | Leave a Comment

Sita Sings the Blues

Oh my. The Ramamayana from Sita’s point-of-view created by someone with a western perspective. The animation. The music, the vibe. Everything is simply mind-blowing.

You must see this, and read the Frequently Asked Questions. And the letters to the animator.

Oh my. Or should I say Holy cow?

Posted by Jane Hansen | Filed Under Hinduism 

Mystical Exhibitions at MIA

August 24, 2006 | Leave a Comment

I thought I’d provide a quick rundown on the mystical and magickal exhibits at the Minneapolis Institute of arts since there is a new exhibit opening on Saturday August 26th. From Ancient China, to Renaissance Monsters, and from the Cradle of civilization to the eastern mysticism of Buddhist art, there’s something for all mystical inclinations.

Sacred Sounds: The Bells of Ancient China

Saturday, August 26, 2006-Sunday, April 8, 2007
Cargill Gallery 103
Free Exhibition

The Chinese Bronze Age (c. 1900-221 B.C.E.) is well known by the thousands of ritual vessels excavated from ancient tombs. Bronze bells were used during ceremonies and elaborate rituals of that time.

This exhibition will feature a set of twenty graduated bells–the largest group in a western museum–to explore the technical, artistic, and musical characteristics of late Bronze Age bells. Also included are ceramic substitute sets of the same period excavated from lesser burials.

Monsters and Mayhem: Renaissance Prints from the Jones Collection

Through Sunday, November 5, 2006
Winton Jones Gallery 344
Free Exhibition

This installation takes an unusual look at 15th-century prints devoted to real and imagined beasts, fierce battles, bawdy mischief makers, and general bad behavior of the worst kind. It will feature works by many of the most important artists of the period including Andrea Mantegna, Israhel van Meckenem, Albrecht Dürer, and Martin Schongauer.

Sacred Art in the Permanent Collections

AnubisAncient Art Collection

This is a focused collection of ancient art, comprising works from several civilizations in the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea, from about 20,000 B.C. to the fifth century A.D. These civilizations were united by trade networks that fostered cultural exchanges. 

The art of dynastic Egypt, unwaveringly directed towards the attainment of the afterlife, is represented by an intact mummy, the false door to a tomb, amulets, and religious burial objects. The collection also includes objects from the ancient Near East countries of Luristan, Sumeria, and Persia including finely crafted domestic objects, glass, and bronzes.

This statue of Anubis is just one of the many ancient artifacts available for viewing.

Asian Art - Buddhism CollectionKuan Yin

Having originated 2,500 years ago, the Buddha’s teachings have formed the core of the religion known as Buddhism. Over the centuries, Buddhism spread from India into all corners of Asia. As it spread, it transformed into a wide variety of beliefs and practices. The artforms it inspired are well represented in the museum’s collection.

The statue of the Bodhisattva Kuan Yin is an amazing example of sacred Buddhist art. Even the eyes are inlaid to provide a an incredible level of realism.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts
2400 Third Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55404

The museum is located one mile south of downtown Minneapolis at the intersection of 3rd Avenue South and East 24th Street.

Admission is FREE every day!

Hours as follows:

Tuesday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Wednesday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Monday Closed

Posted by Jane Hansen | Filed Under Mystic & Magic MN 

Fire on Lyndale Avenue

August 16, 2006 | Leave a Comment

Around 2:15 today, Thraicie looked out the front window and saw a puff of smoke and thought it was strange there was a semi-truck on the block over. Well, 6 or 7 firetrucks later (about 10 minutes), it became clear there was a major fire in the building across the street.

The people got out safely, and a kitten was saved by the Fire Fighters. At the time of this writing, two blocks are still blocked off and it’s a bit of a hike to get to the store.
It’s on the news: http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=132299

Posted by Jane Hansen | Filed Under Fresh News 

Last Quarter Moon

August 16, 2006 | Leave a Comment

Last-quarter moon

It’s the last quarter moon. Sometimes known as third quarter, it is the midpoint between full moon, and new moon.

Metaphysically, the goddess is hiding half her face. It does not mean she is turning away, it is only the shadow which makes it seem so. Remember, the shadow is cast by mother earth, Gaia, the goddess of growth. So it doesn’t mean things aren’t growing and prospering, it just means not in a showy flashy way illuminated by the light of the sun. There is less to boast about, but the roots are growing deeper, hidden from view.

From an energy standpoint, the waning is a letting-go in preparation for the new moon, the birth of intuition. It is when the goddess steps forward, and the god begins to step back. Both action and intuition are in balance right now, male and female in the yin yang dance, with the female starting to ascend so understand the energy may not be as bright and flashy. It is a good time to re-evaluate, take stock, and begin asking what your intuition is telling you, let go of things which keep you out of balance. Keep your feet planted on the earth (shadow) even as you look to the sky.

Posted by Jane Hansen | Filed Under Moon Lore 

Cultural Creatives Reach Beyond the New Age

August 10, 2006 | Leave a Comment

Do you fit into a labelled box or do you resent it when people try to stuff you into a category like New Age?

Maybe you have never considered yourself a New Ager, but prefer to think of yourself as a Free Spirit who does not run after every guru or enlightenment fad packaged under a new label.

Maybe you are down-to-earth, inquisitive, open, and you’ve simply had your fill of plastic shamans and others who have discovered the ultimate truth-of-the-year, revealed only through them and they will gladly share it with you for a price.

If you are like at least 50 million adults in the U.S., you find you don’t quite fit neatly into the pollsters demographics. Take New Agers, for example. Some people might put you into that box if you have a private spiritual practice which respects the earth, but just aren’t into crystals. Or maybe you do “tune in” to crystal and gemstone energies but don’t get your wisdom from “channelled” beings from another plan or another planet.

Remember when the New Age was actually new? Individuals and small self-forming groups, influenced by modern physics or the ecology movement and/or the civil rights and womens rights movements pushed beyond the boundaries of cultural and racial stereo-types to ask some important questions. If there is a God, can we really limit his, or more revolutionarily, HER, to a single name, culture or book of wisdom?  Exploration was the norm, but somehow, the marketing engine started to run the show, and it all became about putting on a new label and selling to the “New Age” market.

So why amd I talking about a new label anyway?

When I first heard of this new label “Cultural Creatives” being coined by a book of the same name, I was skeptical. It sounded like yet another guru gimick, but I was intrigued by the description of this new group on the website about the book:

bookcover

“The Cultural Creatives care deeply about ecology and saving the planet, about relationships, peace, social justice, and about self actualization, spirituality and self-expression. Surprisingly, they are both inner-directed and socially concerned, they’re activists, volunteers and contributors to good causes more than other Americans. However, because they’ve been so invisible in American life, Cultural Creatives themselves are astonished to find out how many share both their values and their way of life. Once they realize their numbers, their impact on American life promises to be enormous, shaping a new agenda for the twenty-first century.”
–http://www.culturalcreatives.org/book.html

Read more

Posted by Jane | Filed Under Books, New Age 

The Brain Scrub for Druids

August 10, 2006 | Leave a Comment

By Robert Morgen

The Brain Scrub is designed to help you overcome the “monkey mind” which leaps and bounces around from subject to subject in an uncontrolled manner. After mastering this exercise you’ll be able to instantly clear and calm your mind in any situation, allowing you to focus completely on any subject.

Sit on the floor “Indian style”. Don’t worry about trying to sit in any particular position. If you wish you can sit upright in a chair, just sit towards the front and let your feet rest flat on the floor. Keep your spine straight, shoulders back and just let your hands rest in your lap. Take a moment to relax and let your breathing soften.

Now, as you inhale focus on the number 1. Hold your focus and exhale.
On the next inhale focus on the number 2 and so on until you get to 10.
The purpose here is to focus entirely on the numbers and not allow any other thoughts to intrude. Remember to breathe as I outlined in the article on Breathing.

DO NOT beat yourself up with this exercise! Our minds are constantly at work and the untrained mind will bounce from thought to thought continually (monkey mind) and even during this exercise you’ll have other thoughts arise.

The key is not to attach to any of those thoughts. When other thoughts arise just let them evaporate like a wisp of smoke, passing unheeded through your consciousness and on out of your head.

Your goal is to count from 1 to 10 without attaching to any intruding thoughts, and if you do find yourself thinking of anything other than your target number then go back to one and start over.

This exercise is invaluable for learning to control your mind, and even seasoned meditators will find it useful to go back and practice occasionally.

This exercise is especially good for the Druid because once you can completely calm your mind you open up to a whole new world of feeling and sensation. Now the world takes on a new feel because you have the ability to be so much more aware of it.

One of the problems with the monkey mind is the fact that it uses up your awareness. Once you can still the mind you can open up to the deeper levels and become aware of the inner voices (you can call them spirit guides, angels, demons or whatever) that can lead you in the directions you need to go. It also allows you to become aware of the other energies that surround you, making it easier to extend your senses in new directions.

EVERYTHING is about awareness and intention! (Get used to hearing that) Once you develop your awareness it’s very easy to focus your intention to create the results you’re looking for. That’s magick of the highest order.

—

Robert Morgen is a Reiki Master who currently holds a Black Belt in Hoshin Roshi Ryu. He’s the founder of the Kundalini Awakening Discussion Group, the Druids Circle Discussion Group and the (offline) Druids Circle in Lakewood, CO. You can find more info on all these at;

http://www.robertmorgen.com

He’s also the founder and Executive Director of the Windhaven Foundation for Sustainable Living.

He writes a regular column on subtle energy for Fight Times Magazine and a twice monthly column on Kundalini Awakening at Alumbo.com.

In addition to teaching about energy work and Kundalini Awakening he donates time to teach about Renewable Energy, Alternative Building and Creating Sustainable Lifestyles in various Public Schools.

He travels and teaches as much as possible and you can find out how to attend one of his Kundalini Awakening seminars at his website.

His new book “Kundalini Awakening for Personal Mastery” (ISBN: 0977380106) is available through his website or at a bookstore near you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Morgen

Posted by Jane Hansen | Filed Under Meditation & Yoga 

Why Study Shamanism?

August 10, 2006 | Leave a Comment

By Maggie Wahls
This is probably the most common question asked today. And you know why so many people ask it? Because we are brought up in a society that does not have Shamanism. Worse than that we are brought up without community.

In the old days we were raised with a strong community around us. We lived together, played together, grew up together and sometimes even died together. We had elders and doctors and teachers and medical advisors right within this strong close knit community. Think of the Klingit tribes of Indians who live in Alaska. Although they may seem isolated from the outside, they are completely self contained with a very strong sense of communal identity.

But today, we are lucky to have a strong family or church community and in many ways we are less fortunate than long ago.

In the old days, the elders would watch the children and find what each child was strong in and had a knack for. Then that gift or gifts were encouraged and the child grew into whatever came naturally to him or her. If a child seemed good with numbers, that talent was grown and the child might become the treasurer for the community. If the child was given to visions he or she may be groomed to be the community’s visionary. If the child could speak to the animals, perhaps the child would become the communicator to the spirit world. Each child would have one or more gifts he or she was born with. It was the community, the elders, the teachers, and the parents who realized the blessings and were happy to help the child be what he or she was meant to be in life.

Today we have no such possibility for ourselves or for our children. For the most part, we are raised to fit into a box; to learn what everyone else learns and to ignore or abandon anything that does not fit into society’s box. If our parents see us talking to the birds we are taken to a psychologist and told not to do that. In fact there is very little encouragement to develop the gifts and talents that we were born into. And so our society is losing out on the largest talent bank ever assembled on this planet today. Read more

Posted by Jane Hansen | Filed Under Shamanism 

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