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Maata Mahalakshmi Japa and Havan
Siddha Maata Mahalakshmi Japa and Havan
Beneficial for... Increasing wealth, Removing financial difficulties, prosperity.
You must perform this Mahalakshmi Japa and Havan when you are facing financial difficulties and wish to earn wealth in abundance. For improvement in Financials and also for recovery of dues, which are said to bestow different benefits to the performer of this Mahalakshmi Japa and Havan. Even the mere recitation of these mantras, bestow prosperity. For Mahalakshmi Japa and havan, we chant 11001 Japa and 10 % havan of chant. In the puranas, this homam is said to bring the following to the devotee:-
Mystical powers
Vehicles
Food grains
Ownership of Land
Mental strength
Fame
Royal influence
Good servants
Attainment of horses
Attainment of elephants
Clothes
Progeny
Domestic animals
Prosperity
"
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Beware of any professional magician who claims that you are under a curse that can only be lifted if you pay them a bunch of money. Actual curses cast by effective magicians are so rare that they might as well be nonexistent, and just about anyone who believes that they are under "psychic attack" has serious psychological problems. Nevertheless, con artists are quick to take advantage of these mentally ill individuals, at least those of them with money.
'Mrs. Grace' Sees Her Future in Jail
This "psychic" admitted defrauding clients of large sums of money claiming that she needed it in order to lift "destructive curses." Here's one area in which I agree with the Randi foundation - fraudulent magicians give all of us a bad name and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. One of the things that amazes me is the sheer amount of money some of these folks make even though they're complete frauds.
Prosecutors say the fortuneteller's clients included a 57-year-old Poolesville woman who gave Uwanawich more than 160,000 in cash and property over the course of a year. Their relationship began at a shopping mall, when Uwanawich approached the woman, who was depressed, and handed her a flier promoting her psychic powers.
I mean, does this really work? Should I hang out at malls and hand people flyers advertising that I can cast real spells and then quit my day job? Unlike the phonies, I can actually make stuff happen. Or is Aleister Crowley right when he comments in De Thaumaturgia that "man is so built that he will credit false miracles, and regard true miracles as false" and I'm therefore just out of luck? It certainly is true that I don't know of any genuine magicians who make a living at it, let alone a living like this woman did before she got caught.
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BryAnn Becker Veronika Ludewig rubs outside of a crystal singing bowl to produce a tone during one of her meditation classes at The Dharma Room in Sioux Falls (Elisha Page/Argus Leader).
BEGINNER'S MEDITATIONBegin with a few minutes of meditation every day. Be comfortable. Then go right into your body and notice any tension. Breathe naturally. Follow your breath. You can also take straight, deep breaths and count. Hold breath for four counts, release for a count of four, and start again. Release any expectation of what is supposed to happen. (
Melissa Shattuck was recently stranded at the Chicago O'Hare Int'l Airport for three days on her way back to Sioux Falls from a workshop in Puerto Rico with The Chopra Center. Instead of becoming overly worried and stressed, Shattuck took the setback in stride. A friend remarked to her how calm Shattuck was during the event.
She credits her meditation practice for helping her keep anxiety and stress in check. Shattuck, co-owner of The Dharma Room, started meditating about four and half years ago after an experience at the The Chopra Center in Carlsbad, California.She started meditating to deal with stress.
"This was the most life-changing thing for me in dealing with depression and anxiety," Shattuck says. She is a certified meditation instructor with The Chopra Center, started by teacher and author Deepak Chopra and David Simon. She also teaches Ayurveda and yoga. MORE>>
* What: Crystal Bowl Meditation with Veronika
* When: 3-4 p.m. Saturday and March 26
* Where: Park Ridge Galleria, 1604 S. Western Ave.
* What: Meditation, Dharma discussion, Q">When: 6-8 p.m. Sunday
* Where: The Butterfly Rainbow Center, 1416 S. Minnesota Ave.
* Info: The mission of the Vihara is to share the Buddha's message of peace and happiness and to help create peace and harmony within ourselves and in the surrounding world. The Vihara is open to people of all faith traditions and cultures.
* Info: southdakotabv.org
* Individual meditation is available by appointment from Randy Smith at The Butterfly Rainbow Center.
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We are not responsible for any content contained herein, but have simply copied and pasted from a variety of sources. If you have any content for future digests, please contact us via the various options on our 'contact' page.
In this issue:
*
Religious Studies
Description: Subrahmanyan will discuss how the first Portuguese voyage to India in 1497 coincided with the Portuguese attempt to forcibly convert its Jewish residents in the kingdom. Some Jews and New Christians (cristos-novos), moved between Iberia and Portuguese Asia via the Cape route and the Ottoman Empire.
Contact: dscott[at]loc.gov
Announcement ID: 204129
CFP: Religion, Spirituality, and Inequality in Communities of Color: A Special issue of Women, Gender, and Families of Color
Location: Missouri
Date: 2013-08-16
Description: CALL FOR PAPERS Religion, Spirituality, and Inequality in Communities of Color A Special issue of Women, Gender, and Families of Color Guest Editors Assata Zerai, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Sandra Weissinger, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Recent public discourse on womens
Contact: azerai[at]illinois.edu
Announcement ID: 203988
Along the lines of this year's theme, we are looking for paper proposals from students currently enrolled in M.A. or Ph.D. programs - not only in Buddhist Studies, but also in other disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, and history - that speak directly to the study of Buddhist meditation. The papers selected for presentation will be organized into panels, each chaired by a faculty respondent. Presentations will not exceed twenty minutes.
We strongly encourage proposals that stretch received boundaries and challenge the way we think about and study Buddhist Meditation in its many forms and contexts. We encourage papers that approach Buddhist meditation from a diverse range of methodological approaches - literary, historic, ethnographic, sociological, political, and educational/pedagogical, to name a few.
We are particularly interested in the following topics:
- Problems in the *historical study* of Buddhist meditation.
- Innovative *Interdisciplinary* investigations into contemplative
practice in Buddhist societies (e.g.: historically-informed ethnography)
- How *the body* has been conceptualized and represented within specific
Buddhist contemplative systems
- The role of *creativity and innovation* vis-`a-vis lineage and
"tradition."
- *Therapeutic* and instrumental* (vs. soteriological) applications of
Buddhist meditation *in Buddhist societies*.
- Institutional and pedagogical frameworks.
- The role of *the literary* in Buddhist meditation traditions (e.g.:
biographical literature, meditation manuals, philosophical literature, etc)
Paper Proposal Submission Guidelines
Please submit an abstract of your paper of *not more than 500 words*, along with your name, university and department affiliation, and a brief bio, to gradbuddhismconf2013 [at] gmail.com by *June 15, 2013.* You will be notified by the end of June of the status of your proposal, after which we will publish a detailed schedule of the conference.
University of Virginia may potentially be able to provide funding to cover the costs of lodging and meals for students presenting papers. Travel funds, however, should be obtained from the students' home institutions or other sources. We also warmly welcome and encourage non-presenting students to attend at their own cost. Regrettably, we cannot provide letters of
invitation to international observers for visa purposes because we are not equipped to take legal responsibility for international observers.
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CONFERENCES/ EVENTS
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UK Association for Buddhist Studies annual conference, which will be held on 12th July 2013 at SOAS, London
Friday 12th July 2013, 9.15am-5.30pm, Khalili Lecture Theatre, School of Oriental and African
Studies, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H.0XG.
Registration fee: lb10 (lb5 unwaged) for UKABS members; lb25 (lb15 unwaged) for non-members.
Further Information: UKABS Secretary, Dr. Cathy Cantwell (catherine.cantwell@orinst.ox.ac.uk).
Registration: To pre-register, please contact UKABS Treasurer and Membership Secretary, Naomi Appleton (naomi.appleton [at] ed.ac.uk), so that we have accurate numbers for refreshments. Payment (by cash or cheque) will be on the door.
Featuring lectures by:
Professor Stefano Zacchetti, Numata Professor of Buddhist Studies, University of Oxford, the author of several studies, including the monograph In Praise of the Light (International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, Soka University, Tokyo 2005). His research focuses on early Chinese Buddhist literature (particularly translations and commentaries), and the history of the canon.
Dr Elizabeth Harris, Liverpool Hope University, the author of Theravada Buddhism and the British Encounter: religious, missionary and colonial experience in nineteenth century Sri Lanka (Routledge 2006) and What Buddhists Believe (Oneworld 1998). Her research interests are Buddhism and Conflict, Buddhism in Sri Lanka, the encounter between Buddhism and the West, particularly in the 19th Century, and Buddhism and religious plurality. Programme Registration from 9.15 a.m.
9.50 President's Welcome.
10.00-11.00 Professor Stefano Zacchetti (University of Oxford) The dream of a thing: some reflections on the nature, functions, and formation of the Buddhist canon in China.
11.00-11.30 Coffee break.
11.30-1.00 Postgraduate Panel:
11.30-12.00 Anastasia Gritsenko (Goldsmiths College, University of London) On Buddhist
Happiness and Aristotle's eudaimonia: A Paradoxical Account?
12.00-12.30 Chris Jones (University of Oxford) The tathagatagarbha as atman in the Mahayana Agulimaliya Sutra.
12.30-1.00 Caroline Starkey (University of Leeds) The Crossing and Dwelling of Ordained
Buddhist Women in Contemporary Britain.
1.00 -2.15 LUNCH (in the SOAS canteen).
2.15 -3.00 UKABS AGM
3.00-4.00 University of Durham Research Project Presentation: 'Sastravid: A New Electronic Research
Tool for Studying Indian Philosophical Texts (Dr Jan Westerhoff; European Research Council funded project).
4.00-4.30 Tea break.
4.30-5.30 Dr Elizabeth Harris (Liverpool Hope University) Buddhism, Space and Conflict in Colonial and Postcolonial Sri Lanka.
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JOBS
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University of Kent - Careers Service
What can you do with a degree in Religious Studies?
The amount of the fellowship is 25,000 for one year, beginning in the fall of 2013
(+ 10,000 in research contracts) = Total 35,000
The recipient must meet the following conditions:have completed a PhD that is linked to religion in the public sphere; be fluent in English and French (oral and written); a test will be administered; provide a CV (with a minimum of two scientific conferences and two accepted scientific publications) and academic transcripts (excellent grade point average);
have mastered field study methods and demonstrate experience researching within a team;
will focus on addressing the theme of religion and education. Using Quebec as a case study, it will explore the developments around education and religion in Quebec to ask broader comparative questions in the rest of Canada. The postdoctoral fellow will draw on research already completed by Dr. Solange Lefebvre, as well as by other researchers in the Religion and Diversity Project (MCRI), focusing on addressing gaps in knowledge about Quebec as well as further develop a data base of information about religion and education in the rest of Canada. In addition, the postdoctoral fellow will be expected to explore the theme of education and religion on a broader comparative basis through research that draws on four 'diversity' reports and
Please submit a complete application before June 7th 2013 that includes academic transcripts; a complete CV; a one-page letter in English and in French explaining the applicant's qualifications to work on the suggested research themes and coordinate the involved projects; a copy of two articles (accepted or published); and two letters of recommendation (one being from the thesis supervisor).
Incomplete or poorly presented applications will not be considered. If the application is satisfactory, we will proceed to an interview with the candidate (in person or on Skype). Please submit a copy of your application to Tess Campeau, Information Officer, by email at info [at] religionanddiversity.ca.
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-red or orange thread -piece of plain white paper -pen or colored marker
-some dried herbs associated with drawing love
-liquid oil like Dragons Blood, rosemary or jasmine
On paper write what goal you want. When done place oil in corners of paper.
Place herbs in center. In clockwise direction close paper and fold as small as possible.
As you do this visualize the new talisman as a powerful catalyst that not only will draw
your chosen love to you but will bind him to you as well.
When its folded as small as you can begin winding thread around it to seal it.
Say these words while doing it:
By this spell one man I bind,
Heart and body, soul and mind,
Infatuated with me ever be,
His passion blazes deep for me.
I haunt his thoughts and dance through his dreams,
I'm always in his head it seems,
And more each day he cannot hide,
His growing feeling for me inside.
Infatuation, romance, passion igniting,
(persons name) finds me (insert your name) irresistibly exciting,
And he makes me aware of this catastrophic emotion,
And I become his devotion,
Like two moths drawn to the flame,
Neither of our lives shall be the same,
Let him know it is no sin,
(enter precise goal of spell) does begin,
(insert persons name) finds me always in his head,
And longs to take me to his bed,
Romantic fantasies of me haunt his mind,
(insert persons name) in love with me I do bind.
You can then keep it and hide it somewhere in your room.
I personally burn it in my cauldron and while doing the spell burn appropriate incense,
herbs and color candles.
Source: http://mysteryvoodoo.blogspot.com
"
FROM PHYLAMEANA LILA DESY, YOUR GUIDE TO HOLISTIC HEALING" HEALING MATTERSGRATITUDE AFFIRMATION - "Every day I wake up and am grateful for all the good things that I have in my life. I am lucky to be alive and live in joy, peace, and harmony. "
Thanksgiving Wishbone Ritual and Amulet The wishbone of a chicken or turkey is broken as a ritual for wish fulfillment. Breaking the wishbone is a traditional good-luck ritual often used after a family holiday dinner, usually Christmas or Thanksgiving... read more
* Healing Amulets
* Turkey Totem
* What Are You Thankful For?
Search
Healing Holiday Scents There are certain aromas that we tend to associate with the holiday season. These include scents from the outdoors such as pine needles and cedar leaves because of the holiday trees that were hauled into our homes to be decorated. Smells from the kitchen also remind of us holiday traditions like mom's gingerbread men freshly out of the oven, grandpa's chocolate fudge boiling on the stove top, or aunt Meg's cinnamon sugar cookies arriving in the mail. It is not surprising that many of the scents that we enjoy during the holiday season have healing associations... read more Search
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{lang: 'en-GB'}
Also known as Harvest Home, Mabon takes place on the autumnal equinox, and is the second of the three harvest festivals, the first being Lammas, and the third being Samhain.
It falls somewhere between September 21 and 23 in the Northern Hemisphere, and on one of the corresponding days in March in the Southern Hemisphere.
Since Mabon is the second equinox in the Wheel of the Year light and dark are again equal on this day. Therefore, it's a time to both give thanks for the light and warmth of the growing season, as well as to contemplate the coming darkness.
It follows that this celebration provides an appropriate juncture to tie up loose ends and to complete tasks. It's also appropriate to relax and contemplate the types of things you may wish to reflect/meditate on in a more passive way as the winter months approach, which are typically less active.
Physically, our ancestors were gathering the harvest and preparing their food supply and wares for the colder and less fertile months ahead. At Mabon, we can do the same with our mental and emotional lives as well.
At this point in the Wheel of the Year, the Goddess becomes the old and wise aspect of womanhood, the grandmother, the crone (which does not have a negative connotation here). We are privy to her nurturing and ultimate universal knowledge born of experience and her living through the passage of cycles.
However, we cannot forget the dark aspect of this time of year, and the places in our lives that contrast to the light. Trust this time to dig deep, unearth, and positively transform the things in your life that may be labeled as "dark."
This turn in the Wheel of the Year sees the God reflected in his state as steward of vegetation and animals, often represented as Bacchus, Dionysus, or the Green Man. These figures overlap different pagan sabbats, and indeed have a place in many of the festivals of the light half of the year, especially beginning with Beltane back in the spring.
Consider Mabon the nature god's last romp! Grapes are growing abundantly now, so many honor this by incorporating wine into their celebrations. Ciders and wines are the drinks for this time in the Wheel of the Year. The ancient Druids offered different libations to the plants and trees.
Speaking of overlapping traditions, another masculine aspect comes from the ancient god who actually bore the name Mabon. Little is left of the story, but it involves his being stolen, imprisoned, and rescued (in some stories by King Arthur's knights).
Fittingly, the themes of freedom and liberation factor in. You can make offerings for furthering your own freedom from beliefs that no longer serve you, and also offering this prayer for others you care about as well.
How else can we enjoy Mabon? Telling old stories, picking apples, hiking and going to harvest festivals come to mind. Gratitude also figures prominently, as this was traditionally thanksgiving time in the old ways.
Colors: Think of autumn: red, maroon, orange, gold, browns.
Stones: Lapis lazuli, sapphire, yellow agates
Incense: Myrrh, sage, autumn blend-benzoin
Herbs: Benzoin, honeysuckle, marigold, grains, acorn, tobacco, milkweed, passionflower, sage, rose, ferns, solomon's seal, thistle, myrrh, vegetables.
YOU CAN HONOR THE BALANCE OF THE EQUINOX BY CENTERING IN MEDITATION.
OMHARMONICS DELIVERS BRAIN-ENTRANCING TONES INTO YOUR EARS AND BRINGS YOUR MEDITATIVE EXPERIENCES TO NEW LEVELS.
This concludes our "article on Mabon.
The next sabbat is Samhain.
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Imbolgen 23
I've decided to do it. I'm opening my own "Etsy" shoppe featuring magically-mystical items handcrafted by yours truly, me. My shoppe is WITCHCRAFTS BY LIORAH LLEUCU.
I haven't stocked it with any items yet - it will officially open with a small initial stock on March 29, 2009. These are the categories of items I am currently planning on carrying in WITCHCRAFTS -
Artisan Teas
Artisan Smudge Wands
Candle Magic
Herb & Resin Chest
Kabbalistic Creations
Sabbat/Shabbat Magic
Rituals Oils
Witch Bottles
Vintage Treasures
Custom Requests
No online stock yet - but visit my new shoppe anyway! Remember, OPENS MARCH 29 - [Nissan 4, Raven 4] - "a gateway to the mysteries of business!"
"
I hope I can figure out how to take good pictures of my items by then. First, I think I need to get a camera or something. Any suggestions about photographing items for sale is greatly appreciated.
I need to order some professional shoppe
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A stranded spirit, a sudden love...
Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life - or her actual death - she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.
Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that has held her captive for so long.
Amelia - still caught between life and death - must fight for every moment of her relationship with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some of Joshua's Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions than answers... and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.
Wandering through the French Quarter, Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life... a half-life for which Amelia would pay any price.
Torn between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for her.
COMING JUNE 4TH 2013
A stalker ghost, misguided Seers, and spellbinding wraiths - Amelia Ashley has faced them all. Now her greatest hope is to spend the rest of her afterlife with her living boyfriend, Joshua. But the demonic forces return to give her an ultimatum: turn herself over to the darkness or watch them murder one living person per week until she does.
Amelia fears she might really be doomed, until the forces of light give her another option. She can join them in their quest to gather souls, with a catch: Once she joins them, she can never see Joshua again.
Faced with impossible choices, Amelia decides to take her afterlife into her own hands - and fight back.
Credit: http://my-spiritual-path.blogspot.com
Harold Longman
pictures by Harry Devlin
Parent's Magazine Press, 1962
Full disclosure. I took my son to see How to Train Your Dragon last week, and he fell for it, hook, line and sinker. He's a sucker for any sort of enchanted animal and has swallowed the story whole, making the past week thoroughly dragon-filled. The moment we walked out of the theater, we headed over to the Recently, gifting
What kind of house
Should a tree house be
A castle, maybe,
Strong and tall
With towers and
A high stone wall?
Why not?
Or maybe a fairy tale house or an airplane or a nest or a fort? The possibilities are endless, though in the end, good old dad knows just what to do to make the house come alive. Because, after all, a tree house can be anything we want in our imaginations. My husband is dying to build a tree house with my son, but we have a few birthdays still to go before that happens. Makes me insane that he'll be in kindergarten next year. Where has the time gone?
As my son and I sat on the couch this morning, finishing up the last two chapters of How To Train Your Dragon, both admittedly weeping openly at the end... I made a pact that as long as my son will let me, I'll keep dishing out
Source: http://wizard-notes.blogspot.com
Save 2 today on this much-loved family story, told with humor and poignancy. This book will charm you and touch you. Get it today for 99 cents!
"Insightful and excellent! When I first began reading "Dented Cans," I knew I would be hooked in for the long haul without any effort. The very first page makes you curious and pulls you in to the story, making you want answers to the questions the author arises within the first couple of paragraphs. This story is like nothing I have ever read before. It is at times heart-wrenching, often hilarious and it really makes you stop and think. Are any of our families perfect? Don't we all have some kind of a quirk or some secret we wish to keep from each other and the outside world? These are the questions we stop to ponder when we read Heather Walsh's book.
"There are so many things to love about this book, and yet it is difficult to expand on this thought without giving away the story. The "secret" that is mentioned in the blurb for this book is revealed in a somewhat unusual setting, but I really felt it worked for this book. Where else could a family with such quirks and intricacies figure out what makes them different is actually what holds them together than the Magic Kingdom?
"The author paces this book perfectly, allowing each of her characters to be fully realized before moving on to the end of the book. I never felt like she rushed this or wished it was finished early. It is very apparent that she took the time to nurture these characters and this family until she was proud of them and ready for the world to meet her dynamic cast.
"Reading this book makes you want to stop what you are doing and hug the ones you love. I found myself smiling and getting teary-eyed all at the same time, and it is not often that I am so affected by something I have read. This book is so different than the other genre based fiction I have read in the last few years. Fully deserving of five stars and a recommendation. I will read this one again."
"- Ionia Martin, Amazon Top 500 reviewer"
Dented Cans, by Heather Walsh
A family secret is revealed during an ill-fated-yet hilarious-trip to Disney World.
Sixteen-year-old Hannah Sampson knows her family is not what you would call normal. Her father compulsively buys dented cans and has a particular fondness for cans without Hannah's parents inflict one last family vacation on the Sampson children, a trip that goes comically wrong almost from the get-go. Hannah is forced to confront her family's past in Disney World, of all places, when an emotional argument prompts her parents to disclose a secret they have been keeping from the children for sixteen years. Ultimately, she must decide whether to leave her hometown and not look back, or to focus on helping her family.
Excerpt from Dented Cans
Here is a brief sample, during the trip to Disney World. This is in the voice of Hannah, the narrator of the novel.
We did a few more rides, and then we went to the World Showcase, the section of EPCOT that consisted of pavilions "showcasing" various countries. In reality just a bunch of overpriced restaurants and gaudy gift shops "hawking" ethnic food and trinkets. Before we were allowed to eat lunch, we had to locate a restroom so we could rid our hands of the thousands of germs that only Dad had the ability to detect. Then we spread out across two benches in Italy right next to Alfredo's Restaurant, where people who actually purchased their food went to eat. It was a good thing we'd brought our own peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. That and chicken fingers would have probably been a hard ethnic cuisine to place. Maybe the Nutritionally Defunct Pavilion'
Mom began passing out the sandwiches. I felt as if I shouldn't eat mine, knowing the hard work that went into making it.
"This World Showcase is so boring," Ryan said.
"This World Showcase is so stereotyped," I said. "Who knew the only thing Italians do is listen to 'O Solo Mio' while they eat spaghetti and meatballs' And if you're German, you obviously dance the polka. Half of it isn't even true."
"Yeah, I didn't know that Mexicans just hit pi~natas all day. And you can buy your own to whack for just 19.99," Ryan said.
"Hannah, stop questioning everything. Just try to enjoy it," Dad said.
Stop questioning everything. I think Dad was just quoting Socrates there. Didn't he say that' My fellow Greeks, stop questioning everything. Just enjoy. Enjoy EPCOT.
"OK, I won't point out that Africa, the second largest continent on the planet, isn't even represented here," I said.
"We've heard enough of your opinion on the matter. Can you please just let your younger brother enjoy this'" Dad said.
Sure. I could keep the truth to myself. Socrates and I were kindred spirits. Perhaps Dad had some hemlock for me to drink?
"Did you bring any canned peaches for dessert?" Ryan said.
I laughed.
"OK, very funny," Dad said.
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Meet the Author
Visit Heather's website: www.hwalsh.com
Heather Walsh grew up in North Haven, CT, fantastically close to Pepe's pizza.
She received a B.A. in English at Mary Washington College, which has been renamed to, drum roll please... the University of Mary Washington. They initially tried to rename it after another dead white Virginian because there aren't enough of those schools around, but somehow Mary pulled through. Heather graduated Phi Betta Kappa and summa cum laude, which sounds kind of fancy but really means she took easy classes.
She taught high school English in Brooklyn for one year, where she loved the students but not the system. She then joined corporate America and worked there for too many years as an IT trainer, project manager, business analyst, and SQL dabbler (select * from Dented Cans).
Her favorite writer is Alice Munro, her favorite movie is The Godfather Parts I & II (tied for first), and her favorite TV show is The Wire.
She has lived in some pretty neat places, including Brooklyn (kind of before it was hipster-cool to do so), Manhattan, and San Francisco. The unfortunate result of living in these locations is that she has become an obnoxious foodie. She currently lives in Brookline, MA with her husband, Mike DeLucia, and their two children.
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Good afternoon everyone, sorry for the late start today. I had to get my work out done and then head over to make breakfast for my Grandmother. She's 96 years old, and we get together as a family every other Sunday to make the traditional breakfast for her. Not a whole lot that I eat any more, but I always try to bring her some fresh fruit to have. We always have a great time.
Today keeping up with the DC40 Prayer initiative we're heading straight into the next state on their prayer siege. I'm still watching the headlines to see if they're posting anything and so far, the only thing I've seen has been counter protests. Nothing from DC40 themselves. So let's get to it!
As always my facts come from 50states.com and if you'd like to join our discussion please head over to "What Makes Your State Great", our group on Facebook.
Hail Iowa!
Crystal Lake is home to a statue of the world's largest bullhead fish. The state's smallest city park is situated in the middle of the road in Hiteman. West Okoboji is the deepest natural lake in the state. Its depth is 136 feet.
Spirit Lake is the largest glacier-made lake in the state. Rathbun Dam and Reservoir is the largest body of water in the state.
Imes Bridge is the oldest of Madison County's six bridges.
Iowa is the only state whose east and west borders are 100% formed by water. Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Iowa is the only state name that starts with two vowels.
The original inhabitants of Iowa are:
The Dakota Sioux tribe
The Illinois (Illini) tribe
The Ioway tribe
The Missouria tribe
The Otoe tribe
I found this piece by Yellow Hammer called Otoe Song.
Sending light love and protection to the great state of Iowa!
Namaste & Blessed Be!
Sosanna
)O(Read Confessions of a Modern Witch
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I'm not a mother, but in the coven I was trained in I was considered a bit strange because I didn't want babies. Many of my witchy friends are parents - and I often hear them bemoaning the fact that there are so few She adds: "All of us are implicated in the raising of children, in the raising of a healthy new generation, whether or not we are parents." And seeing as I have tried to write child-friendly rituals in the past and hope to do so again, I feel I could do with all the advice I can get on that matter.
Children of the Green looks at the issues of bringing up children in terms of the elements - earth representing children's physical needs, air their minds, fire their activities and also their wants and water their emotions. It also looks at the fifth element - spirit.
For many Wiccans, a big dilemma is whether to tell their children that they are witches. Some feel it is best kept secret until their kids are in their mid teens because of the stigma that is still attached to witchcraft. They don't want their children teased at school because of it - some even fear that if their child reveals their secret to outsiders, people might consider them to unfit parents simply because of their beliefs.
That is a choice each parent has to make on their own. However, Children of the Green shows ways in which children can be brought up with pagan spirituality as a part of their life. It looks at the theories behind childcare techniques as well as ways to teach youngsters a pagan way of looking at the world. It also includes practical exercises such as grounding meditations that can be done even with five-year-olds; teaching the cycles of the season by growing, harvesting and cooking vegetables in the garden; telling them stories from pagan mythology; using herbs as part of the family first-aid chest and performing simple, seasonal rituals that they can take part in.
The book is well researched, thought-provoking and, I would think, offers much for pagan parents to consider and perhaps adapt for their own use.
Publisher Moon Books says on its website: "Children of the Green is an in-depth consideration of child raising from within pagan spirituality. Written by a long-time pagan witch, educator and parent, it considers the deeper questions of raising children within pagan spirituality, and the building of community for pagan families. Taking a unique approach, Children of the Green focuses not solely on sharing the festivals and celebratory cycles of paganism, but also discusses the moral, ethical and practical issues of raising kids as pagans; from working with schools, handling family changes and crises, child development from a pagan perspective and facing the challenges of a changing world."
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"THE INNER ATTRACTS THE OUTER. LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE. "
If something in your outer world is not what you want it to be, look inside and shift how you feel about yourself or about that which you are not happy with. You will then automatically attract different people and experiences to you.
In essence at soul level we are pure energy and we all emit a certain frequency band and vibration. When we are truly cosmically tuned in then we will vibrate at the optimum frequency band of our soul. We will thus then attract those of our own soul group to us who also vibrate at that same optimum frequency band. Not only will those of our own soul group be attracted to you, but those who vibrate at the same frequency band.
It takes a while to start understanding, that when we allow other souls who are of a LOWER vibrational frequency or one those jams our frequency bands, that either they will make our frequency bands go haywire, with immense disruptions and disturbances and turbulence arising, or they will not be repelled at some stage.
When we see lack in any form, we have to understand that lack is only what we perceive deep inside of us. What is lacking deep inside? It is faith in yourself and your own ability? Is it lack of faith in the Divine to supply all your needs? Is it lack of shifting our awareness, of doing the inner work, to that our perceptions change and we get crystal clear about what we are not seeing or being or manifesting inside?
A lot of us had past lives as nuns, or monks, or part of organizations or religions where we were told that begging bowls would buy us our spirituality, or that is would buy us salvation. Some forsook all their material goods, in order to join religious cults etc. In this lifetime these souls will attract poverty consciousness to themselves, because the vows they took in those lifetimes, are still haunting them today. Until those vows of Poverty, Obedience, Chastity, etc. have been released, your inner self will reject all of that to come into your life in some form.
You can look at you yourself subconsciously broadcasting to the entire world out there what is inside of you. Like: "I hate myself. I am unworthy. I am ugly. I am stupid." Guess what? You will attract those people into your life that will treat you like you treat yourself inside. Until you change your inner belief system, you will keep attracting that which you believe. If you believe that you are undeserving of good in your life that is what you will attract.
A very simple awareness of your inner talk - of self talk, will alert you to all of this. If you start monitoring your thoughts and feelings, and then just stop yourself in the middle of thinking negative thoughts and simply asking: "Is this the truth and the only truth?" will immediately stop that negative pattern from forming again.
This is one of the reasons that we can never skimp the inner housekeeping and clearing. Sometimes people think that they are so highly and lofty up the ascension ladder that this is not needed. Guess what, they will self sabotage themselves at some stage or another until this the simple housekeeping is adhered to every single day. Sometimes we hear what other people say and then start owning it - if this is negative we start believing this in fact quicker than if it is positive. That is the ego. The negative ego will always try to keep you small.
When the inner housekeeping is done, then our thinking patterns start changing, and our creativeness soars. We start believing in our own worthiness, our loving being, and we will start attracting likeminded souls to us, who see that in us and validate it.
When we love ourselves, we attract loving soul into our lives.
When we believe that we deserve abundance and start blessing money, and the energy of money, then we start attracting more money into our lives and abundance.
"Think of yourself as a living magnet that magnetized all into your outer life what is INSIDE of you!"
"Do not send out negative energy and wait for a disaster to be magnetized towards you. Send out positive light and wait for a miracle to be drawn towards you."
What is it that you wish to attract more of into your life? Change your inner thinking, believing and viewing and you will magnetize that into your life.
If you wish to have that ultimate lover in your life, then love that inner you in such a way as you would like your ultimate lover to you love you. Be the best you can possible be, and then you will attract the best man there is to you, who matches you perfectly.
When you become aware of this wonderful law, our whole inner life starts changing, for we finally start realizing that we have to do the INNER work, before the outer life can manifest.
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FELIZ NAVIDAD Y PR'OSPERO A~NO 2012
HISTORIA DE LA NAVIDAD
COLABORACI`oN DE JUAN M. BALLESTEROS
25 De Diciembre
y Las Fiestas Paganas
El d'ia de Navidad es el 25 de diciembre, cuando se conmemora el Nacimiento de Jesucristo en Bel'en seg'un los evangelios de San Mateo y San Lucas. Despu'es de la Pascua de Resurrecci'on es la fiesta m'as importante del a~no eclesi'astico.Como los evangelios no mencionan fechas, no es seguro que Jes'us naciera ese d'ia. De hecho, el d'ia de Navidad no fue oficialmente reconocido hasta el a~no 345, cuando por influencia de San Juan Cris'ostomo y San Gregorio Nacianzeno se proclam'o el 25 de diciembre como fecha de la Natividad.De esta manera segu'ia la pol'itica de la Iglesia primitiva de absorber en lugar de reprimir los ritos paganos existentes, que desde los primeros tiempos hab'ian celebrado el solsticio de invierno y la llegada de la primavera.La fiesta pagana m'as estrechamente asociada con la nueva Navidad era el Saturnal romano, el 19 de diciembre, en honor de Saturno, dios de la agricultura, que se celebraba durante siete d'ias de bulliciosas diversiones y banquetes.Al mismo tiempo, se celebraba en el Norte de Europa una fiesta de invierno similar, conocida como Yule, en la que se quemaban grandes troncos adornados con ramas y cintas en honor de los dioses para conseguir que el Sol brillara con m'as fuerza.
Edad Media,
nacimientos Y Villancicos
Una vez incorporados estos elementos, la Iglesia a~nadi'o posteriormente en la Edad Media el nacimiento y los villancicos a sus costumbres. En esta 'epoca, los banquetes eran el punto culminante de las celebraciones. Todo esto tuvo un abrupto final en Gran Breta~na cuando, en 1552, los puritanos prohibieron la Navidad. Aunque la Navidad volvi'o a Inglaterra en 1660 con Carlos II, los rituales desaparecieron hasta la 'epoca victoriana.
Siglo XIX,
'arbol Y Postales De Navidad
La Navidad, tal como la conocemos hoy, es una creaci'on del siglo XIX. El 'arbol de navidad, originario de zonas germanas, se extendi'o por otras 'areas de Europa y Am'erica. Los villancicos fueron recuperados y se compusieron muchos nuevos (la costumbre de cantar villancicos, aunque de antiguos or'igenes, procede fundamentalmente del siglo XIX). Las tarjetas de navidad no empezaron a utilizarse hasta la d'ecada de 1870, aunque la primera de ellas se imprimi'o en Londres en 1846.
Santa Claus Y
el Esp'iritu De Navidad
La familiar imagen de Santa Claus, con el trineo, los renos y las bolsas con juguetes, es una invenci'on estadounidense de estos a~nos, aunque la leyenda de Pap'a Noel sea antigua y compleja, y proceda en parte de San Nicol'as y una jovial figura medieval, el esp'iritu de navidad. En Rusia lleva tradicionalmente un cochinillo rosa bajo el brazo.
Navidad
hoy D'ia
Actualmente, la Navidad es tiempo de gran actividad comercial e intercambio de regalos, reuniones y comidas familiares.En Occidente se celebra la Misa del gallo en iglesias y catedrales. En los pa'ises de Am'erica Latina, de arraigada tradici'on cat'olica, se celebra especialmente la Nochebuena (24 de diciembre) con una cena familiar para la que se elaboran una diversidad de platos, postres y bebidas tradicionales.Tambi'en se acostumbra asistir a la Misa del gallo y celebrar con cohetes y fuegos artificiales.
Agradecemos la colaboraci'on de Juan M. Ballesteros, de Campanillas en M'alaga, Espa~na en la recopilaci'on de la informaci'on y elaboraci'on del material arriba presentado.
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LO QUE DICEN LAS ENCICLOPEDIAS
ENVIADO POR CONCEPCI`oN GARAY S.
La palabra "navidad" es una contracci'on de "natividad", que significa natalicio. Esta fiesta hizo su aparici'on en la Iglesia Cat'olica y de all'i se extendi'o al protestantismo y al resto del mundo.Ahora bien, de donde la recibi'o la Iglesia Cat'olica? No fue de las ense~nanzas del Nuevo Testamento. No fue de la Biblia ni de los ap'ostoles quienes hab'ian sido instruidos personalmente por Jesucristo. La Navidad se introdujo en la Iglesia durante el siglo cuarto, proveniente del paganismo.Puesto que la celebraci'on de la Navidad fue introducida en el mundo por la Iglesia Cat'olica Romana y no tiene otra autoridad que la de ella misma, veamos lo que dice al respecto la Enciclopedia Cat'olica (edicion de 1911): "La Navidad no estaba incluida entre las primeras festividades de la Iglesia... los
primeros indicios de ella provienen de Egipto... Las costumbres paganas relacionadas con el principio de enero se centraron en la fiesta de la Navidad.En la misma enciclopedia, bajo "D'ia Natal", encontramos que Or'igenes, uno de los padres de la Iglesia, reconoci'o la siguiente verdad: "...No vemos en
las Escrituras que nadie haya guardado una fiesta ni celebrado un gran banquete el d'ia de su natalicio. Solo los pecadores (como Faaraon y Herodes) celebraban con gran regocijo el d'ia en que nacieron en este mundo".
La Encyclopedia Brit'anica, edicion de 1946, dice: "La Navidad no se contaba entre las antiguas festividades de la Iglesia... " No fue instituida por Jesucristo ni por los ap'ostoles, ni por autoridad b'iblica. Fue tomada m'as tarde del paganismo.
La Enciclopedia Americana, edici'on 1944, dice: "La Navidad... de acuerdo con muchas autoridades no se celebr'o en los primeros siglos de la Iglesia Cristiana, ya que la costumbre del cristianismo en general era celebrar no el natalicio sino la muerte de personas importantes. La Pascua, instituida por
autoridad b'iblica en el Nuevo Testamento, es una conmemoraci'on de la muerte de Cristo. En el siglo quinto, la Iglesia Occidental dio orden de que fuese celebrada para siempre, en el mismo d'ia de la antigua festividad romana en honor del nacimiento del sol, ya que no se conoc'ia la fecha exacta del nacimiento de Cristo".Estas autoridades hist'oricas demuestran que durante los primeros dos o tres siglos de nuestra era, los cristianos no celebraban la Navidad. Esta fiesta fue introducida en la Iglesia Romana en el siglo cuarto de nuestra era y no fue hasta el siglo quinto que la establecieron oficialmente como fiesta cristiana.Cualquier enciclopedia u otra autoridad nos puede confirmar el hecho de que Cristo no naci'o un 25 de diciembre. La enciclopedia Cat'olica lo dice claramente.La fecha exacta del nacimiento de Jesucristo es totalmente desconocida. Las sagradas escrituras no revelan este acontecimiento.La nueva enciclopedia de conocimiento religioso, de Schaff-Herzog, lo explica claramente en su art'iculo sobre la Navidad: "No puede determinarse con precisi'on hasta que punto la fecha de de esta festividad dependi'o de la pagana Brumalia (25 de diciembre), que segu'ia a la Saturnalia (17-24) de diciembre y conmemoraba el d'ia m'as corto del a~no y el nuevo sol.Para m'as referencias podr'ias recopilar m'as datos en la Enciclopedia Brit'anica, edici'on 11, volumen 19, p'aginas 648-649 acerca del origen de San Nicol'as. Tambi'en en Biblioteca Sacra, volumen 12, p'aginas 153-155 referente a la tradici'on de intercambio de regalos, caracter'istico de la Saturnalia.Por el momento es todo en lo que puedo colaborar, de todas formas escr'ibeme y te contestar'e con mucho gusto.Concepci'on Garay S.
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Si tienes alg'un comentario o deseas colaborar con el contenido en estas p'aginas, escr'ibenos a
navidad@civila.com
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Intro: In order to understand these files, one must assume the following is completely true. If not assumed, one will be completely lost in the text of the following files. You may laugh if you wish, but if you want to understand the theory you must make compensations on your part. Ok, on with the file...
Volume I: Defining the 9 planes
Written by: Starmaster and Locust
1st dimensional plane: This plane consists of only the single dimension of length. It is not advised to try to envision this dimension for it may cause insanity, seriously.
2nd dimensional plane: This plane consists of both length and width. It is not adviable to envision this either. The first and second planes are not the same as the fourth dimension and are uncomprehendable except by entities "living" in that plane of thought and sight.
3rd dimensional plane: This is the plane of depth. This one is easily imagined by 4th dimensional entities, because they are so close to it, and had just passed out of it.
4th dimensional plane: This is the plane that the entities that we call beings "live" on. It consists of the forward movement of time. It is the one we are on right now.
The cross-over: This is a place where the 4th dimensional entities make their way into the 5th and above. It is often refered to as death, yet it is only a cross-over point. At this point, all knowledge of the 4th and below dimensions is lost.
5th dimensional plane: This plane consists of the backwards movement of time. Although considered impossible by 4th dimensional entities, those entities are only thinking in the 4th dimensional phase. Remember everything else from here on out is done in metaphysical thinking.
6th dimensional plane: This is the plane of clairvoyance. Remember, all of this you must assume, or no comprehension of the later explanations will be understood. Not much is known about this plane, except you "inhabit"
the sense of clairvoyance.
7th dimensional plane: This is the plane of telekinesis. This is even less understood than the plane of clairvoyance, yet it does exist. This
often thought of as "supernatural", when in fact it a real thing.
8th dimensional plane: This is the plane of perception. It is the highest any entity can evolve to. It consists of all the planes from five and up.
9th dimensional plane: God. Refered to by many, but understood by few. All cultures and beings, be it from our world or others, have this vision. God created all life, so all life lives by him.
These are the explanations of all the dimensional planes. Dimensional planes are achieved by the evolution of the mind/soul/entity, which are all the same thing. Evolution is a continual learning process. As we evolve we understand more, yet raise more questions. This theory is to help those understand the answers to many questions concerning God and the
"supernatural". One thing is assumed. We are not the only lifeforms in this universe. All lifeforms were created by God, and will evolve through the process God laid forth unto us. The universe is infinitely large, which shows God's power is also infinitely large.
Volume II: Explanation of the Planes and their signifigance to the supernatural
Intro: This is the second part to the previous file on the proven existance of
9 dimensional planes. As stated in the last phile, one must assume all things true in order to understand and comprehend the intensity of this phile. This one will deal with the questions brought about by the theory itself.
One thing must be understood in this file. All the entities, in all the dimensional planes, co-exist with one another in this one universe. There is but one universe, in which all entities live in. There are no "outside"
universes. Everything co-exists in this one universe.
Explanation of "Insane Persons":
An insane person is thought of as a person without the ability to think clearly and comprehend things on a 4th dimensional basis. They are not "insane". That is a term 4th dimensional entities give to those entities which are not on the the same thought plane that the other entities are on. Every plane is just a level of thought process. In the past file I stated that evolution is a continuing process of learning. The "insane" persons of a 4th dimensional community are not on the same thought plane we consider ourselves on.
Explanation of "supernatural" powers
This deals with the idea of persons who are able to channel their psychic powers to do physical things. This also deals with fortune tellers and People who can see the future, i.e. Nostradameus. These occurances are also explained by the thought level that these entities are on. They are actually 6th or 7th dimensional beings stuck in a 4th deminsional body. Because 99.8% of the population of the 4th dimension only thinks in 4 dimensions, they are often considered "supernatural", "witches", "prophets", ect. You then will ask, if I came up with this, how come I can't bend spoons with a thought. The answer is simple. I am now just discovering this phenomenon. I have an upbringing of this not really happening, but being a science-fiction thing. The people who do know how to do these things have been concentrating all their lives to use this
"super" power givin to them by God. If everone thought on the 8th dimension, there would be no use for a God. It is all a process of learning and comprehending.
Explanation of "Ghosts, Spirits, and Poltergeists"
This is about the simplest thing to explain. As I stated above, all entities co-exist in the same universe, for there is only one, which is infinite.
Sometimes, 4th dimensional beings see things they aren't "supposed" to see.
People are brought up with the idea ghosts are science-fiction, when in fact they are a real thing. Sometimes these entities are accidently crossed back for a few seconds, years, or minutes.
Explanation of Heaven or the Kingdom of God
This is fairly easily comprehended, if one thinks beyond the 4th dimension. It is but the enternity at the other side of the cross-over. What do you think the
"light at the end of the tunnel" is? It is the "other side" or 5th dimension.
People lose their physical bodies and are "able to fly" around. This also explains the angels 4th dimensional beings continually say are immortal.
Explanation of Immortality
Immortality is an easily comprehendable concept, if one thinks of a positive charge and a negative charge. When thrown together, they cancel each other out.
This is the same priciple when you combine forward and reverse time together.
After you make the cross-over, your mind adapts to backwards time, yet when backwards time collides with forward time it cancels it out. Therefore the state of immortality is reached.
The one constant
There is but one constant in all the dimensions. Plank's constant is only valuable in 4th dimensional science and so is the speed of light. There is only one constant in all of the 9 dimensions. It is the emotions. No one can explain emotions except this phile. Emotions are the only constant of the co-existant universe. Think about it. Why do you think the "ghosts" are happy, sad, angry, ect., ect., when you see them. It is because of the power and intensity of the emotional constant. When emotions of the 5th and above dimensional entities gains great intensity, it then is transfered to all other dimensions.
That about does it for this file. That pretty much explains everything that I can think of dealing with the unexplainable. If you can think of any more, leave mail on Centre of Eternity for Starmaster (#75). I will ponder for the answer, until I can get a suitable one using this theory. None will be turned away. Who knows, maybe I'll get enough quetions to write another phile. Slatez dudes.
Greets to all metaphysical thinkers. This should answer some of your questions.
Reference: http://pagan-magic.blogspot.com
A short story by "Paul Bowles".
When I had a house in Sri Lanka, my parents came out one winter to see me. Originally I had felt some qualms about encouraging their visit. Any one of several things-the constant heat, the unaccustomed food and drinking water, even the presence of a leprosy clinic a quarter of a mile from the house might easily have an adverse effect on them in one way or another. But I had underestimated their resilience; they made a greater show of adaptability than I had thought possible, and seemed entirely content with everything. They claimed not to mind the lack of running water in the bathrooms, and regularly praised the curries prepared by Appuhamy, the resident cook. Both of them being in their seventies, they were not tempted by the more distant or inaccessible points of interest. It was enough for them to stay around the house reading, sleeping, taking twilight dips in the ocean, and going on short trips along the coast by hired car. If the driver stopped unexpectedly at a shrine to sacrifice a coconut, they were delighted, and if they came upon a group of elephants lumbering along the road, the car had to be parked some distance up ahead, so that they could watch them approach and file past. They had no interest in taking photographs, and this spared me what is perhaps the most taxing duty of cicerone: the repeated waits while the ritual between man and machine is observed. They were ideal guests.
Colombo, where all the people I knew lives, was less than a hundred miles away. Several times we went up for weekends, which I arranged with friends by telephone beforehand. There we had tea on the wide verandas of certain houses in Cinnamon Gardens, and sat at dinners with professors from the university, Protestant ministers, and assorted members of the government. (Many of the Sinhalese found it strange that I should call my parents by their first names, Dodd and Hannah; several of them inquired if I were actually their son or had been adopted.) These weekends in the city were hot and exhausting, and they were always happy to get back to the house, where they could change into comfortable clothing.
One Sunday not long before they were due to return to America, we decided to take in the horse races at Gintota, where there are also some botanical gardens that Hannah wanted to see. I engaged rooms at the New Oriental in Galle and we had lunch there before setting out.
As usual, the events were late in starting. It was the spectators, in any case, who were the focus of interest. The phalanx of women in their shot-silk saris moved Hannah to cries of delight. The races themselves were something of a disappointment. As we left the grounds, Dodd said with satisfaction: It'll be good to get back to the hotel and relax.
But we were going to the botanical gardens, Hannan reminded him. I'd like to have just a peek at them.
Dodd was not eager. Those places cover a lot of territory, you know, he said.
We'll look inside and come out again, she promised.
The hired car took us to the entrance. Dodd was tired, and as a result was having a certain amount of difficulty in walking. The last year or so I find my legs aren't' always doing exactly what I want 'em to do, he explained.
You two amble along, Hannah told us. I'll run up ahead and find out if there's anything to see.
We stopped to look up at a clove tree; its powerful odor filled the air like a gas. When we turned to continue our walk, Hannah was no longer in sight. We went on under the high vegetation, around a curve in the path, looked ahead, and still there was no sign of her.
What does your mother think she's doing? The first thing we know she'll be lost.
She's up ahead somewhere.
Soon, at the end of a short lane overhung by twisted lianas, we saw her, partially hidden by the gesticulating figure of a Sinhalese standing next to her.
What's going on? Dodd hastened his steps. Run over there, he told me, and I started ahead, walking fast. Then I saw Hannah's animated smile, and slowed my pace. She and the young man stood in front of a huge bank of brown spider orchids.
Ah! I thought we'd lost you, I said.
Look at these orchids. Aren't they incredible?
Dodd came up, nodded at the young man, and examined the display of flowers. They look to me like skunk cabbage, he declared.
The young man broke into wild laughter. Dodd stared at him.
This young man has been telling me the history of the garden, Hannah began hurriedly. About the opposition to it, and how it finally came to be planted. It's interesting.
The Sinhalese beamed triumphantly. He wore white flannels and a crimson blazer, and his sleek black hair gave off a metallic blue glint in the sunlight.
Ordinarily I steer a determined course away from the anonymous person who tries to engage me in conversation. This time it was too late; encouraged by Hannah, the stranger strolled beside her, back to the main path. Dodd and I exchanged a glance, shrugged, and began to follow along behind.
Somewhere up at the end of the gardens a pavilion had been built under the high rain trees. It had a veranda where a few sarong- draped men reclined in long chairs. The young man stopped walking. Now I invite you to a cold ginger beer.
Oh, Hannah said, at a loss. Well, yes. That would be nice. I'd welcome a chance to sit down.
Dodd peered at his wristwatch. I'll pass up the beer, but I'll sit and watch you.
We sat and looked out at the lush greenness. The young man's conversation leapt from one subject to another; he seemed unable to follow any train of thought further than its inception. I put this down as a bad sign, and tried to tell from the inflections of Hannah's voice whether she found him as disconcerting as I did.
Dodd was not listening. He found the heat of low-country Ceylon oppressive, and it was easy to see that he was tired. Thinking I might cover up the young man's chatter, I turned to Dodd and began to talk about whatever came into my head: the resurgence of mask-making in Ambalangoda, devil-dancing, the high incidence of crime among the fishermen converted to Catholicism. Dodd listened, but did no more than move his head now and then in response.
Suddenly I heard the young man saying to Hannah: I have just the house for you. A godsend to fill your requirements. Very quiet and protected.
She laughed. Mercy, no! We're not looking for a house. We're only going to be here a few weeks more.
I looked hard at her, hoping she would take my glance as a warning against going on and mentioning the place where she was staying. The young man was not paying attention, in any case. Quite all right. You are not buying houses. But you should see this house and tell your friends. A superior investment, no doubt about that. Shall I introduce myself, please? Justus Gonzag, called Sonny by friends.
His smile, which was not a smile at all, gave me an unpleasant physical sensation.
Come anyway. A five-minute walk, guaranteed. He looked searchingly at Hannah. I intend to give you a book of poems. My own. Autographed for you with your name. That will make me very happy.
Oh, Hannan said, a note of dismay in her voice. Then she braced herself and smiled. That would be lovely. But you understand, we can't stay more than a minute.
There was a silence. Dodd inquired plaintively: Can't we go in the car, at least?
Impossible, sir. We are having a very narrow road. Car can't get through. I am arranging in a jiffy. He called out. A waiter came up, and he addressed him in Sinhalese at some length. The man nodded and went inside. Your driver is now bringing your car to this gate. Very close by.
This was going a little too far. I asked him how he though anyone was going to know which car was ours.
No problem. I was present when you were leaving the Pontiac. Your driver is called Wickramasinghe. Up-country resident, most reliable. Down here people are hopeless.
I disliked him more each time he spoke. You're not from around here? I asked him.
No, no! I'm a Colombo chap. These people are impossible scoundrels. Every one of the blighters has a knife in his belt, guaranteed.
When the waiter brought the check, he signed it with a rapid flourish and stood up. Shall we be going on to the house, then?
No one answered, but all three of us rose and reluctantly moved off with him in the direction of the exit gate. The hired car was there; Mr. Wickramasinghe saluted us from behind the wheel.
The afternoon heat had gone, leaving only a pocket here and there beneath the trees where the air was still. Originally the lane where we were walking had been wide enough to admit a bullock- car, but the vegetation encroaching on each side had narrowed it to little more than a footpath.
At the end of the lane were two concrete gateposts with no gate between them. We passed through, and went into a large compound bordered on two sides by ruined stables. With the exception of one small ell, the house was entirely hidden by high bushes and flowering trees. As we came to a doorway the young man stopped and turned to us, holding up one finger. No noises here, isn't it? Only birds.
It was the hour when the birds begin to awaken from their daytime lethargy. An indeterminate twittering came from the trees. He lowered his finger and turned back to the door. Mornings they are singing. Now not.
Oh, it's lovely, Hannah told him.
He led us through a series of dark empty rooms. Here the "was washing the soiled clothing. This is the kitchen, you see? Ceylon style. Only the charcoal. My father was refusing paraffin and gas both. Even in Colombo.
We huddled in a short corridor while he opened a door, reached in, and flooded the space inside with blinding light. It was a small room, made to seem still smaller by having given glistening crimson walls and ceiling. Almost all the space was filled by a big bed with a satin coverlet of a slightly darker red. A row of straight-backed chairs stood along one wall. Sit down and be comfy, our host advised us.
We sat, staring at the bed and at the three framed pictures on the wall above its brass-spoked headboard: on the left a girl, in the middle our host, and on the right another young man. The portraits had the imprecision of passport photographs that have been enlarged to many times their original size.
Hannah coughed. She had nothing to say. The room gave off a cloying scent of ancient incense, as in a disused chapel. The feeling of absurdity I got from seeing us sitting there side by side, wedged in between the bed and the wall, was so powerful that it briefly paralyzed my mental processes. For once the young man was being silent; he sat stiffly, looking straight ahead, like someone at the theater.
Finally I had to say something. I turned to our host and asked him if he slept in this room. The question seemed to shock him. Here? he cried, as if the thing were inconceivable. No, no! This house is unoccupied. No one sleeping on the premises. Only a stout chap to watch out at night. Excuse me one moment.
He jumped up and hurried out of the room. We heard his footsteps echo in the corridor and then grow silent. From somewhere in the house there came the sonorous chiming of a grandfather's clock; its comfortable sound made the shiny blood-colored cubicle even more remote and unlikely.
Dodd stirred uncomfortably in his chair; the bed was too close for him to cross his legs. As soon as he comes back, we go, he muttered.
He's looking for the book, I imagine, said Hannah.
We waited a while. Then I said: Look. If he's not back in two minutes, I move we just get up and leave. We can find out way out all right.
Hannah objected, saying it would be unpardonable.
Again we sat in silence, Dodd now shielding his eyes from the glare. When Sonny Gonzag returned, he was carrying a glass of water which he drank standing in the doorway. His expression had altered: he now looked preoccupied, and he was breathing heavily.
We slowly got to our feet, Hannah still looking expectant.
We are going, then? Come. With the empty glass still in his hand he turned off the lights, shut the door behind us, opened another, and led us quickly through a sumptuous room furnished with large divans, coromandel screens, and bronze Buddhas. We had no time to do more than glance from side to side as we followed him. As we went out through the front door, he called one peremptory word back into the house, presumably to the caretaker.
There was a wide unkempt lawn on this side, where a few clumps of high areca palms were being slowly strangled by the sheaths of philodendron roots and leaves that encased their trunks. Creepers had spread themselves unpleasantly over the tops of shrubs like the meshes of gigantic cobwebs. I knew that Hannah was thinking of snakes. She kept her eyes on the ground, stepping carefully from flagstone to flagstone as we followed the exterior of the house around to the stables, and thence out into the lane.
The swift twilight had come down. No one seemed disposed to speak. When we reached the car Mr. Wickramasinghe stood beside it.
Cheery-bye, then, and tell your friends to look for Sonny Gonzag when they are coming to Gintota. He offered his hand to Dodd first, then me, finally to Hannah, and turned away.
They were both very quiet on the way back to Galle. The road was narrow and the blinding lights of oncoming cars made them nervous. During dinner we made no mention of the afternoon.
At breakfast, on the veranda swept by the morning breeze, we felt sufficiently removed from the experience to discuss it. Hannah said: I kept waking up in the night and seeing that awful bed.
Dodd groaned.
I said it was like watching television without the sound. You saw everything, but you didn't get what was going on.
The kid was completely non compos mentis. You could see that a mile away, Dodd declared.
Hannah was not listening. It must have been a maid's room. But why would he take us there? I don't know; there's something terribly depressing about the whole thing. It makes me feel a little sick just to think about it. And that bed!
Well, stop thinking about it, then! Dodd told her. I for one am going to put it right out of my mind. He waited. I feel better already. Isn't that the way the Buddhists do it?
The sunny holiday continued for a few weeks more, with longer trips now to the east, to Tissamaharana and the wild elephants in the Yala Preserve. We did not go to Colombo again until it was time for me to put them onto the plane.
The black weather of the monsoons was blowing in from the southwest as we drove up the coast. There was a violent downpour when we arrived in midafternoon at Mount Lavinia and checked into our rooms. The crashing of the waves outside my room was so loud that Dodd had to shut the windows in order to hear what we were saying.
I had taken advantage of the trip to Colombo to arrange a talk with my lawyer, a Telugu-speaking Indian. We were to meet in the bar at the Galleface, some miles up the coast. I'll be back at six, I told Hannah. The rain had abated somewhat when I started out.
Damp winds moved through the lobby of the Galleface, but the smoky air in the bar was stirred only by fans. As I entered, the first person I noticed was Weston of the Chartered Bank. The lawyer had not yet come in, so I stood at the bar with Weston and ordered a whiskey.
Didn't I see you in Gintota at the races last month? With an elderly couple?
I was there with my parents. I didn't notice you.
I couldn't tell. It was too far away. But I saw the same three people alter with a local character. What did you think of Sonny Gonzag?
I laughed. He dragged us off to his house.
You know the story, I take it.
I shook my head.
The story, which he recounted with relish, began on the day after Gonzag's wedding, when he stepped into a servant's room and found his bride in bed with the friend who had been best man. How he happened to have a pistol with him was not explained, but he shot them both in the face, and later chopped their bodies into pieces. As Weston remarked: That sort of thing isn't too uncommon, of course. But it was the trial that caused the scandal. Gonzag spent a few weeks in a mental hospital, and was discharged.
You can imagine, said Weston. Political excitement. The poor go to jail for a handful of rice, but the rich can kill with impunity, and that sort of thing. You still see references to the case in the press now and then.
I was thinking of the crimson blazer and the botanical gardens. No. I never heard about it, I said.
He's mad as a hatter, but there he is, free to do whatever he feels like. And all he wants now is to get people into that house and show them the room where the great event took place. The more the merrier as far as he's concerned.
I saw the Indian come into the bar. It's unbelievable, but I believe it, I told Weston.
Then I turned to greet the lawyer, who immediately complained of the stale air in the bar. We sat and talked in the lounge.
I managed to get back to Mount Lavinia in time to bathe before dinner. As I lay in the tepid water, I tried to imagine the reactions of Hannah and Dodd when I told them what I had heard. I myself felt a solid satisfaction at knowing the rest of the story. But being old, they might well brood over it, working it up into an episode so unpleasant in retrospect that it stained the memory of their holiday. I still had not decided whether to tell them or not when I went to their room to take them down to dinner.
We sat as far away from the music as we could get. Hannah had dressed a little more elaborately than usual, and they both were speaking with more than their accustomed animation. I realized that they were happy to be returning to New York. Halfway through he meal they began to review what they considered the highlights of their visit. They mentioned the Temple of the Tooth, the pair of Bengal tiger cubs in Dehiwala which they had petted but regretfully declined to purchase, the Indonesian dinner on Mr. Bultjens's lawn, where the myna bird had hopped over to Hannah and said: "Eat it up," the cobra under the couch at Mrs. de Sylva's tea party.
And that peculiar young man in the "house, Hannah added meditatively.
Which one was that? asked Dodd, frowning as he tried to remember. Then it came to him. Oh, God, he muttered. Your special friend. He turned to me. Your mother certainly can pick 'em.
Outside, the ocean roared. Hannah seemed lost in thought. "know what it was like! she exclaimed suddenly. It was like being shown around one of the temples by a "Isn't that what they call them?
Dodd sniffed. Some temple! he chuckled.
No, I'm serious. That room had a particular meaning for him. It was like a sort of shrine.
I looked at her. She had got to the core without needing the details. I felt that, too, I said. Of course, there's no way of knowing.
She smiled. Well, what you don't know won't hurt you.
I had heard her use the expression a hundred times without ever being able to understand what she meant by it, because it seemed so patently untrue. But for once it was apt. I nodded my head and said: That's right.
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