A small group of pagans pledged Thursday to hold a protest prayer among the ruined Acropolis temples, more than 1,500 years after Christians stamped out worship of the ancient Greek gods.

Group spokeswoman Doretta Peppa said the worshippers would pray Sunday to Athena -- goddess of wisdom and patron of ancient Athens -- to protect the 2,500-year-old site. Peppa said followers of the old religion object to the removal last year of hundreds of sculptural masterpieces from a tiny museum on the Acropolis to a large new building under the citadel.

[...]

Peppa's Athens-based group, Ellinais, is campaigning to revive ancient religion and has defied Culture Ministry bans to hold prayers at several ancient temples.

There are many reasons Greek mythology died out, but one of the most important was that it is false. There is no such thing as "Athena", and "neo-Pagans" who claim otherwise deserve a lot more ridicule than the linked article seems to provide.

Buenas buenas a todos mis queridos lectores... Espero que en este momento esten llenos de energia y bien despiertos porque yo ando con un sueño del carajo que de verdad no se como ando posteando, pero imaginense la cabronera que pase el dia de hoy cuando fui a Caracas a acompañar a un amigo a comprarse un carro y me encontre conque unos imbeciles le estaban haciendo propaganda a otros imbeciles acerca de un manto sagrado que cura enfermedades de la familia.. Se imaginaron? pues es correcto PARE DE SUFRIR

Me cago en Pare de Sufrir. Para los que no lo saben, pare de sufrir es practicamente una franquicia de estafadores que hablan como los propios brasileros mierderos en portuespañol con la finalidad de intentar ser los "profetas" de Dios. Haciendo estupideces y jugando con la mente humana.

Me van a disculpar los religiosos cristianos, catolicos, musulmanes, budistas, ateistas, y lo que termine en istas. pero sinceramente quiero dar mi opinion acerca de la religion.

Miren esto:

Ahora, el que quiera creer esto que lo crea, el que no no.... (por peticion del testigo esta a oscuras)

Por que todos los pare de sufrir son en Portuespañol?... FRANQUICIA ESTAFADORA DE MIERDA

No soy ateo.. todo lo contrario, creo en Dios etc etc etc... pero, a la vez no soy ignorante.. y me van a disculpar pero yo tengo unas cuantas conclusiones del por que de la religion... este es mi punto de vista..

NOTA: EL QUE ES RELIGIOSO HASTA EL HUECO DEL CULO ABSTENERSE DE LEER LO PROXIMO PORQUE NO VOY A DISCUTIR MAS DE LO QUE ESCRIBIRE AQUI.... (discutir de religion es lo mas vacio que se puede hacer)

La religion existe desde hace mucho tiempo. pero la pregunta. A que se debe todo?.. facilmente tenemos que regresar miles de años atras, a un mundo donde la humanidad era ignorante de todo lo que le rodeaba. No entendian que era lo que estaba pasando a su alrededor, y a falta de respuestas se imaginaron y crearon a los distintos Dioses que los acompañaban. Que si Ra como Dios del Sol egipcio, Hades como dios de la muerte Griega, etc etc etc y pare de contar.

Ahora, Por que esos dioses no existen en nuestra actualidad? Facilmente porque mientras la humanidad ha ido progresando ha encontrado las respuestas de QUE ES LO QUE SE ENCUENTRA AHI. y por supuesto ha ido descartando las antiguas creencias.

Ahora, que sucede, vamos a lo mas actual. (ni tanto) Diosito de today!. Jesus... Aun la gente cree en el y en todos sus milagros. Eso me parece bien, lo que no me parece bien es que su vida dependa de que ocurra alguno de esos milagros. Cosa que llega al grado de Fanatismo cuando intentan cualquier cosa descabellada por lograr algo que no tienen con certeza que ocurrira.

A que quiero llegar?... que la religion poco a poco se va desvaneciendo aunque no lo crean. Fijense que de todas las cosas que han pasado desde la muerte de jesus hasta la actualidad, muchas cosas se han ido descubriendo y se han borrado poco a poco de las "hazañas" de Dios. A que me refiero?.. bueno veamos...

La religion se ha usado para "controlar" las masas que forman parte de una region. Si, debido a que en sus tiempos la gente no podia explicar que sucedia, tenia que recurrir a una solucion muy sencilla.. Un todopoderoso que lo hace cuando se le antoja!".. pues no es asi.... Asi de simple.. yo si creo que Jesus existio... y en que era un hombre bueno, sabio, inteligente y en general, una maravilla de persona. El conocia las desgracias de su pueblo e ideo basado en sus creencias maneras de controlar lo que sucede a fin de establecer unas "leyes" las cuales deben acatar o si no tendran condena divina (por supuesto que en esos tiempos los gobernadores y cuestiones judiciales eran una mierda y todo lo decidia el rey o quien estuviese a mando)

Se acuerdan de los 10 mandamientos??? Bien, ahora me van a mojonear de que el barbudo aquel bajo de la montaña con 2 piedras talladas por rayos de Dios... Si, claro.. y la tigresa del oriente le quito la fama a los Beatles... Que decian los 10 mandamientos?

1) Amaras a Dios sobre todas las cosas... (no creo q tenga q explicar nada)

2) No tomaras el nombre de Dios en vano (Es tu juez y el decide lo que pasara contigo... Si no haces lo que el ordena y que debes hacer te freiras en el infierno.. aun asi.. el te ama)

3) Santificaras el dia del señor.. (de los anillos)

4) honraras a tu padre y a tu madre (eso ni que lo escriban.. debe ser asi! PORQUE SI!!!)

5) No mataras .. (bien)

6) No cometeras actos impuros (no existian condones.... osea que carajo.. ahora todo es condon pa aqui condon pa alla.. este articulo fue creado para evitar mujeres embarazadas sin padres.... entienden??)

Lo demas que carajo.. ya lo saben... me da ladilla seguir

Lo que quiero decir muchachos.. estos mandamientos son un estilo de educacion... un poco Gore en la manera de obligar las cosas pero sigue siendo una educacion a seguir... Ahora... la biblia. no me vengan con las historias del mar rojo y demas que no me la creo!!.. OSEA EN EL PASADO LA GENTE TENIA PODERES AHORA NO!!! SE LES ACABO LA FUERZA!!!

Bueno... Llegando al punto... En la actualidad, la religion es un negocio... vamos a estar claros... Un negocio sucio el cual aprovechan de la inocencia (ignorancia) de la gente para vaciarles el bolsillo a cambio de "milagros".. sinceramente opino que todas las personas.. empiecen a pensar mas que en dejarse llevar....

JOSUE YRION ES UNA MIERDA!!!!

ElvisTek... :)

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The 17 year-old Senior at Greece Athena High School loved the game of basketball.  Challenged by Autism, Jason McElwain had not displayed the athletic talent required to make the team; but he refused to give up.  Jason attended every practice and assisted the team in whatever way he could.  Within a short amount of time, he was given an official capacity on the team by being named team manager. 

Dedicated to his team, Jason was one of the first to arrive at practice and among the last to leave.  He made sure each basketball was filled with the recommended amount of air pressure; he filled the water bottles; he handed out towels to his teammates; and he toweled down the wet spots on the court.  He took a job that most kids would never consider – and he never missed a practice.

As a reward for his dedication, the coach gave Jason a uniform and asked him to suit up for the team’s final regular season game.  Jason took the uniform and wore it proudly.  He encouraged each player as they took the court and was the first one to offer a “high five” each time they came off the court.

No one expected Jason to play that evening, but as Greece Athena took a commanding lead, the crowd was hoping to see their dedicated manager take the court, if only for a few moments.   With less than four minutes to play, the coach barked for the 5 foot 6 Senior to step up.  The young man, momentarily confused, took the court with a smile that lit up the arena.  Nobody could have possibly imagined what they were about to witness, well nobody except for Jason.   

The ball was passed to Jason and he quickly put up a shot.  It bounced off the backboard to be rebounded by the opposing team.  A few moments later, Jason found himself with the ball.  With the crowd on their feet, Jason put up a long, three point shot that slashed through the net.  Over the next four minutes, Jason McElwain put on an NBA caliber performance.  He scored a total of 20 points -- hitting six three point shots and one two point shot.

As the final moments ticked off the clock, McElwain was hoisted to the shoulders of his team mates and carried off the court.  The drama was captured by video and has been shown on national networks across the globe. When asked about his performance, Jason didn’t talk about the performance of his life.  Instead, he took the opportunity to encourage others.  He simply said, “Keep working, keep dreaming.  Someday you will get your chance.”

WWW.BIBLEDONATE.ORG

Woke up at the same before the crack of the crack of the butt of dawn and loaded up the ford blue van with 3 of my closest friends. We convoyed downtown to meet the packs and droves of insane people on bikes carrying large backpacks and wearing alien helmets. Transition was fun. I was next to this lady named Sandy who I swear, had more makeup on than I have seen on most models. I even mentioned I trained in less time than it took her to apply her mascara. Regardless, friends were made, laughs had. I had dilemma though. My start time was about 7:15 a.m. and I had to put on the wetsuit. See my previous explanations and adventures of trying on the wetsuit to understand why I may not want to do this in public let alone in a port-o-potty. At around 6:30 though, I had no choice. I put it on and immediately began to dehydrate because of the vast pools of sweat dripping from my face.

Swim start....I am chatting away to anyone who will listen so that I am taken aback when the actual horn goes off. I had no idea it would be that fast. I begin to try to develop some sort of rhythm to no avail because I am being kicked, pulled, yanked and otherwise beaten in the water. I also believe I ran over someone doing backstroke (sorry). Finally though, I am out of the water which is great for me. I search for my shoes which are under the crunch sign and see my girlfriend Kitty who I begin to have a conversation with...right there. We chat for a couple of minutes before I remember that this is a RACE. I proceed to hobble to the bike transition.

No amount of strength or flexibility will get me out of the wetsuit. I am like a turtle on my back, feet raised trying to get the sucker off of my ankles. Finally people stop to ask if I need help. I must have looked like I needed some medical attention. But, I prevail and walk (can I say that again WALK to the bike exit) I take my time getting on the bike and take off. The bike itself was uneventful. I couldn't really get any speed worth mentioning, but there were some nice looking bikes along the way. Once off the bike I walk....yes, walk to the rack and change shoes, take off helmet, put on hat, do my hair (wait, I have none) Finally, I am off again. I get out on the run course and realize I still have my bike gloves on. Silly me, so I have to carry them with me.

I hated the run, every bit of it. I walked a lot of it and just smiled when I remembered I wasn't doing the "Oly"!! Toward the end of the race I see a woman in front of me, she is struggling to get through this, but is giving it her all. I follow her for quite some time until we are within a 1/4 mile of the finish line. At that point I see her start to walk. I shout "Don't you dare start walking now woman...I have followed you this far, you had better pick it up!!" So she starts running again. We sort of laugh together, the crowd starts to cheer us on because I am cheering her on Man oh Man what a RUSH!! We cross the finish line arm in arm in the actual victory pose. Hip Hip Hooray!!!!! All of the sudden a voice comes over the loudspeaker "Ladies, you have not crossed the finish line yet!!!!" We burst out laughing finish the race with a hop and smile.

She told me I made her race, that she wouldn't have been able to do it without me. Now, I know that isn't true, but it really was a nice thing to hear.

I had my slowest times ever in this race. I am not going to deny that in the negative area of my brain, that horrible place, I can feel bad about it. But mostly, I had a great time. I laughed and cried when two of my closest friends crossed the "Oly" finish line. I am so proud of them.

And you know what, even if I was the slowest of the slow....I am proud of me too!!

Great Job Terry from Naperville....whoever you are. 

p.s.  If you'd like to see a 30 second video of this finish....let me know....it is priceless.

Dear CF (I hope you don't mind my addressing you thusly, but I've taken to turning my friends' names into verbs; here, you mean to “compare” or “consult”)--

Brad strikes me as a trifle unmusical for Apollo. (He also lacks the reputation for athleticism and pederasty). I agree that he's no Zeus. Adonis? Strikingly handsome, slightly vapid, a beautiful cipher for all his roles (and wives)? This makes Jolie Aphrodite—or her Phoenician counterpart Astarte, which fits her better—and her progeny Cupids. Born out of the sea-froth of Voight's severed genitals, Angie springs out of the ocean, fully grown, and is married off to ugly but skilled Hephaestos (Billy Bob Thornton).

For this to really work there would need to be an Ares in the background—some sort of warrior god with whom she has fabulous sex. Again, definitely not Brad, Troy notwithstanding. Ah: I have it. MEL GIBSON. Yes—the right combination of warlike and crazy, her opposite in every way. If the next Jolie-Pitt comes out be-kilted, we'll have our answer.

Angie aspires to be a cross between Demeter and Athena, but a) she'll never make the full transition to the hearth, and b) she'll NEVER be Athena, no matter how many clicking gold owls she adopts.

A better identification, I think, is Brad as the swan and Jolie as Leda, who gave birth to two eggs, each containing a set of twins. Maddox and Pax as Castor and Pollux, and Shiloh and Viv as Helen and Clytemnestra. Zahara's just a rock star, and poor Knox will have to occupy some other myth. Maybe Donatella will bless him with a technicolor dreamcoat. One doesn't exactly hope for his eventual kidnapping and sale into slavery, of course, but it would be nice, for the sake of epic and poetry, to stick to the story.

I like Aniston as Penelope, although she doesn't exactly seem to spend her nights undoing tapestries to keep the suitors at bay. I'm going to fly in the face of popular opinion and submit her as a non-virginal Artemis, what with her rage at the paparazzi who pry into her house. If she could, she'd turn them into stags and have them hunted to death with their own dogs. I suspect that she might be similarly committed to childlessness (recent tabloids notwithstanding) and to outdoor activities. I get the sense that, while she'd like a man, she wants to run on beaches and bathe naked (as do we all).

Then again, she might be Hera, the vengeful wife, although she hasn't yet transformed Angie into a cow.

In sum, time will tell. Either

a) Knox gets kidnapped by white slavers

b) Viv kills her husband when he comes back from fighting a ten-years war
c) Angie's seventh's first word is in Aramaic or

d) she shows up on the red carpet in platinum horns specially designed by Karl Lagerfeld

and then we can put all this speculation to rest.

Congratulations on confronting the children. I confront mine on Friday. In the interim (and in your memory), I plan to go shoot guns.

Fondly,

Millicent

It was a statue of the Goddess Athena; the statue without both arms

Whale Watching in the Bay of Fundy
On the 17th my dad and I went on a whale watching boat. We saw at least a dozen whales, most of whom were humpbacks. About six of them came right up to the boat. We also saw two fin whales. That was a wonderful sight to see, even if they were hundreds of yards away.

A humpback mother and calf had come up close at one point, and the mother dove under the boat. Meanwhile, the calf spyhopped right beside the back of the boat! My dad got it recorded on the digital camcorder, so I shall see if I can show everyone how awesome it was.

Marineland Niagara Falls
On the evening of the 20th and in the morning and afternoon of the 21st, I spent at Marineland. The entire time I watched the orcas. Kiska seems depressed. On Thursday during one of the splash sessions, she just circled the pool, not bothering to listen to her trainers. I think she misses Nootka 5 quite a bit.

Ikaika seems to be doing quite well. He's grown a lot since last year, and he eats at every chance he gets... and then he makes calls for his trainer when she goes to leave because he ate all the food. I would say his dorsal is going to be sprouting soon, even though he is not even in his teens yet. But maybe not... I honestly am not an expert on that.

Athena is bigger, but seems to be underweight and looks a little ill. When I watch her swim I can see her ribcage every once in a while. There's also some weird white patches in her skin down her back near the fluke. Plus the black around there is lighter than it should be.

Hopefully Kiska and Athena both get better soon. I would really hate for them to die, because the employees who work with them are really involved in their job. (You would not believe how dedicated they are.)

Thirteen-year-old Athena didn't need to hear the rest of it; she turned back to her blocks, concentrating. From the bed, she didn't have such a good view of the tower she was building; with a gesture, the tower lifted and rotated, blocks swarming around it like silent insects to swoop in and reshape the leftmost wall. Slowly but surely, the castle grew in midair. She inspected it from every angle, using every last block in the box, but however structurally sound or impressive she made the building, it couldn't block out the words bouncing around her head.

"This isn't good."

What was that emotion in the handler's voice? She wasn't certain. Her studies had told her of emotions such as worry, fear, and nervousness; the way his tone was low, she was certain she had not been meant to overhear, but she had. Had his throat been tight? It was hard to tell from the three words. Perhaps his eye movements would give her more information. They had darted towards her then rapidly away, a movement often associated (said her textbooks) with guilt. But why would he feel guilty? Perhaps it was sympathetic guilt? In any event, the handler was not to form emotional attachments to the subject; whatever this signified, it was a new development, and Athena was not pleased.

"This isn't good."

There was one thing about the statement that left little doubt in her mind; she was certain to what the handler was referring. She didn't need printouts or access to her charts to know she'd been failing tests quite consistently for the past several units of time. For a moment, she turned her intellect to her own behavior, studying the castle critically. Perhaps she had built it from across the room to prove that she still could? Her synch levels might be low, but she at least had not lost all kinetic ability. Sighing, she set the castle down gently before laying on the cot, her eyes going over her surroundings once more, taking comfort in the familiar white walls, the two-way mirror, the recessed lighting. Soon they'd come to take away the blocks and bring her the food. Yesterday was chicken, so today would be meatloaf, green beans, mashed potatoes; then it would be time for physical training before sleeping. After a sleep period, the lights would automatically turn on, and she'd be given her liquid breakfast to ensure she got proper nutrition. Then she'd likely be given more tests with the simulator - there was no sense working with Zues with her synch levels plateauing.

What if they began to drop?

Could that be what the latest charts said?

Subject 001 notes: Today, the subject appeared restless, and had difficulty sleeping. Perhaps an illness is causing the recent decline in performance? A full physical scheduled for tomorrow.

Como pueden ver ha sufrido cambio en su rostro, su cabello, su cintura y el tocado de su cabello. Nada mal, esperemos a ver el producto terminado

Y no se olviden, si viven en Guadalajara, no dejen de ir este fin de semana a la Comictlan, busquen nuestro Stand, el mas surtido, y con objetos de la mejor calidad!

2

Journal Entry Two - August 10, 2008

I finish my pack of clove cigarettes.  I drink my cup of coffee.  I decide that I'm going to revolutionize my health habits in a rather dramatic way.  I'm going to take a huge bag of sand, that I took, and I'm going to return it to the ocean, and in so doing, I'm going to clear my lungs, and I'm going to make some symbolic gesture, and I'm going to get a new bag of sand, and I plan on making it this... routine, where every day, or every other day, or something, I'll wake up with dawn, and take my bag of sand to the ocean, and dump it, and then run till I collapse, and then concentrate on training my awareness of my body, and shit like that.  I cough and spit.

And so this morning I got up with dawn, and then did nothing, upset about my romance situation, and the sorry state of political affairs, and... pretty much I did nothing, and browsed the internet, and research health shit, for a little bit, and sort of reinforced the idea that I've a very dim understanding of how the world works.  And I read some poetry, which was good, and I got off on that, but it also made me cry, because I realized what a talented poet my ex is, and I realized, you know, characteristics of her that I had missed out on and not taken advantage of and had been oblivious to, and... I wanted to appropriate that, sort of master her skill, and, you know, be able to do it to, to partially, to sort of be able to go back in time, and acknowledge the strength that she had, by making it mine.  And it seems, incidentally, like the best way to acknowledge strength.

So that happened, and I was terribly frustrated, with my own relative inability to understand and enact, and befuddled how I was once in a relationship with her, given that I'm so limited, and given that I didn't give her nearly as much credit as she deserved, and so I got upset, and I got this random letter from somebody, saying: "Wanna Fuck?" and I wrote back that I would, but I wouldn't, because I wouldn't want to give the bitches any power over me, or validate them, because I feel that my current frustrations in the world of romance are due partly to manipulation by the women.  And, uh, partly due to the vast seeming inequality between us in terms of capability and experience.  And, so I wrote back, saying in this sort of heightened asinine wannabe academic prose, citing Carl Jung, and other shit, that maybe I should become a homosexual, and crap like this, sort of a bitter abnegation of possibility.

Then I got my huge bag of sand, and finally filled up my bag with water, grabbed my instrument so I could play it, grabbed my recorder so I could record ideas, and grabbed some post cards so I could write some poems, and was a bout read to hit the road, and I wake up my mother, and I shoot straight out the door without acknowledging her presence, too much, so she says, "Where are you going?  I want to know," and this and that, and I get upset, because I feel as if I'm being held on a leash by this woman, who is demanding to know my every movement, and so I reply with some snotty remark.  And she gets upset at this.  And I'm not quite sure about the ethics of that interaction.  I don't really think it was the most productive thing for me to do, but perhaps it was.  It would be counter-productive if it's just negative reinforcement.  And here is this woman who has done, in her mind, just good things and good things, and she gets rewarded with pissant responses and lack of respect; that can be harsh on someone's worldview, and can encourage depression--situation which is to be avoided.

Or it might be good, in that she really probably shouldn't be demanding to know my every movement, and if I associate myself with some sort of negative response, and then I leave, then you get the negative of the negative, which is a positive, and then she's got the place to herself, with the positive, with the absence of pain, read me, in the house, and then maybe she does some creative thing or development.  I know that the day or so after I got out of this mental ward, after having been there for a month, unjustly, it felt really good to be free, and it gave me some energies.  But I don't know, that's sort of a coercive technique of improving someone's life, and I'm not sure how well that sits with me, especially selfishly, since I feel that I'm being acted on by coercive techniques.

Anyway, all this is digression.  The main thing, is that this story started with my refusing to give all the energies possible to encouraging a situation, and acknowledging potentials for growth, and working at them to encourage growth. I could have gotten up, and waisted no time in the morning, and immediately have grabbed my sand bag and my bullshit and carried out my health project, but I sat around moping for a long time, about the total destruction of my sense of identity and my eroded love-life.  I read these very excellent poems, which made me think of my ex's poetry, which is excellent, and how I didn't then give energies to and flourish her energies.  I wasn't the best boyfriend.  I wasn't such a bad one, but I wasn't the best one either...  maybe I was a bad one.  Anyway, I wasn't able to engage with her on all those levels, which I have since decided I want to engage with, and make mine, and so I read this poems, and had this altercation, and then I left, to go on my health project, and I got as far as a hill 10 blocks away, and I stopped at these steps and hacked up this shit for nearly twenty minutes.

It's funny how a few blocks can loosen up a lot of phlegm, after carrying a bag of sand.  I wonder what will happen if I actually make it to the beach, with this bag.  And I started exploring an area outside this building, for possible stashes of my instrument, and stuff, in the event that I decide to give my mother some more space, and I find this torn out but well kept print out of the newspaper and on it it reads "It's not just about real-estate, it's about making the most of where you live."  And beneath the tag-line--"it's your story, and it's all about you".   I realize that there's a lot of sense in this.  It's up to us to make the component of our lives fit together, and enact what they will, and that requires making the most of where you live, and that came as some encouragement, because it is a good idea--maybe I can appropriate that idea and act on it.

It's also a sad one, because I didn't really do that in some of my prior relationships, and I have a lot of regret and... the way to balance all that, I guess, is to take the regret, and to see what it was.  I didn't really acknowledge my ex's more artistic, poetic, intellectual literary side.  I couldn't.  And maybe now to try to make the most of it; to try to appropriate those things, and to take them for myself.  I'm not sure whether or not I'm justified in having an opinion on whether it's not just about real estate.  Because one argument says that everyone is equally as infinitely capable, given enough experience and given enough energy and discipline and balance, and all that shit; and then there is the other part that says I'd like to go back and make things work with those people.  And I realize that I still sort of live in the past.

I'm not sure if I can get out of that by going back to those people and engaging them anew, with a sort of transformed and evolved self, or whether I do that by transforming, evolving, and staying out of their life.  At least, in the same regard as I used to.  My sense of reason says it should be the second, since nature likes diversification, and blood circulates, and all that Jazz.  And then my emotional center says No, I want those people, and a combined version says, sure, some circulation, but I also want to circulate back to them.  My voice sounds really pathetic.  Maybe it will sound better after I totally clear my lungs.

Anyway, I read this thing, and it says it's not just about real estate, it's about making the most of where you live.  And I realize that I went off in a huff, being a bitch to my mother, and even though I'm resentful of the situation, and even though it's a shame and dishonor on me, I think that the shame and dishonor is mitigated by the fact that in order to succeed in western society one has to give up a lot of dignity and free time and deal with all this bullshit.  And I left with some disrespect, and the place is sort of a mess, and I've been putting off cleaning that house, and I sort of realized that I probably should stop fucking around, and go back there, put off my health project, for the psychological health project.  If physical health and psychological health are all interrelated,  then I might as well begin with tackling that which secondarily benefits others, who have cared for me.

Hence, if my project of physical renewal, is aided by psychological renewal, the two are combined;  you know, do the house cleaning, that's psychological renewal.  After exertion, body needs to rest and relax.  Its easier to do that in a zen state than it is to do it in a mess.  A mess can be be material, respecting trash that I leave around, and can be emotional, respecting shitty relations.  So I guess I should go back there and clean the house, and then, and in tandem, concentrate on physical improvement.  After I finish the house cleaning, I should focus on physical improvement, while writing poems and things, which may give me some financial independence, since I just did all this research on writers grants.  Meanwhile, sort of look for ways to impose less and less on my mother's banks.

I'm not so much worried about this latter part because I sort of have it set in my foolish mind that after a minimum period of health improvement, I'm going on a ridiculous road marching trip up north, which will expose me to all sorts of strange shit, and physical exertions, and privations from my usual luxuries, and challenges, and such.  I'm going to carry all these books, which is some sort of strange penance / creative project, because I have the power to free-associate random passages, and in the process I'll write a book, and I'll dedicate the first book to some one, publish it anonymously, and make some money.  That's the idea.  Once I reach my destination, which is after a month walk, I've got the hair-brained fool-boy idea that I will study music and voice under an old friend, and that I will find a place of residence, and that I will find a hospital, where my dad can get back surgery.  I fucked up my dad, with violence, and now I'm going to fix his back, or at least assist in the process.  That's the tentative plan.

I'm not sure where in any of that fits the possibility for validation through romance, which is probably my chief desire, motivator.  One of my most central impetuses.  The other being self-improvement, expansion of culture, ability, and all that shit, which is interrelated of course with the romantic urge.  And the desire to be useful for friends, and shit.  This is also attached to some idea of wanting to have adventure, discovering magic, shit like that.  I have to be honest and say that my wanting to explore states of being such as rage and fire and fiery tempestuousness are mostly theoretical, because I theoretically reason that it is good to know as many states as possible, but I'm not sure how much I really want that.

I don't know, maybe let that come in the future, and whenever it happens it happens, and I document the shit.  And another new priority, which must happen:  given that I seem to be subject to emotional mood swings and rages and crying bouts and desires to punch in faces and break things; given that my emotions are totally destabilized, I could do two things.  One is that I could join a zen monastery, and deny the out-of-balanceness, and sort of have a reduction.  Another thing I could do is to go at it more, and get more out-of-balancesness, and be ready to use that energy and transform it, with music, which is a very great tool for talking about emotions and acting on emotions and using them.  In this regard, I feel that also given my penchant for improvisation, I should expect the mood rages to not dissipate, if anything encourage them, and start seriously practicing my scales and my music, to increase my abilities to express myself musically, spontaneously, and carry around a recorder, so that next time I get fucked up, I'll be ready, and some art will come out of it.  Those are the plans, and that is the reasoning.

I will be a knight of faith and of reason and of emotion and of wanting to fuck these bitches from my past and wanting to learn their trades and that is what I state; that is my intent.  And fuck all you mother-fuckers who are reading this.  This is impossible.  Anyway, if it is my story, then that's my story, and that is what I state.

So I am going to grab my sack of sand, I'm going to stash it.  This will be my checkpoint. I'm going to return home, and I'm going to start cleaning shit, then I'm going to do some scales.  And when it gets dark, I'm going to work on some writing shit.  So it is written, so shall it come to pass. Actually, I didn't write a damn thing.

A topical serum called Athena is a natural product advertised as capable of reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while moisturizing the skin. The formula is said to be comprised of a number of essential plant oils, including Chamomile Oil, Avocado Oil and Olive Oil. However, it's worth pointing out that the formula doesn't contain Collagen or a Collagen-boosting component.

La Grande Madre è una divinità femminile primordiale, presente in quasi tutte le mitologie, rappresentante la terra, la generatività, il femminile come mediatore tra l'umano e il divino.

Il culto della Grande Madre risale al Neolitico e forse addirittura al Paleolitico, se si leggono in questo senso le numerose figure femminili steatopigie ritrovate in tutto il mondo.

l periodo storico è antichissimo (dal 30.000 al 1000 a.C.): la fase più fiorente si situa dal 7000 al 3000 a.C. (Neolitico). La spiritualità della Grande Madre si rivolge verso l’aspetto femminile e materno di Dio.
La Madre Terra diventa il simbolo della Grande Madre, Dea della Natura e della Spiritualità. Fonte divina di ogni nascita dà e sostiene la vita; è a Lei che la vita ritorna per rinascere come nei cicli della vegetazione. La Dea è, in tutte le sue manifestazioni, il simbolo dell’unità di tutte le forme esistenti in natura. Il suo potere è nell’acqua, nelle pietre, negli animali, nelle colline, negli alberi, nei fiori. La grande creatività di quel periodo caratterizzò la cultura come cultura dell’arte. Templi, abitazioni, ceramiche, statuette, abitazioni, portano evidenti tracce di questo culto. Sono state rinvenute molte veneri che presentano i simboli della Dea. In esse sono incisi o dipinti semi, boccioli, germogli, uova, crisalidi e segni acquatici come rappresentazione della rinascita e rigenerazione, del divenire e della trasformazione.

Lungo le generazioni, con gli spostamenti di popoli e la crescita di complessità delle culture, le "competenze" della Grande Madre si moltiplicarono in diverse divinità femminili. Per cui la Grande Dea, pur continuando ad esistere e ad avere culti propri, assumerà personificazioni distinte, per esempio, per sovrintendere all'amore (Ishtar - Astarte - Afrodite - Venere), alla fertilità delle donne (Ecate triforme), alla caccia (Artemide - Diana), alla fertilità delle sementa (Demetra - Cerere e Persefone - Proserpina)  analoga alla domanda dell'uomo di rinascere come il seme rinasce dalla terra.

L’area geografica analizzata riguarda Africa, America e l’Europa. In Africa la Grande Madre viene chiamata Nana e Iside; in America la Dea dall’abito di serpente;presso i Navajos e gli Apache la Estsanatlehi era la Madre di tutti gli esseri viventi che all’alba del mondo, quando si unì al sole, partorì due gemelli che sconfissero i mostri che popolavano il suolo terreste. In Asia, in area mesopotamica (V millennio AC) e in area anatolica (II millennio AC), viene adorata come Ninhursag, Cibele, e Anahita, in Cina è chiamata Quan-Yin, in India Durga. Per l’Europa in Grecia con Gea e Athena, l’Italia con Cibele, Bona Dea, Minerva ed Uni, con l’antica Dea Mater Matuta degli etruschi, Spagna e Malta con la Dea Astarte, l’Irlanda con la Dea Brigit, la Russia con la Dea Lada ( famosa incarnazione di Lada è Matersva, la dea uccello ).

Reperti molto interessanti si trovano in Bulgaria, in Russia ed in Lombardia (Val Camuna) del 2000 a. C. dove vi sono incisioni rupestri in mezzo alla natura con evidenti simboli che appartengono al culto della Grande Madre: serpentine, labirinti reti, bande ondulate, motivi a zig-zag. Per Jung questi sono i frutti interiori che emergono dall’inconscio collettivo, il regno della spiritualità della Grande Madre. Per lui la Grande Madre è una delle potenze numinose dell'inconscio, un archetipo di grande ed ambivalente potenza, salvatrice e distruttrice degli aspetti negativi della nostra personalità, nutrice e divoratrice. delle nostre ossessioni.  Altri reperti significativi sono due statuette della Dea rinvenuti in Turchia e a Creta. In quello della Turchia, risalente al 6000 a.C., la Dea è rappresentata seduta in trono, maestosa e regale con 2 fiere accanto; le sue mani sono posizionate in modo forte e tranquillo sulla testa delle fiere.

In quello di Creta ha in mano 2 serpenti. Il serpente era il simbolo della saggezza oracolare della Dea, infatti nell’antica Delfi la sacerdotessa che dava consigli ai capi di stato era raffigurata in associazione con il serpente. Anche il serpente era un simbolo collegato alla Grande Madre; il suo movimento verticale ascendente rappresentava la forza vitale e l’energia (la Kundalini) mentre il letargo e la muta rappresentavano il divenire e la trasformazione, l’immortalità ed il risveglio ciclico della natura. Questo tipo di cultura e di spiritualità si inserisce in una società di tipo agricolo dedito alla cura della vegetazione, dell’artigianato, del commercio. Fu un periodo di stabilità e pacifico.

Le donne erano considerate e valorizzate – regine, sacerdotesse, artigiane, membre anziane del clan – la società era di carattere egualitario. Si evidenziava un particolare rispetto verso la Madre Terra come simbolo della Grande Madre. Il potere della donna era inteso non come dominio ma come capacità di illuminare e trasformare la coscienza umana. Più tardi nell’epoca medievale tutto ciò sarà simboleggiato nel vaso femminile: il calice del Sacro Graal. Un potere, quindi, non terreno ma spirituale che si estrinseca non solo nella conoscenza e nella saggezza, ma soprattutto nella verità, nell’amore, nella giustizia. Queste qualità verranno in seguito attribuite alla Vergine Maria. La dispensatrice della nascita e la Madre Terra si fusero con la Madonna. Alla fine di questo periodo la spiritualità antica della Grande Madre gradualmente si attenuò fino a scomparire come risultato delle scontro tra culture diverse e del successivo affermarsi delle religioni patriarcali.
Seguì l’alienazione dell’uomo dalla natura e da se stesso i cui effetti sono ben evidenti nella società odierna. Per nostra fortuna il culto della Grande Madre ed i suoi simboli non sono andati perduti in quanto hanno costituito lo strato primario dell’inconscio collettivo, presenti come archetipi e visibili nelle fiabe, nei miti, nei sogni. I cicli storici non si fermano mai; e la spiritualità della Grande Madre riemerge in tutte le sue forme (ecologia ed interesse verso i temi dell’unione, dell’integrazione, della pace) a donarci speranze per il futuro ricollegandoci alle nostre più antiche radici.

Iside

Iside è spesso simboleggiata da una vacca, in associazione con la Dea Hathor, ed è raffigurata con le corna bovine, tra le quali è racchiuso il sole. Nell'iconografia è rappresentata spesso come un falco o come una donna con ali di uccello e simboleggia il vento. In forma alata è anche dipinta sui sarcofagi nell’atto di prendere l’anima tra le ali per condurla a nuova vita. Solitamente viene raffigurata con una donna vestita, con in testa il simbolo del trono, che tiene in mano un loto, simbolo della fertilità. Frequenti anche le rappresentazioni della dea mentre allatta il figlio Horus. Il suo simbolo è il tiet, chiamato anche nodo isiaco.

Cibele

Cibele fu un'antica divinità anatolica, venerata come Grande Madre, dea della natura, degli animali (potnia theron) e dei luoghi selvatici. Cibele viene generalmente raffigurata seduta sul trono tra due leoni o leopardi, spesso con in mano un tamburello e con su il capo una corona turrita. Il culto di Cibele, la Magna Mater dei Romani, fu introdotto a Roma il 4 aprile 204 a.C., quando la pietra nera, simbolo della dea, vi fu trasferita da Pessinuntee collocata in un tempio sul Palatino.

Anahita

Anahita era una divinità dell'antica Persia, delle sorgenti d'acqua della fertilità e della maternità. I suoi simboli erano la colomba e il pavone, era la madre di Mitra, il nome con cui Zoroastro attribuiva a Dio. Il tempio selucide di Kangavar in Iran (c. 200 a.C.), è dedicato a "Anahita, l'Immacolata Vergine Madre del Dio Mitra". La terminologia cristiana della vergine Maria è fortemente legata a questa dea che era insieme madre e vergine immacolata.

Durga

Presso la religione induista, Durgā è una forma della Devi, la Madre Divina (che assume anche molte altre forme, tra cui Sarasvati, Parvati, Lakshmi, Kali). È raffigurata come una donna che cavalca un leone, con numerose braccia mani che impugnano diversi tipi di armi e fanno le mudra (gesti simbolici fatti con la mano). Questa forma della Dea è l'incarnazione dell'energia creativa femminile (Shakti). Secondo il racconto del Devi Mahatmyam del Markandeya purana, la forma di Durga fu creata come dea guerriera per combattere il demone Mahishasura. Grazie ad intense preghiere a Brahma, Mahishasura ebbe la grazia di non poter essere sconfitto da alcun uomo o essere celeste. In virtù di questo potere, attaccò i Deva che andarono in aiuto della Trimurti (Brahma, Viṣṇu e Śiva), ma Mahishashura sconfisse tutti gli dèi compresa la triade stessa. Scatenò un regno di terrore sulla terra, in cielo e negli inferi. Dopo diversi giorni di battaglia durante i quali l'esercito di Mahishashura venne decimato, Durga uccise finalmente Mahishashura il decimo giorno della luna piena. Questa vittoria viene ricordata nella festa del Navaratri in autunno.

Quan-In

Conosciuta In cinese Quan-In o Guan Yin, in giapponese Kannon o Kanzeon, in coreano Gwan-eum o Gwan-se-eum, in tibet come Avalokitesvara.  E' una divinità molto venerata, soprattutto come dea della misericordia: una sua statua è presente in tutti i piccoli altari che si trovano nelle case, nei negozi e nei laboratori dei Paesi in cui il buddismo è diffuso. In tutte le lingue, il primo nome sta per "Osservatrice dei suoni del Mondo".

Sempre in Cina, Guanyin indossa generalmente una lunga veste bianca, e spesso una collana delle famiglie reali indocinesi; nella mano destra regge una brocca d'acqua pura, e nella sinistra un ramo di salice.

Una leggenda Buddhista presenta Guanyin nell'atto di far voto di non riposarsi fino ad aver liberato tutti gli esseri senzienti dal Saṃsāra. Nonostante il suo strenuo impegno, realizzò che c'erano ancora molti esseri infelici che dovevano ancora essere salvati; sforzandosi di comprendere le necessità di tanti, la sua testa si divise in undici parti. Amitabha Buddha, vedendo la situazione, gli donò undici teste con cui udire le suppliche dei sofferenti; avendole ascoltate e comprese, Avalokitesvara cercò di raggiungere e soccorrerli, ma così facendo le sue braccia si divisero i mille pezzi: ancora una volta, Amitabha venne in suo aiuto e gli assegnò mille braccia per soccorrere le moltitudini.

Gea

Gea o Gaia nella mitologia greca è la divinità femminile che impersona la Terra. La Teogonia di Esiodo racconta come, dopo il Caos, sorse l’immortale Gaia degli ampi seni, progenitrice degli dei dell’Olimpo. Da sola e senza congiungersi con nessuno ella generò Urano rappresentante il cielo stellato, l'universo.

Dunque, per primo fu Caos, e poi

Gaia dall'ampio petto, sede sicura per sempre di tutti

gli immortali che tengono la vetta nevosa d'Olimpo,

Teogonia di Esiodo (Versi 116-119)

Gaia per primo generò, simile a sé,

Urano Stellato, che l'avvolgesse tutta d'intorno,

che fosse ai beati sede sicura per sempre.

(Versi 126-132)

Alcuni studiosi credono che Gea fosse la divinità che originariamente parlava per bocca dell’Oracolo di Delfi.

Athena

Nella mitologia greca, Atena era la dea della sapienza, particolarmente della saggezza, della tessitura, delle arti e, presumibilmente, degli aspetti più nobili della guerra.

Atena ha sempre con sé la sua civetta, indossa una corazza di pelle di capra chiamata Egida donatale dal padre Zeus, ed è spesso accompagnata dalla dea della vittoria Nike. Quasi sempre viene rappresentata mentre porta un elmo ed uno scudo cui è appesa la testa della Gorgone Medusa, dono votivo di Perseo.

Non ebbe mai alcun marito od amante, e per questo era conosciuta come Athena Parthenos (La vergine Atena), da cui il nome del più famoso tempio a lei dedicato, il Partenone sull'acropoli di Atene. Dato il suo ruolo di protettrice di questa città, è stata venerata in tutto il mondo greco anche come Athena Polis (Atena della città). Il suo rapporto con Atene era davvero speciale, come dimostra chiaramente la somiglianza tra il suo nome e quello della città.

Minerva

Minerva fu la divinità romana della guerra, e la protettrice degli artigiani. La figura di Minerva deriva da quella di Atena, suo corrispettivo nella mitologia greca.

Publio Ovidio Nasone la definì divinità dai mille compiti. Minerva fu adorata in tutta l'Italia, nonostante solo a Roma assumesse un aspetto da guerriera. Viene solitamente raffigurata mentre indossa una cotta di maglia ed un elmo, completa di lancia.

Astarte

Astarte fu una dea venerata nell'area semitica nord-occidentale. Astarte era la Grande Madre fenicia e cananea, sposa di Adone, legata alla fertilità, alla fecondità ed alla guerra e connessa con l'Ishtar babilonese. I maggiori centri di culto furono Sidone, Tiro e Biblo. Era venerata anche a Malta, a Tharros in Sardegna, ed Erice in Sicilia, dove venne identificata con Venere Ericina. Suoi simboli erano il leone, il cavallo, la sfinge e la colomba.

Brigid

La celtica Brigid era una triplice dea sposa di Dagda, potente signore della fertilità. Egli era il dio dell'abbondanza in quanto il suo magico calderone dava sostentamento, non solo materiale ma anche spirituale, a tutti i popoli della Terra, essendo custode del sapere infinito.

Questo portentoso oggetto fa parte della tradizione di molte culture antiche, come quella asiatica, per esempio, secondo cui esso è il "progenitore" del Graal. Si narra, infatti, che alcuni messaggeri degli dei, forse angeli, sarebbero scesi dal cielo e fermatisi nel deserto avrebbero insegnato agli uomini tutto ciò che sapevano, facendoli partecipi della loro cultura superiore. Prima di partire, avrebbero lasciato quattro oggetti magici: una pietra, un calderone, una lancia e una spada, che sono rispettivamente la pietra nera de la Ka'ba, la spada di Re Artù, il Graal e la lancia di Longino.

Aveva altre due sorelle, anche loro chiamate Brigid, considerate come una sola triplice Dea. Brigid era associata al sacro fuoco perpetuo. Il suo culto è sopravissuto come Santa Brigida. La figura della Signora del lago nel ciclo di Re Artù potrebbe essere ispirata a Brigid.

La dea Brigid aveva come oggetti sacri a lei dedicati la coppa, la ruota del filatoio e lo specchio. La coppa era il simbolo dell'abbondanza ed anche il ventre da cui ha origine tutto il creato, il filatoio simboleggiava il centro del cosmo, la ruota delle stagioni e la durata della vita degli uomini.

I suoi animali totemici erano in primis i serpenti come simbolo di della vita che si rigenera, il gallo che annunciava il nuovo giorno e la mucca immagine della fertilità per antonomasia (fonte).

La spiritualità della Grande Madre è oggi presente in 100 paesi del mondo per merito di Shri Mataji che il 5 maggio 1970 ha permesso il risveglio della Kundalini a livello collettivo, l’energia spirituale materna che tutto sostiene e tutto comprende.
Attraverso Sahaja Yoga (fondato e sviluppato da Shri Mataji) ognuno può mantenere risvegliata questa energia fonte di benessere, equilibrio ed armonia. L’archetipo della Grande Madre si è destato dal suo millenario letargo e, grazie a Shri Mataji, è completamente attivo e pronto a manifestarsi in tutta la sua bellezza e potenza.