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all-seeing-ifer · 4 years

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Greek mythology references in Ulysses Dies at Dawn masterpost

I saw a post a while back by @spacetrashpile analysing all the arthurian references in High Noon Over Camelot, and since I know quite a bit about Greek mythology I figured “hey! I should do something like that for Ulysses Dies at Dawn!” I’m just going to go through each of the songs in order and analyse/explain the references in them - hopefully other people will find it interesting!

“The City”

Starting with the title - Ulysses is the Latin name of Odysseus, legendary king of Ithaca and hero of the epic poem The Odyssey. Interestingly, Ulysses is the only character in UDAD who is given a Latin name instead of a Greek one. There’s a couple of potential reasons for this but the most convincing to me is it’s meant to reflect Ulysses’ opposition to the Olympians, who are all based on the Greek gods.

Jonny calls the story a “labyrinthine task of a twisted tale”, referencing the Greek myth of the Minotaur, which was kept in a labyrinth to hide it from the world. This reference becomes even clearer when we later learn the City’s original name.

This one’s less a reference to Greek mythology and more to like, actual history, but the description of the City expanding to cover the whole planet is reminiscent of Greek expansion in ancient times. Ancient Greece was made up of many city-states, or poleis, which established colonies or “daughter-cities”, mostly in western Asia, or “Asia Minor” as the Greeks and Romans called it.

The story opens at a “run-down gin join” called Calypso’s - Calypso is a sea nymph who plays a fairly major role in The Odyssey, keeping Odysseus/Ulysses trapped on her island for seven years.

Fittingly enough, Calypso’s apparently pays money to Dionysus, whose mythological namesake is the Greek god of wine.

Broken Horses

Ilium is the Ancient Greek name for Troy, the city that Greece went to war against, according to myth,. Part of this war is described in the epic poem The Iliad, in which Odysseus is one of the soldiers laying siege to Troy.

Much like the Trojan War of Greek myth, the siege of Ilium is said to have lasted a decade.

Ulysses’ gambit with the horse statue sending out a signal driving the people of Ilium mad is pretty obviously a reference to the Trojan Horse - the wooden horse the Greeks built as a “peace offering” to the Trojans that they used to sneak their soldiers into the City and that brought them victory in the war. Like in the UDAD version, Odysseus/Ulysses was apparently responsible for coming up with this plan.

“Olympians”

Ulysses’ wife is named Penelope, same as Odysseus’ wife in the myths

The Acheron is the name of one of the five rivers of Hades, along with Styx, Cocytus, Lethe, and Phlegethon

As a sidenote, in Greek mythology Hades is the name of the underworld as well as the name of the God of the dead - fittingly enough reimagined in UDAD as the controller of a vast network of half-dead minds (and also Ashes)

The most powerful families in the City are called the Olympians - the name given to the twelve most important deities in the Greek pantheon

Poseidon Industries is named for Poseidon, Greek god of the sea and one of the twelve Olympians. Jonny calls them “one of the architects of the Ilium War”, which seems like an odd reference since iirc Poseidon doesn’t have a whole lot to do with the Trojan War. I guess that’s just there to give Ulysses a reason to want to rob Poseidon Industries.

In the Odyssey, Poseidon hates Odysseus/Ulysses for attacking his son, a cyclops called Polyphemus. In UDAD this is changed to Ulysses stealing the diamond from Poseidon Industries’ laser, which is also called The Cyclops.

My Name is No One

The song’s title and chorus is a reference to Odysseus’ famous trick for escaping the Polyphemus’ cave. He tells the Polyphemus his name is “no one/nobody” (depending on the translation) so that when he attacks Polyphemus and the cyclops tries to call for help, he calls out “No one is attacking me” which obviously none of the other cyclopes take seriously. (There’s also a great pun in the original Greek based on the Greek words for “no one” and “cunning” being very similar, but it loses a lot in translation)

However, just like in UDAD, Odysseus messes up this plan badly by calling out his real name when he’s still too close to the island of the cyclops. (although in the Odyssey it’s motivated by him wanting Polyphemus to know his name so he can get glory, rather than just being drunk)

Odysseus bests the cyclops by taking out his eye (there’s debate around it but cyclopes are generally depicted as having only one eye). Obviously in UDAD the cyclops is a machine not a monster, so this is replaced with the diamond at the heart of the laser being called its “eye”.

Also, I’m not sure if this is an intentional reference, but there is a fun irony to the fact that in the Odyssey, Odysseus tricks Polyphemus by getting him drunk so he can then blind him, while in UDAD Ulysses steals the eye of the Cyclops while drunk themself.

“Trial By Wits”

As well as My Name is No One, the whole concept of no one knowing anything about Ulysses’ appearance, gender etc. could also be seen as a reference to the “My name is nobody” trick, or possibly just a spin on Odysseus being a kind of “archetypal hero” - they could be anyone!

Heracles is better known by his Latin name, Hercules (son of Zeus, demigod, inhumanly strong and all that jazz)!

Ariadne is the name of the Cretan princess who helped Theseus slay the minotaur

Orpheus is another of the most well-known Greek mythological figures - the main myth surrounding him says he went into the underworld to rescue his dead wife Eurydice

Oedipus is most famous as the main character of a famous tragedy. His parents are given a prophecy that he would kill his father and have sex with his mother, and so decided to abandon him. As is so often the case with Greek oracles, he ended up doing both things anyway, seeing as how he, y’know, didn’t know who his parents were. The mechs apparently chose to reference this in the most mature of ways by having Jonny call Oedipus a motherfucker. Kind of a lot.

Aside from committing both patricide and incest, Oedipus’ other achievements in myth included winning a battle of wits against the Sphinx, a monster that was killing anyone who couldn’t solve its riddle. This monster is reimagined in UDAD as a disease that Oedipus finds a cure for.

Riddle of the Sphinx

The chorus of the song is taken almost word-for-word from the riddle asked of Oedipus by the Sphinx: “What goes on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?” The answer to the riddle is “man” - crawls on all fours as a baby, walks on two legs as an adult, and walks with a cane (third leg) in old age. The Mechs being the Mechs, this is made completely literal in the world of UDAD.

“Ulysses’ Will”

Like the Oedipus of myth, UDAD Oedipus also ends up killing his father and marrying his mother without knowing. Since he’s replaced his eyes with data sockets by the time he helps kidnap Ulysses, it’s pretty strongly implied that he blinded himself like mythological Oedipus as well.

The “twenty years of sirens” could be a reference to the twenty years Odysseus spends away from Ithaca in the Iliad and Odyssey

Sirens

The sirens were half-bird half-human creatures that Odysseus encountered as part of the Odyssey and that tried to lure him to his death with promises of knowledge.

As well as referencing this story, the line “let the lotus set you free” references another episode of the Odyssey, where Odysseus and his crew arrive on the island of the Lotus-Eaters. Anyone who eats the Lotus fruits falls into a state of apathy and will never want to leave the island, so it’s a fitting episode to reference in a song about Ulysses drugging themself to escape their memories of war.

“Trial By Strength”

Heracles’ backstory is essentially the same in UDAD as in the original myths: one of the many children of Zeus’ many affairs, except in UDAD Zeus has affairs with women from “the lower levels”, instead of just mortal women.

Favoured Son

The tasks Heracles performs for Zeus are a reference to the most famous myth about Heracles - the twelve labours he performs to atone for killing his family.

The song references “the ferryman” who takes people into the Underworld. In Greek mythology the dead travel to the Underworld in a boat rowed by the ferryman Charon.

In both the myth and in UDAD there are...what you might you might call “extenuating circumstances” for Heracles killing his family - in the myth he’s driven mad by Zeus’ wife Hera (bc she’s very angy about Zeus having all those bastard children with mortal women) but since Hera doesn’t play a role in UDAD this is changed to him being framed by Zeus himself.

In addition to being king of the gods, Zeus is also the god of thunder - which is where Heracles’ nickname “The Thunderbolt of Zeus” comes from

“Loose Threads”

Heracles and Orpheus “Backing up Jason on the fleece job” is a reference to the myth of Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece along with his crew (the Argonauts), which included Heracles and Orpheus.

Hylas was Heracles’ servant and another member of the Argonauts. While on the quest he was kidnapped by nymphs, and depending on which version of the myth you’re looking at, either fell in love with them and stayed there forever, or was murdered by them (Hylas is also the only character referenced I had to google to even know who they were lol)

Heracles telling Ariadne that “Your dad helped me out once” is presumably a reference to the seventh labour of Heracles: capturing the Cretan bull. Now the story of the Cretan bull is actually really long and ties into a bunch of other myths but essentially it was sent to Ariadne’s father, King Minos, as proof that he was the rightful ruler of Crete. However, Minos ended up helping Heracles by letting him take the bull with him to prove that he’d successfully caught it (which seeing as the bull was destroying Crete at that point doesn’t seem like a huge favour on Minos’ part, but ok)

Trial By Song

UDAD Orpheus shares the mythical Orpheus’ main defining trait: his skill at singing that he used to help him on his journey to the underworld.

Trial By Song is a lot more metaphorical than all the others so there’s not that many direct references to the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in the lyrics - probably the most direct one is “But all the landmarks moved as I walked past/Now I can’t look back”, which references Orpheus’ deal with Hades that he can take Eurydice back to the world of the living as long as he doesn’t look back at her.

“The viper town that bled me dry” could also be a reference to Eurydice’s death from a snake bite.

“Hades”

UDAD Orpheus’ motivation is the same as mythical Orpheus - wanting to bring back their dead lover from Hades.

Ulysses, Heracles, and Orpheus all visiting the “underworld” is taken directly from mythology (although unlike in UDAD, Ulysses/Odysseus never actually speaks to Hades).

Underworld Blues

In Heracles’ confrontation with Hades, he says that “I was sent here your dog to seize/Of my tasks, of my tasks/This was to be the last”. There’s a couple of points here - the mythology reference is to the last of the twelve labours of Hercules: capturing Hades’ guard dog Cerberus. However, I do wonder whether this is meant to be literal (in which case guys, why are we not talking about the fact that Ashes obtained a pet dog while in The City?), or if this is a similar case to all the mentions of ‘horses’ in High Noon Over Camelot actually being about motorbikes.

Orpheus singing to Hades and trying to convince them to release Eurydice is also taken directly from Greek myth, except instead of being moved by Orpheus’ song and agreeing to release his love like in the myth, Ashes just tells him he’s poor for a bit and then says he should go commit some crimes.

“Trial By Love”:

The general concept of Ariadne’s backstory - her helping Theseus fight the minotaur only for him to abandon her - is the same basic idea as the myth of Ariadne and Theseus. Although UDAD Ariadne is at least a bit more fortunate in the sense that she wasn’t truly in love with her Theseus, and he also doesn’t straight up leave her on a deserted island.

Ariadne’s family creating the minotaur is also part of her character in the myth. The difference is that in UDAD the minotaur was created intentionally, while the mythological minotaur was the result of Poseidon making Ariadne’s mother fall in love with the Cretan Bull as punishment for King Minos not sacrificing it to him (I said the Cretan Bull story tied into a bunch of other myths!)

The presence of the minotaur in the City is yet another thing that makes even more sense when we learn about the City originally being called Labyrinth!

Ties That Bind

Ariadne’s family name is Minos, same as the name of her mythical father King Minos.

Ariadne describes her family’s actions as casting a “dark horned shadow” over her, which references the typical depiction of the minotaur as a man with a bull’s head and horns.

In the myth of the Minotaur, Ariadne helps Theseus by giving him a ball of string that he then unwinds as he walks through the Labyrinth, letting him find his way out again. In UDAD this is changed to “strings of code”, that shut down the minotaurs programming. (And if you think that pun’s bad, just wait until we get to Torn Suits!)

The song’s title also brings to mind string or thread, so it can be seen as a subtler reference to Ariadne’s gift to Theseus. Same for Ariadne’s line about “heartstrings long since cut”.

“The Daidala”

Daedalus, the leader of the Suits, shares a name with the mythical craftsman and father of Icarus

He is rumoured to “trade as an Olympian under the name Hephaestus” - a fitting alias as Hephaestus was the god of craftsmen and artisans like Daedalus

The rumour that he killed his son for “getting too ambitious” references the myth of Icarus, who famously died after literally flying too close to the sun using wings held together with wax. The heat of the sun caused the wax to melt and Icarus to fall into the sea. The story is often interpreted as a warning about the dangers of ambition.

Interestingly, it could also reference another myth surrounding Daedalus - one in which Daedalus kills his nephew Talos because he was jealous of his achievements.

Daedalus is also apparently the architect of The City, which was originally known as Labyrinth. This once again references the labyrinth which held the minotaur, and which Minos forced Daedalus to design. Considering the labyrinth’s purpose in myth, it seems like an appropriate name for a city that keeps all its inhabitants trapped with no way out.

Presumably the Daidala in the title refers to the City: Daedalus’ finest creation. In Homeric Greek, daidala is a word that refers to finely crafted objects such as armour.

This track also has another reference to the Orpheus and Eurydice myth when Orpehus offers to sacrifice himself to open the vault - “But he can’t see it through can he? Flinches, looks back. And it doesn’t work.”

Torn Suits

This song is notable for having quite possibly the worst pun in Mechanisms history - “Ulysses pulls out their snub-nosed laser and fires the last shot, splitting the beam across twelve axes”. This references one of the climactic scenes of the Odyssey, where Ulysses/Odysseus wins an archery competition against his wife’s suitors by shooting an arrow through twelve axe heads. (get it, axes as in the weapons becomes axes as in the plural of axis do you get it?????)

Another, marginally less bad pun is Heracles getting “the lion’s share” of the beams, referencing the popular image of Heracles wearing the skin of a lion he killed as one of his labours.

“Sunrise”

The code to Ulysses’ vault: Elysium, is another word for the Elysian Fields. In certain Greek religions, this was an afterlife separate from Hades’ world where heroes and those chosen by the gods would go after they died.

Ulysses’ vault is revealed to contain the “sole surviving oak tree”, under which Penelope is buried. While it’s not as direct a reference as some of the others, this is pretty clearly inspired by the way Odysseus proves his true identity to Penelope at the end of the Odyssey - by telling her that he carved their bed from a tree still rooted to the ground, something only the two of them know.

The track ends with an homage to Homer’s use of similes in the Odyssey: “And as the weary hound, once more at its master’s feet after so long, lays down with the sunlight warming its fur, breathing its last – even so did the eyes of Ulysses close forever.” Not only is this stylistically identical to Homer’s similes, it also doubles as a reference to Odysseus’ dog Argos, who waited for him for twenty years and finally died when he saw Odysseus again.

Elysian Fields

This is possibly a bit of a stretch but the image of Ulysses lying beneath the last tree, next to where Penelope is buried, especially with how they say they’re “with my beloved” and “beside my wife” really brings to mind the scene in the Odyssey where Odysseus and Penelope lie in their tree-bed together for the first time since Odysseus’ return. Which, incidentally, is theorised by some to be the “real” final scene of the Odyssey and everything after that was added on later, but that’s another story.

That’s everything I’ve picked up on but it’s possible there’s more I’ve missed so let me know if there’s any more! I’d like to thank the Mechs for giving me an opportunity to put my useless and extremely niche knowledge to good use!

#the mechanisms #ulysses dies at dawn #udad #ifer rambles

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yamayuandadu · 3 years

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For the character breakdown, I’d love to see hadad, anat, shapash, yam, mot, athtar, kothkar and khasis... really any of the ugaritic pantheon, of course you don’t have to do all of them >.<, I’d just love to see your hot takes

I shall rise up to the challenge! I’m the only person on this site obsessed with Ugarit as far as I can tell... I covered everyone you asked for plus Ashtart and Yarikh. As much as I like burrowing through jstor and academia edu and persee and so on, I kind of wish there were more people approaching Ugaritic, Mesopotamian, Hittite etc. myths the way many do with Greek ones tbh - sometimes i’d just like to see which figures people think would be into gossiping and so on or which tacky modern fashion they think suits them equally as much as I want to find out if Yarikh’s portrayal in Ugaritic poetry owes more to Nanna/Sin or to the Hittite moon god. ALSO as far as this sort of light hearted takes go, there are two japanese artists on twitter who draw Baal cycle fanart: here and here.

Hadad: How I feel about this character: one of my fave mythical protagonist. I think I genuinely only like Inanna more. Going from a very relatable desire to get his own house to triumph over death is quite the journey. The relative powerlessness many interpreters point out is interesting, too - the fact he mostly gets somewhere because of allies and because even if El was the king of gods, Hadad’s attributes made him the king of people’s hearts arguably, so he has to win against overwheming odds. All the people I ship romantically with this character: Anat, Ashtart/Astarte/however we transcribe her name this week... Kothar? My non-romantic OTP for this character: given the Seth-Baal equation in Egypt and the uncertaininty over whether Astarte papyrus is about Seth or Baal under Seth’s name it’s funny to imagine them as friends. Also I’ll talk about it more underneath but since Dagan was a god with similar purposes further inland (and is attested earlier iirc) and Ugaritic texts - even though they rarely feature him - call him Hadad’s father - it would be cute to assume he also taught Hadad everything. My unpopular opinion about this character: I’m a Dagan parentage truther against all odds. It was the norm outside Ugarit! I think “Dagan isn’t in Ugaritic myths because they take place in Ugarit but people thought Dagan lives further inland in Tuttul based on prayers etc.” is enough to explain his absence from myths, and also note that in the epic Baal is “Dagan’s son” even when he’s at a low point (ex. when Yam demands he gives up his freedom or when he’s dead) and only El’s and Asherah’s son when he’s victorious for the most part (ex. during palace construction) - imo this makes it plausible that Dagan is his real dad and El and Athirat are only his parents in the way vassal rulers called emperors fathers. Likewise I think any references to siblings can be interpreted in the light of ex. kings of Ugarit calling kings of Carchemish or Alashiya brothers. One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I really like how corny the Hittite/Hurrian storm god cycle is with Kumarbi constaly raising new challengers to attack Kummiya and dethrone Teshub/Tarhunna, I actually wish the Ugaritic one was longer too via a similar plot device. Also I wish Dagan actually appeared in myths alongside his son - Noga Ayali-Darshan had a theory he was in some oral tradition predating Baal cycle as the god announcing Yam demands a tribute since in Hurrian “Song of the sea” and in Egyptian “Astarte papyrus” a grain deity does this but a possible reconstruction isn’t much... Anat How I feel about this character: well, she’s not Inanna, but she’s still pretty good. I mostly like the parts of the Baal narrative which show her unpredictable character, like her probable parents being afraid of her, listing various never shown enemies she vanquished, or Mot’s death. Aqhat myth doesn’t interest me much. That myth fragment where she and Ashtart pity Yarikh because other gods treat him poorly is interesting, too. All the people I ship romantically with this character: Baal, Ashtart, that’s it I think. My non-romantic OTP for this character: she seems to get along really well with Shapash during the segment of the Baal cycle where Baal is dead. My unpopular opinion about this character: I really hate the speculation popular among bible scholars which amounts to making her, Ashtart and Athirat interchangeable to justify her irrelevance in the iron age. One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: honestly? I wish an “Anat cycle” existed. She pretty clearly had a fair share of own adventures considering Baal enlists her help on the account of past accomplishments. Yam How I feel about this character: out of all antagonists in the basic middle eastern “storm god vs sea” narratives I think he has the most fun personality - Hedammu is barely a “character” and Tiamat lacks the more human dimension Yam has. All the people I ship romantically with this character: nobody, he has to move past the Astarte papyrus characterization and learn some respect for that smh My non-romantic OTP for this character: his nameless rude messenger who refused to bow down when speaking to the assembly of the gods My unpopular opinion about this character: contary to what this (very good) paper says, the Yam battle is more thrilling than the Mot one - the strength of the Mot part of the narrative comes from the visceral descriptions of Anat’s emotions but Mot is a flat villain compared to Yam. One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: he had a seemingly positive role in cult and there are 13 known people with Yam theophoric names (out of 6000 or so people from Ugarit known by name) so I sort of wonder if there’s some lost myth where he’s the hero or something. Mot How I feel about this character: if nothing else, feeling offended by being offered bread and wine instead of corpses is pretty funny and a great introduction. And the pathetic attempt at a comeback shut down by Shapash is All the people I ship romantically with this character: unshippable by design tbh. My non-romantic OTP for this character: if the theory about Horon - the god from the “anti-snakebite text” and the “may horon crack your skull” curse - being a cthtonic god too - just a generally benign one - is true I think they could have a lot of comedic potential. My unpopular opinion about this character: I don’t understand where the idea of a nonexistent myth about Mot kidnapping Shapash and Yarikh comes from and I wish it wasn’t all over the place online. One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: some more detailed description of the afterlife - Mot, rephaim, Horon if he really lives there - would be useful... Shapash How I feel about this character: she seems severly... underrated? There are maybe two papers about her (and one underlines the fact there isn’t much research on her) and yet she’s the second most prominent goddess in the Baal cycle AND has her own narrative in the anti-snakebite texts! She might actually be more remarkable than her Mesopotamian counterpart - with all due respect for Utu/Shamash, in myths he’s the boring sibling between himself and Inanna/Ishtar... All the people I ship romantically with this character: I don’t have any real ideas, some papers assume she and Horon were a thing but this is disputable and Horon is pretty nebulous himself... My non-romantic OTP for this character: “Kothar - your close friend!” from that one hymn has that covered. Since she’s basically a divine herald perhaps they travel together? My unpopular opinion about this character: I suspect the reason why she isn’t studied more is because many researchers are stuck with some sort of false “good mother goddess - evil sex goddess” dichotomy of ancient middle eastern religion and while you can force Athirat, Anat and Ashtart into these roles, Shapash with her aura of a divine equivalent of a mundane earthly official doesn’t fit into it and as such is ignored. One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I said I hate the false Mot myth spreading online but I actually do wish there was a myth or at least a cult text of some sort showing what sort of relation existed between her and Yarikh - safe to say it didn’t mirror Shamash and Sin... Kothar-wa-Khasis How I feel about this character: huge fan of artisan gods and he seems genuinely nice. One of my Ugaritic b-list favorites. I like that he’s a reneissance man - armorer, architect, even a musician... The theory that he was developed based on Ptah since Memphis had a large foreign population is great. All the people I ship romantically with this character: Baal sort of? I imagine Baal is actually relatively knowledgeable about architecture given the length of the window debate in the Baal cycle... My non-romantic OTP for this character: Shapash, as I said earlier. My unpopular opinion about this character: based on the tale of King Keret some researchers argue he’s meant to be ugly like Greek Haephestus, but since I like the Ptah theory and his appearance isn’t described elsewhere AND King Keret might be satire where everyone is their worst self possible, I prefer to imagine him as handsome One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: supposedly from Caphtor and yet we never see Caphtor (Crete) in Ugaritic myths... come on, ancient scribes, surely someone went there? Maybe even recorded some proper Minoan myths? Ashtart How I feel about this character: she’s my favorite Ugaritic figure of limited relevance. An Ishtar/Inanna equivalent who seemingly curses other gods and presides over political pacts is a pretty solid premise! And it’s funny she rebukes Baal seemingly for insufficient dedication in battle. I wonder if the Egyptian fragment which implies Yam acted lecherous towards her is a factor in this tbh. Perhaps an earlier oral tradition had both these elements...? All the people I ship romantically with this character: Baal (her title is “face of baal”/”of the name of baal”, c’mon...), Anat (almost always listed together!) My non-romantic OTP for this character: Keret curses his son with a formula invoking both Horon and her so perhaps that’s who she’s learning curses from. My unpopular opinion about this character: I hate that “Astarte is Asherah” is widespread just because people want to defend the historicity of the biblical Jezebel narrative which probably even the biblical compilersdidn’t view as historical. One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I wish she didn’t vanish from the Baal cycle after Yam’s defeat :C Attar How I feel about this character: this sure is... a guy. He’s so pathetic in the Baal cycle it’s hard to even see him as an antagonist - sorry, Handbook of Ugaritic Studies... All the people I ship romantically with this character: nobody, Shapash points out he’s single as the reason why he can’t rule and i don’t think that changes in any subsequent texts? But then Marriage of Nikkal and Yarikh iirc mentions he has a daughter... My non-romantic OTP for this character: again, nobody. My unpopular opinion about this character: he’s actually a pretty vital part of the Baal cycle and the fact he gives up on own accord makes him more interesting than the other “failed god” in a similar narrative, Ashtabi. One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: a god with the same name was prominent in present day Yemen so I guess finding some direct connection would be nice - it fits with him leaving to “rule elsewhere” in the myth! Yarikh How I feel about this character: he’s so pitiful in the fragment which compares him to a dog begging for scraps... His main myth is pretty good too, tbh it’s the best middle eastern marriage myth imo - I actually don’t care for Dumuzi much, but Yarikh is cool. All the people I ship romantically with this character: only Nikkal-wa-Ib My non-romantic OTP for this character: given his mistreatment and Nikkal’s father(?) saying he could be a son in law of Baal I assume that in some unknown texts they must have been allies. Note that the Hittite storm god has the sun and moon gods acting as his metaphorical eyes warning him against Kumarbi’s new plots in song of Ullikummi. Also I assume Anat and Ashtart must consider him a friend given how they help him when nobody else does? All around he feels like a god in Baal’s orbit even though we have 0 direct proof for it. My unpopular opinion about this character: I think trying to correct him to Nanna is a doomed endeavor tbh. Their wives have similar names but Yarikh doesn’t give the impression of a “Father of gods” type deity in what little we know about him. One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: more myths. None we know show him as the moon even though it’s literally his name! I am afraid I don’t have anything interesting to say about El and Athirat. Handbook of Ugaritic Studies has an amazing El summary that I generally stick to, I can post a cap if you are interested.

#Anonymous

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valerianhemlock · 4 years

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Hi! Could i request a tarot reading on who my guides/gaurdian angels are? And whether they have a message for me? Ss Gemini sun Leo rising If you need some things about me to tap into my energy, Ariana Grande's "God is a Woman" is one of my favourite songs as well as Dua Lipa's "Physical". Thank you 💙

Hello love!! So good to see you again! :) I drew three cards for your reading, all upright- The 9 of Swords, the 10 of Wands, and the 4 of Wands.

9 of Swords: This card has been called the “dark night of the soul card”, for it shows you reaching deep within yourself to deal with a crisis. It is synonymous with despair, isolation, fears, grief, etc. You may be agonizing about a problem, torturing yourself with worries and fears. You may feel hopeless and helpless to handle the situation on your own. This card may refer to deep-rooted or repressed issues coming to the surface- perhaps in the form of nightmares- so you can resolve them. As for who your spirit guides may be, as soon as I saw this card I immediately thought of Ptah (Egyptian creator-god and god of craftsmen and architects) and with the baboon pictured on the card made me think of an aspect of Thoth (God of Knowledge, Secrets, Writing). Also with the Hieroglyph depicting water and the phonogram for the letter “n”, it could be a water based guide as well. Though it perhaps may be associated with an animal guide or aspect/deity of another religion, not just to limit who your guides may be to one faith. I’m not too familiar with the concept myself, but that’s just what I felt and garnered from it.

10 of Wands: This card shows you assuming responsibilities related to the new cycle that’s beginning now. Although the task you’re facing seems more than you can bear, you have the strength to carry on and shoulder the burdens placed on you. Sometimes this card indicates exhaustion from taking on too much and pushing yourself too hard. No need to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, dear. You may need to set boundaries or find a different way of handling the responsibilities you’re struggling with. Are you carrying burdens that don’t really belong to you? Where can you turn for help. Ground yourself to your resources and regroup. Don’t be unwilling to give up control and insist on doing everything yourself.

4 of Wands: The energy surrounding this reading and situation is embodied in this card. It is a positive energy, and this card says that you have already worked so hard and used your talents wisely- you must remember to slow down and enjoy the things you have earned. Don’t work your life away, dearie. They appear to be sending you comfort telling you that everything is going as it should. Just take life step by step, day by day. Do not lose yourself in your worries, the dark days you’re having will pass. You’re doing wonderfully. :)

#thanks for the ask!#free tarot readings #free tarot request #free tarot services #free readings #free tarot #tarot witch #spirit guide reading #life reading #life advice reading #comissions open #ask me anything #tarotblr

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riddledeep · 5 years

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Fae Hierarchy

Fairy Elder - Last of the Tuatha Dé Danann. She is not a god, but holds great authority and power in the cloudlands. She wears yellow robes and a magical diamond necklace that keeps her alive. Fairies, Anti-Fairies, and Refracts alike respect her; she is an impartial figurehead.

Wise Ancients - Extremely powerful nature spirits such as Mother Nature and Father Time. They are neutral parties, but not impartial. These deities have their own agendas and use mortals to further their goals.

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Zodiac spirits - The seven nature spirits who represent the seven elements on the Fairy zodiac. The days of the week are named after them.

Supreme Fairy Council - Four Fairies and three Anti-Fairies who are elected to sit on either the Fairy Council or Anti-Fairy Council. The seven are collectively referred to as the Supreme Fairy Council. Each member is called a Robe, and wears a robe in the color of the cloudland region (political state) they represent.

Eros family - Cupid’s bloodline. Always cherubs, always triplets, and allegedly tasked by the gods to maintain Fairy genealogies and prevent any species in the universe from truly going extinct.

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Keeper of Da Rules - The Keeper of Da Rules maintains order in the cloudlands by ensuring Da Rules are followed. Following the War of the Angels, the Keeper of Da Rules also became ambassador for the common fairy subspecies. This is Jorgen’s current position.

Lower-ranked nature spirits - The children and grandchildren of the zodiac spirits. They are certainly deities, but are lesser deities.

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Alien ambassadors - Aliens who represent other worlds, including entire planets sometimes.

High Count and High Countess - The dual leaders of the Anti-Fairies. While the titles imply separate male and female positions, they can be filled by a same-sex pair. Although equals from a political standpoint, the High Count is still considered head of the household, mirroring the creche father rank in actual bat colonies. These are Anti-Cosmo’s and Anti-Wanda’s current positions.

Head Pixie - This title is often abbreviated H.P. Only the reigning Head Pixie has the authority to make drastic changes to the Pixie social structure. He rules until his death, after which he is succeeded by the Vice President of Pixies Inc.

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Fairy subspecies ambassadors - Ambassadors of various races under the Fairy umbrella who attend Council meetings. Some are elected while others are kings and queens born and raised in royal families.

First General - The follower drake of the High Count. The First General organizes and oversees Anti-Fairy troops in war. In times of peace, he also performs ceremonies and breaks gridlock arguments among the camarilla court. This position is always filled by a male. This is Anti-Poof Anti-Everwish’s current position.

Temple acolytes - High-ranking Anti-Fairies who reside in and care for the Zodiac Temples. They are considered experts in matters of architecture; they spend decades studying such things in Zodiac Temples before they can design monuments to the nature spirits or offer their designing services to clients. They’re so renowned for their skill that hopeful Fairy architects will train beneath them instead of attending the Academy.

Head Anti-Pixie - Leader of the anti-pixie race. Generally given the cold shoulder and not taken seriously considering that anti-pixies are stereotyped as constantly-drunk party-loving lunatics. Holds very little political power. This is Anti-Sanderson’s current position.

Vice President of Pixies Inc. - The pixie intended to be the Head Pixie’s successor. Until then, he helps the Head however he is instructed to (Mostly by keeping Pixie World resources such as groceries stocked and helping with childcare duties). Only pixie gynes may hold this rank. This is Longwood’s current position.

Chief Pixie of PixieCo - The gyne who oversees pixies in the Hawthorn Haven cloudland colony. The title is also abbreviated C.P. of PixieCo. The C.P. is still subject to the Head, like a manager to a larger company. As other pixie gynes set off into the world, more C.P. positions will pop up. This is Smith’s current position.

Pixie ambassador - H.P. became Pixie ambassador to the Supreme Fairy Council by default. However, he can elect to pass the position to someone else if he wants to.

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Keepers [of Da Rules] - Not to be confused with the singular position. These government workers make up the Fairy World police force and are trained to organize as militia if necessary. They wear sky blue and white uniforms.

Camarilla court - Six Anti-Fairies selected by the High Count and six selected by the High Countess who weigh in on matters of political and social importance. While the High Count and High Countess technically hold seats on the camarilla too, the name “camarilla” is colloquially used to encompass everyone else. In total, there are two people on the camarilla court representing each of the seven elements on the Fairy zodiac.

Heir to the High Seat / “High heir” - A child of either the High Count or Countess (sometimes both) born with the iris virus. A potential heir born without the iris virus would automatically be rejected as the heir for not carrying “the sacred blessing of the nature spirits”. In times of desperation when no legitimate heir can be produced, another color-eyed child of nobility (most likely an extended family member) can be adopted into the bloodline instead. This is Foop’s current position.

H.P.’s alpha retinue drone - A gyne’s primary drone; he oversees other drones and can assist his gyne in distributing his pheromones through the ranks. An alpha drone technically has the same rights as a service animal regarding where he can and can’t go. This is Sanderson’s current position.

Vice President of PixieCo - Simply, the pixie who succeeds the Chief Pixie of PixieCo, and assists him until then. Like the Vice President of Pixies Inc., the V.P. of PixieCo should be a gyne. Again, we’ll be introduced to this position in “The Other One”.

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Other von Strangle family members - Nana Boom-Boom. Invisible Leonard. People we saw in “Cosmo Rules”. You know what I mean.

Creche fathers of other colonies - Non-nursing colonies of Anti-Fairies are naturally patriarchal; the creche father is the highest-ranking male in the colony. While leadership skills are valued, his main role consists of caring for the young pups in the colony.

Heir’s betrothed - The intended mate to the “High heir” and therefore the assumed new High Count or Countess. This person doesn’t hold real legal authority, but is treated with respect. As it stands right now, this is Anti-Coriander’s unofficial position.

Chief Sunchosen - A self-proclaimed title for the unofficial ambassador of the Refracted. The intention is that one day, this position will be for Refracts what the High Count and Countess are for Anti-Fairies. This is Dame Artemis’s current self-titled position.

C.P.’s alpha retinue drone - Same as H.P.’s alpha retinue drone, but he belongs to the Chief Pixie of PixieCo. This is Calvert’s current position.

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Other celebrities - The Tooth Fairy, famous actors like Blonda, TV show hosts like Billy Crystal Ball, successful writers, and so on.

Mates of camarilla members - Nobles who are nobility through marriage. Obviously, they lose this title if their mate is removed from the camarilla. Usually they contract the iris virus from their mate.

Other irises - Other carriers of the iris virus. Mainly nobles and former nobles who are treated with a hint more respect than commoners. This is a fuzzy area; prostitutes selling the iris virus are an actual inconvenicnce that causes headaches for the higher-ups.

Successful farmers - If you lived in a magical cloud world with limited ability to farm nutritious food, you would value farmers who provided you with high-quality crops too.

Most Refracted - An angelic, pious race of gold and white bird-based people, quite opposite of the stereotype of the evil blue and black Anti-Fairy. The Refracted manage many of the Daoist shrines and ceremonies and are generally well-liked even though they can be pompous and annoying.

Gynes - Large, freckled Fairies (always male) who ate a lot of jelly as children. In actual insect colonies, gynes are the “princesses” who take over from the queen, often by killing her in a battle to the death. Likewise, Fairy gynes are naturally very territorial and often fight each other. Gynes with more dominant pheromones have the ability to suppress the reproductive systems of subordinate gynes. Gynes with many dark freckles are considered more attractive than those with few. The actual rank of a gyne varies in regard to other social status factors, but people generally give them respect.

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Upper-class Fairy citizens - High-ranking people who aren’t considered celebrities. The Whimsifinado and Fairywinkle families fall into this category.

Kids of camarilla members and their mates - Children of nobility, often considered nobles themselves. They’re likely to carry the iris virus.

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Average Fairy citizens - Regular, non-celebrity folk. Fairy culture is still largely dominated by their caste system, although they’re starting to move away from it as time goes on.

Anti-Fairy commoners - Average Anti-Fairies who aren’t considered nobility; as a result, they’re highly unlikely to carry the iris virus and probably have red eyes. Those who live in colonies are considered more socially acceptable than rogues. Many males travel in bachelor colonies during their adolescent years. Occasionally, females may travel in nursing colonies.

Tourists (Aliens) - Cloudland foreigners. Aliens don’t typically settle in the cloudlands since there’s really nothing to do there if you aren’t magical, and the buildings tend to be very small.

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Genies - Generally looked down upon; profiled as dirty, manipulative trouble-makers who enjoy laughing at the expense of others. Technically, it’s difficult to officially rank them since there just aren’t very many in the first place, let alone genies who freely wander the cloudlands.

Drones - Stereotyped as natural-born servants (always male) and born only if their father is either a gyne or a drone. Despite the name “drone”, their natural behaviors are most similar to those of worker bees. They’re attracted to gyne pheromones, so gynes tend to form retinues of drones who take pride in serving him. A drone will be born sterile approximately 75% of the time. Pixie drones, being infected with Wolbachia pipientis, are an exception to this rule.

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Will o’ the wisps - Stereotyped as gorgeous temptresses who seduce males and keep harems. They fear floods and slip out of their underground tunnels when it rains. Goldie Goldenglow is the wisp ambassador.

Anti-will o’ the wisps - Stereotyped as prostitutes (“Mistresses” in Anti-Fairy World) and generally looked down upon for having insect wings instead of bat ones; they are also known as “mothdames.” Anti-Marigold is an anti-wisp.

Finfolk - Very similar to will o’ the wisps, although they live underwater. The stereotype is that they capture potential spouses from land and drag them underwater, forcing their captors to be their servants.

Redcaps - Stereotyped as psychotic hillbillies. They’re looked down upon because they need to coat their hats in blood regularly in order to survive, or they’ll die. They have five eyes, are immune to all poisons and venoms, and are generally considered really creepy.

Brownies - Highly shunned for their venomous saliva. Widely viewed as meek servants without much brain power. To call someone a brownie-kisser implies that they’re so incapable of wooing anyone that they took advantage of a poor, dumb, innocent creature instead. Brownies are not inherently less intelligent than other Fairies- they just keep ending up in disadvantaged situations.

Click HERE for my Fairly OddParents worldbuilding masterpost

#RD general #RD worldbuilding #RD cloudland culture #RD Fairy stuff #RD AntiFairy stuff #RD Pixie stuff #RD Refracted stuff

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shotbyugo · 5 years

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KWU-BA-ALA Was Designed By Sirius Ugo Art To Help Modern UMU IGBO And Those That Love IGBO Cosmology To Innerstand The Essence Of CHINEKE, What CHINEKE Is, The Various Aspects Of CHINEKE, How A Man Or A Woman Can Become CHINEKE On Earth, And How CHINEKE Reflects The Various Planets Of The Universe Of Light.

The Word QUBBALA / KABBALA Means Tradition, The Word Derives From The IGBO Term For Restore Tradition, Which Is KWU-BA-ALA.

So What Is The Essential Meaning Of CHINEKE, And How Does The Idea Impact Your Life?

CHINEKE Is The Architect. The Creator. The Omniscient. CHINEKE Is Androgynous Because Everything In Nature Has Its Own Individual CHI. There's CHI-NWANYI And There's CHI-NWOKE. Every Species In Nature Is Male Or Female, And They Both Have Their Own Individual CHI. NWOKE BU OKO EKE - A Man Is A Creator. Look Around You, Almost Everything That We Use To Make Life Easier For Us Was Created By A Man That Knew How To Work With Nature. NWANYI BU EKE OMA - A Woman Is A Divine Creator. Look Around You, Everyone You See Was Created In The Mother's Sacred Womb. Whether Man Or Woman, A CHI Will Always Need EKE To Create. Even The Bible God Needed EKE To Create. Genesis 1:26 -28 - Come, Let -> US <- make man in our image, after our likeness". There's No Posible Way That A CHI Can Create, Without EKE. When It Comes To Natural Creation, We Link CHI To Man As A Life Force, And EKE To Woman As The Initiator And The Creator Of Life, And Together As An Androgynous Infinite Force, They Are CHINEKE. Every CHI Demands Expression. ONYE KWE CHI YA EKWE. In This Realm, You And Your CHI Are One And The Same. And One Way To Express Your CHI Is To Become ONYE OKIKE (A Creative Person), Which Is CHINEKE. What Are You Good At? You Become The Architect Of Your Life And The Architect Of Your Destiny By Being ONYE OKIKE. Thus The Crown Of Life Is CHINEKE, The Essential Secret Of Happiness Is To Be A Creative Person.

In The IGBO Cosmology, Planet Saturn Is ELE. The IGBO Lord Of The Underworld, And The Masculine Form Of The Earth Mother ALA. The Cube Of Saturn Or The K A A B A Which The I s l a m i s t s Worship In M E C C A Is Known As OBU ELE (OBI CHUKWU) In IGBO Meaning "The Astral House Of The Infinite God. In Other Words, The Islamists Worship The Masculine Form Of The Earth Mother Which Is ELE Saturn. It Is A Square / Rectangular Shape. He Was Plagiarized As JESUS & LUCIFER By The Abrahaminists. ELE Is The King Of Gods. The Western Elites (The Cabal) Worship ELE. And I'll Unveil All The Secrets To You Guys. Western Scientists Says That The Sun Is 93 Million Miles Away From The Earth, And The Word S A T U R N = 93. The U N Building In N Y Is 39 Stories. The Old Testament Has 39 Books. 39 Reflects 93. In Afa Igbo Language, ELE Simply Means Infinity Or Eternity. The Oldest IGBO Shamans Are Known As DIBIA ELE. They Must Have Been The Ones Who Thought The Westerners About Saturn. They Were The First Shamans... Because ELE, The Infinite God Is The Oldest IGBO God. ELE Is The UNDERSTANDING Of The Fact That The Death Of Knowledge Is Not Being Able To Realize That Everything In The Universe Is Infinite. I Once Said To A Great Businessman That I Only Want A Million Dollars, And He Said To Me, "Someone Could Buy Your Product For The Million Dollars That Satisfied You And Make Billions With What You Sold". In Other Words, The Way That The Spirit Of ELE (CHI ELE) Impact Humans Is To Always Be Open Minded. Close Mindness Or Conclusion Is The Death Of Success. This Is One Of The Reasons Why The Western Elites Adore ELE. The Consciousness And Understanding Of Infinite Success. When You Open The Gates Of ELE (BABEL / BA-BE-ELE), You'll Then Enter The Realm Of CHINEKE. And You Can Do This By Practicing How To Be Open Minded.

EZE IYI ENU Is A Representation Of Planet Uranus Or Neptunes. The Purpose Of KWU BA ALA Is To Discover The Various Aspects Of CHINEKE And How HE/SHE Reflects On Human Behavior. Does CHINEKE Cry? That's Like Asking Do Men And Women Cry? Like Does It Rain? My Older Sister Is Very Religious. When I Was A Kid, She Use To Tell Me That My Sins Causes It To Rain. And That The Rain Is The Tears Of CHINEKE. EZEIYIENU As A Direct Emotional Side Of CHINEKE Can Help Develop Your Creative Skills. Emotion Is An Energy That Needs To Be Balanced. As IYI Is Also Linked To Divination. People Do Powerful Things When They Are Emotional... Almost Supernatural Things. And EZE IYI ENU Is The Side Of CHINEKE That Reminds You That Those Emotions Can Be Redirect To Something Very Creative, Rather Than Destructive. All The Secrets Of The Water Are Hidden In One IGBO Word Known As "IYI". IYI Is Spells / Curses And IYI Is Oath Taking.

IGBUDU Is Dark Energy... The Most Sophisticated And Deepest Knowledge Of CHINEKE. Representing PLUTO. IGBUDU CHI Is The Deepest And Darkest Side Of CHINEKE. Not Connected To Anything, Almost From An Unknown Source, But Somehow Connected To CHINEKE. IGBUDU Represents The Darkside Of Human Nature. Why Do People Kill? Why Do Animals Kill? It Is An Energy That Also Needs To Be Balanced Before Reaching CHINEKE, As We Cannot Know Good, Without Bad. We Cannot Know Wisdom, Without Ignorance. We Cannot Know ORDER, Without CHAOS. IGBUDU Is Also The Realm Of Masters Of Dark Energy (NDI USHI). Not Connected To The Emotional Side Of CHINEKE, Nor The Open Mindedness, But Straight Up The Destructive Side Of CHINEKE.. As The True God Is Both The Creator And The Destroyer, Like Winter And Summer.

Every CHI Is Born With An IKENGA. The Universe Is In Motion, And That Which Moves The Universe Is IKENGA. What Do You Call The Energy That Gets You Up From The Bed? IKENGA. What Do You Call The Energy That Mothers Use To Give Birth? IKENGA. IKENGA Holds The Key To Our Persistance. IKENGA Is Hailed As OBU-UZO (One Who Leads The Way), ODUMIJE (One Who Leads Me). Astronomically, IKENGA Is The King Of Mars, And The Leader Of The Martian Civilization To Earth. In OBI CHI, Which Is Your Body, IKENGA Is Your Gut. That Is The Will Power To DO Anything.

If You Love IKENGA, Then You Must Surely Love The Father Of IKENGA. There's Almost A Great Father Behind Every Great Son. Just Like Jesus Always Spoke About His Father In Heaven. That Father Is NGWU OJELUPUTA. Men Are From Jupiter. NGWU Represents The Pedagogy For Solving The Metaphysical Matters Of This World, And The Complete Expansion Of Wisdom And Knowledge. The IGBO Elder Shaman Staff Known As NGWU Was Named After The Father Of IKENGA, NGWU / OJELUPUTA Who Carries The Staff. The Staff Was His Gift To His Messengers, Because After God Is DIBIA. Speaking Of The Expansion Of Wisdom And Knowlegde, It Is Incredibly Ignorant And A Complete Death Of Knowlegde To Conclude That We Are Alone In This World. Imagine That? You Haven't Even Reached ELE, Talkless Of CHINEKE, And One Thinks He/She Is Alone.. Our Ancestors Knew That We Are Not Alone, And That Knowlegde Is Infinite (ATU BU AGWU AGWU). To Come To A Conclusion Of What We Do Not Know Is A Death To Knowlegde. ELE And OJELUPUTA Both Have The Same Principles, But The Importance Of OJELUPUTA Is That He Is The Father Of IKENGA, And He Represents The Fatherly Principles In Human Lives. NGWU Is Like A Great Father / God Father / Mentor Whos Purpose Is To Raise A Great Son Known As IKENGA. It Takes A Great Father To Raise A Great Son. The Father Expands And Transmits Your Wisdom And Innerstanding Of This World, Which Is One Of The Attributes Of CHINEKE. There Are Two Major Works That The Staff Of NGWU Does, It Tunes Energy And Transmits Energy. The Two Major Staffs Of NGWU Are Called, NGWU ALO And NGWU AGIRIGA. NGWU ALO Staff Is Used For Tunning Energy, While NGWU AGIRIGA Is Used For Energy Transmission. Every Living Thing Is Energy, And The Life Forces Of Nature, And Humans Are Energies (CHI) In Need Of Great Elevation. NGWU's Greatest Gift To Humanity Is IKENGA, The Hero Within. Without IKENGA, We Cannot Be Persistent At Anything. Without IKENGA We Cannot Innerstand The Essential Principles Of Achievements. For The Fact That NGWU Gave Us IKENGA, The Principle That Elevates Us To Our God Selves, It Is An Expansion Of Wisdom To Realize That NGWU Is Infact EZE-CHUKWU-OKIKE - The Priest-King Of Gods - The Father Of All The Gods - The Father Of All Creators. NGWU Is The Ruler Of JUPITER. The Roman King Of Gods Jupiter Was Derived From Another IGBO Name For NGWU, Which Is OJELUPUTA. OJELUPUTA Means "One Who Went And Came Out". The Greek Equivalent Of Jupiter Is The God Saturn, Whom Is ELE In IGBO.

Humans That Were Indoctrinated Into Abrahamnism Don't Innerstand The Intrinsic Value Of Deitifications. And This Is One Of The Reasons Why NNECHUKWU Selected People Like Me (EKERE OLU EKE). I'm Doing My Own Part. I Create The Arts, And Try To Show You What They Mean Based On The Great Knowledge That CHI Unveiled To Me. And This Is Also One Of The Ways I Express My CHI. IGBO Deities Are Like School Subjects. They Are Infinite Mysteries That Our Ancestors Want Us To Study, Follow And Apply Them In Our Lives. I've Seen Videos Of Where IGBO Deities Are Being Studied In YALE University. Students Do Presentations On The Principles Of IKENGA All The Time. A Man Used The Principles Of IKENGA To Build The Fastest Car, In The Late 60s, And Called It "A Millionaires Toy". Inspiration Is The Root Of All Creativity. IGBO Deities Are Not Meant To Be Worshipped, Only Ignorants Worship Things. People Worship God Because They Don't Know God, They Only Believe In God, But Our Ancestors (NDI USHI) Want Us To Discover The Mysteries Of God. They Did The Same Things In KUSH/KHEMET, Which The Greco-Romans Stole, And Built A Gigantic Capitalist Empire, And Enslaved UMU USHI. NDI USHI Want The Modern IGBOs To Discover The Mysteries. This Is Why IGBO Shamans Say That "MGBA NNECHUKWU ENWERO MGBACHA", Meaning That The Mysteries Of The Mother Of The Universe Of Light Is Infinite Or The Mysteries Of The Mother Of God Is Infinite. It Is Not Something That You Study, And Abandon, But Something That Was Designed To Be Your Life Path To Greatness, And You Do This My Discovering The Mystery System Of NDI USHI. In AFA, The Word Known As ALUSHI Or ARUSHI Is Actually AKWU-ULULU-USHI Or IKWU-ULULU-USHI. It Is A Mystery Realm That Was Created By The Godmen And Godwomen Known As USHI ESHI NSHI. The Same Ancestors That Created The Mystery Systems Of KUSH/KHEMET. When You Call On AUSET, AUSAR Or HERU, What Do You Think They Are? They Are AKWU ULULU USHI. They Are Mystery Systems Of The Ancestors, Based On Sophisticated Scienctific Experiences. For Example, The IGBO Word For The Sun Is ANWU. Why Do You Think NDI USHI Call The Sun "ANWU," Which Means Deathless? ANWU ANWU, That Is Something That Is Infinitely Deathless. You See? It Is A Mystery For One To Discover. Let's Say, It Is Because The Sun Is A Life Force (CHI), And CHI Is Infinite. As We See The Sun In The Sky, It Represents One Of The Many Manifestations Of CHINEKE.

Everything That I Have Been Unveiling To You Here About The Importance Of African Methodology, And The Importance Of African Intelligence, They All Came From AKPA AGWU. NDI ODINANI Came From UWA AGWU (Planet Mercury). AGWU ISHI Is The Head Of All Infinite Knowlegde. The Master Teacher. From Astronomy, To Astrology, Medicine, Meditation, Alchemy, And All Kinds Of Mystic Knowlegde. AGWU Holds The Key To All Enlightenment. An IGBO Shaman Is From The Realm Of AGWU. DIBIA / DI-ABIA, The Master Of All Mystical Knowledge. Astronomically, The Governing Planet Of AGWU Is Mercury. The Closest Planet To The Sun. If You Want To Experience What It Feels Like To Be AGWU, Stand By A Burning Fire. Infact, AGWU Is The Son Of God Or One Who Is Like God.. Malchizedek. AGWU ISHI OHA Is Thoth, Djehuty, Hermes, ERI, NRI, ESHI, EKWENSU. All The Great Masters Of Nature Knowlegde Are Embodiments Of AGWU ISHI OHA. In The Human Body, AGWU Is The Brain. How AGWU Reflects On Humans Is That Everyone Has AGWU, Reflecting On Human Character (AGWA). Everyone Needs To Be Enlightened. Enlightenment Is Infinite, AGWU AGWU, Like The Sun ANWU ANWU.

UTO Is A Direct Representation Of All Feminine Enlightenment, A Man Can Also Channel This Energy As Well. She Is The Mother Of The East And The Consort Of AGWU ISHI. She Is Venus And The Virgo Constellation Is Also Her. UTO Means Sweetness And Growth In IGBO Language. But NDI USHI Are Briliantly Slick, Because If You Reverse UTO It Becomes OTU, Which Means Vagina And Unity In IGBO Language . As The Mother Of Love And Sexuality, UTO Enlightens Us That OTU BU UTO UWA. Remember My Projects On NNE-ETE? It Is All About The Great Works Of UTO As The Feminine Enlightenment. If A Man Wants To Know The Inherant Value Of A Woman, He Goes To UTO, Whom Is NNE-ETE, The Mother Who Designed The Cosmic Grid. Billions Of Years Before Men Learned How To Lie, NNEONO-KOMOSU, The Female Counterpart Of CHINEKE Was The One Who Gave Birth To The Universe Of Light (UWA), Through ODACHI KA ODACHI (MASSIVE CHAOS / The Big Bang). While She Was Giving Birth To UWA, She Nearly Lost Her Life Force. Because Her Body Was What Became The Divine Earth (ALA OMA). And Her Spirit Is Also The Earth, Thus The Earth Is Her Living Body. While She Was Lifeless, CHUKWU'S TEARS Fell On Her, And She Transformed Into ALA-OMA (Divine Earth) And Then She Reincarnated And Resurrected As EKE-NNE-CHUKWU (The Infinite Light Of The Mother Of The Universe Of Light). The Mother Of The East. In IGBO Alone, She Goes By Many Names: ANYANWU UTUTU = The Early Morning Sun. ISIAJATA = The Source Of The Stardusts. It Was ISHIAJATA That They Recorded As ISHTAR, Which Is The Origin Of The Word EASTER. It All Goes Back To ISIAJATA = The Infinite Source Of The Stardusts. She Is Also Known As UTO = Growth / Sweetness. From UTO, The KUSH Khemet Got WADJET, Whom Is Also Known As UTO... Representing Feminine Enlightenment. In IGBO Cosmology, She Is Also Called NNE UTO = Mother Of Growth / Sweet Mother. UTO-ANA = The Growth And Sweetness Of The Earth Mother. EKE-OMA = The Creative Light Of The Mother Of Purity. Her Agricultural Symbol Is EDE (COCOYAM).

OMA And ALA Are Twin SiSTARs. The Moon And The Earth Or The Earth And Sirius B. The Esoteric Meaning Of ALA /ANA Is Eternity Or Infinitum. That Is ALAALA / ANAANA. The Same Meaning With Her Masculine Form (ELE). The Esoteric Meaning Of OMA Is ONWA, That Is The Moon And Also Knowledge. ALA-OMA Is The Mother Of Morality. Her Energy Is Morality. We Also Call Her NNEONO - The Mother Of All Mothers. NNEONO NA MBU - The Mother Who Was At The Very Beginning Of Time. The Root Of All. The NU, NENU, NUN (Abyss) Mystery System Which Is The Source Of The Ancient KUSH/KHEMET Mystery System Is ALA-OMA As NNEONU - The Mother Of The Watery Abyss. The Mother Who Loves To Keep Her Children In Her Sacred Womb (IMEANA) As The Living Dead Ancestors. ALA-OMA Is The Mystery Of Mysteries. Thus NDI USHI Named Our School Of Thoughts ODI-NA-ALA, And Named Our Culture OME-NA-ALA. Because ALA-OMA Is The Beginning And The End. She Is The Source Of All Knowledge As ATU NNE EZE CHUKWU OKIKE. NNE-ELE - Mother Of Eternity. NNE-ORA - Mother Of The Noon Sun. NNE-IGBO - Mother Of IGBO. NNE-IDU - Mother Of The Mystical Dark One. IDE IDE - Pillars Of Pillars. IDEMILI - The Pillars Of Water. NNE NWANYI OKPU - The Molder Of Life. EKE-UKWU - The Massive Python / The Great Creator. IDE-NNE - Mother's Pillars. ITE-OMA-ATU - The Pot That Detamines The Structural Plan Of The Cosmos. NNE-EBERE - Mother Of Mercy. Her Manifestations Are Endless. ALAWUALA.

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krissidanielle · 6 years

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An Art History Primer

by Kristian Krawford

I spent many years studying art history in school and dearly loved it. So allow me a few moments to share the fruits of my education with you. Here is your art schooling without the cost of tuition. And you can really impress your friends with all your refinement!

We begin in Egypt from 3,000 to 330 BC. The style was marked by stiff figures in profile, subject matter was gods and goddesses, kings and queens, jackal-headed deities and the occasional cat. Egyptians were strong believers in the afterlife and decorated tombs with things they felt one needed in eternity.

Greece from 1200-200 BC. Not much art has survived from this period other than pots, all decorated in geometric patterns—zigzags, chevrons, checkerboards, diamonds. Also Homeric scenes and later some Kouroi statues.

Rome from 700 BC- AD 500. Virtually everything we know of Greek art comes to us from the Romans. They were the ultimate copycats, conquering the Greek world and plundering their treasures. They did the same to Egypt. They were the first art patrons and art collectors. A tradition that continued for centuries.

The Dark Ages AD 600-1350. This title is a misnomer as it was a very exciting time in the world. This was the era of beautiful churches, of Charlemagne (my own great-grandfather), the university and of some really beautiful art.

Charlemagne was King of the Franks and the first Holy Roman Emperor. His empire was called Carolingian and he set out to change the world. He built monasteries and churches, basilicas, murals, sculptures and frescoes—almost none of which have survived. What have survived are beautiful illuminated manuscripts from this time period, which is also called Romanesque because it draws on Roman models.

One way it was Roman-like was in its bigger and better churches. The architecture at the time, centered in Paris, was called Gothic by Giorgio Vasari, who intended it as an insult. It means “crude and barbaric.” Gothic style was simply the over decoration of a house of God. Elaborate stone tracery, crested finials, painted details—miscellaneous doodads. All crafted by anonymous artisans.

A French historian (Jules Michelet) coined the term Renaissance, meaning “rebirth,” in the 1800’s. And because the subject is so broad and involves so many artists, I could go on for pages. So for the sake of brevity, some things will receive only a passing mention.

The Renaissance can be divided into High and Low or Early and Late. The major artists of the Early Period were Giotto (first to paint three-dimensional people); Masaccio (mastered groups of figures); Lorenzo Ghiberti (spent 21 years working on the bronze doors of the Florence Baptistery aka. Gates of Paradise); Donatello (invented relief sculpture); and Filippo Brunelleschi (architect of the Duomo and first to apply the rules of perspective to art).

The major artists of the Late Period were: Sandro Botticelli (known for sensuous human forms, i.e. Birth of Venus); Leonardo da Vinci (arguably the most famous artist ever of the most famous painting ever, i.e. Mona Lisa); Michelangelo (started out in Florence, moved to Rome to paint the Sistine ceiling); Raphael (another darling of the papacy and one of my personal faves. I love School of Athens); Tintoretto (he closes out the High Renaissance with a Mannerist style); and Titian (greatest Venetian painter, he painted a lot of mythological subjects).

Some interest tidbits about Leonardo before closing out the Renaissance entirely. Leonardo wasn’t just an artist. He was a scientist, architect, engineer, draftsman, inventor and jack of all trades. He studied the human body by dissecting cadavers and imagined flight hundreds of years before the Wright brothers. He was interested in everything, yet finished almost nothing. He was a master of unfinished work. In fact, the Mona Lisa is one of only a handful of pieces he ever completed. And it was his personal favorite that he carried with him until his death. For centuries, Mona Lisa has remained an enigma. Not just her identity but her unusual expression. Is she or isn’t she smiling? According to Vasari, Leonardo painted a very melancholy sitter. He employed magicians, jesters and theatre performers to entertain her while he painted. It was while painting this portrait that he developed his sfumato technique (Italian for “like smoke”) in which colors and form subtly merge. It would become his trademark.

The Northern Renaissance is also divided into Low and High. These are the best known Low artists: Jan van Eyck (founder of Flemish painting, he painted the Ghent Altarpiece); Rogier van der Weyden (known for attention to detail and portraits of nobles); and Hieronymous Bosch (known for fantastical landscapes of a dark, medieval world).

The High Artists of the Northern Renaissance are: Albrecht Durer (not to my liking but this German artist is known for his engravings and woodcuts); and Pieter Breughel the Elder (Flemish painter known for allegories and parables of peasant life).

Baroque came after the Renaissance. It was a time of courtly festivals and royal ceremony. The term meant to be an insult—“degenerate.” Caravaggio was the most famous Baroque artist. A rogue character (even tried for murder), he was a naturalistic painter known for dramatic light. He placed ordinary people in his paintings of religious subjects. Scandalous! Peter Paul Rubens painted nobles while El Greco was known for his elongated figures. Rembrandt, considered the greatest Dutch painter ever, was known for his unusual lighting in which he made the most ordinary of people look mysterious. Jan Vermeer, also known for interesting light effects, enjoyed painting the Dutch bourgeoisie. Lastly, Velazquez was a great Spanish painter most interested in royalty.

From the 1700’s to the 19th century, there were four major art movements: Rococo, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, and Realism.

Rococo (c. 1730-1800) was art of the boudoir. It was a flirty, fanciful way of decorating the canvas. The main artists (all French) were Francois Boucher, Jacques-Louis David (I can’t stand that guy), Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres, Eugène Delacroix and Gustave Courbet.

Neoclassicism (c. 1750-1820) was a genre in which artists copies the simple designs and restrained ornament of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The main artists Jacques-Louis David (I still can’t stand him), Antonio Canova, Jean-Antoine Houdon (known for his amazing bust sculptures of Ben Franklin and George Washington) and Jean-Dominique Ingres.

Romanticism (c. 1780-1850) was melodramatic portrayals of imaginary subjects. The best known artists were Eugène Delacroix, Francisco de Goya and William Blake—a wonderful writer who illustrated his poems.

Realism (c. 1848-1875) was basically a reaction to the excesses of Romanticism and some Neoclassicism. In this movement, it was the Americans who led the way. Many were painting beautiful landscapes of their young nation on large canvases. The landscapists were Thomas Cole, Frederic Edwin Church, Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran. Realist artists were Winslow Homer and Thomas Eakins.

Ah, Impressionism! Who doesn’t love it? It all began in 1874 when a group of Paris-based artists who’d been rejected by the Salon were mockingly called “Impressionists” by the April 25th issue of Le Charivari magazine. The name stuck. The style itself was marked by a close observation of nature whereby marks of pure color are placed side by side to create the effects of light on the canvas. They also differed in subject matter, tossing out literary subjects, mythology, and even history. They focused instead on scenes of everyday life. They also abandoned contour, modeling and precise details.

Though Èdouard Manet is the founding father of Impressionism, it is Claude Monet who is most often associated with it. Other stars are: Edgar Degas (he favored ballet dancers); Auguste Renoir (young women and rosy-cheeked girls); Alfred Sisley (the only Brit in the mix); and Mary Cassatt (the only American and most famous woman).

From 1874 to 1886, the Impressionists exhibited together a total of 8 times, but long before they broke up, the members were moving on to other things.

Post-Impressionism is a catch-all term to describe all the art that came after Impressionism. It also relied on the use of bright colors and splashy brushwork, but differed in what artists were feeling and saying. The stars of this movement were: Georges Seurat (inventor of Pointillism and a personal fave); Paul Gaugin (the native-loving man of bright colors); Vincent Van Gogh (most mad and magnetizing); and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (decorative posters of cabaret life).

Expressionism was marked by sometimes violent colors, abstract forms and emotional subjects. The big Expressionists were: Edvard Munch; Henri Matisse (inventor of Fauvism); Wassily Kandinsky (inventor of Abstraction); and Amadeo Modigliani (lover of long, lean bodies and necks); and the Viennese love-chronicler, Gustav Klimt.

Cubism is my least favorite genre so will receive scant mention here. It was the first totally abstract art movement—not at all representational—relying on geometric forms. Created by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, they were influenced by Cézanne, modern science and African masks.

Dada was a brief European anti-art movement that sprang up after WW1. It spawned the likes of Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst and Man Ray. I take back what I said about Cubism being my least favorite. Dada is.

Surrealism came after Dada and although it was primarily a literary movement, it translated well into art. Basically about the relationship between dreams and the unconscious, this movement gave us Marc Chagall, Joan Miró and Salvador Dalí.

Constructivism was another brief art genre, this one centered in Russia. It spawned no internationally known starts, only regional artists on a mission.

Abstract Expressionism was about bigness—big canvases, big brushes, big cans of house paint, big male egos. It was also almost totally American. The main men were: Jackson Pollock (big drips and splatters); Willem de Kooning (brushy abstractions); and Mark Rothko (large blocks of color).

Pop Art is populist art. It’s representational and easily comprehensible. It’s spawned some very famous artists—Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, to name a few. These artists rejected nature and instead focused on the manmade.

Minimalism came after Pop Art and spawned Frank Stella and a few minor artists.

So what genre is the art of today and where is it headed? Well, all the art since is generally lumped into the category of post-modernism and involves artists deriving their work from both natural and manmade sources. Today artists even use a third source—the wonderfully human imagination. Artists also create their work from many different mediums. Today, we have oil painters, acrylic artists, watercolorists, charcoal and pencil artists, collage artists and even mixed-media artists who use a combination of all of the above to create their unique works. And let’s not forget digital artists who create their imaginary worlds entirely on computer. Though future historians will have a difficult time categorizing the art of today, one thing is for certain: they won’t lack for interesting and beautiful paradigms to study.

#art history #artessay #artists #artprimer #arteducation #essays #essay #fyi #so you know #valuableinformation #goodstuff #artthroughtheages #history

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kailaasaoffice · 5 years

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RESTORING VEDIC CULTURE & CIVILIZATION

Revival of Temple Culture

The revival of authentic Vedic temple culture is one of the keys to reviving Sanatana Hindu Dharma and is therefore one of Kailaasa’s highest national priorities. The Vedas, the Upanishads and the Dharmashastras provided the philosophical foundation and the Itihasas (religious history) and Puranas (sacred literatures) the societal framework to sustain this foundation. Temple culture formed the nucleus of Hindu civilization and it spawned, incubated, nurtured, sustained, and spread Sanatana Dharma’s cultural and social milieu from time immemorial.

The origins of temple culture date back to the Vedic concept and practice of yajna. The word yajna describes an elaborate ritual of sharing — a ritual where all communities and strata of society came together and offered their material and non-material services for the welfare of the country. It was an act of strengthening human, social and national bonds on an epic scale. A yajna was how the entire nation renewed its vows to itself.

As Vedic culture evolved and gave us the concept of murti puja (deity worship), yajna gradually found an organic expression in the form of temple culture. A temple in spirit was not just a place for people to worship and return home; it was simultaneously the primary educational institution, a community center, the home of the performing and literary arts, and the platform for free and fair social and political discussions and debates.

The plan, design, and structure of almost all classical and medieval temples was well-defined, scientific and followed the rules of Indian architecture laid down in the Shilpashastra texts. A visit to any of these still-surviving temples makes it clear that areas are earmarked for specific purposes: dormitories for pilgrims, halls for debates and similar activities, a yajna shala (sacred rituals building) , a natya shala (theatrical dance building), a communal water tank, and platforms for Gurukul students to take their lessons. The actual temple itself forms a small part of this grand architectural scheme. For example, the North Indian holy city of Varanasi is in fact one massive temple complex that contains hundreds of mini-temples within its walls.

One of the greatest contribution of Vedic temple culture is in the field of classical performing arts. Hindu classical music and dance primarily evolved from and were refined over hundreds of years in the confines of thousands of temples spread throughout the various Vedic kingdoms. Nothing can substitute the Guru-shishya (Guru-disciple) tradition that alone has sustained Hindu classical performing arts. The temple culture in turn sustained the Guru-shishya tradition by granting the Guru the material prosperity and social respect to perpetuate his or her art to posterity.

Madurai Temple complex illustrates the intricate architectural design catering to all aspects of temple culture

The temple culture produced superior human resources required to sustain not just these endeavors but, indirectly, a kingdom itself. It produced ministers, advisers, strategists, artisans, and teachers. Those who dismissively refer to Madurai, Thiruvanamallai, Rameshwaram, Tanjavur, etc. as mere “temple towns” fail to recognize the essential role temple culture played as the incubator of Hinduism’s societal and religious infrastructure. It is therefore unsurprising that almost all Hindu kings gave such large grants to temples and avoided appropriating temple wealth for sovereign uses.

And so, when a temple was destroyed, it also simultaneously destroyed every cultural facet of a kingdom. At present very little of the classical tradition has survived in North India. This is the direct consequence of repeated and large-scale temple destruction by Islamic invaders (and the long period of Mughal rule, which prevented Hindus from building new temples and from renovating/restoring existing ones). As far as South India is concerned, we see this phenomenon most prominently in Goa, whose original name is Gomantak. Few temples have survived there and the classical tradition is virtually non-existent.

After India gained independence the situation did not improve. Under Jawaharlal Nehru, temple culture was relegated to the waste heap with a simple device — by putting temples directly under government control as part of the destructive project of de-Hinduizing India. This policy denied temples much of their autonomy and the funding they badly needed to restore their dilapidated infrastructure after centuries of hostile foreign rule.

Preserving and Proliferating of Sacred Arts

The quintessence of Vedic civilization was expressed in the science and art of forms “Shilpa” (work of art). The renowned temple architect and sculptor, Dr. V. Ganapathi Sthapathi explained “the real culture of India lies in its arts, poetry, music, dance, sculpture and architecture. I call them Vedic in view of the fact that this science and technology are dealt with in Sabda, Gandharva, Natya, Sthapatya Vedas, I also call these Vedas as living Vedas or Vedas in action, productive of tangible material results and leading to spiritual realization within the built environment.”

Regarding Shilpa, the Aitareya Brahmana, Rig Veda, 6.5.27 states,

“The works of art of man imitate the divine forms by employing their rhythms they metrically reconstitute and interpret the limitless knowledge of the sacred hymns from the limits of being human.”

Sculpted Pillars at Meenakshi Temple, Madurai

The ancient lineage of Vedic scientists and artisans applied their knowledge of Shilpa of across various arts and crafts and extended to every aspect of culture, including the architect, metallurgist, sculptor, potter, perfumer, wheelwright, painter, weaver, dancer, musician, and even into the arts of love. Ancient Indian texts assert that the number of the arts is unlimited and deployed sixty-four kala (techniques) and thirty-two vidyas (fields of knowledge).

Shilpa is discussed in Agamas, Puranas and Vastu Shastra where it is linked to the mythology of Vishwakarma (the Divine Architect). These arts were all considered deeply spiritual and granted the sanctions of a sacrament in ancient culture.

Vaastu Temple Building

Probably the most notable application of Vedic Science was in the area of building temples or Vaastu architecture and its knowledge systems expounded in the Veda-Agamas, Sthapatya Veda and Vaastu Shastras.

Vedic builders cognized that free space is capable of experiencing, vibrating, and converting energetic vibrations themselves into spatial forms. They considered the temples they built to be living organisms pulsating with life, just as is the case with our human form. Temples were built specifically to purify and enlighten humanity. The science of Vaastu temple architecture and its application spread across the globe and are considered to be the architectural foundations of many civilizations.

The vibrancy of the temples of the ancient past are unfortunately missing in most of today temple constructions. This is because the true knowledge of Vaastu architectural principles has mostly been lost or is in the hands of very few. Even the Vedas and Upanishads have not been properly understood and have yet to be attuned to the context of the Agamas and Vaastu Shastras.

The nation of Kailaasa will restore temple science to its original splendor and will not compromise on its adherence to the Agamas and Shastras. Only through the application of authentic Vaastu principles by an enlightened incarnation can full scale construction of temple complexes be achieved. Large scale constructions being currently being contemplated will rival and be more luminous the greatest temples ever built. The impact of the energy radiated by Vaastu-compliant temple complexes is capable of raising the consciousness of humanity on a mass scale.

Revival of Rudrakanya Sampradaya

The Rudrakanya Sampradaya (spiritual lineage) was an ancient order of chaste strong sacred women sanyaasis who traditionally live within the Vedic temple complex, took care of the temples and studied and shared the all the sacred Vedic arts. These Vedic women were the heroines and role models of their day, the epitome of complete chastity and devotion and held the highest status in society. With the destruction of temple cities and complexes by invaders, the Rudrakanyas were no longer respected and honored and were either captured as trophies of war or pushed into poverty and prostitution.

As these Rudrakanyas were literally a biological repository of all knowledge, arts and scriptures, with their decimation, a huge treasure trove of Vedic “DNA” and its extensive knowledge of scriptures, culture arts and sciences was lost with the demise of the Rudrakanya tradition.

As part of Vedic cultural revival and propagation, ASMT has now revived the Rudrakanya Sampradaya. Rudrakanyas are trained in the 64 arts including art, dance, music, drama, singing, linguistics and preservation and glorification of temple culture. This is essentially a spiritual incubator for propagating lost knowledge of temple culture and reviving an ancient tradition of powerful sacred women through keeping the social structure and the temple-based culture alive.

Vedic Dance

From the Vedic perspective, the whole universe is being brought into existence as the manifestation of the dance of the Supreme Dancer, Nataraja. In the Hindu scriptures every God has his or her own style (lasya and tandava represent two aspects of dance) including 23 celestial beings called Apsaras who dance to please the Gods and express the supreme truths in the magic of movement.

The dance in Hinduism used to be a part of a sacred temple ritual, especially in South and Eastern India, where the Rudrakanyas worshipped different aspects of the Divine through the elaborate language of mime and gestures. Natyashastra is the most ancient and the most elaborate scripture describing every element and aspect of this sacred art-worship.

The temple dance gradually evolved into what is known today as the South Indian Classical Dance that still preserves many ritualistic elements of Hinduism. Many temple dancers, Rudrakanyas are incarnations of apsaras.

The revival of Sanatana Nartanam is a compilation depicting the metamorphosis of dance in the four Vedic periods, that is., Krutha, Tretha, Dwapara and Kali Yuga offered in Temples as part of puja and worship.

Traditional dance existed in its purest form during the Vedic periods, as it was encouraged and patronised to a great extent by offering dance in temples and royal courts as a form of worship to the Divine.

Revival of Temple Arts and Crafts

Through the Sacred Arts program at the Bengaluru Adheenam temple complex, ASMT has spearheaded the revival of ancient temple crafts such as producing temple structures, deities, vahanas (vehicles of the deities), flagstaffs, temple jewelry, Puja/ worship items, kavacham (sacred armor), sacred weapons, deity arches, crowns, jewelry for deities, chariots and thrones as per the Agamas — the oldest available scriptural text of instructions authored by Lord Shiva himself. These sacred creations are sent to Hindu temples and home temples in all countries, throughout the world in a systematic attempt to revive these previously lost temple art forms and to revive this knowledge in the present day.

Vedic Education — Gurukul Education System

The Gurukul is the original Indian education system of Sanatana Hindu Dharma where students lived with enlightened masters from a tender age, learning the 64 vidyas — types of knowledge. Knowledge was transmitted through the very bio-memory of the master.

The children emerged as spiritually-anchored geniuses who radiated shaktis (mystical powers) and were high-achievers and world leaders. Nithyananda Gurukul is fast reviving the gurukul education in its entirety not only in India but around the world, through a state-of-the-art virtual Gurukul created by His Divine Holiness Paramahamsa Nithyananda.

Vedic Economy — Goshala

The Vedic tradition has encouraged an agrarian civilization from time immemorial, and cows have played a pivotal role in society. The cow is revered as the most sacred animal to Hindus, a fact that is evidenced by the dedication of several hymns and rituals, reverentially addressing them as ‘Gomata’ (divine mother cow) in all the sacred scriptures including the Vedas and Puranas. Cows also formed the economic backbone of Hindu civilization and economy by ensuring every family and community maintained self-sufficiency through easy access to cow-based food, fuel and medicine. Protection of cows is a sacred duty that is performed by Hindu communities worldwide through the revival of the Goshalas (cow sanctuaries). Under the guidance of the leadership of Kailaasa, the Goshala infrastructure, economy and related Vedic rituals are being revived and propagated on a mass scale.

Vedic Ecology

The Vedic tradition has always encouraged living in a sustainable manner in alignment with nature. Therefore it adheres to an organic, vegetarian, cruelty-free lifestyle by promoting organic farming as well as a holistic lifestyle of nonviolence, harmony, and mutual upliftment and respect for all beings, human, plant or animal.

If you wish to contribute to building Kailaasa, the enlightenment ecosystem for humanity, you may contribute here.

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seraphimagick-blog · 7 years

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Unlocking the Code: Part One

They ask which came first: the chicken or the egg. In her novels, award winning author J.K. Rowling presents us all with an interesting answer: that a cycle has no beginning. And so this is where we must start; by acknowledging that our life is a complex code, with no start or finish. We as humans are a matrix of complex DNA, a question of nature vs. nurture, and a fight for survival.

In my short time upon this earth, I have come to many startling realizations and epiphanies, but one that I know to be true is that personal opinion is not as valuable as science, reason, fact, or logic. The weight of the majority must not counterweigh the importance of the individual so much so, as to cause social, or cognitive dissonance.

In our day-to-day lives, we are presented with options… And many only seem to effect us personally: what we wear, or eat for example. However there is something deeper many of us don't realize: that no individual dwells on an island… And that there truly is a butterfly effect. Think deeper about this subject for a brief moment, and meditate on the topic. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and recognize, how much the world around you seems to hold you down.

Think today of all of the things you have done thus far, have done, or could do. You may be weighed down with all of the anxiety of things you must do, people you must meet… You may be depressed about things that occurred long ago… You might be angry about issues you are having. Perhaps you are frustrated about issues at work, or home… Upset, or scared about an upcoming test or surgery, nervous for a friend or coworker…

Think of all of the invisible threads that connect us as people, living and deceased… Even pets, or plants… Maybe food, or hobbies? All of the things that tie you to this universe, and to this earth… Things that you chose… Or others chose for you… A cycle? Nobody knows where it started, or when it will stop… It just is…

Some of it… The beautiful meals with family you may have had, or nights out with friends… Are incredible. Other parts like war, death, poverty, disease… Are painful to bear witness to and seem neverending. The power of one individual may seem too small to make that much of a difference… THIS IS A LIE!

Everything is connected: evey living, and nonliving being… It truly doesn't matter how it came to be, or what you believe in the end. If you choose to believe in God, satan, Alah, Jehovah, or any other religious deity or nothing af all, that is a personal choice. While yes, obviously something (or someone) created the heavens, earth, and everything on them… Why should we fight over the logistics of how it occurred?

If the bible, or Quran, or any other religious text is correct… Does that mean all others are totally incorrect? Are we all so totally conceited that we are willing to start wars, kill families and children, drop bombs that destroy countries, and ruin the lives of entire civililizations over what we believe to be true? Yes, it may be true. But are we such animals, that we are willing to slaughter each other over what someone else believes?

Whether it was a Big Bang, or Jesus Christ, or the Greek gods, is strikingly irrelevant. Look around you! War, death, poverty, disease, drug addiction, people dying in the streets… It is something that any higher power would look at and in my view, would call upon any individual to treat people kindly, and with peace, love, and understanding.

We are connected in a very deep way, and this is obvious… Whether it is due to some form of magick, evolution, divine intervention, governmental conspiracy… I don't care. I just wish for people to truly achieve what they are capable of. I have watched many go from rags to riches… And how they did it. I observed their mistakes, and how they managed to turn it around…

The strategies, methods of thinking, opinions, and tools outlined in these pages are my own personal beliefs. I consider myself somewhat of a teacher… A shaman, an author, a bit of an eccentric… But mosty, I just want to make a positive impact on the world. Before we continue… I must warn you that this book can, and will change your life. I know everyone says that. I know it sounds like some kind of sales gimmick. People lie all the time, and wear masks because they feel it helps them get by in their day-to-day life.

I am just someone who happens to be extremely observant, and is trying to document what I feel has helped me, and so many others to turn their lives around. This isn't a religious (or anti-religious) book. It isn't a secular rant about how much trans people deserve our rights (while yes, we should have our rights, and anyone who believes differently can kindly return this book to its shelf, and keep your money and transphobic nonsense to yourself). I am not after fame, or fortune (although a small loan of a million dollars would be nice).This is not about politics, or anything similar. I am merely looking to help others, and make a positive impact in the only way I know I am good at (which happens to be writing).

This book: “Unlocking the Code”, is my honest attempt to explain how people like myself who are INFJ-T personality types, organize our thoughts, and also give a deeper look into a more universal and neutral philosophical viewpoint. I will explain how changing your thought process, daily routine, and thus editing the code that is you and the world around you, can change the program that is your life… And create a better operating system: the world

I know that this sounds totally lofty, and hopeful, but I know it can be done. Time and time again, I have witnessed what others have thought to be crazy occur, due to the processes outlined in this book. I once saw a meme that said “If someone tells you that you're crazy, just remember there's some rich jerk out there, laughing their head off who invented the pool noodle”.

One small event or idea can change a lot not just for others, but for you personally. Rome was not built in a day but that doesn't mean that you cannot make something amazing happen in a day! This is 2017, and we have technology. Ther are almost 8 billion people on this planet… Even without money, resources, etc… There is always a way. Sometimes, we have to acknowledge our options, and figure out a positive strategy to move ahead.

To better explain what I mean, let me first break down what an INFJ-T even is. INFJ-T, is a Myers-Briggs type that is extremely rare… And I happen to fall right on the cusp between two types: “the advocate” and “the architect”. I would highly recommend that anyone who is struggling with personal thought process organization, learn their personality type, as it can help bring clarity to how your brain works, and how you interact with others, the world around you, and even yourself.

My personal type… Basically breaks down to: I-Introvered this means that I prefer to be alone, require quiet, and get social anxiety. I perform best when I make plans for myself, and can think on my own terms. N-Needs I am needs based… I see what myself, and others need. I try to figure out ways to fill them. My biggest problem is that I cannot figure out all of them at once, and get overwhelmed with anxiety around people. F-Feelings I am extremely empathic… I let my feelings rule me at times.Sometimes I let my heart overrule my head, and get in my way… However, I see very clearly and read what other people are feeling as well. J-Judgements I wait and pass judgment only when I have to. But once I am at a conclusion, I make a decision, I know what I have to do, and I do it. I don't care how crazy it looks or sounds, or if it bothers someone, so long as it doesn't hurt them, or me. T-thinking I think constantly… My mind is like a supercomputer… constant buzzing, and taking down data… As I take in data of needs, feelings, and judgements… I assess, reevaluate, and make plans… Then construct what I can for the future.

Overall, I construct ways to help others… This book, is an attempt to document how my brain works, so that others can hopefully gain something from the knowlege, experience, strength, and hope, that I have gathered over time.

Please have paper and pen (or something to write and draw with) handy. I would recommend that you allot yourself around an hour per day to yourself (however you have to do that) to be alone with just you, this book, and whatever else you may need (any required texts, tools, etc. will be outlined at the beginning of each chapter)

Before you go any further, please stop and think. Think of the things that you have done today, and truly reflect on them… Really think… Think as hard as you can, and truly focus. Let me explain, and demonstrate what I mean. Say you were reading this in the morning, right after a shower… where did the water come from? Was it purified? What is in it? What is in your soap? How did it react with your skin?

While all of these things may seem irrelevant, they all have an impact, and an effect on how the code of your body, and (by butterfly effect) the world work and run. Take for example your shower. Close your eyes, and envision your routine, just today… How could something as small as purifying the water, changing the soap, or altering the temperature of the water make that large an impact on your (or anyone else’s) life? Well… The answer lies in the butterfly effect, and how It effects your body's code, and the systems of everything around you… If may sound totally crazy, but hear me out:

Say you have to pay for hot water, or that there is a weird chemical in your water that is irritating your skin. Say your body wash has a fragrance that bothers your boss, or someone who you had a job interview with (causing you not to get that job), Obviously you cannot control what bothers them, but, you can control what keeps you afloat, happy, healthy, safe, and secure.

If you couldn't afford hot water, maybe you could take a bath instead, or explore cheaper soaps? If it bugs your interviewer, maybe offer to change it, of ask if they have asthma or a problem with strong smells? You could try looking online for other jobs, and see about posting your resume (maybe make one while you were online looking at those soaps), and email that interviewer? Make a mental, or physical checklist. If you have to, boil water for a bath. If you're short on cash, and your skin is irritated, look into things that may help, whether you have to go to a DR. or have to look it up on your phone, in a library, on a computer, etc. Reflect on your personal power to change what is bothering you and causing problems, and how you can make it better.

Much of the time, I find that we allow ourselves to become our own worst enemies: thinking that we have hit a brick wall, when in reality we are just beginning. We make excuses, procrastinate, or come up with a million reasons why we can't do something. Many times, it is as simple as taking a step back, taking a few steadying breaths, and letting ourselves think of our options.

While many of us are capable and able to do great things, we get bogged down by what others say, worry about what others are doing, and allow others to have power over us that is completely unjustified. Even those of us with “handicaps”, or “disabilities”, can find a successful path with hard work,

Anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses are a perfect example of what I mean. They are an invisible illness. It is hard, but not impossible to manage. You just have to adjust accordingly, and make sure you set a routine, or you can fall back into unhealthy habits (not taking meds, poor self-care, hospitalizations)... And while this may seem an extreme, or bigoted example, I only use it because I feel that to a certain extent, everyone suffers from some degree of mental illness. It is more that it (like everything else in life) is a spectrum. Some people are extremely anxious, or depressed. Some people have intense anger issues, or sleep problems.

Learning to control what goes on in your brain and body, is of crucial importance. It isn't a “everyone needs to take this medication, or do this” kind of thing. It is a “everyone is a unique person, with a unique body and brain structure, a unique set of experiences, and a individual set of beliefs. Therefore, everyone has specific needs that they must attend to.” Kind of thing.

In this book, I hope to help people find themselves, and the tools they need to achieve happiness, and success. I don't care if I help all of 2 people… Because quite frankly I am one person, and my life is worth no more than anyone else's.

I know that many may be skeptical to read this book due to “she's trans”, or “she's so young”, or, “how does it actually work?”. Skepticism, and lack of trust are normal. You probably have never met me in person, you may not have even met a trans person before. You may be wondering what I am truly after in writing this book, or if it is worth the price near the barcode.

I honestly don't give two craps if you were to find it online for a dollar. I don't care if you're reading a copy you stole online, or illegally downloaded. It is merely to help others, and hopefully bring myself some further clarity.

Before we delve into the hard work that is unraveling the complex code of the universe (god I love saying that), I will leave you with some words of wisdom for the next chapter.

Self-care is crucial. Your body is like a battery: it requires certain chemicals and processes to stay charged. Once it is charged, you can start worrying about others. You will notice how easy it is to change something seemingly small, but how big of an effect it can have.

At first this can be baffling. Many may think they are hallucinating, or it is too good to be true. Some may think it is divine intervention, or else wait for something bad to happen. This is the number one mistake many of us make. Stagnancy and procrastination are humanities worst enemy: we allow ourselves to think we cannot do something. The solution is to truly push ourselves, but also to take time for ourselve, and be kind to one another.

In the end, we must realize that every day, is a new beginning. Every moment, every nanosecond… Is a new moment. Time cannot be calculated accurately (at least not 100%), so why worry? We just need to do the best we can for us, and those around us. Everything has the power to change for the better, or worse.

The world, is a complex operating system, as is the human body. We have the power to edit it as we please. The problem many of us face, is we don't use that power to its fullest potential, or we allow others to take control and start spiraling. We slip and fall, and don't get back up (or when we do, we don't know what to do). We feel we are forced to rely on others, when in reality, we only truly need ourselves, and the power of our own will to achieve whatever we must do to alter our own personal code in the way we see fit.

In the next chapter, I will discuss personal, professional, and social interactions. I will outline how to recognize toxicity in relationships, various mental and physical disorders, how to read people, how to nail job interviews, and more. Please enjoy.

Solaris A. Moreau -Official Solaris Code

#unlockingthecode selfhelp philosophy

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windup-warrior · 5 years

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Prompt 18: Marked (Makeup)

The Mark of the Fury

“It was as though committing murders had purged him of lesser rudeness. Or perhaps, Starling thought, it excited him to see her marked in this particular way. She couldn't tell. The sparks in his eyes flew into his darkness like fireflies down a cave.”

― Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs

From a young age, my father decided that my influence in his life warranted Rhalgr as my guardian deity. Throughout my life, I have gone back and forth on whether or not I thought it was a suiting choice. Some take their guardian solely based on their birth date but no, not my father. By birth alone, my guardian would have been Llymlaen, the Navigator. See, not very suiting. I guess I do not really blame him for deeming Rhalgr more suitable. As I come into my adult life, I think I have decided that while his motivations for doing so were not necessarily kind, he was not incorrect.

But destruction is not necessarily a bad thing. It is a natural part of the life and death process and ultimately paves the way for greater, newer things to be built. It culls weakness and clears a foundation for the next cycle of all things. This is true for people or animals or nature or even civilization as a whole. The Breaker of Worlds was not gloom and doom as others so claim. After all, he too was a father. His son, Byregot, is the purveyor of architecture and industry and a god of the arts. His daughter, Halone, is the mover of glaciers and is a goddess of war. She also happens to be the patron deity of Ishgard and my father’s birth guardian.

Ironic, is it not?

The Fury was brought into this world by The Destroyer, the irony of which is not lost on me when it comes to my father and I. If I were the type to sit and psychoanalyze myself, I might even say that perhaps my father and I were backwards. He is the destroyer, the architect of our family’s ruination, and I am the rage left in his wake. I am the fire and ice all wrapped into one, made solely for the sake of raining this fury down upon others.

“Look what you did.” Those had been his dying words, his head set upon my knee as I held him in hopes of guarding him against the flames that roared around us while our home burned to the ground. Though I had been but twelve at the time, he had no qualms about putting an insurmountable burden upon my shoulders that I would end up carrying for the rest of my life. He blamed me, a child, for all the ill omens in his life. If he got sick, it was my fault. If a hunt went poorly, it was my fault. If we did not eat for a week because he was too drunk to provide for us, it was most definitely my fault.

Are you seeing a pattern here?

By the grace of the Fury, I bore this weight alone. Thank the Twelve that he never sired any other children, at least none that he knew about. That he might visit this rage and anger upon another child makes me ill to think about. By that right alone, I would gladly bear that weight upon my own shoulders until it broke my back if I had to.

Look what you did. At the time they had been a condemnation, one last admonishment from a man who had never loved me. Only through some diluted sense of honor did he make a half assed attempt at caring for me in a physical sense. He put food on the table (sometimes), kept a roof over our head (usually), and kept us warm (on occasion). But it was always begrudgingly, as if he wanted to be rid of me but knew that even if he was, his shame would keep him from returning to the life he had left behind in Ishgard. On numerous occasions did he have a chance to rid himself of my burden and on those occasions, he did little to stop the tide that sought to overtake us, as if passive allowance of my demise would save him the shame of killing me himself.

Look what you did. I survived. I survived when he would have liked anything but. When the fire raged and consumed the entirety of my material life and the mortal life of my father, I survived. Not only did I survive but I was tempered by the flame, strengthened against the cold of a world that cared not if I lived or died. I fought the hand I was dealt and I came out on top. Sure, it had been a gamble and seldom was it without struggle. But here I am, pushing twenty-three and thriving. For the first time in what has been such a very long life, I am thriving.

Look what you did. If he could see me now, would it make him proud to see how far I have come or would he rage at the thought that I could be successful without him? I have made my mark upon this world and though my light will one day be overtaken by darkness once more, I can say that I made Eorzea better. Not just Eorzea, but everywhere my adventures have taken me. Each and every one of them, I have endeavored to buck the labels that he so easily thrust upon me when I was but a child, to prove not only to him but to myself that I could be more than the sum of my trauma and tragedy. So often, it is easy to place blame upon our cards, as if they are solely to blame for what we get in life. But I think that is a piss poor excuse, a reason for apathy, enabling a trend of victimization that allows people to wallow in their sorrow for far longer than could be conceivably reasonable. Not me. I refuse to be a victim of my circumstances. I refuse to be the child they whispered about in hushed tones and spoke of the evil I would bring upon this world. I adamantly refuse to subscribe to the notion that I will bring nothing but hell to those whose lives I touch.

I refuse.

Twelve be damned, I refuse!

In a life where so much hinges upon balance, I walk the thin line between here and there, between the seen world and the void. Between the light and the dark. Between life and death. Between seen and unseen. Between good and evil. I will walk that damned line like the best of them, if only to prove them all wrong. I am more than they ever thought I would be and that knowledge alone will be my revenge. My I told you so. My big middle finger in the face of everyone who ever doubted me.

Look what you did. I rose above, Papa. I climbed out of the pit of despair that you dug for us both and at last the light of the sun warms my skin against the cold you would have otherwise filled my life with. For all that you let them fashion me into a monster, I have become anything but. I am not proud of everything I have done along the way but you know what they say… the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I would say that the road to heaven is paved with hard decisions and difficult deeds. I spent so long believing him, believing that I was never meant to be anything more than a savage if left to my own devices and you know… I was for awhile. And now I am more. More, more, so much more.

With that in mind, back to the subject at hand. In my time, I have come to embrace Rhalgr as my guardian but for all that he may be my guardian, he has as much influence over me as my own father ever did. He is there, a presence that I seek to prove wrong whenever I can, to show him that destruction is not the end but rather the beginning. We fall apart to rebuild ourselves into something bigger, better, stronger. Like kintsugi pottery, molded into something beautiful and shiny not by masking our flaws but rather by accentuating them, treating our breakage and subsequent repair as a piece of our history rather than something to be hidden away and not talked about. This truth I will continue to believe and as such, I will continue to rage against those that seek to silence my destruction, to cover it up and pretend it does not happen, pretend that I do not matter or exist.

Rhalgr is my guardian but I bear the mark of the Fury upon my soul. Halone guides my hand and blesses my blade, marked by Rhalgr as it may be, and though Ishgard will likely never claim me as their own, I fight with the knowledge that once upon a time, I fought for Ishgard too. Exhibitionary as the skirmish may have been, I still got the opportunity to don the colors of House Fortemps and to fight beneath the banner of the Holy See. It is quite likely something I will never get the chance to do again but for the short time that I did, it was a taste of what I could have given to them had things been… different. That said, I will not allow myself to get caught up on What Ifs. Those things can easily be the death of the most solid of souls. What Ifs can haunt you like the scariest of specters and I refuse to let them shade my life. My venture into fighting for the Holy See of Ishgard was just that, a venture, not meant to prove permanent station. Instead, my calling is to Eorzea and Hydaelyn as a whole. The Alliance will always need me in some way and as time goes on, I am certain that others will find need for my strength and talents, so much so that even if Ishgard came calling, I do not know if I could, in good conscience, say yes to them.

The Fury would have to forgive me for that at the very least. Until then, I remain stalwart in my bid to continue proving them wrong, with a hand of destruction and a heart of fury.

#FFxivWrite2018 #writing prompt #prompt 18 #marked #makeup #rhalgr #halone #ishgard #karma rambles

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