Joan D'Arc: Hunter Gatheress

I've been reading Joan D'Arc for years now. For those that don't know, D'Arc is editor of Paranoia Magazine. My only complaint about the magazine is it doesn't come out often enough! (Well, that and I think they're heavy on the anti-Israel thing but I'm not going there.) I used the compilation Paranoid Women Share Their Thoughts that she edited in a women's folklore course I co-taught years ago. Robert Morningstar at UFO Digest has an article about D'Arc's new collection of works she's edited: Hunter Gatheress.

Female Contactee: Ida Kannenberg

Read about Ida Kannenberg,female Contactee, on my blog Vintage U.F.O. I'm not sure if Ida is still alive, she was 87 (I think) in 2001. I might have the dates off a bit on that.

Cottingley Fairies for Sale

Not the fairies themselves but the house the two girls, Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths stayed in,number 31. Read more here.

Click here to get your own player.

Zorgy Award Winners Announced

By now I'm sure you know that the Zorgy Award Winners have been announced. And I'm glad to say that Lesley has come in strong in two categories; for Best Paranormal Blog (2rd place) and for Best Website (3rd place) ((News Summary.) Congratulations to Lesley! And all the winners. Glad to see Odd Things got a nod as well!

Best Paranormal Blog
UFO Mystic - 161
The Debris Field - 151
Posthuman Blues - 76
Odd Things - 32


Best Website (News Summary)
The Daily Grail - 1,058
The Anomalist - 193
The Debris Field - 63
UFO Review - 36

Alfred Lehmberg won for Best Troublemaker, with Jeremy Vaeni in second place. Congratulations Alfred and Jeremy!

Best UFO / Paranormal Troublemaker
Alfred Lehmberg - 178
Jeremy Vaeni - 85
James W. Moseley - 72
David Biedny - 67

Now, I'm going to start in early this year. VOTE FOR ME! I have no idea when Paul Kimball will begin the new round, but I'm putting the word in now. VOTE FOR ME!
Just keep that in mind. In doing so, here are some of my other blogs:
Vintage UFO
Women Of Esoterica
Frame 352
and of course, the OrangeOrb.

I was too naive or dumb or both to know you could nominate yourself, so this year I'll be sure to do so. So remember, VOTE FOR ME!

To see all the winners in all the categories, go to Paul Kimball's blog The Other Side of Truth.


And remember, VOTE FOR ME!

Farah Yurdozu: Mary Poppins, Alien Abductions, and Gurdijeff.

Farah Yurdozu has a great article in the current issue of UFO Magazine. (Farah is one of our contributors here at Women Of Esoterica.) It's titled Mary Poppins, Alien Abductions, and Gurdijeff. Great title! When I first read the title, I thought it was intriguing and delightful, but couldn't imagine what the three had to do with each other.

While reading the article, I saw why. Farah weaves together these three elements in a way that makes sense. And, there are surprises; things I didn't know about the author of Mary Poppins, but, after reading about her, aren't surprising.

There were three books that had a vivid and intense impact on me when I was young; books that I read over and over again. I still visit them on occasion even now. The Secret Garden,Frances Hodgson Burnett, Jane Erye,Charlotte Brontë, and Mary Poppins, by P. L. Travers. I loved Mary Poppins! I read the other Mary Poppins books too ( ) but Mary Poppins, the first one, remains my favorite. (And, as Farah mentions, the movie, while enjoyable -- I'm a musical junkie -- is nothing like the book at all.)

Farah discusses one part in the book where Mary Poppins and the children see a bright star in the night sky, next thing you know, they're visiting other worlds. That was one of my favorite parts in the book. After reading Farah's article, and given my interest and experience with UFOs, aliens, and related phenomena, that connection between the three: Mary Poppins,Alien Abductions, and Gurdijeff, is easy to understand. And why I related so much to that part of the book. (It's not surprising that books such as Alice in Wonderland, the Oz books, and other books that transport the individual -- usually a child -- to another world resonate with many of us invovled in this area.)

This issue of UFO Magazine is interesting for all kinds of reasons, all the great columnists like Lesley (also a Women of Esoterica contributor), Nick Redfern, and Alfred Lehmberg, as well as the items on the Stephenville UFOs. But getting this issue just for Farah's article is worth it.

Tarot Decks

I collect Tarot decks, for their interest, art and design -- they're like little books to me -- and as use in divination, or as a tool in intuitive processing. (snort, I like that: "intuitive processing, lol! Just sounded terribly pompous and new agey. )

I found some decks that struck me as interesting for various reasons: some seem pretty and aesthetically pleasing, the subject matter is very off the wall, exploitative, fun, etc.

I found all these on the House of Tarot website.


I love this Halloween one! I love Halloween in general; this seems like a fun yet substantial deck to use.


And of course you need the Wizard of Oz deck! I've seen an Alice in Wonderland deck as well; both seem to be fitting books for adapting as a Tarot deck.

I realize many Tarot purists (my husband "George" among them) hate this kind of thing. Some decks I think are too off the wall or exploitive; but overall, I'm not as strict about the tradition. For one thing, tradition is both static and changing -- tradition meets another tradition, and a third,new, tradition is born.



I almost bought this deck awhile back -- I love mermaids, and when I saw this deck I assumed I would end up buying it. But I didn't like the feel of it at all; or the cold, creepy vibe I got from handling the deck.

And in the end, that's the importnat thing; how it feels to you.

I have to end with this: The Housewives Tarot. Visit the site; it's really fun! You can download desktops and find recipes like "Mystical Martini" and "Psychic Psysalad."
It's done in a 1950s style; tongue in cheek and silly, yet all the while treating the Tarot subject respectfully as well. I've seen lots of images of the deck but haven't handled one yet. It seems to speak positively though, doesn't it?

It's Magic!

I like this ad; it combines the whole housework drudge scene with the mysterious, lol.

(Housework, which is far away right now, since at the moment I'm in beautiful Yachats, Oregon, on the coast. . . which always makes me feel very magical!)

Happy Birthday Regan!

A Woman On Edge: Spaceship Weather and Other Woes

This may seem like an off the wall post, but I’m feeling kind of off the wall. I could post this on Mating Hedgehogs, but no one looks at that blog, as wonderful as it is, (hint) so I’m posting it here.

It’s humid here. Not terribly so, hardly at all, but I’m the sensitive type, and I can feel it. Humidity depresses me, and makes me feel anxious. I always have the feeling of waiting for something, of anticipation. It’s an anxious anticipation. Maybe that’s why women in the south were depicted as being a bit crazy; between the humidity and tight underthings, it’d be hard not to go off the edge. And I don’t know what it is about humidity but it seems to make my boobs bigger. That is not a good thing; for one thing, I’m too damn old to care, for another, it’s very uncomfortable. So just settle down.

When it’s really humid, I call it “spaceship weather.” If (or when, heh) the mother ships land, it’ll be during the humid spells. Just seems like the perfect setting for a mass landing.

Another reason I’m feeling a little edgy is the time change. It isn’t six o’clock, damnit! I know, the whole time concept thing is utterly arbitrary, but one does get used to a certain way. We eat late as it is, around 8pm, so now we have to eat at 9, no wait, 7, I don't know! Stop confusing me.

While we’re at it, I’ll gripe about the allergies. It’s Spring now, (according to my personal calendar) and the trees are beautiful. With it comes allergies, asthma and other delights.

Well, so glad I could brighten everyone’s day! Cheers.

United Nations and UFOs?

In the last couple of weeks Exopolitics has been writing about the news that there was a secret meeting between the United Nations and other interested parties to discuss the increased number of UFO sightings. It is said that they were concerned about the impact of all these sightings, and what might be the best way to deal with them. It also seems that they were concerned about the way in which the public should be informed about the existence of ET.

Personally, I have never been an adherent of Exopolitics. So I found the following article about the situation to not only reflect my own views, but to also be an extremely good commentary about what’s been going on. The piece is entitled: “Dissecting UN UFO rumours” and you can read it here. It also contains what Jacques Vallee has to say about the story – and I’ve long been a big fan of his.

WOE Search Phrases

Search Phrases for WOE

I’ve noticed that Women Of Esoterica get a lot of international visitors. It’s probably safe to assume they’re female visitors, but that’s an assumption. The majority are from the U.S. which isn’t surprising, but we also have visitors from: United Kingdom, Canada,Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Poland, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Romania, New Zealand,Switzerland,Slovenia, India, Sweden, Russian Federation, Japan, Czech Republic, Israel,Brazil,Finland, Chile, Egypt, Mexico, Bulgaria, Malta, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Greece.

The search phrases used that bring people here to WOE are interesting. (I did the same thing over at OrangeOrb.)

Angelina Joiner was a popular search, as was Texas UFO, and Stephenville ufo.

Sexy witches and sexy fairies were popular; lots of variations on those search phrases. (Hey, what kind of place do you think this is?!) There was also “linda moulton howe sexy.”

UFO female grey
That’s specific.

In love with a telepathic woman
This one has me intrigued . . .

medjugorje+supernatural, ufos medjugorje,MEDJUGORJE+,Lourdes visitations, medjugorje+apparitions, medjugorje+pictures, Apparitions virgin mary egypt photos . . .
And a lot more; lots of people looking for Marian apparitions, including with a UFO or supernatural slant.

Famous Writers School...

This is a great ad I found in an old book. Can you spot the esoteric connection?

Grandmother Agnes Baker Pilgrim

I have a post at Trickster Northwest on Grandmother Agnes Baker Pilgrim's visit to Eugene yesterday. Grandmother Aggie is a member of the Grandmothers Council; a group of indigenous women who visit the world to share their stories and encourage women in their work with children and . . . the world.

(I feel I should say something here about this post and it appearing on a blog about "esoterica." There should not be the understanding that Grandmother Agnes Baker Pilgrim, Native American, or indigenous peoples are "esoteric," or are to be thought of as quaint or in a trivializing or exploitive way.)

Devil Girl From Mars

Our pal Adam Gorightly has a post on the 1954 movie Devil Girl From Mars. Here are some more images from that movie. I admit it, I love these kinds of movies!

Sexism in Bigfoot Research and Esoterica

Okay, it's time. From personal experience, I will say that some men have a huge problem with women in general. And so when they find women in the fields of esoterica, they quickly show themselves for what they are: stupid sexist pigs. Simple.

It is sexist when a man posts that a woman should spread eagle herself, naked, on an altar (though he spelled it alter) and wait to be raped.

It is ridiculously sexist to stoop so low and call a woman a "man hater" when in disagreement over esoteric theory.

It is equally ridiculous to call someone a "lesbian" as if: that's an insult in the first place, and, two, that one's sexual preference has anything to do with UFO or other esoteric research.

It is sexist when a man posts images of crude illustrations that depict women as ugly when referring to a specific female researcher. Looks have nothing to do with anything -- this is so f****** obvious it irritates me that I even have to address it. (Look how many men out there who aren't, well, let's say Johnny Depp has no worries) but the point is, who cares what someone looks like?

All those things, and so much more have happened to me. (And still happens.I'm sure many women experience this, they just don't discuss it.)

It is sexist when male researchers call female researchers -- who've been in the field longer than they -- call them silly names, as if they're back in middle school, exclude them from the dialogue, or make veiled sexist comments about their mental health. ("Hysterical female.")

And it's sexist when a woman is attacked for her personal, sexual life, as is the case with Melissa Hovey, Bigfoot researcher. Her morals are in question, her personal sexual life is in question, and she has been attacked by some Bigfoot researchers for what she chooses to do, as a free adult in this society, concerning her sexual -- and private -- life. You can read about Melissa's recent experiences on her blog Bigfoot Research.

Yes, sexism exists, and these are some of the ways the sexism manifests itself.

MYSTERIOUS BEINGS ON TURKISH MOVIE SET

MYSTERIOUS BEINGS ON TURKISH MOVIE SET
by FARAH YURDOZU

Semum is a new Turkish movie about interdimentional beings which are also known as Jinns. I often talk about them in my lectures and explain how they are interested in having contact with humans. Last week a couple of behind the scene pictures from the movie was on Turkish press. Movie crew was very surprised to see unexplained paranormal beings on the photographs. In one of the pictures a human face is materialized on the door. In the other picture you can see another being in the fire. This one seems familiar to us with a round shape hairless head, big eyes, skinny arms. A possible Grey alien? The interesting thing is that according to our belief system Jinns are created from the fire. And Jinns have been doing everything that Grey aliens do with human society. Can this be another explanation to Jinn-Grey existence in the paranormal dimension?
I still didn't see the movie Semum. As far as I read from the press it is a basic possesion story. Semum is a negative paranormal being which tries to harm humans in order to eliminate human race. Semum belongs to Devil.
Let's hope that some of the Extra Terrestrial groups are not coming to us with the same intentions.
Please click on the pictures to see them in bigger size and make your own judgement.
March 2, 2008

SLider Related Synchronicity

For the past few weeks, I've been experiencing some odd electronic glitches. Nothing like the SLiders Karyn wrote about recently, but similar. For example, I've tried three different MP3 players that, according to the people who know these things, insisted would work with my Mac. But they didn't. So I decide to break down and buy an iPod from eBay, and it didn't work. Ended up with an iPod shuffle, but the CD drive in my lap top keeps ejecting and won't read CDs and the other computers are too old to use the iPods.

The computer at work has been coming on by itself in the mornings the past few days. According to our tech guy, it seems the computer now thinks it has a timer and comes on automatically. I'm the only one who uses that computer, and I didn't change a thing.

Last night I tuned in to our local station that carries C2C, and instead, they had on the bombastically ignorant Glen Beck. What was odd (odder than Beck that is) was that every so often, commercials would come on suddenly, over Beck; you could hear both. Or the news would come on in the middle of a commerical and/or Beck, then stop in the middle. Two or three different things would come on at the same time. I turned the station, went back to see if they cleared it up and if C2C was finally on, but nothing, just dead air. That lasted for awhile, I finally turned it off and went to sleep.

Today I turned on the classic station, and there was nthing for about ten minutes but a steady high pitched "beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. . . ." When I went back, a few hours later, it was back to normal.

Other things too I meant to make note of when they happened, but didn't, and now here we are.