Outsider/Folk Art: Patroness of Fallen Women

About fifteen years ago, there was a local woman who sold religious folk art/outsider art items at her booth at the Saturday Market. Saturday Market is a long running street fair in Eugene (since 1970),  full of booths of hand made items, as well as food booths and lots of music.

I bought several things from her at the time and did a paper on her when I was studying folklore at the University of Oregon.

This is a beaded necklace, with a wood pendant. On the front is an image of St. Maria Magdalene. On the back is a little label: "St. Maria Magdalene Patroness of Fallen Women." This is what Books of the Times site has to say about St. Maria Magdalene:

There is a breathtaking moment in the Gospel of Philip, one of the Gnostic gospels, which were denounced by the church as heresy. The apostles witness Jesus kissing Mary Magdalene on the mouth. The apostles are horrified, jealous. ''Why do you love her more than us?'' they ask. Jesus' response is mysterious and enigmatic. ''Why do I not love you like her?'' he says.

What is the meaning of those kisses? Sexual passion? A profound friendship? Jesus anointing Mary Magdalene as his successor and as leader of the church?

Traditionally, Mary Magdalene has been seen as a reformed harlot, portrayed in paintings as red haired and bare breasted. But as Karen L. King, the Winn professor of ecclesiastical history at Harvard University, in the Divinity School, points out in her new book, ''The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle,'' nowhere does the Bible say that she was a prostitute.

I know I have that paper, with photos, around here somewhere. I also have other items that I hope to take snaps of and post. I think the woman -- a very colorful person! -- called herself "Sister Spirit" and I want to say "bear" was in there somewhere, but it's been many years and I don't remember.

She sold jewelry with decorated images of the saints and the BVM as well as Jesus. She was known for her Jesus nightlights: religious plastic nightlights of Jesus and Mary, (the kind you can buy at dime stores; I've even seen them at Dollar Store type places) painted, often with neon colors, and decorated with beads, glitter, feathers .

I haven't been to the Saturday Market for a couple of years; but when I have gone there, I didn't notice her around. I think she left the area some time ago, or at least, stopped making her wonderful folk art.

(cross posted on UFO Mary.)

Animal Forteana: Here Be Dragons! Itty Baby Ones, on Game of Thrones

Of the season finale of Game of Thrones, dragons, and (possible) Queens:

True, the women have power, but the King trumps the Queen. Ah, but not so fast, for Khaleesi/Daenerys Targaryen has come into her own. Surrounded by her dragons, she will indeed rule, I suspect. And I bet the red winged dragon will be her special one; the leader of the pack (all three of them), the one who leads the way

Animal Forteana: Here Be Dragons! Itty Baby Ones, on Game of Thrones

More on Surrealist Painter Leonora Carrington

Leonara Carrington, Jack Be Nimble

Many thanks to dia sobin who shared this link of paintings by surrealist artist Leonaora Carrington, who passed away recently: Leonora Carrington.

Her paintings are beautiful. Some of them remind me of Tarot cards, others, of esoteric alien-abduction-ET realms, even though, I am quite sure, that was not Carrington's intent, I'm simply saying they remind me of that a bit.

Enjoy.

Fortean Sexuality: "I Married a Lesbian"

When I saw this link on Rense.com: "I Married a Lesbian," I just knew it was from Henry ("Mad") Makow. I clicked over, and sure enough, toots, I was right! The article isn't by old Henry himself, it's written by Dan Abshear, but Henry has given the piece his A-okay.

There are soooooooo many things wrong, (and yet, sadly hysterically funny even if the latter is unwittingly so) with this article, beginning with the title of course. Then the sexist comment about the "...extremely rare and hard-to-find image of lesbians who aren't extremely hot." Implying of course that, well, lesbianism is kind of okay as long as the women are "hot" and getting off the severely fucked up hetro males viewing such images.

Oh, and then there's this:

She and I are 4th cousins as well.

She became "interested" in him when he was 21 -- how old was she? They're fourth cousins. They met when he was 14 . . . anyway, they marry, and he quickly wonders why his wife is "unresponsive" to him. Sex is not the thrill it  should be. So instead of asking her why she finds him repugnant he begins a program of self-improvement:

She was sexually impotent with me, and this puzzled me. So, I began to exercise very aggressively and intensely. This would include such activities as weightlifting and long distance bicycling.

While rather puny when I got married, I developed into quite a attractive and sturdy young man. This was all to please my wife and gain her affection. I improved my diet and continued these exercise habits until the age of 40.

Since this didn't increase her intimacy toward me, I began to wonder if she wanted me to make more money. The first six or so years of our marriage, I barely made more than minimum wage. We were very poor, and in debt.

And so on, him trying to find ways to make his wife sexually and emotionally responsive. No where does he write if he tried talking to her about these intimate issues.

Things go along for twenty years, including having a child, and hubby insists his wife seek therapy, which she does. Alarmingly, her psychiatrist breaks the rules of ethics and confidentially and tells him that:

... I visited the same psychiatrist. He told me that my wife was in fact a lesbian, and that it would destroy me in time if I did not divorce her.

Here's a huge WTF moment:

Interestingly, our sex life actually improved a great deal. It appears that my knowing she was a lesbian may have given her some freedom.

And yet, the marriage fails, because, among other things, she "falsely" accused him of domestic violence. So the lesbian wife, er, ex-wife, moves out. Not, however, with her female lover, but:

And my ex wife has yet to disclose to anyone that she is a lesbian. She continues to live this lie. My ex wife presently has a boyfriend in order to continue the concealment. ..

I'm not sure what the point is, other than it appeared on Henry Makow's site, which is notoriously misogynist and homophobic, and such lurid stupidity reigns.

As usual, the majority of comments left at the end of the article are as scary as the rest of what gets thrown up there. Like this philosophical sharing from "Marcos":

One thing every man should know is that you never, never satisfy a woman by appeasement...


As Americans say, she is sh*t testing you, to check if you are really worth her relinquishing sexually to you. The answer is to show strength and dominance, and never the contrary, trying to please her, to be "nice" which is what most men do. This will only make the woman despise your weakness even more. . .


Understand that this unconscious, biological. Women need to be certain that they've got the best men her looks can "buy". If she feels irritated, frustrated around you (and still you are a good guy), she has doubts about her choice. When you assert your dominance, those doubts are gone. As Henry says, women need to relinquish power to the man, but only to those she admires. Women are hypergamous, i.e., they always go for the alpha male, for the powerful man. You must assure that you are this man.

Marcos left a link to his blog. Oh dear fucking god. Here it is, if you dare: Citizen Renegade.

Green Warty Things: Capes and Entities

The Shaman's Cape


 A Strange Green Cape
About twelve years ago I was visiting friends who were house sitting for a mutual friend of ours.  The home owner traveled to Mexico frequently on business; he owned a store in Oregon, and brought back folk art, books, and ceramics to sell in his store.

As I was wandering around the home looking at his extensive book collection, I noticed a large cape hanging on the wall. This cape was very unusual. It wasn’t made of any type of cloth, but seemed waxy and stiff, with little “horns” or  large thick thorns protruding from it. The cape was a darkish lime green color. While the cape wasn’t made from any cloth like material and didn’t look like it’d be comfortable to wear -- certainly not practical -- it was obvious this was a cape indented to be worn.

I touched the cape,rubbing my fingers on its smooth surface, being careful of course to avoid those white yellowish stud things that were clearly sharp enough to really hurt if touched.  I appreciated the cape for its history (whatever that may be, since I didn’t have a clue) and was drawn to it for some reason -- I couldn’t stop running my hands down the cool smooth surface.  Even while I was attracted to the cape, I felt uncomfortable around it at the same time; I didn’t like it. It was big and ugly, a sickish green color, and subconsciously, it annoyed me. It just seemed out of place.


Overcome with Fatigue: An OOBE
I had planned on staying to visit with my friends but suddenly felt extremely tired. It was the middle of the afternoon and a beautiful day, but I had to get home -- I was just so suddenly exhausted. Fortunately I didn’t live far, just a couple of miles. Yet riding my bike home on that beautiful day was so damn exhausting. I was losing focus; as if I were coming down with the flu yet I didn’t feel sick, as in ill, just ... inexplicably tired.

As soon as I got home I headed right for the bed, flopping down and grateful to finally make it home. Almost immediately I began to leave my body; one of those OOBE states that happen to me spontaneously and that I haven’t been able to control since I was a child. I wasn’t asleep, but not awake exactly, yet I was consciousness of the bedroom, the open window, the sun coming through the screen and other mundane things. At the same time I was paralyzed  but felt myself rapidly leaving my body. I could hear the sound of whistles and flutes coming from a distance away, then getting closer. These musical sounds were not coming from outside (like a neighbors house or stereo) but from whatever place my astral body was going towards...

The next thing I knew I was in a deep sleep.  I remember visions of chanting and signing, the flutes and whistles again, the cape draped around someone, a man. I couldn’t see his face. We were somewhere in the desert, or some rural country area. It was night and the stars were numerous and very close to the ground; I could touch them if I just reached out far enough. This was no dream; it was as real as this moment now, sitting here typing this. The memory of the desert ground; so hard, with dusty brown bits of soft dust, the coolish night air, the smells of earth and night, the music of flutes, bells, chanting. I was next to this man in a cape, his cape, face unseen, doing a jerky kind of wheeling, turning movement beneath the stars.

Add caption

A History Revealed
When I woke up, it was dark, and I felt as if I’d been poisoned. Not actually physically sick  but I mean, I felt as if someone had given me some kind of sleeping pill  or drugged me in some way. It took me a very long time to get back to reality. I felt sluggish and my tongue felt thick. This feeling lasted for a couple of days.

A day or two later I found out that this cape was from Mexico and had belonged to a Shaman. It was used in special ceremonies. I hadn’t mentioned this to my friend; it was the other way around. He had told me, quite spontaneously, that he was told that the cape was used for magical purposes that involved whistles and dancing, and was performed out in the desert, away from towns and especially the Church. How or why our friend managed to get this cape I don’t know, except that was a collector of what we call folk art and folk religious items. To those that participated in these dances and ceremonies, those are just labels used by outsiders.


Desert Visitation: The Green Warty "Man"
This incident happened about twenty-five years ago or so.  I was sitting on the bed reading. It was still early, around 7:00 pm, maybe earlier. I was simply on top of the covers, dressed, reading my book. My husband was in the other room. I had what I call a “mind post card,” -- it’s an experience that happens every so often, where the picture, absolutely vivid 3-D full color image,  is “inserted” into my mind with a sharp suddenness. It’s as if someone had literally slid a postcard or a slide  of an image (and very often a moving image) into my head. I don’t know where it comes from, or why it happens. Usually it’s a telepathic thing: a preview of something that occurs later that day, or within a day or two. This time however, it wasn’t a prediction of something; it was a “visit.”

source: UFO-FYI

The Lime Green Warty Man in the Desert
This “mind post card” was of a dirty lime-green being with warts or bony stubby nubs all over his body. He had two little stubs or buttons at the top of his forehead; not horns or antlers, but the suggestion of such. I just “knew” that this being was male. It wasn’t human, but it wasn’t animal. It was maybe closer to human than not, but definitely not human. He was sitting in profile to me, squatting down actually. We were out in the desert -- or, he was. At this point it doesn’t matter; it was as if I was transported, or his whole world superimposed itself onto mine. I was there with him/it. We had entered each other’s realm of existence. Somehow I had been transported to his desert, and his desert had moved closer to my world. He looked a bit like this ubiquitous image of the alien in Varginha, Brazil without the red glowing eyes, and much greener.

He saw me -- or sensed me --  and turned his head to look at me. He slowly grinned at me, but this was no happy smiley expression! He was a nasty piece of work! It was clear he knew exactly how I was feeling, and thought it very funny in a sadistic way. He was also a little irritated I was there -- or, he was here -- that we were in each other’s worlds. He didn't like that I had, however unintentionally, managed to cross over and into his realm.

Coming Back in a Flash and a Scream
I was so damn startled that I screamed. With that scream he popped out (or I was snapped back to my own reality.) And again he seemed irritated, it as if he wanted me to stick around so he could toy with me. He was mad I had screamed and ruined the fun. Such a temporary and special event gone in a flash. I was so damn unnerved by this, frightened, that I was annoyed at my husband. "Didn't you hear me scream?" I asked him. "Yes," he said, but told me he didn't come into the bedroom because he thought I was dreaming, or just stubbed a toe or something. Of course there was nothing he could have done about a green warty desert dwelling entity that appeared on the astral plane, but I was so unhinged by the experience I wasn't thinking logically.

Image: Brain Froud

To this day I remember that experience with a chill. I don’t associate any UFO experience or connection with this (although, with all the high strangeness that often accompanies UFOs who knows) and I wouldn’t say it was alien. Not alien from another planet; not even alien from this earth. But  I had the sense it very much belonged here and was of the earth, and it belonged here, if such judgments can be made on these things, more than humans. I had the feeling it was indigenous to the earth.

Richelle Hawks' Medusa's Ladder: Patron Saint of UFOs

Women of Esoterica contributor Richelle Hawks  has a wonderful new column (Medusa's Ladder) at BoA entitled Patron Saint of Flying Saucers. As usual, Richelle writes beautifully. In this article, Hawks writes about a lovely book find from 1925 that evokes flying saucers:

Considering it more closely, I was getting a strange, provocative, sci-fi, atomic age kind of vibe from it and it was a very peculiar feeling, quite anachronous. I knew from the book's feel, particular materials, fonts, and agewear that it was older, an interbellum relic. Inspecting the title pages, I was correct—1925. What could this more mod feeling be, then?
I sat down with the book and considered the feeling and the answer hit me suddenly in a flash of recognition—the bottom Saint-scene transformed before my eyes: it's a classic UFO form.
Inspecting it further, I found there were even corresponding details. The window/doors of the coliseum, are fairly close to the place where portholes are described, and there are even spectators in the places where UFO occupants have been described.
Richelle Hawks : Medusa's Ladder

Speaking of Richelle Hawks, saints, and UFOs, a reminder to readers that you can download a free collection of articles by yours truly on Mary and UFOs, including Richelle's article A New Vision:The Virgin Mary Tree of Salt Lake City

Terrence McKenna: "Understanding the Universe"

                     "Dryad Materializing," James Rich acrylic on canvas

"You have to take seriously the notion that understanding the universe is your responsibility, because the only understanding of the universe that will be useful to you is your own understanding." ~ Terrence McKenna

The quote if from Daniel Moler's (for Reality Sandwich) article Machine Elves 101, or Why Terence McKenna Matters The article is, as Moler writes, a kind of "Terence for Dummies" includes several good quotes from McKenna.


I've been asked many times why I explore the things I do; why I blog and write about my UFO, anomalous and paranormal experiences, and generally, pursue the esoteric/Fortean realms. This Terrence McKenna quote resonates with me as explanation.

I would just say that "understanding the universe" is an overwhelmingly and very large assumption, and if misunderstood or misinterpreted, may sound ridiculously arrogant. I don't believe I or anyone can presume to understand the universe, as in "Oh! I got it all now!" moment. (Even when we think we've reached those moments of Satori, they soon fade, like a great and very important dream, and we're back to the mundane. . .) (And yet, if we've had those moments, they become a part of us, no matter how hidden away they may end up . . . )  But as a process, a journey for its sake, makes sense to me.

New Trickster's Realm: "Twilight Language: Cold War Inklings?"

My new Trickster's Realm is up at Binnall of America: Twilight Language: Cold War Inklings?" about the numerous Russian connections popping up in the culture stream.

Politics and entertainment (I know, what's the difference) merged when Vice President Joe Biden appeared on the Jay Leno show. Biden joined Leno in a comedy sketch and later, they discussed the busted Russian spy ring. Leno showed a photo of one of the alleged spies, Anna Chapman, who's been described as "sultry" by every talking head and newspaper it seems. Leno showed a photo of alleged spy Chapman and asked: "Do we have any spies that hot?" to which Biden, a frustrated comedian, said: "Let me be clear. It was not my idea to send her back."  

One element I could have added but didn't think of: the new movie SALT, with Angelina Jolie. I haven't seen the movie but here is another example of a "sultry" sexy female spy and a Russian connection. Is Jolie's character a good spy or a bad (Russian) spy?

Things are not what they seem in these culture episodes; politicians as thwarted comedians, Russian spies as citizens, Russian lovers/actresses/entertainers, betrayals, non-Russians appearing as Russians . . . is the culture missing the Cold War?

The BVM, The Vatican and Project Blue Beam: Paranoid Thoughts

I posted this short item on my blog UFO Mary, about the Vatican's sudden interest in investigating, after twenty plus years, the visions at Medjugorje. And this at The Orange Orb, after I checked my email and found a link to a new piece about Project Blue Beam and possible use of religious scenarios as psy-ops technology.






Visit The Orange Orb
http://orangeorb.blogspot.com

1961 One Step Beyond on The Sacred Mushroom

A clip from a 1961 episode of One Step Beyond on sacred mushrooms and ESP. Dr. Andrija Puharich, author of the book The Sacred Mushroom, appears, as well as others involved in related research at the time.

Bison Sacrifice, Fortean Connections

A new post at Oregon LOWFI on the rotting bison meat in South Dakota:Fortean Bison: Sacrifice in South Dakota

From Hidden Experiences: "five owls"

Another poetically moving piece from Mike Clelland's Hidden Experience blog, this one another entry about the appearance of owls. I like this blog because it's very personal, and the author seems connected with nature and signals around him -- listens to them -- as go-betweens and guides from one world of awareness to another. As Mike has written in the "about this blog" section:

Events can be hard to recall. Especially when these memories seem to stretch my psyche in ways that can be distressing. If these memories and events are just tiny clues, what do they point to?

I feel strongly that something is going on. But what that might be, seems beyond my ability to solve

.
I think for many of us with experiences of the UFO/paranormal/Fortean kind, these clues, signs, messages, synchronicities . . . act as reminders and guides to these experiences. Often something triggers some nagging feeling or bit of memory or a dream or something that I know has to do with "the other" but not sure why, or how, not just yet. And this absolutely includes UFOs.

That is why I am always urging others in the UFO field to include these reports and types of witnesses and accounts instead of rejecting them as nonsense or irrelevant. It's also why I am so appreciative of those who, like Mike, put themselves out there and so willingly share their experiences. A big part of this, I think, is that we just can't help ourselves but also, we hope that in our sharing of seemingly unrelated, vague, so-called "so what" moments we'll find that someone else knows what we're talking about. I can't speak for Clelland or anyone else of course and maybe I'm presuming much here; but I do see connections with these kinds of things. It's like looking at some types of art or listening to poetry or jazz; an abstraction or symbolism that doesn't, on the surface, "mean" much but yet resonates with the viewer anyway.

Down, Up, White, Water . . .

In the previous post, I described a dream I had involving water in a small man made pool, in a white marble setting. I used my pendulum to find out what the crop circle in the water meant. . .

Last night I had a dream that was similar in many ways, but different as well. In the dream I find that I'm leading a small group of people to an abandoned building, a large 19th century apartment type building used for residence but also some kind of school. It turns out I, or my husband, owns the building but haven't been near the thing in years. I get the key, and we arrive, and want to go up to the top floor, but find it barricaded with a weird, rickety, sloppy kind of staircase. The intent of the staircase was to discourage people from going further. "Screw that," I say, "I own this building!" and we manage to climb through everything and get to the apartment at the top.

Once inside, the apartment is lovely. Very nice, clean, and mostly in white, but not sterile, very warm and comfortable. The living room is a sunken living room, the kind popular in the 1950s, '60s, and some of the people sit down in there on the furniture. In the center of the sunken living room is a pool, very much like the one in the previous dream. Just water inside, no crop circle or anything.

One of the men in the group takes off his shoes, which seemed funny since he's wearing a business suit, tie, the works. He stretches and asks if he can put his feet in the water: "It sure would feel nice" he says. I tell him it's important not to put his feet in the water, no offense and it's not personal, but it's important we don't contaminate the water. That's not what it's for.

However, I point to the open door to the right, which leads out onto a lovely patio and garden, with a swimming pool. I tell him it's fine if he wants to go out to the pool and swim. Not just get his feet wet, but his whole body.

Up/Down
The previous dream had us going down, this dream had us going up. In both dreams I was a leader, sort of. Both dreams had small pools of water. Both dreams had white as the dominant color, and both dreams had the water as something clearly sacred. Both dreams had abandoned, or no longer used large buildings that once held a lot of people, and related to learning.

Connected
I think of "as above, so below" when thinking on these dreams, and that the subconscious and mundane is connected to the higher self, astral realms. . . we are all connected, not only with each other, but all living things, which is, in my little belief system, everything.

Dreams
I've used dreams as tools for years; I think we can learn from many of our dreams to help us on whatever path we're on, or are about to step upon. I think these two dreams are signals to me that I'm about to start something new. . . and the dreams are confirmations of my recent desires to do work in teaching/healing areas.

Watery Crop Circles and Bath Mats: Working with Spirit Energy

I've been doing a lot of work these past couple of weeks with spirit guides, which has brought me -- and, seemingly, our house -- a lot of vivid experiences. I've experienced more activity in the past ten days or so than I've had in the past couple of years; which includes dreams, visions, poltergeist type energy, out of body experiences . . .

Last night I had a dream that involved a crop circles and a pendulum. I dreamt I was with a group of people, visiting an abandoned estate of sorts, with lots of terraces that led down to a courtyard. At one time this place was a school of some kind, a kind of college but people also lived here. We go down to this courtyard, which is mostly white marble; the steps leading down, the ground, everything. Nothing in the courtyard except a pedestal made of stones; about two feet tall, and about three feet by five feet. On top of the stone pedestal is a wooden frame, about a foot deep. This "box" is full of water, which is very clear. At the bottom of this little pool is a crop circle. Logically this doesn't make sense; in the waking world, a crop circle in sand or dirt, or in wheat, etc. would not last, but in dream logic, it makes sense. The crop circle was a geometric design, not of any recognizable animal or symbol.

I get out my pendulum (which, in the waking world, I've been working with) and it goes crazy. I mean crazy, I can barely keep a hold of it. It's spinning around so wildly I can't tell if it's "yes" or "no" or what. Finally I get in sync with it and realize it's telling me -- us -- that what the crop circle has to tell us, what we can learn from it, where the crop circle (and all crop circles) are from, is "very intense."

I share this with the group; I tell them that the pendulum shows us that it's going to be "very intense" and for some reason, everyone takes this as "very negative." They start to leave in a little rush, pushing each other up the terraced sides. I say "No, not negative, just intense. It's not a bad thing..." but they don't get it, or don't want to get it. That's the end of the dream.

Other experiences I've had lately: listening to a guided imagery mediation kind of CD, I was having what I call "slide shows" --the vivid pictures popping rapidly in my head during that slightly hypnogognic, trance like state one is in when starting to go to sleep, or relaxing. My pictures were coinciding with what was being said on the tape; after the voice said, for example, "A bright candle," I saw a bright candle. But then I had a vivid, highly detailed picture of a woman who was clearly up to no good; the the message I had was that this woman was a lair, a thief and a manipulator. I briefly wondered "Where did that come from?!" and then the voice on the CD said "There will be people who mean harm and will lie to you. . . "

An odd thing was Jim's experience earlier this evening with the bath mat. I was taking a nap and he had just got in from work. He went into the bathroom to take a shower. He reached for the bath mat that we keep hanging on the shower curtain rod, and it was gone. He thought that was weird, and looked around the bathroom for it, no bath mat. He couldn't find it, which was weird, and wondered if maybe I hadn't moved it. Although why I'd do that, made no sense, he told me later. He looked again, no bath mat. He walked out thinking of waking me but didn't want to do that, so he went back into the bathroom, and there was the bath mat where it always is -- on the shower curtain rod. He told me that this was one of the weirdest things that has happened to him, so weird it made the hair on his skin stand up.

For some reason, I feel that that incident is connected to the spirit energy I've been working with.

Tarot, Maxi Pads, and Animal Sacrifice

Richelle Hawks has a great piece on commercials and advertising, on Binnall of America in her Medusa's Ladder column:Strange Days, Indeed: Notes on Identity and the Super Bowl Commercials And when I read this I just had to find out more:

"I found a magazine ad of an Always maxipad slapped on a tarot card."

If that isn't esoterica I don't know what is. It's teeming with esoteric symbolism.

I found the image; it appears on The Tarot Channel blog. Of course there isn't really a Tarot card called "The Protector" but here's what Tarot Channel says about the number II assigned to the ad card:

I'm thinking that the ad creators had to have some knowledge of Tarot because "The Protector" is assigned Roman numeral II, The High Priestess (who is, of course, associated with the moon).

And in a bit of synchronicity, my Trickster's Realm column for Binnall of America is also about commercials and advertising. Conspiracies and Cannibalism: Animals and Advertising.I didn't know Richelle's column was about commercials until she told me the other day; after I had been working on mine. I avoided reading her column until I sent mine off to Tim Binnall.

Richelle's is up now, mine will be up sometime tomorrow. And be sure to read all the great columns over there as well.

Magic Inscription of Lilith Found on Human Skull

Magic Inscription of Lilith Found on Human Skull by Stephen Yulish on UFO Digest. Yulish, a Christian steeped within a Christian framework, comments on Dan Levene's article in Biblical Archaeology Review,: Rare Magic Inscription on Human Skull.

Mythic Birthplace of Zeus Said Found

Mythic Birthplace of Zeus Said Found:

The Greek god of thunder and lightning had Earthly beginnings, and scientists think they finally know where.

Ancient Greeks first worshipped the omnipotent Zeus at a remote altar on Mount Lykaion, a team of Greek and American archaeologists now think. During a recent dig at the site, the researchers found ceremonial goods commonly used in cult activity and dated at over three millennia old, making them the earliest known "appearance" of Zeus in Greece.

The discovery challenges the idea that Zeus worship began on the Greek island of Crete, which at least one classical historian names as the god's mythic birthplace. The latest finds on Mount Lykaion, in the mainland province of Arcadia, are as old as the idea of Zeus himself, said the project's senior research scientist David Romano, of the University of Pennsylvania.

Rest of story at link.

BVM, Bigfoot, Playboy, Darklore, Trickster's Realm

On UFO-Mary I have several new posts, including one on the Mexican edition of Playboy magazine, with it's Virgin Mary like model on the cover. Just in time for the pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

I've been experiencing a few synchroniciites related to the image of Mary, as well as Goddess energy in general. It's not surprising to find that when ones attention is really directed at something; UFOs, what have you, the synchronicities appear!

Snarly Skepticism; also the unofficial JREF Watch, I just decided, has an entry on the dangers of Bigfoot research. Yes, dangers. The harm Bigfoot research, and just a "belief" in Bigfoot, must be told! Beware!

Usually my Trickster's Realm column for Binnall of America goes up on Monday, but recently things have been changed around a bit. So my column won't be up until Thursday. I write about the Darklore, Volume II that just came out. Speaking of, it'll make a great gift! You can find out about ordering information at Amazon.com or the Daily Grail site.

It's been snowy here, which I don't like. It's wet, it's cold, what's the point? Fortunately I don't have to go anywhere these days; I"m off for winter break for three weeks. So I'm cozy in my house, trying to work on various writing projects.

And speaking of writing projects, visit my Lulu.com storefront. I plan to have a few more things available -- some for free -- in a few days.

I was going to be on the X-Zone radio show but still sick with some cold/throat thing. I'm much better but my throat still hurts and I sound like a frog. I'm sure in a few days I'll be fine, and will post the date when I know more.

"Virgin News"

I have an entry at my blog UFO-Mary on some comments, including The "Amazing" Randi's usual vitrolic self, about a letter written to the JREF on a news item about Our Lady of Guadalupe. You can read it here.

Trickster-Mary-Devil in the Mysterious Valley?

I'm reading one of UFO and fortean researcher Chris O'Brien's books: Secrets of the Mysterious Valley, and found a slight but interesting bit about a BVM sighting (sort of) in the mid-1800s. You can read it on my blog UFO-Mary: Trickster-Mary-Devil in the Mysterious Valley?