Hey Lamarr

Somewhat Disturbing Valentines

I love vintage seasonal cards. Here are a few vintage Valentine's Day cards that struck me as just a bit weird:

Skinwalker Ranch Dire Wolf Synchronicity

image source here

Reading Whitley Strieber's fictional work, Beyond 2012, the Omega Point. Just read the part where a character is writing in his journal about events and "time movement." He mentions the Skinwalker ranch in Utah, specifically, the wolf like creature that was seen there:

"...I recognized the animal to be a dire wolf. .. the dire world was rendered extinct by... the last Ice Age. And yet, here it was on this ranch. I think that this animal had moved through time...there was something about the place... in its own time, this animal was experiencing incredible fear. Its world was collapsing... most of Utah was flooded along with the rest of the United States by rapid glacial melt. .. given pressure extreme enough and the right conditions, actual physical movement through time must be possible." (Strieber pp83-84)

Last night, listening to Coast to Coast, a female caller recommend reading Vallee, and said that the events at the Skinwalker ranch (among other unexplained encounters) was due to our imagination. Not in the sense we are making things up, but that there is another dimension, or place, where all these things exist. Opening ourselves up via imagination causes us to see these things. (That's what I got from her anyway.)

Two different takes; Strieber, via his character, suggests that time lines exist concurrently and, due to events in one time line, another time can abruptly appear. The other; that our minds somehow allow us to see these other realities, for whatever reasons, being open to the possibility among them.

Artist MIchele Witchipoo: The Three of Swords

The Three of Swords, by Michele Witchipoo

Michele Witchipoo is an artist; comic books, creator of Psycho Bunny,
and more. She recently shared her version of The Three of Swords, minor arcana Tarot. I like it; if there's a deck coming from Witchipoo, I'm going to order it!

Visit her site; she has lots of artwork and you can order Psycho Bunny, among others, as well as commission art work.

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.)

New Traditions, Day of the Dead, Pastor Mike Wants YOU!

A couple new entries at my blog UFO Mary: atheism, Pastor Mike's campaign to put atheists on a National Registry, altars, Day of the Dead, traditions, ...

Psycho Bunny Deals With The Heat

Just sharing a link to a blog I like: Michele Witchipoo, cartoonist, artist, blogger and would be misanthrope. I can relate.
Psycho Bunny Deals With The Heat

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.

Rest in Peace Ms. Francis: An Esoteric Look

     I was sad to hear that Anne Francis had died, at age 80, of pancreatic cancer. I blogged about Ms. Francis at Pulp Jello, with a link to the very excellent Monster Island News, who has a lovely post about her.
     Aside from her role in the classic sci-fi Forbidden Planet, Anne Francis was had her own way cool TV show in the sixties: Honey West. I loved that show! I was ten years old, and watched it religiously. Boy, I wanted to be her when I grew up!
     In looking at clips of the show on YouTube, I noticed a couple of estoeric themed episodes. One is The Owl and the Eye, where Honey West is hired to protect a statue of an owl:

     This episode clip is titled The Abominable Snowman:

The trailer for Forbidden Planet:

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

Purple Skull Earrings

I love these earrings! Purple skull Day of the Dead type earrings by WOE contributor Lesley Gunter, on Etsy.

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?

"Harry Potter" Actress Would Be Honor Killing Victim

Muslim father and brother of Harry Potter star charged with threatening to kill her

The father and brother of an actress who starred in the Harry Potter films have been charged with threatening to kill her.
Afshan Azad, 22, has appeared in four of the movies as Padma Patil, a classmate of the young wizard.
She was allegedly attacked at her home in Longsight, Manchester, on May 21 this year.
Now her father Abdul Azad, 54, and brother, Ashraf Azad, 28, both of Beresford Road, Longsight, have appeared in court.

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

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.

Blue Maya: A Visit From Mary

My new Trickster's Realm will be up sometime tomorrow on Tim Binnall's Binnall of America site. This week I write about an experience I had while meditating invovling Mary and Kuan Yin. (Kuan Yin depicted here is in her manifestation as the Sea Goddess.)

Richelle Hawks:A Girl in Trouble is a Con/temporary Thing: Women on Myster

Richelle Hawks has an insightful piece on gothic novels and cover art for her Medusa's Ladder column at Binnall of America: A Girl in Trouble is a Con/temporary Thing: Women on Mysteries.

I have a guilty secret: I've long been a fan of gothic novels. They're romance novels, but with that extra vibe of preternatural weirdness; moors and castles, lighthouses, quaint English villages on the surface but some weird secret seeping through...the cover art used to have, as Richelle points out, the heroine standing in front of castle/lighthouse/foreboding estate. Strong yet vulnerable kind of thing. But now, the cover art shows parts -- pieces of the woman -- not the whole person. What does this mean? Read her article to find out!



Here's a great site I found that pays tribute to the gothic novel: Labyrinth13: In Praise of the Gothic Novel (and other Victorian delights.)

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.

"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.

Dr. Clifford Pickover: The Girl Who Gave Birth to Rabbits

Medical oddity, and sounds like, no doubt, a medical tragedy, from the 1800s: The Girl Who Gave Birth to Rabbits, the story of Mary Toft, as told by Cliff Pickover.
(Image is of artist Albrecht Durer's "rabbit" painting)