Saudi Arabia's War on Witchcraft - Ryan Jacobs - The Atlantic

Saudi Arabia's War on Witchcraft - Ryan Jacobs - The Atlantic: The Saudi government's obsession with the criminalization of the dark arts reached a new level in 2009, when it created and formalized a special "Anti-Witchcraft Unit" to educate the public about the evils of sorcery, investigate alleged witches, neutralize their cursed paraphernalia, and disarm their spells. Saudi citizens are also urged to use a hotline on the CPVPV website to report any magical misdeeds to local officials, according to the Jerusalem Post.

According to a director of the religious police's witchcraft division in Riyadh, the unit provides confidentiality to informants. "We deal with sorcerers in a special way. No one should think that we mention the name of whomever files a report about sorcery," Sheikh Adel Faqih told the Saudi Gazette. In 2009 alone, at least 118 people were charged with "practicing magic" or "using the book of Allah in a derogatory manner" in the province of Makkah, the country's most populous region.

Roseanne Barr: “MK Ultra Rules In Hollywood” - | Intellihub.com

Roseanne Barr spoke out some time ago on mind control, MK Ultra, and more regards the things main stream media does not speak of, unless it's to make tired jokes about "tin foil hat wearing conspiracy buffs." Well, Barr doesn't let that stop her, and she's still speaking strong, and speaking out. It's unclear whether the text below are her words or the article writer's, but either way, you get the picture:

Roseanne Barr: “MK Ultra Rules In Hollywood” - | Intellihub.com: It’s funny that ancient Druid ‘wizards’ and ‘magicians’ used to make their wands specific for casting spells from the Holly Wood tree. Maybe “Hollywood” is used to cast spells on the masses, because at the very least it can sure seem that way. Everything we do is so systematic, so robotic in nature. We go to school, get a job, have a family and chase materialistic gains only to find out that it is not what our soul truly desires. We are told what to wear, what’s popular, what to buy, what truth is and how life is through television. It keeps us occupied, ignorant and blind to what is really happening on our planet.

Jill Peters: "Portraits of Albanian Women Who Have Lived Their Lives as Men"

"Portraits of Albanian Women Who Have Lived Their Lives As Men: For her project Sworn Virgins of Albania, photographer Jill Peters visited to the mountain villages of northern Albania to capture portraits of “burneshas,” or females who have lived their lives as men for reasons related to their culture and society.

Photograph by Jill Peters

Peters describes what it is like for women, and why some women choose to live as "burneshas" who are respected for the choice they made to live this way --  Peters explains:
   

"The freedom to vote, drive, conduct business, earn money, drink, smoke, swear, own a gun or wear pants was traditionally the exclusive province of men. Young girls were commonly forced into arranged marriages, often with much older men in distant villages. As an alternative, becoming a Sworn Virgin, or ‘burnesha” elevated a woman to the status of a man and granted her all the rights and privileges of the male population."

Barbara Moore on the Black Cats Tarot

On the Llewellyn site, lots of images of cards from the deck, with comments from another lover of this deck. Black Cats Tarot

Black Cat Tarot

Feeling like I just needed it, I bought myself the Black Cat tarot today at a wonderful shop in Newport -- Things Rich and Strange. They also have a store not far up 101 in Depoe Bay.
I was drawn to this deck; not sure why, but kept going back to it, even though there weren't display cards for this deck. This is the card I drew: The Fool. Always a favorite Major Arcana card for me.

Black Cat Tarot: The Fool

I didn't have anything specific in mind when I drew the card, (so very tired and frazzled!)  maybe a general thought about where I am right now in this family health situation; all the balancing and working with different family members and my own self. Part of me has been feeling like I'm the crazy person here with various "quirks" let's say, as well as my work with oracles, yet I have been receiving supportive and insightful feedback from others in the family. Where I see unraveling within myself, they see strength. I am surprised and grateful for that. So this card, The Fool, reminds me that I am who I am, different, as we all are, unique, and that is okay. It is not only okay, it is good.

The card itself: I noticed right away this card shows a white cat, not black. whereas all the other cards are of course black cats, except for one other card. The booklet that comes with the deck says, of The Fool, that the white cat "represents freedom..." and "...he knows the most profound wisdom means remaining humble before the mystery of creation." This is a good card -- The Fool always has been, for me -- but of course in any reading this card's meaning shifts in relation to surrounding cards.

Something made me buy this deck today, even without seeing the whole deck, but it seems it's just what I needed. I love the illustrations and the philosophy in the interpretations. I think I'll use this as my "carry" deck -- the one I always keep in my purse when I'm out and about. Seems appropriate given a cat's wandering ways!

Magical Mermaids and Dolphins Deck: Time to Move On

Doreen Virtue's Magical Mermaids and Dolphins oracle deck

This is the card I pulled today from Doreen Virtue's Magical Mermaids and Dolphins  oracle deck. Very poignant, given the changes in our lives at this time. Family moves and health issues, changes in routines -- and expectations -- bittersweet. Ultimately, and fortunately, it's for the positive, but it doesn't come without a strong emotional and psychological shift in our being, including my own, as well as a letting go of many things, both good and non-productive dramas.

The Daily Mail focused on one thing, and one thing only; Amanda Palmer's boob.This is her response.

The Smart Witch: Welcome

Beautiful site, full of information:The Smart Witch: Welcome

New UFO Magazine out!

New UFO Magazine is now available. On-line! This is a new direction for the magazine (of which I am proud to be on their writing staff) and you can download the PDF free! Visit the site for more information and UFO Magazine goodness. Hello! | UFO Magazine | Nancy Hayfield Birnes

Shamanism/ Open Lines - Shows - Coast to Coast AM

Shamanism/ Open Lines - Shows - Coast to Coast AM

Adventures of a Devil-Worshipping Whore, or, Why I Don’t Believe We’re Arguing About What We Believe

I like this. Unfortunately, some pagans aren't immune to behaving like religious fanatics either.

Adventures of a Devil-Worshipping Whore, or, Why I Don’t Believe We’re Arguing About What We Believe: Second: who’s marginalizing you? Other pagans? Really? Aren’t you more concerned about the social or religious mainstream communities of America or the news media marginalizing you? And aren’t you being just a little bit hypocritical, accusing others of “marginalizing” you when you refer to others’ spiritual beliefs as “horse shit?” Just saying. But again, I ask, how precisely are you being marginalized? The fact that other pagans do not share your views does not mean they are marginalizing you. It just means they don’t agree with you and don’t believe as you do. It doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t respect your views, and it most definitely doesn’t equate with oppressing or “marginalizing” them, or you.

Anya is a Channel: The Corrections

From Anya's blog:

Anya is a Channel -- The Corrections:

So, in the course of human events (because even though every skeptic and their mother likes to think I'm supposed to be all-seeing, all-knowing, and 100% right all the time) I have to make some corrections to who was in attendance at the UFO researcher event in Bucks County, Pa. last fall. 

(Re: this post: http://anyaisachannel.blogspot.com/2013/05/you-got-some-splainin-to-do.html)

Three of the people on that list wound up not showing up. They were:

Dr. Steven Greer
George Noory
Richard Dolan

As an aside, I am friends with Rich and we have cleared up this misunderstanding. Everything's fine between us. He's really happy that we are friends and have cleared this up as well. The confusion came when it turned out to be a case of a simple scheduling error that had been made and he wound up not going, nothing more.

But OH MY GOD you would have thought I had murdered a puppy based on the response on Facebook!

Tonight's C2C: Bigfoot & Cryptozoology

Bigfoot & Cryptozoology - Shows - Coast to Coast AM

Shared Dreams: Dog and Wolf

Dreamt of a dog last night:

Jim and I are at a  lake. Beautiful, hilly, lots of trees and green. And people. A dog that looks somewhat like a Golden Retriever, but smaller, and with long ears like a beagle, comes running up to us. I love this dog! He is so friendly, so sweet, so happy! His fur is very silky soft, and little curly and long. Jim and I are both enchanted by this dog. The dog keeps running off, only to come back. When it's time to leave, the dog follows us and gets in the car with us. We bring him home, he gets along great with our cats. I worry and wonder: why is it that I like this dog, when two dogs recently killed my beloved cat Roswell? But I know this dog had nothing to do with that. Jim and I think of names, what to call him? Silly names that don't sound like names we'd like or think of come to mind: Giddy, Fred, Freddie, etc. I bring the dog to work and everyone loves him. I try to have "Fred" sit, stay, and he wants to please, to do these things but it's obvious he doesn't know what to do. Then I realize my neighbor is the one to talk to, he's a professional dog trainer. We're discussing the dog training course, and Fred is with us, when my neighbor looks at the dog and says, "You do realize he's wearing tags?" I look down and sure enough, Fred is wearing three collars, with lots of tags. I am amazed, how could it be that we missed those things?! I reluctantly look at the tags and see Fred's owners name and phone number. I don't want to call but I know I have to. The number is in California; the woman answers and she is very weird. Seems very combative and not interested in the dog so much. She misunderstands everything I say and then says she wants her husband to talk to my husband. Her husband then starts in on how lousy the water is in Eugene, and how stupid Oregon is, etc. Jim says none of that is true, but that aside, what does that have to do with the dog? They expect us to drive down to California to return the dog. We say no way, but we'll meet you halfway. Then I say "Forget it. They are too much trouble and too stupid, we're keeping the dog. This dog deserves better than them." I take off his collars and Fred seems even happier.

Jim told me (before I told him my dream) he dreamt:

He was somewhere in the woods. He meets an old girlfriend of his, who's showing hims something in the woods, including all her old boyfriends. Jim is wondering what this is all about. Then he meets a man who tells Jim something, and Jim wants to go with him. The man says "If you can keep up with me" and shape shifts into a wolf, dropping to the ground and bounding off. Jim stays where he is, he  can't possibly keep up. He doesn't feel afraid or bad, in fact, feels good, watching the wolf bound away.

Blog Find: Smart Bitches, Trashy Books | Romance Novel Reviews | News, romance reviews and humorous commentary for smart readers that can't get enough of the romance genre.

A popular well known blog, but new to me. Love it.Smart Bitches, Trashy Books | Romance Novel Reviews | News, romance reviews and humorous commentary for smart readers that can't get enough of the romance genre.

Healing with the Angels: Nature

Attended a wonderful angel workshop this afternoon, so thought pulling a card from the Doreen Virtue deck Healing with the Angels was appropriate. Feeling good, but then, as I was getting ready to do this, (shuffling the deck, etc.) I got into a strange place energy wise -- including a slightly negative interaction with someone -- and everything felt off. I was trying to adjust my balance and continue on. The question was general: what do the angels have to share with us right now, to help heal? And Nature came up. From the book:

Nature. Spending time alone in nature is important for you. Even five minutes in a garden would be healing for you right now.

At first I wondered at this, I wanted something more pithy I guess, feeling the imbalance of energy as I was.  But it's not about what I want or expect the cards to say, it's what needs to be heard. Nature is all about energy and balance, as well as healing. This card is a reminder to spend time, no matter how short a period, in nature every day. Nature is real; the petty self-involved things of every day are not.  Let those things fall away as we allow ourselves to connect with Nature, including the Nature within us.

Card for the day: Mermaids and Dolphins

This card is from Doreen Virtue's Magical Mermaids and Dolphins oracle card deck. I drew this card with the general intent of "what do we all need to know for today, as a collective consciousnesses kind of thing?"

Time to Move On. "It's time to let of of the old and worn out so that the new can come in."
We need to clear out our minds, and our hearts, let go of emotional stuff that keeps us stuck. The physical part of letting go will follow. 

I found this very specific to my situation, since I am blocked, or stuck, and have been for years, really, in my life. I was just saying to someone close to me that we need to now get physical, literally, with out living space. (Clearing, cleaning, purging, moving . . .) Since we haven't, we remain stuck. Our intent is there, but now it's time to stop living in the ether, and actually physically do the work to bring about manifestation.

So, while I tried to do a general reading, this came out very personal. But it's good advice for anyone in this place! Many of us are feeling very strong feelings on issues that concern humanity, the planet, now is the time to let go of the old comfort zones that really just keep us stuck,  and do something!

CONTACT in the DESERT | UFO Conference at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center

Okay, this will be coming up. Who knows, I might be able to attend!CONTACT in the DESERT | UFO Conference at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center

Three day metro-wide disaster drill will simulate bioterrorism attack | OregonLive.com

Portland, Oregon's terror drill starts today:Three day metro-wide disaster drill will simulate bioterrorism attack | OregonLive.com

"The purpose of the exercise is to test the region’s ability to respond to a complex public health incident affecting multiple agencies across several political boundaries. The exercise will address policy, plans and operations related to bioterrorism incident mobilization and response.

The imagined scenarios will play out at seven main locations, organizers said, on Wednesday and Thursday; Tuesday is reserved for planning and set-up.

But please note: These events are not designed to be visible to the public, but will be open for media coverage."

The History Blog:'Tesla Wardenclyffe laboratory bought for museum'

Wardenclyffe Tower 1904

The History Blog: Tesla Wardenclyffe laboratory bought for museum


The above story linked to is from April. What a close call; that almost 16 acres were sold to a developer with  no sense of history or ethics who had planned to raze the whole thing. Thankfully, it did not happen. 

Anne's Diary | What My Life is Like Now | unknowncountry

As some of you may know, Anne Strieber had an aneurysm and has endured operations and has been writing about the process, her recovery, on her site. Blessings and healing thoughts to Anne and Whitley and their family.

Anne's Diary | What My Life is Like Now | unknowncountry: have finally had the staples taken out of my head. (Staples are the new version of stitches.) So I no longer feel like I’m sleeping on a handful of safety pins. I still can see very little in my left peripheral field of vision, but I have added a new ingredient to the mix: hallucinations. I will be lying in bed, when all of a sudden I will “see” a row of people stand up to attention, as if they are having a meeting in some military context.

Of course, this is not really happening, but it looks to me as if it is, and it’s so convincing that for a moment I buy into it each time. Many of the hallucinations feature small people who seem very real, and leave me wondering just exactly what is going on. Are they the origins of fairy lore? Am I hallucinating, or seeing real things in another world? My guess is that it’s hallucinations. The doctors are familiar with this as a sequel to the surgery I had, and expect that it will fade away in time. In the meantime I can take medication that will make them go away, or at least bother me less.

Tarotize: The 'Time Out' Tarot Tool

I like this layout from Lisa Frideborg Lloyd using Doreen Virtue's Angel Tarot: Tarotize: The 'Time Out' Tarot Tool, from her blog:

"This Tarot spread is a spread you can do any time your Guardian Angel taps your shoulder and says, 'Hey, take a Time Out and get your head straight before you act.' Any time you feel in overwhelm emotionally or at risk of getting pulled into someone else's drama, the voice of fear drowns out the voice of reason. The trick is to become very still and listen - The Tarot can help us do this."

Alfred Lehmberg: ...Between The Stars...

Alfred's newest for UFO Magazine's blog:

UFO Magazine - UFO Magazine Blog - ...Between The Stars...: I think there's more than they'd let on. I think their thoughts... "impounded." I'd think that they're not living UP... ...to what they have propounded! I think they're NOT impartial. I think they're falsely proud. I think they have forgotten what the ancients proved out LOUD!
.
Pyramids and monuments aligned with unseen stars—the knowledge of ones solar system—what planets were and are! That there was "one grand asteroid belt" and other planets where: the colors were acknowledged blue and green, but twins, so paired.*

Deviant Moon and Healing with Angels Oracles

I'm not the only one who has used both decks in the same reading!

UFO Fest at McMinnville Press Release

Official:

14th Annual UFO Festival Lands May 17-18 at McMenamins Hotel Oregon

 

A former administrator of the British Ministry of Defence’s UFO Project, an Area 51 researcher, a multiple-abductee experiencer and an X Files investigator will speak at the 2013 festival

 

McMINNVILLE, OR: Thursday, May 9, 2013 - McMenamins’ 14th Annual UFO Festival is Friday and Saturday, May 17 & 18, hosted by McMenamins Hotel Oregon (3130 NE Evans St., [503] 472-8427 or [888] 472-8427). Skeptics and believers alike are invited to events happening throughout the weekend – four expert speakers, an alien costume parade, an alien pet costume contest, live bands, a fun run, a specially brewed Alienator Ale and more. The event began as a way to commemorate the 1950 Trent UFO sighting in which two McMinnville citizens witnessed and photographed an unknown craft hovering in the sky, said to be some of the most credible images of UFOs to date. More than 5,000 visitors convened in downtown McMinnville for the 2012 festival and parade.

2013 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Most events are free and all ages are welcome.
Speaker events: $10 per person advance, $15 day of event, available online and at the door (2-day pass also available for $25 per person in advance or $35 day of event)
All events requiring tickets will be held at the McMinnville Community Center (600 NE Evans St.), two blocks from McMenamins Hotel Oregon. Tickets are available in advance at ufofest.com

 

*** WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013 ***
Pre-Festival Special Event: UFO History Pub
How did the second-largest UFO festival in the United States start in McMinnville? To answer this question, we’ve just added a pre-festival talk by McMenamins Historian Tim Hills at Hotel Oregon at 7 p.m. This presentation will cover the famed story of the local Trent family UFO photos, taken nearby and sparking longtime worldwide interest in phenomena that occurred here.

*** FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 ***
McMinnville Downtown Association presents: "Landing Party"
• Vendor booths on Davis (3rd to 4th) and in the US Bank plaza, 3 -8 p.m.
• Alien drumming jam
• Stage and beer garden in the US Bank Plaza
• Dance and art demonstrations
• Jake Blair Band: 7 -9 p.m.

UFO Speaker: Nick Pope, former administrator/investigator of the British Ministry of Defense's UFO Project
Doors at 6 p.m.; event at 7 p.m. • McMinnville Community Center

Come and hear the secrets of the British Government's UFO project from the man who ran it. Dubbed "the real Fox Mulder" by media, Nick Pope will talk about the history of the UK Ministry of Defense's UFO research program, as well as discussing some of the most bizarre cases in the files, with his talk entitled, “The Real Live X-Files.” Pope will also talk about the ongoing program to declassify and release the entire archive of the UK's UFO files. Finally, he'll give an update on recent UFO stories, including the Citizen Hearing on Disclosure in Washington D.C., where he joined numerous other experts in testifying before a group of former congressional representatives.
Pope is a former employee of the UK Ministry of Defense, and had a 21-year government career. He’s now a journalist and broadcaster, recognized as a leading authority on topics such as space, fringe science, defense and intelligence.

McMinnville UFO Festival Video Contest
3 p.m. 'til 7 p.m. • 3rd St. Pizza Co./Moonlight Theater • Loop of all entries

Live music from Kirby Swatosh & The Moon Rocket Patrol • Spaced out rock
7 p.m. • Cellar Bar at Hotel Oregon • 21 & over

Live music from The Outer Space Heaters • Surf space rock
8 p.m. 'til 11 p.m. • Mattie's Room at Hotel Oregon

Movie in the Tent: Mystery Science Theater 3000
8 p.m. doors; 9 p.m. film• Tent on N.E. Evans St. at Hotel Oregon

“Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis” live radio broadcast
7 p.m. ’til 12 midnight • Paragon Room at Hotel Oregon

*** SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2013 ***
Vendor Booths
9 a.m. 'til 5 p.m. • Evans St.
10 a.m. 'til 8 p.m. • Davis St. and in the US Bank Plaza

UFO Speakers George Knapp & Jim Sparks
Doors at 9 a.m.; event at 10 a.m. • McMinnville Community Center
George Knapp, Area 51 researcher and Coast-to-Coast Radio guest host (first of two speakers)
Knapp is a two-time Peabody Award winner as well as a 19-time Emmy Award-winning journalist whose reporting on Nevada's infamous Area 51 military base was selected by UPI as Best Individual Achievement by a Reporter (1989).
Jim Sparks, "The Greys: Their Nature and Purpose" (second of two speakers)
Sparks is author of The Keepers, and a lecturer and expert in the abduction phenomena. His abductions began in 1988. Initially an unwilling abductee, his experiences transformed once he began to understand he was encountering intelligent advanced beings from other worlds.

McMinnville UFO Festival Video Contest
Noon • 3rd St. Pizza Co./Moonlight Theater • Single showing of all entries

New This Year: UFO Fun Run
1 p.m. • Meet at Third & Irvine at 12:30 p.m. to participate • Free; all ages welcome
Add athletic shoes to your alien costume this year, and join in this non-competitive UFO Fun Run, which is a .8-mile jaunt around the parade route.

UFO Costume Parade
2 p.m. • Third St.
The UFO Costume Parade is a dazzling highlight of the festival, with characters ranging from Darth Vader to acrobatic aliens marching through the McMinnville streets.  

 

Third Street Dance! Featuring Garcia Birthday Band
Immediately following the parade ’til 5 p.m. • Third St. at Hotel Oregon
After GBB's float wraps their parade appearance, come "dancin’ in the streets" as they park in front of Hotel Oregon for a few more hours of “Grateful jams”!

 

A performance by Willamette Radio Workshop
3 p.m. • Mattie's Room at Hotel Oregon

Performing "The Cave of Night" by James Gunn, "They're Made out of Meat" by Terry Bisson and "The Anachronic Man – The Original Dr. Who" by H.G. Wells

Alien Pet Costume Contest
4 p.m. at Buchanan-Cellers, 855 NE Fifth St.

Bring your pets, dressed in their alien best—and compete for prizes!

UFO Speaker Linda Moulton Howe
Doors at 4 p.m.; event at 5 p.m. • McMinnville Community Center
In 2009, Howe spoke at our festival to a near sold-out crowd, and we’re pleased to have her back again this year, with the talk, "Gobekli Tepe's 12,000-Year-Old Stone Circles Enigma – Terraformed by E.T.s?" which is based on her travels and investigations into an excavation in Turkey.
Howe is an award-winning documentary producer, writer and director, as well as a reporter and editor for Earthfiles.com. She is currently the X-Files investigative reporter for Premiere Radio Networks' Coast to Coast AM and Dreamland Online.

McMinnville UFO Festival Video Contest
3rd St. Pizza Co./Moonlight Theater
6 p.m.• Showing of all entries
7 p.m. • Awards Ceremony and screening for entrants and their families, with remaining tickets available to the public
Live music to follow the ceremony, admission is free, all ages, public welcome

 

Live music from Kirby Swatosh & The Moon Rocket Patrol • Spaced-out rock
7 p.m. • Cellar Bar at Hotel Oregon • 21 & over

 

Alien Costume Ball
Featuring live music from The Strange Tones • Out of this world R&B – Rockabilly
8 p.m. 'til 11 p.m. • Mattie's Room at Hotel Oregon
Dance and compete for prizes based on costumes; use of tin foil, antennae headgear and face paint is encouraged.

*****

ABOUT McMENAMINS HOTEL OREGON

Set in Oregon’s idyllic wine country 40 miles south of Portland, McMenamins’ historic 1905 hotel in McMinnville is the perfect place to uncork and unwind. Cozy guestrooms, a comfortable restaurant and pub, live music on weekends, the legendary Rooftop Bar and more offer visitors from far and wide reasons to relax.

 

ABOUT McMENAMINS HOTELS, PUBS & BREWERIES

The name “McMenamin” is well known throughout the Pacific Northwest, signifying a great place to enjoy handcrafted ales, wine, spirits and pub fare with family and friends. The dream began more than 20 years ago in the hearts of brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin and continues to spiral upward. With 57 properties (including Hotel Oregon) and counting, the siblings are considered to be pioneers of the Pacific Northwest microbrew, historic hotels and music venue industries. Go to mcmenamins.com for additional information, photos and more.