Living in the Now

The following article has some interesting concepts related to being in the Now: Tiny Amazon tribe challenges theory of language

The interesting part of this article is to me is "Because of their culture's ingrained emphasis on referring only to immediate, personal experiences, the tribesmen do not have words for any abstract concept, from colour to memory and even to numbers. There is no past tense, he says, because everything exists for them in the present. When it can no longer be perceived, it ceases to exist."

There are a couple of brief articles on Wikipedia about the Piraha, Pirahã people and Pirahã language.

A Word of Caution

I was recently contacted by someone who got a little more than they bargained with when in search of a "spell" they wanted to use with good intention. They met someone in a chat room who professed to be able to help, and it would seem they were covertly 'hypnotised' using NLP techniques. Part of the process involved the person offering to become the person's "master" and teach them what the person desired.

I would suggest caution with anyone, particularly a stranger who offers to be a teacher. In most esoteric circles I have moved it is considered bad form to offer to teach someone, let alone to bed their "master". This is not to be confused with someone who advertises themselves as a teacher, or recruiter for a group. However, those teachers and groups with good boundaries, who are genuinely involved in occult practices tend not to need to recruit through means such as verbal offers of becoming someone's teacher or master.

The issue in the situation I mention has little (I believe) to do with teaching or the occult. It has to do with power and control. It isn't even particularly "magical", although naturally someone using NLP for seduction and control type purposes may well like the illusion that they are a powerful magician capable of controlling someone psychically.

If looking for a teacher, look within first. Use your intuition. Learn from other's (external teachers) as you need to, but carefully maintain your boundaries, and stay conscious and aware of what any "teacher" is requiring from you. Self-responsibility, Self-growth, and Self-reliance are important traits in occult work. While group work and connection with others (the dance of Self with Other) is an important aspect of personal evolution in itself, it is also important to respect your own boundaries, as well as those of others.

While often exploration of the occult is dangerous, it is still worth being as 'safe' as possible, and be weary of the motivations of others towards us. The lure of power-over can be strong, and is often mistaken for being powerful.

Mayan Oracle

For something a little bit different... this site provides a Mayan Oracle based around the Mayan calendar. You can get an oracle reading for your birth date, or for the current day.

Today (18th May 2006) is:

Yellow Planetary Sun
Blue Western Castle of Burning
Earth family- Polar Clan- Fire
I perfect in order to enlighten
Producing life
I seal the matrix of universal fire
With the planetary tone of manifestation
I am guided by the power of elegance
I am a polar kin I extend the yellow galactic spectrum

Creative Shadow Work

"The Shadow describes the part of the psyche that an individual would rather not acknowledge. It contains the denied parts of the self. Since the self contains these aspects, they surface in one way or another. Bringing Shadow material into consciousness drains its dark power, and can even recover valuable resources from it. The greatest power, however, comes from having accepted your shadow parts and integrated them as components of your Self." - from John Elder

The Creative Shadow Work page has a collection of articles pertaining to the Shadow. It is well worth looking through this site, and considering some of what is said regarding the Shadow, and why it is so important to actually work through the Shadow processes as part of one's own personal evolution.

The Gospel of Thomas

In the past I could never have considered that I would find an interest in quotes, stories, and symbolism from the Judaeo-Christian tradition. However, over the past years I have learnt a new appreciation for some of the gems within that tradition. In part, learning how to decipher some of the stories using Qabalistic concepts adds a new dimension and understanding to what has become moralistic fairy-tales.

Last year I got in contact with a someone I had known a long time ago, when I was involved in more left hand path directions. That person had long since moved on from where he was back then also, and during some dialogue suggested I read The Gospel of Thomas if I had not done so - although suggested that the Coptic language version was more beautiful than the English, lucky for some who can read ancient languages!

Re-reading through the Gospel today I found several quotes which interested me. I have included them below, although I recommend reading through the entire text if you feel so inclined.

• Jesus said, "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over the All.
• Jesus said, "If those who lead you say to you, 'See, the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty."
• Jesus said, "Recognize what is in your sight, and that which is hidden from you will become plain to you . For there is nothing hidden which will not become manifest."
• Jesus said to them, "If you fast, you will give rise to sin for yourselves; and if you pray, you will be condemned; and if you give alms, you will do harm to your spirits. When you go into any land and walk about in the districts, if they receive you, eat what they will set before you, and heal the sick among them. For what goes into your mouth will not defile you, but that which issues from your mouth - it is that which will defile you."
• His disciples said to him, "Show us the place where you are, since it is necessary for us to seek it."
  He said to them, "Whoever has ears, let him hear. There is light within a man of light, and he lights up the whole world. If he does not shine, he is darkness."

Ayahuasca

The link to this National Geographic article on Ayahuasca was sent to me via a mailing list I'm joined to. It certainly makes for interesting reading, and the video that accompanies it is worth watching also. It is interesting to note the current interest (particularly via "media" sources) in the Shamanic ritual, which while it uses an hallucinogen to induce trance states, ultimately looks within to bring about change.