FLEN JOURNAL
***
a fictional journal written during my second immigrant jail detention experience in 2012 can be found HERE
***
"...By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the
king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible..." Hebrews 11:27
"Blessed are you who
weep and are oppressed by those without hope, for you will be released from
every bondage."
The Book of Thomas the Contender
"Did He
not find thee an orphan and give thee a home? Did He not find thee in error and
guide thee to the truth?"
Sura 93, The
Koran.
"...Tarology takes you on a journey through the
mystical world of Tarot, past the stars and into the realm of the ancient
science of numbers..."
www.tarot.com
***
This journal is dedicated to the never defeated
paganism of the West.
(...and to mamma.com, the mother of all search
engines...)
***
September 25th,
2007
Eight of Wands:
Accelerating change and growth challenge
you to keep up with what you are creating in your life. When the Eight of Wands
is in this position, take some time to stand back like a skillful gardener to
marvel at the rate things are growing. This card has a powerful association
with accelerating new growth and the unleashing of a evolutionary process
that has far reaching, profound effects. As you contemplate how swiftly
things are developing, you will become concerned less about outcome and
more about just keeping up. As your endeavor matures, it has the
potential to absorb your attention, exceed your expectations and fulfill your
vision. The challenge is to follow through and nurture the abundance you
are creating, which seems to have a life of its own.
The Hermit: There will be an uninterrupted period of
contemplation and peace. When the Hermit is in this position, you have
plenty of privacy available to you. The usual supervisors, critics and back
seat drivers have disappeared for a while. You can pull yourself away and study
the situation without the interference of other people's personalities and
agendas. This may be a wonderful opportunity for contemplation. It is
possible in a situation like this that you will experience some precognition
and sense of what is to come. Pay close attention to and
share whatever insights and directions you might receive.
Seven of Swords: When you willingly step forward to be a leader, you
win recognition and gratitude. The Seven of Swords in this position suggests
that you volunteer to fill an emerging void in leadership. You may be
the person who can serve as an inspiring figurehead and rallying point for
existing unfocused mental and emotional energy. It is possible that you have a
hero latent inside you who is being called forth by current circumstances. If
that is the case, don't resist; accept the invitation. It's not often that we
get a ready-made opportunity to be gallant. It's to everyone's benefit
that you think of yourself as a person who is able and willing to make a
positive difference.
I do not know
what to say. Life at Flen is very simple. The facility is a cross between a
jail and a hostel. It feels like living in a hamster cage, I tell myself that I
am in a cruise ship that is sailing nowhere. Sometimes I fantasize that I am trapped
in a monastery (it could be if I wanted it to). There is no systematic routine
as was the case in the Karlstad jail. They have rules but they do not force you
to do anything. It is clean in the antiseptic sense, generously comfortable in
the materialist sense - yet, a cage is a cage even if it is made of gold. Some
of the others have been here several months. A number of us are "x
cases". Flen is the place the Swedish system supplies for people like
"us", for whom there is "no solution" because we are
"not deportable". We are not deportable because we have no
nationality. We are the stateless. Reductio ad absurdum.
Today I have
decided on a routine for myself to avoid sloth (a cardinal sin). I do not have
a schedule but I decided on a set of mandatory daily activities: 1. I will pray
once a day. Flen has a prayer room, it is set up like a mini-mosque (because
half the people are Moslem) but it is open to everyone. 2. I will read the
Bible cover to cover, once a day for an hour or two I will just curl up and
read The Word, let it influence me, let it sink in. The library has a copy of
the NIV with both the OT and NT. 3. I will exercise every day. They have a
training room with gym equipment. Everyday I train for an hour to burn
calories. Here they feed us four times a day. I will have to limit my intake of
food to prevent becoming fat. I have bread but no freedom. 4. I will do my
internet work. Keep up with blogs and forum. Now that I have unrestricted
access to the internet (they have a computer room and the pc's have usb ports),
I should be able to focus more on this aspect of my life. 5. I am planning to
continue working on my Theological and Political studies. Add a little every
day. 6. Keep up with the news. They have
satellite TV. I have been watching Aljazzera English (Channel 63). I tell
myself that I will watch the comming war unfold from Flen. As Flen is in the
middle of nowhere, it is the perfect place to survive radioactive fallout from
a nuclear war (there is always a silver lining ), 7. I will keep this journal.
Type into it ever day.
The others: We
are about 10 ? people. All male. A number of us are x cases. Half Moslems from
Iraq and Algeria. The other half are Russians and one Yugoslavian that is
counted as one of "them". The two groups do not mix but they coexist.
I am neither, but because I watch Al Jazzera I gravitated towards the Arabic crowd. There are two TV rooms, in one the Satellite
is set to recieve Arabic Channels and in the other Russian Channels. Each
person gravitates to their niche. The Playstation room, the film room and the
computer room are neutral. The Russians never go into the prayer room (the
mini-mosque). The drawing room and the study room are almost never used by
either group.
veremos.
September 26th,
2007
Tarot: THE WHEEL (deontological
objectivity) and STRENGHT (of body, of mind, of faith). Go with the
flow.
Today I was able
to explore the universe of satellite television: On CubaVision I heard the news
anchor denounce the U.S. president as "a criminal with no credibility".
On Aljazzera/English I watched an analyst talk about four wars in Iraq:
Sunni-Shia, Shia-US, Sunni-US and Sunni-Sunni.
On CNN I watched the news anchor- woman qualify the Burmese Junta as
presiding over a "failed socialist economy" while showing footage of
Burmese Army troops suppressing a pro-democracy demonstration led by Buddhist
monks. On the BBC, more on the ongoing drama of the collapsing British banking
sector. Ques of depositors waiting to take their money out. On TVE I watched
the Conservative opposition leader denounce the Socialist prime minister at the
Cortes, as "working to undermine wage earners". The Socialist prime
minister replied that under the Conservative government the wages of public
sector workers had been frozen... All this chatter reminds me of a quote from
Franz Kafka's journal I read while at the jail in Karlstad, apparently he wrote
it on the day in August 1914 when World War One started: "Germany Declared
War on Russia [or vise versa]. Swimming Lesson in the Afternoon..." In my
case I hung out at the playstation room in the afternoon...
veremos.
September 27th,
2007
Tarot: [The Hermit]
The spontaneous Aries Moon forms active trines with jolly Jupiter in
Sagittarius and sweet Venus in demonstrative Leo...Your words gain power
today...The challenge of what has traditionally been known as the Hermit card
is to be able to recognize a teacher in a humble disguise. This font of
mysterious knowledge will not make it easy for the student to acquire his
wisdom, as it takes time and long contemplation to fathom what he knows. He
often speaks wordlessly, or in ancient and barbaric tongues, communicating
with the elements, animals and Nature herself. You may feel as if an important
change is taking place within, but are not yet clear about its true nature. You
are going through a transforming growth spurt... Don't try to analyze what's
going on; just roll with it.
Today I finished
reading the Book of Genesis. This in context of my effort while here at Flen to
read the Pentateuch. The Seven Days of creation, The Holy Sabbath on the
Seventh Day, Adam, The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge, The Serpent,
Cain, Abel, Seth and his son Enosh, Enoch who walked with God and never
experienced death because God took him away, Noah and the flood, the rainbow as
symbol of Gods covenant with Noah, Abraham whose original name was Abram,
circumcision, the aborted sacrifice of Isaac, the sad tale of the two Angels
(perhaps Michael and Gabriel ?) who went into Sodom and almost got gang raped,
how Lot looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, Isaac whom God renamed
Israel (after he "wrestled with a man"), The annointing of The Rock
with oil, Jacob who was sold into
slavery in Egypt and became second to Pharao. Seven fat cows and seven lean
cows, The blessing Isaac extended to his grandsons (a beautiful poem), Isaac
worshiping God while resting on his staff, the Twelve tribes and their fate
prophesised by the dying Isaac. Incest amid flocks of sheep. Genesis is the
fundamental "kernel" text of the four great Abrahamaic faiths:
Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Mormonism. The narrative basis from which the
conceptual foundations of Western and Middle Eastern monotheistic theologies
evolved. A very ancient narrative of supressed sexuality underneath a form of
faith founded on FEAR OF THE LORD. It was a great experience. It has
strenghtened my faith. The power of it lies in its very simplicity and
primitiveness.
The God of
Abraham.
- veremos.
September
28th, 2007
Tarot:
Once more the wheel of fortune (deontological objectivities as context).
The Wheel keeps on rolling, churning events in a ceaseless progression
of ups and downs, either way freeing us from the past. The only part of
the Wheel not going up and down is the hub, which is your eternal Self, the
Source of Freedom.The cycle of the wheel is its lesson. Advise: Learn
to go with the flow without resisting its ups and downs. Numerology: The Number
4 [Justice] "You'll find accomplishment through work, and with it, added
respect."
Interesting
the symbolism of numbers in context of this experience, the first cell I was
held at in the Karlstad Jail was cell number 4, the second was cell number 13
(4), then I was in cell number 51 (6) and now I am in room 6 at Flen.
Justice-Justice-Man-Man...This is the Fall of Man, to be followed by the Winter
of Rapture. The End did come on a Wednesday and I did not know when
"the last minute" was. The police came by today "to chat".
They told me that "for my sake" they hope that they are able to
confirm with the Spanish authorities that my place of birth was Madrid. The
alternative is that I will be re-arrested every month as there is no place for
them to deport me. That I have "no right" to be here (as if
"rights" really existed). Sweden does not recognise the existence of
stateless persons, I was told. So it is like I thought it would be: A game of chicken.
"The patience of the Saints" is the challege. In the event that Spain does not recognise
me, the Swedish State will have to give up and release me or hold me forever. I
told them I have no problem with staying in Sweden - either way. Flen is now my
home for a long time to come. I have decided to grow a beard. The staff here
was nice enough to lend me a set of clippers and I was able to shed hair. I
went ahead and annointed a rock in the manner related in the Book of Genesis. I
am now in long term captivity (today I found out that one of the Russians has
been here for one and a half years; the lawyer assigned to my case told me that
the longest he thought they could hold me was eight months). The Annointed Rock
is now my only amulet. It symbolises a number of things: 1. The Moratorium. As
I cannot properly celebrate the seasonal Sabbaths, the Monthly Essene Shappatu
or attend the weekly Eucharist; I pledged to recite the Liturgy of the Hidden
Church every day I am held here as a temporary substitute. 2. My name, my heart,
the Concordat and The Pact are now merged into one in The Annointed Rock. All
past amulets are now superceded. Their symbolic and protective power resides
now in The Annointed Rock, which has become the focal point of my Faith and
Theology. Last night I had a dream: I was walking towards an elevator that
looked like it was in disrepair. When I entered it I thought that I hoped it
would not crash to the bottom. A voice said "do not worry because it can
carry up to two persons". The elevator doors shut and I went up. I got to
the top floor unharmed.
-veremos.
September
29th, 2007
Horoscope/Tarot/Numerology:
We must learn lessons about patience now that straightforward Mars
has arrived for an extend stay in the self-protective sign of Cancer.
Usually Mars flies through a sign in about six weeks, but doesn't complete
this visit until May 2008. You may as well get used to the
awkwardness of having to wait, for this will be more common over the
weeks and months ahead. Practice being extra considerate of others, so you
don't do anything that could destabilize your home and family. Traditionally,
what has been known as the Justice card has to do with moral
sensitivity and that which gives rise to empathy, compassion and a
sense of fairness. Since the time of Solomon, this image has
represented a standard for the humane and fair-minded treatment of other
beings. Often including the image of a fulcrum which helps to balance competing
needs against the greater good, and a two-edged sword to symbolize the
precision needed to make clear judgments, this card reminds us to be careful to
attend to important details. It's a mistake to overlook or minimize
anything where this card is concerned. The law of Karma is represented
here -- what goes around comes around. Number Five: [Union] You
may find your interests expanding today, and you're probably going to be
feeling more liberated than you have in a long time. New people, social
gatherings, and possibly romance may broaden your horizon. Be careful not to
over-indulge or become careless in the midst of so much activity.
Today
was a day when my Theological/Esoteric/Mystical horizons where expanded. I
decided to manufacture a divination tool. A deck of "cards", but
instead of Tarot imagery I am using Norse runes combined with Kabbalistic
numerology. 27 cards in all accounting for 11/22 and 22/44. I looked up the Runic symbols (I decided to
use the Swedish version) and meanings on the internet and then drew them on
white paper in the drawing room. They do not allow us to nave scissors, so I
fold-cut them by hand. I performed a
reading using the method described in the Rune website. The Past: Sacrifice.
The Present: Transformation. The Future: Prosperity. The message I get is
that the sacrifice made was necessary for the present spiritual transformation
to take place and for the prosperity I will enjoy in the future to happen. I
assume that this "prosperity" will be of a spiritual nature (i.e.
trasures in heaven). No pain, no gain. At the library I read a couple of chapters
on Ju-Taoism (the synthesis of Confusianism and Taoism), and Sufism (mystical
Islam). Fortunately they have a small collection of books about religion. The
premise of Ju-Taoism is BECOME THE LI AND PROMOTE THE TAO. The Li means the
confusian ethical system, the Tao means cosmological understanding of Yin and
Yang. The Sage is the living link that fuses Li with Tao. The approach is both ontological and
metaphysical...not much epistemiology. To become "real" is to achieve
the status of Sage. In the process of becoming a Sage the initiate transcends
matter and seeks a link with the divine. The link with the divine then makes it
possible for him to "remain real". This is the absolute opposite of
the contemporary Western post-modern demolition of authenticity in favour of
the fake-genuine (i.e "branding"). I loved it ! ... Then on to
Sufism. Islamic gnosticism is difficult. Sufis assume that Unio
Mistica/Thosis/Devekuth can be achieved before the death of the physical
body. It posits the soft dualism of the
Aristotelians in rejection of the hard dualism of the Platonist. I tend to side with the hard dualists because
I believe that God is Holy, in contradistinction to the pantheistic view (which
is the logical conclusion of Aristotelianism). I have a hard time believing that,
just because I experience the ecstasies of gnosis in context of prayer, my soul
becomes permanently united with the substance of God, ante
mortis. If that was so my body would be destroyed; because imperfect matter -
subject to chaos and evil - could not long coexist with the pure substance of
God, a being an absolutely divine and perfect metaphysical being. I am not
saying that it would be impossible, because nothing is impossible for God; but
saving His councious and focused intervention I do not see a body surviving
direct contact. This (I believe) is why the agent of revelation is The
Paraclete and why he sent Emmanuel to incarnate first as Buddha, then as
Socrates and finally as Yeshua the Christ-Messiah. My belief is that before
Unio Mistica can take place; 1.) The body has to die 2.) The Ka and Ba must
become transfigured into Akh 3.) Yeshua the Christ Logos must judge me fit to
become fused with the substance and counciousness of God...
But
I liked the Sufist doctrine of "Learning Silence", and I plan to find
out more about that and about the Sufist method of prayer and recitation of
litanies. Their methods are very akin to the Hesychism and ascetic
mortification once practiced by Byzantine pillar hermits (Stylites) in Antioch
and by monks at Mt.Athos. The Hesichist megaloschema is that upon what I have
based the structure of my daily prayer scrolls. Tomorrow I will read more on
Sufis. In general though, I have one big objection to Islam: If God "has
no partners", then why did He send Gabriel to contact Mohammed ? Why would
He need Mohammed at all ? Why not appear to humanity directly as Himself as he
did with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses ?.
-veremos.
September
30th, 2007 [Feast of the Holy Archangel Michael]
Tarot: Traditionally,
the card known as the Hanged Man usually indicates a lack of ability
to help oneself through independent action. This energy is arrested and
awaiting judgment. With this card, there is no avenue for the will to regain
control until the situation has passed. This represents a good time
to be philosophical, to study and meditate upon the position you find yourself
in, and form resolutions for the moment you become free again. Only
those who possess wisdom, patience and optimism will be able to
see through limitations, including possible humiliation, to grasp the inspiring
lesson one can gain from such an experience. Number Six: [Man] Today is
a lucky day for you, in which you're likely to experience progress in
your career and/or finances. You feel a sense of closeness with
relatives and friends, and an overall healing of the heart. Few things could be
better. Horoscope: The Moon's entry into restless Gemini releases our
thoughts from comfortable patterns that had deepened into ruts. The problem,
however, is the difficulty we now face as we try to take any one idea and
play it through to conclusion. Instead, we are tempted to jump from one
concept to another as we amuse ourselves with our cleverness, rather than being
productive. Fortunately, a Mercury-Saturn sextile helps anchor us to reality. You
must limit the quantity of data you receive or you will be changing your
perspective every few minutes throughout the day. You are eager for new
concepts and are ready to fully embrace them as yours. Rather than
overreacting by jumping to the next good idea, hold on to a good one and take
it as far as you can.
Today
during prayer time I was able to experience something very close to "the
mystical experience". It happened by accident. As I was reciting the
Liturgy of the Hidden Church, one of the other persons interned here, who is a
Muslim, came into the room to say his daily prayers to Allah. There was a
moment when my whispered recitation of the Latin portion of the liturgy mingled
with his prayers in Arabic. It was quite melodic to listen to. Trancelike. Intense. Read more on Sufism; I
am intrigued by the concept that the "struggle of man in this world to
fullfil the covenant between man and God" is the fundamental aim of the
religious experience; "so that man might find the image of God within
himself and thus attain union with the divine nature". That Man was
created in Gods image is the basic premise of the Abrahamaic faiths. Beyond
this I tend to agree with the Sufis that "Mystics are superior to
Prophets, revealing within themselves the creative truth which called them into
being." In other words, it is the
mystic who is able to come into contact with that inner image - what in the
Dhjarmic system is called "Ataman"- and in doing so achieve direct
experience of the divinity within. The Muslim version of Gnosticism is profound
and mysterious..."THE DOOR OF THE MYSTICS INNER EXPERIENCE CONTAINS A
MYSTERY THAT CANNOT BE DISCLOSED"... I am who I am.
As
it was written in the poetry of M.J. Rumi, a great Sufi mystic:
"...There
is a sea that is not far
(away)
from us.
It
is unseen but it is not hidden.
It
is forbidden to talk about.
Yet,
at the same time, it is
a
sin and a sign of ungratefulness
not
to..."
-veremos.
October
1st, 2007
Hosroscope: We are not
comfortable when the authority of Saturn tells us what not to say...We're
wise to trust our thoughts now, knowing we won't deceive ourselves. You are
quite able to take complex concepts and quickly turn them into concrete ideas.
Before you move on to the next topic, though, make sure you get the current
one down on paper. You surely don't want your best ideas to disappear into
the past. Tarot: What is traditionally known as the Temperance
card is a reference to the Soul. Classically female, she is mixing up a blend
of subtle energies for the evolution of the personality. One key to
interpreting this card can be found in its title, a play on the process of
tempering metals in a forge [Alchemy]. Metals must undergo extremes of
temperature, folding and pounding, but the end product is infinitely superior
to impure ore mined from the earth. In this image, the soul volunteers the
ego for a cleansing and healing experience which may turn the personality
inside-out, but which brings out the gold hidden within the heart.
(This card is entitled "Art" in the Crowley deck.) Number Six:
[Man] Today is a lucky day for you, in which you're likely to experience
progress in your career and/or finances. You feel a sense of closeness with
relatives and friends, and an overall healing of the heart. Few things could be
better.
Today
I went "political" again. I guess in a situation of confinement I am
feeling nostalgic about the Old Religion of my 20's (anti-capitalist
anarchism). I went ahead and updated my
political blog after all
...(http://redsquare2.blogspot.com/). I wrote the following in respect to
hypocritical Western media (CNN) commentaries about the situation in Burma,
where the military regime gunned down pro-democracy demonstrations led by
Buddhist monks: "...repression directed against anti-capitalist
dissidents, immigrants and Muslims inside Western countries. The torture at Abu
Grahib, Guantanamo, the "Torture Jet", secret jails in Eastern
Europe, surveillance and naked police repression in every major Western city,
denial of civil liberties in the name of "security". The West has
nothing on Burma. The only difference is that in Burma the military is up
front about the repression while in the West it is disguised behind the veil of
stage managed "participation" and rigged "democratic
elections". In the West they prefer "rendition" to gunning
protesters down in the streets..." Although Iran is not exactly an utopia
of freedom, the Iranian parliament was very correct to vote recently on a
resolution declaring the CIA a terrorist organisation." I shaved my head a couple of days ago.
-veremos.
October
2nd, 2007
Horoscope:
The
Moon's entry into moody Cancer at 12:58 pm EDT reminds us of the wide
chasm between the inner experience of our feelings and the outer world of
circumstances. You might be drawn toward someone today, placing you
face-to-face with a relationship dilemma that transcends the specifics of
here and now. Your feelings may be linked to memories that now rush
into consciousness. Don't worry if you are overwhelmed by your emotions;
just bring yourself back to the present moment where your full attention is
needed. Tarot: What has traditionally been known as the Devil card expresses
the realm of the Taboo, the culturally rejected wildness and undigested
shadow side that each of us carries in our subconscious. This shadow is
actually at the core of our being, which we cannot get rid of and will never
succeed in taming. From its earliest versions, which portrayed a vampire-demon,
this card evoked the Church-fueled fear that a person could "lose their
soul" to wild and passionate forces. The image which emerged in the
mid-1700's gives us a more sophisticated rendition -- that of the
"scapegoated Goddess" whose esoteric name is Baphomet.
Volcanic reserves of passion and primal desire empower her efforts to overcome
the pressure of stereotyped roles and experience true freedom of soul.
Tavaglione's highly evolved image (Stella deck) portrays the magical formula
for harnessing and transmuting primal and obsessive emotions into
transformative energies. As a part of the Gnostic message of Tarot, this
fearsome passion and power must be reintegrated into the personality, to fuel
the soul's passage from mortal to immortal. Put convention aside and be
empowered by revealing your passionate nature. Numerology: The number
Six [Man]. It's possible that you'll receive some good news from an old
friend. Give of yourself today; it's quite possible that a younger person
will seek you out for help or advice.
Today
I begun reading Exodus ( NIV version of the OT ). It turns out that there are
three different versions of the Ten Commandments: Mesoteric (the basis for
Septuagint and Vulgate), Samaritan and Essene. I looked up the other two online
to do a comparative. The Samaritan and Mesoteric are the closest, except for
the tenth commandment. "Thou shall erect unto thee three large
stones...and you shall write upon these stones all the words of this law..."
This altar of stones was suppossed to be erected at Mount Garizim. The Essene
version of "Honor thy Father and Thy Mother" does not mean our
temporal parents, but the Heavenly Father (EL) and Heavenly Mother (ELAT). This
is related to the cosmology associated with the Essene version of the Tree of
Life - Seven Cosmic Forces and Seven Earthly Forces. I guess as there is no
objective difference between "Canon" and "Apocrypha" (both
designations are subjective), the best approach is to regard the three versions
as equally authoritative. Beyond being the Word of God, the Decaloge is one of
the foundations of Western civilisation. THE fundamental set of norms. The more
I read the Bible and do research about it the more my spiritual and theological
horizons expand.
A
further comment on Burma: Today on the BBC they interviewed a Burmese dissident
and a British diplomat about the brutal suppression of the pro-Democracy
movement by the Military Junta. Two points made my blood boil. First, it turns
out that Russia, China, India, Chevron, Halliburton, Total-Fina-Elf and The
State of Israel have longstanding business and military ties with the regime.
This totally exposes the hypocrisy of the Western and Chinese governments and
explains why no one did anything at the U.N. to stop the Junta from gunning
down protesters and rounding up monks. Only the Dalai Lama and the Pope came in
defense of the Burmese in an emphatic and clear cut manner. CNN showed smuggled
video footage of the army in action. Demonstrators were tear-gased, shot,
beaten, and hurled into trucks injured. Second, the British diplomat
interviewed on the BBC laid it out up front when the journalist asked him if
the solution was for the U.S. and France to force their corporations to
disinvest. He replied that the matter was subject to "cost-benefit
analysis" i.e. "How much is it worth it to Total-Fina-Elf and Chevron
to take an ethical stance viv a vis the Junta". To me that comment
illustrates the state of ethical degeneration that has come to prevail in the
world in our postmodern times. What is the cost of Burmese blood ? How much of
it has to be shed before it becomes "profitable" to withdraw ?...
-veremos.
October
3rd, 2007
Horoscope:
We are tempted to keep our feelings quiet, which can increase our loneliness. The overly
sensitive Cancer Moon is just the tip of the emotional iceberg now as passions
brew beneath the surface, they can morph into positive expressions as
beautiful Venus harmoniously trines transformational Pluto. It's a wizardly
day for you if you are willing to plunge fearlessly into the darkness. Your
spells and enchantments can cook up an intense feast, yet it may be difficult
for you to control the menu once you begin. Don't get distracted by your
own personal tastes. The real power is in being able to let go of control. If
you do, you will not fail. Tarot: What has traditionally been
known as the Star card is about reconnecting one's Soul with the Divine
-- the transcending of personality, family, community and reputation. It
has to do ultimately with the freedom to be one's Self. The Soul
is responding to celestial influences -- forces that can provide the
personality with a stronger sense of purpose. The Star card helps us to
remember our exalted origins and our attraction to a Higher Union. This card
could also be called the "Celestial Mandate" -- that which
refers us back to our reason for being, our mission in this lifetime. The
Star reminds us that, in a sense, we are agents of Divine Will in our
day-to-day lives. If we let go of the idea that we are supposed to be in
control, we can more easily notice and appreciate the synchronicities that are
nudging us along. In this way, we become more conscious of the
invisible Helping Hand, and we better understand our place within -- and value
to -- the larger Cosmos. You are consciously on the way home in a spiritual
sense. Numerology: The Number 7 [Prophet]. Today is the perfect day for
greater understanding of yourself and others. Make this a time for spiritual
realization rather than negative back talk. Theme (7): Quiet, Insightful,
Analytical, Mystical, Intuitive. Astro Association (7): Cancer. Tarot
Association (7): Chariot.
Today
I recited Psalm 119 in its entirety during the prayer time. It was a powerful
experience. I really felt the spirit. A sense of perfect peace and joy
emanating from inside out. Not quite a trance, but something like it. Except
that I was fully aware. I have began to adopt Sufist prayer techniques combined
with Buddhist yoga postures. It works very well with a Judeo-Christian content.
I believe that Adonai-Sebaoth heard me. I felt that He did. Psalm 119 is quite
powerful, both from the perspective of Spirit and from the perspective of
Theology. The message could be each and both. Reminds me of Manicheanism:
"Two Principles and Three Moments". A moment when the two are
separated, a moment when the two unite and a moment when the two separate
again. Something like that. When I pray, I pray to Eloyhim in the name of Jesus
the Christ-Logos, the Beggoten Son and Messiah, the transfigured Yeshua ben
Miriam / bar Joseph. I believe the Paraclete to be a feminine agent of
revelation and miracle. An Uncreated Energy of God. The dynamic deliverer of
EL's will... Today I was in communion with Sophia. I feel like I am on fire.
In
context of my investigations into the Old Testament, I read the first half
of "The Book of the Secrets of
Enoch". OT pseudoepigrapha. Specifically, I focused on the description
of the various Heavens and the Hell of the Angels. The hell descriptions are
graphic in a style similar to that found in NT apocryphal texts such as
"The Apocalypse of Peter" and "The Acts of Thomas". The
book begins with the rapture of Enoch; "...the angels took him on to their
wings and bore him up on to the first heaven and placed him on the
clouds..." (3:1) He then proceeds to describe the seven heavens. In the
first he meets the Elders of the Stellar Orders, and the Angels in charge of
the stars. In the second heaven a place of darkness, where apostate angels are
held captive waiting their judgement. "These are God’s apostates, who
obeyed not God’s commands, but took counsel with their own will..." (7:2)
Presumably, these angels were those who decided to follow Lucifer during the
rebellion before his fall. In the third heaven he sees the Tree of Life in the
middle of an idyllic forest; "...and in the midst of the trees that of
Life, in that place whereon the Lord rests, when he goes up into
paradise..." (8:3) Here the author
comments: "...and paradise is between corruptibility and
incorruptibility..." (8:5) In
Chapter nine, it is stated for whom this place is destined: "This
place, O Enoch, is prepared for the righteous, who endure all manner of offence
from those that exasperate their souls, who avert their eyes from iniquity, and
make righteous judgment, and give bread to the hungering, and cover the naked
with clothing, and raise up the fallen, and help injured orphans, and who walk
without fault before the face of the Lord, and serve him alone, and for them is
prepared this place for eternal inheritance." (9:) Chapter ten describes
the Hell of Men: "... a very terrible place, and all manner of tortures in
that place: cruel darkness and unillumined gloom, and there is no light there,
but murky fire constantly flaming aloft, and
a fiery river coming forth, and that whole place is everywhere fire, and
everywhere frost and ice, thirst and
shivering, while the bonds are very cruel, and the angels fearful and
merciless, bearing angry weapons, merciless torture..." (10:3) The end of
this passage reminded me of the cenobytes in the film "Hellbound:
Hellraiser II". I wonder if Clive Barker was inspired by the Apocryphal
descriptions of Hell when he constructed the cenobytes as tormentor entities.
The narrative continues: [my Pentecostal friends in Karlstad should love this
one] "...This place, O Enoch, is prepared for those who dishonour God, who
on earth practice sin against nature, which is child-corruption after the
sodomitic fashion, magic-making, enchantments and devilish witchcrafts, and who
boast of their wicked deeds, stealing, lies, calumnies, envy, rancour,
fornication, murder, and who, accursed, steal the souls of men, who, seeing the
poor take away their goods and themselves wax rich, injuring them for other
men’s goods; who being able to satisfy the empty, made the hungering to die;
being able to clothe, stripped the naked; and who knew not their creator, and
bowed to the idols, who cannot see nor hear, vain gods, built hewn images and
bow down to unclean handiwork..." I guess this is a primitive precursor to
the medieval Roman Catholic "seven deadly sins" narrative: vainglogy,
covetousness, lust, envy,gluttony,anger and sloth. In the fifth heaven is
located the Hell of Angels: "...These are the Grigori, who with their
prince Satanail [Satan] rejected the Lord of light, and after them are those
who are held in great darkness on the second heaven..." In the
Seventh heaven is the dominion of the Great Archangels: Michael, Gabriel,
Ariel, Uriel and Raphael . "... on to the seventh heaven, and I saw there
a very great light, and fiery troops of great archangels, incorporeal
forces...Cherubim and seraphim, thrones and many-eyed ones, nine regiments, the
Ioanit stations of light..."
The last reference concerns the source of what in neo-platonist
Christian theosophy is defined as NOUS, the pure synthesis of Wisdom and Divine
Spirit. The substance and source of the Paraclete and its power. In Byzantine
Orthodox theology the Paraclete is defined as an "uncreated energy of
God". Finally: "...On the tenth heaven is God, in the Hebrew tongue
he is called Aravat..." In Kabbalistic numerology Ten reduces to One. The
number of the Absolute Perfect. According to Pythagorean metaphysics
"one" was not a number but a cosmic principle...
-veremos.
October
4th, 2007
"...And
Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!..." - Gospel of John (KJV)
Horoscope: A quiet day like
this doesn't indicate a lack of things to do. In fact, extra time is eagerly
gobbled up by our need to nurture ourselves by withdrawing from the hectic pace
as the Moon finishes up business in quiet Cancer. We reminded of how
sweet it is to be recognized for what we do well. The desire for recognition is
strong now, so we are eager to take the extra step. It's a challenge to
motivate yourself now, for you believe that you've been working hard enough and
that you deserve a break. Unfortunately, your emotions are all over the
map today, further distracting you from your responsibilities. Instead of
worrying about what you should have accomplished earlier, just get started as
you think about how productive you can be. Tarot: What has
traditionally been known as the Sun card is about the self -- who you are and
how you cultivate your personality and character. The Sun card could also be
titled "Back to Eden." The Sun's radiance is where one's original
nature or unconditioned Being can be encountered in health and safety. The
limitations of time and space are stripped away; the soul is refreshed and
temporarily protected from the chaos outside the garden walls. Under the light
of the Sun, Life reclaims its primordial goodness, truth and beauty. If one
person is shown on this card, it is usually signifying a human incarnation
of the Divine. When two humans are shown, the image is portraying a
resolution of the tension between opposites at all levels. It's as if this
card is saying "You can do no wrong -- it's all to the good!" Theme:
You are in the right place at the right time. Astro Association: Sun Element: Fire [Archangel Michael] Number: 19 Alias: Awakening. Numerology:
8 [Paraclete] You've got truckloads of energy, drive and
determination at your disposal today. It's an excellent time for doing
business, signing contracts, and anything related to legal affairs. An
additional bonus: a recent
conflict may finally be healed. Theme: Power, Responsibility,
Good Judgment, Financial Rewards. Astro Association: Leo. Tarot
Association: Strength.
"John
18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of
this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the
Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. John 18:37 Pilate therefore said
unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king.
To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should
bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
John 18:38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he
went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at
all."
Today the police and the attorney
assigned to my case came by to interview me again. Once more we went over the
same details as last time. It turns out that they have to re-arrest me every
two weeks. They have submitted the investigation pertaining my birth identity
to the Spanish authorities. I told them that my intention in turning myself in
and making a full confession as to my activities in Europe since 1999 was to
collaborate with them. That I did not want to appeal the detention. I was told
that the police want to "protect society" from the possiblity that I
would commit further crimes. I replied that I agree, that they have a right to. They are trying to
deport me but they do not have a place to deport me. I am not a citizen of
anywhere. There are no documents. For
sure I will be held here for eight months. I have been at Flen for two weeks
now, but it does not seem like it. Today is exactly like yesterday and tomorrow
is unlikely to be any different than today.
I am taking a Buddhist approach to the
situation: just accept it and release...practise non-resistance. Once more we
are back to the initial realisation. Deontological objectivities have to be
accepted for what they are. That I accept or not the objective context is
irrelevant. In any case, I am clear that I am here only because Eloyhim wants
me to be here. If He wanted me to be released He would make the Police release
me. As Yeshua told Pontius Pilate: [John 19:10 ] "...Then saith Pilate unto
him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify
thee, and have power to release thee?[John 10:11] Jesus answered, Thou
couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above..."
The same applies to anyone who follows the God of Abraham in the name of His
Messiah and Only Beggotten Son, Yeshua ben Miriam/bar Joseph. I belong to
the God of Abraham. My Soul, my body, and my fate are in His hands. I will
be judged by Jeshua the Christ- Logos. If I submit to the law of man is only
because the God of Abraham commanded that I should ( i.e. when he had one of
His Angels take me out of the street and deliver me to the Karlstad Police on
Wednesday September 13th, 2007 ), not because I respect or believe in the law
of man. The law of man is imperfect and
because it is so, it is inherently unjust at all times. Only the God of
Abraham and His Son have a perfect understanding of Justice. Human
"judges" are Men. Men are imperfect and incapable of the the perfect
impartiality and objectivity that would be required as a precondition to issue
Just judgements. Human judgements will always be tainted by subjective
bias, ideologies and "cultural" coloration. I will never get justice
from human legal systems anywhere on this planet. As much as they want to
pretend otherwise, men can never be objective because they are inherently
subjective beings.
As to the fact that I am being held in
confinement; I do not care because I do not believe in the existence of
"freedom". The idea is an illusion invented by men, a false
counciousness. We are never "free" from death, never
"free" from time-space, never "free" from biology, and
never "free" from suffering... in or outside confinement. The
distinction between a suppossedly "free (outside) world" and
"imprisonment" is false. Nature is indiferent to human claims to
"freedom" and the God of Abraham only recognises the
"freedom" to submit to Him. We are perfectly "free" to
choose to not submit to the God of Abraham, but the consequence is eternal
damnation in hell. One must suffer in order to negate suffering. The thieve
must repent on the cross. Flen is my cross. One must take the cross and follow
Him... so I have no problem with being held in custody at Flen until the matter
of my identity is clear.
-veremos.
October 5th, 2007
1975, 1987, 1999
People
born in the Year of the Rabbit are articulate, talented, and
ambitious.
Horoscope:
Your
feelings are aroused, yet it's crucial that you contain yourself. The Leo
Moon encourages your creative side and you can enjoy manifesting your dreams. A
current boost of encouragement from someone else could fuel your
enthusiasm. Be careful that you don't push your limits too far or you might
offend someone without meaning to. Tarot: What has traditionally been
known as the Moon card refers to a deep state of sensitivity and imaginative
impressionability, developed within a womb of deep relaxation. Here
we dream and go into trance, have visions and receive insights, wash in and out
with the psychic tides, and experience deep mystical and/or terrifying
realities beyond our ordinary senses. The full moon and/or eclipse
cycle charted by the Magi (as in some of the earliest Moon card images)
exemplify this as a mechanism that Nature uses to expand consciousness. The
variants of the courtly lovers (representing skillful use of the sex
force) or the man sleeping it off under the tree (use of means
to alter consciousness) are also traditional avenues for tapping this primal
force. Human interest in higher states propels us to the frontiers of
consciousness, where we cannot always control what happens. The Moon
card represents the ultimate test of a soul's integrity, where the
membrane between self and the Unknown is removed, and the drop of
individuality reenters the Ocean of Being. What transpires next is between a
soul and its Maker. Numerology: The Number Nine [End]. Today brings with
it a grand opportunity for healing your mind and body. Get rest,
and treat yourself to a massage or some other rejuvenating 'time out.' You
may have a conversation later in the day that helps you strengthen your bond
with another.
Insomnia. I have not been able to sleep for
the past two days. I have tried pills, herbal teas, extra exertions in the
exercise room... nothing works. I have to ride it out. The longest I have gone
is four nights in a row. Last night I
saw a shooting star. I made a wish...
While owling the night away in the
Television room, a boy who is interned here told me about his dream to go to
Canada. He told me that his plan was to go "stowaway" on a boat from
Norway to Greenland and then "smuggle himself" into Our Lady of the
Snows - from Nuuk. Apparently he used a variable of this method to come into
Europe from North Africa. As the boy in question is only 21 or 22, I did not
have the heart to rain on his dream. I told him that his plan was
"great", that Canada was the best place I have ever been to in my
travels (I lived in Montreal for a few months in 1999 before moving to Europe).
That Immigration there does not bother you unless you commit crimes. That it
was easy to find black work and places to live....all lies. In fact, the
Canadian immigration police is ruthless, and they "rendition" Arabs
to the United States as a matter of routine. So yes, I lied about Canada to
him. I did so not with the intention of being
cruel or misleading. It's just that he had Faith. He really believed
that he could implement his plan. Obviously he is not aware of the logistical
issues involved or the geography, let alone the jurisdictional hoops. The North
Atlantic is not the Mediterranean. But I went along just the same. It reminded
me of myself back in 1999 (when I was 23...24). I used to dream like that...
and it was dreams of this kind that led me across the Atlantic to Europe and
the Middle East in those years . I never would have considered, before 'fin de
siecle', that one day I would walk among the ruins of Petra, survey Athens from
the ramparts of the Acropolis, attend High Mass in Jerusalem, walk through the Hagia Sophia at Istambul,
view the Sistine Chapel frescoes in Rome, or admire the Mausoleum of Napoleon
in Paris. I guess I have "become old" in that I now calculate risk
and logistics before making moves ?
Youths never consider these things.
They just do it.
- veremos.
October 6th, 2007
Tarot:
What
has traditionally been known as the Judgement card, sometimes entitled
Resurrection, represents the great reunion that the ancients believed would
happen once in every age. This was the time when souls are harvested
and taken Home to their place of origin, outside the solar system. Then
the World is seeded with a batch of new souls and the process starts over. From
a modern point of view, this great reunion -- which includes every
personality that you have ever been and every soul that you have done deep work
with -- reunites to consciously complete the process. In a way, we
symbolically celebrate this returning to center every year on our birthday. In
personal terms, the Judgment cards points to freedom from inner conflicts, and
so clear a channel, that the buried talents and gifts of past
incarnations can come through an individual in this lifetime. This card
counsels you to trust the process of opening yourself, because what emerges is
of consistently high quality. You can effortlessly manifest as a
multi-dimensional being, and assist in evoking that response from others.
Numerology: The number Nine [End]. Today brings with it a grand opportunity
for healing your mind and body. Get rest, and treat yourself to a massage or
some other rejuvenating 'time out.' You may have a conversation later in the
day that helps you strengthen your bond with another. Tarot Association:
Hermit. Horoscope: We transition from fantasy to intense realism as
the lively Leo Moon moves from an opposition with dreamy Neptune in the early
morning to a trine with powerful Pluto in the evening. Something that
begins as an idle thought can gain importance throughout the day, until we are
driven to express what we are feeling. Additionally, as the Moon nears
a conjunction with sweet Venus, we may be left with an overall pleasant feeling
about the day. You could be involved with the loose ends yet you are ready to handle the situation. Your
dream of 'the ideal' may be confronted by the pressures of the real world and
the sooner you face the facts, the better it will be. Even if it's
difficult to overcome your inertia, you'll feel more relaxed once you do.
I
finished reading Leviticus. The third book of the Pentateuch. Very dry and
boring as far as the minutiae of the law is concerned. Animal sacrifice,
dietary and sexual regulations, ritual strictures. Useful in that it
illustrates the psychology of the God of Abraham, but not really practical in
anything that could apply to the everyday life of postmodern man. In any case,
as Jesus Christ pointed out, laws and rituals are meaningless without the
presence of the spirit, and unless implemented on the premise of faith become hollow.
The New Testement makes Leviticus dead letter in the message that salvation
comes from Grace and not from the sacrifice of bulls or birds. I believe that
Faith and Works are equal before Grace - and that Knowledge helps. It is
necessary that a person experience the gnosis of the spirit to be in faith
(what my Mormon friends call the 'Baptism of Fire'), and to achieve this gnosis
of the spirit one must first be reconciled with the God of Abraham ( the
message of the Emergent Church ).
Faith
in that He is, is the 'sine qua non'.
Today
I had the chance to catch a documentary about Shi'ite Islam on CNN;
specifically their beliefs concernig the person of the Hidden Imam. I actually
took notes. Apparently, a fundamental pillar of the Shi'ite religious belief
system is the Hidden Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, or "The Guided One".
Associated with beliefs about the Hidden Imam are the "Doctrines of
Occultation" (Ghayba ) and "The Return" (Raj'a ) . The Doctrine
of Occultation is similar to the Pentateuch account associated with Enoch, in
that God hid Muhammad al-Mahdi away in order to preserve him. God has kept him alive since the day he was taken in
874 AD / 260 AH and eventually God will reveal al-Mahdi to the world in order
to lead humanity. This apparition (zuhur ) is the most significant event in the
future for the Shi'ite faithful and has direct eschatological consequences. The
return occurs shortly before the Final Judgement and the End of Time. Imam
Mahdi will return specifically to organise a Jihad against the forces of evil
and confronts these in an apocalyptic battle. When evil has been defeated the
Imam Mahdi will rule the world for several years establishing a perfect
government and guiding a revival of spirituality among the peoples of the
world. After the Imam Mahdi has reigned for several years, Jesus Christ ('Isa')
will return. The Islamic term for the Perousia is ''raj'a''. In Islamic
Christology Isa was sent down as a Prophet of Allah (God), but he (Jesus) is
not God or Lord, nor the son of God. Muslims do not believe that Isa is dead or
was ever crucified. An extreme version of the Docetism found among the
Christian followers of Arius. Beyond aparthodocentrism, Islam denies that the
crucifixion took place. Muslims believe that He was raised by God - in the
manner of Enoch- and resides in the "second heaven", His descent at
the appointed time will end all wars, and bring peace to the world. Like Jesus,
Muhammad is also a Prophet and Messenger, yet they believe that Muhammed is the last Prophet, though, and there is
none after him. Hence, Islam is "the last religion", complete, with
the Holy Qur'an as the unchanged and perfect word of God. Muslims claim that
the Jesus predicted the eventual appearance of Mohammed: "But when the
comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the
spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me, and
he also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the
beginning." (John 15:26-27). A problem I found with this approach though,
is that this claim could potentially apply to persons other than Mohammed, for
example the Prophet Mani (founder of Manicheanism) or to Joseph Smith (founder
of the Mormon faith). But I have no problem with the idea sui generis of there
existing a "Hidden Imam"; maybe that part is true and he will play
the role of an apocalyptic John the Baptist, paving the road for the Perousia
?... Although I am oriented towards Christ, I am prepared to accept that there
is a lot of truth in the Islamic path to the God of Abraham. To quote Socrates:
"I do not know what I do not know".
p.s.
The moon will form unusual shapes with two planets and a star starting this
weekend; Luna will be aligned with Venus, Saturn and the star Regulus. The
celestial dance will last a whole week.
-veremos.
October
7th, 2007 [Baptism Day]
One
year since my baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ.
Horoscope:
The Moon enters detail-oriented Virgo at 3:03
am EDT, reminding us that perfection is next to godliness. The
only problem with this line of thinking is that it can make us dissatisfied or
even anxious as we face reality instead of the ideal. But the Virgo
Moon also gives us the ability to apply logic in practical ways. This is
especially true as the Moon activates thoughtful Mercury and energetic Mars,
adding the strength of conviction to what we say. There's little rest for you
today, even if you had no obligations, you'd probably still be too serious
today to enjoy yourself. You'll have plenty of time for play later on. Keep in
mind that the sooner you get started, the more likely you are to finish. Tarot:
What has traditionally been known as the World card points to
the presiding intelligence, called "Sophia," or Wisdom, which upholds
life on this and all worlds. A more precise title for this card might be
"the Soul of the World," also applicable as a symbol of personal
empowerment and freedom. In most Tarot decks it is a female figure that has
become our standard World image. She originates in Hebrew, Gnostic and
Alchemical lore, and stands between heaven and earth as the Cosmic Mother of
Souls, the Wife of God and our protector from the karmic forces we have set
loose upon the Earth in our immaturity and ignorance.Where the Empress
energy secures and fertilizes our terrestrial lives, the goddess of The World
invites us into cosmic citizenship -- once we come to realize our soul's
potential for it. Just as the Chariot stands for success in achieving a
separate Self, and Temperance represents achievement of mental and moral health,
the World card announces the awakening of the soul's Immortal Being,
accomplished without the necessity of dying. This card, like the Sun, is
reputed to have no negative meaning no matter where or how it appears. If
the Hermetic axiom is "Know Thyself", this image represents what
becomes known when the true nature of Self is followed to creative freedom and
its ultimate realization. Traditionally, the Magus is one
who can demonstrate hands-on magic -- as in healing, transformative rituals,
alchemical transmutations, charging of talismans and the like. A modern
Magus is any person who completes the circuit between heaven and Earth, one
who seeks to bring forth the divine 'gold' within her or himself.Waite's
image of the Magus as the solitary ritualist communing with the spirits of the
elements -- with its formal arrangement of symbols and postures -- is a
token of the freedom we have in modern times to declare our spiritual politics
without fear of reprisal. It's best to keep your imagination open with
this card. Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by
evolutionary forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Numerology:
The Number Two [Duality]. You may find yourself presented with an
opportunity to help someone else today. Focus on your relationships in both
your work and personal life; you have the sensitivity and compassion to be of
great help. You're admired by someone, and your chances for romance are very
strong. Theme: Adaptable, Tactful, Gentle, Cautious. Astro Association:
Moon. Tarot Association: High Priestess. Daily Feng Shui: [Over
5000 years ago, powerful Chinese emperors guarded the ancient wisdom and
science of how one's environment influences energy. They called this
artful science Feng Shui - meaning wind and water. They learned how to attract
positive, successful energy and how to deflect negative, inauspicious energy.]
"Stools are suited to short tasks that require focus. They are not
appropriate for long, meaningful exchanges." Daily I-Ching Hexagram:
[The I-Ching, or Book of Changes, is the world's oldest book and earliest known
intuitive decision-making system. Based on the binary logic of Tao's yin/yang, it is used to derive
personal insights based on natural wisdom -- as pertaining to human
problems that logic alone cannot handle.] "The air is ripe with
imagination, inspiration and energy. The dragon is an ancient symbol of an
electrically charged, dynamic, arousing force that bodes well for
creative initiative."
Today
I focused on updating my blogosophere. I added the Liturgy of The Hidden
Church to "Journal of a Dead Man". I suppose that it could be
considered a subtext to the Third Apocalypse of the Archangel Michael.
"Journal of a Dead Man" has come a long way, it has turned out to be
not just a journal of post-modern gnosticism and a record of 'the progress
of my soul towards the redemptive
horizon' - to use the language of the Unitarian Universalists; it has evolved
into The Metaphysical Expression of My Ataman. A digital shrine. I am very
happy with it. I also updated the my comments on "Redsquare2". This
is my 'post-political' blog. The (post)
Political Expression of my Alter-Ego, as I call it. Commented on the
tragedy of Burma, as the military Junta seems to have been successful in
suppressing the Buddhist led pro-democracy movement there. Hundreds of monks where dissapeared by the
regime. All this weekend there have been demonstrations worldwide in support of
the Burmese pro-democracy movement. In context of this; yet another
illustration of Western hypocrisy: The British government ordered the London
metropolitan police to ban a planned anti-war march. The Stop the War coalition
was denied a permit to demonstrate against British participation in the
occupations of Iraq and Afganistan. Yet, Gordon Brown pontificated about the
denial of democratic rights in Myanmar. Meanwhile, George Bush publicly
defended the CIA's rendition and torture policy, saying that it was
"necessary" to "protect" the U.S. public...
We
live in a world of craven cynicism.
Back
to theology and spirit; did some reading on Eastern Christian mysticism and
eremitic traditions. Specifically, I focused on the Megaloschema and the
Stylites ("pillar saints"). The Megaloschema is the vestment worn by
Byzantine hesychast monks. According to wikipedia: "Hesychasm (συχασμός
hesychasmos, from συχία hesychia, "stillness, rest, quiet, silence")
is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some
other Eastern Christian Churches of the Byzantine Rite. The term hesychasm
(συχάζω hesychazo) means "to keep stillness", the practitioner is called a Hesychast
(συχαστής hesychastes). Based on Christ's injunction in the Gospel of Matthew
to "go into your closet to pray", Hesychasm in tradition has been the
process of retiring inward by ceasing to register the senses, in order to
achieve an experiential knowledge of God."
Megaloschema
was inspired by the priestly vestments described in the Pentateuch, worn by the
Aaronic High Priest. The Aaronic vestment had 12 gems on it, each
representing one of the Twelve Tribes of
Israel. There is a close relationship to the Urim and Thummim - the "lights
and perfections" or "the revelation and truth". These were a
divination medium used by ancient pre-Abrahamaic Hebrews to invoke the
revelation of the will of God at a particular time (i.e 'Toroth' or
instructions). According to the Mormon faith, Urim and Thummim were used by
Joseph Smith to translate The Book of Mormon. In Judaic understanding,
God’s holy name, the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) - which orginally was an anagram
symbolising the Egyptian God of Wisdom (Thoth) - was inscribed on the Urim and Thummim. As to
the Megaloschema; it represents the two principles: Alpha and Omega, as well as
the three motions: above, below and even with the cross. Even
with the cross, has six figures on both sides which represent the levels of
spiritual maturity to be achieved in context of The Ladder of Divine Ascent
(Κλίμαξ; Scala or Climax Paradisi), according to wikipedia: "...the means
by which the highest degree of religious perfection may be attained. Divided
into thirty parts, or "steps", in memory of the thirty years of the
hidden life of Christ, the Divine model of the religious..."
Speaking
of the hidden life of Christ; one of the most beautiful passages in the
New Testament Apocrypha concerns the childhood of Yeshua; it concerns the
miracle of Jesus making James whole of the bite of a serpent:
"Now
Joseph sent James to gather straw, and Jesus followed after him. And as James
gathered straw a viper bit him and he fell to the earth as dead by means of the
venom. But when Jesus saw that, he breathed upon his wound and forwith James
was made whole, and the viper died." - Infancy Gospel of Thomas (14:)
The
Stylites were a subset of early the Christian ascetic tradition in Egypt,
Mesopotamia, and Persia. Those who followed the path of the ascetic observed
forms of extreme self-denial, they abandoned society altogether and lived
hermit lives in deserts or caves; adopting a life of celibacy, fasting, and
prayer. The most extreme among the ascetics were the "pillar saints"
(stylites) who perched themselves on enclosures atop tall pillars for several
years and dedicated theselves to prayer and meditation, 'al fresco'. The most
famous of these was St. Simeon Stylite, whose pillar was located outside
Antioch. He was revered by both Christians and Muslims. It appears that each
major city in the Byzantine world had its own pillar hermit. It was tradition
in Constantinople that twice a year on Easter and Christmas the pillar hermit
would descend from his enclosure to preach repentance to the people in the
manner of John the Baptist... The univeral premise of the ascetic mystic is
that the negation of the self is the
means by which one can achieve unity with the divine. This truth is found
in The Kabbalah, Dhjarmic Nirvitism, Buddhism, Sufist Islam and
mystical-ascetic forms of Christianity. It transcends the artificial
distinction between 'East' and 'West'. It is an eternal and axiomatic truth. To
quote Yeshua ben Miriam and one of the great desert fathers Abba Poemen the
Shepherd who followed after Him:
"Then
said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." - Gospel of Matthew
16:24 (KJV)
"To
throw yourself before God, to not measure your progress, to leave behind
all self-will -- these are the instruments for the work of the soul."
- Abba Poemen the Shepherd, "Apothegmata patrum" (Sayings of the
Desert Fathers)
-veremos.
October
8th, 2007
Horoscope:
The Virgo Moon focuses our feelings within a narrow band of emotions. Our desires
become even more well-defined as Venus enters critical Virgo today, helping us
say "no" to anything that falls outside of our specifications. Making
a list of the attributes we would like to have in an ideal could limit our
field of possibilities. Fortunately, an efficient Mars-Saturn sextile
enables us to manage our time and energy. If you have let your work pile
up, now you can make a dent in the stack of unfinished tasks by methodically
tackling one chore after another, one step at a time. Be wary of sudden
gains and avoid taking shortcuts, since your key planet Mars is receiving
plenty of support from taskmaster Saturn. It's crucial to remember that there's
no substitute for hard work. Tarot: Pamela Coleman-Smith's
artful rendition of an "innocent Fool" archetype (Rider-Waite
deck) is often used to represent Tarot in general. Early classical versions of
the Fool card, however, portray quite a different character -- a person
driven by base needs and urges, who has fallen into a state of poverty and
deprivation. In some instances, he is made out to be a carnival entertainer or
a huckster. In others, he is portrayed as decrepit and vulnerable -- as
the cumulative result of his delusions and failures. Not until the 20th century
do you see the popular Rider-Waite image of the Fool arise -- that of an
innocent Soul before its Fall into Matter, as yet untainted by contact with
society and all its ills. Modern decks usually borrow from the
Rider-Waite imagery. Most Fool cards copy the bucolic mountainside scene, the
butterfly, the potential misplaced step that will send the Fool tumbling into
the unknown. Don't forget, however, that the earlier versions of this
card represented already-fallen humanity, over-identified with the material
plane of existence, and beginning a pilgrimage towards self-knowledge, and
eventually, wisdom. The Fool reminds us to recognize the path of
personal development within ourselves -- and the stage upon that path where we
find ourselves -- in order to energize our movement toward deeper
self-realization.Theme: Let go of expectations and trust your instincts.
Astro Association: Uranus Element: Air Number: 0 [Nothingness /
Non-Being] Alias: The Madman,
Innocence. Numerology: The Number Two [Duality] You may find yourself
presented with an opportunity to help someone else today. Focus on your
relationships in both your work and personal life; you have the sensitivity and
compassion to be of great help. You're admired by someone, and your
chances for romance are very strong. The Number Three [Trinity] You're at your
creative best today, and are a master problem solver. Help may arrive
from an unexpected source, as may news or information from someone far away.
Today is a day for optimism and honest sharing of feelings. Theme:
Adaptable, Tactful, Gentle, Cautious, Expansive, Sociable, Dramatic,
Diversified, Creative. Astro Association: Moon / Venus Tarot Association: High Priestess /
Empress. Daily I-Ching Hexagram: Great receptivity attracts
exceptional results. A natural responsiveness brings about success through
support and perseverance, rather than through bold action. Daily Feng-Shui:
People who prefer swivel chairs are highly curious. They like to examine issues
from every angle and are easily adaptable.
It
was a busy weekend here at Flen, people came and went... over the past two days
they deported one Russian and the man from Azerbaijan. Just like that. Snap,
crackle, pop. The man from Azerbaijan had three young sons. They stayed behind.
The oldest one is six years old. I met him at the prayer room the day he left,
he was grieved at the fact he would be indefinitely separated from his
children. The man from Russia ventured into Sweden from Norway, he was
prospecting for work he told me, was caught, confined - and sent right back. No
appeals. Then there is the man who does not talk. He lurks about the corridors
and the televison rooms, crying in a state of lucid depression. I am told he is
in panic at being deported to his homeland. That he fears for his life... Flen
is a place of suffering indeed. I keep thinking about that "ring around
the rosies" lullaby, it was composed at the time of the bubonic plague
("the black death") in the 1300's,
"... ashes, ashes and we all drop down..." was a reference to
those who perished.
Ysenia
Pestis.
Speaking of the
middle ages; I did some reading on Abraham Abulafia and the Maimonidean Kabbalah tradition. Master Abulafia
posited that the supreme religious
experience is an intellectual experience. God is pure intelligence (what
neo-platonists called 'nous'), and humans become intimate with the intelligence
of God when their intellects are attuned to the divine wisdom (Hagia Sophia in
greek). This happens when they connect with one of the cosmological intellects,
which are the Seven Powers of God; sometimes represented as the celestial
spheres (sun, moon, planets) or as angels ('Metatron'). The ultimate aim of the
mystic is to achieve a state of unio mystica [i.e. union with God, also
called 'Devekuth']. Master Abulafia identified the process that leads to this
achievement as 'prophecy'. Not so much preaching repentance or eschatological
revelation, but theosis. Prophecy can be attained only when one is in a state
of attunement with nous, a state that can come about only when the soul is
freed from the bonds of the body, implying ascetic 'via purgativa'. The
contemplative technique favoured by Master Abulafia consisted of letter‑combination
('permutations'), contemplation of the Ten Zefirot, and recitation of the
divine names, special breathing exercises and bodily postures. The last two are
universal approaches to mystical gnosis and are found in Buddhism, Hesychasm
and Sufism. Indeed, Master Abulafia was in contact with leading Sufists and
Christian Pietist ascetics in his time. Even if they had some theological
disagreements, the mystics understood that all the paths (when honestly
followed), lead to an absolute perfect One.
In my view, The God of Abraham requires Faith and
Suffering. One must believe that He is and then one must suffer. One suffers by
supressing desire - which as Buddha pointed out- is the source of suffering. To
negate suffering one must suffer. It is in this state of suffering (of 'being
on the cross') that one then can undergo the process of purgation, contemplation
and prayer that leads to mystical experience of God; with a nod towards unio
mystica - Jesus permitting, in my faith- after the body perishes and the soul
is released. I see "the process" as preparation for the liberation
that comes with biological death. My goal is what in the dhjarmic path is
called 'moksa' - the scape from the cycle of birth-death-reincarnation (i.e
'samsara'). When desire is removed there is no obstacle to the progress of
souls towards the redemptive horizon that is moksa. Then it becomes a matter of
perfecting the understanding of who He is... and letting that understanding
adquire a life of its own. Then we cease to be and become not, as we
dissolve into nous. When the self is totally and irrevocably negated we become
free. Biological death completes the process, we drop the biological shell like
a butterfly leaving its cocoon, Ka and Ba become transfigured into Akh - and
with Christ's approval, in my faith - it merges into the substance and
counciousness of Adonai-Sebaoth. Then we Know. To quote Master Abulafia
on the subject:
"He is I and I am He."
- veremos.
October 9th, 2007
Horoscope: Today we can revisit a missed opportunity from
earlier in the year. The slow-moving giants Jupiter and Uranus form a
dynamic square, culminating a cycle that began in January. This can
indicate positive change as inventive Uranus is now reactivated by broadminded
Jupiter. We receive additional support from the Sun's cooperative sextile to
Jupiter. Fortunately, our thoughts become more balanced when the Moon enters
fair-minded Libra . You may not want to keep your feelings to yourself,
yet you aren't sure if others really want to hear the truth -- your truth, that
is. Your discretion may be well-intended, but this can be an opportunity to bring
hidden issues out into the open. Don't miss this opportunity to clear the air. Tarot:
Traditionally entitled "Empress," this major arcana or
"trump" card portrays the energy of the Great Mother. She
is Nature, around us but also within us, the ever-unfolding Source of
life-giving power. She is often pictured as a pre-Christian Goddess, as
the one whom the High Priestess is channeling down to earth for the rest of us.
In medieval Europe, the Empress card was painted to represent whatever Queen
currently ruled the land, probably to satisfy the Inquisitors. But the scholars
of the Renaissance and beyond had no doubt of her true identity [Our Lady
Sophia], although she could not be fully revealed on Tarot cards as the
"woman clothed with the sun" until after the French Revolution.
This supreme archetype of femininity also symbolizes fertility. It is She
who provides us nourishment and security. She is also sometimes seen as
delighting us with flowers and fruit. A potentially terrifying aspect of
this archetype manifests itself whenever karmic mood swings wipe out our plans,
like a storm that has come upon us. Whatever happens, the Empress is the
Source of our Embodiment and of Natural Law. She might even be called "the
Great Recycler." Theme: Look for opportunities to be generous, warm
and nurturing. Astro Association: Venus
Element: Earth Number:
3 Alias: Fertility. Numerology: Strong, clear energy and the
possibility for major opportunity exist today. Focus on work and planning,
and avoid the emotional cobwebs of others. Your intuition is strong, so rely on
what you know and don't take someone else's word for it. Theme: Form,
Work, Order, Practicality, Discipline Astro Association: Aries Tarot
Association: Emperor. Daily I-Ching Hexagram: Difficulty at
the beginning. The birth of anything - including any new venture or
relationship - is an entry into the realm of the unknown. Daily Feng-Shui:
People who prefer rocking chairs are contemplative and compassionate. These
folks make wonderful caretakers.
I
am grateful that they have a small but very useful collection of religious and spiritual books in the
library room. If I need additional information or clarification I just look it
up on the net. I figure that while I am here I might as well utilise the
facilities to improve my understanding of Spirit, as oppossed to rotting away
in the television rooms. As to my interactions with the satellite media zoo, as
a rule I limit myself to one newscast per day: BBC, CNN or Aljazzera (English).
I alternate on a daily basis. If the staff shows a film I watch it; but in
general my policy is to avoid television. The daily prayer-exercise-reading
routine is meant to prevent spiritual, physical, and intellectual athrophy.
Television (although very informative in its own way) is an invitation to
sloth. I my view.
Last
evening I stayed up late reading about the origins of Islam. It is not a
"Christian heresy". Like Mosaic Judaism, or its short lived Egyptian
cousin the Cult of Ra-Aton associated wih the pharao Amenhotep IV
(Ikhnaton); it is rather a monothistic
expression founded upon an earlier henothistic religion. The pre-Islamic
pantheon in the Arabian penninsula was for the most part composed of female
deities: Al-Lat, Al-Uzza ('the mighty one') and Al-Manat corresponding to the
Sun, the planet Venus and Fortune respectively. At Mecca they were regarded as
daughters of ILah - the moon God. The cult of Al-Lat was widespread. As Allah
means litterally 'the God', Al-lat means 'the Goddess'. The role of Al-Manat
was very similar to that of the dancing goddess Shiva in the Dhjarmic pantheon.
Al-Manat was the goddess who controlled the persons fortune, the destroyer, she
who settled fate, the deified representative of the mystery of life and death.
It appears that there was a stong element of animism in the religious
expression of pre-Islamic Arabic peoples; worship was given to the god or
spirit who was believed to inhabit particular blocks of stone, rocks, trees or
wells. There was human and animal sacrifice. The sacred stones served as altars
where the blood of the sacrificial victims was smeared or poured while
tribesmen danced around the stone. The technique for the fabrication of idols
from bronze was imported from Egypt and the Hellenistic world. Before Mohammed
there was a thriving idol-manufacturing industry in Petra and Mecca. No wonder
Mohammed was run out and forced to flee Mecca in 622 AD ... he got in the way
of lucrative trade. Not to mention that originally the pilgrimages to Mecca
meant pilgrimages to the temples of the pagan godesses. These pilgrimages were
a steady source of revenue for the idol-manufacturers. The situation was
similar to that which prevailed in medieval and renaissance Rome respective to
the pilgrimage business and the trade in relics (and indulgences), in the times
before the agitations of Girolamo Savonarola in Florence (circa 1494 AD ) and Martin
Luther's reformation (circa 1517 AD).
My
theory is that Islam constitutes an ultra-Monophysite evolution of Arab
Christianity premised upon the reform of an indigenous Arabian henotheism. In
other words, Mohammed (570/1-632 AD) utilised concepts developed by Egyptian
monophysite (Jacobite) Christians as a tool to enable the reformation of the
primitive Arab religion. Monophysite Christology was considered heretical in
the Late Roman / Byzantine world; specifically as a result of rulings at the
Councils of Nicaea (325 AD) and
Ephesus (431 AD); where Orthodox Christology was defined. The Jacobite heretics
believed in only one nature in Christ who was to them the Divine Word
incarnate. In addition they believed that the trinity was "One Divinity,
One Nature and One Essence". In prayer the Jacobites would postrate
themselves on the ground facing east. It was the Jacobite Bishops who mandated
the veiling of women outdoors and who defined a set of very strict devotional
rules for fasting and alms giving. While in Syria the predominant form of Arab
Christianity was Nestorian (after Ephesus), it was predominantly Jacobite in
the Arabian penninsula. I read about the tragedy of Chief Harith and his son
Mundhir, and of Nu'man. Arab Christian chiefs of a Monophysite persuation who
were martyred by their Orthodox enemies. It was in context of the effects of a
crisis of leadership in monophysite Arab Christianity in the Arab penninsula,
that Islam emerged as a more effective means of wiping out paganism. That
Mohammed denied the divinity of Christ was nothing new. That position was
fronted by Arius in the West before him. In fact, prior to the Council of
Nicaea most Christians did not believe that Christ was God; he was
regarded as Messiah, the only perfect and sinless man, the incarnation of the
Archangel Michael at best; but not a God. That innovation was introduced by
Catholic Bishops with the support of the Emperor Constantine, in context of his
efforts to reconcile the Cult of Sol Invictus with primitive-Catholic Paulist
Christianity.
The
account of the visitation of Mohammed by the Archangel Gabriel is very similar
to the account given by the Prophet Mani (210-276 AD). Mani claimed to have
been contacted by a spirit whom he called the Syzygos ( i.e The Twin), who
taught him the "divine truths". Interesting to me was the insistence
on "recitation" in the conversation between Gabriel and Mohammed
during the visitation: "What shall I recite?" asked The Prophet.
Replied Gabriel:
"Recite
in the name of thy Lord
who
created Man from blood
coagulated.
Recite ! Thy Lord
is
wondrous in kind. Who by
the
pen has taught mankind
things
they knew not (being blind)..."
I
agree with Mohammed that there is only one God, but I do not agree that He
"has no partners".
-
veremos.
October
10th, 2007
Horoscope: We are
still riding the waves of the expansive Jupiter-Uranus square that has provoked
unexpected positive change throughout the year. Our
persistence is crucial now, even though this aspect of sudden opportunity has
passed. We are ready to step into the next phase of our plan, but can't get
traction until after tomorrow's New Moon. Meanwhile, Venus forms a
semisquare with the Sun, making us aware of how relationships fall
short of our expectations. You are willing to do the work necessary to
build bridges between you and your coworkers, but your extra effort may be
misinterpreted. You could be seen as more scheming than you truly are, for
your social behavior seems almost too good to be true. Nevertheless, if
your intentions are honorable, your contribution will be recognized. Tarot:
Traditionally called the High Priestess, this major arcana, or trump,
card represents human wisdom. She can be viewed as a kind of
female Pope, the ancient Egyptian Priestess of Isis, the even older snake and
bird Goddesses, the Greek Goddess Persephone, or the Eve of Genesis before the
Fall. For the accused heretics who were burnt at the stake for revering
her in the 14th and 15th century, she symbolized the prophecy of the return of
the Holy Spirit, which was perceived as the female aspect of the Holy Trinity.In
the sequence of cards in the major arcana, the High Priestess appears as
soon as the Fool decides he wants to develop his innate powers, making a move
toward becoming a Magus. The High Priestess is his first teacher,
representing the Inner Life and the method for contacting it, as well as the
contemplative study of Nature and the Holy Mysteries. Theme: Get your ego
out of the way and become attuned to a more spiritual view. Astro
Association: Moon Element: Water Number: 2 Alias:
The Popess, Wisdom. Numerology: The number Five [Union]
Not a great day for details; it's better to take advantage of today's
self-promoting energy to get off the beaten path and be social. Theme:
Resourceful, Speculation. Astro Association: Taurus Tarot Association:
Hierophant
This
morning we were treated to the spectacle of
"The Man Who Does Not Talk" vomiting all over the hallway. His
nerves are totally fried. It is a sad sight. Occassionally they find him
collapsed on the floor and they carry him to his room. One thing is enforcing
the law of man and another is forcing an obviously mentally ill person to stay
confined in a facility that is not designed to handle that type of condition.
But the law of man must be followed of course, even if the consequence is
dysfunction. The objective problem is not suffering.
One
of the glaring contradicitions of liberal humanist ideology is its mechanistic
view of law. This view clearly contradicts the
pretense of "liberty" per se, and in turn the "free
will" premises associated with the myth of "liberty". The laws
of men are manufactured by men and enforced by men. Implicit in this model of
law manufacturing and enforcement is the premise that the men who manufacture
the laws of men (in the parliament) are "better" than everyone else.
Aside from demolishing the "democratic" pretensions of the system by
demonstrating its elitism; the very premises of the model are anti-Theistic, an
arrogation of the exclusive right of God to determine standards for sin and
justification. Men are not God. This is why I maintain that the law of
men should only be obeyed conditionally. Whenever the laws of men interfere
with the Law of God, the law of men must be broken.
Postmodern
neoliberalism is socially and ecologically not sustainable in the long
term. It is made governable and sustainable in the short to medium term only
through perception management, repression and surveillance. Migration control,
on the laughable premise that a person is from where he or she was born (which
is a lie), is only a subset of the elaborate matrix of control necessary to
sustain governability and "security" in a postmodern context, where -
thanks to the neoliberal academic intelligentsia - there is "no
truth" and no overarching ethic, except greed. Nothing is true so no one
is to be believed. Everything is a lie so
surveillance must be enhanced.
The society of totalitarian,
"really existing" secular-humanist neoliberalism requires
"security", ergo: Technocracy...
I
just saw him in the smoking room. He was hunched in a corner.
Burning
cigarette stub between his fingers. Eyes staring towards the window.
Blank.
-
veremos.
October
11th, 2007
Horoscope:
The
diplomatic Libra New Moon at 1:00 am EDT indicates that we need
to focus on relationship dynamics. The New Moon marks the beginning of an
emotional cycle [I saw this in a rune reading yesterday],
yet our desires may be somewhat clouded by its smooth trine to dreamy Neptune. We
might want to bring a disagreement to resolution, but cannot easily find the
best way to make it happen. Additionally, a serious Venus-Saturn
conjunction can prevent us from enjoying ourselves as much as we wish.
Today's New Moon falls in your 7th House of Partnerships, setting the stage for
pleasant people to enter your life. Associations with others may be easier than
usual, for they will probably be eager to negotiate instead of just
saying "no." Although your need for independence doesn't disappear,
you could forget about it long enough to say "yes." Numerology:
The Number Six [Man]: Family matters require your time and attention
today. A younger person may look to you for support and guidance, or you may
feel duty bound by someone close to you. It's also a great day for finances,
but hold off on any negotiations until tomorrow. Theme:
Family and Social Responsibility, Service, Healing Astro Association:
Gemini Tarot Association: Lovers. Daily I-Ching
Hexagram: Be on guard for careless or rebellious attitudes
characteristic of youthful inexperience. This is a good time to focus
on learning your lessons from a patient teacher or life experience. Is there a
circumstance in your life, which you have failed to comprehend completely,
perhaps because you have failed to appreciate its inherent complexities? Be
respectful of anything or anyone who has something to teach you right now.
In order to be ready for challenging times, let education be a continuing part
of your life. Be continually developing the strong mind and will necessary to
carry one through confusing times. The wise realize that experience,
especially difficult experience, is a powerful teacher. But we cannot be forced
to learn, even from experience. Be a good student [i.e someone who
understands that they know nothing], one who delights in learning, one
who nourishes his or her expanding awareness.Examine your attitude for
factors which limit your openness. Observe how you deal with the
mistakes of others. Daily Feng-Shui: People who prefer tall, straight
backed chairs are want to get down to business. These folks won't tolerate
tomfoolery.
Today
I decided to take a break from Eurasian apocrypha and read the account of Lehi
's and Nephi's exodus from Palestine to the Americas in the Book of Mormon.
North American apocrypha is a true work of art. It is as effective as The
Pentateuch, The New Testament, and The Koran in communicating the spirit,
message and psychology of the God of Abraham to men, in my view. I choose to
believe that it is inspired... as I am sure was the Spalding Manuscript in its
own way, but that is another issue. My position continues to be that there is
no objective difference between "canon" and "apocrypha"
because both cathegories constitute narratives. The designation of a particular
text as "canon" is arbitrary and subjective. The books of the New
Testament, as known by modern Christians (inclusive Western Protestants), were
"fixed" by Orthodox and Roman Catholic Bishops (men of flesh and
blood), in the year 367 AD (the 39th Festal Letter of Athanasius, Patriarch of
Alexandria), and the rulings of the Council of Trent ( circa 1545 - 1563)
respectively. As I am neither Alexandrian nor Roman Catholic I see no reason
why I should accept the rulings of Bishops whose authority I do not recognise - pertinent to what
is "canon" and what is "not" in particular, and to theology
in general.
The
account of the micro-exodus of Lehi and Nephi in the Book of Mormon begins
during the reign of King Zedekiah, a few years before the fall of Jerusalem.
Circa 600 years before the birth of Christ.
The narrative combines themes found in the accounts of Noah and Moses.
Lehi has a vision of a pillar of fire; and of God sitting on his throne,
surrounded by angels. In this vision Lehi sees Immanuel (the pre-existent Anima
of Christ) descend from heaven, followed by twelve others (the pre-existent
Animas of the future 12 Apostles), who give Lehi a book, commanding him to
read. He is warned that Jerusalem will fall:
"And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen
thine abominations! ... and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem
-- that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof" (1
Nephi 1:13). Following the vision, Lehi begins to preach repentance to the
people of Jerusalem, denouncing their disregard for the commandments of God and
prophesising about the coming destruction of the city. The people become angry and attempt to lynch
him, so God spoke to Lehi in a dream, commanding him to take his family and
escape into the desert.
Lehi
leaves Jerusalem behind with his wife and four sons -- Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and
Nephi.
After they set up camp in a valley near a river, God tells Lehi in a dream
that his sons must return to Jerusalem to rescue a set of brass plates
(tablets); where the annals of the Pentateuch and the genealogy of Lehi's
ancestors are inscribed. These plates were being held by an evil man named
Laban. In order to secure the plates from Laban, Nephi is told by an angel of
God that he must kill Laban with Labans own sword, which after a cession of
moral trepidation he does. Having secured the brass plates, Nephi and his
brothers reassemble at the camp in the desert, there God speaks again to Lehi,
telling him that he must send his sons to Jerusalem one more time in order to
persuade a man named Ishmael to join them. He is told by God that the five
daughters of Ishmael were chosen by Him to serve as wives for Lehi's sons. Chapters 8 through 15 of First Nephi
constitute a subplot. Lehi has a mystical dream, called "the vision of the
Tree of Life" by mormon faithful. This vision of Lehi is similar to the
account of the heavenly Tree of Life found in the apocryphal Secret Book of
Enoch:
[
"...and in the midst of the trees that of Life, in that place whereon the
Lord rests, when he goes up into paradise..." (SBE 8:3)]
"I
saw in my dream, a dark and dreary wilderness. And it came to pass that I saw a
man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me. And
it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him. And it came to
pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary
waste. And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I
began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me . . . . And it came
to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious
field. And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to
make one happy." (1 Nephi 8:4-10)
It is an
"iron rod" and a "narrow path" that guide those lost in the
darkness towards the field where the Tree of Life is located. The imagery is
self evident. Nephi also relates a
vision that prefigures the Revelation of Jesus Christ to St. John the Apostle.
I refer here to the "canonical" account of the said revelation and
not to the The
Apocryphon of John (The Secret Book of John a.k.a. The Secret Revelation of
John). This is the part when God speaks to Lehi about "The Abominable
Church" , and about the future discovery of the Book of Mormon by the
gentiles. The language associated with the "Abominable Church"
recalled, for me, Luthers remark in his letter to Pope Leo X about the Catholic
Church having become "the open mouth of hell". The account of exodus resumes with Lehi and his tribe
reaching the coast of the ocean somewhere in the Arabian penninsula, they are
guided to this place by an artefact called the Liahona..."a round ball
of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two
spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the
wilderness" (1 Nephi 16:10). Arrived at the appointed place, God
commands Nephi and his clan to build a ship and by miracle Nephi is given
knowledge of the skills necessary to accomplish the task. The ship is built and
they set sail to the promised land, they are propelled forward by a sacred
wind..."we
did put forth into the sea and were driven forth before the wind towards the
promised land..." [1 Nephi 18:8] During the voyage Lehi's clan survives a
typhoon by appealing to God in prayer, and they struggle to maintain their
faith until they finally reach the coast of the Americas.
I
find 1 Nephi to be as legitimate a narrative of faith and endurance as any
found in the Pentateuch or Deuterocanon. I do not know what I do not know, so I
can neither say that it is "true" or "not true".
[18:
25]
"And it came to pass that we did find upon the land of promise, as we
journeyed in the wilderness, that there were beasts in the forests of every
kind, both the cow and the ox, and the ass and the horse, and the goat and the
wild goat, and all manner of wild animals, which were for the use of men. And
we did find all manner of ore, both of gold, and of silver, and of
copper..."
As
the Eurasian variety of horses and donkeys where introduced into the Americas
by Europeans after 1492 AD; I choose to
interpret the reference to "the ass and the horse" to mean Andean
Llamas...
-
veremos.
October
12th, 2007
Horoscope: Changes are
heralded by Mercury's retrograde turn today, beginning a 3-week period when
communication issues are emphasized. The intensity is kicked up a notch
when the Moon enters passionate Scorpio at 2:13 am EDT. Additionally, the
Sun's smooth trine to spiritual Neptune may have us dreaming about the mysteries
of the universe. A current interest in metaphysics can take on many
different forms now, including reading about religions, practicing
meditation, or delving into the subconscious mind through dream work or
therapy. Although your approach may be through direct action, it could be
helpful to allow time to assimilate your experiences. Tarot:
In the most practical terms, what has traditionally been called the
Emperor card represents the highest leadership, a head of state or the
most exemplary and powerful person in the realm. This archetypal ruler is
responsible for the positive working out of affairs of a society or community,
which are directly proportional to his well being and happiness. The more
enlightenment and cosmic perspective this energy brings, the better life is for
all. The Emperor archetype masters the world of matter and physical
manifestation. When you apply this card to your situation, acknowledge your
potentials for mastery. Reinforce a sense of sovereignty within yourself,
despite any self-limiting beliefs, habits or appearances to the contrary. Theme:
You have the wisdom and authority to achieve your goals. Astro
Association: Aries Element: Fire Number: 4 Alias:
Power Numerology: The Number Seven [Prophet] Today
has strong spiritual overtones for you. It's a great day for communing
with nature and acknowledging all things good in your world. A debt may be
finally paid. Be aware of the possibility for mechanical breakdowns. Theme:
Quiet, Insightful, Analytical, Mystical, Intuitive Astro Association:
Cancer Tarot Association: Chariot [Traditionally, the card usually
entitled the Chariot points to a triumphal feeling of freedom]. Daily I-Ching
Hexagram: Patience. A fisherman can cast the line, but can only
wait for the fish to bite. Your catch will come in its own time; you
cannot make it come - neither by working nor by planning nor by wishing. Conflict
arises when a person who is convinced he or she is entitled to something meets
with opposition. In such cases, the wiser choice is not to push
things to the bitter end, because knocking heads only perpetuates bad
will. Daily Feng-Shui: If you tend to make rash decisions, surround
yourself with symbols of Earth, like pottery, muted colors, and soft textures.
I
had the chance to catch a documentary on Aljazeera/English, about
"post-protest Burma" - what the media calls Myanmar these days - the
reporter walked around the streets of Rangoon, with a hidden camera. Recording
the sights and sounds; of note was that there where almost no young or middle
aged men in sight. Only children, women, and old men. The regime shut down the
high schools and rounded up all the students, its security forces raided the
monasteries and rounded up everyone except the very old monks and the boy
novices. The main monastery in Rangoon was eerily empty. Every person that was
interviewed on the street said that the protests would continue, that they
would never surrender. The mood of indignation and resolve among the people -
said the journalist - is widespread... yet, there were armed military police at
every corner - vigilant eyes everywhere.
Actually
Existing Hell.
Several
people dropped this week; one of the Russians, the boy from Damascus and the
man from Kosovo. The dynamic is as absurd as it can get. On the one hand it
reminds me of the concept of "vaporization" in George Orwell's
'1984'; when the Ministry of Love ( the 'Thought Police') would vaporize a
person they were 'erased' from existence and from history in a retroactive
fashion. On the other hand, whenever I consider it humoristically, I think of
Vaclav Havel riding a tricycle into the Politbureau meeting; of Michael Moore
reciting passages of the USA Patriot Act from an ice cream truck...of Alice in
Wonderland having tea with the Mad Hatter, the Smoking Caterpillar and the Time
Keeping Wabbit...
-
veremos.
October
13th, 2007 [One month in captivity]
NASDAQ
COMPOSITE:
^IXIC UP 33.48 (1.21%)
Man/Trinity/God/Trinity
Horoscope: Responsibilities
have your name on them. The secretive Scorpio Moon symbolizes the power
that can be gained by withholding our feelings. We continue to feel the
softening effects, however, of yesterday's diffusive Sun-Neptune trine. We do
receive a bit of assistance when creating boundaries from the Sun's hard aspect
to austere Saturn today. Meanwhile, romantic Venus contacts the karmic
South Node of the Moon and moves toward an emotionally restrictive
conjunction with Saturn tomorrow. You may be drawn into helping others, even if
your initial intention was to avoid involvement. You should resign
yourself to doing what you must. Nevertheless, your eyes are probably on the
escape hatch. Avoid taking the easy way out. Tarot: Traditionally
known as the Hierophant, this card refers to a Master and the
learning of practical lessons from the study of Natural Law. This
energy of this card points to some agent or resource that can reveal the
secrets of life, the cycles of the moon and tides, the links between human beings
and the heavens. Because monasteries were the only places a person could
learn to read and write in the middle ages, a Hierophant was one to whom a
student would petition for entry. He was the one to set the curriculum
for the neophyte's course of study. Often pictured with the right hand raised
in blessing, the Hierophant is linked with the ancient lineage of
Melchezidek, initiator of the Hebrew priestly tradition, the one who passes on
the teachings. All shamans of any tradition draw upon this archetype. Theme:
Use your inner knowledge to lead. Astro Association: Taurus Element:
Earth Number: 5 Alias: The Pope, Tradition. Numerology:
The Number Eight [Paraclete] Today is a day of karma in action; this
could mean either rewards or loss. While you may be feeling generous,
it's not a good day for gambling. Your feelings of loyalty for
friends will be strong; you may even spend some time reminiscing today. Your
health will improve vastly with exercise, so get moving! Theme:
Power, Responsibility, Good Judgment, Financial Rewards Astro Association:
Leo Tarot Association: Strengtht. I-Ching Hexagram: The
most successful general is not the one that triumphs on the battlefield, but
the one able, through strength of discipline and inner power, to triumph
without spilling blood. Likewise, in any large organization the key
virtues are discipline and conscientiousness. Feng-Shui: Do you
tend to bite off more than you can chew? Surround yourself with Water
symbols like glass, dark colors, and wavy patterns.
This
morning I watched a segment on CNN depicting a conversation U.S. General
Petraeus
had with an Iraqi civilian in Baghdad. The General was making the rounds in
Baghdad... "talking to the people". A charm offensive to "win
hearts and minds". Info-ops. The Iraqi man complained to the General that
the roads were badly damaged and that there was no electricity in his
neighborhood. The General replied "what are you going to do about it
?". That exchange illustrated for me the difference Eastern and Western conceptions
of power and motivation. In the East "power" - in the sense of that
which has the ability to do - is concieved of as a deontological
entity. In the West it is concieved of as an ontological force. There is no
reconciliation, yet both conceptions could be considered legitimate approaches
to the question. On the one hand deontological objectivities and factors limit
the scope of possible action, on the part of the person, relative to a given
situation. On the other hand there is always the potential that personal
initiative can influence conditions and outcomes.
Paradox.
It
turns out that the Vatican has decided to exonerate the Knights Templar. They
are no longer officially considered heretics by the Bishophoric of Rome. The
Vatican Archives has now released "Processus Contra Templarios"; an edited
reproduction of the minutes of trials against the Templars. The release is
in fact a fake-genuine. Oh, so very postmodern ! ... According to the press
report in Reuters and by the admission of one Rosi Fontana, a coordinator of
the project: "...The precise reproduction of the parchments will
allow scholars to [sic.] study them, touch them, admire them as if they
were dealing with the real thing..." In fact the said scholars would not
be. Professor Barbara Frale, a medievalist at the Vatican's Secret Archives
said: "This is a milestone because it is [sic.] the first time that these
documents are being released by the Vatican, which gives a stamp of
authority to the entire project". In fact, no documents are being
released. This is a deliberate attempt by the Vatican to insult the
intelligence of the researchers involved.
That the Vatican qualifies a reproduction as "genuine" does
not make it so. Given the history of falsification and lies associated with the
Vatican Archives there is no way to know if this reproduction of the minutes is
legitimate. The target market for the limited edition reproduction of
"Processus Contra Templarios" are specialized libraries, top universities
and leading medieval scholars. A very clever way to inject potentially
falsified information into academic community circles.
Ignatius
Loyola would be proud.
But
to give credit to Pope Benedict and his Opus Dei handlers, it was noble of
them to "find" the
"Chinon Parchment" after all this years...I loved
the disclaimer: It was "misplaced" in the archives until 2001,
when an archivist "accidentally stumbled upon it". Kudos on the
Info-ops ! Whatever the case, now it is
official that Clement V absolved the Templars from charges of heresy. Another
progressive milestone. A good follow up to John Paul II apologising to the
Orthodox Patriarch for the Crusaders sacking of Constantople in 1204.
The
depiction of the Knights by the media and the propagation of erroneous legends
about them continues to be a problem.
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon were the
elite among the Crusaders. The best among the best. Men who were willing to
sacrifice for their faith. Loyal defenders of Outremer, the Holy Places and
their relics. They where not responsible for the loss of Outremer to
Christendom. Their supression was a monumental injustice, it was orchestrated
by the perfidious Philip IV of France and others in order to facilitate
the confiscation of Templar wealth. Yet,
in the press reports the Templars are horribly misrepresented: there is no
evidence that they "practised sodomy" and there is no evidence
that their initiation ritual involved "spitting on the cross".
Yet, the media reports depict these lies as fact. The "confessions"
upon which these lies are based were obtained under torture. Any exoneration of the Templars is incomplete
unless the Vatican acts to recant these slanders and corrects the media to do
likewise.
-
veremos.
October
14th, 2007
NASDAQ
COMPOSITE:
^IXIC
[Weekly Recap] UP 0.9%
"...continuing
enthusiasm for technology stocks..."
Nine
- End
Horoscope: The signs point
toward our emotions today, which may be so sensitive now that we withdraw from
others to sort it all out as beautiful Venus conjuncts cold Saturn for the
third and final time this year. To better understand what we may need
to learn, look back to recent conjunctions on July 1 and August 13.
Although we must accept our limitations and the restrictions of the real world,
the Moon enters uplifting Sagittarius at 2:58 am EDT. Declaring this a day
of rest can help you rebuild your stamina now. You may feel a bit anxious,
yet you stand to gain much if you can isolate yourself from your
friends to find out what you require for your own happiness. Try as you
might to apply your special brand of logic, it probably won't work. You'll
need to leave the rational world behind as you slip into the
touchy-feely world of irrational emotions. Tarot: Although it has
taken on a strictly romantic revision of meaning in some modern decks,
traditionally the Lovers card of Tarot reflected the challenges of
choosing a partner. At a crossroads, one cannot take both paths.
The images on this card in different decks have varied more than most, because
we have had so many ways of looking at sex and relationships across cultures
and centuries. Classically, the energy of this card reminded us of the real
challenges posed by romantic relationships, with the protagonist often shown in
the act of making an either-or choice. To partake of a higher ideal often
requires sacrificing the lesser option. The path of pleasure eventually
leads to distraction from spiritual growth. The gratification of the personality
eventually gives way to a call from spirit as the soul matures.Modern
decks tend to portray the feeling of romantic love with this card, showing Adam
and Eve at the gates of Eden when everything was still perfect. This
interpretation portrays humanity before the Fall, and can be thought to
imply a different sort of choice -- the choice of evolution over
perfection, or the choice of personal growth through relationship --
instead of a fantasy where everything falls into place perfectly and is taken
care of without effort. Theme: Integrate two potential
realities or let go of one of them. Astro Association: Gemini
Element: Air Number: 6 Alias: Love. Numerology:
The number Nine [End / Oblivion] Any recent trouble in a relationship may
be defused today, thanks in part to your use of tact and wisdom. You're a
person of depth and clarity today, and you may even have some strong
humanitarian urges. It's a day of shifting priorities and enjoying your
status as a student of life. Don't commit to long term plans just yet.
Theme: Encompassing a love for all, Compassion, Patience,
Selfless Astro Association: Virgo Tarot Association:
Hermit. Daily I-Ching: Holding together brings success.
But high-level teamwork is achieved only when a clear goal is shared by the
right players on the right team at the right time. Daily Feng-Shui:
If you have a hot temper, surround yourself with symbols of Metal, like
mirrors, round shapes, and light, reflective colors.
Today
I watched a two hour edition of "Alo Presidente" on Cubavision
Internacional (the Cuban state channel). It was a joint global broadcast with
VTV (the Venezuelan state channel). It showed Hugo Chavez touring the Che
Guevara museum in Havana. During the tour of the museum segment a Cuban army
general, who was a veteran of the Sierra Maestra, explained the nature of the
guerrilla war against the U.S. backed Batista dictatorship in the 1950's. It
appears that a factor in the M26J victory was due to the fact that the rank and
file of the government army joined the guerrilleros as they advanced. Batista's
regime literally melted away around him... he was left with just a few officers
and a handful of policemen, before he escaped to the US with two suitcases full
of money he stole from public coffers. Che Guevara was instrumental in
designing the psy-ops leaftlets and broadcasts used to encourage the government
soldiers to switch sides. He was quite the propagandist it seems... his task
was made easier by the fact that the rank and file of the Batista army was
composed of recruits from among the poor peasants and city slum dwellers.
I
also watched a documentary on CNN about Israel. Specifically about the Zionist
settler movement. They are motivated by faith to populate the land that is
promised to them in scripture. The position of the State of Israel is that the
settlers are not occupying the land illegally because the land in question (in
the West Bank) does not belong to an internationally recognised State. This is
a viewpoint that I had never heard before. It is actually true, but it never
gets aired. There is a growing Christian pro-Israel movement it seems.
Christians who defend Israel's right to exist and who validate the settlers
position that they are Biblically entitled to the land of Judea. The concept of
a "Palestinian Nation" did not exist before 1967... Then there is the
conflict over the Temple Mount. The site of the Temple of Salomon. It was
originally Jewish land, but the Muslims built a Mosque ( The Dome of the Rock )
on the site in the middle ages, they believe that the Prophet Mohammed ascended
to heaven from that spot. It is the third holiest site in Islam. Jews believe
that the messiah will not come until the temple is rebuilt (implying that the
Dome must be demolished), and Christians believe that the reconstruction of The
Temple needs to happen before the Perousia. The Knights Templar were based on
the mount during the crusades. The Christian Fulks of Jerusalem where crowned
there.
It
is difficult for me, because while I support the political projects of Hugo
Chavez and Evo Morales, I also defend the existence of the State of Israel and
its claim to the land of Judea. I think that Chavez and Morales are good men.
They champion Latin American Independence and integration, they affirm cultural
soveregnity and freedom from the United States. They are correct, in my view,
that applied neoliberalism has failed
from the perspective of social justice and ecological concerns (among other
things). They are very right to invest profits from the export of oil and gas
to help finance social and economic development; wealth redistribution expands
the demand for goods and services in the national economy. This model works
very well in Sweden and Norway. Chavez has managed to cut down the poverty rate
and his policies have increased the size of the middle class. His
infrastructure projects have improved the lives of ordinary people. The
introduction of ecological regulations has slowed the pace of deforestation in
the Venezuelan section of the Amazon. Nevertheless; I am aware and critical of
the fact that the Chavez and Morales governments side with president Ahmadinejad of Iran - who
is on record questioning the Holocaust and advocates the destruction of Israel.
One thing is opposing United States hegemonism and another is diplomatic
legitimation of misinformation and anti-semitism.
As
a follower of Christ, I support the existence of the State of Israel and in the
case of a conflict (as much as I admire the theosophy of Sh'ia Islam), I would
have no choice but to support the Hebrew nation. I believe that it would not be
congruent for me to claim to follow Yeshua (who was Jewish) and not defend
Israel. The Pentateuch designatess the tribes that descended from Isaac (who
was renamed Israel by God Himself) as
the people of God. The law of the God of Abraham grants them the land they now
claim, inclusive The Temple Mount. Israel is a developed country, it is the
only country that works in the region. The security measures they implement are
necessary for their self defense. What else can they do ?
Scandinavia
is not a safe place to hold these views, so I never articulate them.
I
am the silent minority.
- veremos.
October
15th, 2007 [Essene
Shappatu]
NASDAQ
COMPOSITE:
^IXIC DOWN -25.63 (-0.91%)
"...Crude
Prices Surge to $86 per barrel...Supplies Are Falling While Demand Is
Growing..."
"...Wall
Street Falls Amid Unease Over Bad Debt..."
Prophet/End/Non-Being/God
Horoscope: Today's
inspiring Sagittarius Moon could lift us out of yesterday's discouragement. And
even though the harsh conjunction between sweet Venus and cold Saturn is
now beginning to wane, the Moon forms a tense square with both Venus and Saturn
today, reactivating our concerns about love and our need to be
alone. On one hand we can see potential in the present moment, but on
the other hand we can be stuck in negativity that is hard to eliminate quickly.
Although you may have built a solid case around your desire to stabilize
a situation, others may not want the same things that you do. There
could be disagreement over the reasons you came together. Or, if you are just
getting to know someone, then these differences of opinion may be coming out
quickly. Don't make long-term decisions yet, for your attitude may soften
over the days ahead. Tarot: Traditionally, the card usually
entitled the Chariot points to a triumphal feeling of
freedom, as if the charioteer is being paraded through the streets as a hero
(or heroine). The card reflects congratulations for high
achievement, and serves as a sign of empowerment. Huge wheels and
frisky steeds speed the rate at which the driver's willpower can be realized.
This kind of charge makes more of the world accessible to anyone ambitious enough
to seize the Chariot's reins. But there is danger in this feeling of
freedom, because of the increased rate of change and its power to magnify
mistakes in judgment. As a seasoned warrior, the Charioteer is called
upon to be extra attentive to the way ahead. Theme: Use the powers
of your mind to focus your energy. Astro Association: Cancer Element:
Water Number: 7 Alias: Desire Numerology: You may
have a tendency to be a bit hard-headed and stubborn today; caution yourself
against engaging in domestic squabbles. You have all the self confidence you
need at your disposal. Much to your delight, others won't hesitate to
show you their support. Theme: Masculine, Creative, Independent,
Aggressive Astro Association: Mercury Tarot Association: Magician.
Daily I-Ching: A gentle wind gathers the clouds, but still, no
rain. Softer influences predominate as the power of the small accumulates. People
of ability find their way, and make progress even in difficult circumstances.
Consider your steps carefully when you are surrounded by powerful forces.
Daily Feng-Shui: If you worry about fitting in, surround yourself
with symbols of Wood, like plants, the color green, and vertical stripes.
I
have considered lately that confinement is how life must have felt like in East
Berlin. I get the "East Berlin feelings" everytime I am in the yard
and look at the fenced off wall that delineates the security area. I wonder if
it is electrified ? It is designed in such a way that it is not possible to
climb over it. No shredded glass or barbed wire, just that the inclination
would make a person flop back and break their neck. We are not allowed to be
outside unless in the company of minders. We are very well watched. Very, very
closely monitored.
It
reminds me of a film I watched while in Karlstad. I watched it at the Bibliotek
film room last fall. 'Das Leben den Anderes' (The Lives of Others). It was
about a secret Stasi surveillance program in the DDR during the 1980's. The
target was a prominent artist selected for the program by the minister of
culture because he was suspiciously "non-subversive" and his work was "read in the West". The stated goal of the Stasi was "to
know everything". Its archive of dossiers was second only to the KGV's in
complexity and depth. This was justified on the grounds of
"anti-fascist" security. The official name of the Berlin Wall was the
"anti-fascist defense wall". It was defended on the technical grounds
that it surrounded West Berlin and not the Eastern sector. What is called
"total information awareness" in our post-soviet, post-modern times
has a direct precursor in the methodologies of the Stasi and KGV. The
difference of course is that the technology of our matrix is much more
advanced. Another difference is the narrative: replace "anti-fascist
defense" with "national security". The wall that surrounds the
Gaza strip is called "the anti-terrorism defense wall"...
But
back to Flen: The staff here is very nice. They are very polite and very
friendly. All of our material needs are met - and quite generously. Sweden is a
Human Rights model as far as the treatment of inmates at incarceration and
detention facilities is concerned. I noticed that at the Jail in Karlstad. They
had arts and crafts and even a sauna there. I think I used it once. I do not think there was a fight or conflict
among inmates once. Here either. Their incarceration model works. It is not
punitive, rather it is therapeutic and rehabilitative. Their rationale is that
they are protecting society from crime. Swedes do not have the vengeful
mentality of the United States. Incarceration or detention is not
"personal", it is rather a social management technique. Here at Flen
they do not consider us criminals, rather the matter is that Sweden does not
recognise the existence of stateless persons. The system does not recognise our
existence; therefore, in order to reconcile the legal narrative with existing
reality in such a way as to restore "order", we are kept in
detention. It is not personal at all.
It
is rather socio-political.
p.s.
When I wrote yesterday that I believe that the Hebrew people of Israel are
entitled to the land of Judea and to the Temple Mount, I meant it from the
perspective of Covenant Theology and not from the viewpoint of neo-Calvinist
"dispensationalism". The difference is that while I defend the
existence of an ethnic Jewish state in the Holy Land, as a necessary
precondition for the perousia, I do not believe that "conversion of
the Jews" is necessary in context of the Second Coming
or the End of Days. The covenant of the Hebrew people with the God of Abraham
is separate from my Baptismal covenant with the God of Abraham through Jesus
Christ. The baptismal covenant with Jesus Christ is meant for the salvation of
the Gentiles. I believe that The Pentateuch and other Old Testament texts
designate the tribes that descended from Isaac (Israel) and Jacob as the people
of God. The law of the God of Abraham clearly grants them the land of Judea and
The Temple Mount (Jerusalem).
Genesis
27:29 "Those who curse you [Israel] will be
cursed, and those who bless you will be blessed..."
To
be against Israel is to be against the God of Abraham.
-
veremos.
October
16th, 2007
NASDAQ
COMPOSITE:
^IXIC DOWN -16.14 (-0.58%)
"...
reduced mortgage availability... tighter lending standards ... expect the
housing environment to remain challenging ...housing market remains a
"significant drag" on the economy..."
Prophet/Union/Non-Being/Justice
Horoscope: A rather nice
planetary picture is being created today as sweet Venus cooperatively
sextiles mental Mercury on one side and forceful Mars on the other.
Although we can be critical in love with Venus in analytical Virgo, she is no
longer suppressed by Saturn's rules. This would be a day of easygoing
celebration, but the philosophical Sagittarius Moon meets up with dark lord
Pluto to intensify our feelings and to draw us into deeper waters. You are
feeling your oats today as your key planet Mars receives a gentle kiss from
beautiful Venus, enabling you to warm others with your good intentions. Don't
hold back; be direct and tell others what you want. If you can
demonstrate your patience, you might just get what you need. Tarot:
What has traditionally been known as the Strength card represents Nature
which, however wild in its primal form, is tamed by our subtler, finer
(feminine, interior) self. The will and passion of our
instinctive nature does not need to be broken, but refined and brought to
consciousness -- so that all levels of Creation, inner and outer,
may come into harmony. The feminine soul-force contains a persuasive
power that can nurture and induce cooperation from others, stilling
disruptive energies by harmonizing differences in the spirit of collective good
will. Theme: Use your telepathic abilities to encourage harmony
and cooperation. Astro Association: Leo Element:
Fire Number: 8 Alias: Force, Lust. Numerology:
You may find yourself more sensitive to the world around you today. Your
intuition is heightened, and you may find yourself longing for knowledge.
You're feeling somewhat emotionally exposed to the world, so be careful to
guard against insecurity and keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. Theme:
Adaptable, Tactful, Gentle, Cautious Astro Association: Moon Tarot
Association: High Priestess.
Daily I-Ching: This points to the containment of great
power - power that increases as it is wisely stewarded. Like a river which
has been dammed, or a cooking pot with the lid on, holding and containing
power produces enormous potential. Daily Feng Shui: Stuck
in a rut? Add touches of Fire to your surroundings. Bright colors like red,
orange, and pink can motivate you.
If
Israel has the right to defend itself today with a wall, had not the DDR in the
1980's ? (ouch !)
Yin:
The
theological and political concerns that motivate a given stance...
The
"difference" (from a Christian Zionist perspective), is that the
Hebrew people are the Biblically designated people of God and The State of
Israel is their homeland. The Hebrew tribes are Biblically entitled to all
the land of Judea and to Jerusalem . The State of Israel is not the same as
the DDR. The State of Israel is the homeland of the people of God, ergo:
"sanctified". East Germany was an anti-semitic atheist state, ergo: a
"satanic" entity. The Gaza Wall is the "good wall".
The
"difference" (from a Marxist-Leninist perspective), is that the DDR
was a frontline socialist state of workers and farmers which had an
internationalist duty - to the world working class - to defend the Western
frontier of Existing Socialism against the machinations of nuclear armed
decadent capitalist Imperialism. The DDR is not the same as 'the Zionist
Entity' (a term coined by DDR analysts) because while the former
represented a progressive stage in History, the latter is an ethno-fascist
state whose ideology appeals to a backward religion. The Berlin Wall was the
"good wall".
From
both the subjective perspective of Zionist Covenant Theology and
Marxist-Leninism, one wall is not as good as another.
Yang:
The "technicalities" that transcend
the "irrational" concerns of
ideology and theology...
On
the technical ground that Hamas has declared as its objective the destruction
of Israel and refuses to recognise Israel; then Tel Aviv has the right to erect
a wall of separation and establish a militarised security perimeter to protect
its citizens from suicide bombers and militant incursions by Islamic fanatics.
On
the technical grounds that the Berlin Wall surrounded West Berlin and not East
Berlin; there is a case to be made that the DDR
had the right to protect itself from a hostile entity holed in the
middle of its territory - this is specially true after the creation of NATO.
The formation of the Warsaw Pact was a reaction to the formation of NATO, not
the other way around. NATO had an armed prescence in West Berlin. The DDR had
the right to protect itself against the possibility of infiltration by Western
agents and/or hostile NATO military forces.
From
the objective perspective of securitarianism one wall is as good
as another.
In
Taoist philosophy, the Yin and Yang give birth to the idea of the other. In
Buddhism, the thought that negates itself is truth. In Hegelian and Marxist
dialectics, the negation of the negation is truth. In Platonist epistemiology
one must always factor the hard duality between idea and matter
(physical/metaphysical).
In
every dualist system thesis is necessary for the existence of its anti-thesis.
Fortune
and Nemesis.
Chaos
and Cosmos.
-
veremos.
October
17th, 2007
NASDAQ
COMPOSITE:
^IXIC UP
28.76 (1.04%)
"...Yahoo!,
EBay gains lead techs higher at the close..."
God/Justice/God/Justice
Horoscope: The Moon
enters ambitious Capricorn at 3:02 am EDT, giving the day a rather serious
spin and keeping our feet on the ground. Fortunately, a harmonious trine
between rational Mercury in powerful Scorpio and energetic Mars in nurturing
Cancer assists the process of moving sluggish energy by turning our thoughts
into action. We can best use the day to build solid foundations on the
inner dimensions and then interact with others in the outer world. You
may be attracted by someone's idea at work, but you should think carefully
before committing your energy to it. It might sound good at first, but then
could turn into more of a burden than you want. If you do reject a request for
help, spend extra time with that person, so he or she doesn't feel hurt by your
refusal. Tarot: The challenge of what has traditionally been
known as the Hermit card is to be able to recognize a teacher in a
humble disguise. This font of mysterious knowledge will not make it
easy for the student to acquire his wisdom, as it takes time and long
contemplation to fathom what he knows. He often speaks wordlessly, or in
ancient and barbaric tongues, communicating with the elements, animals and
Nature herself. While the hourglass was an identifying feature on the
earliest Hermit cards, more modern ones have shifted the metaphor, showing more
or less light released from his lantern. In either case, the Hermit card
reminds us of the value of time away from the hubbub of civic life, to relax
the ego in communion with Nature. Theme: Like a child full of
wonder, gaze into the mysteries of your inner life. Astro Association:
Virgo Element: Earth Number:
9 Alias: Anchoret, Contemplation. Traditionally, what has been
known as the Justice card has to do with moral sensitivity and that
which gives rise to empathy, compassion and a sense of fairness. Since
the time of Solomon, this image has represented a standard for the humane and
fair-minded treatment of other beings. Often including the image of a
fulcrum which helps to balance competing needs against the greater good, and a
two-edged sword to symbolize the precision needed to make clear judgments, this
card reminds us to be careful to attend to important details.
It's a mistake to overlook or minimize anything where this card is concerned. The
law of Karma is represented here -- what goes around comes around.Theme:
Balances the scales to serve the greater good. Astro Association:
Justice Element: Air Number: 11 Alias:
Karma, Adjustment. Numerology: The number Two [Duality] You may
find yourself more sensitive to the world around you today. Your intuition is
heightened, and you may find yourself longing for knowledge. You're feeling
somewhat emotionally exposed to the world, so be careful to guard against
insecurity and keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. Theme:
Adaptable, Tactful, Gentle, Cautious Astro Association: Moon Tarot
Association: High Priestess.
Daily I-Ching: Earth stands above heaven and heaven
seems to be on earth. The gravity of matter merges with the upward
radiation of the light to merge in a deep harmony. Daily Feng-Shui:
Don't think you're creative? Add touches of Metal to your surroundings.
Shimmering hues like gold, silver, or copper can help.
Today
I read an article in the Jerusalem Post about the growing popularity of 'Mein
Kampf' among the Islamic fundamentalist public in Egypt and the Middle East.
Apparently it has become acceptable to deny that The Holocaust happened... the
author of the op-ed made an interesting point: he wrote that while the Islamic
fundamentalists read 'Mein Kampf' they also denounce Israel as "a second
Nazi state". This illustrates for me, that it is futile to try to explain
hatred rationally. Hatred is inherently irrational. People who hate will always
adopt whatever narrative suits or validates their feelings. The popularity of
'Mein Kampf' among Arabic people in the Middle East (people who are as semitic
as the Hebrews), also illustrates
the falasy of the liberal dictum that personal motivation is always the product
of rational calculus. If that was "true", then Hamas supporters in
Cairo would be naturally consistent in not denouncing Israel as a
"second nazi state" while enthusing over 'Mein Kampf'. Incidentally,
while browsing the extremist blogosphere, I found out that among 'Christian
Identity' neo-nazis in Scandinavia and North America it is "popular"
to believe, on the premise that "the Jews killed Christ", that Hitler was sent by God to "avenge
Jesus". The hallmark of Christian Identity is that the so-called Aryan
races are the "true Israel" and Hitler its Messiah. The Swedish NSF
agrees with glee.
It
is an irony that the abolition of "truth" by the postmodern liberal
intelligentsia has made a whole gamma of anti-liberal "truths"
legitimate...
-
veremos.
October
18th, 2007
NASDAQ
COMPOSITE:
^IXIC UP 6.64 (0.24%)
"...Google
Rides Internet Ad Wave ...3Q Profit Soars 46 Percent..."
"...Crude
Oil Futures Surpass $90 a Barrel..."
Man/God/Non-Being/Man
Horoscope: The Moon is
in self-restrained Capricorn, reflecting our need to minimize
emotions, especially when they stand in the way of what we want. But
this is more about perspective than denial. Our
integrity steadily pushes up against an uncomfortable situation in order to
maintain honesty. Nevertheless, we can benefit from the dynamic
conflict between the Libra Sun that wants everything to be pleasant and the
Capricorn Moon that needs to keep it real. There could be an uneasy
encounter today between your boss at work and one of your associates.
Although you might not want to get involved, you still may end up playing a
role to resolve the problem. Your direct approach could help each person be
heard by the other. No matter what, maintain objectivity as you strive to
create common ground. Tarot:
The central theme of what is traditionally called the Wheel of Fortune
card is cyclical change. The Wheel keeps on rolling,
churning events in a ceaseless progression of ups and downs, either way freeing
us from the past. No one can escape its cyclical action,
which can feel somewhat terrifying -- no matter whether we are rising or
falling. When one is balanced on top there is a moment of crystal clarity, but
the only part of the Wheel not going up and down is the hub, which is
your eternal Self, the Source of Freedom. Every one of us will occupy
all the points on the wheel at some time or another. The cycle of the wheel
is its lesson -- and we can learn to take comfort in it (as we do when we
celebrate our birthday). If you don't like the look of things right now, just
wait -- things will change. Of course, if you do like the look of things right
now, enjoy it while it lasts, because that will change too! Traditionally, the
card known as the Hanged Man usually indicates a lack of ability
to help oneself through independent action. This energy is arrested and
awaiting judgment. With this card, there is no avenue for the will to
regain control until the situation has passed. This represents a
good time to be philosophical, to study and meditate upon the position you find
yourself in, and form resolutions for the moment you become free again.
Only those who possess wisdom, patience and optimism will be able to see
through limitations, including possible humiliation, to grasp the inspiring
lesson one can gain from such an experience. Numerology: Number
Four [Justice] Your courage may be challenged today, but no obstacle is
too great if you work with diligence and resolve. Keep track of
all details; an opportunity is at hand. You are steadily
making a stellar impression on those with whom you work. Theme: Form,
Work, Order, Practicality, Discipline Astro Association: Aries Tarot
Association: Emperor. Daily I-Ching: In a state of
standstill and decline, confusion and disorder prevail. Inferior forces are
on the rise, while the powers of clarity and creativity are on the decline.
Daily Feng-Shui: To slowly adjust to a change, add
small touches of Water to your surroundings. Absorbing colors like black and
blue can help.
Today
I was re-arrested for another two weeks, on the grounds that my identiy and
nationality are unclear and that there is a risk that I will run away and hide
to avoid deportation. The police continue to not remember that I turned myself
in. I understand their psychology, and this is why I am restrained. They are
not ready yet to accept the fact that I have no name and no nationality. They
lack the language to explain me and consequently they are afraid of confronting
me. Legitimising the "truth" I represent would undermine the
assumptions upon which their entire legal philosophy is based. Primarily the
assumptions that (1) people are from where they are born and (2) that
"culture" and "nationality" are an essential personal
trait. If there was ever a set of twin lies these two are it and I am living
proof of it. The concepts of "nationality" and "culture"
are as false as the liberal identity politics cesspool they spang from. It will
take time until the Police come to grips with the reality of my non-being. In
this I must appeal to the patience of the saints. The "truth" is that
I AM NOT. The "truth" is that I took the situationist ideal of
non-being from the metaphysical rehalm of French antinomian theory into actual
existence - into concrete physical reality. Each one of my nine identities were
a unique object d'art. My artwork LIVED. Craftmanship went into each one of my
nine names and their personae. Each one of my names was a brand. As in the
postmodern age it is branding that defines culture, I became culture. In
the process, I succeded in overthrowing the yoke of nationality and identity
from my life for a period of nearly twenty years. I was whom I wished to be and
from where I wished to be whenever I pleased. It was a triumph of will power
over the populist objections of the nationalist herd. I owe this achievement to
Guy Debord and Oscar Wilde.
Ergo:
no matter what, I won the game: I
am not and will be not until I do not die.
FOREVER.
I
fulfilled the implementation of the situationist and aestheticist programmes in
my life. I am grateful to the God of Abraham for allowing it as far as he did.
I achieved the concretisation of the Debordian ideal of non-being through the
aesthetics of Oscar Wilde. Wilde was correct that "Life imitates Art"
and not the other way around. He was also correct that "True Art expresses
nothing but itself". Non-Being is the Tao. My accomplishment is evidenced
in Oscar Wildes' observation that: "Robespierre came out of the pages
of Rousseau as surely as the People’s Palace rose out of the débris of a novel.
Literature always anticipates life. It does not copy it, but moulds it to its
purpose. The nineteenth century, as we know it, is largely an
invention of Balzac..."
I
came out of the pages of Guy Debord.
The
21st century, as we know it, is largely
an invention of CNN and Yahoo! Travel.
There
is no "truth", and there is no "essence".
-
veremos.
October
19th, 2007
NASDAQ
COMPOSITE:
^IXIC DOWN -74.15 (-2.65%)
"...Stocks
Sink on Black Monday Anniversary..."
"The Dow
Jones industrial average dropped more than 360 points Friday -- the 20th
anniversary of the Black Monday [1987] crash ... renewed credit concerns and
rising oil prices spooked investors..."
Existent
Power / Man / Duality / Existent Power
Horoscope: We may be
forced to revisit a recent conversation as Mercury the Winged Messenger
flies backward into a cooperative sextile with authoritative Saturn.
Although we can learn something important that we previously missed, Mercury's
retrograde suggests that our remedial work isn't over yet. The Moon's
entry into intellectual Aquarius encourages us to think about the many
possibilities in front of us without making any significant decisions now.Your
resistance to confronting your feelings will only complicate things now, for
others can see through your protests of avoidance or denial.
Instead of fearfully hiding your emotions, try bringing them gently to the
surface. Showing your vulnerability in a safe situation could actually bring
intimacy to a new level. Tarot: Traditionally, what has been
known as the Justice card has to do with moral sensitivity
and that which gives rise to empathy, compassion and a sense of fairness.
Since the time of Solomon, this image has represented a standard for the humane
and fair-minded treatment of other beings. Often including the image of a
fulcrum which helps to balance competing needs against the greater good, and
a two-edged sword to symbolize the precision needed to make clear judgments,
this card reminds us to be careful to attend to important details. It's a
mistake to overlook or minimize anything where this card is concerned. The law of Karma is represented here -- what goes around
comes around.What is traditionally known as the Temperance
card is a reference to the Soul. Classically female, she is mixing up a
blend of subtle energies for the evolution of the personality. One key to
interpreting this card can be found in its title, a play on the process
of tempering metals in a forge. Metals must undergo extremes of temperature,
folding and pounding, but the end product is infinitely superior to impure ore
mined from the earth. In this image, the soul volunteers the ego for a
cleansing and healing experience which may turn the personality inside-out, but
which brings out the gold hidden within the heart. (This card is entitled
"Art" in the Crowley deck.) Theme: The time is now for
self-healing.Astro Association: Sagittarius Element: Fire Number:
14 Alias: Alchemy, Art, Balance. Numerology: The
Number Five [Union/Synthesis] Work-related travel is possible today, and good
long term connections are likely to be made. You may dream up some very
worthy money saving ideas, but hold off on sharing them with others until
later. Today is an excellent day to focus on business. Theme:
Resourceful, Adventure, Speculation, Travel Astro Association: Taurus Tarot
Association: Hierophant. Daily I-Ching: Fellowship.
When communal bonds unite a group of people, great success is possible. Daily Feng-Shui:
If it's time to move on, add touches of Wood to your surroundings. Energizing
colors like green or purple can help.
Today
I read about an interview with Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa in the
Emergent Village e-zine. The Emergent
Church is the neo-aristotelian, pantheistic, postmodern Christian conversation
(I like to call it the revenge of the Quakers). Although I have fundamental
disagreements with their theology, I often read their materials. This issue of
the e-zine was specially thoughtful. The editorial blurb quipped about how
'postcolonial' Africa is reconnecting with its 'communal heritage'. It
referenced the exhaustion of individualist ideology in the 'The postmodern
Western world' . Apparently there is a longing among Westerners to appeal to '
community values' as an antidote to percieved 'chronic loneliness and
isolation'. In the interview, Mr. Tutu explained his understanding of the
concept of "Ubuntu", it is allegedly a basic pillar of "African
tribal" social ethics:
"Ubuntu
is the essence of being human [...] we say a person is a person through other
persons. You can't be a human in isolation. You are human only in
relationships. [...] So we say that 'I need you to be all of who you are in
order for me to be all that I am.' Because no human being is totally
self-sufficient. In fact, a self-sufficient human being is subhuman."
[...] If you want to be human, we are not going to be able to be human in
isolation. It will be that we are human together..."
Indeed
humans are social animals. This is another fact (among others), that conspires
against the liberal ideology of "the individual". There is no such
thing, least of all in a world where connectivity rules. The problem with
tribal collectivism though, is that it emasculates the persons' allegedly
"belonging" to the said tribal group in false and artificial
"cultural" and "national" narratives. A tribe is a human
invention, regardless of how old the traditions associated with it might be. The
language of tribalism assumes that the "cultural" narrative
associated with a particular tribe or nationality is an "essential
trait" of the members, on the flimsy premise that they are born into it.
The science genetics if often summoned by ethnicists to add a veneer of
legitimacy to this line of argument. The approach deliberately confuses the
fact that humans are social animals with the subjective notion that humans
conform some sort of collective organic entity. Like all narratives, the
"cultural" and "national" ones are not fixed, they evolve
in relation to time and space. Nature selects failed variables for extinction
and when a given narrative, inclusive a tribal one, becomes unsucessful it will
perish. The ethnicist approach implicit in the notion of "the tribal"
is based on nativistic stereotype and generalisations; often crude definitions
of "We" and "The Other" dressed in populist phraseology.
The approach is clearly vulgar and simplistic, and this is the fundamental flaw
of all ethnicism, nativism, tribalism, and nationalism.
The
paradox is that the postmodern conceptualisations of so-called "ethnic
identity" defended by liberals undermine the assumptions of liberal
"individualism". The narratives of essential identity utilised by
liberals in the West are a manufacture popularised by an identity politics that
borrows its methodology from feminist theory. Feminist methodology is a
subjective viewpoint. That a person is born into a tribe does not make
that person complicit in the narrative of that tribe unless the person in question
allows him or herself to be emasculated. Like the related concept of 'the
Oriental', the concept of (tribal) 'Africanity'
is a colonialist construct. A consistent post-colonialism in Africa
would deny stereotypical "Africanity".
Desmond
Tutu fails to understand this.
Viva
Edward W. Said !
p.s.
The concepts of "humanity" and of "humanism" are an
invention of humans. Nature does not recognise "human rights".
Indeed, from the perspective of a hypothethical rational non-human agent the
concept of "humanism" could possibly seem "racist".
-
veremos.
October
20th, 2007
NASDAQ
COMPOSITE:
^IXIC [Weekly Recap] Advancing issues: 16% /
Declining issues: 81%
"...steep
losses this week amid ongoing credit market concerns and surging oil
prices..."
"...The
Nasdaq rebounded sharply on Wednesday, however, gaining 1% during the
session...Intel Corp. (INTC) and Yahoo! (YHOO) reported stronger than expected
earnings..."
Prophet
/ End
(God)
Horoscope: Today's
eclectic Aquarius Moon reminds us how we are all different from one
another. It's about what makes each of us unique, even as we remain
connected to a community of like-minded people. Our attraction to
the group is strengthened as the Sun in socially conscious Libra cooperatively
sextiles passionate Pluto. Though the emotionally detached Aquarius Moon
counterbalances Pluto's push toward intensity. Supporting a group process
can be quite a challenge for you and today your abrupt actions could actually
create some hurt feelings. It's fully acceptable to have differences of
opinion as long as your disagreement doesn't become hostile. Listen
carefully to what others are saying; Mercury's retrograde encourages
misunderstandings that could send a discussion in a totally unproductive
direction. Tarot: Traditionally, the card known as the Hanged Man
usually indicates a lack of ability to help oneself through independent action.
This energy is arrested and awaiting judgment. With this card, there is no avenue for the will to regain control until the
situation has passed.This represents a good time to be
philosophical, to study and meditate upon the position you find yourself in,
and form resolutions for the moment you become free again. Only those who
possess wisdom, patience and optimism will be able to see through limitations,
including possible humiliation, to grasp the inspiring lesson one can gain from
such an experience. Theme: Issues some to a head,
making it possible to clear the slate and start over. Astro Association:
Neptune Element:
Water Number: 12 Alias: Sacrifice. Numerology:
Physical work around the house and family matters capture your attention today.
You're part of and privy to serious conversations, and may be feeling
physically vulnerable. Dress comfortably and eat well today, taking special
care not to overindulge. Theme: Family and Social Responsibility,
Service, Healing Astro
Association: Gemini Tarot Association: Lovers.
Daily I-Ching: Supreme success! Like
the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, a person whose fortunes
have turned for the better shines brightly. At the core of this
success lies unselfishness and modesty, for it is the tendency of a
flexible or yielding nature to bind powerful forces to it, particularly
when prosperity begins to manifest. Daily Feng-Shui: Too
busy for fun? Listen to joyful music. Songs that feature many voices
singing in unison can rouse you out of the doldrums.
It
looks like, saving divine intervention, Hillary Clinton will be the next United
States president. The Republicans are split over supporting Giuliani or Romney.
Apparently Giuliani is liberal on abortion, while Romney is rejected by the
religious social conservatives because he is a Mormon. The war is the pink
elephant in the room and no one is talking about it. Because of "war on
terror fatigue" the securitarian mantra no longer appeals to voters. It is
clear that the invasion of Iraq failed - outside the Green Zone- to establish a
stable democratic order in the country.
Terrorist attacks against civilians and US occupation troops continue on
a daily basis. The oil extraction and transportation infrastructure was
systematically sabotaged by the insurgency, and for it to be reconstructed it
would require a decisive defeat of the insurgency, which actually has grown
bigger and bolder in the savagery of its attacks.
The
situation in U.S. occupied Iraq today is like that of Soviet occupied
Afghanistan in the 1980's.
So
now the discourse in the Republican primary revolves around social conservative
issues; fortunately the pro-Life base is galvanised and disciplined. No one will vote for a
pro-abortion candiate, even if he is a Republican. The problem is that if
Giuliani is nominated it might create a split at the base, a third candidate
would de facto elect Hillary (God forbid) and the effect would clearly be counterproductive
from a pro-Life viewpoint... The good news is that everyone involved in the
Republican primaries is united on defending Israel. The Christian Zionist
movement has had a positive impact in pastoring the Republican base into
conformity with Biblical requirements on Israels' entitlement to the Land of
Judea and to Jerusalem. Kudos to C.U.F.I . in seeking to align U.S. Israel
policy with God's Foreign policy for Israel.
Officially
I am a Log Cabin Republican fellow traveller, and I understand that the Log
Cabin is movilised against Romney, but being realistic I would take a
flip-flopping Mormon over Hillary Clinton any day. If Hillary Clinton takes
over the United States, abortion will become permanently institutionalised in
the social fabric of the West. Long term, North America would end up like
Western Europe, where save for Poland and Ireland, pre-emptive infanticide
is a normal feature of every day life. A
lot of progress was made under Bush II on abortion control, for example the ban
on partial birth abortion a few years back, but Roe v Wade is still intact.
As
long as abortion is legal children will continue to be killed with impunity.
Inkeeping
with its opportunist elan and trademark cynicism; the democrat party is not
standing against the death penalty and have consistently failed to organise a
vote for the ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act), even when in control of
Congress. Yet, democrat operatives continue to pander to the anti-Death penalty
and pro-ENDA constituencies asking them for money and votes, while the liberal
pro-democrat leaderships in these constituencies continue to silence
anti-liberal dissidents - who rightly denounce the democrat party for taking
them for granted. Reductio ad
absurdum. I am clear that the
Republicans defend the Iraq war, the death penalty and maintain their official
homophobic policy; but at least they are honest. The GOP allows for the
existence of dissenting pro-gay and pro-abortion voices in its ranks (notice
Giuliani, Republicans for Choice and the Log Cabin), the democrat party on the
other hand does not tolerate anti-liberal anti-abortion critics. The democrat
party actively supports abortion as an article of faith, inkeeping with the
social democrat / Stalinist model of party line enforcement - what Lenin called
"cadre education"... For me it is clear that from neither a Log Cabin
(pro-ENDA), nor a consistent pro-Life perspective (anti-abortion, anti-war,
anti-death penalty) is there a reason to back the democrat party.
Woman
or not, Hillary (like Kerry before her) voted to authorise the war.
-
veremos.
October
21st, 2007
NASDAQ
COMPOSITE:
^IXIC YAHOO INC (NasdaqGS:YHOO) UP 0.09 (0.31%)
"...Chinese
government is re-directing search requests from within China made to Google,
Yahoo!, and Microsoft’s Live search to Baidu.com... a protest against the U.S.
Congress granting the Dalai Lama a Congressional Medal of Honor..."
Non-Being
/ End / Non-Being / Justice
Horoscope: The Moon in
intellectual Aquarius focuses our attention on our individual relationship
to the larger community while maintaining a sense of individuality.
Analytical distinctions slip away as the Moon enters mysterious Pisces the Fish
at 7:01 pm EDT, reminding us that we all share the same waters of life. We may
struggle as we attempt to resist these fuzzy boundaries, though, as mental
Mercury forms a tense semisquare with expansive Jupiter. It's not that you are giving up; it's just that you have the
ability today to see your future through a new lens. One thing's for sure: it's
not going to be quite what you expected. Pay attention to how
your perspective is changing now, but don't try to put your thoughts into
action until later in the week. Tarot: What is traditionally
known as the Temperance card is a reference to the Soul.
Classically female, she is mixing up a blend of subtle energies for the
evolution of the personality. One key to interpreting this card can be
found in its title, a play on the process of tempering metals in a forge.
Metals must undergo extremes of temperature, folding and pounding, but the
end product is infinitely superior to impure ore mined from the earth. In
this image, the soul volunteers the ego for a
cleansing and healing experience which may turn the personality inside-out,
but which brings out the gold hidden within the heart. (This card is entitled
"Art" in the Crowley deck.) Theme: The time is now for
self-healing. Astro Association: Sagittarius Element: Fire Number:
14 Alias: Alchemy, Art, Balance.What has traditionally been known
as the Star card is about reconnecting one's Soul with the
Divine -- the transcending of personality, family, community and
reputation. It has to do ultimately with the freedom to be one's Self.
The Soul is responding to celestial influences -- forces that can provide
the personality with a stronger sense of purpose. The Star card helps
us to remember our exalted origins and our attraction to a Higher Union. This
card could also be called the "Celestial Mandate" -- that which
refers us back to our reason for being, our mission in this lifetime. The
Star reminds us that, in a sense, we are agents of Divine Will in
our day-to-day lives. If we let go of the idea that we are supposed to be in
control, we can more easily notice and appreciate the synchronicities that are
nudging us along. In this way, we become more conscious of the invisible
Helping Hand, and we better understand our place within -- and value to
-- the larger Cosmos. Numerology: The Number Seven [Prophet]. You
may find yourself feeling somewhat accident prone at work, and even a bit
awkward. Exercise extra caution, even with routine tasks. Today is best
suited for inner reflection rather than bustling social events. Theme:
Quiet, Insightful, Analytical, Mystical, Intuitive Astro Association:
Cancer Tarot Association: Chariot. Daily I-Ching: Humility is
often rewarded in human affairs, just as valleys are filled by the erosion of
great mountains. It is the way of the world to fill the empty cup. Daily
Feng-Shui: Do you have difficulty balancing work and home? Listen to soothing recordings like monastic chants or
the sound of heavy rainfall.
It
appears that the 'naked shorts' economy is over with...
The
effects of the triple crash of 2007 are now being felt in the broader global
economy. The economic crisis in the West is no longer confined to the financial
and real state sectors; today reports came in about a decline in orders for
manufactures and a contraction in retail. The value of the US dollar has
declined against other major currencies, the oil price spiked to the high 80's
due to ongoing political tension and war in the middle east, and there is a
widespread tightening of credit - specially for new business ventures...
consumer and business credit is out. The effects of the sub-prime crash had an
impact equivalent to a nuclear detonation. The losses amount to billions in
worthless CDO's, hollow structures and defaults... from an aesthetic
perspective the sub-prime scam was a beautiful construct: a bubble inside a
bubble inside a bubble. Much more elaborate in hype than the dot.com scam. They
manufactured an illusion of collateral security. Now, investors are going
liquid into Euros and Pounds; and buying gold. The only bright spot is the
technology sector, although yesterday it also felt the impact of objective
reality. This is much more than just a typical "correction". This could be the beggining of the first
real-economy global recession.
As
usual not everyone is a loser: The Arab
Emirates are booming. The Emirs ran out of things to do with all the money they
get from inflated oil, so now they have taken to the construction of pink
elephants in the desert. Oil futures traders are busy these days. Their
assumption is that demand for petoleum and natural gas will continue to
increase as a result of ongoing massive growth in China, India and Brasil. The
problem is not that there is not enough oil and gas, but that the available
production and transportation infrastructure is limited. To expand capassity
for extraction, refinement and transportation would require massive investment
in regions that are politically unstable or ungovernable (like Iraq). Aside
from the risks involved, it would entail an investmet of large amounts of
capital over the medium to long term. There is no credit. The easy credit
economy was a fiction; wanton consumption and speculative trading based on hype
and IOU's ...
The
Northern Rock is cracked.
-
veremos.
p.s.
This whole situation reminds me of the Greco-Roman myth of Fortune (Tyche) and
Nemesis. Fortune delivers blessings to Man, and Nemesis acts to negate the
blessings of Fortune. Nemesis does not act to negate the blessings in order to
hurt Man per se, but rather to restore the cosmic order of the universe. The
opposition of Fortune to Nemesis and vice versa is what (according to
Greco-Roman myth) determines the fate of Man.
October
22nd, 2007
NASDAQ
COMPOSITE:
^IXIC
UP 28.77 (1.06%)
"...Shares of
Apple rose almost 7 percent in after-hours trading...unprecedented momentum in
the Macintosh computer business...continued demand for iPods and the successful
launch of the iPhone..."
"...Oil prices
fell Tuesday amid worries about a possible slowdown in the U.S. economy that
would reduce demand for oil and petroleum products..."
God
/ Union / God / Man
Horoscope: Today's psychic
Pisces Moon may have us believing that we know more than we actually do.
We are overly sensitive and pick up energies that are more subtle than usual.
But our feelings are all over the map now, for the Moon's opposition with
somber Saturn early in the day can be oppressive. On the other hand, the
Moon's conjunction to unruly Uranus later in the day frees us from the
heaviness and shows us a way to break out of our current restraints.You
are wise to just walk away from a negative situation today, for
your actions might not be as effective as necessary. You could waste precious
energy by defending yourself against imaginary enemies in ways that aren't
quite on the mark. Instead of getting too involved, remember to be patient. You
will probably get yourself back on track tomorrow evening when the Moon enters
your sign. Tarot: What has traditionally been known as the
Devil card expresses the realm of the Taboo, the culturally rejected
wildness and undigested shadow side that each of us carries in our
subconscious. This shadow is actually at the core of our being, which we cannot
get rid of and will never succeed in taming. From its earliest versions, which
portrayed a vampire-demon, this card evoked the Church-fueled fear that a
person could "lose their soul" to wild and passionate forces.
The image which emerged in the mid-1700's gives us a more sophisticated
rendition -- that of the "scapegoated Goddess," whose esoteric name
is Baphomet. Volcanic reserves of passion and primal desire empower her efforts to overcome the pressure of stereotyped roles and
experience true freedom of soul. Tavaglione's highly evolved image
(Stella deck) portrays the magical formula for harnessing and transmuting
primal and obsessive emotions into transformative energies. As a part of the
Gnostic message of Tarot, this fearsome passion and power must be reintegrated
into the personality, to fuel the soul's passage from mortal to immortal. Astro
Association: Capricorn Element: Earth Number: 15 Alias: Tempation. Numerology:
The Number Eight [Paraclete]. You may be the recipient of an unexpected
financial reward today. It's a great day to focus on promotion and sales. Social
gatherings may bring good news and positive new connections; don't turn
down any invitations! Theme: Power, Responsibility, Good Judgment,
Financial Rewards Astro Association: Leo Tarot Association: Strength.
I-Ching: Enormous creative energy is unleashed by enthusiasm.
This energy is like powerful music which inspires great numbers of people,
loosening old constraints and generating new opportunities. Feng-Shui:
Find it difficult to quiet your mind? Turn off the phone at a set hour each
evening. Listen to chamber music before bed.
Mantra:
"There-is-no-negative-growth"
It
is not a "correction". It is not a "contraction". It is not
a "recession" (God forbid). It is either a "global credit
crunch" (BBC) or a "global growth decelaration" (Bloombergs)...
Asia was hit hard, primarily because - outside of China (11% growth rates) and
Japan (a pillar of the global economy) - the regional finacial sector is a lot
weaker. Nikkei dropped - 412.09 points and the Hang Seng index
dropped -717.80. In the developed economies the central banks acted
earlier in the year to inject massive liquidity into the finacial system; that
was not the case in the smaller Asian markets. In South korea, Thailand,
Indonesia, etc. the markets had no cushion; when the shock wave hit, it hit
them hard. Bombay dropped -438.41. The major world investment banks lost
about $30bn (£15bn) from bad debts linked to the sub-prime hype in the United
States. The dollar dropped to a record low and the oil price is still in the
high 80's (87.93USD pb), the "hope" on offer is that the price of
petroleum will decline, as global demand for it decreases, as a result of deceleration in the pace of global growth.
This "hope" implies a subtle change in the party line, yesterday the
talk was about sustained demand for petroleum and its refined products from
China and India. There is an expectation of sharp falls on European stock
markets in the next few days. So far, the FTSE dropped -81.50, DAX dropped
-37.28, CAC 40 dropped -26.76. The bottom line: (1.) The full effects of the US
"housing slowdown" (another euphenism) have not yet played themselves
out. (2.) A "sharp slowdown" (...and another) in the US economy is
expected to constrain global growth next year. Bloombergs was advising viewers
to "think small"... all the analysts were pleading for interest rate
cuts. They hope that US exports will save the day.
Remember
comrades: This is not a "contraction" or a
"recession" ...
...Small
is beautiful...
-
veremos.
p.s.
In view of the 'apocryphal moment' involving an herbal sedative that took place
yesterday evening in the smoking room with my Russian friends, the Yahoo!
horoscope had the following comment: "Don't do anything new that could get
you in trouble with authorities. There is probably nothing to worry about, but
you do need to be careful of anything too over-the-top. Play it safe..."
Indeed, but in view of the circumstances I had to say yes.
October
23rd, 2007
NASDAQ
COMPOSITE:
^IXIC
UP 45.33 (1.65%)
"...Amazon.com
3rd-Quarter Profit Skyrockets..."
"...Oil
Prices Fall Below $85 a Barrel in Asian Trading Ahead of US Inventory
Data..."
End
/ Man / God / Existent Power
Horoscope: The energy
intensifies as the Sun slips into passionate Scorpio and we face the
approach of winter's long nights. The leaves fall to the ground and we think about our mortality, along with the mysteries of the
death-rebirth cycle. We want to talk about these experiences beyond
language as retrograde Mercury aligns with the Sun today. The Moon's entry into
impetuous Aries shows our current lack of patience as we take this journey into
the unknown.You seem to be more tied to the activities and work schedules
of friends and associates than you prefer. You'd rather answer to no one, but
unfortunately this isn't what current circumstances have in store for you.
Willingly interacting with people can enable you to accomplish a lot. However, if
you try to avoid others, you may not be able to get far at all. Dig
deep in your ambitions for something new to explore. You're meant to go
places.
Tarot: What has traditionally been known as the Star card is
about reconnecting one's Soul with the Divine -- the transcending of
personality, family, community and reputation. It has to do ultimately with the
freedom to be one's Self. The Soul is responding to
celestial influences -- forces that can provide the personality with a stronger
sense of purpose. The Star card helps us to remember our exalted origins and
our attraction to a Higher Union. This card could also be called the
"Celestial Mandate" -- that which refers us back to our reason for
being, our mission in this lifetime. The Star reminds us that, in a
sense, we are agents of Divine Will in our day-to-day lives. If we let go of
the idea that we are supposed to be in control, we can more easily notice and
appreciate the synchronicities that are nudging us along. In this way, we
become more conscious of the invisible Helping Hand, and we better understand
our place within -- and value to -- the larger Cosmos. Theme: You are
consciously on the way home in a spiritual sense. Astro Association:
Aquarius Element: Air Number:
17 Alias: Grace. Numerology: The Number Nine [End]. You
could feel an urge to clean up your immediate environment and get rid of things
that no longer have a purpose. It's a great day for problem solving and
behind the scenes progress. Also a time for thanks; someone
in your world is quietly in your corner. Theme: Encompassing
a love for all, Compassion, Patience, Selfless Astro Association: Virgo Tarot
Association: Hermit. I-Ching:
Following brings supreme success. You may not be able to change the
direction of the wind, but by frequently adjusting your sails, you can arrive
at your destination. Feng-Shui: Have a hard time carrying
out plans? Listen to classical music at the beginning of each day.
Behold
the rapture of U.S. equities !
Ominous:
Alan Greenspan (who has rebranded himself as market Buddha in recent months),
declared that the reason for the decline in the value of the US dollar against
other currencies is a contraction in demand for US debt. Greenspan made the
statement after the US Treasury Department reported that international
investors had dumped a record amount of US financial assets in August. Total
overseas holdings of US equities, notes and bonds fell $69.3 billion for
the month after an increase of $19.2 billion in July. In other words; "the
world" is not as willing as before to subsidise the massive United States
debt. Investment in the United States economy has become an expensive and risky
venture. Fluctuations in the price of petroleum are only an aggravating factor
to a structural crisis. It had to happen at some point. The U.S. had been
running the economy on credit since the late 1990's. It became a hollow dynamic
of gratis consumption, deficit spending, speculation and hype. Outright
gangster capitalism. The fundamentals of production and distribution, basic
accounting rules, and at times the honest analysis of supply and demand
principles as applied to specific situations were forgotten (willingly?) in the
frenzy. Transparency and the notion of a balanced budget went out the window. I
actually feel empathy for the people who stand to lose their homes, their jobs
and their savings and even their businesses because of this correction. It is
true that it resembles the crash of 1997 (carry trade game), more than the
crash of 1987 (junk bonds); yet, the triple crash of 2007 (subprime-oil-credit)
will have medium to long term structural effects that the crashes of 1987, 1997
and 2000 (dot.com) did not have.
...The
United States economy ate itself...
-
veremos.
p.s.
Incidentally; the Euro is being used more frequently as international trade
currency. In recent years, several countries have converted significant
portions of their US Dollar reserves to the Euro - among them China, Iran and
Venezuela. Perhaps the dominant international currency of the 21st Century will
be the Euro (or Yuan)?
October
24th, 2007
NASDAQ
COMPOSITE:
^IXIC Down -24.50 -0.88%
"...Not
only is the housing implosion dampening corporate profits, it appears to be
accelerating..."
"...Oil
resumed its climb after a surprise drop in inventories, with a barrel of light
sweet crude up $1.83 at $87.10 on the New York Mercantile Exchange..."
"...The
financial sector was among the hardest hit on Wednesday after Merrill reported
worse-than-expected loss of $2.3 billion..."
Man
/ Union / Non-Being / Prophet
Horoscope: The fiery Aries
Moon increases our need for excitement and attracts us to experiences that
produce an adrenaline rush. We feel more alive if our senses are in a state of
heightened intensity and are focused on the present
moment. We are more concerned today with telling the truth than with
being easygoing or socially acceptable now that retrograde Mercury, back
in gracious Libra, forms a tense half-square with Libra's key planet Venus in
picky Virgo. You are willing to share more of your private feelings now
that the Moon is back in your sign. But your eagerness is not enough, for words
may be harder to find, with talkative Mercury in a hard aspect with charming
Venus. Although you may be direct in actions today, tempering
your enthusiasm with realism can help you be even more effective. Tarot:
What has traditionally been known as the Sun card is about the self
-- who you are and how you cultivate your personality and character. The earth
revolves around the sun to make up one year of a person's life, a fact we
celebrate on our birthday. The Sun card could also be titled "Back to
Eden." The Sun's radiance is where one's original nature or unconditioned
Being can be encountered in health and safety. The limitations of time and
space are stripped away; the soul is refreshed and temporarily protected from
the chaos outside the garden walls.Under the light of the Sun, Life reclaims
its primordial goodness, truth and beauty. If
one person is shown on this card, it is usually signifying a human incarnation
of the Divine. When two humans are shown, the image is portraying a
resolution of the tension between opposites at all levels. It's as if
this card is saying "You can do no wrong -- it's all to the good!" Theme:
You are in the right place at the right time.
Astro Association: Sun Element:
Fire Number: 19 Alias: Awakening.
Numerology: The Number One [God]. Today is hectic, and it may be
necessary for you to make quick decisions and put your leadership skills
into action. Your senses are alert. Sounds, colors, and texture are
strongly experienced. Theme: Masculine, Creative, Independent,
Aggressive Astro Association: Mercury
Tarot Association: Magician. I-Ching: Something has been spoiled and it is time to repair the
damage. In the world of human affairs, indulgence and
corruption grow like weeds in an untended garden; they must be faced squarely,
and rooted out through bold action. Feng-Shui: Stuck in
the past? Check your home for dried flowers or blossoms, including potpourri. Replace
them with fresh flowers.
A
trumpet went off somewhere...
"...[7:]
The first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood,
and they were thrown on the earth. One third of the
earth was burnt up, and one third of the trees were burnt up, and all green
grass was burnt up. [ 8:] The second angel sounded, and something like a
great burning mountain was thrown into the sea. One third of the sea became
blood..." - Revelation 8:7-8
California
is on fire. CNN was showing NASA satellite photos of massive smoke plumes
drifting over the Pacific. San Diego was ravaged. A number of
celebrity mansions in Malibu where scorched.One million people had to be
evacuated. Entire suburban neighborhoods where reduced to ash. They are calling
it "The Witch Fire", and blame it on the Santa Anna winds (a.k.a
"Satans Wind"). I've heard reports that in desperation they are using
prison inmates to help fight flames. Two months ago it was Greece that burned
from one end to the other. I remember the footage of flames licking the Acropolis and reports of
people jumping into the sea to protect themselves from the advancing fire
front. The "rational" explanation is that global warming is having an
impact. The "irrational" view is that we are witnessing End-Times
events as predicted in the eschatology of the West. In specific, the idea of
'The Conflagration' dates back to Zeno of Citium (founder of Greek Stoicism,
circa 333 to 264 BCE); he predicted that in The End, the world would be
destroyed by massive fires. His was the first Western eschatology: a vision of
purification by fire to make room for total renewal. In his view the
conflagration was part of a cosmological and eternal cycle of destruction and
creation. Modern versions of Western eschatology (inclusive Christian),
ultimately descend from the End Times vision of the Greek Stoics or
"philosophers of the painted porch" - not to be confused with the
Roman variety of Stoicism that appeared several centuries latter and
constitutes an entirely different philosophy.
In
my prayers I am focusing on asking God to have compassion on the California
homeless and poor while He unleashes His rightful wrath. The United States is a
society that prides itself on hatred of the poor and homeless, and no doubt it
is the poor who suffer most whenever disaster strikes (as it was with Hurricane
Katrina); I have no doubt the poor and homeless are the people who are in most
need of prayer support at this time.
Speaking
of End-Times, today I downloaded a couple of photos from Yahoo ! News. One
shows president Putin of Russia standing next to president Ahmadinejad of Iran
in Teheran. The other shows president Zarkozy of France shaking hands with
prime minister Olmert of Israel in Paris.
It seems that the camps in the comming apocalypse war are beginning to
crystallise. The situation is similar to that which prevailed previous to World
War One... diplomatic mating rituals and secret diplomacy redux. From the
perspective of eschatology it makes "sense". The Frankish crusaders
used to consecrate themselves to the Archangel Michael before going to the
front in Outremer. I think the shrine where Bohemundus recieved a vision of
Michael telling him to go to the Holy
Land was in Apulia somewhere - at that point in thime Italy was dominated by
Franks. The Archangel Michael is the protector of Israel by the grace of God;
yet, the Franks belong to Michael by consecration.
Photo-op
exegesis: In the comming apocalypse war the heirs to Bohemundus of Taranto and
the Frankish Knights; who once defended the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and
the Frankish Principality of Antioch contra Islam, will fight alongside the
heirs of Joshua against the hordes of Gog and Magog in
defense of The State of Israel. The axis
of the comming apocalypse war will not be the antagonism between the United
States and Iran, but rather the antagonsim between Israel and Ismael. The rest
of the world is going to have to take sides. Either side with the armies of
Israel (the army of God) or side against it.
It
really sounds like the spring of 1914 all over again: A North Korean delegation
visited Damascus a few days ago. President Bush recently invoked the spectre of
World War III at a press conference while denouncing Iranian intentions to
"wipe Israel off the map". Russia has warned against anyone attacking
Iran. Britain supports Israel in seeking sanctions against Iran. China backs
Russia in efforts to block sanctions. The Turkish army is massing along the
Kurdistan frontier...
Omens
of Meggido...
-veremos
October
25th, 2007
NASDAQ
COMPOSITE:
^IXIC DOWN -23.90 (-0.86%)
"...Investors
uneasy about the credit markets and record-high oil prices took little solace
from reports on new home sales and durable goods orders..."
"...Economic
reports on housing, manufacturing and employment painted a picture of a
weakening economy, adding to the sour mood, as did a surge in oil prices to
another record ... $91 a barrel..."
"...Microsoft
Soars 11% After Blowout Q1 On Vista Demand..."
Union
/ End / Non-Being / Union
Horoscope: The
spontaneous Aries Moon can lead us to the edge of the cliff today and the opposition between attractive Venus and shocking Uranus can
entice us to jump. We are tempted now by anything that offers the possibility
of excitement. Eccentricities are exposed, until the Moon slips
into practical Taurus at 9:06 pm EDT reminding us to simplify our lives, not
make them more complex. We are pulled between the niceties of social
affairs and our need for freedom. Much to the surprise of your
coworkers, you are eager to blow open your horizons and head off in a new
direction now. Where you are going may not be clear,
but you are sure that you'll be able to figure it out along the way.
Although it's not as much fun, you'll be better off waiting until you can
decide on a destination for starting your journey. Tarot: What
has traditionally been known as the Moon card refers to a deep
state of sensitivity and imaginative impressionability, developed within a womb
of deep relaxation. Here we dream and go into trance, have visions and
receive insights, wash in and out with the psychic tides, and experience deep
mystical and/or terrifying realities beyond our ordinary senses. The
full moon and/or eclipse cycle charted by the Magi (as in some of the earliest
Moon card images) exemplify this as a mechanism that Nature uses to expand
consciousness. The variants of the courtly lovers (representing skillful
use of the sex force) or the man sleeping it off under the tree (use of
drugs to alter consciousness) are also traditional avenues for tapping this
primal force. Human interest in higher states propels us to the frontiers of
consciousness, where we cannot always control what happens. The Moon card represents the ultimate test
of a soul's integrity, where the membrane between self and the Unknown is removed, and the drop of individuality
reenters the Ocean of Being. What transpires next is
between a soul and its Maker. Theme: This is an opportunity
to penetrate your inner life. Astro Association: Pisces Element:
Water Number: 18 Alias: Illusion. What has traditionally been
known as the World card points to the presiding
intelligence, called "Sophia," or Wisdom, which upholds life
on this and all worlds. A more precise title for this card might be "the Soul of the World," also applicable as a
symbol of personal empowerment and freedom. In most Tarot decks it
is a female figure that has become our standard World image. She
originates in Hebrew, Gnostic and Alchemical lore, and stands between heaven
and earth as the Cosmic Mother of Souls, the Wife of God and our protector from
the karmic forces we have set loose upon the Earth in our immaturity and
ignorance. Where the Empress energy secures and fertilizes our
terrestrial lives, the goddess of The World invites us into cosmic citizenship
-- once we come to realize our soul's potential for it. Just as the Chariot
stands for success in achieving a separate Self, and Temperance represents
achievement of mental and moral health, the World
card announces the awakening of the soul's Immortal Being, accomplished without
the necessity of dying. This card, like the Sun, is reputed to have
no negative meaning no matter where or how it appears. If the Hermetic axiom
is "Know Thyself", this image represents what becomes known when the
true nature of Self is followed to creative freedom and its ultimate
realization. Theme: You are in a timeless state of grace where there is no doubt, shame or grief. Astro
Association: Saturn Element: Earth Number: 21 Alias:
Universe, Triumph. Numerology: The Number Two [Duality]
Sensitivity and a feeling of self-consciousness pervade the day. Stress levels
may be high due to deadlines and commitments; if possible, take some time
off to relax and focus on your personal life, as romance is highly
favorable. Theme: Adaptable, Tactful, Gentle, Cautious Astro Association: Moon Tarot Association: High Priestess. I-Ching: Something like
the Spring is approaching. Good times ahead seems inevitable;
there is vitality in the air. Feng-Shui: Hang an inspiring picture
on the door leading to your home to lift your self-esteem.
A
mixed bag...
[GOOD
NEWS]
They
freed the Iranian inmates - it was quite the surprise announcement. I said good
bye to my Iranian friends yesterday, although I will miss our theological and political
discussions. It was good to finally see somebody freed. Everyone else I have
met has been deported. It figures that the Iranians would be freed since the
current Swedish government is partial to United States foreign policy. Iran has
become the offical Western "enemy". This is good and bad at the same
time: "good" in the sense that it protects Israel, "bad" in
the sense that it furthers United States hegemonism. I am pro-Israel, but I am
also multipolarist. I do not agree with United States unipolar aims. Why should
we be required to submit to them ? What makes their values "better"
than what anyone else might have ? Why them and not Europe or China ? Although I recognise that there are many
positive things in the United States, I do not believe that the USA is
inherently "always right". I am not sold.
[BAD
NEWS]
On the other hand; they are working to deport the Iraqis and the
Afghans. The Swedish government ("Blue" since Autumn 2006), claims
that Iraq and Afghanistan are "liberated". The Swedish Foreign
Minister has a good poker face; his line is deeply cynical; assuming that
control of Kabul or Baghdad's 'Green Zone' by Western installed occupation
regimes with little credibility equals "national liberation". De
facto they are deporting people to a hot war zone. The Taliban, Al-Qaeda and
the various Iraqi insurgencies are as active as ever, and the United States
admits to this when they claim that Iran is arming them. You can't have it both
ways. Just today the Turkish army begun air strikes against and shelling of the
Kurdistan frontier. The Kurdish controlled north was the only relatively
violence free section of Iraq. It is clear that the current Iraqi and Afghan
governments rest on thrones made of bayonets, and the bayonets in question do
not even belong to them. They last as long as the occupations last. In the
1980's the Soviets called occupied Afghanistan a "peoples democracy".
Vichy France was officially defined as a "sovereign state" by the
Third Reich... apparently somebody lost their historical memory ?
I
am after all a Log Cabin Republican fellow traveller, and I must say that I
generally support the current Swedish government - specially the policies of
the social minister to restrict abortion tourism. I think the Alliance
government is solid on economics and solid on innovative policy solutions to
the problems that bedeviled social democrat bureucratism. I wish the Alliance
gevernment the best of success. But; I really, really disagree with its
approach to the war. This subset policy of deporting people to war zones on
dubious grounds is clearly a mistake. You cannot play games with peoples lives
in order to satisfy the requirements of propaganda.
By
all means send peace keepers if you must, but don't deport fleeing civilians !
-
veremos.
p.s.
It seems that 'The Man Who Does Not Talk' was vaporised sometime last week...
October
26th, 2007
NASDAQ
COMPOSITE:
^IXIC
UP 53.33 (1.94%)
"...strong
earnings from Microsoft Corp. and an optimistic outlook from Countrywide
Financial Corp. outweighed investor concerns about the economy..."
"...World
oil prices surged to historic highs, breaching 92 dollars for the first time in
New York amid rising tension in crude-rich Iran and tightening US energy supplies..."
Paraclete
/ Man / God / Justice
Horoscope: The Full Moon
in earthy Taurus at 12:51 am EDT helps us come to terms with our irrational
fears. Although the ever-changing Moon is stabilized in Taurus, dreams still
can overflow into the daylight as they do at any Full Moon. Nevertheless,
Mercury's supportive sextile to passionate Pluto enables us to talk about
intense emotions. Additionally, the lingering effects of the wild Venus-Uranus
opposition can surprise us as we seek sensual fulfillment.You may still feel
pretty calm around today's Taurus Moon, but you could also feel the thrilling
spark of inspiration by discovering a simple solution to a complex problem. But
don't assume you can make your dreams come true now just because you know how
to be practical. Think about how you want to live your life instead of worrying
about getting ahead. Tarot: What has traditionally been known as the
Judgement card, sometimes entitled Resurrection, represents the great
reunion that the ancients believed would happen once in every age. This was the time when souls are harvested and taken Home to their
place of origin, outside the solar system. Then the World is seeded
with a batch of new souls and the process starts over. From a modern
point of view, this great reunion -- which includes every personality that you
have ever been and every soul that you have done deep work with -- reunites to
consciously complete the process. In a way, we symbolically celebrate
this returning to center every year on our birthday. In personal terms, the Judgment cards points
to freedom from inner conflicts, and so clear a channel, that the buried
talents and gifts of past incarnations can come through an individual in
this lifetime. This card counsels you to trust the process of opening yourself,
because what emerges is of consistently high quality. You can effortlessly manifest as a multi-dimensional being,
and assist in evoking that response from others. Theme: A gathering of
lost fragments allows you to connect to your Higher Self. Astro Association: Pluto Element:
Fire Number: 20 Alias: Aeon. Pamela Coleman-Smith's artful
rendition of the Fool card as an "innocent Fool"
archetype (Rider-Waite deck) is often used to represent Tarot in general. Early
classical versions of the Fool, however, portray quite a different character --
a person driven by base needs and urges, who has fallen into a state of
poverty and deprivation. In some instances, he is made out to be a
carnival entertainer or a huckster. In others, he is portrayed as decrepit and
vulnerable -- as the cumulative result of his delusions and failures.
Not until the 20th century do you see the popular Rider-Waite image of the Fool
arise -- that of an innocent Soul before its Fall
into Matter, as yet untainted by contact with society and all its ills.
Modern decks usually borrow from the Rider-Waite imagery. Most Fool cards copy
the bucolic mountainside scene, the butterfly, the potential misplaced step
that will send the Fool tumbling into the unknown. Don't forget, however, that the
earlier versions of this card represented already-fallen humanity,
over-identified with the material plane of existence, and beginning a
pilgrimage towards self-knowledge, and eventually, wisdom. The Fool reminds us to recognize the path of personal
development within ourselves -- and the stage upon that path where
we find ourselves -- in order to energize our movement toward deeper
self-realization. Theme: Let go of
expectations and trust your instincts. Astro Association:
Uranus Element: Air Number:
Zero Numerology: The number Three [Trinity]. A recent
conflict may be resolved today. It's a wonderful day for intelligent
discussions and the sharing of ideas. You may recognize beauty in life that
you'd previously ignored, and harmony reigns supreme. All seems right in
your world. Theme: Expansive, Sociable, Dramatic, Diversified, Creative Astro
Association: Venus Tarot Association: Empress. I-Ching:
Overview is a time for composure and contemplation. As a result
of profound contemplation, a hidden force emanates from us, influencing others
without their being aware of it. Feng-Shui: If you want to
conceive or adopt a child, don't sweep under the bed or do major construction
in your home. Stillness yields fruit.
The
buzz is that "the US dollar is doomed"...
It
just keeps dropping, inexorably, unable to hold its value. It simply cannot be
trusted as an international trade currency anymore. And the fools at the US
Federal Reserve are about to announce yet another interest rate cut, they are
still going for the fools gold of "boosting US exports"... It is
pretty much official that outside the Technology sector, the Energy industry,
India (which is sustaining growth at 10% ) and China (which is sustaining
growth at 11%), there is going to be a global recession. The signs of
contraction are all over the place. The Western banking and financial sector
have lost billions in the write offs and defaults associated with the subprime
crash. There is deflation in Japan, and deflation
usually precedes contraction. Japan is a pillar economy of the global
construct. The positive thing about the demise of the US Dollar is that this
has triggered the emergence of a multipolar condition in currency markets.
Investors are taking refuge in the Euro, British Pound (old reliable!), Swiss
Franc, Canadian and Australian Dollar. The Bank of England announced that it
will not cut current interest rates. Gold is trading at 773.50 per troy oz.
Platinum at 1,455.00 per troy oz. (wow)...
Rudolph
Giuliani is THE MAN.
"The military option is not off the table," he said recently at an
event sponsored by the Republican Jewish Coalition. The problem is that
Giuliani aims his comments at the wrong
target. The immediate threat to Israel is not Iran (depite Ahmadinejad's
inflamatory rethoric). The immediate threats to Israel are Hamas, Hizballah and
Syria. I am clear that Hamas and Hizballah are funded and armed by Iran, and
that for this reason it is sensible to impose economic sanctions on Teheran. I
am also clear that Iran and Syria have a mutual protection agreement. Yet,
focusing exclusively on Iran detracts attention from the threat posed by Syria
- which is now openly collaborating with North Korea in the development of
nuclear weapon systems. It was a mistake for Israel to withdraw from Gaza in
2005 without achieving the elimination of Hamas, just like it was a mistake for
the IDF to retreat from Lebanon in 2006 without completing the elimination of
Hizballah. The United States military did not do anything in the summer of 2006
to help the IDF in Lebanon even as the Israeli city of Haifa was pounded by
Hizballah rockets and Israeli civilians were killed. Against Hamas and
Hizballah, the State of Israel is acting in self defense, as these groups fire
Qassam rockets and organise suicide bombings into areas settled by Jewish
communities. This is not something that can be tolerated. No West European
country would. Yet the expectation is that Israel should always tolerate
terrorist assaults while it is denounced for defending itself. There is nothing
new comming out of the United States, and what does come out is
counterproductive to Israeli interests - like the notion of a "two state
solution". This notion has now become legitimised by none other than the
U.S. State Department. Why should Israel be forced to cede its territory? Why
not create a "Palestinian State" somewhere in Scandinavia - for
example? Lets split Stockholm or Oslo in two and hand one half to the
"Palestinians"...
In
any case, I guess it is now clear that Giuliani will be the man to confront
Hillary Clinton. I am not happy with his position on abortion, I am not
entirely satisfied with his Middle East policy ideas; but as a recent
Associated Press article about how social conservatives in the United States
are holding their nose on Giuliani: "The hate-Hillary factor trumps
all". I am not a "social conservative" and I do not
"hate" Hillary Clinton though; I am just scared that under her rule
abortion will become irrevocably institutionalised into the fabric of United
States society. If that happens abortion will never be eradicated in the West.
Economics aside, the United States political climate is what dictates the
fundamentals of the political climate and delineates the contours of the
politically and socially possible in the West. As long as there is a possibilty
to overthrow abortion in the United States there is a possibility that it could
be overthrown elsewhere in the West - inclusive Sweden. At least for as long as
the United States leads the West.
Bonus:
It seems Giuliani is friendly to the Log Cabin and to the ENDA.
-
veremos.
October
27th, 2007
The Rune Oracle predicts that the apocalypse war will be unleashed
four months from now. Sometime in January or February ("The Winter of
Rapture"). My next place of residence will be somewhere next to a body of
water - a sea, a river or a lake. The Sabbath of Samhain falls on a Wednesday
this year (Day of Ash). Last night I dreamt about lighting the candles in the
Hidden Chapel. I will be there when the end comes.
Horoscope: Although the
Moon is in practical Taurus for most of the day, we are not likely to
exhibit too much common sense. An unusual series of
septiles dominates the planetary landscape, marking a 7-pointed cosmic star
that reveals the strangeness and complexity of our lives. It can be
a surprising weekend, yet the more we try to control the winds of fate, the
stormier they become. The energy lightens up as the Moon enters restless Gemini
at 8:11 pm EDT. Your intention to play it low key today probably won't
last long, for you will likely get caught up in the first interesting thing
that comes along. It's not that you are so scattered today; it's just
that you don't want to lose an opportunity to enjoy
yourself while you can. Tarot: Traditionally, the
Magus is one who can demonstrate hands-on magic -- as in healing,
transformative rituals, alchemical transmutations, charging of talismans and
the like. A modern Magus is any person who completes the circuit between
heaven and Earth, one who seeks to bring forth the divine 'gold' within her or
himself. At the birth of Tarot, even a gifted healer who was not an
ordained clergyman was considered to be in league with the Devil! For obvious
reasons, the line between fooling the eye with sleight of hand, and charging
the world with magical will was not clearly differentiated in the early Tarot
cards. Waite's image of the Magus as the solitary ritualist communing with
the spirits of the elements -- with its formal arrangement of symbols and
postures -- is a token of the freedom we have in modern times to declare our
spiritual politics without fear of reprisal. The older cards were never so
explicit about what the Magus was doing. It's best to keep your
imagination open with this card. Visualize yourself manifesting something
unique, guided by evolutionary forces that emerge spontaneously from within
your soul. Numerology: The number Four [Justice]. Today could be demanding and somewhat
frustrating as you find yourself engaged in routine affairs. Focus on
organizing your world and opportunity will follow. It's a great day to
consider investing in long-term endeavors. Don't let disagreements with a
loved one regarding money ruin your day. Theme: Form, Work, Order,
Practicality, Discipline Astro
Association: Aries Tarot Association: Emperor. I-Ching:
The situation calls for confronting a tenacious knot
and cutting through it. Somehow, the way to harmony and unity is
blocked or frustrated - perhaps by a tangle of deceit or corruption. Feng-Shui:
Have a guest room? Keep the energy here fresh with an oscillating fan and a
light that operates on a timer. Psychic Voice: "CHANGE
ARRIVES". Mercury, the planet of communication, was in harmony with
Pluto yesterday. The planet of transformation will begin a cycle of
pleasant changes for those aware few who see the subtle clues. Is it
time to take the leap, make the move or cut your ties?
The
anti-Israel bias in the so-called "international community" (an
euphenism for the West), is evident in the reaction about the recent power cuts
to the Hamas controlled Gaza strip - dubbed "Hamasistan" by
some. Upon rightfully declaring Gaza an
"enemy entity" in response to an upsurge in rocket attacks, Israel's
foreign ministry issued a statement that as it withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Tel
Aviv is no longer bound by Geneva convention requirements governing the
administration of occupied territories. De jure, Israel is not legally required
to supply utilities to the civilian population in the Gaza strip as there is
no "occupation" now and technically there never was, because
the term applies only to territories seized from an internationally recognised
state. Yet, the position now accepted by the so-called
"international community" is that Israel remains "legally
responsible" for the Gaza strip, despite the withdrawal two years ago and
above the fact that the so-called PNA is not an internationally recognised
state, because it allegedly still controls Gaza's borders, airspace and
territorial waters.
The
fact is that Israel controls its side of the border to prevent penetration by
suicide bombers on the one hand, and to
restrict the smuggling of drugs and weaponry through its sovereign territory
into Gaza. The State of Israel is entitled to secure its own borders. The
Israeli coast guard and navy also guard the sea zone around the Gaza coast for
the same reasons - to prevent influx of contraband. Israel has the right to
restrict air traffic through Israeli airspace. Nevermind that the so-called
"Palestinian Authority" is neither an internationally recognised
state nor is the Hamas regime in Gaza a legitimate government by the standards
of international law. Furthermore, as the Hamas organisation (which seized
total control of Gaza in June this year by violent means), refuses to recognise
the existence of Israel and has declared as its goal the destruction of Israel,
then the state of Israel has to take steps to negate Hamas as a matter of self
preservation. But it simply does not matter what Israel says or does, because
the predictable response will always be anti-Israeli. In view of this and in
retrospect, The IDF should have never withdrawn from Gaza in 2005 and it should
have never retreated from Lebanon in 2006...
Israel
should simply act forcibly once and for all: Drop the "two state
solution" lunacy (it only rewards Hamas); (Re-)occupy and annex Gaza and
the West Bank; Offer the Israeli Arab/Muslim population a simple choice: (1)
either you accept living peacefully under Israeli rule in the Israeli State
with a guarantee of civil rights and freedom of religion or (2) you are free to
move on. Those who remain recalcitrant should be forcibly transfered out. End
of story. As to the issue of global public opinion: the so-called
"international community" will always side against Israel in every
instance, so who cares....
-veremos.
p.s.
Write-offs/losses from subprime/'naked shorts' mess: Merrill Lynch & Co
-$8.4 billion, -$5.9 billion by Citigroup, -$3.4 billion by USB, -$2.4 billion
by Morgan Stanley, -$1.7 billion by Goldman Sachs, -$1.6 billion by Bank of
America, and -$1.6 billion by JP Morgan Chase...
OUCH.
-veremos.
October
28th, 2007
"...Crude
Closes at New Record Friday on Supply Concerns, $92 Hit Overnight..."
%
Horoscope: We might feel like "Alice in Wonderland," for
unusual things continue to happen for the next day or two. Interactions
with others become a bit strained; the passionate Scorpio Sun requires
the depth of emotional intensity while the clever Gemini Moon needs to
stay closer to the surface. Fiery Mars forms an uncomfortable quincunx with
wounded Chiron, challenging us to move past our fears instead of frittering
away an opportunity for intimacy. Memories of an old emotional pain may come to
the surface today, negatively impacting your efficiency at work. If you
think about your shortcomings, insecurities can get in the way of your actions.
Confront your fears directly by realizing that the current circumstances are
not the same as the ones in the past. Tarot:
Traditionally called the High Priestess, this major arcana, or
trump, card represents human wisdom. She can be viewed as a kind of female
Pope, the ancient Egyptian Priestess of Isis, the even older snake and bird
Goddesses, the Greek Goddess Persephone, or the Eve
of Genesis before the Fall. For the accused heretics who were burnt
at the stake for revering her in the 14th and 15th century, she symbolized the
prophecy of the return of the Holy Spirit, which was perceived as the female
aspect of the Holy Trinity. In the sequence of cards in the major arcana, the
High Priestess appears as soon as the Fool decides he wants to develop his
innate powers, making a move toward becoming a Magus. The High
Priestess is his first teacher, representing the Inner Life and the method for
contacting it, as well as the contemplative study of
Nature and the Holy Mysteries. Theme: Get your ego out of the
way and become attuned to a more spiritual view. Astro
Association: Moon Element:
Water Number: 2 Alias: The
Popess, Wisdom. Numerology: The Number Five [Union] Maintain
flexibility today, because your plans may change more than once. Your intuition
can't be beat, so don't be afraid to rely on it and to be decisive. It's a
wonderful day for social interaction.Theme: Resourceful, Adventure,
Speculation, Travel Astro
Association: Taurus Tarot Association: Hierophant. I-Ching:
A splashy sunset bathes the mountains in a soft radiance; the light of a full
moon dances on the surface of a rippling river: Grace and beauty adorning the
natural world. Grace is not an all-powerful force, nor is it the
essential or fundamental thing. Feng-Shui: Suffering from
family secrets? Check the middle portion of the left side of your home for
locked drawers, closets, or boxes. Psychic Voice: "MONEY
OR LOVE ?"
The Moon, ruler of our emotional nature, is in Gemini, the zodiac sign of dual
passions. If you love a person for their material possessions, today is
an emotional challenge when deeper feelings for someone else dominate. Are
you prepared for reality?
Break
out. Escape. Fuga. AWOL. The assumption behind it (from the perspective of the
imprisoned), is that there is such a thing as "freedom" in the
so-called "outside world"; that in the narrative prevailing it
exists, putatively, "outside" the walls or fence that imprisons him.
The fact is that there is no "freedom" anywhere in the physical
material universe, only different levels of confinement. The physical body
being the primary shackles - mortal, subject to pain and recurrent biological
needs, powerless before nature, subject to desire and temptations. Death is the
only possible "freedom" from the shackles of the biological body in
particular and the material rehalm in general; hence Christ in 'The Book of
Thomas the Contender' advised his followers to seek death. Yet, even
then the post-physical "freedom" to be found in the rehalm of
metaphysics is conditional upon accepting the Absolute One as sovereign. This
"freedom" is the Freedom from the Hell of Samsara (which is the only
possible and 'true' freedom). There is no "freedom from the hell of
Samsara" after death for those who do not submit to the Absolute One of
The Light who begott Emmanuel. Freedom from anyone (confined or less confined)
is found in and through Emmanuel, and not in fugasi. The idea of "freedom"
is a liberal humanist doctrine, an illusion to hide the fact that there is no
such thing. American propaganda.
But
I do not judge.
"1. AND as Iesus was going to Iericho there met him a man
with a cage full of birds which he had caught and some young doves. And he saw
how they were in misery having lost their liberty, and moreover being tormented
with hunger and thirst. 2. And he
said unto the man, What doest thou with these? And the man answered, I go to
make my living by selling these birds which I have taken. 3. And Iesus said, What thinkest thou, if another, stronger
than thou or with greater craft, were to catch thee and bind thee, or thy wife,
or thy children, and cast thee into a prison, in order to sell thee into
captivity for his own profit, and to make a living? 4. Are not these thy fellow creatures, only weaker than
thou? And doth not the same God our Father-Mother care for them as for thee?
Let these thy little brethren and sisters go forth into freedom and see that
thou do this thing no more, but provide honestly for thy living. 5. And the man marvelled at these words and at his
authority, and he let the birds go free. So when the birds came forth they flew
unto Jesus and stood on his shoulder and sang unto him."
-
'Gospel of the Holy Twelve' Section 5,
Lections 4, :1 1-5
[Animal Liberationist New Testament ]
A lot of
exitement last night. Three of my Russian friends escaped. One of them
had been held captive for fifteen months here at Flen. The staff went through
the facility in the middle of the night and checked every single room. It was a
crackdown. They shook me up to ask if I had heard anything. The boys managed to
bypass the fence problem by prying open a window in the upstairs level. They
must have jumped several meters to make it down. Unfortunately, one of them
broke his leg when he jumped off the ledger and was captured. The other two
escaped into the woods. Wherever they are now, my prayers are with them. I
figured out something was going on among the Russians yesterday; lots of
wispering and furtive glances. Apparently one of them got final deportation
orders. They often commented about the brutality of the police in Russia (whom
they still refer to as 'KGV'), and about how afraid they where of being
returned there. I will miss them. One of them told me once that he had studied
history, we had a couple of conversations about the history of Medieval
Russia... about the impact of the 'Black Death' in Novgorod and about the
conversion of the slavic tribes to Christianity. He was well versed in the
subject of Russian history. My last conversation with him was in the smoking
room, it was eery in retrospect because in context of joking about whether we
would "grow old" at Flen, I
told him that he would probably go free this week. He did after all. The staff
are upset... This whole situation reminds me of a film I saw once about a
family that escaped from East to West Germany in a home-made ballon during the
1970's.
(It was not
"Europa, Europa", but the same jest)
God bless...
- veremos.
p.s. Two of the
Afghans got vaporised on Friday at some point. One morning here, one evening
gone.
***
I conclude this journal with a quote:
"In der
Beschränkung zeigt Fsich erst der Meister" - Goethe
*
FINIS
***
(C) Emmanuel Goldstein.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your comments are welcome.