Rannie's Vision of July 17, 2019

NOTE: This particular blog does not receive a lot of traffic, so it should be safe from random people chancing upon it. 😃

Dearheart, thank you for sharing this rich vision with me. Yes, I’d love to help you continue to learn how to interpret divinations (it can be a tricky craft). And I also hope to help get you to where you can be receiving direct, logical communications from the Divine (the deities you work with) - it should eventually come to you in a way that plays out like a smoothish intuitively resonate, but logical dialogue - and, equally importantly, I want to continue to ensure you’re getting connected to sources in the Underground, so you can experience a balance between spiritual energies with that of earthly ones.

But, first off, a few words on the art and craft of Divination. When you get a vision, the content can pertain to you, your friends and family, the larger community or even the world-at-large i.e. “I received two symbols that represented an argument my mom and I had the other day,” or “I received a symbol that represented how the new community center in my neighborhood may have financial troubles,” or “I received a symbol that told me Japan and the countries in the Pacific Rim will be impacted by a large Tsunami soon.” Sometimes a vision will have a mix of symbols that refer to all three things, personal, community-oriented and global. Also, sometimes you will find references to a mix of spiritual systems, i.e. one single vision might contain a Jainist symbol and a Voodoo symbol. It is not uncommon. It is the artful skill of the Diviner to learn how to interpret and synthesize these things and then effectively convey them to others or use them as a catalyst for action.

So, when looking at a vision, you want to go through your checklist and make note of whether or not it contains personal references or large universal ones. You then also want to go through and make note of any religious or spiritual systems being referenced (especially if there’s more than one). Keep in mind though, this one, too, can have personal references, not always universally accepted. i.e. symbols that represent Islamic things to a Muslim individually; symbols not necessarily found in the Quran or are widely-known. So, when we say the emblems may be subjectively idiosyncratic (personal), we mean they may be only known to the person to which they refer. And, determining whether vision symbology is personal or universal is certainly easier said than done. You may receive an image of a one-legged chicken with a 100 dollar-bill in its mouth and have no earthly idea what the eff that means and thus, skip over it when, unbeknownst to you, it is the exact image your hypothetical friend Bob has tattooed on his back, rife with personal meaning and weight (although perhaps he never elaborated on this to you). And so, your vision was actually relevant and perhaps you could have helped him with something important he was going through. Of course, there is no way one person could account for all of this every time - if you don't know, you don't know - but the moral of the story is simply just to be thorough and carefully consider each symbolic item, even if it's not immediately clear what it means or represents. Some of it may seem like rubbish or junk content, but actually, have value. Conversely, you likely will not be able to account for all of it either. And you can run yourself ragged trying to. Piece together as much as you can from your visions but realize there really are random, irrelevant things that come through the currents too sometimes, and there's no soothsayer out there that's able to make sense of all of it.

But, before we leave this subject, I also want to make sure you're aware that when a person practices Divination, all of that symbolism has to pass through the personal filter of the psychic's or channeler's or witch's own mind and it can get morphed or distorted there. More on that later. Boy, our job is fun! So, it's best to go forth a bit cautious when it comes to prophesizing the past, present or future, (especially the future) because there are a lot of factors at play and it takes a lot of practice to suss out what's what. With that being said, intuition and intellect can fuse together to formulate some amazing and startlingly accurate insight that can really help you and your loved ones improve your lives and that of your environment.

Relatedly, I, myself, may or may not know what everything means or pertains to in the vision you sent me. I will, however, share with you my thoughts on a few things that immediately stood out.

Your Vision:

I'll start with your reference to the Four Cardinal Directions (North, South, East, and West).

“Three flaming mountains to the east. Lightning and ram wearing an amulet around its neck to the south. Waterfall flowing into the form of a woman’s face to the west. Cracks in the earth to the north.”

In the Celtic tradition, East corresponds to Air, South to Fire, West to Water and North to Earth. East: I will leave that one blank for now; “Lightning” quite nearly matches the Celtic Fire symbology of the South; “Waterfalls” match the Celtic Water symbology of the West; “Cracks in the earth” match the Celtic Earth symbology of the North (1). Your vision could very well be making a general reference to the ancient Druidic/Celtic system of knowledge, divination, and magick.

Curiously, Yours Truly is currently studying to enter a Druidic/Celtic magickal circle out in Agoura Hills, so it’s rather synchronous timing that you picked up things which symbolize the Four Cardinal Directions from the particular spiritual system I'm thinking of joining. The Four Cardinal Directions are used in many magickal systems, including Druidic, and many astrological systems, including both Western Tropical and Western Sidereal, though many of these systems (magickal and astrological) apply their own idiosyncratic meaning.

As you might have noted, the only aspect of the vision that doesn’t match up with one of the Celtic Cardinal Points is that of “Three flaming mountains to the east.” Thus, I would like to direct your attention to the Flaming Mountains in China (The East). These mountains exist in the Taklamakan Desert and are home to the Bezelik Thousand Buddha Caves (in a gorge under the cliffs of the mountains). The caves contain thousands of murals of the Buddha. The name itself, Flaming Mountains, comes from a story about a Buddhist monk, in fact. This, along with the reference to the Chinese Buddhist Bodhisattva, Kuan Yin, (a.k.a  Kwan Yin, Guanyin, Guan Yin (2), the bodhisattva of Mercy and Compassion) and I’d say you have yourself a tidy little reference to Buddhism also. Possibly marrying the East with the North.

And, on the subject of marrying the East with the North, Buddhism and its basic understandings of “self-awareness” and “right mind, right words, right deed, right energy”(3) are BIG in the Underground. I, myself, have been heavily connected to Buddhism for most of my adult life. Here in the Underground, those of us in the United States (in other words, NORTH America) have been making a big push to marry ourselves to a lot of the ideology found in the EAST, specifically Buddhism. In fact, many learned Buddhist philosophers and scholars hold symposiums in the Underground. Perhaps this is the PAST portion of your vision (although the Buddhist influence is also ongoing in the Underground).

In terms of the astrological references in your vision, I can tell you that on July 17th, 2019, Mars and Retrograde Jupiter were in what is called a Trine relationship with each other. That means they were forming part of a triangle. That is sacred geometry for “good” and “positive,” haha. No, but seriously, they were in auspicious aspect to one another, forming part of a Trine, which means there was a smooth easy flow to how the firey decisiveness of Mars (and possibly its connection to the East, in your vision) was relating to the jovial, expansiveness of Jupiter (and possibly its connection to the South, in your vision). The two planets connected through a Trine can bring clear action that's committed to a deeper truth, expanded consciousness and guidance. But it won't come without work and deeper introspection than usual. The emphasis on "a ship under Jupiter pointing at the man’s mouth," might very well refer to insightful counsel because Jupiter is the sign of the teacher. Jupiter is often paired with philosophy or someone like Socrates. Now is the time to move toward those people and collectives of great insight where the words coming out of the "man's mouth" are profound and Jupiterian. A further interpretation I’ll leave to your own contemplations. However, it should be noted that, ironically, Jupiter was actually in the North position in the Western zodiac at the time (July 17th, 2019).

In the Southern Hemisphere, in the summer months, Orion’s Belt can be seen in the night sky. In your vision, Orion’s Belt was found to the Southeast of the eastern Flaming Mountains in China. Well, therein lies Australia. It lies to the southeast of China in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the season of Winter there right now, but from December 1, 2019 - February 28, 2020, it will be Summer. Perhaps that is the FUTURE portion of your vision, and there is yet more to understand in terms of how such a country might be connected. I can tell you that I have a very, very good friend from Australia and he does a lot of work with me in the Underground. Perhaps you can meet him at some point. He does a lot of work talking about being a parent and also about performing in the performing arts.

As for the rest of the imagery in your vision, I’ll leave it up to you to play around with matching its content to what has been submitted here. I'd certainly love to hear what you arrive at if you'd like to share it with me. 😸😸😸

———

Footnotes:

(1) If the EMF (electromagnetic field) is tweaked out enough, like what's currently happening within the South Atlantic Anomaly, the poles will reverse itself. In other words, on a compass, North will become South, etc. The electromagnetic current will register differently on human devices which gauge the Cardinal Directions. What is currently being discussed by Californians in the Underground is how the recent series of earthquakes which struck Ridgecrest might have disrupted the electromagnetic current which allows for smooth telepathy and psychic reception. Earthquakes of the size that hit Ridgecrest would NOT have been big enough though to outright reverse the poles of the Four Cardinal Directions (North, South, East, West), but geophysics says the Four Cardinal Directions and the EMF are correlated and much metaphysical thinking says the EMF and psychic/telepathic channeling is correlated. A LOT of people are talking about it in the Underground and interestingly, you had this vision at this same time. The “Cracks in the earth to the north” are undoubtedly a reference to the Ridgecrest earthquakes, here in the Northern Hemisphere, shaking up the EMF currents here in the Underground, making it difficult for many serious psychics/telepaths/channelers/mediums, not to mention a fair amount of folks in the Underground, to get clear reception. Although, not part of your communique, might I submit that this perhaps is the PRESENT portion of your vision?

(2) She is also found in Indian Buddhism, Tibetan Tantric Buddhism and was adopted by Japanese Shinto much later.

(3) You’ll find these referenced in the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path.

~~~FIN~~~

this heartsigh nightmare

a vagrant tishbite and spiderdust lust; the shimmy of some spellbound kiss ought to have saved her from the cruelty of tedium on any blistering summer's eve. 

but it didn't. 

her veins twinged, fluttershy starlight by night; the crest of a hope meeting its dying claim. hers was the forgotten soul, perishable and cobweb splayed, fretting in its sleep — periwinkle the twinkle of a laugh with lover shared, but rued for its careless promise. 

how long must she continue to toil?

the birdsong of ambient yen wrapped tightly around her, clutching the despondency that lain deep within her throat - bloodstained lace enshrined with twine strewn among the forest. it wasn’t going to give her up so easily, although she crinkle sprinkled glittersilver tears into confessing her story:  

a tumble down to the brown wet dirt of an undead specter bartering with the devil over nuances of lost will.

and with a great and fearsome clap, the furiously hellbent against her sprang from the gallows’ desire misfired into the carrion of her patience, gulping it whole. as the angels wept she slept while monsters schemed and foiled — yet never managed to fully extinguish her verve; the many suns within and beside her: 

sprightly flight across the galaxy like fireworks spritz orange soda against an ebony of space without looking to see why. 

will she be imprudent?

somehow she was always prevailing amidst the midnight of her sorrows but that delusion wouldn’t protect her in the face of corporeal injury, for vultures descend quickly upon nudity among friends — dissecting the sinew, clawing the trust until nothing remains but cosmic dust rust. 

…and the moonset cast its last haunted lonely of phosphorescent pallor into the mouths of the greedily mysterious as though only furtive hearts understood the ache of surrender like she did. 

it was not to be a gentle night or an impartial one.

because to rouse herself from slumber she would need to hurl all translunary operas from her mind and loose the damned of their bondage or else fling transylvanian fiends into the inky regret of an enduring memory without so much as a moment’s hesitation. 

and her hands — dervishly impertinent to the enmity of woe, must sync to the sapphire spangle of her eyes, glinting the ashen, threadbare and obtuse into banished oblivion — thus, rending diamond skies of shadow bordeaux on her lips in the dawn as it’s peaking awake! to start seeking ambition elsewhere now: 

where the orchids bloom and the bow of kaleidoscopic fortune is plucked tight — shot once and again for good measure — howsoever it snaps back — as though lipsuck struck in the heart by a nascent star pulsing electric daylight into her brain so she will wake up.

wake up and move.

© Copyright 2019 Seraphime Angelis, All Rights Reserved.

Freewill vs. Determinism: Examining the Murder of Brother Africa

In light of the recent LAPD homicide of Skid Row resident Brother Africa, another DTLA resident asserted that to try to hold law enforcement to a higher standard of ethical practices, and to insist on evaluating environmental influences and prejudicial bias against those who exhibit “criminal” patterning, is nothing more than a dependency on "good vs. evil determinism” 

So, I decided to take a closer look at so-called Determinism as a means of excusing ourselves from the duty of maintaining ethical integrity on a societal level, and here is what I arrived at. This was originally posted in "DTLA" to the person waging the claim. I realize not everyone may come to similar conclusions, and that’s fine. If my thoughts merely serve as a springboard for your own narrations, then I have accomplished something. Thanks for reading.

~~

Determinism, in essence, is: the absence of freewill to the extent that it excuses one from any moral responsibility. For starters, such a concept as an absolute is farcical because it is impossible for Africa to escape the responsibility of what he did. He is dead. He has shouldered the ultimate responsibility for swinging at cops, and (possibly/possibly not) grabbing something from a cop's holster; something some feel was a very foolish thing to do with the LAPD, as things presently stand in our culture. This is what a lot of DTLA residents are responding to on a visceral level; this need to see one take complete responsibility for one's actions. But, there is already inherent consequential responsibility for every action we take, whether we acknowledge it or not. It is built into the physics of our universe: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This can be applied both philosophically and psychologically, as well. As operatives of freewill, however, we can choose how to either contribute to, ignore or redirect, to greater or lesser degrees, that original, equal and opposite reaction to, say, Africa’s action, in this case. Let’s say he did grab the gun: Africa made a “push,” the cops felt an impetus to “pull,” but the cops can characterize the manifestation of that “pull” in a variety of different ways, away from the initial impetus even, which may have been to desperately protect themselves. Africa made his choice and they made theirs. But, arguably, they all could have chosen differently. Regardless of training or inculcation. At the same time, I am calling attention to the fact that Africa himself was reacting to actions done to him; a lifetime of actions, whether genetic arrangement, which led to his impaired mental health, rendering him ill-equipped to make sound decisions, or the repetitive invalidity of racism and class oppression. We are not without the receipt of profound and correlated influence. No one exists in a vacuum. And some of those influences are insidiously widespread, at times invisible, and already imbued with a fuck of a lot of misplaced authority and power. Because this isn’t an either/or: Freewill vs. Determinism. That would be forcing a binary on a multi-faceted situation. There is dialectic, yes, but it is otherwise reductive to the complexities involved to continue to push narratives of so-called reality acceptance upon victims of violence that justify some people's fear of change and improvement. But, perhaps it is more efficient instead to say, if some think activists are applying determinism to Africa, then it would appear as though some are applying determinism to police response. They are accusing activists of what they themselves are personifying.

Put yet another way: fight or flight; either course, the physiological impetus to respond to stimulus is real. Yet our conditioning serves to color the likelihood or tendency to respond more one way or another. Most of us do not have to strictly accept this bias, however long ingrained, but it can be harder than hell to altar its path, and that needs to be respected. Freewill affords us the responsibility to choose differently. Better. But, it applies to everyone, even long-standing institutions that have the groundswell of mainstream majority condoning their actions.

Thus, a focus on creating paradigmatic shifts within law enforcement and correctional facilities has erupted because attention to “correcting,” fixing and curing the coping mechanisms (fight or flight) of POC, the mentally ill and chemically dependent civilian populations have heretofore been the only discussions mainstream America legitimizes, to the exclusion of substantive, unapologetic critique of law enforcement practices (particularly the increasingly militarized). The narrative has been disproportionate in relation to the vast array of factors creating these perfect storms.

Some Thoughts on the Cardinal Grand-Cross of 2014

The thing with Uranus/Aquarian energy is that it's great for fostering a sense of communal love for another - at least at a distance; not so good when peeps is up-close and sweaty. So, considering Uranus has a NEED to let his freak flag fly, and he's currently residing in Self-Identifying, Me-First Aries, also opposing Mars in Libra (relationships/contracts), there's a real push-pull going on in terms of self vs. other. Mars isn't making things easy, bringing discord and confrontation to existing and fledgling relationships, where one or both partners may not have felt free to really be themselves confidently and with support, until now. When you factor in Pluto, who's squaring them both, any old hidden resentments or buried subconscious content related to power-dynamics, or subduing your individual needs in lieu of maintaining the Status Quo, are just not gonna fly anymore. The outburst may be shocking. But it's not so much about toppling old institutions like before (Saturn's not involved this time), as it is about taking on cruel, abuse-of-power patterning. The demand is for a new, egalitarian template which honors the self more thoroughly. The more pain and suffering that's been endured up till now, the greater the outburst from its victims. It may be a good time to shed those who are not truly aligned with the real, quirky, imperfect you, while also letting in the comfort that everyone's being shaken up at the same time. Everyone's being asked to undergo this process. It's challenging many people's paradigms, and this is one reason we are stepping on each others' toes, even when well-meaning.

But, take heart, even though Uranus works best with people on a somewhat impersonal level, transpersonal, shared grief and adventure can be what keeps us hanging in there, together, connected, and feeling not alone. Huzzah internet, remote viewing, telepathic communications. However, it may be prudent to keep certain reactionary relationships at arm's length until the planets move out of cross-aspect (particularly if either of you has natal points being triggered). Some will experience this as an internal metamorphoses, beckoning them to re-align themselves more authentically with their Highest Self - which, excitedly, is a few dimensions higher than they were before; others will receiving urgent promptings from without, forcing a similar transmogrification. And still, others will watch, agog, as the energies implode/explode in ALL directions [ahem!]. Neither is better or worse, though trying your best to go with the flow is recommended. There will be lots of tumbly twists and turns on this ride (so grab your hat!), because the Grand Cross is trying to settle the score on several issues at once; so while you may head out in a Westerly direction in the morning, anxious to play soccer with your friends at that fabulous neighborhood park, suddenly, inexplicably, by noon, you'll be yanked to the East, where all sorts of bizarre never-before-seen creatures exist to greet you. And just as you finally work up your courage to engage with such magickal beings, BLAMMO! to the South you're now headed for supper, where a profound business issue from the distant past awaits and must be resolved NOW, and so on. Another astrologer recently said the only way out is through. Perhaps.

And briefly, about Jupiter (though so much more could be said): he's the fourth planet in the Cardinal Grand Cross. In short, he likes to expand and add enthusiasm to everything. So, if you're frustrated with anything, you'll express it with gusto and relish. He can be a bit of a saving grace throughout all this (Jupiter and Uranus work especially well together), making sure there's a bit of sugar to make the medicine go down, although the square enhances the Big Ole Guy's tendency toward over-spending.

Angels, Aliens and Occult Symbology, or, the Story Behind Seraphim

For anyone who's ever wondered whether the Seraphim are those creepy-ass angels with the face of an eagle-lion-ox-man in The Book of Revelation - sometimes associated with the coming of the end (hehehe) - the answer is, YES! And for anyone who has ever asked me what differentiates them from the Cherubim, here's the skinny on that, and perhaps clarification on points of confusion, per one source, at least. 

      'The fearful form of the cherubim: The four living creatures that support the throne of God exhibited to Ezekiel a fourfold aspect; they had each the face of a man, the face of a lion, and the face of an ox; they also had the face of an eagle. They had each four wings; they had the hands of a man under their wings. "Two wings of every one were joined one to the other, and two covered their bodies." They were accompanied by wheels which "went upon their four sides, and they turned not when they went"; "and their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and their wheels were full of eyes"; and the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning." Such is a concise description of their appearance as set forth in Ezekiel (chap. i.).'

      'The seraphim are described by Isaiah (vi. 1––3): "I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried to another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." And in Revelation (iv. 6): "Round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind, and the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within."'

      'It will be noticed that these descriptions differ from that of Ezekiel, not only in the number of wings, but also in the individuality of each beast being separate and independent, not compounded of the four.' [1]

In Christian angelic hierarchy the Seraphim rank first and most holy, positioned closest to God. However, in the Hebrew caste, Seraphim rank only as fifth.[2] Probably my favorite association is that of the Seraphim to dragons, as dragons are one of my personal totems.

     'Literally "burning ones", the word seraph is normally a synonym for serpents when used in the Hebrew Bible. A seminal passage in the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-8) used the term to describe fiery six-winged beings that fly around the Throne of God crying "holy, holy, holy"'.

     'The word seraphim, literally "burning ones", transliterates a Hebrew plural noun; translation yields seraphs. The word saraph/seraphim appears three times in the Torah (Numbers 21:6–8, Deuteronomy 8:15) and four times in the Book of Isaiah (6:2–6, 14:29, 30:6). In Numbers and Deuteronomy the "seraphim" are serpents—the association of serpents as "burning ones" is possibly due to the burning sensation of the poison (of snakes). Isaiah also uses the word in close association with words to describe snakes (nachash, the generic word for snakes, in 14:29, and epheh, viper, in 30:6).

Seraphs appear in the 2nd-century BC Book of Enoch where they are designated as drakones (δράκονες "serpents"), and are mentioned, in conjunction with cherubs, as the heavenly creatures standing nearest to the throne of God. Two other classes of celestial beings were equated with the seraphim - the phoenixes and the chalkydri (from Greek χαλκός "copper", "brass" + ύδρα "hydra", "water-snake"; lit. "brazen hydras" or "serpents"), who were both described as "flying elements of the sun".

They appear also in the Christian Gnostic text On the Origin of the World, described as "dragon-shaped angels". [3]

Dragon (n.)
early 13c., from Old French dragon, from Latin draconem (nominative draco) "huge serpent, dragon," from Greek drakon (genitive drakontos) "serpent, giant seafish," apparently from drak-, strong aorist stem of derkesthai "to see clearly," from PIE *derk- "to see." Perhaps the literal sense is "the one with the (deadly) glance." [4]

'Some authorities hold that the seraphim had their origin in the Egyptian "seref," a composite, winged creature, half lion and half eagle, which guarded graves, carried dead kings up to heaven, and transmittedprayers thither.' [5]

And yet other Egyptologists feel "the Seraphim were inspired by Wadjet, an Egyptian goddess of the Sun, fire and the Milky Way. Depicted as a cobra standing aggressively, Wadjet was the protector of Ra and of the Pharaoh, and was a prevalent emblem of the divine might of the egyptian kings, hence becoming  very common symbol. Influenced by the power of the Serpent as a guardian, ancient Hebrews likely incorporated protective cobras in their symbolism, and while creatures akin to the seraph are difficult to find in Canaanite Mythology, the idea that Wadjet is the inspiration for these beings is universally accepted by archaeologists...The Mesoamerican feathered serpent deities like Tohil and Quetzalcoatl are obviously also similar, some of them being solar deities." [6]

*

BOTH classes of angels (Seraphim and Cherubim) are associated with symbology of the four Elements (Fire, Earth, Air, Water), the Fixed Qualities (Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable), and Directions (South, North, East, West) in Astrology; as well as the four suits of the Tarot (Wands, Pentacles, Swords, Cups); and the four suits of a regular deck of playing cards (Clubs, Diamonds, Spades, Hearts). Thus, Seraphim and Cherubim are both thought to represent the following concepts; the Seraphim individually, the Cherubim as a composite: Lion=Fire (Leo, South/Summer); Calf or Ox=Earth (Taurus, North/Spring); Man=Air (Aquarius, East/Winter); Eagle=Water (Scorpio, West/Fall). The Fixed qualities of each brings stability, fecundity and diversity enough to allow humanity to prosper and take root. You could say the Fixed Qualities offer the building blocks to civilization. The Elements represent basic energetic signatures believed to comprise all matter animate and inanimate. And the Directions equate each the four seasons: Summer, Spring, Winter, Fall (typically it's read Summer, Spring, Fall, Winter, but I was keeping sequentially with the quoted selection above).

The Rider-Waite deck, et al, depict the four Fixed figures on its World card, where all things are thought to manifest according to what is aligned with one's highest benefit and most fulfilling happiness.

Sadly, since some sources cite Lucifer as having once been a Seraphim (Seraphim=serpent; Lucifer=serpent [7]; or possibly a Gregori or possibly a Cherubim, who knows), and an Archangel (sometimes the former class is seen as being the leaders or part of the latter [8], there are those who feel that a gang of fallen Seraphim, lead by the Anti-Christ, will come to assert dominion over the Earth. According to the Book of Enoch, these same Fallen Angels or Watchers, also called the Anunnaki (Sumerian) and, sometimes the Elohim (Hebrew), interbred with humans to create a hybrid race. Certain modern alien narratives state that the Anunnaki, the fallen Seraphim, and their human/alien hybrid spawn, the Nephilim, are fiercesome alien beings with a negative agenda of domination and mind control.

Well, you can't win 'em all.

Fortunately, The Book of Enoch describes more than one kind of Watcher or Seraphim (I'm tentatively using them interchangeably pending more research) for Wikipedia (yeah, I know) states, "The Third Book of Enoch gives attention to the UNfallen Watchers."

You're welcome, Interwebs!



[1] http://www.sacred-texts.com/lcr/fsca/fsca12.htm

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seraph

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seraph

[4] http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=dragon

[5] http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13437-seraphim

[6] http://gwawinapterus.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/heavenly-dragons/

[7] http://www.raphael.net/scripture/seraphim.htm

[8] http://angels.about.com/od/AngelsReligiousTexts/a/Seraphim-Angels-Burning-With-Passion-For-God.htm

The Ethical Handling of Wildlife "Threats" - A Dialogue

the following thread contains a debate subsequent to a facebook status line which my old childhood friend, charlie, posted as his status on sunday, 9.25.10. he found a rattlesnake in his yard, hissing at his rottweiler and without first attempting to see if he could capture and relocate the snake, decided to resolve the matter by killing it outright. knowing charlie for no less than 30 years, i knew his status line was aimed at me, considering i'm the only animal rights activist he knows. at times, we veer a bit off-topic and i am referred to alternately as both paula and seraphime (for those of you unaware of my dual personality), but i think you will get the gist of the discussion.

and, is it just me or were michelle's and james' assertions TOTALLY INSANE, based on no merited scientific findings whatsoever?!?

i, for one, had hard a time stomaching the frivolity by which everyone was addressing the snake's killing; common but disheartening. and notice, i did not get any "likes" under my comments. :P

Charles ‎

8:08 pm, 88 degrees outside, and the sprinkler I heard outside was actually a 2.5 foot rattlesnake warning our rottweiler to stay away. I killed it. Sorry all you PETA people.

Sunday at 8:08pm · Comment · Like

Robin

Jesus Christ, remind me not to ever visit you. ;)

Sunday at 8:17pm · Like

Ray

do you seriously have to be reminded NOT to visit him. think not.

Sunday at 8:49pm · Like

Kathleen

The snake or the rottweiller? - Bob

Sunday at 9:27pm · Like

Charles

touche!

Sunday at 9:28pm · Like

Michelle

The Rottie deserved to be saved!

Sunday at 9:31pm · Like

Mary

Rules......if you kill it, you must cook it and eat it...Charlie, duh! Please tell me that I need to send recipes!

Sunday at 10:38pm · Like

Seraphime

well, for sure the rottweiler deserved to be protected but there were other solutions. you could have captured the snake to separate him from the dog then release him somewhere else.

Yesterday at 5:39am · Like

Alisha

that is gross!!!!!

Yesterday at 12:34pm · Like

Michelle

Charlie - I'm glad you didn't try to "relocate" the snake. I stand by your decision!

Yesterday at 12:44pm · Like

James

Catchin' your own vittles now, Charlie? Skin it, dice the flesh, and fry'm up, shikkabob-style, tomatoes, onions, peppers, on the barbi! Mmmm.

Yesterday at 2:17pm · Like

Mary

Sounds yummy. Save the skin for boots the snake then had a purpose in life. How zen of you. You are my hero! All that and saved the puppy, too!

Yesterday at 2:31pm · LikeUnlike · 1 person

James

Whose baby needs a rattle? don't be shy, now!

Yesterday at 2:52pm · Like

Sheryl

I‎'m a peta person but my dog comes first!

23 hours ago · Like

Seraphime

well, to be a peta person inherently means thinking of your dog...but it also means thinking of the snake, the wildlife, too, not just the easy-to-like domesticated buddies we're used to championing. i don't stand by your decision, sir charles, but i'm glad you were interested in protecting your sweet dog.

20 hours ago · Like

Charles

rattlesnakes are territorial. If they are within 100 feet of the house, then, sorry. Paula, have you ever had a rattlesnake inside of your house? Human + pet = snake life?

20 hours ago · LikeUnlike · 1 person

Seraphime

don't apologize to me. i'm not the one you killed. snake territoriality as a justification for your action? i'd rather accept your panic - for that's more honest and relatable. many of us would have done what you did as a result of panic, but not all of us would turn around and brag about it.

how about investigating alternative reactions and methods of preparation which protect everyone involved and then rehearsing yourself to react differently in the future?

19 hours ago · Like

Charles

paula, as the girl that I once loved, sometimes you have to kill to live. If I'm wrong for being here, then I shouldn't defend my space in this universe.

19 hours ago · Like

Seraphime

sometimes you have to kill to live: yes, perhaps. but with you, we're not just talking sometimes. the snake in conjunction with your daily intake of meat and dairy make you a full-time killer and not even for the purposes of survival. the problem with that philosophy is that we have convinced ourselves that every action of murder is absolutely necessary for our base survival. that's just not the case anymore. if you are truly interested in preserving life you'll look into possible solutions for your panic which include safety of the snake, too.

here's a few:

http://www.snakegetters.com/emergency.html

http://www.kingsnake.com/snakegetters/

http://www.anapsid.org/societies/venomousrelocators.html

http://www.phoenixsnakeremoval.com/

http://www.snakeremovaltrap.com/

http://www.peta.org/issues/Wildlife/living-in-harmony-with-nature.aspx

http://prime.peta.org/2010/05/humane-gardening-tips-fake-snakes-serve-as-serpent-sentries

18 hours ago · Like

Charles

seraphime, I don't kill when the venomous snake inside of my territory. I need snakes to keep the population of rabbits down...or coveys of quail

18 hours ago · Like

Seraphime

i'm def. glad to hear that, sweetie. :) check out some of those relocation sites. you'll likely be able to find tips for safely capturing venomous snakes if not find

companies which'll provide that service.

18 hours ago · Like

Mary

When someone such as Charlie makes the initial statement that he did, it is obvious that he is feeling bad for the snake....otherwise no comment need be made by him. He is definitely doing the "yikes" thing or he would have not posted it on FaceBook. For anyone to chastise his behavior is foolish. As to the comments about panic -

not in his vocabulary.....sticking up for my little brother.

18 hours ago · Like

Seraphime

his remorse is not necessarily so obvious when one takes into account his occasionally goading, sarcastic tendencies, of which i cannot believe you have never been exposed to. having known charlie for 30 years myself, i'd say i know a thing or two about his rascally ways. besides, he knows my political viewpoints stand in diametric opposition to his. it wouldn't be the first time he said something inflammatory knowing i'd see it. of course i'd respond! no biggie, it's our dynamic. i wouldn't have it any other way. and you sticking up for your brother is totally understandable. i'd do the same if it were my brother, too.

as for it being foolish to remind him of the possibility of preserving all the life involved in that kind of situation - if that's foolish, then count me a fool a thousand times over. however you categorize me is fine, as long as the kernel to more compassionate living has been planted.

18 hours ago · Like

Charles

I will never compliment your sexiness again. I suck.

18 hours ago · Like

Seraphime

hahahahahaha! no, no, wait!! i wasn't sayin' your sarcastic nature isn't sexy. in fact, it IS!!! it's one of the things i always think of and enjoy the most about you (in my own very challenging way).

18 hours ago · Like

Mary

please do tell of his rascally ways......I am actually an old family friend. I formally step aside and welcome the sidebar! This is cute. I must point out that I can only "whack" Charlie - so milady - do tell! On the other hand....Charlie is Charlie.....Charlies are always that way.....

18 hours ago · Like

James

Um, we are talking about a 2.5 foot long rattlesnake that had no problem confronting a Rottweiller. That's a pretty bold snake -- and it wasn't hunting to eat. As far as

animal projects, it would be IMPOSSIBLE for as many human beings who do so to live on this planet with the alternation of crops and livestock: you would have soil

depletion and total deforestation.

18 hours ago · LikeUnlike · 2 people

Mary

how many times can I press the" like" button for that comment! Mr. Conlan - thank you!

17 hours ago · Like

Seraphime

‎@mary: lmfao! i'm gonna use that myself: "charlies are always that way." hmmm, let's see...rascally ways include, but are not limited to, writing nasty poems about nuns

in grade school, taking on high school sports coaches in a way that makes them completely regress into cro magnon status and the courting of jr high girls with

valentine smurfs until they cannot refuse his charms. rascally, rascally, rascally!

as an unrelated sidebar, not two seconds ago, i just referred to a friend of mine as "milady." trippy. ;)

17 hours ago · Like

Seraphime

i'm sorry, james, i don't fully understand your comment: you said, it would be impossible for the many human beings who live on this planet to do so "WITHOUT" (---did you accidentally leave that word out?) the alternation of crops and livestock?

@mary, world peace would be an excellent topic! ...though i suspect not nearly as engaging. ;)
3 hours ago · Like

Seraphime
please set me say though: i doubt anyone on this thread is someone who purposely tries to be mean-spirited or abusive toward animals. it's an important paradigm shift that's happening, that's required of us, to continue evolving into the most compassionate creatures we're capable of being.
3 hours ago · Like

Mary
KIDS!!!! I've got it!!!!!! We are all trying to say the same thing here! Vegetarian/animal rights, etc. Ready????

Save a horse, ride a cowboy!!!!!
3 hours ago · LikeUnlike · 1 person

James
LOL, Mary! Stephen Wright is prompting me to say, "Hi, my name is Bucky Goldstein."
2 hours ago · Like

Seraphime
also, @michelle, the health benefits to a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle have been well-established. one needn't look far to find copious support for this:

“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.… An evidence-based review showed that vegetarian diets can be nutritionally adequate in pregnancy and result in positive maternal and infant health outcomes. The results of an evidence-based review showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. Vegetarians also appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than non-vegetarians. Furthermore, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates.”

from the “Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets,”
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, July 2009

~the consumption of animal fats has been linked to numerous health problems: heart disease, colon and lung cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension and obesity (among others).
~the myth about not being able to get enough protein on a vegan-based diet is precisely that, a myth. you can get plenty of protien in beans, nuts, lentils and vegetables that are much easier for your system to digest than meat-based protein. much healthier for you too, for they stave off colon cancer by passing through your system much more quickly.
~by eliminating meat and dairy from your diet you will reduce the likelihood of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes by at least 40%. considering heart disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women in this country, that's no bit of inconsequential trivia there. that's serious stand up and listen information.
~also, eliminating any food that comes from an animal will eliminate all dietary cholesterol from your diet, which is a good thing.
~a major study showed that men in the early stages of prostate cancer who switched to a vegan diet either stopped the progress of the cancer or even reversed the illness.
~countries where women eat very little meat and animal products have a much lower rate of breast cancer than do the women in countries that consume more animal products.

http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/19/57-health-benefits-of-going-vegan/
http://library.thinkquest.org/C004833/health_en.shtml
http://www.veganhealth.org/
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vegetarian_foods.html
2 hours ago · Like

James
At Seraphime: Murder can not be committed against an animal in any culture. Cruelty toward animals is immoral; however, it is not the same thing as (a) killing an animal; (b) eating its flesh once it is killed; (c) raising an animal to be ...eaten, or (d) using an animal to relieve the burdens on human beings. That's the point of the sacrifices in Exodus -- to show PUBLICLY that human beings are MORE IMPORTANT than animals.

Same thing in Cain and Abel in Genesis -- a story, by the way, which encapsulates what happens when a farmer ceases to work alongside a shepherd -- he wanders forever, killing people in his path, until he arrives on a flood plain.

Incest, as you call it, is allowed in Genesis, a time before the law of Moses. But read Exodus, Deuteronomy, & Leviticus, and you'll see that God tightens the reins up on the Chosen in a big way. You can't even sleep with your brother's widow, much less your sister (like Abraham) or your father's concubine (like Reuben, who was punished for it, btw).

Sensitivity toward the environment means, principally and fundamentally, thinking about how to feed people and dispose of the waste without diminishing resources for
the next generation. As there are expected to be more people in the next generation than in this one, it would spell an environmental disaster if we adopted less efficient means of fertilizing the earth than those we have now. So, you can be a vegetarian, but all you are doing is lying to yourself: the crops you eat are fertilized with the waste of animals who are raised to be slaughtered for meat. One less consumer of meat does not mean that there is less livestock raised for the slaughter; it means that the price of meat goes down.

McDonald's thanks you for your support.
2 hours ago · Like

James
‎@Seraphime [Paula?]: (P.S.: in other words, the thousand+ metric tons of water than went into that 1000-pound steer didn't stay there: Enjoy your sprouts.)
2 hours ago · Like

Seraphime
@james: as i mentioned earlier, it is an untenable position to rely solely on one source for the dictate of one's moral actions. equally as incomplete is the act of
deciphering the contents of the bible in a purely literal way. to do so locks you into the behavior of ancient civilizations whose values are not necessarily inclusive of the growth humanity has made over time. why would we want to regress ourselves? we've made some very necessary, enlightened improvements over the centuries with regard to how we treat ourselves, each other and the planet. additionally, a purely literal interpretation of the bible dismisses all that is to be gained from metaphor, whose infinite complexity endows us, for one, with the ability to retain ethical direction while growing into the improvements and realizations made by a more mature consciousness.

if you are truly interested in conducting yourself morally, as i assume you are, it would be beneficial to expose yourself to several treatise of highly principled contemplation. otherwise, you are merely a christian rather than an objectively well-rounded, ethically sound christian.

in the vein of biblical foundations for our actions, this text makes the point that the Golden Rule, which Helmut F. Kaplan calls the Theory of Everything in Ethics,
should also be adopted when dealing with animals. 
http://www.tierrechte-kaplan.org/en/blickfeld/index.html

however, my purpose is not to discuss the bible. it is to point out that while acting to save the rottweiler was a very noble action on charlie's part, it was equally as
important to keep the snake's life intact. at least to try. for one animal life is not better than another. just as human life and need is not more important than animals' lives and needs. to say that killing an animal is not murder is based on the assumption that animal life does not contain consciousness and, observationally alone, that does not bear out, not to mention how study after study supports the demonstration of animals' amazingly deep capacity to think, feel and reflect. and when i say consciousness, i'm referring to the ability to develop attachments and preferences like that of connection to one's family and environment or the preference to continue living; the ability to contemplate one's own existence and place in the world (and to have definite opinions and feelings about it) and the ability to feel and experience pain, torture and mistreatment. both factory farming and the act of killing to consume wage war on all of these sensations. if you insist animals are not capable of experiencing emotion or cognition, just spend a day with your dog and observe how s/he will whine or bark when unhappy, wag their tail when pleased, cast you sorrowful "puppy dog eyes" when left behind from that fun trip to the beach. and this isn't endemic to mammals alone. the proof of animals' inner experiences being comparable to that of humans is easily observable; just open yourself to it.

if you agree that cruelty toward animals is immoral then you cannot support ingesting anything the meat and dairy industry have provided because intrinsically those industries are barbarous and cruel beyond your wildest imagination. please watch earthlings for clear examples of this. www.earthlings.com/

and finally, i don't know where you're getting your info from re what goes into environmental hazards but it is not based on anything science is supporting. the notion that fertilizing the earth with animal carcasses is saving the planet is bizarre. perhaps you mean animal feces? that is literally what fertilizer is comprised of.

as for the vegetarian/vegan movement constituting only "one less [meat] consumer" - again, i am getting the impression you are not regularly exposed to respectable news media because we constitute a hell of a lot more than one mere consumer. we are a viable movement comprising a large part of the consumer market, gaining formidable size and purchasing power with each handful of years. if anything, i'd be worrying about how to hold onto the meat market, if i were you - that's what all the captains of your industry are doing. and they're managing it by diversifying into the vegan/vegetarian markets. why do you think soy products have exploded with the fervor of a gold rush in our grocery marts? high demand.
33 minutes ago · Like

Seraphime
james, we're not recouping our investment (in any sort of vital way) of that thousand+ metric tons of water that went into the steer for several reasons. one being factory
farm cattle are literally not allowed to die on the spot, simply dissolving into the earth to fortify it. from the abattoir they're cut up and shipped off to supply unnecessary industries like leather, an industry which no longer serves to keep us alive the way it did back when we depended on it for warmth. the rest of the bovine matter is often just tossed in the trash, not benefiting anyone, least of all the cattle or the planet. if you doubt this, watch earthlings www.earthlings.com. the depraved waste of the meat and dairy industry is legendary.
7 minutes ago · Like

*according to facebook, james did respond to my last comment above but must have written something he soon regretted for it was deleted and now i can't access it.

The Simpsons & Family Guy: A Few Words....

I find the animated TV sitcom, The Family Guy, sexist. Just like the Simpsons was and is. Both endeavor to reflect the typical American family, which is irrepressibly sexist, and to make other various social commentaries. The Simpsons, being the first of its kind at the time, seemed much more tolerable than its successors because such a candid assessment of familial patterns had never been portrayed in prime-time cartoon format before. It was plucky and hilarious to realize what buffoons the whole of Americana was through this great show.
 

However, culture needs to not simply reflect society but understand that it shapes it, too. And after two decades such a commentary then becomes the very force that is continuing to propel those stereotypes it depicts. A single generation's worth is one thing (The Simpsons), but several generations of depicting apathetic, infantile father figures linked to passive, repressed, unambitious wives, mothers and sisters who begrudgingly tolerate families who doesn't support them in return, gets old.

Between The Simpsons and Family Guy, the issue isn't about which is funnier or better written,* it is about placement on the historical time-line and the role of culture in society. And both of them follow a similar model. My argument is that in light of the Simpsons, King of the Hill, Futurama, and South Park - Family Guy, whose name itself indicates a virtually exclusively male-centered perspective - might be offering something noteworthy if it didn't render the same low-impact, supportive, submissive female characters we’ve come to expect from prime time network television. I mean, society always needs biting satire - I'm certainly not suggesting we lose that - but I'd like to see conscious influence as well as mere reflection. Btw, I do think Futurama's Leela is a little more ballsy and independent, but she still easily falls into the responsible-mother cliché, keeping everyone together while the male characters get to be zany and consequence-free.

*Granted, Family Guy does have many hilarious jokes and they have perfected the art of the Non Sequitur, though in my opinion, the biggest reason Family Guy is more topical than the Simpsons is because it's simply a newer show, the writers and cast are more fresh, tuned in, etc. Simpsons in their prime, was just as tuned in as Family Guy is now, if not more so because the Simpsons were the first to recognize the American nuclear family needed to be satired with ruthless precision and thus, created an entirely new genre - whereas the Family Guy just carries the same torch already scooped up by the Simpsons, merely with a newer, brighter flame.