Marie Laveau

Marie Laveau I (1794?-1881) / Marie Laveau II (1827-1897)

Historically, this is a very interesting spell because Marie Laveau has been dubbed by many as "The Queen of Voodoo" of New Orleans and who was actually two people, mother (Marie Laveau I, the mother, supposedly was born in New Orleans in 1794) and then her daughter Marie Laveau II (Marie Laveau Clapion was born February 2, 1827).

"At the age of 70, in 1869, Marie gave her last performance as a voodoo queen. She announced she was retiring. She went to her Saint Ann Street home, but she never completely retired. She continued her prison work until 1875, and died in 1891. Then a similar tall woman with flashing black eyes, with the ability to control lives, emerged as Marie Laveau II." [Quoted from "the MSYTICA"]*

"It was never known whether her mother, Marie I, chose the role for her daughter, or whether Marie II chose the role to follow in her mother's footsteps for herself." [Quoted from "the MSYTICA"]*

The historical truth is a bit sketchy because it has been said that Marie Laveau II was originally a devout Catholic who mixed Catholic religious practices, the Roman Catholic Catechism (a summary of religious doctrine often in the form of questions and answers), Christian prayers and psalms (probably from the biblical hymns in "Book of Psalms") with her practice of Vodoun (Voodoo). She used gris-gris resembling charms and talismans, incense, statues of the Roman Catholic saints and the Virgin Mary, and holy water or "Marie Laveau Water" she more than likely made from New Orleans' Lake Pontchartrain.

"Strangely, Marie II 'died' in the public eye with Marie I seeming to pass into obscurity. Since the public had made no distinction between mother and daughter, the death of one ended the career of the other." [Quoted from "The MSYTICA"]*

There is still much mystery surrounding the historical "personalities" of Marie Laveau.

_______________

*www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/l/laveau_marie.html

Black Orpheus

Marcel Camus' Black Orpheus (a.k.a. "Orfeu Negro") took the art-house film world by storm, in 1959, with its stunning color photography of the Brazilian Carnival celebration and sultry bossa nova beats, winning both an Academy Award and the Palme d'or at Cannes.

Transplanting the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice to the slums of Rio de Janeiro, Black Orpheus brings Greek mythology to vivid, frenetic life.

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Yoruba Days of the Week Names

"THE Yorubas reckon time by moons and weeks. A moon, or month, is the period of time between one new moon and the next, and, as is the case with all peoples who count by lunar months, the day commences at sunset, that is at the hour at which a new moon would ordinarily be first perceived.

The custom of measuring time by lunar months appears to be common to all uncivilised peoples, the regular recurrence of the moon at fixed intervals of time affording a natural and easy mode of computing its lapse. The measurement of time by weeks, that is, by sub-divisions of the lunar month, seems, in the present state of our knowledge of the modes of measuring time amongst the lower races, to be rather exceptional; but the subject is one that has been much neglected by travellers, and there is but little information from which a conclusion may be drawn.

The Tshi-tribes of the Gold Coast have (as was stated in the first volume of this series) a seven-day week, or, to be more correct, they have divided the lunar month, which is approximately twenty-nine and a-half days long, into four parts, each of seven days and about nine hours. Hence, as before said,[1] each week commences at a different hour of the day, the reason of this arrangement being that twenty-nine and a-half will not divide exactly into halves and quarters. The first day of the first week of the lunar month commences when the new moon is first seen; the first day of the second week commences some nine hours later, and so on.

The Gã-tribes have an exactly similar mode of measuring time, but their names for the days of the week are not the same as those used by the Tshi-tribes.

They are-

1st. Dsu.
2nd. Dsu-fo.
3rd. Fso.
4th. So.
5th. So-ha.
6th. Ho.
7th. Ho-gba.

which, it will be seen, seem to consist of three pairs and an odd one, the third day.

The Yoruba week consists of five days, and six of them are supposed to make a lunar month; bnt, as a matter of fact, since the first day of the first week always commences with the appearance of the now moon, the month really contains five weeks of five days' duration, and one of four day-, and a-half, approximately. The Benin-tribes to the cast are said to have a similar method, and the Yoruba-tribes have perhaps borrowed the five-day week from them.

The Tsbi and Gã-tribes thus add a few hours to each seven-day week in order to make four of these periods coincident with a lunar month, and the Yorubatribes deduct about twelve hours from the last five

[1. "Tshi-speaking Peoples of the Gold Coast" pp. 215, 216.]

day week in order to make six of these periods agree with a lunar month. The reason is obvious. Twenty-nine and a-half will not divide, and the nearest numbers that will are twenty-eight and thirty. The Tshi and Gã-tribes have adopted the former as the integer to be divided, and consequently have had to add some hours, while the Yorubas have adopted the latter and have had to deduct.
We have said that to divide the lunar month into weeks appears to be exceptional among the lower races, but we have some examples. The Ahantas, who inhabit the western portion of the Gold Coast, divide the lunar month into three periods, two of ten days' duration, and the third lasting till the next new moon appears, that is, for about nine days and a-half. The Sofalese of East Africa must have had the same system, for De Faria says that they divided the month into three weeks of ten days each, and that the first day of the first week was the festival of the new moon.[1]

When a people has progressed sufficiently far in astronomical knowledge to have adopted the solar year as a measurement of time, the month, for the reason that an exact number of lunar months will not make up a solar year, becomes a civil period or calendar month, and is arbitrarily fixed at a certain number of days, or some months are made of one length and some of another. When this occurs, and the month is disconnected from the moon and its phases, it seems that the week-which was properly a sub-division of the lunar month, and was no doubt

[1. Astley's Collection, vol. iii., p. 397.]

designed to mark the chief phases of the moon-also becomes a civil period, and is a sub-division of the civil month. The ancient Greeks had a civil month of thirty days, divided into three weeks, each of ten days; and the Javanese, before the seven-day week was adopted from the Mohammedans, had a civil week of five days.[1] The former thus resembled the Ahantas, and the latter the Yorabas, and no doubt when the Greeks and Javanese reckoned time by lunar months instead of by civil, they, like the Ahantas and Yorubas, struck off the superfluous hours from the last sub-division of the month.

The names of the days of the Yoruba week are as follows:--

1. Ako-ojo. First day.
2. Ojo-awo. Day of the Secret (sacred to Ifa).
3. Ojo-Ogun. Ogun's Day.
4. Ojo-Shango. Shango's Day.
5. Ojo-Obatala. Obatala's Day.

Ako-ojo is a Sabbath, or day of general rest. It is considered unlucky, and no business of importance is ever undertaken on it. On this day all the temples are swept out, and water, for the use of the gods, is brought in procession. Each of the other days is a day of rest for the followers of the god to which it is dedicated, and for them only, Ojo-Shango being the Sabbath of the worshippers of the thunder-god, and Ojo-Ogun for those of the god of iron, but Ako-Ojo is a day of rest for all. A holy day is called Ose (se, to disallow), and because each holy day recurs weekly,

[1. Raffles' 'History of Java,' vol. i. p. 475.]

Ose has come also to mean the week of five days, or the period intervening between two holy days."

► Source:
Chapter VIII, “Measurements of Time”, Yoruba-Speaking Peoples of The Slave Coast of West Africa [1894] by A. B. ELLIS

http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/yor/yor09.htm

Vodou in New Orleans

A History of Voodoo in New Orleans
By Julia Roslyn Antle

In America, New Orleans is often associated with two things: Mardi Gras and Voodoo. Although only approximately 15-20% of the population of Louisiana practices the religion of voodoo (also known as Vodou), its dark allure has captured the attention of many. Tourists visiting New Orleans regularly seek out voodoo attractions and shops selling voodoo-related items, tantalized by stories of voodoo dolls, possession by evil spirits, voodoo curses, and zombies.

While such fare undoubtedly serves to entertain tourists, it does an injustice to the true meaning of traditional voodoo. Some sects of modern voodoo are indeed occultist in origin, but traditional voodoo has much more in common with wicca and Native American beliefs, and even Christianity.

Traditional voodoo is intended to help practitioners achieve a higher state of consciousness through trancelike communions with the natural spirits of the earth, called Loa, and to attain peace and wisdom.

The reemergence of voodoo in New Orleans and its widespread acceptance in Louisiana can be largely attributed to Marie Laveau. Marie Laveau was the daughter of a Frenchman, Charles Laveau , and a Caribbean, Marguerite Darcantel, who was a practitioner of voodoo. Modern voodoo in New Orleans today is a combination of Marie Laveau's practices and other influences from Haiti, Christianity, and Native Americans.

While Marie Laveau was certainly not the first nor the last voodoo practitioner to be held in high regard, she was certainly one of the most influential during a time period when voodoo was beginning to be accepted again.

Marie Laveau was very well known for her expert knowledge of herbal remedies, and was sought out for her preparation of gris-gris bags. These were small pouches that contained a variety of herbs that were worn by the recipient, and were intended for a number of purposes. The correct combination of herbs could effectively ward off evil spirits or hexes, bring good luck to the wearer, or to cause harm to enemies. Gris-gris bags are still very common today in New Orleans, and can often be seen being worn attached to individuals belts.

Marie Laveau also told fortunes, captured evil spirits in specially prepared jars, and helped cleanse a home of negative energy and bad luck. Her fame spread far beyond the borders of New Orleans, and people traveled far to seek out her services. Her gravesite is a popular tourist attraction, but is well respected. Many who visit the location to pay their respects often make a wish as well, believing that Marie Laveau was so powerful that her spirit is still capable of granting help to those who require it.

Because of Marie Laveau, voodoo in New Orleans is taken very seriously, and there are many who fear its power. Voodoo is not something to be taken lightly and dabbled with by the uninitiated. It is a powerful force best left to those who possess a strong understanding of its natural aspects and are well versed in the sacred rituals.

Considered a Gythia (Asatru High Priestess) among her Coven, Julia Roslyn Antle is a master of divination and dream interpretation. Her wisdom is sought-after by her peers, her colleagues as well as the public. http://www.7witches.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julia_Roslyn_Antle

Hoodoo, Voodoo, and Conjure: A Handbook

Description
Hoodoo, voodoo, and conjure are part of a mysterious world of African American spirituality that has long captured the popular imagination. These magical beliefs and practices have figured in literary works by such authors as Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Ishmael Reed, and they have been central to numerous films, such as The Skeleton Key. Written for students and general readers, this book is a convenient introduction to hoodoo, voodoo, and conjure.

The volume begins by defining and classifying elements of these spiritual traditions. It then provides a wide range of examples and texts, which illustrate the richness of these beliefs and practices. It also examines the scholarly response to hoodoo, voodoo, and conjure, and it explores the presence of hoodoo, voodoo, and conjure in popular culture. The volume closes with a glossary and bibliography. Students in social studies classes will use this book to learn more about African American magical beliefs, while literature students will enjoy its exploration of primary sources and literary works.

Source: Amazon.com Editorial Reviews

YouTube: Antiquus Research Group

Antiquus Research (Group) is an independent, non-profit organization and project devoted to the research, study, teaching, and cogent analysis of the ancient, ancestral, historical, archaeological, cultural-anthropological, sociological, religio-spiritual (theological, thealogical, theosophical), esoteric - metaphysical paths and practices of humankind who engaged in the vastness of Alternative Religions and Spiritualities (ARS) through modern times. Ancient Afrikan and Egyptian History, Anthropology, Archaeology, and Afrikan Traditional Religions (ATRs).

Here is a collection of some of our favorite films and videos:

http://www.youtube.com/user/AntiquusResearchGrp

Santería: A Practical Guide

Santería, A Practical Guide toAfro-Caribbean Magic

Introduction

Santeria is not an archaic religion. It is a vibrant force with five hundred years of continuous history in the Western Hemisphere. Its African roots go back at least as far as Christianity's.

Santeria has millions of followers spread across the United States, the Caribbean, Central, and South America. There is Voodoo in Haiti, Macumba in Brazil and Candomble in the Northern coasts of South America. Its adherents come from all walks o f life; doctors, lawyers, politicians, thieves and pimps. All those who seek the power to control their own lives and want to lead them in accord with the deepest parts of their beings are candidates for initiation into Santeria. As the traditional belief systems of the Western world cease to provide a direct emotional involvement with the mysteries of life, more and more people are turning to the throbbing of the Santeria drums. It is a religion of trance, mystery, posse ssion, blood and sex. What follows is a brief glimpse into Santeria. If you want to know more, go to the ceremonies, burn the candles and dance to the drums. Skin color or language are no barriers. The ancient gods will recognize their own.

Source:
Nunez, Luis Manuel. Santería: a Practical Guide to Afro-Caribbean Magic. Dallas, TX: Spring Publications, 1992.

Online Text Version:
http://w3.iac.net/~moonweb/Santeria/Intro.html

Plant Spirit & Vodou (Voodoo) Shamanism

Plant Spirit Shamanism: Voodoo Shamanism

Author: Ross Heaven

What do we really know about ‘voodoo’ in the West? Almost nothing. Not even the correct spelling. Even now my computer underlines Vodou (its correct name) in red to inform me of a typo.

But feel the phoney word ‘voodoo’ in your mouth. It could be the first word a baby might form. A fantastic word - so many O’s. For most of us in the English-speaking worlds it has a somehow sexy, implacable feel, but one that is also dark and dangerous. This comes courtesy of the Western Empire's "reality tunnel". History is, indeed, the propaganda of the victors. No wonder they were scared. Vodou inspired the only successful slave revolt in history, defeating first the superior firepower and numbers of the French, then the British a few years later. ‘Black magic’ could be the only rational (sic) explanation…

It’s easy to see how the Empire's belief in the power of the rational mind to civilize "primitive cultures" would lead it to demonise Vodou. Vodou recognises other dimensions much greater in scope than the narrow little world that, even now, our culture insists is the only true reality.

Vodou, born in slavery, was more generous in its attitudes towards other beliefs. It absorbed them, adding to its pantheon of Gods and rituals. A profoundly adaptive belief.

You can read this book in many ways: as a history of the Vodou religion and its influencing cultures; or perhaps you want to immerse yourself in the rich mythological landscapes that are opened up to Western readers for the first time. But the real meal offered here is to go on a journey into the essence of Vodou - for Ross’ book calmly reveals how we can make contact with and attune ourselves to these spiritual realities. By use of elegant rituals and the focused creation of altars, we can all make contact with the loa, the guides from these dimensions.

These techniques seem naturally alien to us. In Christianity, altars and direct communication with God(s) has been the prerogative of priests. In Vodou, direct contact is the way. Some of the details may seem crazy to us. But this is just a cultural difference; one of many that we need to jettison if we are to explore other cultures in any real depth, beyond the prism of our own culture’s matrix.

And this, for me, is the great benefit of immersing myself in the exotic waters of such a rich system - to step outside of my own indoctrination and try out some other possibilities concerning my perception of life. When we do this we enrich our lives, enabling us to get a different perspective on some of our more limiting beliefs.

The two areas in which I am particularly beholden to Vodou are those of the trance state and the use of altars. I love using altars to focus my intention on what I want to bring in to my life. A sacred, still space, amongst the hubbub of daily affairs. Altars of bones, sculptures, images, drums, crystals… arranged in a way that means something to me. Connecting me to my source.

For the last nine years, I have also taught a system of movement called The Five Rhythms™. It is a system by which people can safely enter and exit trance states, devised by a brilliant Californian called Gabrielle Roth, whose background included the healing arts, theatre, and dance. She studied different cultures, spiritual techniques for entering trance/meditative states – particularly Vodou – and devised her elegant system with urban Westerners in mind.

Trance is a place where I feel I can return to my source. It wipes the slate clean of all the bullshit I have accumulated. It eases the grip of my conditioning and allows me to step outside of the limiting beliefs that compose my personality. It is a powerful primal state of intuition, creativity, and healing.

I also believe that it is the state that so many of us have used drugs to get in touch with. We know there is something more real out there than the dream we live in, and our spirit is magnetically drawn to it. Until this natural drive is addressed and given other, healthier, pathways, drugs will remain the most popular shortcut.

The White Rabbit beckons at the entrance to the wormhole…

Vodou Shaman: The Haitian Way of Healing and Power, by Ross Heaven, is published by Destiny Books (November 10, 2003). ISBN-10: 089281134X.

About the Author:

Ross Heaven is a therapist, workshop leader, and the author of several books on shamanism and healing, including Darkness Visible, the best-selling Plant Spirit Shamanism, and Love’s Simple Truths. His website is http://www.thefourgates.com where you can also read how to join his sacred journeys to the shamans and healers of the Amazon.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Plant Spirit Shamanism: Voodoo Shamanism

Ancient Egyptian History & Culture (AEHC)

Visit the Ancient Egyptian History & Culture (AEHC) website and Alt-Webring:

The AEHC highlights online resources and information about Ancient Egyptian history, culture, Egyptology, religion (Kemeticism) and spirituality, science and medicine, Priest/esshood, Egyptian Book of the Dead, archaeology, Ancient Egyptian Language (AEL) - Middle Egyptian Language, and more.

Names of Deities

Ancient Egyptian Legends
by M. A. Murray
[1920]

INDEX OF NAMES OF GODS

Abtu-fish.—A mythological fish which accompanies the Boat of Ra at sunrise.

Amemt.—The mythical animal which devours the hearts of the wicked at the Judgment of Osiris.

Amon.—God of Thebes. In and after the xviiith dynasty he became the supreme deity of Egypt under the name of Amon-Ra.

Ant-fish.—A mythological fish which accompanies the Boat of Ra at sunrise.

Anubis.—A jackal-headed deity who presided over the embalming of the dead. He was said to be the illegitimate son of Osiris and Nephthys, and, in the form of a dog, to have protected Isis in her wanderings.

Apep.—The enemy of Ra in the Duat.

Astarte.—A Syrian goddess, whose name is found occasionally in Egyptian inscriptions.

Atmu.—An early name of the solar deity worshipped at Heliopolis. In later times, the name of the setting sun.

Bes.—A bandy-legged dwarf with horns. God of music and pleasure, and protector of children. Possibly also a god of birth.

Besa.—A spirit of the corn.

Geb.—The earth-god, father of Osiris.

Harmakhis.—Horus on the Horizon, i.e. the sun at its rising and setting.

Harpocrates.—Horus the Child, son of Isis and Osiris.

Hathor.—Goddess of love and beauty; often identified with all the other goddesses, including Sekhmet.

Hekt.—The frog-headed goddess of birth.

Her-desuf.—A form of Horus.

Horakhti.—The Horizon-Horus. The same as Harmakhis.

Horus.—The hawk-headed god is, properly speaking, the brother of Isis and Osiris; but is constantly confused with Horus the Child, and is called Avenger or Protector of his Father.

Isis.—The greatest of Egyptian goddesses, wife of Osiris, and mother of Harpocrates.

Khepera.—The rising sun, god of resurrection.

Khnum.—The ram-headed god of the cataract, who creates man upon the potter's wheel.

Khonsu.—The moon-god at Thebes.

Mehen.—The serpent who protects Ra in the Duet.

Mentu.—God of war.

Meskhent.—Goddess of birth.

Min.—Father of gods and men. God of Koptos.

Neith.—Goddess of Saïs. Identified by the Greeks with Athena.

Nekhbet.—The vulture-goddess of Upper Egypt.

Nephthys.—Sister of Isis and Osiris.

Nepra.—A spirit of the corn.

Nun.—God of the primaeval waters.

Nut.—The sky-goddess, mother of Osiris.

Osiris.—One of the chief gods of Egypt. Murdered and torn to pieces by his brother Set,

revivified by Isis and Horus.

Ra.—The Sun-god, one of the chief gods of Egypt. Heliopolis (the On of the Bible) was the principal centre of his worship.

Sekhmet.—The lioness-headed goddess of Memphis.

Selk.—The scorpion-goddess.

Set.—Brother and murderer of Osiris. Looked upon, in late times, as the Author of Evil.

Shu.—Twin-brother of Tefnut. He holds up the sky above the earth.

Sokar.—The hawk-headed god of the dead. When fused with Ptah (Ptah-Sokar) he appears in the form of a misshapen dwarf, and is then looked upon as a god of resurrection.

Tatanen.—An obscure god, generally fused with Ptah of Memphis as Ptah-Tatanen.

Ta-urt.—The hippopotamus goddess of birth.

Tefnut.—Lioness-headed. Twin-sister of Shu. The two form the constellation Gemini.

Tepu-yn.—A spirit of the corn.

Thoth.—The ibis-headed god of all learning and magic. Chief centre of worship Khemennu or Hermopolis, now called Eshmunen.

Uazet.—Goddess of Lower Egypt.

Up-uaut.—The jackal-god of Siut.

Source:
Murray, Margaret Alice. Legends of Ancient Egypt. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2000, pp. 117-119.

Hail! Mighty Ancient Nile

Records of the Past, 2nd series, Vol. III
ed. by A.H. Sayce
[1890]

HYMN TO THE NILE

I

Adoration to the Nile!
Hail to thee, O Nile!
who manifesteth thyself over this land,
and comest to give life to Egypt!
Mysterious is thy issuing forth from the darkness,
on this day whereon it is celebrated!
Watering the orchards created by Ra [1]
to cause all the cattle to live,
thou givest the earth to drink, inexhaustible one!
Path that descendest from the sky, [2]
loving the bread of Seb and the firstfruits of Nepera,
thou causest the workshops of Ptah [3] to prosper!

II

Lord of the fish, during the inundation,
no bird alights on the crops.
Thou createst the corn, thou bringest forth the barley,
assuring perpetuity to the temples. [4]
If thou ceasest thy toil and thy work,
then all that exists is in anguish.
If the gods suffer in heaven [1]
then the faces of men waste away.

III

Then he torments the flocks of Egypt, and great and small are in agony.
But all is changed for mankind when he comes;
he is endowed with the qualities of Num. [2]
If he shines, the earth is joyous,
every stomach is full of rejoicing,
every spine is happy,
every jaw-bone crushes (its food).

IV

He brings the offerings, [3] as chief of provisioning;
he is the creator of all good things,
as master of energy, full of sweetness in his choice.
If offerings are made it is thanks to him.
He brings forth the herbage for the flocks, [4]
and sees that each god receives his sacrifices.
All that depends on him is a precious incense.
He spreads himself over Egypt,
filling the granaries, renewing the marts,
watching over the goods of the unhappy.

V

He is prosperous to the height of all desires,
without fatiguing himself therefor.
He brings again his lordly bark;
he is not sculptured in stone, in the statues crowned with the uræus serpent,
he cannot be contemplated.
No servitors has he, no bearers of offerings!
He is not enticed by incantations!
None knows the place where he dwells,
None discovers his retreat by the power of a written spell. [1]

VI

No dwelling (is there) which may contain thee!
None penetrates within thy heart!
Thy young men, thy children applaud thee
and render unto thee royal homage.
Stable are thy decrees for Egypt [2]
before thy servants of the North! [3]
He stanches the water from all eyes
and watches over the increase of his good things.

VII

Where misery existed, joy manifests itself;
all beasts rejoice.
The children of Sebek, the sons of Neit, [4]
the cycle of the gods which dwells in him, are prosperous.
No more reservoirs for watering the fields!
He makes mankind valiant,
enriching some, bestowing his love on others.
None commands at the same time as himself.
He creates the offerings without the aid of Neit, [1]
making mankind for himself with multiform care.

VIII

He shines when he issues forth from the darkness,
to cause his flocks to prosper.
It is his force that gives existence to all things;
nothing remains hidden for him.
Let men clothe themselves to fill his gardens.
He watches over his works,
producing the inundation during the night. [2]
It is a god Ptah … [3]
He causes all his servants to exist,
all writings and divine words, [4]
and that which he needs in the North.

IX

It is with the words that he penetrates into his dwelling;
he issues forth at his pleasure through the magic spells. [5]
Thy unkindness brings destruction to the fish;
it is then that prayer is made for the (annual) water of the season;
Southern Egypt is seen in the same state as the North.
Each one is with his instruments of labour,
none remains behind his companions.
None clothes himself with garments,
the children of the noble put aside their ornaments.
The night remains silent,
but all is changed by the inundation;
it is a healing-balm for all mankind.

X

Establisher of justice! mankind desires thee,
supplicating thee to answer their prayers;
thou answerest them by the inundation!
Men offer the first-fruits of corn;
all the gods adore thee!
The birds descend not on the soil.
It is believed that with thy hand of gold
thou makest bricks of silver!
But we are not nourished on lapis-lazuli;
corn alone gives vigour. [1]

XI

A festal song is raised for thee on the harp,
with the accompaniment of the hand. [2]
Thy young men and thy children acclaim thee
and prepare their (long) exercises.
Thou art the august ornament of the earth,
letting thy bark advance before men,
lifting up the heart of women in labour,
and loving the multitude of the flocks.

XII

When thou shinest in the royal city, [1]
the rich man is sated with good things,
the poor man even disdains the lotus;
all that is produced is of the choicest;
all the plants exist for thy children.
If thou hast refused (to grant) nourishment,
the dwelling is silent, devoid of all that is good
the country falls exhausted.

XIII

O inundation of the Nile,
offerings are made unto thee,
oxen are immolated to thee,
great festivals are instituted for thee.
Birds are sacrificed to thee,
gazelles are taken for thee in the mountain,
pure flames are prepared for thee. [2]
Sacrifice is made to every god as it is made to the Nile. [3]
The Nile has made its retreats in Southern Egypt,
its name is not known beyond the Tuau. [4]
The god manifests not his forms,
he baffles all conception.

XIV

Men exalt him like the cycle of the gods,
they dread him who creates the heat,
even him who has made his son [5] the universal master
in order to give prosperity to Egypt.
Come (and) prosper! come (and) prosper!
O Nile, come (and) prosper!
[O thou who makest men to live through his flocks [1]
and his flocks through his orchards!
Come (and) prosper, come,
O Nile, come (and) prosper!]
This work has been successfully finished and dedicated to the scribe of the treasury Qaqabu [by the scribe Ennana]. [2]
_______________________
Footnotes
48:1 The orchards of Ra are mentioned in the Book of the Dead, ch. 81.

48:2 This belief in the celestial origin of the Nile survived in Egypt, at all events as late as the time of Joinville (Histoire de Saint-Louis, ch. xl.).

48:3 Ptah is associated with the Nile in a list of divinities represented on a wall of the age of Ramses II at Karnak (Champollion: Not. Manuscrites II. p. 255, where Ptah is called Ptah, pa Hapi aā).

48:4 In the Anastasisi text: "Causing the temples to keep holiday."

49:1 The Nile is not only the dispenser of life to mankind, but also to the gods (see verses 4, 10, 53). In the Hymn it absorbs as it were all the gods, and even takes the place of Ra in verse 14.

49:2 Num, the divine creator, like Ptah, is similar to Ptah in his relation to the Nile. The two verses point out that all life is dependent on the Nile, an idea which is developed to excess in the verses following.

49:3 Funerary offerings made to the ka or "double."

49:4 See verse 14.

50:1 The gods had to submit to the power of incantations and magic formulæ (compare the legend of Ra bitten by a serpent, the romance of Setnau, and numerous passages in the Book of the Dead). The Nile alone was excepted from this law; it remained enshrouded in mystery in its retreat near the two whirlpools often mentioned in the texts and even alluded to by Herodotus.

50:2 So in the Anastasi text. The fixity of the periodic return of the Nile is probably referred to.

50:3 Verse 5 has, however, stated that the Nile had no servants; perhaps the secondary gods are meant here who directed the spread of the waters over Egypt, that is to the north of the whirlpools from whence the Nile rose.

50:4 Neit is often represented with two crocodiles on the breast; her relation to Sebek, the crocodile-god, is difficult to define.

51:1 Neit appears here as the goddess of production; the Nile has no need of Neit (or perhaps the rain) in order to generate the crops; it makes its way throughout the country by means of canals and trenches.

51:2 This seems to be an allusion to the festival of the "Night of the Drop" (Lêlet en-Nuqta), still observed in Egypt on the 5th of June, when the rise of the Nile is supposed to commence. The name is due to the old tradition recorded by Plutarch, according to which the rise of the Nile was caused by a tear which dropped into it from the eye of Isis. In M. Amélineau's Contes et Romans de l’Egypte Chrétiennes, i. p. 17, the rise of the Nile is attributed to the intercession of St. Michael, whose festival is celebrated on the 6th of June; three days before, the archangel prays that the water may rise, since it is "the life of men and animals."

51:3 Unknown word, conjectured by Cook to represent the name of a new god Kabes.

51:4 The Nile inspires Thoth the scribe of the divine utterances.

51:5 The Nile is unaffected by incantations, but serves himself with them at his pleasure in order to manifest himself.

52:1 The Nile is indeed the dispenser of all wealth, but true wealth does not consist in gold or silver, but of the products of agriculture which enable men to live.

52:2 Women are represented on the monuments accompanying the singers by clapping the hands; this custom still survives throughout the East. It is possible that we still possess the festal songs of the Nile, of which Lane has preserved for us some fragments in his work on The Modern Egyptians.

53:1 Probably Thebes, the residence of the Pharaohs at the time when the Hymn was composed. No other city can be meant, as otherwise the mythological texts would have mentioned it. Thebes, moreover, is near Silsilis, where the height of the Nile was measured, as is indicated by the Book of the Dead, chap. 149, and the royal decrees of Silsilis, which institute festivals in honour of the Nile.

53:2 These offerings are mentioned in the decrees of Silsilis.

53:3 See verse 7.

53:4 The other world.

53:5 The Pharaoh.

54:1 From the Anastasi papyrus.

54:2 See the Papyrus Anastasi 7, pl. 7, ll. 5 and 6.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/ane/rp/rp203/rp20309.htm

Ancient Egyptian Funerary Text: Utterance 553

Resurrection, Meal, and Ascension of the Deceased King,

Utterance 553.

1353a. To say: Geb has raised thee up; this thy spirit has been guarded for thee.

1353b. Thy mns-jar remains; thy mns-jar is caused to remain.

1353c. Thou art more exalted than Shu and Tefnut in the house of Ḥtmw.t (the destroyer), N.,

1354a. for thou art verily a spirit who wast nursed by Nephthys with her left breast.

1354b. Osiris has given to thee the spirits; take the eye of Horus to thee.

1355a. These thy four ways which are before the grave of Horus

1355b. are those whereon one goes (lit. goes a going) to the god

p. 220

as soon as the sun sets (or, as far as the setting of the sun).

1356a. He takes hold of thine arm, after Seker, chief of Pdw-š purified thee,

1356b. (and he conducted thee) to thy throne which is in ḳbḥ.w.

1357a. Raise thyself up, spirit of N.; sit, eat thou;

1357b. let thy ka be seated, that he may eat bread and beer with thee without ceasing for ever and ever.

1358a. Thy going is as a representative of Osiris;

1358b. thy feet hit thine arms;

1358c. they bring thee to thy feasts,

1358d. to thy white teeth, (to) thy fingernails, (to) the Dw.f-nome.

1359a. Thou ferriest over as the great bull to the green fields,

1359b. to the pure places of Rē‘.

1360a. Raise thyself up, spirit of N.; thy water belongs to thee, thine abundance belongs to thee;

1360b. thine efflux belongs to thee, which issued from the secretion of Osiris.

1361a. The double doors of heaven are open for thee; the double doors of ḳbḥ.w are undone for thee;

1361b. the double doors of the tomb are open for thee; the double doors of Nut are unfastened for thee.

1362a. "Greeting," says Isis; "ferry on in peace," says Nephthys,

1362b. after she had seen thy father, Osiris, on the day of the mm.t-feast (or, of feasting him who is in need ?).

1362c. Elevated is the ddb.t-chapel of the double ’itr.t-palace of the North, thy Grg.w-bȝ.

1363a. Raise thyself up; shake off thy dust;

1363b. remove the dirt which is on thy face; loose thy bandages.

1363c. They are indeed not bandages; they are the locks of Nephthys.

13 64a. Travel over the southern regions; travel over the northern regions;

1364b. be seated on thy firm throne.

1364c. Anubis, who is chief of the sḥ-ntr, commands that thy spirit be behind thee, that thy might be in thy body,

1364d. that thou remain Chief of the mighty ones (or, spirits).

1365a. Thou purifiest thyself with these thy four nmś.t-jars,

1365b. (with) the špn.t and ‘ȝt-jar, which come from the sḥ-ntr for thee, that thou mayest become divine.

p. 221

1365c. The sky weeps for thee; the earth trembles for thee;

1366a. the śmnt.t-woman laments for thee; the great min.t mourns for thee;

1366b. the feet agitate for thee; the hands wave for thee,

1366c. when thou ascendest to heaven as a star, as the morning star.

1367a. N. is come to thee, his father; he is come to thee, Geb;

1367b. he is united with your dead, O gods.

1367c. Let him sit on the great throne, on the lap of his father Mḫnti-'irti;

1368a. let him purify his mouth with incense and natron; let him purify his nails upper and lower.

1368b. Let one do for him what was done for his father, Osiris, on the day of assembling the bones,

1368c. of making firm (or, adjusting) the sandals, of crossing the feet (i.e. when ferrying over).

1369a. To thee come the wise and the understanding;

1369b. to thee comes the southern ’itr.t-palace,

1369c. to thee comes the northern ’itr.t-palace, with a salutation,

1369d. (thou) who endurest eternally at the head of the mighty ones.

Excerpted from:
The Pyramid Texts
Translation by Samuel A. B. Mercer
[1952, copyright not renewed]
http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/pyt/pyt33.htm

Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah

Merry Meet,

To my fellow Santeros (Babalawos and Padrinos), Santeras (Iyanifas and Madrinas), et al:

With the recent upheaval and in light of Santerian Priest Rafael Giral ["Animal Cruelty Case Goes to Court" - 30 Oct 2008 - Source: http://www.rootsandrooted.org/?p=719], across the United States, concerning religious / devotional animal sacrificing--I must urge everyone to know your Constitutional rights (and the local ordinances for the geographic location where you reside, preside, and practice your freedom of religion and religious choice). Below is the synopsis of the landmark 1993 Supreme Court decision concerning "Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah". And do not forget about Wicca becoming recognized as a religion, in 1986, via the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit case "Dettmer v. Landon":

[1] http://altlaw.org/v1/cases/533250
[2] http://www.tylwythteg.com/landon.html
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dettmer_v._Landon

If ever has a time arrived, we must show our support of and for our religio-spiritual calling! We all should have become quite weary and very tiresome of the religious intolerance and ignorance perpetrated upon us by certain factions within the United States of America and abroad! We should never bow down to supidity!

Merry Part,
Summum Bonum,
Reverend Dr. K.A. Sahure VIº, DD, MscD (DMet)

Elder Arch High Priest & Arch Heirophant

Temple of Kemetic Wicca

U.S. Supreme Court

CHURCH OF LUKUMI BABALU AYE v. CITY OF HIALEAH, 508 U.S. 520 (1993)
508 U.S. 520
CHURCH OF LUKUMI BABALU AYE, INC. v. CITY OF HIALEAH
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR
THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
No. 91-948
Argued November 4, 1992
Decided June 11, 1993

Petitioner church and its congregants practice the Santeria religion, which employs animal sacrifice as one of its principal forms of devotion. The animals are killed by cutting their carotid arteries, and are cooked and eaten following all Santeria rituals except healing and death rites. After the church leased land in respondent city and announced plans to establish a house of worship and other facilities there, the city council held an emergency public session and passed, among other enactments Resolution 87-66, which noted city residents' "concern" over religious practices inconsistent with public morals, peace, or safety, and declared the city's "commitment" to prohibiting such practices; Ordinance 87-40, which incorporates the Florida animal cruelty laws and broadly punishes "[w]hoever . . . unnecessarily or cruelly . . . kills any animal," and has been interpreted to reach killings for religious reasons; Ordinance 87-52, which defines "sacrifice" as "to unnecessarily kill . . . an animal in a . . . ritual . . . not for the primary purpose of food consumption," and prohibits the "possess[ion], sacrifice, or slaughter" of an animal if it is killed in "any type of ritual" and there is an intent to use it for food, but exempts "any licensed [food] establishment" if the killing is otherwise permitted by law; Ordinance 87-71, which prohibits the sacrifice of animals, and defines "sacrifice" in the same manner as Ordinance 87-52; and Ordinance 87-72 which defines "slaughter" as "the killing of animals for food" and prohibits slaughter outside of areas zoned for slaughterhouses, but includes an exemption for "small numbers of hogs and/or cattle" when exempted by state law. Petitioners filed this suit under 42 U.S.C. 1983, alleging violations of their rights under, inter alia, the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. Although acknowledging that the foregoing ordinances are not religiously neutral, the District Court ruled for the city, concluding, among other things, that compelling governmental interests in preventing public health risks and cruelty to animals fully justified the absolute prohibition on ritual sacrifice accomplished by the ordinances, and that an exception to that prohibition for religious conduct would unduly interfere with fulfillment of the governmental interest, because any more narrow restrictions would [508 U.S. 520, 521] be unenforceable as a result of the Santeria religion's secret nature. The Court of Appeals affirmed.

Held:
The judgment is reversed.
936 F.2d 586, (CA 11 1991) reversed.

Source: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?navby=CASE&court=US&vol=508&page=520

Musing: Hoodoo, Voodoo...

"Hoodoo, or Voodoo, is burning with a flame in America, with all intensity of a suppressed religion. It has its thousands of secret adherents."
~ Zora Neale Hurston

Fear and Ignorance

"...fear feeds on ignorance and starves on a diet of fact."
~ Bon Houngan Reve We Chemen Ginen,
Vodou Shaman [2003]

Santerían Religious Practice in the News

Santeria priest loses suit against Texas town's law banning animal... http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gTS9YQP3yAESzr-RhLY40MNo331g

Judge rules against allowing Santeria priest in Euless to...
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-santeria_1met.ART.State.Edition1.466276c.html

Judge backs town's animal sacrifice ban
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/5608460.html

Judge rules against man who challenged animal sacrifice ban
http://www.kswo.com/Global/story.asp?S=7994727

Video Documentary: "Haitian Voodoo"

"Haiti is a Catholic country. But daily life still moves to the
rhythms of spirit religion..."

Video Sources:
[1] National Geographic -
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/places/regions-places/west-indies/haiti_haitianvoodoo.html

[2] You Tube -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpeLdXeIbwA

*****

The above documentary and related research materials at the National Geographic Society's website should shed some light on the most wonderful and beautiful religion of Vodou as well as assist with dispelling myths and misconceptions spread via those folks who are purely ignorant, spiritually myopic, religiously intolerant, and simply do not value the great diversity of all religions, thealogies, theologies, spiritual paths, and theosophies as we do so--as a core competency / foundation of our diverse Alternative Religions and Spiritualities (ARS) belief systems.

▲ Rev. Dr. K.A. Sahure VIº
Temple of Kemetic Wicca

Sacred Ason

"Sacred ason! Ason!

Open the way of the mysteries for me,

for us, for all African children

For the right hand, for the left hand,

that they may serve well all humanity.

So that East and West may meet."

▪ Theodore "Lòlò" Beaubrun

Must Reading - "Drums and Shadows"

Drums and Shadows

Georgia Writer's Project
Work Projects Administration
Mary Granger, District Supervisor
[1940, copyright not renewed]

This collection of oral folklore from coastal Georgia was assembled during the 1930s as part of a WPA writers' program, under the supervision of Mary Granger. The accounts in this book, framed by colorful descriptions of the rural locales where they were collected, were principally from elderly African-Americans, some of them centarians. Most had been slaves. In some cases they had known first generation slaves who had been born in Africa.

This book focuses on a set of beliefs and magical practices (some of which are today known as 'Hoodoo'), including root doctoring, the existence of spirits, talismans, lucky and unlucky acts and omens and more. The interviewer also investigates the use of drums and dancing during celebrations, funeral and baptism rituals, food taboos, and other aspects of folklore and ethnology. This study dispels any lingering doubt that these beliefs are derived directly from Africa--it exhaustively cross-references the narratives with an appendix of quotes from African ethnographers, folklorists and explorers.

Do not be put off by the use of phonetic dialect spelling. This is not being used here to belittle the speakers or cast them as ignorant. Rather, this book is scrupulously non-judgmental. This is simply how oral accounts were transcribed before there were portable tape recorders or camcorders. It takes a bit of work, but after a few pages, these potent and long-dead voices come to life. --JB Hare

Source:
Sacred Texts -
www.sacred-texts.com/afr/das/index.htm