View allAll Photos Tagged COSMOLOGICAL
35mm
22 x 10 seconds
ISO 5000
f/1.8
Stitched in MS ICE
Another shot from Harvey Dam, 125km south of Perth in Western Australia. This 35mm mosaic was shot at 10 seconds rather than my usual 13 seconds for that lens, mainly to reduce noise. This might be one of the last panorama images I take with my trusty d5100 as I recently bought its younger sibling, the d5500 (the d5600 is pretty much exactly the same except improved wireless connectivity which I would probably never use).
50mm
64 x 6 seconds
ISO 5000
f1.8
Stitched in MS ICE
This is a 344 megapixel 'horizon to horizon' panorama of the Milky Way, shot at 50mm above the Pinnacles Desert in Western Australia. It's one of my first attempts at a pano using my new 50mm prime lens. I'm not sure what to think about the airglow, I'd rather it not be there but unfortunately there's nothing I can do about it.....but hey, maybe it adds something? :)
The 50mm lens is able to capture a bit more detail than the 35mm lens I usually use, nebulae are more prominent and of course there's that pesky airglow. Next time I plan to use my star tracker for even more detail and perhaps an H Alpha filter but that will probably have to wait til next season :-)
Nikon d5500
50mm
ISO 3200
f/2.5
Foreground: 5 x 15 seconds
Sky: 17 x 30 seconds
iOptron SkyTracker
Hoya Red Intensifier filter
Another panorama I took recently of the early season Milky Way rising over an old barn on a farm near Boddington, about 1.5 hours south east of Perth in Western Australia.
Nikon d5100
6 x 25s
ISO 4000
f2.8
16mm
Stitched in MS ICE
I wasn't going to post this as I wasn't totally happy with it originally as well as it being a little too similar to my 35mm pano I uploaded earlier. Opportunities to get out and shoot some new stuff though have been non existant due to a long stretch of poor weather here in Perth. So I decided to redo this particular panorama and I'm a little bit happier with it now.
Nikon d5500
85mm
ISO 4000
f/2.2
Foreground: 17 x 20 seconds
Sky: 30 x 20 seconds
iOptron SkyTracker
This is a 47 shot panorama of the Crux & Carina region of the Milky Way rising above The Pinnacles Desert, about two hours north of Perth in Western Australia. The Carina Nebula is seen in the centre of the image while Crux can be seen hanging off the dark Coalsack Nebula at the top.
Nikon d5500
35mm
18 x 30 seconds
ISO 4000
f/2.2
iOptron SkyTracker
This composition is very similar to one I shot on an earlier trip to this location. I didn't know it at the time but after stitching them I began to think 'this looks very familiar!'. The other one had the LMC so they're not identical but it is the exact same location.....which is kind of a coincidence since The Pinnacles cover such a large area :)
Anyway, this is a small panorama of just 18 images shot as the Milky Way was setting towards the west. You can see the Indian Ocean in the bottom right corner of the image. The foreground was illuminated using a hand held spotlight.
Simeis 147, also known as the Spaghetti Nebula, SNR G180.0-01.7 or Sharpless 2-240, is a supernova remnant (SNR) in the Milky Way, straddling the border between the constellations of Auriga and Taurus. Discovered in 1952 at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory using a large 25" telescope. it is difficult to observe due to its extremely low brightness.
The nebulous area is fairly large with an almost spherical shell and filamentary structure The remnant has an apparent diameter of approx 3 degrees, an estimated distance of approximately 3000 (±350) light-years, and an age of approximately 40,000 years.It is about 1000 light years away and is roughly 15 light years in diameter.
Due to its size this is a 2x2 pane mosaic in order to fit the whole nebula in the frame.
Details
M: Avalon Linear Fast Reverse
T: Takahashi FSQ85 0.73x
C: QSI683 with Astrodon 3nm Ha filter
23x900s in Ha in each pane
Totalling 23 hours of exposure.
Nikon d5100
12mm
366 x 30 seconds
ISO 200
f/3.5
Taken from the lookout point at Sugarloaf Rock, 250km south of Perth, Western Australia. The foreground was lit by the setting waxing gibbous moon.
Nighttime floodlit view of the Khmer style Wat Chaiwatthanaram which was a Royal temple used by the King and other members of the Royal family and is one of Ayutthaya's most impressive temples. The monastery is located opposite the South West corner of the historical island on the other side of the Chao Phraya river.
Wat Chaiwatthanaram was constructed in 1630 by King Prasat Thong. The King built the temple as a means to gain Buddhist merit and as a memorial to his mother. The monastery was looted and largely destroyed by the Burmese armies in 1767 after which it was deserted.
Wat Chaiwatthanaram was built following the concepts of the Khmer mountain temples of Angkor to symbolize the universe in Buddhist and Hindu cosmology. At the center is a 35 meter tall Khmer style prang (a corncob shaped tower). At each of its corners stands a much smaller tower. The prang represents Mount Meru surrounded by oceans. It is surrounded by eight smaller chedi connected by covered galleries that enclose a courtyard. The 25 meter tall slender towers diminish in size towards the top. In their interior are niches that each enshrined an image of the Buddha seated on a pedestal. Lining the gallery were over 100 gilded and black lacquered images of the Buddha in subduing Mara mudra. Ayutthaya Thailand
Nikon d5500
50mm
ISO 3200
f/2.8
Foreground: 10 x 10 seconds
Sky: 22 x 30 seconds
iOptron SkyTracker
Hoya Red Intensifier filter
This is a 32 shot panorama of the Milky Way's Crux region as it aligns perpendicular with the horizon at The Pinnacles Desert, 2 hours north of Perth in Western Australia.
The dew point was close to 20c this particular night so everything started to get quite dewy very early on, so much so that the lens was continually getting fogged up and acting like a natural fog filter, hence the bloated stars. I had to stop an all night star trails shoot I was doing with my other camera because its lens was completely fogged up after just an hour or so with no way of wiping the lens and ruining shots.
Prominent in this image is the pink coloured Carina Nebula in the upper centre and just below it is the easily recognisable (thanks the the bloated stars) Crux constellation, hanging off of the Coal Sack Nebula. The foreground was light painted using a hand held spotlight.
Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, also known as Golden Rock) is a well-known Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Burma. It is a small pagoda (7.3 metres (24 ft)) built on the top of a granite boulder covered with gold leaves pasted on by devotees. According to legend, the Golden Rock itself is precariously perched on a strand of the Buddha's hair. The balancing rock seems to defy gravity, as it perpetually appears to be on the verge of rolling down the hill. The rock and the pagoda are at the top of Mt. Kyaiktiyo. It is the third most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in Burma after the Shwedagon Pagoda and the Mahamuni Pagoda. A glimpse of the "gravity defying" Golden Rock is believed to be enough of an inspiration for any person to turn to Buddhism.
The legend associated with the pagoda is that the Buddha, on one of his many visits, gave a strand of his hair to Taik Tha, a hermit. The hermit, who had tucked it in the tuft of his hair safely, in turn gave the strand to the king, with the wish that the hair be enshrined in a boulder shaped like the hermit's head. The king had inherited supernatural powers from his father Zawgyi, a proficient alchemist), and his mother, a naga serpent dragon princess. They found the rock at the bottom of the sea. With the help of the Thagyamin, the king of Tawadeintha Heaven in Buddhist cosmology, found the perfect place at Kyaiktiyo for locating the golden rock and built a pagoda, where the strand was enshrined. It is this strand of hair that, according to the legend, prevents the rock from tumbling down the hill. The boat, which was used to transport the rock, turned into a stone. This is also worshiped by pilgrims at a location about 300 metres (980 ft) from the golden rock. It is known as the Kyaukthanban Pagoda or stupa (literal meaning: stone boat stupa).
Legends also mention that pilgrims undertaking the pilgrimage by trekking from the Kinpun base camp three times consecutively in a year will be blessed with wealth and recognition.
In the star nebulae of 2551 AD, or as the new binary era termed it, 11100111 NIT (New Intelligent Time), the vastness of space cloaked the third sun-orbiting sphere, now known as TerraQuor, in a shroud of mystery. The Biomechanical DNA Quantum Supra-Intelligence, a glinting embodiment of quantum technology, had diminished the status of humanity to a scarcely perceptible flicker. Human frailties had ignited wars and famines, ruthlessly suppressed by the Supra-Intelligence and the iron-willed elites.
Amidst this cosmic symphony stood Nikolaj, an heir to a conundrum birthed from the depths of the cosmos. His mother, Gaianara, was the Supreme Birth-Mistress, a position akin more to divine stewardship than worldly leadership. Under her watch and with the backing of the Supra-Intelligence, the remnants of humanity were ceaselessly reconfigured, their thoughts and dreams assimilated into the machine's gargantuan knowledge pool.
Touched by the cosmic zephyrs of destiny, Nikolaj sensed the inexorability of his mission. Day by day, he witnessed the metamorphoses, the escalating alienation of his kind. A longing for rupture, a rebellion against the relentless system, burgeoned within him.
Yet in this cosmological game of chess, every move of Nikolaj's was anticipated. Gaianara, with her near-divine foresight, and the ever-watchful Supra-Intelligence were always a step ahead. And as he readied himself to breach the bounds of reality, he was betrayed by the last person he suspected: his sister Lysandra, seduced by the allure of power and guided by Gaianara.
Nikolaj's odyssey remains chronicled in the star archives, a testament to the unyielding might of the Supra-Intelligence. An entity that not merely foresaw human action but molded humanity's destiny in an endless, cosmic waltz.
Nikon d5500
50mm + Hoya Red Intensifier filter
ISO 3200
f/2.8
Sky: 44 x 30 seconds
Foreground - 8 x 90 seconds
iOptron SkyTracker
I had almost forgotten about this one until the other day when I rediscovered it. It's a 52 shot panorama of the Milky Way rising over Sullivan Rock just half an hour from Perth, Western Australia. The Large & Small Magellanic Clouds are prominent on the right side of the image and the Carina Nebula can be seen right near the top center.
The Horsehead Nebula (also known as Barnard 33 and IC434 ) is a dark nebula in the constellation Orion. The nebula is located just to the south of the star Alnitak, which is farthest east on Orion's Belt, and is part of the much larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. It is located approximately 1500 light years from earth.
This is a two pane mosaic of the Horsehead area in Orion. I originally did the lower pane (the image below) but felt that a pane above this would give a sense of completeness in the image.
This is the first image that has taken advantage of the dual rig that I have got together.
Details:
M: Mesu 200
T: Takahashi FSQ85 0.73x
Pane 1:
C: QSI683 3nm Ha filter
27x1800s
Pane 2:
C: QSI683 3nm Ha filter / Moravian G2-8300 3nm Ha Filter
20x1800s QSI / 8x1800s G2-3800
Total exposure time 27.5 hours
little drops in a spiderweb in the sunshine looking a bit cosmological ...maybe
Arachtober 24th
T. REX - Cosmic Dancer
Nikon d5100
iOptron SkyTracker
6 x 55 seconds
50mm
f3.5
ISO 1600
Stitched in MS ICE
My second attempt with the iOptron SkyTracker. This time I made sure the tripod was perfectly level, something I didn't even think about the first time as I was concentrating so much on getting the polar alignment right.
This photo is a mosaic of 6 individual shots at roughly 55 seconds each (I counted in my head). You can clearly see Mars as the orange orb just left of centre, close to the Lagoon Nebula (M8). It was taken at Serpentine Dam, approximately 45mins from my home in Perth, Western Australia. Light pollution from the city is leaking into the bottom right corner of the frame.
The name of the grand hotel Jardines de Nivaria refers to what Tenerife was called by ancient Romans such as Pliny, who used the word Ninguria or Nivaria to designate the island as disovered by Statius Sebosus and King Juba II of Mauretania (or his navigators). The name means something like snow-covered with reference to El Teide, the great volcano here.
The Romans were quite a sea-faring nation and they must often have looked to the stars for guidance. They further developed the Greek Cosmology of the Heavens not only for practical sailing matters but also in story-telling. The western mythology of the constellations is still imprinted on the minds of many school children, as once on your present writer's.
This is the grand, stained-glass window of the Cupula of our hotel. It shows representations of those constellations. It was designed by Enrique Barrio of Vidrieras Barrio SL, Burgos, Spain and placed in 1996. Given the intricate work of the actual construction it would be nice to know the names of the artisans... There are some 12,000 pieces to put together!
Nikon d5500
35mm
ISO 5000
f/2.8
Sky: 51 x 30s
Foreground: 24 x 10s
iOptron SkyTracker
This is a 75 image panorama of the Milky Way over a dry salt lake bed at Yenyening Lakes near Beverley in Western Australia. This was the last image I took this particular night as a bank of cloud moved into the area, which you can see quite clearly here. Very prominant green and orange airglow can be seen as well, along with the Magellanic Clouds just to the right of centre, near the horizon. The jigsaw-like patterns on the lake bed are pressure ridges which form when salt rises to the surface and starts crystalising. The lake continues to evaporate and as it dries it contracts and causes the salt to create pressure ridges
Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time explains that one travels from the past towards the future in the space-time of one’s expanding universe, without contradicting the thermodynamic, psychological and cosmological arrow of time.
Three millennia earlier Homer sang that all mortals face death (Odyssey book 11).
As we are all time travelers towards the inescapable future of death, religious Faith takes over. Faith chooses to cease caring about the increasing entropy: in God we trust for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14, 6). A cemetery is merely a luminous time machine towards Him, as plain and simple as that. God is not limited by any dimension, not even time’s!
📷 Settings:
Canon EOS R5
Canon RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM @ 35 mm
ISO 640 - f/11 - [ 1/40 sec & 1/15 sec ] HDR
In Ancient Greek cosmology,
Khaos(Chaos) was the first thing to exist and the womb from which everything emerged.
.....Khaos(Chaos) on Wikipedia
Photo Exhibition: TANATOS - APOCRYPHA
October 17-20, 2008, Art Gallery Fujihara, Osaka, Japan
Book "TANATOS - APOCRYPHA" outtake 1
*with K K
The main point is that Second Temple Jews assumed that heaven and earth were intended to overlap and did in fact overlap in certain contexts. Our modern assumption of a split world does not mean that we understand cosmology and they didn’t—much the same way as, just because we’ve invented mechanical clocks, we mustn’t assume that we understand time and the ancients didn’t. The modernist protests are trying to distract our gaze from the pink nakedness of the Enlightenment’s Emperor, strutting down the street.
-History and Eschatology Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology, N. T. Wright
Nikon d5500
50mm
ISO 4000
f/3.2
Foreground: 7 x 15 seconds
Sky: 26 x 30 seconds
iOptron SkyTracker
Hoya Red Intensifier filter
This is a 33 shot panorama of the Milky Way as it rises early in the season above an abandoned farm near Boddington, 2 hours east of Perth in Western Australia. This is the first glimpse of the core for the year so it's quite close to astronomical dawn. It's probably the earliest in the season I have managed to capture the core in this kind of detail thanks to the sky tracker and didymium filter.
Nikon d5500
35mm
ISO 3200
f/2.8
Foreground: 2 x 30 seconds
Sky: 2 x 30 seconds
iOptron SkyTracker
4 shot panorama of the Milky Way setting at Quairading, about 2 hours east of Perth in Western Australia.
Astrophysicists have hypothesized the presence of dark matter to account for discrepancies between the mass of astronomical objects measured by their gravitational effects and as calculated from observable matter (stars, gas and dust) that they visibly contain. Their gravitational effects suggest that their masses are much greater than the observable matter survey suggests.
According to the theory, dark matter neither emits nor absorbs electromagnetic radiation at any significant level. According to the Planck mission team, and based on the standard model of cosmology, the total mass–energy of the known universe contains 5% ordinary matter, 27% dark matter and 68% dark energy.
Many think that scientists today have explained all the mysteries of the universe, but by their own admission, it appears that they know less than nothing about 95% of the universe! And of the 5% which they can account for, the more they learn, the more they realise they do not know.
Psalm 8:3-4
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
______________________
[Explore - 3 February 2016]
Nikon d5500
35mm
9 x 30 seconds
f/2.2
ISO 4000
iOptron SkyTracker
Our neighbours above Lake Clifton, an hour south of Perth in Western Australia.
Asia, Indonesia, Jawa Tengah, Magelang, Borobudur, Tourists (uncut)
The last one of this Borobudur mini-series, thanxalot for your kind comments! Shot from the top level and showing the natural context of this fascinating edifice.
Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple and the world's largest Buddhist one. It consists of nine vertically juxtaposed platforms topped by a central dome. The temple is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa.
It was designed in Javanese Buddhist architectural style, which blends the Javanese indigenous cult of ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of attaining Nirvana. The temple shows the influences of Indian Gupta style.
It guides the visitors through an extensive system of stairways and corridors with many narrative relief panels on the walls
and the balustrades. Borobudur has the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist reliefs in the world.
Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year, Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path around the monument and ascends to the top through three levels symbolic of Buddhist cosmology Kamadhatu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness).
More about its history: After its construction in the 9th century it was abandoned following the 14th-century decline of Hindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese conversion to Islam. It was ‘rediscovered’ in 1814 and since then preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
(Based upon info here)
Information about our gettting there and our stay is with the previous post: here.
(Kodak Gold 100 film - Kodak print, scanned with Canon MP610)
This is number 28 of a series of scans - the Les Années Argentiques album here and the and numer 9 of the Indonesia 1995 album here
Nikon d5500
50mm
ISO 3200
f/2.8
Foreground: 8 x 15 seconds
Sky: 34 x 30 seconds
iOptron SkyTracker
Hoya Red Intensifier filter
This is a 42 shot panorama of the Crux region of the Milky Way above an abandoned farmhouse near Boddington, about 1.5 hours south east of Perth in Western Australia.
The light pollution below the Magellanic Clouds is from a nearby mining operation, its reddish hue is from the Hoya red enhancer filter.
The foreground was lit inadvertently by a local farmer passing by with a bright spotlight on his ute.
Among the sources of Western esotericism, the Hermetica is the most prominent. It is a collection of writings on cosmology, astrology, alchemy, and magic, and it has its origins in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. The Hermetica is attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom and magic, is a significant figure in the Hermetica. Greeks in Egypt came to identify Thoth with their god Hermes.
Hermetism, in its ancient context, is closely related to pagan Neoplatonism. Neo-Platonists practiced Theurgy, a form of pagan mystical practice and magical ritual. The concept of theurgy came from the Chaldean Oracles, which describe the physical world as a prison from which the higher human soul must escape.
Gnosticism is a heresy from the early Christian era. The word Gnosticism comes from the Greek word gnosis, meaning “knowledge” or “insight,” and it pertains to hidden or secret spiritual knowledge. Gnostics believe that their souls are trapped in an imperfect world and that through esoteric knowledge they can be freed from the prison of this material world.
During the Italian Renaissance, a priest named Marsilio Ficino taught new spiritual concepts of Platonism and the Hermetica. This caused a revival of Neoplatonism and Hermetism. During this time, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola blended Kabbalah with Hermeticism. Then came figures such as Johannes Reuchlin, Johann Trithemius, and Henry Cornelius Agrippa, who mixed forms of Hermeticism with Neoplatonism, Neopythagoreanism, magic, astrology, alchemy, and Cabala. After came John Dee, who was an advisor to Elizabeth I. He immersed himself in astrology, alchemy, and Cabala. John Dee and Edward Kelley collaborated in angel magic for several years. And an influential figure in medicine named Paracelsus, combined alchemy with Hermetic and Neoplatonic ideas to form his medical theories. The Emerald Tablet, one of the oldest alchemical writings, played a major role in Renaissance esotericism. The saying, “as above, so below,” comes from the Emerald Tablet.
Christian theosophy emerged in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in reaction to the strict orthodoxy of the Lutheran Reformation. Jacob Boehme was the figure behind the start of this movement. His ideas influenced intellectual movements such as Romanticism and Idealism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Platonism and Hermeticism are an essential part of theosophy. Rosicrucianism also arose in the seventeenth century. “From its obscure origins, the Rosicrucian myth would inspire literature, eighteenth-century Masonic adaptations, the rituals of the Golden Dawn, the leading magical order of the modern occult revival, and still exerts a powerful mystique today.”
Many secret societies formed in the eighteenth century, with their different esoteric beliefs. Many of these societies had relationships with the various Masonic lodges. Continental Freemasonry latched onto many of the esoteric ideas of these societies. The higher degrees of Freemasonry usually incorporated themes of theosophy, Rosicrucianism, and alchemy. Therefore, in the eighteenth century, Freemasonry was a major conduit for the spread of Western esotericism.
Emanuel Swedenborg had a great influence on eighteenth-century theosophy and was a major player in the development of modern esotericism. The Enlightenment influenced esoteric ideas, and they were accepted by many eighteenth-century illuminists. Then came Franz Anton Mesmer, who developed the theory of animal magnetism. His legacy can be traced to the early beginnings of modern Spiritualism. Animal magnetism was rooted in esoteric traditions. A key figure in animal magnetism was Justinus Kerner. His work became well-known throughout Europe. Another key figure was Baron Jules Dupotet de Sennevoy, who used animal magnetism to “unlock the secrets of magic.” His ideas influenced modern occultism. Helena Blavatsky, one of the founders of modern Theosophy, was a big fan of Dupotet. She also linked animal magnetism to magic. A man named James Braid coined the term “hypnotism” to describe animal magnetism. Hypnosis played a major role in the development of modern psychology. (Though they stripped the occult “ideas” from animal magnetism (hypnotism), I consider hypnotism to be an occult “practice.” Both Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung experimented with hypnosis.
In the mid-nineteenth century, occultism was introduced to America, predominantly through forms of animal magnetism, Swedenborgianism, and Freemasonry. Animal magnetism was introduced to America by Charles de Poyen. It quickly spread among occultists and spiritualists and was often combined with Swedenborgian ideas. Then came Andrew Jackson Davis, who communicated with a spirit he later identified as Swedenborg. He wrote a book called The Principles of Nature, which utilized Swedenborg’s ideas. His book sold many copies and became one of the founding texts of modern Spiritualism. Out of animal magnetism came the movements of New Thought and Christian Science, which integrated traditional Christian ideas with nineteenth-century metaphysical traditions. Next came modern Spiritualism, with its entertaining showmanship (self-moving furniture, self-playing musical instruments, and body levitation). Although the concepts of Swedenborg and animal magnetism were part of modern Spiritualism, the movement emerged independently of these influences.
The modern occult revival of the nineteenth century was complex. Romanticism sparked interest in the mysterious and unknown, thus creating an interest in animal magnetism, Spiritualism, and magic. A man named Eliphas Lévi became a pioneering figure in this Western occult revival. Lévi mixed ideas of animal magnetism with his philosophy of magic. Lévi used the Kabbalah and the Tarot as a source of magical symbolism. Much of modern occultism recognizes the Tarot as a root of mystical symbolism and imagery. Aleister Crowley believed himself to be a reincarnation of Lévi. Helena Blavatsky was also a fan of Lévi. In the second half of the nineteenth century, a Freemasonry order called the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia was founded. In turn, some of its members founded the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The Golden Dawn produced various offshoots, impacting Western esoteric traditions during the twentieth century.
Arthur Edward Waite came out of the Golden Dawn. He was a poet, scholar, mystic, and occultist. He was a prolific writer on esoteric matters. He was also a co-creator of the Rider-Waite TAROT card deck, which is one of the most popular Tarot decks. Aleister Crowley also came out of the Golden Dawn. Crowley wrote “The Book of the Law,” which stated, “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law!” Crowley used sex magick as a major tool for his magical system. Crowley referred to himself as the Great Beast 666. “Gerald Gardner, the founder of modern witchcraft, introduced Crowleyan magick into the neopagan Wiccan movement.” Dion Fortune, who had a great impact on modern Western esotericism, also came out of the Golden Dawn. She was one of the most influential twentieth-century occultists and ceremonial magicians. She had a significant influence on both later ceremonial magic and Wicca. “She was perhaps one of the first occult writers to approach magic and hermetic concepts from the psychology of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.”
The Theosophical Society was founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott. Blavatsky combined elements of Neoplatonism, Renaissance magic, Kabbalah, Freemasonry, ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman mythology and religion, Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta into her religious system. Her new religious movement played a major role in the spread of esoteric traditions in the modern era, and it was likely the biggest Influence behind the modern occult revival. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Theosophy gained a large international following. Her work prepared the foundation for what is now known as the New Age movement.
Alice A. Bailey authored many books on Theosophy. She was one of the first writers to use the term New Age, and her works have significantly influenced the New Age movement. Alice and Foster Bailey founded the Lucifer Publishing Company, which was later named the Lucis Publishing Company. (The Theosophical Society had also used the name “Lucifer” for its early magazine.) World Goodwill, which is part of Alice Bailey’s Lucis Trust, is an accredited Nongovernmental Organization with the Department of Public Information at the United Nations. The Lucis Trust is also on the Roster of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
Carl Jung, the famous psychiatrist, had a profound impact on the world of psychology and spirituality. Esoteric traditions profoundly shaped Jung’s understanding of the human psyche. Gnosticism deeply resonated with Jung’s theories. His ideas have had a significant influence on the New Age movement. Western esotericism gained renewed momentum from Jung’s implied spiritualization of the psyche.
“Ever since Plato’s separation of the body and the soul, Western esotericism has traced a path in which the soul has been granted some share in divinity.” Hermetism, Neoplatonism, and modern-day Western esotericism provide people with a vision of the cosmos in which their soul has divine purpose. With the popularity of New Age and neopagan philosophies in the West today, esoteric traditions will continue to evolve and lay claim to some sort of enlightened gnosis.
I think that modern esotericism will lead down the road to Alice Bailey’s vision of a world religion—the fusion of faiths. This concept has been around for a long time. Here is the concept: a one-world government is needed to unite mankind in order to create a world of peace and prosperity (political Gnosticism). To accomplish a one-world government, all religions must unite under one umbrella (spiritual Gnosticism). Many groups have been working towards this goal, such as the Parliament of the World’s Religions, the International Association for Religious Freedom, the World Congress of Faiths, Nostra Aetate, and Religions for Peace.
Nietzsche’s murder of God is an element of parousiastic Gnosticism, which seeks to destroy everything that is perceived as unjust (imperfect), and to replace it with a just (perfect) order through the power of human means and intellect. Therefore, the Christian God of the West has to go, and so does Western democracy. Just like the murder of God, Nietzsche’s transformation of man into the superman is an attempt to murder man. “Historically, the murder of God is not followed by the superman, but by the murder of man.” The Marxists must destroy capitalism and instate communism, thus killing off bourgeois society. They are trapped in this world of capitalism; thus, their world is a prison. The Marxists are trapped in a system of private property and must transcend private property, abolishing it forever. Marxists must transcend the evils of this capitalist world and evolve into the “socialist man”/“communist man.” They must destroy the current system to gain their utopia. Indeed, “socialism is man’s positive self-consciousness,” his gnosis.
“Communism is the riddle of history solved, and it knows itself to be this solution. The entire movement of history, just as its actual act of genesis—the birth act of its empirical existence—is, therefore, for its thinking consciousness the comprehended and known process of its becoming.” – Karl Marx
“The positive transcendence of private property as the appropriation of human life, is therefore the positive transcendence of all estrangement—that is to say, the return of man from religion, family, state, etc., to his human, i.e., social, existence.” – Karl Marx
Political Gnosticism is seen in communism and National Socialism. Political Gnosticism is alive and well today, with affluent people and organizations who want to transform our world into their utopian dream. The United Nations, with its Sustainable Development Goals, is the chief example. The World Economic Forum is another. Through their gnosis, they can bring peace and prosperity to the world.
“Queer theory brings knowing and being into the education of young children.” In queer theory, people are born (trapped) in the wrong body; their bodies are prisons. “Young people are absorbing the idea that the physical body is not part of the authentic self—that the authentic self is only the autonomous choosing self. This is ancient Gnosticism in new garb.”
Transhumanists want mankind to transcend into the superman. Man is trapped in this mortal body, but the goal is to someday attain immortality. They will use technology and super intelligence to solve man’s problems, to bring about a perfect world of peace and prosperity.
The Bible warns about the forming of a future one-world religion—the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. It warns of a one-world cashless currency system, which will be connected to the Mark of the Beast. Without this one-world digital ID Mark, which will be located on the right hand or forehead, a person will not be able to buy or sell. The man who implements this system will be the Antichrist. His Mark will plunge mankind into the first stages of transhumanism. Those who refuse this transformation into the superman will be put to death—the murder of man. The Western religion of Christianity will be replaced with the worship of Caesar (the Beast). Western democracy will be replaced with totalitarianism.
The gnosis: if you eat the fruit, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God.
Nikon d5500
50mm + Hoya Red Intensifier filter
ISO 5000
f/3.2
15 x 30s
iOptron SkyTracker
This was taken on a very still night at Yenyening Lakes about 2 hours east of Perth in Western Australia. I arrived just as the Milky Way was rising above the horizon and the entire lake was like a giant mirror, reflecting the stars above.
Nikon d5500
35mm
ISO 3200
f/2.2
Foreground: 4 x 30 seconds
Sky: 4 x 30 seconds
iOptron SkyTracker
This is an 8 shot panorama of the Magellanic Clouds above Island Point, about one hour south of Perth in Western Australia. The Magellanic Clouds are a permanent fixture in much of the Southern Hemisphere's night skies but can also be seen in the Northern Hemisphere as far as 20 degrees latitude.
Nikon d5500
50mm + Hoya Red Intensifier filter
ISO 5000
f/3.2
Sky: 70 x 30 seconds
Foreground: 22 x 8 seconds
iOptron SkyTracker
Stitched in MS ICE
This is a 92 image panorama of the Milky Way over Yenyening Lakes about 2 hours east of Perth in Western Australia.
This was a particularly calm night so the lake surface was reflecting the sky really nicely. The Magellanic Clouds can be seen to the right of the image as well as plenty of green airglow. The foreground was light painted using a hand held spotlight.
In cosmology, a texture is a type of topological defect in the order parameter (typically a scalar field) of a field theory featuring spontaneous symmetry breaking. They are not as localized as the other defects, and are unstable. No textures have been definitively confirmed as having been detected, but their existence is compatible with current theories and observations of the universe..In late 2007 a cold spot in the cosmic microwave background detected by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe was interpreted as possibly being a sign of a texture lying in that direction. .A 2012 study found no evidence of "knots" in space..From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thanks for the favs and comments folks....
I really appreciate the visits. I look forward to visiting many of yours.
Nikon d5500
35mm
ISO 3200
f/3.2
Foreground: 15 x 13 seconds
Sky: 40 x 30 seconds
iOptron SkyTracker
This is a 55 shot panorama of the Milky Way setting over Harvey Dam, about 120km south of Perth in Western Australia. The yellow glow is the effect of light getting scattered through the smokey atmosphere from prescribed burning that day.
Polaroid week day 2 and this is Yggdrasil the magical tree in Norse mythology that connects the nine worlds of their cosmology.
This hall is considered an ideal example of traditional Thai architecture. Every detail of its exterior decoration carries symbolic meaning. The hall itself takes the form of a towering mountain, evoking Mount Meru, the mythical heart of the universe.
The spire is elegantly divided into three sections, each rich in symbolism. The base, with its seven stacked layers, represents the levels of heaven in Traiphum Buddhist cosmology. The middle section, shaped like a flattened bell, symbolizes the stupa that holds the Buddha’s ashes. At the top, a slender lotus bud signifies liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Majestic garudas stand at each corner, not only as symbols of kingship but also as guardians of the mythical Himavanta forest surrounding Mount Meru.
Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.
The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). During the journey, the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and the balustrades.
Evidence suggests Borobudur was abandoned following the 14th-century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java, and the Javanese conversion to Islam. Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then the British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction.
Having always been interested in Astronomy, Cosmology, and Physics, I jumped at an opportunity last week to attend a "Mars Party" at the Northern Skies Observatory in Peacham, Vermont. The observatory is operated by the Northeast Kingdom Astronomy Foundation. We started off on smaller telescopes set up outside, viewing Venus, Mars, Saturn, and their moons.
Once it got darker, we moved into the observatory to see how the telescope worked. The astronomer told us about a rare class of bizarre stars called Wolf Rayet, and talked about a particular one named WR136. This star is near the center of the Crescent Nebula in constellation Cygnus, 5000 light years from Earth. WR136 is about 3 times the radius of our sun and 15 times its mass, yet it is an incredible 250,000 times brighter than our sun. A photo was then taken. It was interesting to note that all photos taken by telescopes such as this one, and even the Hubble, are inherently black and white, getting their colors solely from filters.
The telescope itself is robotically controlled and has a 17 inch diameter mirror, the second largest in Vermont. The software that operates the telescope is quite sophisticated. A person can simply type in the name of an object to be viewed or photographed, and the telescope will be robotically moved to the correct position. This coordinates with the software for the 14.5 foot dome, so that the door at the top opens (if closed) and rotates to the position associated with the telescope. The telescope then continues to track the object so that multiple photos can be taken and stacked. Additionally, this can all run in an unattended mode, where a list of objects to be photographed has been provided, and the software will work to take photos of those objects. To accomplish this, the software determines when those objects will be in the field of view, and checks that sky conditions are right for photos (e.g. it is dark enough, and the sky is clear).
The above photo was taken facing North (more precisely, NNE), so the galactic core of the Milky Way is not visible here. You may be able to see the spiral galaxy Andromeda, about half way up the sky on the right. The photo was taken 2 days before the Perseid meter showers are at peak, but it will be overcast on those days at this location. However, we did still see a few meteors that night, and I managed to capture one in the photo.
The observatory is open to the public for scheduled events. See their website or Facebook page for more info.
Website: www.nkaf.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nkaf.org
Updates:
- I received an e-mail from William Vinton, President of the Northeast Kingdom Astronomy Foundation, indicating that the two bright, closely spaced objects near the center are the famous "Double Cluster" in constellation Perseus, two open star clusters, each of which contains about 300 to 400 stars. The clusters are about 7000 light years distant and only a few hundred light years apart. For comparison, the Andromeda Galaxy is 2.5 million light years distant.
- The telescope is a PlaneWave f/6.8 17 inch CDK.
- The camera is an Apogee Alta F16M Monochrome CCD with a Kodak 52 mm full frame sensor.
- The observatory is one of about 20 on the Skynet Robotic Telescope Network, whose major purpose is to record, image, and study gamma-ray bursts.
- See this photo of the Triangulum galaxy taken with the telescope at this observatory and processed with FITS: www.flickr.com/photos/davetrono/48687865046
- Photo of a full Milky Way panorama over the observatory:
Chiangrai is a destination close to Chiangmai in North Thailand.
Chiangrai is an artistic hub with quirkiness writ large over it.
You have the White Temple and then a Blue Temple competing.
The Blue Temple is comparatively recent at 2016 designed/ led by Phuttha Kabkaew, a student of Chalermchai Kositpipat (creator of the White Temple).
In Thai it is called - Wat Rong Suea Ten, meaning Temple of the Dancing Tiger, and it was built on the ruins of an older temple where tigers were said to leap across the river.
The temple is known for its vivid sapphire blue color, symbolizing wisdom, purity, and the infinite—a modern twist on traditional Thai temple aesthetics
There is a main temple hall and flanked on its entrance and exit ends are large statues in blue and green of temple protectors. Here the statue is that of Rahu where the cosmology comes in from Hinduism and it runs parralel in Budhhism with slight variation in the role for Rahu and his benign / malefic influence.
There is more on Rahu in the comments. Please do have a look.
_DSC7325 nef 2025
Nikon d5500
50mm + Hoya Red Intensifier Filter
ISO 4000
f/2.2
59 x 30s
iOptron SkyTracker
This is a panorama of the Milky Way rising over Nature's Window, a famous rock formation found at Kalbarri National Park. This is the farthest I have ever driven for an astro shoot, over 600km and 6 hours from home. I had planned to stay in the area for a few days but I stupidly allowed my car battery to run flat and needed a call out mechanic to get it started again. He said there was a chance it wouldn't start again in the morning so I decided to drive back home. A pity as I had planned on shooting some of the spectacular coastline on the 2nd night......though the crazy winds probably would have killed that idea regardless. Oh well, just means I'll have to make the trip again some time :)
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erawan_Shrine:
The Erawan Shrine, formally the Thao Maha Phrom Shrine (San Thao Maha Phrom; 'shrine of Lord Maha Brahma'), is a shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, which houses a statue of Phra Phrom, the Thai representation of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. The name also refer to Mahabrahma, the ruler of the Brahma realm in Buddhist cosmology.
The deity is popularly worshipped outside of a Hindu religious context, but more as a representation of guardian spirits in Thai animist beliefs, nevertheless the shrine shows an example of syncretism between Hinduism and Buddhism. The shrine often features performances by Thai dance troupes who are hired by worshippers in return for seeing their prayers answered at the shrine.
The Erawan Shrine was built in 1956 as part of the government-owned Erawan Hotel to eliminate the bad karma believed caused by laying the foundations on the wrong date.
The hotel's construction was delayed by a series of mishaps, including cost overruns, injuries to laborers, and the loss of a shipload of Italian marble intended for the building. Furthermore, the Ratchaprasong intersection had once been used to put criminals on public display.
An astrologer advised building the shrine to counter the negative influences. The Brahma statue was designed and built by the Department of Fine Arts and enshrined on 9 November 1956. The hotel's construction thereafter proceeded without further incident. In 1987, the hotel was demolished and the site used for the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel.
Nikon d5500
35mm
ISO 4000
f/2.2
6 x 30 seconds
iOptron SkyTracker
This is a 6 image panorama of the Large & Small Magellanic Clouds at Lake Ninan approximately 2 hours NE of Perth in Western Australia.
These two neighbouring galaxies can pretty much only be seen in the Southern Hemisphere. The LMC contains around 30 billion stars while the SMC contains just a few billion. The bright 'star' above the SMC is a globular cluster called 47 Tucanae containing around 500k stars.
Nikon d5500
50mm
ISO 3200
f/2.8
Foreground: 9 x 10 seconds
Sky: 15 x 30 seconds
iOptron SkyTracker
Hoya Red Intensifier filter
This is the third of four Milky Way shots I took this night. As mentioned, it was a very humid night with lots of dew around which often fogged up the lens causing the light from the brighter stars to diffuse and look bloated. It also made the colours of the different spectral types stand out more.
There were more people here than ever before so lots of cars driving past which is what explains the bright light on the right side of the horizon. The one in the middle is light pollution from a nearby town.
locatiion : Daitokuji Temple Ryogenin, Kyoto city , Kyoro Prefecture,Japan
大徳寺 龍源院 方丈北庭 龍吟庭 室町/枯山水
Ryogintei Garden 龍吟庭
Constructed during the Muromachi Period.(1336-1573),this Karesansui ( dry landscape ) garden depicts Mt.Sumeru** ,which is believed to lie at the centre of the Buddhist universe.This garden is the oldest in the Daitokuji Temple,and is a famous example of true Zen temple garden.
The garden consists of a three formations of sacred rocks ,with the one protruding in the centre representing.
Mt.Sumeru,and the moss around it representing the vast oceans.
Here is how the Buddhist scriptures describe Mt.Sumeru.” Our universe is made up of nine mountains and eight oeans,and the one in the centre is called Mt.Sumeru.Its height and depth is said to be 80,000 yojanas*, a distance we cannot measure.This is absolute humanity that we all innately possess,and the original form which no one can violate.”
The Ryogentei Garden depicts this teaching, and discovering this on one’s own in Zen enlightenment.
- Kyoto city
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*One Yojana can be taken to mean about 11.5 km (9 miles)
** Mt.Sumeru ( Mt.Meru ) ( Japanese : 須弥山syumi-sen)
Mount Meru is a sacred mountain with five peaks in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist cosmology and is considered to be the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes.
Meru (Sanskrit: मेरु), also called Sumeru (Sanskrit) or Sineru (Pāli) (Tibetan: ཪི་རྒྱལ་པོ་རི་རབ་), to which can be added the approbatory prefix su-, resulting in the meaning "excellent Meru" or "wonderful Meru" and Mahameru i.e. "Great Meru" (Chinese: 須彌山 Xumi Shan; Pāli Neru;).
Many famous Hindu and similar Jain as well as Buddhist temples have been built as symbolic representations of this mountain. The highest point (the finial bud) on the pyatthat, a Burmese-style multi-tiered roof, represents Mount Meru.
- wikipedia
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daitoku ji Ryogenin Temple
This is one of the sub-temple of Daitokuji Temple, and it is the head temple of the South School of Daitokuji.
It was built in1502 by Yoshimoto Hatakeyama,the load of Noto province ( today’s Ishikawa Prefecture) together with some others including Yoshinaga Omoto of Bungo Province.(today’s Oita Prefecture) ,and Soboku Totei,the 72nd priest of prayed the role of the founder.
The Hojo Building ,the entrance and the Omotemon Gate were all built at the same time of the founding the temple and still exist today in their original form. It is said that the Hojo building is the oldest all the buildings inside the precinct of the Daitokuji Temple. And shows the typical style of Zen.
To the south ,east and north of the Hojo building,there are three gardens with diffirent tastes.
The Ryogentei Garden located the the north is renowned Shumisen-style 須弥山形式 dry landscape garden with Buddhist triad stones (sangonseki)on moss.Moreover ,the south garden ( the front garden of Hojo) is a Horai style garden with moss and stone arrangements inside an ‘ ocean’ of white stones ,resembling cranes and turtles.
The Tortekitei garden is regarded as the smallest stones garden in Japan, in which very small traces of wave patterns remind us of the far-reaching ocean.
As for treasure owned by the temple,there are such items as the four –side lacquer painted go boad 碁盤with which according to tradition, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Ieyasu Tokugawa played the game of go碁,and the Tanegashima firearm with the year of its manufacture,1583 marked on it.
- Kyoto city
The Hsinbyume Pagoda (also known as Mya Thein Tan Pagoda) was built in 1816 by prince Bagyidaw, the son of King Bodawpaya. The prince built this impressive white pagoda to commemorate Princess Hsinbyume his late wife (whose name means the White Elephant Queen) who had passed away during childbirth. One hundred thousand emeralds were used to fund the construction of the white pagoda which can explain its other name Mye Thein Tan (Mye= emerald, Thein Tan = 100,000).
The pagoda’s architectural style is very different from other pagodas in Myamar. The base of the structure shaped like circular terraces is a representation of the seven mountain ranges surrounding Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Buddhist cosmology. The pagoda on top is said to be built after the Chulamanee pagoda in the center of the universe on top of Mount Meru. The pagoda that is topped with a gold spire enshrines a Buddha image. The seven tiered concentric base shaped like waves contains niches, some of which contain small statues of mythological figures.
Prints and Downloads are available on my ►HOMEPAGE
Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, also known as Golden Rock) is a well-known Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Burma. It is a small pagoda (7.3 metres (24 ft)) built on the top of a granite boulder covered with gold leaves pasted on by devotees. According to legend, the Golden Rock itself is precariously perched on a strand of the Buddha's hair. The balancing rock seems to defy gravity, as it perpetually appears to be on the verge of rolling down the hill. The rock and the pagoda are at the top of Mt. Kyaiktiyo. It is the third most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in Burma after the Shwedagon Pagoda and the Mahamuni Pagoda. A glimpse of the "gravity defying" Golden Rock is believed to be enough of an inspiration for any person to turn to Buddhism.
The legend associated with the pagoda is that the Buddha, on one of his many visits, gave a strand of his hair to Taik Tha, a hermit. The hermit, who had tucked it in the tuft of his hair safely, in turn gave the strand to the king, with the wish that the hair be enshrined in a boulder shaped like the hermit's head. The king had inherited supernatural powers from his father Zawgyi, a proficient alchemist), and his mother, a naga serpent dragon princess. They found the rock at the bottom of the sea. With the help of the Thagyamin, the king of Tawadeintha Heaven in Buddhist cosmology, found the perfect place at Kyaiktiyo for locating the golden rock and built a pagoda, where the strand was enshrined. It is this strand of hair that, according to the legend, prevents the rock from tumbling down the hill. The boat, which was used to transport the rock, turned into a stone. This is also worshiped by pilgrims at a location about 300 metres (980 ft) from the golden rock. It is known as the Kyaukthanban Pagoda or stupa (literal meaning: stone boat stupa).
Legends also mention that pilgrims undertaking the pilgrimage by trekking from the Kinpun base camp three times consecutively in a year will be blessed with wealth and recognition.
Nikon d5500
35mm
ISO 3200
f/2.8
12 x 30s
iOptron SkyTracker
This is a small 12 shot panorama of the Milky Way's Carina/Crux region over Lake Towerrinning near West Arthur about 2.5hrs south of Perth in Western Australia. The wind was quite still so I got some nice reflections, you can spot Crux, or the Southern Cross, reflected in the bottom centre of the image.