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Bed rock is limestone which is etched with peaty, acid water which I think infuses iron into the surface layer giving the colour. Where the water flows less often the limestone colour is more evident. the water had no peaty colour today - it was crystal clear
[ Image intended to accompany the tech story below. Thank you. Please don't e-litter. ]
“Of Music Before Everything”
[a digital music column]
By Mr. TRONA
The Eton Ultimate Bluetooth Zombie Apocalypse Tea Party Survival Tool
Imagine a tea time where the infuser also serves up music or virtually any other type of file, essentially powered by the very caffeine most of us crave to cure an afternoon lull. Etón, known for a rugged, green-friendly line of products favored by the survivalist set, this week added a new hybrid offering that promises to do this and more.
"Tea Et Al. (TEA) is the ultimate survival tool for the tea party that becomes a dance party, then a truly maddening affair when the Zombie Apocalypse goes down," said Dr. Z, psychic research and development representative for Breton, a new Etón subsidiary reportedly named after Andre Breton, the late artist affiliated with the dAdAist and Surrealist movements.
TEA is seen as a giant step from the Rukus speaker product, and in addition to its core function as an actual tea infuser and fully waterproof digital music player, extends functionality by acting as a personal wireless server and giving users access to Storm Cloud, the company's soon-to-be-launched unlimited storage service.
As with most Etón tech, power options are important product features. Using technology first introduced in the Blackout Buddy H20, which activates when water is added for up to 72 hours of continuous light, TEA features a patented caffeine converter to activate and sustain the cha'puj qut-based battery for up to 72 years.
"This product functions as a wireless server and, to my understanding, self replicates, and will be available this spring only, a once in a lifetime opportunity," said Dr. Z. "That's right. Once you've purchased TEA, your investment is over, with generations following you everywhere you go. My team tells me they modeled that part of things after an earthworm's reproduction... whatever. They've also casually spoke of weaponization, but I won't go too far into it because those people scare me. Seriously."
"Although 'self-replication' is obviously little more than a prank, Dr. Z has been acting in the role of a sort of propagandist, seemingly mythologizing some ideas that already sound a bit intriguing," Said Bob Windybottom of the Windybottom Analyst firm. "I suspect that this is an amusing way of articulating the more mundane explanation that users will be given the ability to create additional units via 3D printers, although I have no idea how the company plans on controlling the number of unofficial items being generated, not to mention the obvious potential for these to start appearing on eBay, and so forth."
"In terms of other TEA features, the company did recently unveil proprietary satellites, indicating the desire to emulate Lantern, a hugely popular IndieGoGo campaign using Outernet to offer uncensored access to online content for users all over the world," added Windybottom.
Pilot or prototype models have not yet been made available to the press, but it is generally understood that TEA will incorporate some aspect of Lantern into its first release. Back to the tea and music for a moment.
"Sure, it's easy to joke about how Bluetooth is being added to virtually every product, but I certainly won't deride my Bluetooth tea infuser," said Agnes Breton, granddaughter of Andre Breton, and the self-proclaimed CIO of the new Etón subsidiary. "TEA will be our introduction to the world, and seriously, I've been testing one, and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' OST work sounds great from the bottom of a strong cup of Barry's."
"I enjoy calling this the Breton Ultimate Bluetooth Zombie Apocalypse Tea Party Survival Tool, and it's a lovely little objet d'art, too" added Breton. "Incidentally, I'm thinking of producing a short film based on Alice's Adventures In Wonderland with TEA obviously being used as a central character, if you will, and lots of Zombies. I just know Carroll would've loved that."
"But just imagine what The Hatter could do with TEA!"
TEA has, predictably perhaps, drawn scorn, skepticism, ridicule, and even potentially some emulation. Gerson Labs, a medical research firm based in Lawrence, KS, recently announced a coffee enema apparatus that would use Bluetooth to track patient information, that and a streaming music service for "added value, recreationally speaking," according to a company press release.
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Infused with the beauty and sophistication that constitutes the very essence of Fashion Royalty, the Integrity Toys creative team is proud to introduce "CLASSIC"...a mini-collection that features FR at its best! From its classic, timeless lines to a makeup palette reminiscent of the original collection that started it all..."Classic" is pure FR! Let the models of W Cosmetics and Fatalé walk the catwalk and show you how it's done!
From L to R: Captivating Anja, Nostalgia Dania Zarr, Splendid Jordan, Ambitious Kesenia, Online Event Exclusive Irresistible Dania Zarr, Polished Korinne, WClub Membership Upgrade doll Love The One... Kyori Sato.
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2 Comments on Instagram:
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sim_j: Oh! So good!
Tigger sleeping on her matatabi mat with her catnip infused (many years ago) toy turtle she loves. And, as an added extra scent, my shirt to keep her comfortable (on the assumption she can recognize my odor and be calmed by it). She sat on my lap for a few hours this morning and purred quite a bit.
Her breathing condition didn't really change that we can tell overnight (she spent most of the night on the bed with us) but she seems to be developing many bumps on her skin, which to my non-medical eye seems to be possible skin cancer from the metastasizing tumors in her body. (Our cat Nobuo (who died in 2016) had a similar problem but the bumps on his skin were mostly in one of his ear canals and much larger.)
We are hoping that she lives longer than three weeks.
Get it - Mana Tea. Florida joke.
Tea infuser shaped like a manatee. The enamel topped table is from my Grandmothers kitchen.
Infuse your avatar with playful charm using Howlett Design's whimsical 'Cat' belly tattoo. The stylishly drawn cat figure donning a hat and bowtie adds a delightfully mischievous yet sophisticated touch to your look in Second Life. This BOM-friendly tattoo comes in varying opacity levels of 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90%, allowing you to customize the perfect level of vibrance. The mirrored version is also included, enabling you to get creative with placement. Let this feline friend's dapper spirit enliven your avatar's style for a truly captivating presence.
And Marketplace
Also avaiable at SWANK Event
Vanilla rooibos tea infused creme patisserie, fresh berries, pate sucre tart dough
Recipe:
9 inch baked Pate sucre tart base
(you can find recipes online or from here: www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/03/pate-sucree-tart-shel... )
Vanilla Rooibos creme patisserie
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tbs vanilla rooibos tea leaves (or tea dust from tea bags)
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
3 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs unsalted butter
1. Heat tea leabes and whole milk in a medium saucepan until it comes to a simmer. Cover and let steep for 30 min
2. In a medium bowl whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch until pale yellow.
3. Strain the tea leaves and discard, and rewarm the milk until it barely comes to a simmer
4. Gradually add 1/4 cupfuls of hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
5. Bring mixture back to the saucepan and heat over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent eggs from scrambling. Bring mixture to a simmer and continue simmering for 1-2 min until it thickens.
6. Strain pastry cream into a clean bowl. Cover with a piece of cling film placed directly on it's surface and chill overnight
To assemble:
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup fresh raspberries
1/4 cup red currants
(or any mixture of fresh berries you prefer)
1. Spread the pastry cream evenly on the tart base.
2. Arrange the berries decoratively on top of the pastry cream. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator.
Mon infuseur de thé a peut-être pris de l'âge mais reste il reste opérationnel même si on utilise de plus en plus les sachets qu'on trouve de plus en plus dans le marché.
As the sun was sinking, a hint of warm, orange glow started infusing the blue sky. Cathedral Peak along with Eichorn Pinnacle lit up in orange. It was so bright and vivid that it felt like almost unreal. The reflection of the gorgeous granite in the water was dreamy. The lake was slowly fading into dim shade, and it was taking the forest with it. A moment that would evanesce in time. Like anything in life. A beautiful moment. And yet nothing stays beautiful forever.
Mon diffuseur en boule pourrait ârfaitement convenir pour les feuilles séchées préparées à partir de mon pied de Moringa du jardin. #Macro #MacroMondays #Tea
The sea, the sun (at reasonable dosis and with sunscream of course ;)), the outdoors... it would be wonderful feel that good energy soon again.
Gandía, Valencia, España. Agosto de 2012.
Stunning Baovier & Toso ? Purple & Gold Infused Murano Art Glass Duck ....I've been told it might be by Barovier & Toso ...any assistance welcome
Infuse your autumn with vintage inspiration in November's winning theme.... 70s Flashback by Parisa Galtier!
Theme Description:
70s Flashback takes us back to a time of peace, love, flared jeans, and long hair. The denim and airy materials of the 70s make for a perfect fall wardrobe. For the color scheme think earth tones with lots of browns, oranges and yellows and the occasional navy.
Submit your December theme ideas here: collabor88.com/submit-a-theme If your theme is voted the winner, you'll win a day of early access shopping that round as designers setup their creations inspired by your idea!
Introduction
The doctrine of the ‘Body of Light’ is replete throughout Western esoteric literature. Unfortunately, while many references are made to the concept, little information is supplied regarding its origin (or formation), stages of growth, and applications. The purpose of this document is to supply qabalistic and alchemical students with a workable esoteric theory, and practical technique, regarding this often obscure subject.
Theoretical and Historical Background
The origin of the “body of light” is seen in gnostic literature as early as the first century. However, extensive documentation and theory exist in Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetan, and Indian literature and practices of an earlier date. Under the general heading of chi kung, or Chinese internal alchemy, these practices are designed to create and mature a body of subtle astral and etheric energy that is capable of existence independent of material consciousness. This body is also thought to be capable of infusing the material body with sufficient energy to allow it to become more subtle and ‘etherial’. This ‘etherialization’ is said to make the physical body, under the direction of the adept, capable of de-materialization at the time of death. Enoch, Ezekiel, the ascension of Jesus, his mother Mary, and even Mohammed with his horse, are often given as examples of this form of dematerialization in Western spiritual literature.
Unfortunately, while Eastern systems have maintained a working technical tradition of the theory and its application needed to achieve this goal, little information remains in the West of a similar nature. The idea of the ‘simulacrum’ is the closest we have, and may very well be the starting point of such experimentation. It can be seen from the Eastern literature available, that the idea of the “Body of Light” often called the “Rainbow” or “Diamond Body” is the perfection of a vehicle for the exteriorization (projection), and continuation of consciousness beyond material reality. This paper will attempt to show how the development of this body can be achieved through existing qabalistic practices, and that the stages of its growth corresponds to total realization on the Lunar (Yetzirah), Solar (Briah), and Saturnian (Daath) planes of consciousness.
It is important to realize what is meant by these ‘planes’ however, as they can be confusing when first encountered as an esoteric teaching. When the Cosmic created the universe, humanity, or the ‘human seed’, that aspect of consciousness which was to grow into realization of godhood, descended from primal unity. This unity is symbolized by the Divine World of Atzilooth, and the Holy Upper Trinity in the Tree of Life.
When consciousness experiences increasing levels of density as matter is created, duality forms and continues to the material world. This first descent from unity to duality is the so-called “Fall” and to prevent a premature return to Unity, that is before all of creation could be encountered, a barrier was placed called in qabalistic literature, the Abyss. This is the “First Day of Creation” or appearance of time/space. As the descent continued, the human seed experienced progressive levels of sexual polarization as well as being further removed from its memory of Divine consciousness. After the level of Divine Harmony in creation, or Tiphareth, the center of humanity's sense of self, an additional barrier was created, the Veil, or Paroketh. This is the appearance of individuality free of the Divine spark. Finally, a third barrier of Veil is encountered, and that is what separates material creation from the psychic and spiritual worlds. Here, humanity has no memory of its Divine origin, and has complete free will to seek what it desires.
Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki, states, “When working in this way [Pathworking] you are using the astral body, and you know already about your Magical Personality1) which has been quietly growing in strength with each month’s work. But there is another form used by some magicians, the Body of Light. Some think that it is the same as the astral body, but it is in fact quite different. The astral is an etheric form common to everyone, a Magical Personality is acquired through practice and concentration. The Body of Light is deliberately built for a purpose, another term for it is ‘cowan’. It is not easily formed, some people never manage it, or at least not fully, and once it is formed it can be troublesome, and requires firm handling.” P. 153, The Ritual Magic Workbook Ms. Ashcroft-Nowicki further states that the Body of Light can acquire a kind of ‘self consciousness’ after a period of development. This idea is also stated in Tibetan and Chinese literature. The small ‘child of light’ is often compared to a fetus in the astral womb of the practitioner’s aura and temple. It must be matured, fed, educated, and grown to proper strength so that is can be a help to the magician and not a hindrance, or even potential danger. However, like in all occult activity, dangers come more often from rushing through preliminary work instead of allowing it to proceed in a healthy and natural pace, than from the exercises themselves actually being psychically dangerous. She also goes on to say that few Western magicians have ever been able to master the technique fully, although no reasons are given. When we attempt esoteric exercises and a return to Primal Unity, we must pierce the first Veil, or that of the Gate of Life and Death. So called, because few people pierce it except during near-death-experiences (NDE’s), Out-of-Body experiences (OOBE’s), or physical death itself. The astral body has access to three levels of consciousness, and then must be shed, encountering the ‘Second Death” in order to penetrate the Veil, or Paroketh, to the next three levels. However, precautions must be undertaken to avoid the destruction of the astral body if the Second Death is to be avoided. If this is not done, then it must be reconstructed with a new birth. Above the Solar World, the Resurrection Body is established, and it is the ‘body’ or expression of consciousness used for Reintergration to Unity.2)
It is possible, as this paper will attempt to show, that just as there is confusion among some students regarding the Body of Light as being the astral body, there may also be confusion regarding its actual purpose — that of extended consciousness, or ‘surviving the Second Death’. When its function is clearly understood, then greater attempts can be made to realize its full potential. Mead and the Subtle Body: GRS Mead wrote a booklet around the turn of the century titled, The Doctrine of the Subtle Body in the Western Tradition. It very well may be one of the few books dedicated to this subject available, and while it is full of scholarly research regarding the theories and beliefs regarding the subtle body, it lacks any description of the techniques used to experience it. The material quoted is almost exclusively Gnostic-Christian in origin: Mead states that the doctrine of the subtle body achieved its highest expression in India, although he may have been unaware of other oriental teachings, and that notions of the subtle body develop along with those of alchemy and astrology. This is both true in East and West, and is seen in the techniques often suggested for use by the student. This astrology has nothing to do with “..vulgar horoscopy, philosophic astral theory set up a ladder of ascent from the earth to the light world.” (p.9) Mead also states: “But even as there was a deeper, more vital, side of astrology, a subtler phase intimately bound up with the highest themes of sidereal religion, so there was a supra-physical, vital and psychic side to alchemy — a scale of ascent leading finally to man’s perfection in spiritual reality.” (p.13)
Mead also states that Zosimus states catagorecally that the Rites of Mithras were identical in purpose to the practices of alchemy, and is the only complete ritual of the Mithrian cult that has survived to present time, and its theurgical practices are similar to Indian yoga. (p.30) The ritual also states clearly that it is the method whereby spiritual perfection and birth of the subtle body are attained. As in the Sepher Yetzirah and the Golem, the body of Light is often suggested.
Three Levels of Light: The three basic ideas around the subtle body are that it progresses though the levels of the spheres, increases in power and purity, and is made of light and/or fire. It is described as : the spirit-body, the radiant body, and the resurrection body, depending on its degree of purity. Mead points out that there is the possibility of extreme confusion when reading the ancient literature and the vocabulary used to describe the spiritual body. Despite appearances to the contrary, Mead asserts that the spiritual body is essentially one, and that the sidereal body, has nothing to do with today’s (1919) astral body. The Spirit-Body, orsoma pheumatikon, is the force closely aligned to the physical body. Similar to the nephesch, or vegetative-animal soul, in Jewish Qabalah. The Radiant Body, allows us to experience the Vision of Beauty Triumphant as referred to in modern qabalistic schools: “Tiphareth translates to Beauty. It is located on the Pillar of Balance which is the Pillar of consciousness and corresponds, we are told, to the highest state in which a man incarnate on this earth can live, that is, a man “of flesh and blood.” This does not mean that he cannot receive the influences of the higher sepheroth (higher according to the Tree), perceive or live something of their nature and mode of action. This means that a man capable of remaining in Tiphareth has “spiritualized” his matter, has formed his glorious body and has obtained the power to go beyond incarnation.” “There was a time when we they could behold Beauty in all its brilliance, when, together with the rest of the Blessed Company — we [philosophers] in the train of Zeus, and other [ranks of souls] in the train of the Gods — they both beheld the beatific spectacle and [divine] vision, and where initiated into that mystery, which may be called the holiest of all, in which we joyed in mystic ecstasy.” (p. 58) Proclus states,
“Moreover, the radiant vehicle (augoeides ochema) [corresponds] with heaven, and this mortal [frame] with the sublunary [region]”. While the Christian doctrine of the resurrection of the flesh was hotly contested during its developmental stages, with the ‘flesh lovers as they were called, winning out over those believing in a purely spiritual resurrection. Mead points out that the belief in physical resurrection was not universally accepted by the Jews of Jesus’ day, yet, there was a strong Biblical and midrashic tradition of increasing in grades of purity of the individual allowing for ascension and resurrection to take place. The descriptions of these accounts, Elijah and Jesus, suggest that the bodies they inhabited were the same, and yet not the same. They were tangible, yet could overcome material limitations, such as Jesus’ passing through the locked door. Elijah, unlike Jesus however, did not die, but was taken into heaven bodily in a chariot of fire. These ‘bodies’ in fact, are not really separate bodies, but increasingly purified expressions of the personality, the individual and unique expression of God we all carry within us. As one ‘body’ or expression is purified and ‘dies’ another takes its place. What makes the resurrection body different is that while it can and does exist within the material world, it is free from material constraints. This perfect body was, or is, essentially a quintessence. It is differentiated into subtle and simple elements, where as the physical body is contaminated by the grosser elements. The Mithraic initiation states:“O Primal Origin of my origination; Thou Primal Substance of my substance; First Breath of breath, the breath that is in me; First Fire, God-given for the Blending of the blendings in me; First Fire of fire in me; First Water of my water, the water in me; Primal Earth-essence of the earthly essence in me; Thou Perfect Body of me!..” (p. 102, and A Mithraic Ritual, London 1907)
The technique suggested by Ashcroft-Nowicki is the simplest and most direct. However, while no specific rituals are employed, as in A.S. method, it is suggested that the ritual be performed in a consecrated temple to prevent the simulacrum from wondering. She also states that when the B.O.L. is sufficiently developed to begin to desire acting on its own, that it should be given firm disciplining.“With the constant implanting of consciousness, even the tiny amount used here, the cowan [Body of Light] will eventually gain a half conscious mind of its own. You will in fact have partially ensouled it. At this point, it will almost certainly make a bid for freedom. Something you cannot allow for it has no protection against the darker forces who will take it over and use it against you and even against those with whom you are involved. They will think it is you and trust the appearance. Therefore the moment you feel as if the cowan is getting above itself, give it a good psychic shake, and in no uncertain terms remind it who is boss.” She then suggests withdrawing all contact with the cowan for a lunar month, and to feel no sympathy for this self-created and projected aspect of ourselves. To do otherwise, she warns, is to court disaster. This would in fact, be tantamount to “the Fall” in our own personal microcosm. Yet despite these warnings, and problems, the creation of the BOL, even partially, can be a very rewarding psychic and spiritual experience. It offers many avenues for psychological cleansing, as we shall see, and psychic enhancement. These four directives: going slow, performing in a sacred space or enclosure, preventing it from wondering, and reminding the BOL who is boss, are common to Eastern and Western methods of creating the BOL. What is missing in the modern accounts, but clearly stated in the Oriental ones, is that the BOL is a superior being to physical world, and can be directed to have effects on the physical body, if they are desired. It is these effects which allow for the etherialization of the physical body, increased health, longevity, and possibly even a kind of ‘psychic mutation’ that allows for increased psychic activity along family lines. The Western schools are silent about what the implications of the Hermetic axiom, “The subtle rules the dense” and how it might apply here. Despite the projective imagery, the genuine sense of the simulacrum being ‘other’, and unconscious, often violent imagery that can be dredged up from a nephesch (subconscious) that doesn’t want to be integrated into the workings of the ruach (Mental-Spiritual functions), the BOL is still a part of us. By disciplining it, giving it function and purpose, and guiding it with a firm hand, we are in reality giving those things to our self. The simulacrum however, shows us in no uncertain terms, that these forces and ideas within us, left unregenerated and when given the opportunity, will seek to manifest, and to take on self-consciousness. In magical work we see this clearly in the creation of the BOL; in psychology in neurotic and schizophrenic behavior; and even in severe forms of psychosis. Esoteric work allows us to address these diverse aspects of our being, to integrate them, and in doing so, to prevent psychic ruptures that might otherwise manifest in modern terms as mental illness. The following method can be performed by anyone regardless of their level of experience. Ideally however, it would be best if it is done during the third or fourth year of qabalistic study. The reasons for this are simple: the more experience you have in psychic and occult matters, the easier it will be to achieve noticeable success. In addition, the required skills of concentration, visualization, and creating a strong working environment for psychic activity will have become second nature. In relation to what has been said previously, by the third or fourth year of study, the aspiring qabalistic magician will hopefully have worked through some of their more obvious psychological issues, as seen and experienced through the multi-colored glasses of the Lesser Pentagram and Hexagram Rituals. Previous experience with planetary invocations will make some of the following instructions easier. Within the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the first 3-3 ½ years is spent learning very basic magical procedures, coupled with the memorization and intellectual comprehension of a vast amount of qabalistic, alchemical, and astrological knowledge. The techniques given by Regardie in The Golden Dawn, such as the Supreme Rituals of the Pentagram and Hexagram, and the Rose+Cross Ritual, are not generally taught until the 5=5 Grade, or Adeptus Minor. On occasion, they may be given in the preliminary section, known as the Portal Grade. All magical tools are also constructed after being received into the Second Order, or Adeptus Minor grade. Only after this period are planetary rituals, talismans, and related techniques as seen in Regardie’s work undertaken.4) For those who do not belong to any formal course of study, it is generally suggested that the first year of activity be spent learning Elemental and Pentagram work. The second year doing planetary work; with the third year being spent integrating the two. The fourth year often focuses on zodiacal magic and the completion of any Pathworking. Pathworking can be started anywhere from the first year on and requires about 1 1/2 years to fully do all of the 32 Paths of the Tree of Life. Since each Path is often done more than once, it is best to allow two to three years for this additional aspect of magical training. Pathworking, particularly Paths 32 through 24 are critical for psychological health and should be done two or three times before doing the second set of Paths, or 23 through 19.5) Of course, the speed at which one works is not important. It is better to go slowly and diligently and make real progress, than to rush through and simply do the work haphazardly. The most complete method available for creating the Body of Light is in the ritual called “The Magician” in Mysteria Magica, vol 3 of The Magical Philosophy by Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips.6) The material belongs to the curriculum of the Aurlem Solis Sacra Verbum. The ritual is divided into five main sections, composed of fourteen distinct parts in total. A note belonging to the title suggests that the ritual is considered most effective when performed at the beginning of the day. Presumably, during the first planetary hour of the day.
Among the most important points in gnostic and Platonic literature is the need to separate the subtle body from the physical body for its purification. This imagined, and eventually real separation, forms the core of the technique. Only by freeing the psychic self from the constraints of material life can we experience the full degree of good and evil in our psyche. The methodical and militant purification of our psyche and integration of its diverse aspects constitutes the most difficult, and rewarding, psycho-spiritual practices known.
Preliminaries: The temple area should be set as usual, with alter in the middle, or slightly East of center. If possible, wear a consecrated Rose+Cross present, and place the Pentacle of Earth on the altar.7). Establishing the Temple: Perform the Banishing Ritual of the Lesser or Greater Pentagram.8)
Higher Self: Place your left hand, the hand of Mercy, upon the Earth Pantacle. Invoke the presence of your Higher Self. Imagine in brilliant phosphorescence a flaming sphere, or flaming yod, touching your crown and uniting you with the cosmos. Stand in the posture of the Adeptus Minor. (Tau Cross, arms outstretched).
Lower arms and meditate on the significance of your Higher Self, this flame of Creation within you. This cosmic seed. Perform the Middle Pillar exercise.: Affirm your intentions for performing this exercise, and appreciation for consciousness and the opportunity to develop in awareness and Service. Ask that Light, Life, and Love be expressed in every cell, thought, and action of your being. The Lower Self: Turning clockwise, face the West of the Temple. Pause and imagine the great streams of energy circulating through your physical and psychic bodies. Energize your heart center, feeling a stream of energy running from your crown to your heart, and feet, and back up again. Affirm your position of authority over your lower self and physical body in a loving, but firm manner. Be thankful that they are present to serve you, but that they are at the service of the development of Self, and not as independent beings. Assume the position of the Adeptus Minor, and imagine yourself growing to a vast and immense size. Maintain or reformulate your Flaming Crown center. Feeling most of your consciousness operating from inside of it. Send thoughts of blessing, love, good health, and well being to your lower self and guph. Pause for a few moments as the feeling of vastness disappears and you return to normal awareness of the temple. Turn to the East and ask that the Powers of the Higher Self be present and fully utilized for this operation and at all times forward. Move to the eastern Quarter and Face the West again. Perform the Middle Pillar a second time if needed. Project the simulacrum from the solar plexus, upper abdomen region. Have it facing East, or toward the operator, with the silvery-bluish cord visible between the simulacrum and the operator’s abdomen or solar plexus.
Exhortation and Instruction: In the Name of your Higher Self, address the image before you firmly and lovingly that it is to give your full assistance in the Great Work. If any particular instruction, assistance, or additional work is needed, it is to be interjected here. Give blessing to your Nephesh, in the Name of the Most High, and thank it for its participation in this ritual.
Energize and imagine the simulacrum attaining a high degree of integration. Completion: Re-absorb the simulacrum and the silver cord by imaging it return to a cloud or mist of bright bluish-gray or silver psychic protoplasm and collapsing backward along the cord (bring the cord with it) into your body at the level it was projected from. Close down firmly. Feel the energy move throughout your body and sink deep into your muscles, bones, marrow, and envelope you in a body of light, just below the surface of the skin. Rejoice in the successful operation.
Instructing the Simulacrum: After a two or three weeks of successful projection and reabsorbing of the simulacrum, you can begin projecting specific ideas into it. This can be done in several ways depending on your personal preference. First, use a general plan of associating the simulacrum with the planets, by imagining them along the spinal column from Saturn at the base, to Luna and Sol at the head. Imagine them in bright white light, or the Queens Color Scale. Using the colors, symbols, and sounds of the planets, the simulacrum can be tincted with particular qualities and virtues. Or imagine counterparts of physical organs inside the simulacrum and them having the colors and sounds of their planetary counterparts, filling the whole image with the light and sense and virtues of that planet.
This is the Lunar, or Astral purification of the simulacrum so that it can be rightly called a Silver Body, as it will be influenced and influential upon the Lunar and Astral worlds as a whole. At some point you can then begin to educate it further, that it might become a Solar, or Golden, Radiant Body, influenced by the Briactic Worlds. Beyond this, it would find perfection in the Diamond, or Resurrection Body, under the influence of the Sphere of Saturn. Also, practice performing the Middle Pillar inside the simulacrum, after it has been projected. Always reabsorb the energy, either as a mist, or a shadow image fusing itself into your earthly body. When venturing into the Quarters, use the simulacrum and tune it to the Element you seek to explore, making it a body of Fire, Air, Water, or Earth. When generally projected, it should be thought of as a body of Quintessence, or Spirit, of dynamic electric and magnetic qualities containing within it the balanced potential for all bodies of the four Elements. The simulacrum can also be projected and modified to a deific image or godform. The effects of this are different than the usual methods for Assumption of the Godform. In this instance it is helpful to grow the image in size and stature to a larger than normal appearance after it has been created. It is important that your consciousness be projected firmly into the simulacrum during any working, and that the energy be completely reabsorbed after it is over. The simulacrum can be charged with Hebrew letters. Engraving them according to there location and association with the physical organs as outlined in the Sepher Yetzirah. This can be done to the physical body as well, prior to projection of the simulacrum, and will assist in its creation and projection.9) The letters can be done in blazing white, or according to the Queen’s Scale. It can also be charged with the Tetragrammaton, in the normal Y (Head) Heh (Shoulders) Vau (Spine) Heh (Hips Feet) fashion. As with the alphabet, they should be seen as existing inside the figure, glowing and strong, and not carved on the surface, or projected onto it from elsewhere. The purpose of the simulacrum is to create a vehicle for the purification and expression of astral (Yetziric) and mental (Briah) energies. As such, it also acts as a bridge between not just our objective and subjective worlds, but also between our emotional and physical realities. As stated, we can in effect, alter our physical appearance and health through proper and loving purification of our astral matrix. The Nephesch, which constitutes the bulk of the ‘self’ that we are refining in this work, overlaps and connects the worlds of matter (forming our Salt) and mind (forming our Mercury). When we address it from the perspective of our Kether, we are adding the third Essential, or the overlap of Mind and Spirit (forming our Sulfur). These Four Qabalstic Worlds and their overlapping, forming the Three Essentials, form the basis for inner and outer alchemy. The 27th Path is also a sort of Kundalini Yoga exercise, whereas the 24th Path is the arousal of Kundalini. Where the 27th connects Natural Energy to the Intellectual World, the 24th Path converts Solar (soul) energy into Natural (psychic) energy. Both are under the influence of Mars, or Will, as they reverse the flow of Mezla, and clear out psychic blockages on the Path of Return. This exercise will have secondary effects on the 24th Path, and some effects on the 28th Path (Net-Yes) as this Path governs the flow of Psychic energy through our Psychic centers. All of the Paths of Yetzirah will be effected to some degree by this exercise. We cannot ascend and take our mistaken ideas with us, or our passions and lusts. Both are eradicated, disciplined, or redirected by the Sword of Geburah, or an Enlightened Will. The Lightning Bolt on the tarot card the Tower, sometimes called the House of God (Deu) or Fire (Feu) shows us that the ever flowing lightning bolt of Mezla will destroy any imperfections that it comes in contact with. 1) The Magical Personality is defined as a self-created image of one’s self that allows for greater power and presence when doing esoteric work. 2) See: Fundamentals of Esoteric Knowledge, Lesson 1-3. The Philosopher’s of Nature (PON), Wheaton, Ill. ©1988. 3) See: Qabala Course, Lesson 17. The Philosophers of Nature (PON), Wheaton, Ill. © 1995.
4) See: Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition by Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero. Llewellyn Publications. Saint Paul, MN. Copyright 1995 5) For more information on Pathworking see: PON Qabala Course, Lessons through . Highways of the Mind by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki, and Magical States of Consciousness by Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips. 6) P. 359-362.
7) As mentioned, in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Hermetic Rose+Cross and the Pantacle of Earth are ‘adept level’ tools. In The Philosopher’s of Nature (PON) Qabala Course, they are not constructed until the very end of the six year course. However, the Supreme Pentagram and Hexagram rituals are presented in the second year. 8) Use of the ‘Elemental Grade Signs’ or the ‘Rending of the Veil’ is at the performers discretion.
9) One student who did this noted that the simulacrum was more vital, but also slightly more difficult to control. They also noted, they when they imagined the letters within their physical body when falling asleep, that astral projection occurred rapidly, often before the fifth or sixth letter was reached.
hermetic.com/stavish/essays/bodylight
The Advanced Middle Pillar Ritual: The Middle Pillar ritual seems to be a ritual that one can progressively build upon. Visualization of the 5 central spheres and reciting the corresponding God-names is obviously the foundation. From there on, I have begun incorporating the remainder of the spheres - and also reciting the Angelic correspondences too (Metatron - Raphael - Gabriel - Sandalphon). Upon adding these to the ritual - it has become considerably more powerful (in terms of how strongly it alters my consciousness) and immersive. I am looking to further energize and advance the ritual. From those of you who have developed their own Middle Pillar Ritual - what have you specifically done, and what has been in the effect? Also, do you supplement the process by topping it off with another ritual (Bornless Ritual, LIRP, etc...) This practice is based on the symbolism of the Middle Pillar of the qabalistic Tree of Life. Alternately, this pillar is known by the titles Equilibrium, Balance, or Mildness. The Middle Pillar Exercise imagines bright spiritual light descending and flowing through the central axis of the body, marked by a series of energy centers (circles 1, 6, 9, 10, and the unmarked throat center in the diagram). Visualizing certain colors and using intense vocalization, called vibration, of the associated name of G-d activates these centers. Then the light is circulated, or directed into a certain pattern of flow, throughout the whole energy field. This practice connects us to the Divine, clears and recharges our personal energy field, and increases our capacity to channel spiritual energy. Additionally, it brings us a sense of peace and harmonious balance. Many teachers recommend performing a clearing ritual prior to practicing the Middle Pillar Exercise. The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) is frequently used. I have used the Middle Pillar Exercise with students for many years without a prefatory clearing ritual and with no ill effects. However, if you feel your energy is disproportionately out-of-balance, please consider using the LBRP or otherwise setting sacred space before beginning this meditation.The name of the exercise is taken from the position of the central Sephiroth on the diagrammatic Tree of Life.
As has been said... "The Secret of Wisdom can be discerned only from the place of balanced power" - that is, from between the pillars of Severity and Mercy. The Middle Pillar positions us at a balanced point, neutralizing to some extent the swing of the psychic pendulum from one extreme to the other.
In this exercise we will visualize the sephiroth of the middle pillar as part of our bodies, illuminating them in descending order while vibrating the sephiroth's divine name. This establishes balance and fills us with energy.Once the middle pillar is 'lit' we will circle the energy around and through our bodies, to cleanse and fortify. Think of the names as vibratory rates.
The exercise can be performed standing, sitting, or lying down. Names can be vibrated aloud or internally.Kether
After a few minutes of relaxation, imagine a sphere of white light just above your head. Vibrate the name Eheieh (pronounced Eh-hey-yay, meaning I am). Keep vibrating this word until it is the only thought in your conscious mind. Then imagine a shaft of light descending from your Kether center to your Daath center at the nape of the neck.
Daath: Form a sphere of light at the Daath center. Vibrate the name YHVH Elohim (pronounced Yode-heh-vav-heh El-oh-heem, meaning Lord of Hosts).
Tiphareth: Bring a shaft of light down from the Daath center to the Tiphareth center around your heart. Form a sphere of light there. Vibrate the name YHVH Eloah ve-Daath (pronounced Yode-heh-vav-heh El-oh-ah v’-Dah-ath, meaning Lord of Knowledge).
Yesod: See the shaft of light descending from Tiphareth into the Yesod center in the genital region. Imagine a sphere of light formed there. Intone the name Shaddai El Chai (pronounced Shah-dye El-Chai meaning Almighty Living God.
Malkuth: Visualize the shaft of light descending from Yesod into your Malkuth center at the feet and ankles. Vibrate the name Adonai ha-Aretz (pronounced Ah-doe-nye ha-Ah-retz, meaning Lord of Earth). Visualize the Middle Pillar complete.
Circulating the light: Then circulate the light you have brought down through the Middle Pillar around the outside of your body to strengthen your aura (Perform each circulation a number of times.): Circulation One: Side to Side. Using the cycles of rhythmic breathing, bring the light down one side of the body and up the other, from Kether to Malkuth and back to Kether. Exhale and visualize the light descending the left side of the body. Inhale and imagine the light ascending the right side of the body back to Kether.. Circulation Two: Front to Back:
After performing this for a short space of time, imagine the ribbon of light descending from Kether down the front of your body to Malkuth and rising up your back, returning again to Kether. Circulation Three: The Shower of Light Still employing rhythmic breathing, visualize the sphere of Malkuth, then see the shaft of light rising up the Middle Pillar in the center of your body. When it reaches Kether, imagine a shower of light cascading down the outside of your body as it descends to Malkuth again. Circulate the light in this manner for some time. Circulation Four: The Ascending Spiral Then see the light rise again in a ribbon that spirals around the outside of your body from Malkuth to Kether. Closing Finally focus some of the energy back into your Tiphareth center, the seat of equilibrium and balance.
Often, the Middle Pillar is combined with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (see also Site "Rituals") To do this:
Perform the opening Kabalistic Cross .Formulate the Pentagrams
Call the Archangels: Perform the Middle Pillar exercise
Perform the closing Kabalistic Cross. The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. The Kabalistic Cross: Face east. Perform the Kabalistic Cross as follows:. Imagine a sphere of light just above the crown of your head. Touch the forehead and vibrate Ateh (Thou Art, or, Unto Thee) Bring hand down the body. At about the level of the genitals, indicate the feet and vibrate Malkuth (The Kingdom) Imagine a shaft of light descending from the Crown Sphere to the feet where another sphere expands just under your feet. Touch the right shoulder and vibrate Ve-Geburah (and The Power) Imagine a 6 inch sphere of brilliant white light appear just next to the right shoulder.
Touch the left shoulder and vibrate Ve-Gedulah (and The Glory)
Imagine a shaft of light emerge from the right Sphere and cross your breast to expand and form another Sphere at your left shoulder. Clasp the hands before you and vibrate Le-Olam (For Ever) Imagine clearly the cross of light as it extends through your body.
Amen.
The Pentagrams
Draw, in the air facing east, a banishing Earth Pentagram (Begin at the lower left corner and trace clockwise). Bringing your hand to the center of the Pentagram, vibrate the Name Y H V H (pronounced Yahd Hey Vau Hey)
Trace a semicircle before you as you turn toward the south. Again trace the Pentagram, bring your hand to the center of it, and vibrate the Name Adonai, (pronounced Ah-Do-Neye)
Again, trace the semicircle with the dagger to the west, trace the Pentagram, bring your hand to the center, and vibrate the Name Eheieh, (pronounced Eh-Hey-Yay)
Then, turn towards the north, trace the circle, trace the Pentagram, bring your hand to the center and vibrate the Name AGLA, (pronounced either Ah-Gah-Lah or Atah Gibor Le-Olahm Adonai) Return to the EAST, completing tracing the circle of Light, bringing your hand to the center of the east Pentagram.
The Archangels
Extend the arms in the form of a cross, say:
Before me (then vibrate) Raphael
Behind me (then vibrate) Gabriel
At my right hand (then vibrate) Michael
At my left hand (then vibrate) Ariel
About me flames the pentagrams, and in the column shines the six-rayed star.
At this point, perform the Middle Pillar exercise
Repeat the Kabalistic Cross
Adding Color
Once the ritual becomes familiar, try adding color to the spheres. While white light contains all colors within it, visualizing the spheres in color can strengthen the individual energy of each.
Colors in the Middle Pillar
Kether – White
Daath – Lavender or grey
Tiphareth - Yellow
Yesod – Violet
Malkuth – Traditionally a swirl of russet, olive, citrine and black. Or simply brown.
Colors in the LBR
Ateh – White
Malkuth – Brown, or russet – olive - citrine – black
Ve-Geburah – Red
Ve – Gedula – Blue
Le-Olam – Yellow
Visualize the complete cross in white.
East - a yellow pentagram
South – a red pentagram
West – a blue pentagram
North – a green pentagram
✨Blues-infused moment full of soul, power, and emotion✨
Two incredible voices will carry us across time, genre, and feeling – with a setting as lush and alive as the music itself.
🕛 12 PM SLT – MAPOO LITTLE (UK) 🎤💎
It’s her DecadencE debut – and we’re honoured to welcome this British powerhouse!
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Her voice evokes legends like Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner – but make no mistake, Mapoo is truly one of a kind.
Dynamic, warm, and deeply engaging, her performances heal, uplift, and move the spirit.
🌟 Come feel what it means when a voice becomes a force.
🕐 1 PM SLT – UGLY BILL (UK) 🎸🔥
Our beloved blues rogue is back in the greenhouse with his signature mix of grit, charm, and raw soul.
From choir boy to bluesman, Ugly Bill sings like he’s lived every note – and maybe drank a few along the way.
🏆 SL’s infamous “Still Functions While Drunk” award winner, he’ll steal your heart with a single strum.
“With all due respect... you are a whole icon of sexy.” – Jesika Wirefly 💋
💚 Whether you're coming for the soul, the stories, or the swing, Blues in Bloom promises an afternoon of emotion, energy, and elegance under the glass canopy of DecadencE’s Greenhouse.
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An iconic landmark, the Loews Miami Beach Hotel, is infused in the “SoBe” scene located on the beach and in the heart of South Beach’s vibrant Art Deco district. The 790 guest rooms, including more than 50 suites, are stylish and cosmopolitan. 65,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space can accommodate events from 10 to 2,700 people. The 28,000 square foot Americana Ballroom has sweeping panoramic floor to ceiling ocean views and beautiful outdoor terrace space. Source: www.cvent.com/rfp/miami-beach-hotels/loews-miami-beach-ho...
This seems so appropriate both to give and receive.
Seen on the shelf at Des Moines Mercantile Exchange, Des Moines, Iowa.
Forager Spirit handcrafts very small batch infused spirits, liqueurs, premixed cocktails and cordials.
Flavours are derived from a number of foraged and locally or ethically sourced ingredients including wild fruits, local honey, herbs, leaves and spices – chosen for their flavour but also their active compounds that may work as a digestif, an aperitif or to simply lift the spirits. The infusions are created through the collaborative work of herbal technicians, foragers, mixologists and the inspiration of 13th century monks, among others, to create truly original, deeply sensuous and deliciously affecting libations.
Regularly voted amongst the most popular events in the UK, this 18-day Christmas shopping extravaganza is the biggest Christmas Shopping event in the South West and consists of more than 170 beautifully decorated wooden chalets in the heart of the English city of Bath’s World Heritage Site.
In keeping with Bath Christmas Market’s tradition of being distinctively British, each chalet sells a variety of high-quality artisan products. Over 70% of stallholders are businesses from Bath and the surrounding region, and 60% of goods available at the market are handmade in the UK. Products include handmade Christmas decorations, personalised gifts, hand-made toys, festive food and drink, local artwork and designer jewellery to name but a few.
The Bath Christmas Market has a romantic atmosphere and attracts thousands of visitors from across the UK. Set in the picturesque streets surrounding Bath Abbey, there couldn’t be a more perfect and magical setting for a Christmas Market. The city also boasts a unique mix of independents, designer boutiques and high street brands.
The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is an Anglican parish church and a former Benedictine monastery. Founded in the 7th century, Bath Abbey was reorganised in the 10th century and rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries; major restoration work was carried out by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the 1860s. It is one of the largest examples of Perpendicular Gothic architecture in the West Country.
The church is cruciform in plan, and able to seat 1200. An active place of worship, it also hosts secular civic ceremonies, concerts and lectures. Its congregation numbers in the hundreds, and annual visitors in the hundreds of thousands. The choir performs in the abbey and elsewhere. There is a heritage museum in the vaults.
The abbey is a Grade I listed building, particularly noted for its fan vaulting. It contains war memorials for the local population and monuments to several notable people, in the form of wall and floor plaques and commemorative stained glass. The church has two organs and a peal of ten bells. The west front includes sculptures of angels climbing to heaven on two stone ladders.
www.dorsetfoodanddrink.org/businesses/forager-spirit/