Mary Magdalene and the Red Egg

Mary Magdalene and the Red Egg. Also visit this link Mary Magdalene Easter Eggs and this from The Good Heart.

New Jersey Churches Attacked, Religious Statues Destroyed, Virgin Mary beheaded, Joseph chopped in half | Atlas Shrugs

image source: Atlas Shrugs

     No proof it's fanatical Muslims, and equally scary as the thought of Islamic fundies destroying religious icons in the U.S. is, is the idea it is crazy Muslims responsible for such symbolic gruesomeness.  The fact of this news item is not in dispute, but the source where this links to is a little rabid as well. Either way, whoever is responsible for this vandalism; it's creepy. New Jersey Churches Attacked, Religious Statues Destroyed, Virgin Mary beheaded, Joseph chopped in half | Atlas Shrugs

Why Season 3 of ‘The Borgias’ could be the show’s swan song - Yahoo! TV

I love The Borgias, but after last night's episode, realized not for the first time, there can't be much left in way of episodes. The Borigias is based on history -- so, unlike Game of Thrones (at the top of my list) which is fiction, Borgias can only last as long as the historical story lasted. Here's a list of reasons from Yahoo! TV about why this season might be the last for Showtime's Borgias, with a mention of a new Showtime program, The Vatican. Why Season 3 of ‘The Borgias’ could be the show’s swan song - Yahoo! TV

David Bowie's New Video

Well, I'm not offended. Banned from YouTube then reinstated. But I'm a Bowie fan from decades past. And it's too funny and even silly; campy to be sure. "Sexually explicit?" --- nope. But it's the hint, the references to religious self-flagellation, etc. that offends some who put it into a sexual context. (Hey, bit of synchro here; watching Jeopardy and just when I wrote " self-flagellation in a sexual context" the category was: "Hit me.") Which, of course, is sexual. And so it goes.  And is that Marie Cotillard and Gary Oldman I see in the video? Of course it is!

Amnesiac Nun Dream

Discussion last night at the weekly pagan-earth centered group I participate in centered around shamanism. One side topic that briefly came up was my highly integrated mish-moshed ancestry. I had said that until recently -- past few years -- I felt like a crazy pin ball, bouncing around. Am I Native American? Do I embrace the Roman Catholic, Latino side of my family? How about the Russian Jewish side? Then there's the Spanish, and the Celtic. Don't forget about the Buddhist side, or the 32nd degree Masonic side. And that's all just going back three generations. (Great grandparents on down.)

To top it off, there's a very huge elephant in the room concerning blood ancestry, and so, aside from the Scottish/English lineage (on both sides) is the (maybe) Irish side. But no one's talking. There's also a Japanese blood line in my family. And by extension, Korean.

As one person said, and it was supported by the "vision" of another, I "...worked very very hard to choose the parents and family I came to in order to get all these connections." That resonated with me and made quite a bit of sense.

source: Wikipedia nun, Ireland, 1964

So all this energy -past life- present life path stuff was swimming in my head. Last night I had this dream:

One of my recurring dreamscapes. This one is what is labeled "downtown" or "East L.A." in my dream, but it isn't really. It's my own dreamscape; a large boulevard, busy with traffic, pedestrians, lots of theaters and shops and restaurants. It's considered the "poor" section and sort of the "end" of town/dream place, but it doesn't seem that way. I'm a little nervous every time I'm here; I'm in the minority for one thing. A woman, white, alone. But no one really cares. It's slightly hilly here, and while the boulevard is very big and bright and busy, just across the way are residential streets; lots of homes. Hills in the distance.

So I'm roaming around here, a little lost, as I always am when in this place. Not too familiar with the location. This time, I'm a nun. Completely outfitted in a black and white habit. I know I'm a nun, but I also seem to have some kind of amnesia. I don't know where I "work" or what my name is. I don't know why I'm a nun, or how it all works. I just know I am. I'm okay with being a nun and feel sure of what that's all about, even though I don't know the name of my order, or even if I belong to one. 

I'm aware of the looks I'm getting; people are fine with me being a nun but they assume I won't "get" things. That I won't enjoy the Klezmer musicians and their fantastic music as I walk by them playing in a storefront. That I won't think the slightly off color jokes passengers tell on the bus are funny. Etc.

I'm on this bus, and a little worried, because really, I have no idea where I'm supposed to go, let alone know how to get there. Hell, let alone know who I am!

But while I'm lost and am not sure of who I am, I seem to be all right, considering. I am very sure of my "nun-ness" even though I'm not sure if my idea is what other nuns might think. I assume there are other nuns -- as I say, I just find myself here and without an order, without a name for that order, or even if there is an order. I'm a sort of lone nun.

Interesting dream in context: Years ago, a group of us were using the Ouija board. I managed to tick everyone off not because I didn't believe we were getting real messages, but because I doubted the honesty of those messages. No, I wasn't debunking the experience but rather, questioning the energies that were coming through. However, some things did come through that seemed to be more honest than other things. One was the "message", as were discussing past lives, that in one of my former lives I was a nun. This was in the late 1800s in the U.S. west. I was not just any nun, but one thrown out of her order -- or possibly left. I was on my own, still a nun, but more a friend of the "ladies of the night" than any town preacher.

“An onna-bugeisha (女武芸者?) was a female warrior. Members of the samurai class in feudal Japan, they were trained in the use of weapons to protect their household, family, and honor in times of war.”

- Wikipedia

There's also my Catholic background; growing up in a Jewish-Buddhist household, as a Catholic, and constantly causing scandal by my questions ending in my refusal to stand up and take the pledge during confirmation.

Whats the difference between Hoodoo and Voodoo? - Yahoo! Answers

Whats the difference between Hoodoo and Voodoo? - Yahoo! Answers
"Hoodoo and Voodoo are both practiced in Louisiana and have many things in common. However, there are differences between the two. Voodoo is a religion and Hoodoo is an African American system of folk magickal practice that has typically been handed down from generation to generation. Many Hoodoo practitioners in Louisiana are Roman Catholic and also practice some form Spiritualism or Spiritism. They do not typically invoke the loas (African deities) as in Voodoo, and instead use Catholic Saints that represent the loas. This Catholic shroud is the result of a historical atmosphere wherein the only legal religion permitted in the state of Louisiana from the 1600s to 1812 was Roman Catholicism. There is no conflict between those who practice Voodoo and those who practice Hoodoo in Louisiana and they are perfectly complementary. "

Santa Muerte: Underworld saint becoming more popular in US

Underworld saint becoming more popular in US - Yahoo! News: Popular in Mexico, and sometimes linked to the illicit drug trade, the skeleton saint known as La Santa Muerte in recent years has found a robust and diverse following north of the border: immigrant small business owners, artists, gay activists and the poor, among others — many of them non-Latinos and not all involved with organized religion.

Clad in a black nun's robe and holding a scythe in one hand, Santa Muerte appeals to people seeking all manner of otherworldly help: from fending off wrongdoing and carrying out vengeance to stopping lovers from cheating and landing better jobs. And others seek her protection for their drug shipments and to ward off law enforcement.

See also: Who the Hell is Santa Muerte? from Hell on Earth

New Oracle Deck: Doreen Virtue, Mary Queen of Angels

As readers know, I'm not a Christian, but I do find these cards beautiful. I've always had an affinity and appreciation for Catholic imagery; the saints, Mary. I've also had my own profound spiritual or mystical experiences on an esoteric level with some of these, including Angels. I've been working with angels, and following Doreen Virtue's "school" for awhile with amazing results. I think I'll end up getting this deck to add to my growing collection of angel oracles.

Catholic church to lose historic property tax exemption in Italy — RT

This is very big news. Signs of shifts in the paradigm? The butler spoke, now this:

Catholic church to lose historic property tax exemption in Italy — RT: Italy’s Catholic Church will be forced to pay taxes starting in 2013 after the EU pressured the country’s government to pass a controversial law stripping the Church of its historic property tax exemption.

The Catholic Church in Italy is excluded from paying taxes on its land if at least a part of a Church property is used non-commercially – for instance, a chapel in a bed-and-breakfast.

"The regulatory framework will be definite by January 1, 2013 – the start of the fiscal year – and will fully respect the [European] Community law," Italian premier Mario Monti's government said in a statement on Tuesday.

Vintage Day of the Dead Image

 

Vintage Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos postcard

postcard

Pope's Butler Told Court He Leaked Private Documents for the Good of the Church - Yahoo! News

Pope's Butler Told Court He Leaked Private Documents for the Good of the Church - Yahoo! News:

The scandal, known as "Vatileaks," built this spring as more and more confidential papal documents began appearing in Italian newspapers. They exposed widespread corruption, cronyism and backdoor payments in return for favors.

It reached a crescendo in May when an Italian journalist published "His Holiness: Pope Benedict XVI's Private Papers," a book that became an overnight bestseller here. It chronicled intrigue and scandal and included copies of private documents to prove it. Documents show that wealthy Catholics could gain an audience with the pope simply by donating 10,000 euros ($13,000). Many of the documents point to Bertone.

Debunker Faces Arrest for Debunking Watery Jesus

(This story dates back to March of this year.) Debunker and member of the Indian Rationalist Association Sanal Edamaruku faces arrest for his participation in doing what skeptibunkies do. He says he explained/exposed the watery seeping Jesus in Our Lady of Velankanni Church, in Mumbai.

India has laws against insulting religions and  "...deliberately hurting religious feelings and attempting malicious acts intended to outrage the religious sentiments of any class or community,” according to the Slate article.  On the surface Edamaruku is doing what's expected of debunkers, but I suspect there is a cultural and historical context at the root of his actions. (Italics mine):

What do you fear might happen to you?
If it comes to a trial, I have nothing to fear. I would welcome the opportunity to throw some light on the role that the Catholic Church played and is still playing today here in India. The possibility of arrest is threatening, however.

The religious zealotry, dogmatism and fanaticism Edamaruku fights is ironically mirrored by his own version of same:

Do you have any regrets about intervening? Why would one not intervene when somebody gives gullible people sewage to drink? But my reason is broader. The promotion of superstition and belief in paranormal phenomena dulls people's minds and establishes dangerous misconceptions about reality in our society. Such efforts have to be countered.

Edamaruku refused to back off and in fact, got quite contentious with critics. While India has the anti-insult to religions law, it also has this, according to Stephen Law.

Clause (h) of Article 51-A of Constitution of India states that : ‘It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to develop the scientific temper, humanism and spirit of inquiry and reform.’

Saint's ancient heart stolen from Dublin cathedral - Yahoo! News

"DUBLIN (AP) — Somewhere in Ireland, a burglar has the heart of a saint.

Officials at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin said Sunday they're distraught and perplexed over the theft of the church's most precious relic: the preserved heart of St. Laurence O'Toole, patron saint of Dublin."Saint's ancient heart stolen from Dublin cathedral - Yahoo! News

"Monsignors' mutiny" revealed by Vatican leaks - Yahoo! News

"Monsignors' mutiny" revealed by Vatican leaks - Yahoo! News

Colin Andrews announced at the McMinnville UFO Festival two years ago that soon we'll be seeing these whistle blower type events unfold...

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Call it Conspiracy City. Call it Scandal City. Call it Leak City. These days the holy city has been in the news for anything but holy reasons.

"It is a total mess," said one high-ranking Vatican official who spoke, like all others, on the condition of anonymity.

The Machiavellian maneuvering and machinations that have come to light in the Vatican recently are worthy of a novel about a sinister power struggle at a medieval court.

Senior church officials interviewed this month said almost daily embarrassments that have put the Vatican on the defensive could force Pope Benedict to act to clean up the image of its administration - at a time when the church faces a deeper crisis of authority and relevance in the wider world.

Among the heap of scandalous topics: Vatican and banks, over all corruption, "cronyism,"
the true "owners" of the Vatican, power plays. In other words, the usual.

Just For Fun...

Santa Muerte (Saint Death)

One of my favorite blogs, Mystic Politics, has a brief item about "Santa Muerte" the Saint of Death.

"While tens of thousands of Mexicans have lost their lives in the ongoing drug war, millions more have become devoted to death. Saint Death (Santa Muerte) is a skeletal folk saint whose cult has proliferated on both sides of the border over the past decade. The Grim Reapress (she's a female figure) has rapidly become one of the most popular and powerful saints on both the Mexican and American religious landscapes. Although condemned as satanic by both Catholic and Protestant churches, she appeals to millions of Mexicans and Latin American immigrants in the U.S. on the basis of her reputedly awesome supernatural powers. ~ sources: Huffington Post

Santa Muerte, or The Grim Reapress, is a folk image/entity/icon. As such,like many folk images, she is outlawed by authorities and institutions. Since Saint Death is a protectress of the criminal and the murderous, her images, as well as conspicuous homages to her, are quashed:

The current administration of Felipe Calderon has even declared her religious enemy number one of the Mexican state. In March 2009, the Mexican Army bulldozed dozens of her roadside shrines in the border cities of Tijuana, Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros. But providing protection to narcos is just one of Saint Death's multiple roles. She is also a supernatural healer, love doctor, money-maker, lawyer and angel of death. ~ source: R. Andrew Chestnut,Huffington Post.

'La Catrina' by Rodolfo Cartas

The duality is interesting too: adopted by the criminals, the outsiders, but also by another type of outsider: those needing help in every day matters concerning money, illness, love, the law...and, death, which gets us all. It's interesting the saint is a female. R. Andrew Chestnut, author of the Huffington Post article that Mystic Politics links to, addresses this:

No introduction to Saint Death would be complete without consideration of one of her most unique characteristics -- her gender identity. While folk saints abound in the Americas, and other supernatural skeletons work miracles in Guatemala and Argentina, Santa Muerte stands alone as the sole female saint of death from Chile to Canada. Her asexual skeletal form contains no hint of femaleness. Rather it is her attire and, to a lesser extent, her hair that define the saint as female. Devotees and manufacturers of mass produced images of the Bony Lady usually dress her as a nun, the Virgin, a bride or queen.

(I wonder about Catrina, the famous Day of the Dead skeletal figure -- is she as common/popular? It's not quite the same meaning, from my limited understanding; Day of the Dead, while maybe morbid to some of us gringos, isn't a negative celebration, and it doesn't share the same context as Saint Death. While both are female images, both are of the people, and both are vilified by authorities, they aren't the same.)

Another post I found: Pagan Spirits: Santa Muerte -Saint Death with comparisons to other female dieties of death, including, to my surprise, the Virgin of Guadalupe, who one doesn't usually think of in this context:

The Virgin of Guadalupe’s indigenous antecedent is Tonatzin, the Moon Goddess, a milder aspect of Coaticue. Coaticue was the Lady of the Serpent Skirt, the creator-goddess who gave birth to all the deities and to earthly life as well. At death, she swallowed living things back into her body. She was also goddess of the moon and stars. She wore a necklace of skulls (like India’s Kali) and, as her name implies, a skirt of serpents. She is sometimes depicted as wearing a skirt made from the penises of her sacrificial victims.

Holiday Cheer and Fear: Santa, St. Nicholas, Odin, Sinterklaas, and Krampus : Extraordinary Intelligence

From Natalina at Extraordinary Intelligence: Holiday Cheer and Fear: Santa, St. Nicholas, Odin, Sinterklaas, and Krampus a detailed and very good article. Enjoy!

In many parts of the world, St. Nicholas Day is far more important and more ardently observed than Christmas, although in some areas, both dates are enjoyed as holidays. Children will often set their shoes out by the fire or in a main living area, and on the eve of St. Nicholas day, their shoes will be filled with treats. St. Nick is usually depicted in his traditional Bishop’s garb, and while he is said to be kind and generous, he is also a firm believer in discipline. Kids might be given presents, or they may find that St. Nick has left his parents a rod or branch to spank the children who’ve been naughty.

While traditions vary from region to region, the gift giving elements stay relatively consistent. It’s the creative means of discipline that makes each Nation’s St. Nick story unique… and at times scary! And while Santa Claus doesn’t really have a sidekick, unless you count his reindeer or his elves, some Countries have given their versions of St. Nick a helper or two… and no example is more bizarre than that of the Netherlands’ Sinterklaas.

Religious Folk Art: "Sacrifice Beads" (St. Theresa)

At the local St. Vincent de Paul's the other day I noticed something new: lots of religious folk art items on a small display rack. I was surprised and delighted at the cost: this one was $1.00. St. Theresa Sacrifice Beads, with instructions.

A small plastic baggie, with a yellow piece of paper with instructions and blurb about St. Theresa:

St. Theresa Sacrifice Beads

St. Theresa medal on beaded string

St. Theresa (The Little Flower) used beads like these to count her "presents" to God Every (sic) day. Pull one bead for every sacrifice, good deed, or anything you do for the love of God. children can also count sharing, obeying their parents, being helpful, etc. They are also especially good for training children. Offer each "present" to God for souls and ask St. Theresa and Our Lady to help you pull many beads each day!

 "...especially good for training children." Scary. Inside the bag, along with the yellow paper, is a string of plastic blue and clear pony beads, and a medal of St. Theresa.

St. Vinnie's had several of these, along with rosaries and other saints, ranging in price from $1.00 to around $10.00, I think. I am going back for more!

Reverse side of St. Theresa medal

20 Most Evil People of the 13th Century CE | Francis of Assisi

Interesting, but both Jewish and Catholic bigotry. Who knew St. Francis of Assisi was Jewish, for example.20 Most Evil People of the 13th Century CE | Francis of Assisi

Giovanni Bernadone Morosini (Moriconi) (aka Francis of Assisi and aka Marino Morosini) was born in Paris as one of several children to powerful Jewish Sephardic Venetian trader/banker Pietro Bernadone Moriconi and Pica de Bourlemont from France.
The name "Francis" is a nickname and was never his proper name--simply meaning "Frenchman" -- on account of his birth in Paris. Similarly, "Assisi" is a deliberate corruption of the ancient word for the location Ascesi meaning "(he) has ascended". Therefore the fuller nickname "Francis of Assisi" properly translates to "the Ascended Frenchman".
And the rest at link.

Contrary to revised history, the Venetians had not yet seen any compelling reason to convert to Christianity until this period, so Giovanni was almost certainly Jewish. By the end of the 12th century, the Morosini family banking and trading empire in wool, fine cloth, salt and grain stretched from England to Constantinople. However, events leading up to the Treaty of Venice and the expulsion of Venetians from France in 1182 and Byzantine in the same year which ruined the family fortunes.

Vatican tells Roman Catholic priests to spice up their sermons with scandal | Mail Online

Vatican tells Roman Catholic priests to spice up their sermons with scandal | Mail Online

Roman Catholic priests have been told to inject 'scandal' into their sermons by a senior official from the Vatican.
Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi said priests needed to liven up their often 'dull' sermons with the scandalous parts from the Bible.

Cardinal Ravasi, the Vatican's most senior cultural officer, added that if priests did not change their ways sermons risked becoming 'irrelevant'.

Cardinal Ravasi is a possible candidate for the next Pope. Besides urging the use of scandals and spice, Ravasi thinks social media is a helpful tool to inspire:

"...congregations were 'the children of the television and the internet'. . . The advent of televised and computerised information requires us to be compelling and trenchant, to cut to the heart of the matter, resort to narratives and colour."

'We need to remember that communicating faith doesn't just take place through sermons. It can be achieved through the 140 characters of a Twitter message.'

Lastly, look within the Bible for spicy ingredients:

The Cardinal added that the Bible was 'crowded with stories, symbols and images.'

Indeed.