Mike Dash: The Marian apparitions at Marpingen, "Germany. #1: the visionaries, the events of 1876, and their aftermath"

The Marian apparitions at Marpingen, Germany. #1: the visionaries, the events of 1876, and their aftermath

Fortean Mike Dash reviews a book that has been around for about twenty years on a 1876 Marian apparition:  Marpingen: Appartions of the Virgin Mary in Nineteenth Century Germany.

These apparitions were big news at the time. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims poured into the village to visit the apparition site and drink the waters of its miraculous spring; it was even predicted that Marpingen would become the "German Lourdes". This never happened; the village very slowly faded from people's memories, and the apparitions themselves were never formally investigated by the Catholic authorities, much less granted the Church's seal of approval – a process critical to the continuing popularity of "approved" vision sites such as Lourdes, Knock and Fatima. So obscure has Marpingen become, indeed, that I have never seen the events there mentioned in even the best Fortean surveys of religious phenomena

The following excerpt from the book contains themes consistent with other MA's, as Dash points out in his article. Children are the ones witnessing the sightings, there's a lady in white, dreams, etc.

Between the wood and the meadow was an area of wild meadow with thick bushes around it. It was here that Susanna Leist suddenly called out, bringing Katharina and Margaretha hurrying to her, and drew her friends' attention to a 'white figure'. When the girls reached home, agitated and frightened, all three described seeing a woman in white carrying a child in her arms. There is some dispute over the initial reactions of parents, siblings, and neighbours, but it is clear that the girls remained in a state of excitement. Margaretha slept badly and prayed a lot, Katherina dreamed of the woman in white, Susanna was reluctant to go to bed at all. The following day they returned to the spot and knelt down about 20 yards away to pray. According to their account, after they had said the Lord's Prayer three times the apparition appeared again to Margaretha and Katharina – although not to Susanna Leist, the original seer. 'Who are you?' they asked the figure in the local dialect, and received the reply: 'I am the Immaculately Conceived.' 'What should we do?' 'You should pray.' The children resumed their prayers, and the figure disappeared. ~ Marpingen p.xxii

Some other interesting elements in this sighting/apparition: "the devil," the lady dressed in black, appearing in a graveyard ... reminded me of the stranger "trickster like" descriptions of the Medjugorje apparitions.

Authorities responded negatively to both witnessess and the phenomonon itself, including putting police in the area where the sightings took place, military presence, a surreal "unlawful pilgrimage" , and much more, including putting the witnesses on trial. Nothing new in responses to witnesses to Marian Apparitions.

Mike Dash promises to bring us more insights into this overlooked apparation. Stay tuned. . .

Female Catholic Priest Ordained in Italy

 The Catholic Church is shifting; the systems of doctrine, dogma, and rule are being shaken, non stop. From a variety of angles and means, the Church is crumbling away-- possibly for a new Church, or the complete destruction? Who can say. There are plenty of Catholics who've left the official Church but remain culturally and spiritually bound and the following is one example:
Female priest ordained in Italy by rebel Catholics.

A 35-year-old Sicilian became the first Catholic woman to be ordained in Italy on Saturday.
Maria Vittoria Longhitano is a member of the breakaway Old Catholic church. But she was made a priest at the Anglican church of All Saints in Rome ‑ an act some in the Vatican are likely to see as provocative, not least because the organist at the service was dismissed by the Catholic hierarchy after deciding to change sex.
The Old Catholic church broke with the Vatican in the 19th century in protest at the adoption of the doctrine of papal infallibility. It is in full communion with the Anglicans.
Longhitano, who is married, told the congregation: "I have opened the way. Catholicism means universality, and without women it is mutilated." She said she was convinced the laity in Italy were "ready to welcome a female ministry" and that in her native Sicily people often asked her: "Why don't we have the joy of women priests?"
The first Italian woman to become a priest was Teodora Tosatti, who was ordained in 2006, but the service was held outside Italy, in Bonn, Germany.

Jesus in a Lung

Jesus in a lung.

Vatican to Officially Investigate Medjugorje Sightings

 The BVM has been making its appearance in Medjugorje since 1981. The visions have never been taken seriously by the Catholic Church, in fact, stern warnings have been issued by authoritarian religious rulers to not discuss, investigate, or take part in the apparitions. (Some other Christian denominations however take the sightings very seriously, considering them satantic.) But now the Vatican has decided to officially investigate the sightings:

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has begun formally investigating reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary at the Medjugorje shrine in southern Bosnia.

An international commission of inquiry headed by Italian Cardinal Camillo Ruini – a top adviser to the late Pope John Paul II – has been formed to study the case and report back to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican said in a statement Wednesday.

Source: Medjugorje Virgin Mary Sighting: Vatican Investigates Visions in Bosnia, Huffington Post.

Follow the Mystic Orb on UFO Mystic . . .

I am so jazzed and honored to announce that I'm now blogging at UFO Mystic, along with two other newer bloggers over there -- Lesley Gunter and Scott Corrales -- and of course, Greg Bishop and Nick Redfern and Craig Woolheater.

My first post over there is on those strange beams of light being reported: Beams of Light.

Scott Corales: UFOs: The Religious Approach

Researcher Scott Corales has an excellent post that looks at the UFO mystery with a fresh perspective, one that isn't often offered. . . UFOs: The Religious Approach.

Jellyfish UFOs, Fata Morgana and the Watery Depths

 Micah Hanks on Jellyfish UFOs and Fata Morgana
Another intriguing piece from Micah A. Hanks at The Gralien Report on a UFO case from 1954. In Attack of the Flying Gople: UFOs, Jellyfish and Arthurian Witches, Hanks discusses a UFO jellyfish sighting from 1954 off the Labrador coast, and its possible explanation.  As Hanks points out, the sighting seemed similar to the "Danish Flying Gople" and the sighting was, according to researcher UFO Martin Shough, a weather phenomena. But, as Hanks points out, and what I also like about Hanks perspective, the esoteric elements are too inviting to ignore:

The mirage phenomenon referred to here, in one of its various forms, has a rather Fortean name, “Fata Morgana,” which at present I find preferable due to its esoteric allusions. Fata Morgana refers to none other than Morgan Le Fay, the witch prominent in Arthurian legends and “fairy mistress of the of the salt sea.”

Fata Morgana/Morgan Le Fay, is responsible for marine imagery in the skies:

Tying Fata Morgana in with Howard’s sighting of a Jellyfish UFO, of particular interest here are legends that state how Morgan created “boats that fly above the sea and never approach the shore and caused golden castles to float in the air above the straits of Messina, ..."

Jellyfish UFOs
A search for "jellyfish UFOs" reveals dozens of stories and images of jellyfish type ufos seen in the skies.

A review of Russian researcher Paul Stonehill's  and Phillip Mantle's 2006 Mysterious Sky: Soviet UFO Phenomenon refers to:

In 1977 the 'Petrozavodsk Phenomenon' was notable for the number of different kinds of aerial craft that were observed with the launch of Kosmos-955 - spheres and jellyfish-like craft (which are again being observed in other parts of the world)

In the Watery Depths
Following the theme of the "fairy mistress of the sea" that Micah Hanks writes about, is the following encounter Stonehill and Mantle describe in Mysterious Sky, where Russian divers met up with strange beings in the water, encountering

'swimmers' - humanoid creatures three metres tall garbed in tight fitting silver suits with helmets, but minus any breathing equipment. It was decided to attempt to capture one of the creatures, but the seven divers sent to undertake this task were propelled back to the surface of the lake, consequently suffering from pressure changes resulting from the rapid ascent. Three of the divers died as a result, the remaining four becoming invalids. Similar creatures along with underwater UFOs have been reported in deep water lakes all over Russia.

 The Candy and Jellyfish Sky
Last July I had a UFO-jellyfish dream that I posted on my blog Saucer Sightings. I called it   The Candy and Jellyfish Sky. After observing the skies with a group of people we see large jellyfish above us:

Then I see several huge jellyfish in the sky swarming right above us. This is so amazing, so beautiful! They're about the size of orcas, they're dancing and swirling and "swimming" in the sky/clouds. I get everyone's attention and we watch the jellyfish, then it dawns on us that "Hey, wait just a minute . . . jellyfish don't belong in the sky!" I, we, quickly understand that the jellyfish aren't "real" jellyfish but UFOs. I suddenly seem to be full of knowledge that the jellyfish appearance is "how they cloak themselves" I tell everyone. "They've been doing this for years," I say.

After awhile, the Jellyfish UFOs morph into something else; candy, and most of the people are relieved. Believing that the UFOs weren't UFOs after all, just a fun, simple ad for candy in the sky. But I know better. Things take a surreal turn:

Oh," everyone laughs, relieved. "It's just an ad for candy!"

I can still see, faintly, a few jellyfish/UFOs in the sky, but they've gone dim and are in the background a bit. I tell everyone "No, you're wrong! That's what they want you to think! It's not real."

Someone says "Of course they're not real; it's a commercial for candy!"

Exasperated, I say "Not that! I mean, the jellyfish are real, it's the candy that isn't!"

"Why would the jellyfish pretend to be candy?" Someone asks me, suspiciously, as if I've somehow caused the whole thing. Worse, that I'm up to no good.

Somehow I know things I didn't realized I knew, as if the jellyfish are sending information to my head. "I mean, the government knows about the jellyfish, and they're using the candy to distract us from the jellyfish UFOs."

I end up in Trickster land to be sure, trying to out think the whys of the jellyfish mind:

Later, I briefly wonder why, if the jellyfish don't want to be seen, are they appearing as jellyfish in the sky? Isn't that contrary to where jellyfish reside? Then again, this reversal of jellyfish habitat might be so that we do pay attention. After all, they're aware that they will be denied, so appearing as jellyfish or some other out of place object would be sure to get noticed.

Which brings us back to what Micah has to say in his article about Trickster in relation to Fata Morgana/Morgan Le Fay.

"Stairway to Sirius: The (Pink) Star of the Sea

An excellent and different kind of post from Christopher Knowles's The Secret Sun on water symbolism, mermaid, etc. imagery to be "on the lookout for:

As I said on William Henry's show in December (and here as well) we need to be on the lookout for water symbolism this year, as well as mermaid/mermen and other symbols associated with Sirius in esoteric lore. The recent Serious Mysteries posts explored these memes in depth, particularly as they relate to James Cameron, who is obviously very deeply obsessed with both aliens and the oceans ...

This relates to the Marian symbolism in many ways, one being the current pop culture motif of goddess/Mary/Isis type imagery, and Mary herself as the "Star of the Sea":

Secret Sun readers are well familiar with the star Sirius and its identification with Isis, and that visual juxtaposition reminds us of Isis' title as the Stella Maris, or 'Star of the Sea', which sailors used to navigate by in ancient times. Later this role was assumed by the Virgin Mary, as we see in this dramatic illustration.

Women From Venus

Researcher Scott Corrales has translated my Women From Venus article into Spanish. Very nice! You can read it at his blog Arcana Mundi.

Visit The Orange Orb

http://orangeorb.blogspot.com

Painting: Sinister Spirit, or BVM?

Sinister Spirit, James Rich, acrylic

This is a painting by James Rich, who also happens to be my husband. It's always reminded me of the BVM, in fact, that's what I call it. Interesting that when he painted the painting, he gave it the title "Sinister Spirit." But for me, it  always had a decidedly BVM vibe. More of Jim's work on Alien Art Genre, and James Rich Studio.

The Vatican Secret Archives

Vatican Reveals Secret Archives

High-quality reproductions of 105 documents, 19 of which have never been seen before in public, have now been published in a book. The Vatican Secret Archives features a papal letter to Hitler, an entreaty to Rome written on birch bark by a tribe of North American Indians, and a plea from Mary Queen of Scots.

We naturally have to wonder at all the treasures not being revealed.

Control, Fear and Wonder: BVM in Egypt and Other Staged Signs

The BVM made an appearence  in Egypt this month:Virgin Mary appearing in Egypt? Video

Hundreds, if not thousands, have been lining up for hours every night at the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church in a Cairo neighborhood just off the Nile. Many of them claim that a mysterious light hovering above the church's domes is an apparition of the Virgin Mary who will bring Christian Copts prosperity and relief in a time of national and religious struggle.

The crowds began appearing Thursday evening when a number of residents spotted a flickering light. No one was sure where the illumination was coming from, and word quickly spread that the light took the shape of the Virgin Mary wearing a blue gown and standing in the sky between the church's two high crosses.

There is a video clip at the above link on Beliefnet.com, with a link to the following clip on YouTube:


The image shown reminded me of the BVM's appearence, which the article mentions, in Zeitun, Egypt, from 1968 to 1971. Similar white, cut-out type figure, and pigeons. Pigeons are mentioned in the recent BVM apparition as well:

The scene on Saturday was huge when we saw the lightning and white pigeons flying around us. White pigeons always accompany apparitions like these," one Copt told The Times.

Watching the clip shown here, an orange light can be seen flickering off towards the end of the clip, as if the image of Mary was being projected from that source.

Coming in on the heels of other recent weirdness in the world, this BVM apparition doesn't seem to be a paranormal event, but part of the staging I refered to in my earlier post on UFO Mary, Red Hooded Woman Attacks Pope As Part of Global Staging. Signs in the skies: UFOs for the saucer heads (Kremlin, etc.) blue spirals in Norway for the skeptics and rational, the BVM for the religious. And to keep us on our toes, failed Nigerian bombers and attacks on Italian authorities; the Pope, again performed for the religious, the Prime Minister for the rest of us.

Control, fear and wonder all at once. All are distractions, seemingly without connection to each other. Year end strangeness; it appears to be a bit much.

Monk Leaves Footprints in Wood Floor

Hua Chi, a 70 year old Chinese monk, has something concrete to show his devotion to prayer. He has left a physical record of his religious practice; footprints, deep impressions in the wood floor, caused by his constant kneeling over the past twenty years. See Is it a miracle? Monk who prays so much he has left footprints ingrained in the FLOOR

This story is from February of this year, but I just came across it, thanks to The Heavy Stuff blog. THS has a neat list of his top ten Fortean stories of 2009, and the story of the monk was one of those events.

Red Hooded Woman Attacks Pope as Part of Global Staging

A strange incident, that seems odder still when juxtaposed with other odd events this holiday season; the attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253 in particular.

Both incidents served to grab international attention during a time when many of us are vulnerable emotionally and spiritually; we're amped up at this time of year on many levels. Add to this mix international travel; people dependent on the whims and fates of weather, airport security, government, flight arrivals and cancellations. . .

The Pope, during the Christmas Day blessing, was attacked by a young woman in a red hooded sweatshirt. The woman had climbed over a barrier and managed to pull the Pope to the ground; however, the Pope was unharmed. Reports say the woman was mentally unstable. Interesting for the above reasons but also in context of the attack two weeks earlier on the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Berlusconi's attacker, it's been reported, also has mental problems.

One of the things to emerge from these incidents --  the bombing attempt, the attacks on the Pope and Silvio Berlusconi --  is the reminder from authority of the need for tighter security. Homeland Security was lightening quick in its announcements for newer, stricter security edicts, which have already been put in place. Along with these even more restrictive rules is the urging of Homeland Security for the use of body scanners in airports.

As to the failed bombing attempt by Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, there's further support for the sleeper agent scenario: Abdulmutallab told authorities "operatives" in Yeman gave him the explosives. The US attacked Yemen on December 19th.

Whether intentionally planned by the Global Cabal (you know, "Them,") or the Trickster in our face, there are esoteric elements all over these events. Two mentally unstable people, a  woman in her twenties wearing a hood that's red, (Christmas color, blood, sacrifice, wanton woman,) the inept would be airplane bomber from Nigeria, (the Nigerian e-mail spam scams,) Christmas Day, (world peace, love, goodwill to men, religion. . . ) the Pope, (authority, religion, spiritual control, sexual control, Nazis,) the Vatican,(more control and authority infrastructure, hidden treasures and secrets, power, global presence) and Kafka-esqe rules that are, we're  told,to keep us safe, but really serve to humiliate and control.

These incidents seem unconnected and maybe they are; but they all happened on the global stage, during a time of global sharing and unity, and where travel is at its highest on a world wide level. Institutions were attacked: the Pope/Vatican, (and two weeks previously, Italy's PM, another authority) and an airline, directly involving Homeland Security.

Notes
Detroit attack: terrorist once again confounds airport security

Christmas assault on pope in St Peter’s

United States Attacks Yemen 

Reposted on my blog  Octopus Confessional

Staring at the Sun, Waiting for Mary

From this article Looking at the BVM can make you go blind...

An intersting report surfaces via the Irish Times. Recent supposed appearances of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM) have been following the pattern made famous at Fatima - namely word gets around, lots of people turn up and then they claim to see the sun dancing around in the sky. October the 31st saw 10 000 people attending and an earlier appearance on the 11th of October also saw large numbers. At both gatherings people claimed to see the sun shimmering, changing colour and dancing in the sky.

People are looking towards the heavens, watching suns dance and colors glimmer, and this is causing problems for some, who find they have to go to the hospital:

Well people are quite naturally looking at the sun attempting to get their own view of a miracle.  Some are then presenting themselves to University Hospital Galloway with vision problems.Dr Eamonn O'Donoghue, consultant opthalmologist reports that they have witnessed five recent cases of solar retinopathy (damage to the retina from prolonged exposure to the sun - i.e. from staring at it).