2012

Well I’m happy to announce my life is returning to normal –well, as normal as the life of someone who spends so much time with demons and hanging around in cemeteries can be. I had to take some time off due to a ridiculous amount of work, schooling, and spiritual dedication. Twelve hour school days plus five hours of spiritual work a day means not a lot of time for anything else. I survived; I’m not noticeably insane from it, so it is time to continue. I have real posts in the wings to put up, and book reviews, but let’s just start with a Wednesday Webshare.
There is an utterly fascinating and informative pamphlet pdf Notes on Death and Dying for Vajrayana Practitioners.  It contains sections that are basically dying and Bardos of dying, death, and rebirth 101; what the signs of death are, how to help those who are dying, etc. The section that interests me the most (and was why it was pointed at me) was about the legal and practical side of properly dying according to Vajrayana ideals.  Death in Vajrayana can occurs days after death in Western understanding, what are the laws and practicalities of leaving a “dead” body undisturbed for a few days until the signs of death begin to show themselves, or can you donate organs while dying properly (which is what I was looking for). Anyways fascinating opinions and information on it, it’s specifically in regard to the laws of Dallas County, Texas, but gives some ideas and some of the hows to go about collecting the proper information.
With 2012 looming closer are you curious what the Mayans actually said about it? I’ll give you a hint: it begins with an F and ends with an Uck All.  A great interview with an archaeologist (re: someone who actually has researched this area) about 2012 and how even what seems to be legitimately coming from the modern Mayans is essentially newage backwash. I’m not surprised but it’s great to see, especially the reasoning on why some supposed descendents of the Maya are talking about it now.
Tara Hefler is looking to make a visual compendium of the 72 spirits of the Goetia as imagined by modern artists.  It is time those wood carvings got an update and I wasn’t a fan of art in the Crowley’s Illustrated Goetia. Like me you can wait for the project to be finished, or if you’re an artist yourself some of the demons still need to be adopted and illustrated if you want to try your tentacle at that.
The New Alexandrian Library recently received paintings of the four archangels by Dion Fortune, gifts from Dolores Ashcroft Nowicki. Awesome artwork, and a great gift.
I’m a taphophile, it’s no secret. In my childhood while my friends’ parents were taking them to Florida or amusement parks or ski weekends or just the C.N. Tower, my mother and her mother would take me to cemeteries all across the province. I grew up spending a lot of time in cemeteries, so it isn’t surprising that I love them and just happen to end up part of a spiritual tradition that requires me to do a lot of my work in cemeteries. While it is an American site I’ve loved following The Cemetery Traveler since I came across it. It essentially just chronicles the journeys of one person through cemeteries, their thoughts and experiences. Fans of dead people and cemeteries should definitely follow it.
Also there is a video on those Jordan Lead Codices. While a lot of the information wasn’t new to me as I’ve been following this personally and academically it was nice to see some of it put down visually.