bardo

06
May
2015

Wednesday Webshare: Shidak, Ecosystems, Gods, and Giants


Mercury WebAfter my series on Local Spirits I was sent a few other articles on the same thing, which I was really glad to see.
First off is a largely personal account about meeting and living with a local spirit, and more advice on how to get to know them.
There is an entire blog devoted to locally focused spirituality, which they’re terming Bioregional Animism, and I’m really enjoying the take on it as a whole, as well as some of the little instances and ideas. I look forward to reading more when I have time.
In a step beyond just local spirits, The Professor talks about Spirit Ecosystems, in the sense of the atmosphere and ecosystem and culture we develop in an area through our work. I really liked her cast of characters she sees in her area, and I have to agree with the attitude about creating a space with entities in it, rather than always banishing.
If you enjoy her writing there, she also talks about some work she did in a cemetery, with the spirits of the place, and the Lord of the Graveyard. (I admit a minor influence in what she did) The idea of caring for the unknown dead of an area is something that has always been close to me, and it’s nice to see someone else moved to help.
Speaking of the dead, if you know anything about Tibetan Buddhism, it probably is the awesome, surreal, and complex “Book of the Dead.” The text (more properly known as The Great Liberation Through Hearing in the Bardo) is a description of what happens when you die, what you experience, and how to navigate it to the best incarnation possible, if not enlightenment. It’s really dense and culturally coded, so most people will find this introduction to it through a comic far more accessible.
I guess that’s the type of thing that happens as Eastern and Western thought continue to mingle. It’s a shame hearing about young Tibetan’s who are getting into Western philosophy though.
The question of who and what are the gods is something that gets tossed around, and more often tossed aside, but how about an interesting discussion on what it means to have the potential for apotheosis?
Or how about the idea that perhaps God in a supreme creator sense, isn’t something that existed before and beyond the universe, but potentially could be a part of the universe none-the-less?
I guess the best answer to who/what god/s are is to ask the creator themself, here in an exclusive interview.
(And this, dear readers, is why Metatron is important)
Now for something completely awesome. Fuck Yeah Altars on tumblr. Just pictures of epic altars. I really love this. Sometimes altars are decorations, sometimes they’re more, but they’re great insight into the people’s practice and focus.
Speaking of awesome. We’ve uncovered another underground city, and this is the largest one found so far. Aside from just being amazing these cities open up some potentially interesting religious questions, and if you don’t know how, reread Genesis.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
02
Nov
2011

Wednesday Webshares: Death, Demons, and Dead Folks


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.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
28
Nov
2010

Review: Bardo Teachings – Venerable Lama Lodo


Bardo Teachings: The Way of Death and Rebirth – Venerable Lama Lödo
Snow Lion. 1982. 73pp. 0937938602.
I believe no religion has put as much thought and study into death, dying, and rebirth as Tibetan Buddhism has. The Bardo Thodol, or The Great Liberation through Hearing in the Between is the well-known (if poorly understood) Tibetan text on the process of dying, what is seen after death, and what happens to the consciousness. This book represents an expansion of the thoughts from the Bardo Thodol from an oral lineage granted by the Very Venerable Kalu Rinpoche.
While there are six Bardos, or Between States, only three of them relate to death; the Chikai Bardo, the Chonyi Bardo, and the Sipai Bardo. The Chonyi Bardo is the Bardo after death, and receives most of the focus in the Bardo Thodol, and as such is glazed over in this text. The Chikai Bardo, the Bardo of dying, and the Sipai Bardo, the Bardo of preparing and searching for the next rebirth, on the other hand are the main focus of the text. This book is not for people without a grounding in Tibetan Buddhism, it assumes a basic understanding exists of Buddhist principles, the Bardo Thodol and of the esoteric Buddhist symbolism used in Tibetan Buddhism.
There is little about the core of the teachings that can be easily explained, it is simply a detailed look at the process of dying and the state of the mind during death, and then an exploration of the experiences and processes that lead to rebirth. For those interested in the tradition, it is definitely an intriguing and insightful read. Lama Lödo finishes each chapter with a Question-Answer section, which contain many interesting points. The ones I found most interesting included that being under medication while dying is detrimental to rebirth because of the confusion it creates (16) which as someone with my medical history has often been a concern of mine, and that the experiences of the Bardos will be different without the religious background of Tibetan Buddhism (17). He says simply that the figures, deities, and images of the Bardo will be just colours and forms that will frighten and confuse people who aren’t Buddhist, where as I feel, considering the system, that without the background it would still be a relevant religious experience, instead of just a confusing light show.
Either way this is an interesting text, if you’ve read the Bardo Thodol and would like to see some aspects explained clearly and discussed this is probably a good place to start.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick