Why 23?

The Number 23 movie comes out today. It’s a creepy story starring Jim “I play creepy guys” Carrey. In it, Jim is a regular guy who receives a book of paranoid ravings about the number 23, becomes a 23rdian,and then ends up in that paranoid world himself.

Where did they come up with that idea? The 23 enigma has been in the underground conscious for quite some time. Some believe that those who see the number 23 around them is a harbinger of new wealth. Some believe that it is a sign of conspiracy or other sign of cosmic consciousness. I know that ideawas spread by Robert Anton Wilson’s book, “Cosmic Trigger,” which also spread the cult of Discordianism. Twenty-three is the number of the Goddess Discordia. Wilson said that he did not uncover the 23 enigma, but that William S. Burroughs did, after 2 disasters happened on the same day: a ferry boat, helmed by a Capt. Clark, sank after 23 years of good luck; and a flight 23 helmed by another Capt. Clark crashed on the same day. Afterwards, Burroughs kept a scrapbook ofthese 23 incidents for years.

Some people have very personal stories of 23. One man found the number 23 all around this death of his father. And another has found that 23 is being used to market Dr. Pepper to us, of all things.
Having studied Chaldean numerology, I’m going to tell you a secret: the number 23 is a good luck number of publishing–like the number 32, which all 23rdians count as a 23. It knows how to get itself noticed!

Well, I’ve googled “23″ here at 23rd Mandalation. We’ve been at this for almost a year now, and so far the number 23 has come up 6 times, 212 and 2012 3 times, and 32 also 3 times. I guess our time of wealth has not yet come.

Valentine’s Day: The Past Was Worse

Believe it or not, St. Valentine’s Day is my day. Hearts and chocolate and kissing… that’s me! Suki means loveable, after all. (Japanese do not have the verb love the way the Westerners do.)

But what in the world does that have to do with a Roman Catholic Saint?

Starting as a Roman Feast of Lupercalia–you know, back in Roman times–February 14/15 was a fertility festival, which took a few different forms. In some areas, young men dressed wearing freshly cut goat skins would gad about and spank women with small whips. Women weren’t running, either–it was considered good fertility luck to get spanked with this mini-whip by a young man in a bloody goat skin.

Romans sure were kinky! The Luper (meaning wolf) part of this has to do with Rome being founded by twins named Romulus and Remus, who were raised by a wolf. Wolf-mother–fertility, get it?

Another Lupercalian fertility ceremony was the maiden lottery, in which young women would put their names in to be chosen by men and become their sexual partners for the duration of the festival, and sometimes for the year. This was extremely popular with Roman soldiers (wonder why?) and the custom was taken with them to the rest of Europe. This is another reason I try to remain in serious relationships.
Of course, (yawn) Roman Catholicism came into power, and had to take away all the fun. They made February 14th St. Valentine’s Feast Day. St. V. was put to death for performing marriages. And our Valentines are vestiges of  the lottery.

I am just glad the bloody goat skin didn’t survive to modern day. It would mess up my dress.

Opening 2007

The Creation Museum, in St. Petersburg, Ky.!

If it’s in a museum, it must be true.–R. Legault

What is so different about this museum, you ask. Here is the answer, straight from the FAQ page:

Almost all natural-history museums proclaim an evolutionary, humanistic worldview. For example, they will typically place dinosaurs on an evolutionary timeline millions of years before man. AiG’s museum will proclaim the authority and accuracy of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and will show that there is a Creator, and that this Creator is Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:15-20), who is our Savior.

For a “walk-through” click here.

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Want to start your own business? Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business.

The Magic Box

Here it is! There are quite a few people who believe the secrets of the world are inside this box. Or, the answer to solving the world’s ills anyway.

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Inside, it holds the writings of one Joanna Southcott. For anyone not familiar with her story, in 1792 she heard a voice telling her of the second coming. That wasn’t all she heard. She went on to publish 65 books. (A list of her writings can be found here Joanna Southcott Collection.)

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She composed prophecies in rhyme and sealed them inside this box. It’s supposed to be opened only at a time of national crisis while 24 bishops from the Church of England stand at hand. In 1927, a box was opened and contained things like a lottery ticket and a brush, but her followers insist it was the wrong one and that is the actual box.

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Ms. Southcott also claimed that she would give a virgin birth to the second messiah, Shiloh, at the age of 64. Insisting she was pregnant at this age, she secretly married to give the baby legitimacy and went through quite a few doctor examinations. 17 of those 21 doctors proclaimed her pregnant. She died not long after the proposed birth date. Her autopsy revealed no pregnancy.

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She attracted a huge number of followers and that society exists still today. You can find information about them here. The Panacea Society, Bedford There is much written about this society in different books and articles– easily found on the Net. For the most part, the articles aren’t flattering and the group is more often than not called a cult.

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Her prophecies did include one where the world would end in 2000. Oh, but England would be okay.

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For further reading:

Joanna Southcott Web Site (Her official website)

Joanna Southcott’s Box of Sealed Prophecies / Frances Brown (book)

Joanna Southcott

About Joanna Southcott – Digitised Resources – Bedfordshire’s Virtual Library

So, What Are You Doing After You Die?

Death has come to my attention lately. My son, who is four, asked me what will happen after I die. My response, as we hurried across a busy intersection (trying not to die) was: “I will lie down and not get up, and you will have to go live with your dad.”

Which is all my son needs to know right now. But then I thought about it: What if, after you die, what happens to you depends on what you believe: If you believe you deserve Heaven, there you go; Hell, and you are on your way. I think when I was a young teen I read a science fiction short story like that once. But what if you believe in something else? Heaven/Hell may not apply. For instance, I know a few neo-Hellenics, and they will pass through the River of Lethe, forget their whole lives, and then live in sorrow in a grimly half-lit Underworld.

I like the afterlife of the Ancient Egyptians a little better. If you believe in the Egyptian gods, then you better make sure your two halves (spiritual and physical) meet and then you can become a force that wanders the earth, not unlike the latest version of the movie,”The Mummy.” It makes me think of zombies. I suppose I could terrorize the people who gave me grief (I’ll have to make a list before I’m entombed) and stop cars from hitting all the people who were good to me (another, much shorter list).

Speaking of Zombies, if you believe in voodoo, you can eventually join cosmic forces, but first you have to trust your relatives to protect your gravesite for a week (so no one can make you into a zombie) and then to remember to “raise” you in ceremony a year later, after which you become a minor divinity they pray to (you do their bidding) and then, 16 cycles later, you get a break.

Something else that takes a long time, but more restful: Islam. I am sure by now you’ve heard about the 72 virgins (and what are us girls supposed to do after we die?) but did you know that’s not supposed to happen until after Judgment day? There are Muslims who have been waiting in their graves hundreds of years already!

Something more immediate: I have always liked the idea of reincarnation. More Hindu than Buddhist (Buddhists suggest reincarnation, but Buddha himself did not believe in idle speculation on the afterlife. Besides, Buddhists don’t believe we have souls that stay the same.) Hinduism is closely related to the caste system.If you do lots of good, release your desires, you’ll be born into a better caste next time around. What better way to keep your servants on their best behavior.

Jesus and his Heaven are looking better and better.

If you can do without Jesus, a Hopi belief, shared by many other Native American groups, was a sort of happy hunting ground: we just go back “where we came from.” Somewhere at the beginning of time, where all is still wonderful: convenient two-way rivers, and a whole lot of buffalo.
I was raised more Protestant than anything else, more from my parents’ unconscious value system than any formal teaching. My son will get that from me. But maybe I can learn more about the Hopi, and tell my son when we die we go back where we came from–two way rivers and buffalo sound fine to me.

For a complete list and explanation of afterlives, visit http://www.near-death.com/religion.html

Thomas Jefferson’s Koran to Be Used in Swearing-In

This guy gets the last laugh after coming under fire–From Bring It On!: Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, found himself under attack last month when he announced he’d take his oath of office on the Koran — especially from Virginia Rep. Virgil Goode, who called it a threat to American values. Yet the holy book at tomorrow’s ceremony has an unassailably all-American provenance. We’ve learned that the new congressman — in a savvy bit of political symbolism — will hold the personal copy once owned by Thomas Jefferson. Link is here.

The Mahdi Here By Spring?

So sayeth the Iranians. I had heard that President Amadinejad had ordered a clean-up of Tehran in prep for this. From the article: An official state media website in Iran has posted a message heralding the coming of the Shiite messianic figure, Imam Mahdi, noting he could arrive with Jesus by the spring equinox. “Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) will appear all of a sudden on the world scene with a voice from the skies announcing his reappearance at the holy Ka’ba in Mecca,” the message says. The Islamic Republic of Iran broadcasting website said in a program called “The World toward Illumination,” that the Mahdi will form an army to defeat the enemies of Islam in a series of apocalyptic battles, in which the Mahdi will overcome his archvillain in Jerusalem. Interesting link: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53577

Germ Theory.

You probably do not think of germs as a theory. Ever since you were little and asked your mom why you have to wash your hands or cover your mouth when you cough, she said “Germs.” At first you didn’t believe her. You couldn’t see the germ, so how did you know it was there? But eventually, you were brainwashed into belief.

I would like to point out now, that you still haven’t seen them. And even if you did, through a microscope or on television, you still looked at it through some kind of contraption. Truly, germs could be just as real as UFo’s, the moon landing, or the loch ness monster.

Even if they do exist, who is to say that germs are “bad” and make you sick, anyway? There are supposedly billions of germs living inside you right now, and you may or may not be sick. Consumption of germs are even marketed to us in the form of yogurt. [More] Also, if germs are the cause of illness, why do some people get sick, and some not?

Theories abound. At one point, the Catholic Church believed that illness was sin, and did not allow doctors to heal people, because sickness was “the will of God.” A great-great grandchild of that idea is the New Age claim that illness is due to unhappiness for one reason or another. [Read more.] Personally, I feel that is materialist and shallow viewpoint, especially if the illness is severe.

The huge pharmaceutical industries have been built up around the theory of germs. It is in their interest to keep the belief going. They have even made sure that children are not allowed in school without “proper” vaccinations of strange goo which will be sure to kill the tiny monsters, but may also make the young children ill.[More.]

A great deal of ill health can be blamed on poor diet, exercise, sleep/rest, and stress levels. But the giant pharmacorps can’t make money on selling carrots and pom juice and a shorter work day, so germs are pushed instead.

Louis Pasteur disavowed his own germ theory before he died. [More.] I, for one, am not ready to stop washing my hands. But I am ready to eat more carrots and possibly try some pom juice.

Drunk With the Lord

You gotta see this clip. Why do they think it’s the Lord and not some demon possessing them?

Snake-Handling Mishap in Kentucky Church

Woman bitten by snake at church dies
SERPENTS ARE HANDLED THERE, NEIGHBORS SAY
By Shawntaye Hopkins
A London woman is dead after being bitten by a snake during a Sunday church service, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said yesterday.

Neighbors near East London Holiness Church on Smith Brewer Road, which officials said the 48-year-old attended, said the church practices serpent handling.

The name of the woman was withheld yesterday as the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office investigated the death, which police described as accidental.

Friends escorted the woman to a local hospital Sunday afternoon, Lt. Ed Sizemore said.

“She said she was bitten by a snake at her church,” Sizemore said.

The woman was taken to University of Kentucky Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 11:30 p.m., almost four hours after the bite was reported.

Sizemore said he thinks the woman was bitten by a timber rattlesnake. He did not know if the woman practiced snake handling.

Snake handling is based on a passage in the Bible, in the Gospel of Mark, that says a sign of a true believer is the power to “take up serpents” without being harmed.

It is illegal in Kentucky to handle reptiles as part of religious services. Snake handling is a misdemeanor and punishable by a $50-$100 fine.

Opal Wagers lives near the church on Smith Brewer Road and said it’s been two or three months since she last visited the church, but said she’s witnessed snake handling there.

“I don’t have no dealings with those snakes,” Wagers said. “But they seem to handle them pretty good.”

She said people fill the church at least one Sunday each month to handle snakes. Wagers said members from Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia bring in the snakes.

Police said they had not received reports about snake handling at the church.

No church officials could be reached for comment last night.

In 2000, the Herald-Leader reported that the last person to die in Kentucky from a snakebite sustained during a religious service was in 1997.

The death of Daril R. Collins, 23, of Barbourville, was the sixth such death in the state since 1980.