The Learning Channel (August 7, 2003) just had a show about crop circles. Here are two major points that no debunker will be able to explain in addition to the designs themselves.

1. The seeds in 250 crop circles tested by a top biologist and botanist were no long...]]>

CROP CIRCLES:

The Learning Channel (August 7, 2003) just had a show about crop circles. Here are two major points that no debunker will be able to explain in addition to the designs themselves.

1. The seeds in 250 crop circles tested by a top biologist and botanist were no longer there. I suppose some might say the hoaxers made bread out of the seeds but the pods or husks had not been opened. This is the work of Doctor Levengood and his associates.

2. Many of the stalks were exploded from the inside out.

It is my belief that the forces of the earth and cosmos combine with the growing and more refining nature of the World Mind to communicate these wondrous designs. I do wonder how the seeds were missing or where their energized force went.

There is no better evidence of the coming critical mass and imminent change that seems to fit or be headed towards 2012 as the Mayans say. Please join the pantheon of RIGHT-thinking people and stop the competition or ONE PIE ideologies that create waste rather than creating wealth and wisdom for all. It can be an awesome future or it will be more of the same.

Author and activist seeking to help make the Critical Mass happen before the regressive forces of Empire win.

Olympus was started way back in the year 1919 under the name of Takachiho Seisakusho. In f...]]>

One of the oldest companies, Olympus has had a long and historical journey. Olympus digital cameras are being used all over the world today. Let us take a look at the glorious history of Olympus here.

Olympus was started way back in the year 1919 under the name of Takachiho Seisakusho. In fact, the first optical product made by the company was not a camera, but a microscope! The name ‘Olympus’ was introduced in 1921 as a trade name for the company’s optical products.

There is an interesting story attached to the name of Olympus. It has a deep, deep meaning attached to it as well. According to Greek mythology, Olympus is the mountain where the Gods live. And, Takachiho is the mountain where the Gods live according to the Japanese texts. In fact, all the names associated with Olympus cameras have a hidden meaning to themselves. For example, the first product made by Olympus for photographic purposes was the Zuiko 75mm/F4.5 lens in 1936. This is an abbreviation coined from the name of Olympus optical plant (Mizuho Kogaku-kenkyujo) and also has a hidden Chinese meaning.

In the ’30s, Olympus introduced many different types of cameras. Due to the world wars, production suffered from time to time till the ’40s. The Twins Reflex camera was introduced in 1950s and became instantly popular. In fact, hundreds of models based on this technology were developed by several manufacturers. But it was the Olympus Rolleiflex which set the standard for these cameras in the industry.

However, it was the Olympus PEN which was launched in 1959-60, which established Olympus as the manufacturer of small cameras in the market. The PEN was light, small, innovatively designed and could take 72 shots in one roll! It became increasingly popular and helped Olympus to gain hold of the market. After this, there was no looking back for Olympus and it went from strength to strength.

As far as digital cameras are concerned, by the 80’s and ’90s, the video camera and the consumer digital cameras were already present in the market. However, they were not of very high quality and could only used for web publishing or low-res prints. But, by the late ’90s, technology had advanced greatly and prices had also dropped, hence consumers were now going in for digital cameras more and more. It was at this time, in the year 1996, that Olympus introduced its P&S style cameras which had a resolution of 810.000 pixels. Slowly and steadily, Olympus came up with a 2 mega pixel and then a 3 mega pixel camera by the year 2000. At this time, one of the significant launches of Olympus was the 2.11 mega pixel model C-211 which also had an in-built Polaroid printer.

Today, Olympus is considered to be one of the well-known digital camera manufacturers in the industry. The latest digital cameras by Olympus are:

D-Series: Simple point-and-shoot cameras for beginners.

C-Series: Digital cameras for advanced photographers.

Stylus: Stylish cameras in attractive colors and designs.

E-System Digital SLR’s: Professional SLR’s for digital cameras.

Kevin Rockwell worked as a network TV cameraman for 20 years shooting news and sports. Now a devoted fan of digital photography and video he works to gather information, tips and news for digital camera users. Oh and he loves to shoot pictures of his kids playing sports.
http://great-digital-cameras.com/gdcj.html

Sexual longingsa pathway to anger and rage Turn the page to the cheap hotels, ...]]>

What can I do to keep this world in its orbital spin?
I gave up trying to win the hearts of the many.
Throw the meat-balls against the wall, stop, stop!!
Trying to make them spin, like God did in the heavens!

Sexual longingsa pathway to anger and rage
Turn the page to the cheap hotels, turn the page
Give it a pathway to run, tell your friends, they’ve won.
And don’t answer to anyone; hang up the phone!

Don’t go outside the house, become dulcimer
Hit the hammer, the hammer, the hammer, stop, stop!
The darkness of the night is coming, open the window
I’ll, I’ll disappear, no air, no air inside heranywhere!

Neck bones look weak, like honey over thawed meat:
Everyone’s neck bones, everyone I see, even me
I’ll be a guest of hell soon, the land of no vegetables
Or balloonsjust neck bones, everywhere: everywhere.

The place where no one cares, no one cares, no one:
Like unfed fish, fish, unfed fishnibbling at nothing;
In a four-sided aquarium, withwith piranhas
Give me a lily pad to sail away, today, today, today!…

#819 8/29/05

The Continuum

I emerged from
My mother,
Now
Part of
History
When we die
We become a part of
History
For history continues
To exist
History
The human continuity,
The continuum!…

#820 8/29/30

A Note by Rosa: two poems: not sure what I want to say on these two poems; interesting, they make me think of why the poet uses what he uses; I know my husband says, it is called “effect” and it makes me take a big deep breathe. Is that what he wants, if so he got it. Rosa

See Dennis’ books at http://www.bn.com or http://www.abe.com

A lot of students think there should be some kind of preparation before improvising on the piano. They are right! There should be some thought as to the sound, tonality, key - but once these choices are made the thinking should...]]>

Mistake #1 - Thinking about what
you’re going to play

A lot of students think there should be some kind of preparation before improvising on the piano. They are right! There should be some thought as to the sound, tonality, key - but once these choices are made the thinking should stop and the playing should begin.

Mistake #2 - Worrying about whether
it’s good or not

Are you concerned with how your music sounds? Many students are. This mistake is prevalent among newbies at improvisation. They play a key or two and then think it stinks. Nothing will stop the creative flow more than thinking that what’s coming out of you is not good enough! Good is in the ear of the beholder. That beholder is you so stop judging the product and focus on enjoying the process of being in the moment. This is why people learn to improvise in the first place. Let go and let the music tell you where it wants to go!

Mistake #3 - Thinking that
you don’t know enough to improvise

This mistake is really an oxymoron because the more you know, the more likely it is that you will experience blocks. If you do not have a lot of formal music knowledge don’t let that stop you. All you need to know in order to improvise is chords and the scale the chords came from. That’s it. And the good news is this is easily learned.

Some students create unnecessary problems for themselves because they beleive they need to know this or that before they can begin. This is just an excuse to avoid jumping in the water. It’s also a way to avoid the act itself because once you begin to play you may tell yourself you really don’t know what you’re doing. Trust me. You know enough and you know enough to begin now.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

Privilege sometimes leads to productivity and creativity through community efforts such as this man made possible at his Tuxedo Park mansion. The community he created included the likes of Einstein, Fermi and Heisenberg. The things they studied helped develop many ...]]>

ALFRED LEE LOOMIS:

Privilege sometimes leads to productivity and creativity through community efforts such as this man made possible at his Tuxedo Park mansion. The community he created included the likes of Einstein, Fermi and Heisenberg. The things they studied helped develop many technologies and lead to the Manhattan Project. Loomis had investigated everything from ultrasonics to brain waves as the world moved toward war in 1940. The combination of ultrasonics and brainwaves or ESP is my special interest. The Chaos Science of pre-Ice Age humans might well have allowed more fantastic things than the atom bomb. I heartily recommend serious study of the pentagon-dodecahedron and The Lost Chord which Pythagoras learned a little about from the Pyramid. This enabled Pythagoras to be credited with creating the musical octaves.

Please ask yourself just how much credit was Pythagoras due if he only learned a little about these things that can heal through his ‘Singing of the Spheres’? I implore society to understand what his Dean of Studies might have been part of in a long line of pre-Empire knowledge systems that Phoenicians like Thales and Pythagoras kept a small amount from. That Dean of Studies is Abaris (Rabbi) the Druid according to a noted scientist who passed over his privileged opportunity to be a top Basilidae political agent or priest. That noted scientist is Hecateus of Miletus and ML or Mile and his kin are indeed rabbis and Stuart BEES.

Author of Diverse Druids and many other books available at http://www.World-Mysteries.com and elsewhere.

There was no other way For me to face reality Or pretend to be okay I had no concept -

Of how hard it would be To actually let go Of this huge part of me N...]]>

I never thought I would have to say GOODBYE to my best friend But that’s what I had to do today I had to let go of her forever -

There was no other way For me to face reality Or pretend to be okay I had no concept -

Of how hard it would be To actually let go Of this huge part of me Not tomorrow or ever -

Will my life be the same Without my Grannio here Life seems to be a game - Of chance and questions

Questions that never end And have no answers That can begin to mend The gaping hole inside of me

Nor come close to healing My heart and soul that Seem to be feeling Lost, numb and empty-

Completely hollow Like I have nobody left To really follow - Through life with respect

She was so much more Than my Grandmother I knew that before She left this earth

And I told her so More than once or twice Because she had to know Just how very special -

And truly blessed I felt to have her as my friend She was the best Without a doubt -

My Grannio gave me More than anybody Will ever really see It was an unspoken -

Kind of love That came with no conditions And went far above The normal caring

And average support For a grandchild - Or family of any sort She gave more of herself

To me than anyone In my life ever will Nobody could have done What she did for me

With so much devotion, Absolute honesty And true emotion Her loyalty was -

Sincerely undying I realize so much Now that I’m crying - And wishing that

I had just one more day To spend holding her hand And trying to take away Her fears and her pain -

That took over her Body and her mind Like never before In our lives -

I would have sincerely Given 20 years of my life To have her merely Be here tomorrow -

I cannot explain The way I feel today Or how much I pain Is inside of me -

That will never go away No matter how much time passes I know this ache will stay With me forever

Just as her special touch Will always be with me And mean so very much - To me and my son

Jakob Thomas Her “BabyDoll” And I promise To never forget -

What she would have done If she was still here For him - her only one Great-grandchild

Resource Box - © Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of BellaOnline Quotations Zine - A free newsletter for quote lovers featuring more than 10,000 quotations in dozens of categories like - love, friendship, children, inspiration, success, wisdom, family, life, and many more. Read it online at - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8364.asp

Not being a very patient person, I wanted to find a way...]]>

I don’t know why, but I find the idea of interpreting nature musically to be very appealing. Maybe it’s because I’m attracted to nature’s beauty, but the notion of communicating that beauty musically has always intrigued me.

Not being a very patient person, I wanted to find a way to capture a musical idea very quickly and sketch out an entire piece all at once. Visual artists do something called a thumbnail sketch and I wanted to do the same thing for music.

It then occured to me that if I just sketch out the first 8-bars of the piece, and write in the first 2-bars of melody, I could capture an idea that would be remembered weeks or even years later. It’s amazing but this actually works! The secret is the melody.

If you can’t read music and want to do this just do what I do. I write down the note values (quarter notes, half notes., etc.) and write the letter name of the note beside the note value. One of the most important things I’ve discovered over the years is that the note value (it’s time length) is what really captures the idea. Just think of Beethoven’s fifth symphony for a good example. Da Da Da Duh… These notes mark the whole composition.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

1. I sit down at the piano without any thought of creating something and tune in to my feelings.

2. I start to play ...]]>

A number of people have asked about my own methodology for creating a complete piece of music at the piano. At the risk of oversimplification, the steps are as follows:

1. I sit down at the piano without any thought of creating something and tune in to my feelings.

2. I start to play the first thing that comes to mind. In other words, my fingers come before my brain. I let it all hang out and see where the music wants to go. If something resonates or has energy I stay with it until the energy dissipates. If the music does not seem to want to go anywhere I get up and leave.

3. Now, (assuming that I am on to something) I draw bar lines - enough for an 8-measure phrase. I then write down the chord changes on top - hopefully for the entire 8 bars. If the entire 8-bars don’t come, I try for four - but I usually succeed in filling up this 8-bar space. I’ll then pencil in the melody, but only the first 2-bars.

This way, I let the rest of the melody come of its own accord. The first 2-bars is enough to allow me to improvise the rest until it gels into its final form

4. After the first 8-bar section is complete (or incomplete, it doesn’t matter) I’ll write down another 8 or 4-bar phrase and listen for the next section of music - if there is a next section. If something comes I follow the same procedure as above.

What I usually try for in this section is contrast. Something different. In this regard, I do usually start out with a preconceived idea of what the final form of the music will be. It will be A-B-A form 90% of the time. Knowing this allows me to use the techniques of composition (repetition and contrast) better.

Although this seems to contradict the idea of letting the music tell you where it wants to go (improvisation) it is useful in composition to give shape to the music. I explain this in more detail in my online class.

5. Now, I have the rudimentary parts of the entire piece. If I only have the A section and the B section does not want to come, I leave it and come back to it. Sometimes it never comes and that’s all right too. I can then combine different sections to different pieces of music and all works out. I give it a title (nature titles for me since that is my inspiration).

6. The piece is finished only after I play it a number of times and it has a chance to gel. I can’t think of a better word for this process. After you play what you have written down a number of times, the music settles into what it will finally become. You just know when the piece is finished. It is an intuitive thing. Sometimes I’ll repeat sections a number of times because the inspiration is fresh and because it feels right. Other pieces are very short because more repetition of a section just does not work.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

1. Hero's strength of character; nature [John Dunbar pulls his boot...]]>

Dances with Wolves is another successful story that follows the Hero’s Journey template almost by the book. Mirroring the Hero’s Journey template allows the screenwriter to write effective screenplays and stories.

1. Hero’s strength of character; nature [John Dunbar pulls his boots over his soon to be amputated leg].

2. Introduce a Supernatural Aid / Mentor [the General on the hill top].

3. Hero commits an extraordinary act [suicide sequence; John’s fellow soldier initiates the Call to Adventure] the soldier’s reactions provide the Refusal].

4. Mentor recognizes the Hero as such and offers magical gifts (John Dunbar’s desire to see the frontier before it’s gone; Cisco the faithful horse and promotion].

5. Hero begins his journey [trip to Fort Hayes with Cisco].

6. Meeting the Threshold Guardian [the officer who commits suicide]. Warnings of danger [can drive you insane - like the officer].

7. Journey to the First Threshold with the (dangerous) Joker.

8. Danger of the journey developed; references to an antagonism [John finds skeletons along the way; killed by Indian arrows].

9. Character and natures of the Hero and Joker developed [camping sequence].

10. The magical nature of the First Threshold (this New World we are entering) illustrated [we see the majesty of the prairies].

11. Foreshadow of the adventure [”Indians are nothing but thieves and beggars”].

12. Hero arrives at the First Threshold. It is foreboding, dangerous and unwelcoming. But the Hero sees value there. There is resistance to entering [the Joker won’t stay; John Dunbar has to pull a gun on him].

13. There is no way back [the Joker departs].

14. The Hero feels strangely comfortable with the decision he has made.

15. Hero is wary of danger in the First Threshold [John is edgy - he pulls a gun on Cisco].

16. Danger illustrated [John finds a dead dear].

17. Hero overcomes initial doubts and fears [gives the dead deer a funeral; he literarily burns them].

18. Hero aware of an antagonism [John Dunbar realizes that the smoke may attract the Indians].

19. We are introduced to an Antagonism [the Pawnee].

20. The danger of the Antagonism illustrated [the Pawnee kill the Joker].

21. Hero enters deeper into the First Threshold and meets an ally [John begins to get comfortable and meets Two Socks].

22. Hero in the Belly of the First Threshold and becomes familiar with his ally [John completely at home and the relationships with Two Socks is developed].

23. Hero meets a new Mentor. The hero does not recognize the Mentor but the Mentor is aware of him on some level [Kicking Bird runs away - he knows white people inhabit this place and are coming in increasing numbers].

The 106 stage Hero’s Journey and complete analysis of Dances with Wolves and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://www.managing-creativity.com

The people of India and Persia (Iraq) were among the earliest to collect pearls, because of the rich fisheries of Ceylon and the Per...]]>

Since pearls are so rare and possess such a high degree of natural beauty, they have been considered to be among the most splendid of gems for many centuries.

The people of India and Persia (Iraq) were among the earliest to collect pearls, because of the rich fisheries of Ceylon and the Persian Gulf, the Indian and Persian princes in the last century, acquired huge collections of pearls that have never been equaled, these collections would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars today.

Pearls A Natural Wonder

Natural or real pearls are made by oysters and other mollusks. Cultured pearls also are grown by mollusks, but with human intervention; that is, an irritant introduced into the shells causes a pearl to grow. Imitation pearls are man-made with glass, plastic, or organic materials.

Because natural pearls are very rare, most pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or imitation pearls. Cultured pearls, because they are made by oysters or mollusks, usually are more expensive than imitation pears. A cultured pearl’s value is largely based on its size, usually stated in millimeters, and the quality of its nacre coating, which give it luster. Jewelers should tell your if the pearls are cultured or imitation. Some black, bronze, gold, purple, blue and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, occur that way in nature; some, however, are dyed through various processes. Jewelers should tell you whether the colored pearls are naturally colored, dyed or irradiated.

Clams, oysters, mussels and many other mollusks with limy shells are known to produce pearls. But very few kinds yield gem pearls of jeweler’s quality. The pearl is an abnormal growth of mother-of-pearl, or nacre, imbedded in the soft bodies of these shellfish. It is built up, layer upon layer, in the same way as nacre is added to the lining of the growing shell and always has the same color and luster. For example, over the country, hundreds of good-sized pearls are found each year in the oysters we eat. Unfortunately these have no commercial value regardless of whether they have been cooked or not because they are dull opaque white or purple like the shell of the parent oyster. In recent times almost all pearls of gem quality come from the oriental pearl oyster which has a bright shimmering translucent nacre.

A pearl starts growing when some irritating foreign substance such as a sand grain, bit of mud, parasite or other object becomes lodged in the shell-producing gland called the mantle. Pearls formed in the soft flesh where nacre can be added on all sides are most likely to be spherical and the most highly prized. By far the great majority are flattened or variously distorted and have little value. Size, color, luster and freedom from flaws are other essential qualities. Unlike other gems, such as diamonds, pearls have an average life of only about 50 years. In time the small amount of water in a pearl’s make-up is lost and its surface cracks. Because they are mostly lime, necklaces which are worn often are injured by the acid secretions of the human skin.

Though, the pearl is not technically a stone at all, it’s beauty has earned it a place in the Big 5 of precious stones. Jewelry artists have long appreciated the pearl and continue to utilize its charm in their creations

Buying pearl jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you’re considering a gift of pearl jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry.

Pearl jewelry: pearl rings, pearl earrings, pearl necklace, pearl pendants and pearl bracelets are some of the most sought after jewelry creations. Your eyes tell you how beautiful a piece of pearl jewelry is, but how do you know you are getting your money’s worth?

A little knowledge can go a long way to help you purchase a beautiful piece of pearl jewelry at a fair price.

When shopping for pearl jewelry online, apply these tips.

1. Shop with companies you know or do some homework before buying to make sure a company is legitimate before doing business with it.

2. Take advantage of information and referrals from an Internet company you have come to trust.

3. Get the details about the product, as well as the merchant’s refund and return policies, before you buy.

4. Look for an address to write to or a phone number to call if you have a question, a problem or need help.

The pearl is the birthstone for the month of June.

Sam Serio is an Internet Marketer, musician and a writer on the subject of jewelry and gemstones. For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of “How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off.” This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at http://www.morninglightjewelry.com

The undertakers came forth
And summoned pallbearers' four.
They marched beside the coffin
Carrying it steady toward the door.

I didn't cry or...]]>

The funeral rite concluded
With the pastor shaking hands,
Offering words of comfort
I didn’t quite understand.

The undertakers came forth
And summoned pallbearers’ four.
They marched beside the coffin
Carrying it steady toward the door.

I didn’t cry or whimper
As I followed right behind.
But deep within I screamed
Don’t leave O Mother of mine.

Please don’t go to the grave;
Let’s chat just one more time.
Let’s talk about the ‘good old days’
Don’t leave, O Mother of mine.”

But onward moved the casket
Down the stairs to the limousine;
With Mother laying incognizant
Of my agonizing scream.

As we rode toward the ossuary
Thoughts were swimming in my head;
Why didn’t the whole world stop?
Didn’t it know my Mother was dead?

But the world kept ’bout its business
And within I felt so sad,
‘Cause my Mother didn’t get the honor
I thought she should have had.

As we drove into the cemetery
I knew it wouldn’t be long,
Before I had to sing at last
My final farewell song.

I stood at the gravesite
Grief festering in my breast:
Scriptures read, prayers prayed,
Mother committed to eternal rest.

Looking out the car’s rear window
As we mutely drove away;
I saw a heavenly angel fly
To where my Mother lay.

Then I knew that all was well,
That Mother was just fine.
That I would live and grow and serve
Until, alas, my time.

Thank you Lord for reassuring me
That the grave is not the end.
That Mother is patiently waiting for me
Just around life’s toilsome bend.

But now there’s work I must perform
That no one else can do;
Some hurting, aching souls to soothe,
Broken dreams to help renew.

And in the process of reaching out
To brighten someone’s day;
I sense way deep within myself,
That I too will be okay.

Saundra L. Washington is the author of two coffee table books: “Negative Disturbances, Homilies that Teach,” and the book from which this poem is taken, “Room Beneath the Snow, Poems that Preach.” Looking out the Rear Window was written shortly following her mother’s death. She can be contacted at: http://www.clergyservices4u.org

The strength

Rain II Second Hour

His solar-plexus were sore, there was no cure for its comfort, he knew that, and the ongoing, oncoming chills, chills that reached into the marrow of his bones changed the pigment of his skin, it was the charging cold rains doing, its continue...]]>

8

The strength

Rain II
Second Hour

His solar-plexus were sore, there was no cure for its comfort, he knew that, and the ongoing, oncoming chills, chills that reached into the marrow of his bones changed the pigment of his skin, it was the charging cold rains doing, its continued tedious haggling dominance; thus, bleaching his skin a pale white, an egg-white, blotches of egg and pale white stains. He remained, still remained, at a halt for a moment: thinking (not of his pigmented skin, or his marrow in is bones feeling like fruit jam), just thinking (perhaps of the old dead): the old Landlord had worked hard all his life (G

Many people of the present make some very grave and disturbing assumptions about prior unethical behaviour by humans. My theories may be biased and overly appreciative of a time before Empire and there is less data due to the destructive power of Empir...]]>

Family Values in Ancient Times:

Many people of the present make some very grave and disturbing assumptions about prior unethical behaviour by humans. My theories may be biased and overly appreciative of a time before Empire and there is less data due to the destructive power of Empire and the hegemony to go on. However, that data is more pure and less likely to have been promoted or propagandized for the interests of power-mongers. Top scholars and those who are regarded as great academics still debate whether women ever had equal rights and some state there never were matriarchal societies of great note. It would be a surprise for me if there were not many different approaches used in various cultures and millennia before the Ice Age we just experienced and thereafter, leading up to what we call history. Much of history today has all the markings of hegemony akin to the Middle Ages according to John Ralston Saul who says it “has come to resemble the obscure and controlling scholasticism of the Middle Ages.” (1)

Could it be that ethics and moral behaviour had higher importance in the communal houses of the Kelts and North American Indians, as well as other societies throughout this awesome world? We now know it has been traversed by ancient humans who loved and played all over the place for a far longer period than we have been lead to believe even though many may not be aware of these facts. Is it possible that basic principles were easily communicated and respect was the goal of people long ago? Why even debate the point about power and money - they had little need of it. Western society still has much of the ingrained misogyny of millennia of macho Mediterranean mores and the rest of the world is far worse. What greater issue is there than incest and family violence? It rots the fabric of families and society as a whole. This quote from respected anthropologist Carlton Coon about the ‘hunting societies’ of prehistory sets a stage we need to appreciate and evaluate.

“While under certain circumstances, in some societies, a young man may marry a woman past menopause, he may manage to have sexual relations with other women, and may eventually get a nubile second wife.” (2)

This seems a workable arrangement that includes education and the planning of families to avoid unnecessary abortion or mouths who aren’t truly cared for, doesn’t it? The older woman presumably would be able to satisfy the early sexual energy of the young man, without leading their social or tribal culture into all the problems associated with children having children such as often happens today. The young man might even develop some sexual techniques and understand his urges better than pure lustful infatuation or the need to run off to fight in order to get rape and pillage payment for some Lord or Caesar. Then when financially and emotionally prepared for parenting he might actually do a decent job. Coon was able to observe this still exists in some Neolithic societies of the present day. When the second wife arrived it might present some problems but in most cases the first wife would probably enjoy helping the new wife to understand her opportunities better. Yes, I do overstate the case, I suppose, but in the Keltic clandoms it was even better than I am suggesting.

Kids were a resource and source of pride for the whole clan. In the dynamic of raising a child this allowed for many things to occur in a more mature environment with less emotional blackmail. That does not lessen the aspirations parents have for their children but it makes for a lot less vicarious pressure, as parents have to spend all their waking hours attending to the needs of kids; who see a way to get what they want by playing to the unrealistic parents who have yet to learn what they need to know. There are aspects of North American Indians tribes that show a similar approach to child-raising. The Stadacona Indians sent some of their children with Cartier, much as the Kelts shared educational opportunities with trading partners. Aunts and uncles do the disciplining of children among the Cree. The extended family and communal living is very clannish and even Gibbon noted there were heraldic Indian regalia that mirrored those of British heraldry.

The Hurons and Iroquois are most like the Irish or Norse Kelts in their social structure. Crimes committed by a member of a family or clan (tribe) are paid for by the whole family. With this kind of policing or morals bureaucracy would starve for want of something to do. The compassion and behaviour modification of a family is better than that of the police or prisons, I think. The women of the Iroquois were the decision makers in most cases except the daily running of a war once it was approved. These women owned the assets or leaseholds. No one owned land just as was true in the land use laws of the Kelts which the English had to expunge along with all other just and fair culture when they finally forced Ireland under their rule. The Indians still practice Potlatch or the giving of respect and assets despite the 1920s law against it in Canada. We can all imagine the Tax collectors don’t like this kind of custom. It was much more than mere taxes the government sought and the Supreme Court has ruled the government and Catholic Church were intent on the total destruction of Indian beliefs, in recent rulings.

“In any event, the incest tabus recognized in any given hunting society bear some relationship to his choice (or to his and/or her parents’ choice) of a marital partner. Of these prohibitions there are three basic and quite different incest tabus, prohibiting intercourse between father and daughter, mother and son, and brother and sister. These prohibitions are not based on instinct or the inductive experience of the genetic consequences that sometimes result {Like the idiots and haemophiliacs or sexual deviates who lead us as a result of ‘noble’ heritage - to war and other great heroic endeavours.}. Some individuals violate them, but if so the violations do not result in marriage.

To a considerable extent these primary incest tabus are based on two kinds of antisocial results. Parent-child intercourse would disrupt the lines of authority between generations, lines that hold the family together. Brother-sister intercourse during adolescence would inhibit intermarriage between families, reducing their interdependence. Were a married woman to have intercourse with her brother, it would create a state of serious conflict between her husband and his brother-in-law, two kinsmen by marriage who, in certain cultures, might need each other’s confidence and help.” (3)

The ‘controlling scholasticism of the Middle Ages’ referred to by Ralston Saul was part of the continuing effort to destroy these real family values. The marriage laws of the Kelts had to be eliminated because these laws were equitable and fair to women and children. Bastards were not ever possible in Keltic society and the idea of a single mother was totally different than it is today. Of course, the payment of mercenaries including the rape and pillage which enabled men to gradually lose all decent tabus or constructs based on the ancient means of care for each other that were part of all the systems Brotherhood developed, through common sense. The elevation of Gods from the state of hero (mere human) to Divine Rights and separate from Nature, is at the root of a lot of it. Heyerdahl thinks Odin was a Keltic king in southern Russia around the time of Christ and I find that entirely likely. When man began to say other men were unable to comprehend nature and needed an interpreter for the collective soul of humanity and all life, things began the downward drift to the hegemony that often even denies man has a soul.

The extent of character assassination by academics that do not delve into the reasons for Caesar’s propaganda or quote others who did not employ due diligence is as evident today as it ever was. The people who focus on Keltic sacrifices and trophy head customs are telling a fact but not the whole truth. What is abortion and capital punishment if not sacrificing the life of people, perhaps for a common good? Victorian prudishness developed the ’sins and demons’ fear-mongering of Jehovian greed even further. In fact the Western Tradition has succeeded in the destruction of all Ancient Knowledge if you were to believe what is allowed to be disseminated through ‘official’ or educational channels. The Temples of Saphos and Mesopotamia joined all Mediterranean cultures in some form of forced prostitution for women, while the Biblical ‘Devoted Ones’ were sacrificed when the priest or his cronies were through with other obvious and disgusting uses of them. Often the orphans and waifs caused by the changing laws and racial unrest and prejudice fomented in these times, led souls to a place worse than the Hell ruled by the Catholic created Satan. The excellent book called The Golden Bough by Sir James Frazer gives ample evidence from credible sources about burning Red Heads and women of all classes being forced to sell their bodies and give the money to the Temple. It may have started with Abraham (and other Ur-Story proponents with their harems) and his baby-factories but it was certainly not the way of ancient Kelts even after his time. The Indians of North America and the natives of Hawaii are ample testimony of the diversity of Keltic egalitarian approaches.

Author of Diverse Druids, Columnist for The ES Press Magazine, Guest writer at World-Mysteries.com