Jennifer's Alternative Religions Blog November 2007 Archive

The Julbock of Bishop Hill
The town of Bishop Hill, Illinois, celebrates Christmas the really old-fashioned way, with a seven-foot tall, prank playing goat known as the Julbock, or "Yule goat," an ... Read More

Friday November 30, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Abdul Báha
Members of the Baha'i Faith are observing a holy day today, the ascension of Abdul Báha, commemorating the death of the son of Bahá'u'lláh. in 1921. Technically, ... Read More

Wednesday November 28, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

First Official "Holiday Pentacle?" (Nope)
This one's a great story, and even better, it's happening in my tiny* hometown of Olean, New York. Now, I haven't actually been in Olean for something like twenty ... Read More

Wednesday November 28, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

The Customs of Christmas: The Origin of Holiday Symbols
The Christmas Tree, Decking the Halls The so-called Christmas Tree is one of the most purely pagan of the modern holiday observances. Modern whitewash attributes the custom of lighted Christmas trees ... Read More

Wednesday November 28, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Chewing, Crunching, Slurping
That and some oh-so intolerable paganism and idolatry are among the reasons the "CAP Movie Ministry" gives the new Beowulf movie a score of seven out of a possible 100, ... Read More

Tuesday November 27, 2007 | permalink | comments (3)

Best Satanic Panic Story Ever
We've all seen a multitude of variations on the "brainwashed by Satanists" confessional, but this has to be the granddaddy of them all. Just before Thanksgiving, the mayor of ... Read More

Monday November 26, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

Questions and answers about Satanism
The public perception of Satanism is usually negative, with the image of Satanists as either dysfunctional teenagers or sociopaths who sacrifice animals and commit crimes to rack up points with ... Read More

Wednesday November 21, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

Boehme & Regardie
Today is the anniversary of the death of the "teutonic theologer," Jakob Boehme, and the birthday of occultist and Golden Dawn revivalist Israel Regardie.Related: Regardie on reincarnation, Boehme's Supersensual Life ... Read More

Saturday November 17, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Guru Nanak Jayanti
Today is one of the most important holy days in the Sikhism, the birthday (jayanti) of Guru Nanak, the founder of the faith. Celbration begins three days before ... Read More

Thursday November 15, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

Annunaki
In Assyrian mythology, the Annunaki (Anunu) are the firstborn (elder) gods, who lived in the abode of Anu, the sky-god. Later, they became the gods of the earth, and taught ... Read More

Thursday November 15, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

Bahá'u'lláh
"I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all ... Read More

Monday November 12, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Paracelsus
Today is the birthday of Paracelsus (aka Dr. Theophrastus Philippus Aureolus Bombastus von Hohenheim), mystic, alchemist, philosopher, and medical pioneer.

Saturday November 10, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Friday Links: A Real Da Vinci Code
After a few months' lull, there is a seeming flood of news and curiosities relating to Leonardo Da Vinci and other themes popularized in the Da Vinci Code. A supposedly "misplaced" ... Read More

Friday November 9, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Witch Hunts, Old and New
In the West, things are decidedly tame when it comes to Satanic Panic. Churchy folks hold meetings and offer to pray when the witches come to town, and witches ... Read More

Wednesday November 7, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

The Goat of Mendes
The so-called "Mendes Pentacle" or Sabbatic Goat emblem was devised in the nineteen fifties and falsely attributed to the nineteenth century occultist Elipas Levi. This symbol is commonly confused with ... Read More

Wednesday November 7, 2007 | permalink | comments (3)

Dancing Shiva (Natraja)
A popular image of the Hindu deity Shiva. The dance of Shiva is symbolic of the dynamic forces of creation and destruction, and the harmonious balance of opposites. Most images of ... Read More

Sunday November 4, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Friday Links: An End in Sight?
We briefly mentioned the new evidence being presented in the "West Memphis Three" case in Federal Court this week, but there is even more unbelievable news. John Mark ... Read More

Friday November 2, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

Burn the Witch?
This is an odd story- the Massachusets family whose witch-hanging Halloween decor infuriated local Wiccans awoke the morning after Halloween to discover someone had torched her. I'll refrain from ... Read More

Friday November 2, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji
The founder of the Sikh religion, Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji, known popularly as Guru Nanak, was born in 1469 to an accountant in the Punjab region of India. Nanak was ... Read More

Thursday November 1, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Black Cats
Connecticut's East Haven Advertiser has a surprisingly interesting look at black cat lore: The black cat: Mystery, myth and symbolism.

Thursday November 1, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)