Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Necromancy : The magic of communicating with the souls of the dead

Necromancy is the magic of communicating with the souls of the dead for the purpose of obtaining useful information. The word literally means corpse (nekros) divination (manteia).
It is one of the most ancient forms of magic. A large part of primitive shamanism, from which all forms of magic derive, was about communicating with the spirits of dead ancestors. We see this in modern Voodoo, which is essentially a religion of ancestor worship that has evolved a pantheon of gods and goddesses who fulfill the roles of great ancestors to all the people.
What sets necromancy apart from ancestor worship is its attitude toward the dead. The necromancer communicates with any easily-accessed soul that may possess the information he or she needs, and the willingness of the departed is of no consequence. Necromancers compel the souls of the dead to reveal their secrets against their wishes.
Traditional necromancy relied upon the relics of the corpse as a bridge to establish communication with the shade of the dead person. It involved the use of such things as grave mold, the bones, skin, hair and fingernails of corpses, and body parts such as hands, teeth and eyeballs. The skull was considered to be especially useful, since it housed the organs of the higher senses of sight and hearing, the senses through which the dead person acquired secrets.
A departed soul might be expected to know important matters in two areas: what he had seen or done during life, and what he had seen or done after death. Often necromancers called up a shade to discover the hiding place of treasure which the person during life was rumored to have possessed. The dead were thought to have special access to occult knowledge, and sometimes they were called back from beyond the grave to teach the necromancer techniques of magic not available by any other means, techniques acquired in the afterlife.
It was believed that the shades of the dead were attracted to freshly-spilled blood, because blood was one of the primary repositories of vital energy in the body. Since the dead lacked bodies of flesh, the thinking went, they must lack vitality and therefore be weak. Hence their pale appearance when they were seen as ghosts. If fresh blood was spilled while still warm on the ground, or better still into a pit, or even better still into the opening of the grave, its energy would attract shades, who would then seek to nourish themselves upon on.
The reason it was better to spill blood into a pit is that in ancient times in Greek and Rome where necromancy was extensively practiced, the underworld was popularly considered to lie beneath the ground. Spilling blood into a pit brought it nearer to the shades of the dead and drew them upward. It was sometimes spilled into the grave of a specific individual to attract that soul, on the theory that the shades of the dead have an affinity with their own corpses.
Murderers and other criminals executed for their crimes were prime targets of necromancers, both because there was seldom a loving family to tend and guard their remains, and because anyone executed as a criminal was thought to have a restless spirit that walked the earth, and therefore was more accessible.
The common image of a necromancer shows him or her confronting the actual risen corpse that has been animated and made to stand and walk through magic. This is, of course, mere fantasy, but at its root lies the true practices of necromancy. The corpse was not actually made to move and speak. It was merely used as the focus for the spirit attracted by the spilled blood and evocations of the necromancer. It was necessary for the necromancer to possess mediumistic abilities to hear psychically the words of the spirit, or to gain the information of the spirit through other forms of communications. Oftentimes the shade of the dead, called up by the necromancer, merely pointed in the direction where his treasure lay buried, or silently led the necromancer to the spot.
In my opinion, it is not possible to call forth through necromancy the actual souls of those who have died. However, it is possible to summon spirits who represent themselves as those departed human beings to the necromancer, and these spirits may indeed possess valuable occult knowledge, or know of things that are hidden.
There are two necessary aspects to necromancy. The calling of the shade, and the compelling of the shade. In ancient times these were combined. For example, Odysseus, the hero of Homer's Odyssey, called back shades from the underworld by spilling the blood of sacrificed beasts into a trench in the ground, then compelled the shades to speak by preventing them with his drawn sword from drinking the vital essence of the blood. Spirits are vulnerable to cold steel.
You may say that the Odyssey is only a fable. True, but in the age of Homer there were many necromancers in Greece. Homer was an intelligent and well-informed man. His description of necromancy is very probably based on the actual practices of Greek necromancers.
A shades can also be summoned by establishing a magic link with it using a relic from its corpse, and then inflicting pain upon the shade through the relic until the shade complies with the demand of the necromancer. For this reason, the shade is often very unhappy with the necromancer, who usually works inside the protective boundary of a magic circle so that the shade cannot attack him. You can see such a magic circle in the illustration at the top of this page, which shows the Elizabethan alchemist Edward Kelley, and his friend Paul Waring, together inside a magic circle confronting a corpse in its grave shroud, which they have evoked by magic. This is a depiction of an actual event - Kelley was a necromancer in addition to his alchemical pursuits.
Given the nature of necromancy, it is not to be wondered that necromancers were shunned by the general population, and were forced to live by themselves, often in the near vicinity of graveyards, where they procured the materials for plying their trade. They were only sought out by those who desperately needed information that could not be obtained in normal ways, and were handsomely paid for their services.
Not only graveyards, but gibbets and battlefields were popular haunts for necromancers. A gibbet is a structure like a gallows from which the bodies of executed criminals were hung until they rotted, were pulled apart by crows and ravens, and fell to the ground. Beneath a gibbet, which was usually on a road removed at some distance from the town since rotting corpses stink, the necromancer might expect to harvest many useful bones. If he or she was more bold, parts of the corpse such as the hands would be cut off with flesh, fat and skin still attached. All these materials are useful in necromancy.
Battlefields were popular with necromancers because the ground was literally saturated with blood. In previous centuries wars were fought with swords. Sometimes soldiers struggled ankle deep in blood. Since this was the place of their deaths, the restless shades of slain soldiers were believed to haunt any field where a battle had been fought. This made a battlefield, particularly a recent battlefield where the blood was still fresh, an even better place to work necromancy than a graveyard.
Necromancy was not solely man's work. There were female necromancers in ancient Greece and Rome, who are usually referred to, under the much abused umbrella term, as witches. The term witch has been far too broadly applied in English texts to anyone who worked, or was believed to work, evil by magic. Necromancy was a very specific type of magic, as I have indicated, and was not necessarily always worked for evil purposes.
Because traditional necromancy used blood and corpses, and was worked in places where people had died, been executed or lay buried, it was universally abhorred and condemned. If for no other reason, it should be outlawed because it desecrates the remains of the departed and causes grief to the families of the disinterred or otherwise disturbed bodies. It is one of the darker and more sinister branches of Western magic, best left sleeping in the past beside the shades of the dead.
 
Source : http://www.donaldtyson.com

THE SEANCE - Communicating with the Spirits

The séance grips the imagination, lays hold of emotions, causes blood to tingle and hair to rise... all these combine to play upon our sensibilities creating an effect which no utterance of prophecy, no reading of minds, stars, crystal balls or tea leaves, can produce : Mr. Splitfoot (1971)

The séance was the most effective way, according to Spiritualist mediums, of communicating with the dead. In this manner, messages from the departed could be passed on to the living and the spirits could announce their presence by manifesting displays of the supernatural.

Séances were usually held in the home of the medium or that of one of the sitters. To begin, the lights were normally turned down very low or extinguished altogether. The reason for this, Spiritualists believed, was that spirit forms were more easily seen in the darkness. Often they manifested as luminous apparitions or would cause things to move about in ways that would only be done if it could remain unseen. Debunkers and skeptics, of course, offered other reasons for this -- that darkened conditions would hide the deceptive practice of fraud.
The sitters were normally divided equally by gender and those who were skeptical were generally excluded. A circular arrangement of chairs worked best, normally around a large table. Their hands were placed flat on the table, sometimes clasped together or merely with their fingers touching.

There were a number of unwritten rules for séances as well. Usually, no more than two or three séances were held in a week and they were to last for no more than two hours unless the spirits asked for an extension. Sitters were not allowed to touch the mediums or any of the manifested spirits, unless the spirits touched them first. It was believed that to come into contact with the medium, one of the manifested forms or the ectoplasm that might be generated by the medium during her trance, could severely injure the medium or perhaps the sitter. In addition, a sudden return to consciousness caused by interfering with the medium could cause illness, insanity or even death.
Another vital ingredient for a successful séance was appropriate music. Most sittings opened with hymns or prayers and on many reported occasions, the spirits chimed in with ghostly music and the creation of melodies though instruments like trumpets, horns and tambourines.
The furnishings of the séance room were normally simple and made of wood. Small tables were often needed for tilting and tapping by the spirits and sitters were normally provided with basic wooden chairs. Many physical mediums also made use of what were called spirit cabinets, an enclosure where the medium could be segregated while entering the trance state. Many of the cabinets were actual wood enclosures, although it was more common for a corner of the room to be hung with a curtain and closed off from view.
The furnishings of the séance room were normally simple and made of wood. Small tables were often needed for tilting and tapping by the spirits and sitters were normally provided with basic wooden chairs. Many physical mediums also made use of what were called spirit cabinets, an enclosure where the medium could be segregated while entering the trance state. Many of the cabinets were actual wood enclosures, although it was more common for a corner of the room to be hung with a curtain and closed off from view.
The phenomena reported at the séances varied greatly. Sitters often recognized the "arrival" of the spirits by a rush of cold air in the room, followed by rapping and tapping, knocking and perhaps strange lights, sounds and voices. The phenomena would often intensify as the evening progressed. Simple noises and lights were often followed by elaborate messages from the beyond, usually coming directly through the medium. The spirits would make themselves known by the manifestation of ectoplasm, by levitating tables or writing on "spirit slates", which were ordinary chalkboards upon which unexplained writing would appear.

In the most dramatic cases, some mediums, who claimed to be adept at act spirit summoning, were able to cause ghosts to appear in the midst of the sitters. In some of the most famous cases, like that of medium Florence Cook, spirits materialized who could touch, shake hands and even embrace the sitters.
During the heyday of Spiritualism, scientists and psychical researchers investigated hundreds of séances and unfortunately, the majority of the physical mediums were caught hoaxing phenomena at some point in their career. Very few of them came away unscathed by the early investigators of the Spiritualist movement and the few who did remain as mysterious now as they were then.
Source: http://www.prairieghosts.com/

Sunday, August 1, 2010

ASL Fingerspelling Practice

Practice reading American Sign Language (ASL) finger spelling. Watch the word spelled and fill in your answer. Adjust the speed to challenge yourself.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Does Your Blood Type Reveal Your Personality?

According to a Japanese institute that does research on blood types, there are certain personality traits that seem to match up with certain blood types. How do you rate ?

Blood Type O
You want to be a leader, and when you see something you want, you keep striving until you achieve your oal. You are a trend-setter, loyal, passionate, and self-confident. Your weaknesses include vanity and jealously and a tendency to be too competitive.


Blood Type A
You like harmony, peace and organization. You work well with others, and are sensitive, patient and affectionate.. Among your weaknesses are stubbornness and an inability to relax.


Blood Type B
You're a rugged individualist, who's str aightforwa rd and likes to do things your own way. Creative and flexible, you adapt easily to any situation. But your insistence on being independent can sometimes go too far and become a weakness.


Blood Type AB

Cool and controlled, you're generally well liked and always put people at ease. You're a natural entertainer who's tactful and fair. But you're standoffish, blunt, and have difficulty making decisions.


Here is some more information ...on how many people have the blood of your type in the whole world...

Blood type and Rh                                    How many people have it?

O +                                                            40 %

O -                                                               7 %

A +                                                            34 %

A -                                                               6 %

B +                                                              8 %

B -                                                               1 %

AB +                                                           3 %

AB -                                                        Very Rare


Do let me know your comments on the above information ...


 

Thursday, February 25, 2010

ICC Championship / IPL 2010 / Cricket Live Scores / Ball By Ball Instant Updates

This is the right place for ball by ball instant updates on the live cricket score card. Ball by Ball Commentary as the match progresses. You will find detailed scores and match fixtures for Cricket Live , Recent Cricket Match and Upcoming One Day International(ODI) or Test Cricket Matches.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Want to Know the future of Small Market Stocks on NSE and BSE Exchange

Small stocks market tips to make big money. Saste aur acche shares ki tip aap ko bus yaha hi milengi. Share Bazaar se paisa kamana aashan ho gaya,
isse aacha mauka phir kab milega. Here are some Intraday Small stock sure shot tips.The tips are updated on daily basis , make sure to visit again.


Sunday, February 21, 2010

The Holy Christian Bible : King James Version

The entire King James version bible covering all of the below verses at one place only :

GENESIS [1] to [50] , EXODUS [1] to [40] , LEVITICUS [1] to [27]
NUMBERS [1]to [36] , DEUTERONOMY [1]to [34] , JOSHUA [1]to [24]
JUDGES [1] to [21] , RUTH [1] to [4] , 1 SAMUEL [1] to [31]
2 SAMUEL [1] to [24] , 1 KINGS [1] to [22] , 2 KINGS [1] to [25]
1 CHRONICLES [1]to [29] , 2 CHRONICLES [1]to [36], EZRA [1] to [10]
NEHEMIAH [1]to [13] , ESTHER [1]to [10] , JOB [1] to [42]
PSALMS [1] to [150] , PROVERBS [1] to [31] ,
ECCLESIASTES [1] to [12] , SONG OF SOLOMON [1] to [8]
ISAIAH [1] to [66] , JEREMIAH [1] to [52] ,
LAMENTATIONS [1] to [5] , EZEKIEL [1] to [48] , DANIEL [1] to [12]
HOSEA [1] to [14] , JOEL [1] to [3] , AMOS [1] to [9]
OBADIAH [1] , JONAH [1] to [4] , MICAH [1] to [7]
NAHUM [1] to [3] , HABAKKUK [1] to [3] , ZEPHANIAH [1] to [3]
HAGGAI [1] to [2] , ZECHARIAH [1] to [14] , MALACHI [1] to [4]
MATTHEW [1] to [28] , MARK [1] to [16] , LUKE [1] to [24]
JOHN [1] to [21] , ACTS [1] to [28] , ROMANS [1] to [16]
1 CORINTHIANS [1] to [16], 2 CORINTHIANS [1] to [13]
GALATIANS [1] to [6] , EPHESIANS [1] to [6] , PHILIPPIANS [1] to [4]
COLOSSIANS [1] to [4] , 1 TIMOTHY [1] to [6] , 2 TIMOTHY [1] to [4] TITUS [1] to [3] , PHILEMON [1] , HEBREWS [1] to [13] JAMES [1] to [5] , 1 PETER [1] to [5] , 2 PETER [1] to [3]
1 JOHN [1] to [5] , 2 JOHN [1] , 3 JOHN [1]
JUDE [1] , REVELATION [1] to [22]
1 THESSALONIANS [1] to [5]
2 THESSALONIANS [1] to [3]

JESUS FOR ALL, GOD BLESS