Aetherous

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Posts posted by Aetherous

  2. Posted

    1 hour ago, Owledge said:

    @Aetherous When looking at those cards, they are both extremes, suggesting a middle between both might be the most ... healthy? ... Easy? ... Nourishing?

    The hermit would be someone who has been around too many fools for too long and thus couldn't move towards them in acceptance.

    Balance brings health. If balance is not found, one cannot just look at the individual. Those who do might be ... fools ... for neglecting the impact of the external world, practicing a self-serving lack of empathy. After all, the external world can have a powerful impact. It is part of the illusions we create. Empathy opens the heart towards acknowledging the validity of shadows. To cure them, but many people are quite comfortable serving them. And that ... folly ... needs to be detected, lest the hermit becomes an eternal fool wasting energy on those who will laugh about it.

     

    Oh yes, definitely. I don't want to stand on top of a mountain all day and night, holding a lantern.

  3. Posted

    There's going to be a book coming out very soon by Thomas Avery Garran, called, "Chinese Herb Cultivation: Daodi Practices for Growing and Processing Chinese Herbs" (Passiflora Press, 2019). It's supposed to be the most accurate/comprehensive on this subject.

    "Daodi" is what the methodology is called for growing Chinese herbs correctly. You could do a google search and find more info on it.

     

    There's an identification book, which helps one know whether an herb is a fake or the legitimate one. It has less to do with growing, but could sometimes be important for determining whether the plants you're growing are the right ones and not look-alikes. https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Medicinal-Plants-Herbal-Substitutes-dp-184246387X/dp/184246387X/

     

    High Falls is involved in attempting to grow Chinese herbs in the US (if that's where you're located). I haven't looked into them much, but apparently they have lots of info, and very knowledgeable people are involved with them.

     

    Mountain Gardens grows Chinese herbs, or variations and different species similar to them, although they're less accurate in terms of daodi cultivation. They have a workshop coming up with the author of the book that's coming out, which I first mentioned.

     

    https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Medicinal-Herb-Farm-Cultivators/dp/1603583300/ This book is considered to be pretty basic.

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  4. Posted

    Socrates said something along the lines of wisdom being knowing that you don't know many things.

     

    So I think it follows that as we become more and more wise, we can end up feeling more and more foolish about ourselves.

     

    Regarding others - the more foolish, the more dangerous they can be. So, it's wise to know who they are and not be destroyed by them.

     

    Some quick insights into a fool versus a wise person, in light of the tarot, for fun...not all there is to be said about it, and it may contradict some other interpretations of it...

    The fool turns away from the light. His head is high, assured of what he thinks is his wisdom (which is in fact just cleverness and stupidity), unaware of the truth. He isn't careful to support himself with his staff, so his footing on the ground of reality is unstable due to his own lack of precaution. His focus is on the external appearances of things, rather than the true reality of things, given his clothing. The dangerous nature of his foolishness is represented by the fact that he's about to walk off of the cliff. Not only is he about to become dangerous to himself, but the most loyal "man's best friend", who looks up to him, is about to go off the cliff as well - showing what happens to someone that's a good friend to others, who underestimates the dangerous nature of the fool. The white rose has a fragrance, which the fool has just smelled, representing "the finer things in life"...the fool thinks it's better to appease themselves with delights, than to truly be wise which is often the opposite of delightful.

     

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    The hermit, or wise person, holds fast to the light. They have become aware of the darkness in the world, so in a sense, life isn't as bright and cheerful as it once when they were an ignorant fool. They have an aged appearance compared to the youthful fool, which means they've lived through things and learned. Their clothing isn't indicative of being focused on false appearances. With their staff, they support their footing in life, and instead of being about to walk off of a cliff, they have mastered the earth (become aware of reality) and stand safely upon the ground...which might even be the peak of a mountain, further indicating their mastery of reality, through being aware of truth. His head is low, knowing the cold and dark truth, as well as recognizing his own inadequacies fully, as opposed to being overconfident...in addition, the head bowed in prayer represents the inner light of wisdom and compassion, which he shines out into the world.

     

    hermit?format=500w

     

    • Like 5

  5. Posted

    34 minutes ago, Stosh said:

    Hold your own data, allow others to access it, and you don't need to feed Zuckerberg.

    No?

     

    Doing this, individuals could get paid to be advertised to, rather than Facebook making money off of users being advertised to.

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  9. Posted

    8 hours ago, rideforever said:

    Go back to Netflix and watch sex murder and music, done professionally.

     

    I tend to agree. There are just some things I don't want to see, and would rather enjoy some fiction. If the video in question is fake, well, good. I had zero desire to check it out, though.

     

    Not that I'd be one of the types stopping others from doing so.

    • Like 1

  13. Posted · Edited by Aetherous

    41 minutes ago, Starjumper said:

    Once this reeeeally old Taoist, who must havew been way over 100, and who I deem to have been an immortal, told me:  The universe is kind to those who truly wish the best for others.

     

    Or immensely cruel!

     

    0024543353287_p0_v1_s550x406.jpg

    • Like 1

  14. Posted

    At times, the universe seems like a ruthless mother teaching her child how to be tough. The mother bites the child by the back of the neck, even drawing blood...to pull the child quickly out of danger. Or sends the child off alone into dangerous territory, among predators, while watching from a distance.

    At other times, there is rest and peace, and the universe is a loving and nourishing mother.

    Maybe tough love contains both.


    I don't know the real answer. Sometimes life gets incredibly hard! To the point where I don't blame you if you say that the universe or God or whatever, is hostile...I understand you.

    If the universe is truly indifferent, perhaps part of that has to do with cause and effect, and not pure randomness. So then it would go to show that if you're able to generate the right causes, life becomes easier. I'm not sure that's true, given how life can throw a curveball at any one of us, no matter how well off we are. But I'm certainly trying to defend against life's onslaughts.

  17. Posted

    On 4/29/2019 at 10:12 PM, Fa Xin said:

    I've recently gotten interested in some pu-erh and oolong, and the intricacies of brewing gung fu style.

     

    I really enjoy it and I would drink it all the time if possible, but I am very sensitive to caffeine it seems and any more than once in the morning and once in the afternoon, really seems to disrupt my balance... I find I yawn more and sometimes more jittery.

     

    Right now I'm working through some "Plum Nectar" Red Oolong from Taiwan Sourcing...

     

    How long do you steep it? I found that 30 second steep with most oolongs didn't affect me that way...although with aged teas that's another matter.

    • Like 1

  18. Posted · Edited by Aetherous

    If the right to life, in the Declaration of Independence, is unalienable (I think it is)...then the Fifth Amendment infringes on that unalienable right: "...nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law..."

  19. Posted

    This thread is for the discussion of whether rights (such as human rights, or what's referred to in the US Bill of Rights) exist or not.

     

    Copied and pasted below is a response I previously made on this subject (in which I assert that they do exist):

     

    ...

     

    Quote

     

    You're essentially saying "might makes right", which is untrue. "Might" just makes people capable of doing things...it doesn't make the things they do right. An imaginary example of this could be a genocide, after which the international community takes out that genocidal government. The bad guys thought they had the right, because they were able to do it, and they thought those citizens had no rights because they couldn't stop it, and so the bad guys were able to take advantage of the innocent citizens. BUT - it turns out  that other countries thought the bad guys violated the rights of all of those citizens, and so they took action against the baddies...and now the formerly-mighty is no longer capable of doing anything. So: might does not make right in any way. It just makes people able to do things to others.

     

    Rights always require force to be maintained, such as law enforcement, courts, governments, international organizations, etc. We can even use self defense to maintain our rights, if it's within the law.

     

    Our Bill of Rights is something constantly argued about. Do US citizens have the right to own firearms? Some would argue no. Those who support and defend the Constitution say yes.

     

    Do we have that right just because a piece of paper says it's true? If so, then the former group of "liberals" is correct, and Americans don't have the right to bear arms...they just have a flimsy piece of paper saying they do, which will soon be gone. But in reality, such rights are constructed upon something very solid: human nature. It has to be enforced continually against those opposed to human rights.

     

    About "agreement" being necessary... Criminals can disagree that you have rights, and do all sorts of things...but because the society you're in agrees there are rights, the criminals are for the most part SOL. They will get in trouble for thinking you don't have rights, when they act upon that belief and violate your rights. This is just to say: some might not be in agreement, but the fact that others are in agreement shows that rights do exist, regardless of that disagreement.

     

    On a larger scale: certain governments can disagree that people have rights, but other governments and perhaps international orgs will say those people do have rights. Or even puny lawmakers and lawyers will say that, and they can win. So, just like with the criminal: because others agree on the subject, the one that disagrees is SOL.

     

    "If there is no agreement"...so long as there's one person on earth who agrees, even if they're dead and the idea is just in writing, even if it's just your sole opinion and you are the person who agrees with yourself, human rights exist. In our current era, they absolutely exist in so many fashions.

     

    "...And one does not have the force" as demonstrated above, might does not make right. You don't need to win against criminals in order for your rights to exist...for instance, you don't suddenly have the right to private property if you catch a thief in the act and have nothing of yours stolen. You'd have that right even if they stole your stuff...the right sometimes doesn't protect you from things happening to you (sometimes doesn't go on the offense for you, such as preventing theft), but it does defend you (your property still belongs to you after police find it in the thief's possession). So you have rights...if you lose against the thief and they steal you stuff, they didn't steal your right to private property. They just stole your property, and violated your right.

     

    Another example: if someone lies so that you get thrown in prison, it can't be said, "they took away his right to liberty". No...they took away your liberty, and in doing so unjustly violated your rights...but they didn't take away your right to liberty.

     

    Taken from:

     

     

     

    Feel free to discuss!

  20. Posted · Edited by Aetherous

    On 4/29/2019 at 1:03 AM, marcobjj said:

    sorry if what I'm going to ask is off topic, but is there a substantial difference between blood and Kidney Yin ? the basis of all yin formulas is Shu Di Huang a blood tonic. So I'm guessing a kidney yin formula such as Liu Wei di Huang wan or Zuo Gui Wan would also serve as a blood tonic, or am I wrong about this?


    The TCM answer is that shudihuang nourishes both blood and yin, as two separate actions.

     

    Some say that "kidney yin" is basically just the blood of the kidney (similar with almost any other organ's "yin")...so from that perspective, some yin tonics are really just blood tonics which are specific to different organs. Other yin tonics, however, nourish the jinye (body fluids).

    Others would disagree, and differentiate between blood and yin.

     

    Another perspective: think of the generation cycle of the five elements. Water generates wood. If liver blood is deficient, you could nourish the kidney, its mother. It can be that simple.

     

    One of the ways which Chinese Medicine thinks blood is created (besides through digestion) is through the marrow, which corresponds to the kidney...so nourishing kidney yin will generate blood that way, by increasing marrow. As a good rule of thumb, they say that when you nourish yin, you should also tonify yang at the same time, and vice versa. Liu wei dihuang wan was made for pediatrics, who already have a lot of yang, by taking the yang tonifying ingredients out of shen qi wan. For adults, it might not be the best choice (and for adults who have problems with the yang tonics, they probably need a different formula first, to clear their internal heat). Creation happens through the intermingling of yin and yang...if you just have a pile of yin, how could blood come from that? Generation is an activity, and yin is inert while yang is active, so the kidney yin needs some kidney yang for this to work.

    Something I find interesting is how Chen Xiuyuan was pretty strongly opposed to the overuse of shudihuang, because he thought it was too cloying - it causes pathogenic qi to get stuck internally, and causes all of the herbs and foods to not function properly as a result. He says to use it only to safeguard the fetus from miscarriage, with si wu tang for pregnant women. He even thought that cooking shengdihuang was a bad idea, which would make it stagnant and not cooling, taking away its intended effect. So, notice that shen qi wan is a pill, which is not cooked. In its true form it works properly, and can nourish blood.

    Also, an older text (Tang ye jing) might have suggested using shudihuang as opposed to shengdihuang for increasing semen, associated in that case with the essence. It's like using a very cloying substance to create a similar sticky substance in the body. But if I remember correctly, that was just for in the case of nocturnal or premature emissions, and would be stopped once those are fixed (there can be other causes for those, so no one reading this should think shudihuang is the solution, it's just a solution if you have a particular diagnosis).

    edit: Wanted to add more about dihuang. Most herbal suppliers give a shengdihuang that's black in color. This is entirely due to the processing, where it's heated to dry it. That destroys the effect it's supposed to have, similar to what Chen Xiuyuan said about cooking it. Spring Wind supplies shengdihuang that's dried in a better way, to preserve the yellow color. "Di huang" means "earth yellow" - it's that way for a reason. When you dig it up out of the ground, you can see that it's super yellow. If you make a maceration tincture with the fresh root, it will be a very bright yellow colored tincture. If you're buying various brands of teapills that contain rehmannia/dihuang, first of all they're probably using shudihuang because TCM teaches that it's better for nourishing blood...secondly, if they're using shengdihuang, it's probably the black crap. If you have a practitioner who makes their own pills, and let's say you're wanting some genuine shen qi wan, you should ask them to use Spring Wind's shengdihuang when making the pills.

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  21. Posted

    47 minutes ago, Armando said:

    And yet on the higher levels of Tantric Buddhism, we sometimes teach to indulge in the 'poison' and to use this as an opportunity for gaining insight and awareness.

     

    Is that truly a Tibetan Buddhist method? What Rinpoche taught you that?

    Not saying it isn't...but definitely questioning.

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  25. Posted

    6 hours ago, Nungali said:

    Did you mean The Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor is where this idea comes from in history ?

     

    Maybe, but that's not what I meant; I only meant that the idea was found in the HBL book I'm reading. Apparently it was part of the HBL teachings, coming from Burgoyne...who may have gotten it elsewhere.

     

    6 hours ago, Nungali said:

    If trace the groups back , it seems to come out of esoteric Jewish Kabbalah  , which is another strange story based on spies, secret agents , covert occult groups , originally  trying to influence   the 'new world order' after the dissolution of the Ottomon Empire and  in this case in Egypt , via the groups behind the HBL, to influence other places by supporting and encouraging the 'Young Turk' movement   ( which would eventually morph and  continue into groups which helped form Al-Queda , and their spin off groups  - a 'back fire' which they keep supporting and  making it stronger  )   ... but anyway,  another story,

     

    Well, that's interesting! Please do share more, perhaps in a thread dedicated to the subject...I'd be happy to learn. Any good books on it?

     

    6 hours ago, Nungali said:

    The HBL and other groups either specialised and faded out or incorporated together, to  'create an ark' for preservation and continuation of these 'mysteries' which eventually became the O.T.O.

     

    According to the HBL book, the OTO is apparently just one of such groups.

     

    6 hours ago, Nungali said:

    Sorry, a bit confused here ;   Is Naronia part of the HBL book ?  ( cant check, mine is in storage)  .

     

    The Naronia writing is contained in the HBL book.

     

    6 hours ago, Nungali said:

    It seems to have some problems, but it is a good outline to an extent .  It targets several things about astonological cycles but misses others. Thats why I asked the first questions I did in this thread , it all seemed vague general and inaccurate, the method being used .

     

    After reading it, I now have the same questions you did. It seems like an easy passage to misunderstand.

     

    6 hours ago, Nungali said:

    If I might fiddle with this  bit  in green

     

    The esoteric aspect of the Naros is known to the occult Initiates as the Mystery of Naronia, and refers to the expansion and contraction of the human constitution.  aside from names , yes , and that is what happens in general terms   As a sort of illustration let us take the motion of the tides, the ebb and flow. When the Sun and the Moon occupy the same plane in reference to the Earth, we have the high spring tides, etc. It is the same upon the mental plane, with the human brain. The brain of man, magnetically, we have to remember that, back then, the term magnetism was used generally, many forces where not understood properly  expands and becomes illuminated by the Luni-Solar influx, from the new to the full Moon, at which time this magnetic force is at its maximum.  Note the term 'Luni- Solar ... usually, now . Soluna  or Sol Luna influx  IS about the phases of the Moon TO AN EXTENT but more about if the Moon is in the 1/4 of ITS ORBIT ie, the  Luna equivalent  of Sunrise, noon, Sunset and midnight , that is, the Moon rising on the local horizon, the Moon directly overhead (MC ) the Moon setting or the Moon 'underfoot' (IC)    AND its relationship in those positions to th the SUN in those positions AND that related to the relationship that was present at time of birth .

     

    We can see this is more complex than just the Moon being in some tropical astrological house , as was suggested in this thread (now deleted ) .

     

    I should add that all this, i the context of learning about it in a group, society or initiatory group, Lodge etc, has always been held highly secretive  - perhaps a hint as to why the actions that eventuated her  did ?

    It is high tide, so to say, and those who have the care and experience of lunatics will verify the fact, that they become perfect astronomical calendars of the Moon's increase and decrease of light.

     

    Exaggeration, I have much experience , working in a hospital and in psyche ward . It isnt as clear cut as suggested ,  Full Moon is part of it. But some full  Moons - nothing , other times its 'going off'  but not full Moon

     

    You can   track it with a simpler way  ; solunar fishing calendar  :)

     

    https://tides4fishing.com/au/new-south-wales/coffs-harbour#_solunar_activity

     

    see solunar in index on the left, various charts and info available

     

    eg

    MAJOR PERIODS
     
    HIGH ACTIVITY
     
    from 5:58 am to 7:58 am
     
    Lunar transit (moon up)
    This period also coincides with sunrise; therefore the sun will exercise more influence, possibly obtaining greater activity than expected.

     

     

    Let us take a step further, and we then come to the real dominions of Naronia. SHE is the CYCLE of the SOUL and enacts upon the spiritual plane of human existence, a similar series of events to those of the Naros upon the mundane sphere of life. Hence, we can trace a perfect analogy between the motions of the luminaries in space and the revolution of purely psychic entities within the odylic sphere of man.

    Again, the outdated terminology 'odic force'  , actually its better to just consider those good old 'biorythms' - remember them, other is an equivalent to a  28 day female lunar cycle and a 33 day male solar cycle in both males and females . So, we dont really need to calculate these setting off forces at conception astrologically, we can mark any point of the cycle now, as long as we know what part of the cycles we are IN personally now, and make a calender .  Now match that with the  Solunar calendar to make a 'good transit' and you have a good time for 'the working' .

     

    But a whole lot of this has been lost, and a main point has been lost (more on that below, but to continue )

     

    Each year of life, the Earth, in her orbit, transits the point in space which she occupied at a person's birth, or in other words, the Sun returns to the same sign and degree of the Zodiac that he occupied in the horoscope. Okay, nw e are talking about something else , it isnt what 'sign' the Moon is in, it is the position the Moon Sun and Earth are in all in relation to each other for your best time , but the ZODIAC is, or used to be about the best time for the RESULT of the working.  here is what happened ; good Victorian magical couples (that practised western sex magic) practised it with their wives  with the result of trying to reproduce the best possible offspring so to improve the family and society generally, and to try and get a 'roll' going of higher incarnated being . Modern sex magic morphed from that into using the sex magic for ANY MAGICAL OPERATION DESIRED, to help get a result from ANY working, including the evocation of a demon ! So, we can see how it got the 'left hand path' tag.

     

    The reason you consider the greater picture of a  ZODIACAL timing ;  CONSTELLATONS (not signs ) and planets, as you are trying to get a child born with a  specific astrological make-up and traits . This is an old practice , royalty and class distinction where often based on that, in this case it used magically, and the parents should have been conceived that way as well, and their children's children , to incarnate more advanced beings .   If unfamiliar with the idea, try this ;

     

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonchild_(novel)#Plot_summary

     

    In this transit, the Solar force renews the life energies of the Soul and regalvanizes them with additional force (we are speaking spiritually, understand). These germs of new forces are Virtues, Powers, Potencies and Deific attributes of the great Solar Orb. They are spiritual ovums, or seeds of human possibilities, and if consciously nourished and cherished will evolve powers and states within the Human Soul, which correspond in their action to our hidden spiritual attributes. If unnoticed, uncared for, they remain until other forces polarize them, and then pass onward down their cycle.  This is basic hermetic theory, it would go like this ;

    The Magicians , themselves having been conceived  in magical ritual at the right time for their magician parents   and the right time astrologically for their birth, will calculate the best time for them to conceive and the child to be born and also during this process of conception towards birth, the soul will enter the Solar system, first through the Sphere of  Saturn and pick up  both sides of the Saturn energy, then the rest of the planets , in the hermetic order, ending with the Moon and incarnate. Then their own path is to progress backupwards, overcoming the specific trials of the Moon using their specific 'Moon qualities' (they got from their incarnation / astrologically natal  process - hence one will have different Luna trials than the other ... or maybe even no Lunar trials at all ) to get through their Moon 'problems ' (if they have any) then 'up' through the rest of the planetary spheres, back to Saturn. Then  their magical development is complete (for this life)  and they can operate as a 'high initiate'  'master'  Hierophant or whatever term it is each group uses.

    When the Moon, in the course of her motion, arrives at the same place during each month, she impregnates these seeds and endows them with magnetic life; therefore, in an occult sense, she confers upon humanity the powers and possibilities of magical forces. It is this Luni-Solar influx of Naronia within the human constitution, then, that controls the real foundation and basis of spiritual development and occult power.

    More like;  it is best to deal with specific benefits or trials of a planetary nature when we have the appropriate 'soluna flux' happening  :)

     

     

    Interesting. I quoted you here to preserve these ideas for the thread.