rain storming and brain storming

Time off from school and in between art shows is good for me because I forget to rest. When I do have time to myself however I grow very anxious , my manic energies become restored some what and then the idea of not being busy starts to pick at me until I have another project or 12 . It's not that I'm completely without anything to do. The children are out of schoolas well , the holiday planning, going to work , a ton of reading and knitting, new art ideas, research, etc. I'm just use to doing more than that so I'm a little restless. I have slept entirely too much this week. Maybe I'm just starting a new trend of sleeping. I think It's the cold dismal rainy weather .I've been painting a birdhaus, It's for a charity thing. The bird haus is coming along pretty well. The children's christmas trees are up , one pink tinsel and the other purple tinsel. we went to a museum today , but I didn't enjoy it very much , I was sort of agitited. Which bothers me because I love museums, all of them. I wish I could convince myself to clean the house, but it's just not happening today. It has rained all day and I didn't go to the coffee shop ,maybe I will tomorrow. I did have some lovely tea that I made myself in my copper tea pot. Black tea with vanilla soymilk... yum. I'm attempting to write more often , my friends Sarah and Joe have really great blogs. I hope that mine will improve. merry Christmas and Happy winter solstice. etc.

The Magdalene vs. History

Beth Gilmore
Art History Survey 1
November 22, 2004


The Magdalene vs. History

Mary Magdalene is known as the Apostle to the Apostles. She was at the
cross as Christ died and the first witness to His rising. She was His
constant companion, the Beloved, "the consort to the Word." Some believe
that in the same way that Jesus Christ was the incarnation of the Word, Mary
Magdalene was the incarnation of Sophia, the wisdom that informed the Word.
Jesus Christ was the Anointed One and Magdalene anointed Him with her
unguent and the hair of her head. It has even been argued that if Jesus is
God, Mary is the soul of God, the Shekinah. Thus in this view, the two are
inseparable, made complete by each other.
However, it would be nearly impossible for one to arrive at this view based
on the extremely watered down version of Christianity that we are presented
with at our churches and Christian schools. The teachings today are so
unbalanced, so weighted in the direction of the patriarchy, that women are
hardly included in most church services today and their role in the
development of Christianity is utterly minimized, even hidden - and none
more so than Mary Magdalene.
This dishwater approach of modern Christianity is so unsatisfying that even
popular fiction is searching for the divine feminine or the Goddess. Half
of the population cannot be left out of one of the world's most prominent
religions without creating this extreme feeling of imbalance that we see
pervading our culture now. The most obvious example of this phenomenon is
the fictional DaVinci Code, which delivers many half-truths that only
further confuse those seeking answers, balance, truth. For another obvious
example, look on your Starbucks coffee cup, where you will find a mermaid,
which is an icon you will find on many old churches but which alludes to an
earlier time and belief system. The fish also is a symbol of Jesus, so in
the case of the mermaid, both a tie to Jesus and to the divine feminine are
represented. This image also echoes back to Mary Magdalene.
Mary Magdalene's story has been told and retold and changed so many times
over the centuries that finding the truth about her may no longer be
possible. There are however many clues and double meanings hidden in plain
sight throughout the scriptures and legends that can help those of us with a
desire to know these mysterious origins find Mary Magdalene, and with her a
lost legacy that we all need to be whole - the other half of the story.
Have you wondered why some "Madonnas" are dressed in red despite the fact
that the Roman church instructed artists to depict her in blue and white?
Red was often a color associated with the Magdalene. It is only in small
details and colors such as this usage of red in art that we see a reference,
distinguishing Mary the Magdalene from the Virgin Mary, mother of Christ.
They are often mistaken for each other if these details are overlooked. The
true role of Mary Magdalene has been suppressed under ambiguity and the
purposeful misinformation circulated by the church over the centuries.
Mary Magdalene has consistently been presented as a prostitute despite the
fact that there is no Biblical reference to this whatsoever. Most people
with a traditional Christian background probably know her as the repentant
whore who washed Jesus' feet and hung around because He was the only one who
would have anything to do with her. Clearly, this could not be further from
the truth; however, this view was propagated to advance the patriarchal
agenda of the church. This myth of Magdalene is striking when juxtaposed
against the evidence presented by many scholars and briefly introduced here.
But according to the church contradictory ideas of the Magdalene are
heretical, so culture appeals to the divine feminine through fairytales and
symbols of mermaids, unicorns, fleur-de-lis, and the "double towers" of
Jerusalem.
The ultimate "fairy tale" is of course that of the Holy Grail. The myths
and stories surrounding the lost Grail are very old. It is assumed that the
Grail was the vessel that once contained the blood of Christ. How His blood
got in to the cup and where it went after that is the part of the story that
changes often. Many stories like those of King Arthur and his knights'
quest tell us about the Holy Grail, but other stories come from Egypt and
all over Western Europe.
Stories known in the south of France say that Mary Magdalene was the bearer
of the "sangraal," the Old French word translated "holy grail." The word
"sangraal" had, it seems, been misunderstood. When the word was broken after
the "n" (san graal) it was thought to mean "Holy Grail" but if it was broken
after the "g" it rendered "sang raal," which in Old French seems to mean
"blood royal." Legends of Provence speak of Mary Magdalene's arrival in a
boat with no oars. References to who accompanied her vary. Some say Joseph
of Arimethia; others say members of her family. The region is covered with
churches dedicated to her and with the mysterious black Madonnas. There are
even French cookies named for her.
All the legends agree the Grail was a sacred vessel, holy because it once
contained the blood of Jesus. For centuries this artifact has been sought
and several antique cups have even been claimed to be the true Grail of
Christ. But some say that on the boat with no oars, Mary Magdalene brought
with her a child, her child, whose father was Jesus. The "sangraal" or scion
would be what contained the blood, the blood line to be more precise;
descended from the union of Christ and Mary Magdalene, the bloodline of the
vine of Judah which is the key to the Middle Ages Grail Heresy.
"We are now faced with a legend that says that Mary Magdalene brought the
"blood royal" to the coast of France in 42 A.D. One does not carry the
"blood royal" in an ointment jar with a lid. The blood of kings is carried
in the veins of a child. And the "vessel" that once contained the "sang
raal" was not an artifact, but rather, a woman --the Magdalene herself--the
mother of a royal offspring."

The child she brought with her was called Sarah the Egyptian. In Hebrew,
Sarah means Princess. Is this referring to her bloodline? Grail heresy of
the bloodline of Jesus in Europe is not written down until the Middle Ages,
but the folk memory of a little lost princess are much older. It is then not
a mystery as to why the knights in their shining armor had such an
exasperating time searching for the grail which they had been lead to
believe was a cup when they should have been looking for a woman. The
"chalice" is an ancient symbol for the sacred feminine, along with the
sacred cauldron and the Vesica Piscis. They all represent the same idea.
Hopefully in the days ahead men and women will be able find opportunity and
willingness for equality in religion as well as other areas, with the
freedoms besotted on both sexes in this age. I am no longer complacent to
be deprived of the right to give full expression to my religious beliefs, in
ways that do not simply advance patriarchal agendas. To think for ourselves
and be included in our own religions is all of our birth right. Myths,
religion - how different are they? Not very different at all, but the same
stories told by different sources, all believed by someone. Which is more
valid to society depends on who is outwardly dominating at the moment.
For my artistic portion of this project I will be creating a mixed mediums
piece of art depicting Mary Magdalene. It will show her in a positive light
with some of the defining symbols she is often represented by. I'm also
baking the cookies named in her honor. Madeleines are traditional French
pastries made with eggs, butter, flour and sugar. Madeleine is a French form
of Magdalene. The French hold a special place in their hearts and culture
for Marie Magdalene as they call her. The history of these cookies is
clouded with mystery just like that of the lady herself, but many enjoy
making and eating these little cakes in honor of Mary Magdalene on her feast
day, July 22. If time allows, I hope to also show some slides of The
Magdalene depicted in art works throughout history.


Biblograghy on request, most sources can be found on magdalene.org

the Oracle of Delphi

Delphic Oracle's Lips May Have Been Loosened by Gas Vapors

By John Roachfor National Geographic NewsAugust 14, 2001

The oracle of Delphi in Greece was the telephone psychic of ancient times: People came from all over Europe to call on the Pythia at Mount Parnassus to have their questions about the future answered. Her answers could determine when farmers planted their fields or when an empire declared war. The Pythia, a role filled by different women from about 1400 B.C. to A.D. 381, was the medium through which the god Apollo spoke.

Temple of Apollo in Delphi

The Temple of Apollo sits on one of the terraces that makes up the sanctuary. The temple was destroyed several times, and the ruins seen here date from a reconstruction in the fourth century B.C.

Photograph by Ruggero Vann/CORBIS







According to legend, Plutarch, a priest at the Temple of Apollo, attributed Pythia's prophetic powers to vapors. Other accounts suggested the vapors may have come from a chasm in the ground.

This traditional explanation, however, has failed to satisfy scientists. In 1927, French geologists surveyed the oracle's shrine and found no evidence of a chasm or rising gases. They dismissed the traditional explanation as a myth.

Their conclusion was aggregated by a modern misconception that vapors and gases could only be produced by volcanic activity.

Now, a four-year study of the area in the vicinity of the shrine is causing archaeologists and other authorities to revisit the notion that intoxicating fumes loosened the lips of the Pythia.

The study, reported in the August issue of Geology, reveals that two faults intersect directly below the Delphic temple. The study also found evidence of hallucinogenic gases rising from a nearby spring and preserved within the temple rock.

"Plutarch made the right observation," said Jelle De Boer, a geologist at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and co-author of the study. "Indeed, there were gases that came through the fractures."

Fractured Landscape

Greece sits at the confluence of three tectonic plates. The shifting of these plates continually stretches and uplifts the area, which is riddled with faults.

Several years ago, Greek researchers found a fault running east to west beneath the oracle's temple. De Boer and his colleagues discovered a second fault, which runs north to south. "Those two faults do cross each other, and therefore interact with each other, below the site," said De Boer.

Interactions of major faults make rock more permeable and create passages through which ground water and gases can travel and rise. From 70 to 100 million years ago, the limestone bedrock underlying the oracle's site lay below sea level, enriched with hydrocarbon deposits.

About every 100 years a major earthquake rattles the faults. The faults are heated by adjacent rocks and the hydrocarbon deposits stored in them are vaporized. These gases mix with ground water and emerge around springs.

De Boer conducted an analysis of these hydrocarbon gases in spring water near the site of the Delphi temple. He found that one is ethylene, which has a sweet smell and produces a narcotic effect described as a floating or disembodied euphoria.

"Ethylene inhalation is a serious contender for explaining the trance and behavior of the Pythia," said Diane Harris-Cline, a classics professor at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

"Combined with social expectations, a woman in a confined space could be induced to spout off oracles," she said.

According to traditional explanations, the Pythia derived her prophecies in a small, enclosed chamber in the basement of the temple. De Boer said that if the Pythia went to the chamber once a month, as tradition says, she could have been exposed to concentrations of the narcotic gas that were strong enough to induce a trance-like state.

Waning Power

The power of the Delphic oracle fluctuated and eventually lost favor as Christianity became the dominant religion of the land, said De Boer. Moreover, ancient legend suggests that the concentration of the vapors became weaker—possibly because the absence of a major earthquake failed to keep Earth's narcotic juices flowing.

Today, the water that helped transport the gases to the Delphic temple is tapped and siphoned above the temple to supply the modern town of Delphi.

The work by De Boer and his colleagues is an example of modern science helping archaeologists understand how ancient peoples lived. Another example among the ancient Greeks is the belief in Poseidon as the god of the sea and earthquakes. According to Harris-Cline, modern science associates the two with tectonic movement deep under the sea.

"Our scientific techniques are just beginning to detect the natural phenomena which the Greeks celebrated and appreciated 2,500 years ago with ritual activities at these special places," she said.







Ancient Forecasting at Delphi The Oracle of Delphi, which dates back to 1200 B.C., was the most important shrine in Greece. Built around a sacred spring, it was considered the center of the world.

People came from all over Greece and beyond to have their questions about the future answered by the Pythia, the priestess at the Temple of Apollo. Her predictions and announcements were used to determine events and activities ranging from when a farmer planted his seeds to when an empire declared war.

A consultation with Pythia began with the sacrifice of a goat. Pythia mounted a tripod and sat while awaiting divine inspiration, then conveyed her pronouncements to the seekers.

The Oracle of Delphi shrine was regarded as independent, its priests not associated with any strict religious dogma for the worship of Greek gods. Greek states eager to be in the Oracle's good graces sent elaborate gifts to the shrine, which made it a storehouse of fabulous art treasures.

The power of the Delphic oracle fluctuated, and finally lost favor when Christianity spread widely.



The New York Times recently had an article on The Oracle of Delphi. The Oracle apparently was there, but the woman the Greeks described with a god given power to see the future didn't have any truth to it. What was true was there was a woman there. Gas would rise through cracks in the floor which she would inhale and which caused her to start making predictions as she ran around and screamed in a frenzy. She would advise people on anything from their sex life to government. The people being advised would be amazed by her frenzy and think it was holy.

The oracle was very important,and the girl who was there changed many times. Before every vision she would go into the basement and inhale the intoxicating fumes. Some say then she would tell the vision to priests who would write it down; others say she would say it directly to the petitioners.

For starters, the site was founded at the Gulf of Corinth in 1200 B.C. and eventually the temple was built. It was to become one of the most important ancient Greek temples. Originally it was built for the Earth goddess, Gaea but by the eight century B.C., it was already dedicated to Apollo. Apart from being the god of light and, most famously, music and poetry, Apollo was the god of prophecy. Greeks believed that this site was the center of the world. Considering that they thought the site had people who could tell the future and a shrine to one of the most important gods, it only makes sense that it was believed that it was the center of the world.

With the rise of Christianity, the temple started to lose its excitement and importance and began to decay. Though the Roman emperor Julius the Apostate tried to reinstate the oracle, she whined that her power had faded.

The oracle actually had some interesting insight though, and before Socrates was executed the oracle called him the wisest man to have ever lived.

French archeologists started excavating the site around 1892, and it was all declared a fake by A.P. Oppe, a famous English philosopher, who was there in 1904. Another blow to Greek Mythology came when Pierre Amandry, a French archaeologist, declared in a book on Delphi that the region had no volcanism and therefore could not provide intoxicating vapors. In 1981 the final blow was struck. Dr. Boer came not to find out the truth behind the oracle, but merely to help the Greek government with whether or not they could place nuclear reactors there. His job was just to find hidden faults. Then, a lucky thing happened. The Greek government had carved out a large part of the mountain the oracle was located on. Dr. Boer saw a fault line hidden in the mountain and followed it. He followed it all the way to the oracle, thus at last proving it a fake.

The oracle still exists as a ruin, and people can go see what used to be the center of the earth today.

To look at a great site where I found out much of my Information on The Oracle of Delphi click HERE. Another great resource was The New York Times, which was very informative and useful.

photo credit: Mrs. Berresford

Home Introduction Jason and the Golden Fleece The Trojan War The Oracle of Delphi Aegean Son Theseus and the Minotaur Myth Theseus and the Minotaur Analysis



Dating back to 1400 BC, the Oracle of Delphi was the most important shrine in all Greece, and in theory all Greeks respected its independence. Built around a sacred spring, Delphi was considered to be the omphalos - the center (literally navel) of the world.

People came from all over Greece and beyond to have their questions about the future answered by the Pythia, the priestess of Apollo. And her answers, usually cryptic, could determine the course of everything from when a farmer planted his seedlings, to when an empire declared war.

Arguments over the correct interpretation of an oracle were common, but the oracle was always happy to give another prophecy if more gold was provided. A good example is the famous incident before the Battle of Salamis when the Pythia first predicted doom and later predicted that a 'wooden wall' (interpreted by the Athenians to mean their ships) would save them.

The lack of a strict religious dogma associated with the worship of Greek gods also encouraged scholars to congregate at Delphi, and it became a focal point for intellectual enquiry, as well as an occasional meeting place where rivals could negotiate.

Delphi became a fantastic showcase of art treasures and all Greek states would send rich gifts to keep the Oracle on their side. It finally came to an end in the 4th century AD when a newly Christian Rome proscribed its prophesying.

Synesthesia

My newest art show....


Synesthesia (sin-uhs-THEE-zhuh) 1. A sensation felt in one part of the body when stimulus is applied to another part, e.g. visualization of a color on hearing a sound. 2. (In literature) Using an unrelated sense to describe something, e.g. warm sounds or fragrant words.

Synesthesia is an involuntary joining in which the real information of one sense is accompanied by a perception in another sense. People often speak ofhow art has made them think, feel, remember. The theater, too, has thiscapacity to move people's emotions and minds.

In the lobby of this theater, where people pass through on their way to experience different worlds of sight, sound, location and emotion, it seems only appropriate that weencounter art in a new way as well. This additional perception is regardedby the synesthete as real, often outside the body, instead of imagined inthe mind's eye.

This artwork and this venue, together, combine to stimulate our senses in a manner a museum or entertainment venue cannot normally do on its own. Its reality and vividness are what make synesthesia so interesting in its violation of conventional perception. In this unique environment we have a coming together of disparate and yet connected ideas and mediums -- all reflecting on each other, each stimulating the self and all thesenses, but perhaps not in the usual way.

Synesthesia is also fascinating because logically it should not be a product of the human brain, where the evolutionary trend has been for increasing separation of function anatomically. So, if your favorite book smells like textured circles or you dislike the personality of your bedroom’s doorframe and you see white when you stub your toe, you are almost certainly a synesthete.

Vive la Victime

During the Thermidorean Reaction, balls were hosted on the cemeteries of the Terror. To get in, you had to have lost one close relative in the Terror. Young men would wear shirts so high their heads were invisible sometimes and women wore red ribbons around their throats. To signal to a partner, the man would make a slitting gesture across his throat and the woman would reply with a dropping gesture.

Vive la Victime
The celebratory atmosphere following the "Reign of Terror" gave way to a number of frivolous yet gruesome fashions and pastimes, one of which was the Victim's Ball. In order to qualify for admittance in one of these sought after soirees one had to to be a close relative or spouse of one who had lost their life under the blade of the guillotine. Invitations were so coveted that papers proving your right to attend had to be shown at the door, and some were even known to forge this certificate in their eagerness. All the rage at these grand balls was to have the hair swept high up off the neck, in imitation of "le toilette du condamne" where the victim's hair is cut to make way for the kiss of the blade. And for the ladies, a thin red velvet ribbon worn round the neck.

Eve

The argument that the order of creation, in which Adam was created first and Eve second, indicates hierarchy and therefore Adam's superiority ignores the fact that animals were created before Adam. As Adam is superior to the animals, then the hierarchy of creation should be reversed, and Eve seen as God's ultimate creation.

SPINDLES AND SWORDS: archetypical females

SPINDLES AND SWORDS: archetypical females , domesticity vs. freedom, etc.
one creates one destroys .Or sometimes it's the other way around.

In most all cultures and time periods you can find both the spindle and the
sword.

Spindles: for spinning wool into thread, for weaving fabric, [for forming the thread of life and ensnaring young princesses]. Spindles represent
the domestic realm--which, if that is where you want to be, is its own kind of
freedom. There are many songs, stories, and legends that are about spinning, sewing and
the household: Pop goes the weasel, [Sleeping Beauty, the tales of the Greek Fates and the spinning fairy godmothers]. And in other times tending the fire, giving
birth, and raising children and food were essential to survival. They still are, of course--but not in quite the same life or death way.

We have a lot more going for us these days, with medicine, electricity ,
microwaves. But a hundred years ago or more there was more power associated
with these domestic roles: Maiden, Mother, Crone. This is something that, although now
lost to most of us, should not be forgotten.

In the same way, crafts and certain arts have been lost, and without them we are
as a society weaker.

Swords: for defending, protecting, and grabbing your freedom with both hands.
Women also, both in mythology and in real life, have shunned society [as well as preserved it], making their own way in the world and living by the sword. This way of life could set you
free or cause your demise, just the same as could being stuck in a degrading domestic
life that was not of your choice. Such imprisonment could definitely kill
your spirit--leading to ill health and certain death. In freedom of
the sword there is another set of role models for everyone: among them goddesses, pirates
like Anne Bonney and Mary Read, the Valkyries, the Amazons, queens and
biblical women, [and other warriors of both the body and the spirit]


Spindles and Swords: the power tools of the ages.

It's all about being the person that you are supposed to be; being true to your
own spirit.

[Spindles and Swords. Archetypal females and the questions of the ages. Domesticity vs. freedom, etc.: one creates, one destroys--or sometimes it's the other way around.] I open the statements and the questions up for everyone to have their own
answer.

Visions grow for my artwork

I'm starting to see them again, this time there is a triple goddess all three aspects wrapped in purple robes. Somber and discontent. Wise and lost in their own vision of things to come. This will play it's self out only on my canvas . Maybe even three canvases. I hope to see a happier vision for my next piece.

my mind rambles ,hopefully

my mind rambles ,hopefully toward 10 new pieces of art before this time next month......



created stereoscope views of my own design.


I have a secret "theme" art

Looking Into boxes with keyholes, lit on the inside,

must be deep enough to see the whole back from the keyhole.

a more narrow view.
jewel box , magic ,teasure, treasure,


the skeleton his face of black and white bones showing and the Lady with porcilan white skin, powdered-hair , red bodice and burgandy flowing skirts.They dance together down the sidewalk. life and death dance together on all hallows eve when the veil between the worlds is at it's thinnest. they lie in the same bed.

the jester had mocked her but now his voice cannot reach her, even if he were to try.

in the daytime she must wear white lace and blue bodice, sleeves and skirts. living in the villa on the hill. her ladies gather around to greet her.all the ladies of the villa are fair and lovely.

the daughters of this lady wear the joined colors of these households red, black and white. they are dreams come true. they are roses, like their mother is.
in the day time they wear lavender with coral beads. and read storys after tea with their mother in the afternoon room.

venus

The Venus Factor from planetwaves.

The big day cometh. More data keeps coming in; my head is starting to spin, and yet it's starting to make sense; there is a pattern forming.
As you may have read, here or elsewhere, early on June 8, for about six hours, Venus crosses the disk of the Sun. This is another way of saying that there is an exact alignment on all three planes of space between the Earth, the Sun and Venus. If you like taking things to multidimensional levels, consider that they align in the 4th dimension as well -- in time. And if we have four dimensions in alignment, we might just have a whole lot more, particularly as we tune into the planetary and human constellations with our hearts and minds, which some traditions say link us in to the 5th and 6th dimensions respectively.

With Venus so prominently placed in such a rare chart, it would be reasonable to say this signifies a global reawakening of the feminine aspect of God. But as the old bumper sticker says, boy is she pissed.

Venus is retrograde six weeks of every 18 months (the least of all the planets), which means it passes between the Earth and the Sun at that interval. That is the case now; Venus is retrograde in Gemini and making its closest approach to the Earth of its orbit. But on most of those go-betweens, Venus passes a little under or a little over the disk of the Sun. This time, after scores of close calls, actual contact is made. This is a lot like an eclipse. It's technically called a 'transit' (this word having two meanings in astrology, the other being any aspect by a moving planet to a natal planet). Some people are calling it an occultation. It most resembles an eclipse, but Venus is not big enough to block the Sun.

Usually it is the Moon that eclipses the Sun, and despite being routine, it's always fairly monumental. That happens twice a year, or in rare years four times -- pretty often and still it gets can move mountains (in astrology, generally, rarity is power). The last time Venus transited the Sun was in 1882, and before that in 1874. There is a cycle involved: for our purposes, two events at an interval of eight years, then a pause for about 121.5 years, then another in eight years. This is the first of a pair of events that mark the approach to a time known as 2012. These Venus transit events stand as bookends between now and the many, many changes that are on the way.

Twenty-twelve is almost always of spoken in ominous tones. Some see it as a kind of focal point of the spiral in time; others as a threshold; others as a culmination of "Earth changes," which are now no longer New Age mythology but rather front-page news in The New York Times. Generally the reference to 2012's significance is made to the Mayan calendar. I have for a long time been attempting to get a clear picture of the connection, based on the Mayan daycount (see Planet Waves essay called "An Island in Time" for more on the Mayan daycount*). I've had no success; I see nothing in the daycount that tells me the calendar does anything special in 2012 (but I am not a Mayan astrologer and my investigation is ongoing). But I know that the Mayan calendar is based on the cycles of Venus, and that the ancient Mayans tracked Venus with devotion to the point of what one scholar recently called obsession.

Gemini is involved in the current pair of transits; they occur within about one degree, as it happens, opposite an inter-galactic point called the Great Attractor. Of all the signs that connote dualism, Gemini, sign of the Twins, and in Tarot the Lovers or the Brothers, is regent. We live in a time of history when polarisation is, basically, killing us. The us/them mentality is currently being used by an us and a them, both of whom believe it is their divine right to annihilate the other (Christians and Muslims, all of whom claim to accept the teachings of a prophet who preached love). The haves are doing a pretty good job of getting a few extra pounds of flesh from the have-nots as the gulf between wealth and poverty magnifies to canyonesque proportions. Then there is the war of the sexes.

Because the 1874/1882 pair of transits brought in a wave of progress for the rights of personhood for women, I have mainly focused my exploration of this event on that theme. The progress that began in the late 19th century and the results that followed were rather stunning. In England, to give one particularly synchronous example, the Married Women's Property Act was adopted by Parliament in 1882, giving women the right to own property after marriage for the first time in the history of our particular civilisation. True, in times when property-holding was a function of the clan, women have typically been its keepers, but that is very different than the right of private holding of wealth. This is largely because when women are the keepers of clan property, they are part of that property; part of the Earth and land.

Reading the history of women since the hunter-gatherer days, as told by Simone de Beauvoire in The Second Sex (1951), has been somewhat harrowing, but far less so than living it out, as women continue to do even today...................................



so i feel the same as many of my girl friends ..that we are on the brink of coming into our own. defining ourselves in a way we haven't yet in our young lives. It's exciting and gives much hope.
beth