This is not Darma and Greg…

I love how many people who don’t practice Hinduism get dharma and karma mixed up. And, that Karma is not what its all about. “Building on the eternal concept of atman, karma is the belief that a person’s actions in life will determine their fate in the next life. With the belief in karma, Hinduism holds firmly to dharma, the moral force that orders the universe.” (study.com) While dharma deals with your roles in life and karma deals with action.

I like the story of Viswamithra; how everyone looked up to him and held him in high regards. He then sets off to defeat some beasts (p.7) and asks the king’s son to attend in this victory. Not only to share the victory, but to also mentor the younger boy in all that he knows regarding wisdom.

Do you think it’s any consolation or coincidence that after Rama learns this wisdom and mentorship from Viswamithra that he is able to get Sati by stringing an unstringable bow?

Both of the above stories (in their entirety) show older men not worrying about their present obstacles, whether a beast or a daughter’s marriage. But rather, looking to the future to worry about their personal future and the future of the next generation by doing good in their own actions?

A life of Good Dharma… through Karma.

Spider Man ain’t got nuttin’ on this Black Widow!

Black Widow has always been one of my all time favorite heroines. If you aren’t familiar, here is a crash course on one of the most successful and deadly assassins the Marvel Universe has ever known. The Black Widow is most commonly refereed to as the hot red head that Scarlett Johanson plays in the Avengers Captain America and Iron Man Movies. And soon they will be coming out with a movie that is focused around her and how she came to be the awesome heroine she is today.

The Black Widow, or known to the one’s close to her as Natasha Romanoff, was born in Russia. When she was still a little girl, her house burned down and she escaped the inferno while her parents didn’t have that good fortune. Once out, she was captured by the KGB and put into a program called the Black Widow Program and it took place in the Red Room. Here she was trained, brainwashed, trained, brainwashed and trained some more to infiltrate countries and governments and to carry out some of the most difficult assassinations know to man.

While there are many theories as to how she became an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division) there is one main connection in her life and his code name is Hawkeye. These 2 have been on countless missions together and know each other very well. Since they are both Agents of SHIELD, they look to the leader of SHIELD as their mentor and boss, Nick Fury. They also look to the rest of the Avengers as team mates in their never ending quest to once again save the world (or America) from doom!

This heroine fits the monomyth to a T. She has an origin story, a beginning, is put on a path, is shown some direction, has help, fights battles (big and small… mainly big), earn their victories, are a part of something bigger than themselves and uses her skills that were meant for evil and chooses to use them to impact her reality in a positive way. So, all in all, Natasha Romanoff is one BA heroine. and I think Marvel depicted her well in the movies. I cannot wait for Marvel to come out with her own Self- titled movie about her past… or as she says “I got a lot of Red in my ledger”.

Enjoy the Music Montage of this awesome Chica!!!

Herakles or Hercules?

1. Call To Adventure: Herakles call to adventure started when he wanted to obtain divinity; aptheosis. He wanted to live up to the name “Glory of Hera”.
2. Assistance: At one point in time, Herakles called upon Theseus for help in one or two of his 12 labors.
3. Departure: After King Eurystheus gave Herakles these tasks or labors, Herakles then set out on a 12 year adventure.
4. Trials: 1. The Nemean Lion, 2. The Lernean Hydra, 3. The Hind of Ceryneia, 4. The Erymanthean Boar, 5. The Augean Stables, 6. The Stymphalian Birds, 7. The Cretan Bull, 8. The Horses of Diomedes, 9. The Belt of Hippolyte, 10. Geryon’s Cattle, 11. The [Golden] Apples of Hesperides, 12. Cerberus
5. Approach: The most notable of all the labors of Herakles would most likely be that of defeating the Hydra.
6. Crisis: Throughout all of his life, Herakles is haunted by the one goddess who is dead set on destroying him; Hera.
7. Treasure: This would have to be him gaining his place amongst the gods for his “laboring”.
8. Result: Herakles has always been one of history’s greatest heroes; legacy; immortality
9. Return: Returns home to give his wife away
10. New Life: Sets off to win a bride through an archery match against his past mentor.
11. Resolution: He now meets his father Zeus and all is straightened out.
12. [Upgraded] Status Quo: Instead of life on earth… he dines with the gods!!!

Dead as a door nail; kicked the bucket; pushing up daisies…

The four ways Steven Cave said that we categorize death and the afterlife are:

1) Elixir: Dealing with some sort of magic potion or Holy Grail that grants the consumer immortality, thus making death unobtainable. This seems to be fading away except in movies. However in society, makeup developers come up with anti-aging creams and the like.

2) Resurrection: This one is the belief that you will be raised from the dead like Jesus Christ. Most believers in either Judaism, Islam and Christianity believe in the Resurrection of our bodies after death. Ironically these 3 religions are the 3 most warring groups in history. I think this belief is foundational around a deeper faith in their God and Salvation.

3) Soul: Here we have people who, after death, turn into a soul that remains forever… **and dealing with Halloween, they may haunt others**? Others under this umbrella believe that they have a soul and then just leave the flesh when they die to forever reside as their soul. Funny thing is, most Christians believe in the Resurrection and their Soul.

4) Legacy: Most want to leave a legacy, and today it is, more than ever, attainable through social media. Through their posts, videos, status updates, humor, followers and all that jazz. No longer do we call on heroes or have scribes following us around. We just feel we need to let the world know our every move. Instead of actually investing in a person and getting to know the real them.

I find it interesting how the Egyptians view death. Mummification is about life after death and what they will be. I like the idea about making a king have a gold face. Not because he was rich, but because they wanted him to be a deity once in the other realm. I find it funny how the stories of Hathor (Isis), Seth, Horus, Ra, etc.. are very similar in the fact that they are all violent and sexual, just like the Greek Mythologies we’ve already learned about.

I remember, like S. Cave, how I viewed death as a kid like the Existential Elevator. Not knowing exactly what I believed and not taking my parents faith truly for my own (until I grew older). I remember wondering what the rules were (growing up in Legalistic Christianity) about Heaven & Hell. Did we really become angels, playing harps on the clouds after we die? I wasn’t sure what I believed due to the fact that TV and all the cartoons were so appealing to me as a kid.

I remember the Movie “All Dogs Go To Heaven”, do you? (are you old enough… lol) This movie really made me think, was heaven based on Karma or did it come down to a decision of Salvation like I was taught growing up? I really fought with this idea from then and still to this day especially when it comes down to the controversial topic of Suicide (another debate for another time). However… Do all dogs go to heaven? My theological answer is a resounding, YES!!!

All Cats Go Straight To Hell! lol

The Force is Strong With This One!!

Tricksters throughout history and myth all have some similarities, whether on the silver screen or in books they all share a few if not all of 6 common character traits.Tricksters have some of not all of these characteristics: They are ambiguous/ anomalous, they are deceptive and like to play tricks (and thats most likely how they got their names), they are shape shifters, situation inverters, imitators of the gods or imitators or bricoleurs.

Of all these characteristics and all the other possible Tricksters to be described, one stands out more than any to me. Maybe that’s because my bias comes from my fanatic look towards the best saga known to man, a saga that takes place “A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away.” Center stage and the trickster in the hot seat in my view is Chancellor Palpatine from all of the Star Wars movies excluding Episode VII which comes out in about 7 weeks.

Chancellor Palpatine is a trickster of many traits. Swindling and deceiving everyone who is in his path, whether on his team or not. He holds the highest place in the Republic Senate and yet at the same time is a Master Sith (Opposite of the Jedi) and wielder of the dark side of the force, known as Darth Sidious. Yet, due to his deception, he shields his dark identity from the Senate because the Sith are against the Senate and Palpatine’s main goal is to rule the galaxy and do away with the Senate and its Republic.

Two of the Hyne’s characteristics that stand out the most with Chancellor Palpatine would definitely be Deceiver and Situation Inverter. As previously stated and as shown in the well-made video clip, he is a master deceiver that seeks ultimate power by pretending to be on the side of the Republic yet pulling strings on both sides to benefit him and his end goal. I would say that Deceiver and Situation Inverter in this case would go hand in hand as he takes situations whether in his favor or against it and turns them around to benefit his end game.

Coming in at a close second and third, as far as the characteristics go, would be Shape Shifter and Bricoleur. In Episode III “Revenge of The Sith” Darth Sidious kills Master Jedi, Mace Windu by wielding force lightning and electrocuting him, sending him out a window to fall to his death. While commiting this electrifying murder, Sidious’ face (and most likely the rest of his body) shift the shape of him and make him seem more evil to his demeanor. Now as for the trait of Bricoleur (sacred and lewd), this is given, in my opinion, from an order he gave his new apprentice, the newly converted Sith from the Jedi order, Darth Vader. The order was to kill all the “younglings” (young kids training to be Jedi) in the Jedi Temple.

Now, I wont go any further… I don’t want to spoil the rest of my essay!!

May the Force Be With You!!

This isn’t Ashton Kutcher but you just got Punk’d!!!

I find it funny that Loki, Coyote and Raven all wind up in stories involving fish or salmon when they pull a certain trick. Loki definitely has the shape shifting characteristic by turning himself into a salmon to escape the wrath of the Norse gods. While Raven decides to play tricks with fishermen by being a deceiver and a trick player. Yet at the same time Coyote tricks the Salmon and is ambiguous with his role in catching these salmon. “… but Trickster invents the fish trap.” (Hyde) Here’s a thought to ponder… has it ever crossed your mind that maybe, just maybe, this is where and why the Mexicans call the transporter of illegal aliens a coyote? Is he a trickster??

While thinking of different characters of whom I could explore and describe as a Trickster, only one really stuck out to me. However, I think this person can definitely share most if not all of the 6 characteristics of Tricksters. I want a challenge and I think I want to choose Barack Obama as my Trickster.

But if that is not allowed and you are wanting someone who is in on the silver screen I guess I’d have to choose Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious from Episodes I-VI of Star Wars. CP/DS has many of the characteristics going for him while he plays tricks on the Jedi all throughout episodes I, II & III. “A strong disturbance in the force, there is.” (Yoda)

Thoughts?

Wormwood is not only for Absinthe!!

Revelation 8:10-11

“The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— ¹¹ the name of the star is Wormwood.^[a] A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.”

BITTER, In the NT the verb πικραίνω, pikraínō = “to embitter”; the adj. πικρός, pikrós = “bitter,” and the noun πικρία, pikría, “bitterness,”
Ἄψινθος Apsinthos
ἄψινθος apsinthos wormwood

^^^ This right here is called Exegesis ^^^ basically breaking down the Bible into its original language, each book and each verse.

Did You know that the word Chernobyl means “wormwood” and “bitter” in Russian and Ukrainian? If we want to talk about Apocalyptic disasters that are going to happen, why don’t we talk about the word on the streets!? What if Chernobyl was actually a sign of the Apocalypse spoken of in Revelation? If any of you are old enough to remember the tragic accident in the Ukraine… or if you’ve ever played the original 2 Call of Duty Modern Warfare games… you’d see that Chernobyl, Ukraine is now a ghost town due to how many people died. All of it was caused by the ginormous explosion thus poisoning or “embittering” everyone it touched with radiation.

What are your thoughts?

Red Dot or Feather?

1. Religion<Relationship: The Native American tribes don’t recognize needing to have a relationship with their god(s).
2. The “Fall” of Adam (and Eve): The Creation story of Adam and Eve started ex nihilo and from a Supreme and Sovereign Deity that created mankind then cursed them due to their sin, thus having them Fall from Grace and needing a Savior.
3. Creation Story being fact: Most Christian theologians agree that the Genesis Creation story is fact and not mythological. While at the same time, Native Americans don’t  have this problem. “The tribes confront and interact with a particular land and it’s lifeforms. The task or role of the tribal religions is to relate to the people to each and every facet of creation as they have experienced it.” (Vine Deloria)

Native American Creation Myth:

1. Rabbit Boy or Blood-clot Boy is an interesting creation story that dealt mostly with a boy being made from blood that a rabbit kicked around and then once formed into said boy the rabbit and his wife raised the boy as their own. I think this one is helped translated with the idea that they don’t necessarily need to compare it to Christianity, they just relate it to the people and how they experienced creation on their own terms.
2. The Creation of First Man and First Woman is also interesting in the fact that when the 4 god-like bodies tried to communicate with “the people” this makes me believe that they were just trying to make a re-do of the 1st people and that first man and first woman were not actually the first. This could also support not only that there was some sort of fall of Native Americans but also that this has a translation to us that won’t make sense and that it relates to the people in which it was intended for in regards to their land, religion and belief structure.
3. How Men and Women Got Together is a fascinating story of the depiction and differences between man and woman. I like how Old Man and The Chief Woman had dialogue and that he was trying to impress her. This myth has differences in the fact that we see how most Native Americans see the relationship they have with their deities. Not necessarily a desirable one, but more of a provider and that’s it.
4. When Grizzlies Walked Upright could be a story that shows the difference between how Native American men and women see the fall of man to have happened. instead of falling from grace, they were cursed to the ground.
5. Creation of Animal People is a story where Native Americans believe that before the settlement of Columbus in 1492, Native Americans were much more in tuned with their animistic nature. This could very well be a translation of how humans and animals came into existence as apart from how it is told in Genesis.

Thanks for Reading!!

Greece vs Scandinavia

Of the bat, Greek and Norse mythology have the fact that certain gods were born of certain body parts. Already do we see how prevalent violence is within the Norse culture and its mythology by the way that Odin and his 2 brothers “off” the frost giant. I thought it was interesting how they separated his body parts to make certain earth and land forms. The way that Odin basically tells what Day and Night are supposed to do by riding their chariots to brighten or darken the sky was thought provoking.

By the actions of Fjalar and Galar it is easy to see how Viking culture came to be with the pirating, pillaging and plundering for self-gain. These two brothers probably shed more blood between the 2 of them than all of Greek Mythology combined. That alone is a comparison in and of itself.

In regards to the building of Asgard’s Wall, its interesting to hear the term “trickster” come from this text as it also comes from Greek Mythology inreference to “Hermes”. However, this story shows of the trickery of not only the trickster but of Loki as well. The fact that the trickster was wanting Freyja as his wife for work done, reminds me of Aphrodite being on the bargaining block as well.

I see a lot of similarities between Greek and Norse mythologies…

Apollo… Nuff Said!

Apollo 

The Greek god, Apollo, was known for guarding the city and also the guidance of how to go about something. Apollo was also known for “smiting”. Smite: to strike with a firm blow. Normally associated with gods of all origins. Apollo Agyieus protected the streets of the city from crime. Apollo Thyraios protected the doors of your house. Apollo Propylaios protected the city gate from attackers. Apollo Prostaterios was a personal protector. Apollo Smintheus would
smite a city with illness such as plagues through mice. Apollo Lykeios was a military tactic in which they would pray to him for an offensivestrike with wolves. Lastly, Apollo Delphinios comes from where we get the word dolphin. This form of Apollo came in the form of a dolphin and was the protector of seafarers.

Apollo is a god known for a prowess to protect whether it be by offense of defense. “What drew so many visitors to Delphi was the chance to consult Apollo, god of divination and prophecy. In myth, Apollo often predicted future events, such as Oedipus’ murder of his father. In reality, he more often advised peti-tioners on the best course of action for addressing their problems, specializing in ritual solutions that invoked the aid of the gods.” (Larsen, 4)

      Few Greek gods have the popularity as Apollo does. He is often depicted as gold or bronze and holding a bow& arrow. Apollo Prostaterios is most likely the one in reference when the statue with the bow and arrow is show. Here we see a picture from the popular movie “Troy” where Apollo Prostaterios is shown in gold. (yahoo) Unfortunately, this is the scene where Achilles (Brad Pitt) decapitates this statue.

Apollo in his many facets and names, has become one of the most popular and most worship of the Greek gods for many reasons. 1) He protects and defends while on land or at sea, 2) He has wisdom in battle and in life (no need for Athena), 3) He is a temple god that is to be worshipped in the temple, 4) He directs you t which gods you should go to for advice, to name a few… “Fueled by the popularity of the oracle, its fame grew until it became the premier sanctuary of Apollo in the Greek world, exerting a unique influence on  Greek  colonization  and  interstate  relations.  Its  only  rival  in  this respect  was  the  Panhellenic  sanctuary  of  Zeus  at  Olympia.” (Larsen, 3) Apollo is a god that not only ancient Greeks looked to for wisdom, power and victory and has been the name of many outer space missions to the moon. but there has also been a modern day character in a movie (one of the best movie sagas of all times) named after Apollo. Some of you all might be too young to relate or even know who the picture is of… but ladies and gentlemen, I introduce Apollo Creed!!!

Larsen, Jennifer. Ancient Greek Cults: A Guide. New York: Routledge, 2007. p.3. PDF

Larsen, Jennifer. Ancient Greek Cults: A Guide. New York: Routledge, 2007. p.4. PDF

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