A Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist Praise Prayer To Manjusri (Also Known as Jampel Yang, the Gentle-Voiced Bodhisattva of Wisdom)

A Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist Praise Prayer To Manjusri (Also Known as Jampel Yang, the Gentle-Voiced Bodhisattva of Wisdom)

I solemnly prostrate to the Lama and the Protector Manjusri

Whose knowledge, devoid of the clouds of the two obscurations,

Is very pure and clear as the sun. 

He holds the book before his mind,

So that all beings may see exactly all subtle meanings, 

For those persons imprisoned in the darkness of ignorance, confused and troubled in suffering.

From compassion for all, the one Son expounds in sixty kinds of eloquent speech.

His thundering Dharma voice awakens all from sleepiness, 

Releasing them from the iron chains of passion. 

Holding the Sword of Wisdom, he clears away the suffering and obscurations. 

Pure from the first, after passing through the ten stages

All become the body of the victorious Son, 

Clearing away 112 kinds of mental obscurations.

To Manjusri I pay homage.

(repeat this prayer 3, 7, 21 or as many times as you are able)

OM AH RA PA TSA NA DHI

(repeat the mantra as many times as you are able, then sit silently) 

Then, when ready, pray as follows:

By the rays of your kind, supreme knowledge, 

Clear the darkened ignorance of my mind.

In order to understand the teachings and the commentaries, as in traditional canon, 

I beseech you to grant the luminosity of confident wisdom. 

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The Nahua Cross of Life: Mexican Hieroglyph of the Nagual or Personal Guardian Spirit

The Nahua Cross of Life: Mexican Hieroglyph of the Nagual or Personal Guardian Spirit

Many Christian symbols and archetypes have been found around the world in pre-Christian contexts, resulting in fascinating syncretic connections and ideological overlaps. According to Prof. Daniel G. Brinton, A.M., M.D., LL.D., D.Sc. in his book Nagualism: A Study in Native American Folk-lore and History (1894), "The sign of the cross, either the form with equal arms known as the cross of St. Andrew, which is the oldest Christian form, or the Latin cross, with its arms of unequal length, came to be the ideogram for “life” in the Mexican hieroglyphic writing; and as such, with more or less variants, was employed to signify the tonalli or nagual, the sign of nativity, the natal day, the personal spirit. The ancient document called the Mappe Quinatzin offers examples, and its meaning is explained by various early writers. The peculiar character of the Mexican ritual calendar, by which nativities were calculated, favored a plan of representing them in the shape of a cross; as we see in the singular Codex Cruciformis of the Boturini-Goupil collection."

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Cernunnos as Yoga Master: The Celtic Shiva

Cernunnos as Yoga Master: The Celtic Shiva

In 1891, a great silver bowl or cauldron, elaborately crafted during the Iron Age, was found at Gundestrup in Denmark. The Gundestrup Cauldron contains a wealth of ancient spiritual motifs, a few of which will be briefly discussed in this article. 

The exterior of the cauldron depicts the busts of seven different deities, male and female, as well as symbols associated with them. In Hinduism as well as various syncretic mystical paths, the number seven is also associated with the 7 major chakras or energy vortices of the human body, each with their own symbolism and deity (or facet of the One God). 

The interior of the Gundestrup Cauldron features five scenes of religious or spiritual significance. One of these scenes depicts a horned god sitting in a typical yogic posture. Often identified as Cernunnos (the "Horned One"), he wears on his head a splendid crown of seven-tined stag antlers. One is reminded that in the shamanic Song of Amergin, an ancient Celtic poem, the bard sings: "I am a stag of seven tines."

The Master Yogi-Shaman or Horned God sits with a stag and bull at his right hand, and a horned serpent and hunting dog on his left. This image is similar to that of the Vedic god of animals, Pashupati (Lord of Beasts), who was also an early form of Lord Shiva. (The Pashupati seal, or Mahayogi seal, was found at the site of Mohenjo-daro in modern Pakistan).  Cernunnos, Pashupati, and Lord Shiva are all depicted in a similar yogic pose or asana while surrounded by animals. 

In the right corner of the horned god scene is a man riding on the back of a dolphin to meet the divine bull or Bull of Heaven. Lions appear to be guarding the waters or the path toward the bull; perhaps the scene is a reference to crossing the "ocean of Samsara" to reach spiritual liberation, or Moksha, the end of earthly reincarnation. 

The scene is further enhanced with decorative leaves from a sacred plant or tree, such as ivy, mistletoe, or oak. In ancient Greek religion, ivy was associated with Dionysus, a similar God of Ecstasy, as well as wine and vegetation. Mistletoe and oak were often associated with the heavenly Storm God in various Indo-European cultures. The Storm God was usually placed at the head of the pantheon, like Zeus at the head of the Olympians. Rudra, another early form of Shiva, was also conceptualized as a storm god. The thunderbolt itself may be understood as the ecstatic "lightning flash" of Kundalini and its inherent spiritual enlightenment and revelation.

At the bottom of the bowl the divine bull is seen again, this time hunted down by three dogs and a warrior with a sword in his hand. The cauldron has been damaged, but in its original state the bowl would have rested on the curved horns of the bull projecting outwards to form a crescent shape, like an image of the crescent Moon. 

On the bull's forehead rests a twisted rosette with an ancient Indo-European swastika in the center, symbolizing the solar Life Force, as well as universal diversity united into One at the mystical center or Axis Mundi; hence, unity in diversity, and diversity in Unity; God as One and All simultaneously. Looking more closely at the bull's head, one can see that this symbol is part of a larger decorative motif; the rosette is fastened to the top of a column, with it base situated upon a crescent moon. The column once again represents Axis Mundi or the World Tree, the mystical center of the universe. In this particular depiction, the column spans and unites the energetic poles of solar and lunar, one pole at each end - symbolism also relevant to Tantric Yoga and Inner Alchemy, where the internal Axis Mundi or World Tree is also the spinal column or its inner energetic channel, the Sushumna, through which the Kundalini ascends.

The Gundestrup Cauldron therefore becomes, in a symbolic context, the sacred cup of the moon or the chalice of alchemy, a pagan Holy Grail containing the mystical drink of immortality made from the Life-fluid or blood of the divine bull, resulting in ecstasy and psychic vision. It is the mystical cup of Ambrosia, Soma, or the Wine of the Gods; the sacred Blood of Christ slain and risen.

The hunter of the bull appears androgynous; he wears the spurs of a man on his boots and has the breasts of a woman. Perhaps he has completed the inner alchemical operation of uniting masculine and feminine, of solar and lunar, of ida and pingala. With his weapon drawn and arm raised, he is depicted in a posture of jumping or floating through the air, with his hunting dog running or leaping beside him.

Like Shiva, Cernunnos is the God of Ecstasy. In his left hand, he holds a snake adorned with the spiraling horns of a ram. This horned serpent is Kundalini ascending - the serpent of Light and bliss which rises through the sushumna or spinal channel. This serpent of ecstasy is also a representation of Devi Shakti, the Divine Feminine, Life Energy, or Holy Spirit. Starting from the base of the spine - the internal Axis Mundi or sacred column - it rises up through the seven chakras and emerges through the top of the head at the Sahasrara or Crown Chakra, resulting in Unity with the Divine Oneness, as well as mystical perception of Divine Light and the Face or Presence of God.

The stag, the ram, and the bull are all common symbols of God Most High in ancient cultures. Thus, when Kundalini ascends to its highest position, the serpent receives the horns of God - horns of divine power. 

When St. Hubertus the hunter encountered the stag with the Crucifix of Christ between its antlers, he received a vision of the ultimate Reality. It was a vision also of God Most High as the suffering god of vegetation and sacrifice, the slain and rising God. This vision was given to St. Hubertus on Good Friday - the day of Jesus Christ's Crucifixion. The sacred hunt thus becomes a religious symbol for the holy spiritual quest - for the seeking of ultimate Reality and ecstasy. 

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Medieval Catholic Christian Magical Incantations: Historiolae or Narrative Charms

Medieval Catholic Christian Magical Incantations: Historiolae or Narrative Charms

During the Middle Ages, magical incantations were a popular means to ameliorate suffering and reduce fear. One such form of incantation was the narrative charm, based on a short mythical or legendary story. The mythical story (or narrative) provided the paradigm and context for the desired magical result. A narrative charm could be recited orally for the benefit of the recipient, or it could be used in a textual amulet. Modern scholars also refer to narrative charms as historiolae.

The historiolae contained brief anecdotes about sacred, legendary, or mythic personages who had suffered in ways that foreshadowed the current sufferings of a person in the present day. These anecdotes therefore could metaphorically erase the barriers of time and space; past and present were no longer separate entities. Like the mythical personage featured in the charm, people who turned to such narratives held firm the hope of reaping similar benefits of supernatural protection and divine healing. When properly invoked, the sacred types and precedents featured in these stories were believed to facilitate a magical replication of past miracles and supernatural cures. The recipient would be protected and healed just like the original subject of the sacred narrative.

Narrative charms were deeply rooted in oral culture, so they often included some form of dialogue. These dialogues could also precede the use of other conjurations spoken by a parish priest or healer to address demons or other malevolent forces for the benefit of the afflicted person.

Historiolae were utilized in ancient rituals for thousands of years. The earliest evidence we currently have for narrative charms in the Middle Ages dates to the 9th or 10th centuries, when Latin historiolae appear in surviving manuscripts. From the 13th to 15th centuries, narrative charms circulated widely in secular manuscripts and textual amulets. Some late medieval critics condemned these charms and amulets as worthless folly. The Malleus Maleficarum, or Hammer of Witches, published in 1486, mentions one such charm with disdain: "Some old women in their incantations use some such jingling doggerel (or silly jingles) as the following: Blessed MARY went a-walking / Over Jordan river. / St. Stephen met her, / and fell a-talking, etc." (Malleus Maleficarum, Part 2, Question 2, Chapter 6)

Like other noncanonical texts, narrative charms were not standardized, and therefore had many variations. Through oral transmission and inventive scribal copying, historiolae spread widely and were distributed in innumerable different versions. One example that saw endless permutations was a narrative-style fever charm based on an apocryphal story about St. Peter sitting outside Jerusalem’s Golden Gate or Rome's Latin Gate. In its many versions, Jesus Christ invariably begins by asking St. Peter about his affliction. Learning that St. Peter is suffering from a fever, Christ uses his healing touch to cure him. St. Peter then asks Christ to allow other people to benefit from divine Grace by transforming the narrative charm into a textual amulet that can be worn on their bodies. Jesus responds affirmatively.  

Like the biblical Word of God, this fever charm was ideal for use in textual amulets because it contained what were believed to be Christ’s own words. It thus became very popular; similar versions of the fever charm, in Latin as well as vernacular languages, can be found in a wide array of physical contexts. Latin and vernacular versions of narrative charms survive in innumerable English, German, Italian, and other secular manuscripts, especially from the 14th and 15th centuries.

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The Medieval Grimoire "The Picatrix" on the Colors and Pigments of the Zodiacal Sign of Aries

The Medieval Grimoire "The Picatrix" on the Colors and Pigments of the Zodiacal Sign of Aries

The Picatrix (or in Arabic Ghāyat al-Ḥakīm) is an early medieval book of magick, astrology, and alchemy (an early form of chemistry). In the study of esotericism and the magickal arts, this book has been used for centuries as a grimoire, as well as an important historical source text. One section of the book is dedicated to describing the colors associated with the Zodiac signs, and how to make inks, pigments, and paints corresponding to those colors. The instructions for the sign of Aries are as follows (some of these substances are toxic, so do not try this at home!):

"§13 The color of the first face of Aries is red and is made thus: take one part each of oak gall, gum arabic, and orpiment. Grind them up separately, then mix them together. When you desire to write or paint anything with it, combine it with egg whites."

[The word "Orpiment" is an elision of the Latin "auri pigmentum", or "gold pigment." It is a deep yellow-colored arsenic sulfide mineral (As2S3) found around volcanoes and hot springs. It is a byproduct of the decay of another arsenic mineral, realgar (α-As4S4). Orpiment has long been used as a gold pigment base from ancient Rome to China.]

"The color of the second face is yellow of a golden hue, and it is made thus: take equal parts of blue vitriol and talc. Grind them up separately, and mix them with honey. Distill this into a little gum arabic, and set it aside for the ritual."

[Blue vitriol, also known as calcanthum, is a copper sulfate.]

"The tincture of the third face is white and is made thus: take equal parts of white lead and talc."

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A Simple Yet Effective Grounding Meditation Exercise

A Simple Yet Effective Grounding Meditation Exercise

1. Sit or stand in a comfortable position, with your back straight but not rigid.

2. Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose. When you are ready, breathe out through your nose, and relax.

3. Proceed to let your breath flow slowly and naturally without pause - in and out. Breathe calmly and without restriction.

4. Gently focus your attention on your root chakra at the base of your spine.

5. Imagine a connection opening up between your root chakra and the Earth. This connection can take many forms and can be different each time you practice. Some like to visualize it as a tree trunk or roots, a hollow bamboo stalk, a silver tube, a beam of light, a flow of menstrual blood, and so on.

6. Visualize this energetic connection extending from your root chakra down into Mother Earth, passing through the crust and bedrock, deep into the planet's molten mantle or metallic core.

7. Once you have formed this connection, allow any overwhelming emotional sensations or negative energies - such as fear, anger, lethargy, panic, hyperactivity, grief, shame, guilt, or anxiety - to flow through your connection down into the center of Mother Earth. 

8. There, in a fiery blast, see the energy purified and returned back to you as a safe, loving, peaceful, accepting, and comforting Life Force.

9. Take your time to maintain this flowing connection - overwhelming energy down, soothing energy back up.

10. Practice your grounding meditation regularly. As you move through your day, consciously remind yourself to ground, and then perform this meditation again. Notice the difference that it makes in your mood, stability, and calmness. Whenever you feel off-balance or fearful, continue to perform this meditation and you will see positive results.

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The Ahl al-Bayt are the Door to the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge

The Ahl al-Bayt are the Door to the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge

An excerpt from Nahjul Balagha (Peak of Eloquence) by Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (s.a.):

"Remember, that we are the Ahl al-Bayt of the Holy Prophet. We are his true companions; we are trustees and treasurers of the knowledge granted to him and we are the doors through which one can reach this store-house of wisdom and learning. It is unlawful to enter a house but through its door, and he who disregards this principle is a trespasser or a thief.

"The Ahl al-Bayt own and possess in their deeds and words the excellence and nobleness which the Holy Qur'an preaches. They are the treasure-houses of the Mercy and Benevolence of God, and they are the sources from which real wisdom and true knowledge, destined by Him for man, can be obtained.

"Their (successors of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.)) speeches contain nothing but truth. If they do not speak about any subject, it is not because they do not know anything about it or anyone else could speak better, but simply because it is advisable not to speak then. It is imperative on the man, who has been destined by God to guide humanity, to explain things correctly and truly to his followers; he should utilize his wisdom for their well-being; he should think more of the next world and teach people to attach more importance to it - because from there they have come, and to there they will have to return."

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Answering Questions with the Pendulum - A Method of Divination

Answering Questions with the Pendulum - A Method of Divination

Get a blank page of copy paper and draw a line down the middle or diagonally across. Ask your pendulum to show you which side means "Yes"; and after that, ask your pendulum to show you which side means "No." Write these words on their proper sides of the page, in accordance with the pendulum's movements. 

For the next few days, periodically ask the pendulum to show you Yes and No on this piece of paper. Once you are feeling comfortable with this procedure, think of a question you want to ask and go to sleep. Sleep until you feel refreshed - do not attempt this exercise while you are tired, otherwise your results may be inaccurate. 

Upon waking up, as soon as you can, sit down with your piece of paper and pendulum. Say, "Universal Mind, whenever I ask a question and the answer is Yes, you will cause this pendulum to move in the direction of Yes." Then command it to move in the required direction. Then command your pendulum to stop moving. 

Wait until it has stopped moving and then say, "Universal Mind, whenever I ask a question and the answer is No, you will cause this pendulum to move in the direction of No." Then command it once again to move in the required direction, and then to stop moving when you are ready.

Then proceed to ask whatever question you'd like to have answered, and the pendulum will respond accordingly. 

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Amber as Divine Tears

Amber as Divine Tears

Helios was the ancient Greek god of the Sun, who drove the solar chariot across the sky. When his son, Phaëthon, attempted to drive the chariot without his father's permission, he lost control of the horses and drove the sun towards the Earth. Zeus had to strike down the chariot with a lightning bolt in order to save the Earth from burning up. The Milky Way was thus formed by the scorched path of the Sun across the sky.

Phaëthon fell to his death, and his sisters, the seven Heliades, grieved and mourned for four months. The gods turned the sisters into poplar trees, and their tears into amber, which often washes up on the Baltic shores. According to Apollonius of Rhodes, in his Argonautica, the Celts said that the amber drops are the tears of Apollo himself, after his banishment by Zeus to the land of the Hyperboreans. Among the Norse and Vikings, amber was believed to be the tears of Freyja, the goddess of love and beauty.

In the Middle Ages, amber was also known as glaes, glas, or glass. The "amber islands" of the Frisian archipelago, or Glaesariae, were named after these terms. When the Greek geographer Pytheas of Massalia wrote about the origin of amber, he referred to the north Frisian island of Abalus - a name which may have been distantly related to "apple" or "Apollo".

Apollo and his amber-glass tears may have also lent their names to the English region of Glastonbury, the former Isle of Avalon, where the sword Excalibur was forged, and where King Arthur was taken to heal after being gravely wounded at the Battle of Camlann.

Baltic amber is often believed to have pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties, and to have a calming, relaxing effect. Some healers also believe that amber helps to balance the chakras, cleanse the aura, and protect the energy body. Have you ever tried wearing amber for pain, inflammation, or anxiety, and if so, how did it work for you? Please leave a comment below!

(This blog does not constitute medical advice and the author is not liable for any loss or damages that may occur. Please consult your medical professional before starting or stopping any treatment, supplement, exercise, or therapy.)

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A Theosophical and Esoteric Interpretation of the Zoroastrian Karshipta Bird

A Theosophical and Esoteric Interpretation of the Zoroastrian Karshipta Bird

The ancient Zoroastrian scripture named Vendidad or Vidēvdād (“The Law Repudiating the Demons”) mentions a holy bird sent to humanity by God (Ahura Mazda), for the purpose of bringing to them the true religion of Mazda. This holy bird was named Karshipta (sometimes spelled Karshipt, Karshift, or Karšift, from the Avestan Karšiptar).

"O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! 

Who is he who brought the Religion of Mazda into the Vara (Enclosure) which Yima made?

Ahura Mazda answered: ‘It was the bird Karshipta, O holy Zarathushtra!’"

- Vendidad 2:42

According to the Bundahishn, chapters 19 and 24, "The bird Karshipta dwells in the heavens: were he living on the earth, he would be the king of birds... He brought the Religion into the Vara of Yima, and recites the Avesta in the language of the birds."

Theosophist H.P. Blavatsky, in Volume 2 of her Secret Doctrine, offers an esoteric interpretation: "Karshipta is the human mind-soul, and the deity thereof, symbolized in ancient Magianism by a bird, as the Greeks symbolized it by a butterfly. No sooner had Karshipta entered the Vara or man, than he understood the law of Mazda, or Divine Wisdom."

A literal translation of the Avestan "karšiptar" would be “the black-winged” - from karši- “black” and -ptar “wing”. This name possibly hints at the bird's identity as the raven, who played the role of divine messenger in many Indo-European legends. Interestingly, karši- “black” comes from the same root word as Sanskrit kṛṣṇa, or "black" - from which comes the name of Vishnu's Avatar, Lord Krishna. In Middle Persian, another word for raven was warāɣ, which was also related to the Avestan vārǝɣna- “falcon”.

A commentary on the Vendidad associates the Karshipta with the Chakravaka or ruddy shelduck (Anas casarca), also known as the Brahmany duck of India, with its black flight feathers. It may be likewise related to the Hamsa, the goose or swan of Brahma. From a theological standpoint, one may also notice the close resemblance of the Karshipta to the dove of the Holy Spirit from Christianity, as well as to the various sacred birds of ancient Egypt, such as the Horus falcon - and to the Persian Simurgh, which has its nest in the Tree of Life or Tree of Knowledge.

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