Venus in furs

• Sun, 22:51: Martin Niemoller , 1946 http://j.mp/b3fqct

When they came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

by Martin Niemoller, 1946

something wrong, try again
#2
This is a test.
I am tryimg to learn to "cut" and LINK reallly LONG posts...

I think that I shall never see
a billboard lovely as a tree.
Perhaps, unless the billboards fall,
I'll never see a tree at all.

RULES FOR BEING A HUMAN BEING
No one knows who wrote this list, which has been around for years.
Here are the TEN rules for being a human being.

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will
be yours for the entire period.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal
school called life. Each day in this school you will have the
opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them
irrelevant and stupid.

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial
and error and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much
a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately "works."

4. A lesson is repeated until learned. A lesson will be presented to
you in various forms until you have learned it.

5. Learning does not end. There is no part of life that does not
contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be
learned.

6. "There" is no better than "here." When your "there" has become
a "here," you will simply obtain another "there" that will again
look better than "here."

7. Others are merely mirrors of you.

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools
and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The
choice is yours.

9. Your answers lie inside you. The answers to life's questions lie
inside you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You will forget all of this.

True answers, PLEASE.

AND HEAR WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT YOU.
YOU HAVE 3 MINUTES AFTER YOU READ THIS TO REPLY AND REPOST IT UNDER "WOULD YOU LET ME". IF NOT YOU WILL BE RAPED BY A WILD GORILLA

Y = Yes
N = No
M = Maybe

Would You?

[_] Come To My House To Do Nothing But Chill?
[_] Slap Me?
[_] Kiss Me?
[_] Watch A Movie With Me?
[_] Take Me Out To Dinner?
[_] Let Me Sleep In Your Bed?
[_] Repost This For Me To Answer Your Questions?
[_] Let Me Make You Breakfast?
[_] Tickle Me?
[_] Let Me Tickle You?
[_] Stick Up For Me if I Was Being Put Down?
[_] Instant Message Me?
[_] Greet Me In Public?
[_] Hang Out With Me?
[_] Bring Me Around Your Friends?

Do You...
[_] Think I'm Cute?
[_] Want To Kiss Me?
[_] Want To Cuddle With Me?
[_] Want To Date Me?

Am I...
[_] Smart?
[_] Cute?
[_] Funny?
[_] Cool?
[_] Loveable?
[_] Adorable?
[_] Great To Be With?
[_] Attractive?
[_] Mean?

Have You Ever...
[_] Thought About Dating Me?
[_] Found Yourself Wanting A Kiss From Me?
[_] Wished I Were There?
[_] Wanted My Number?
[_] Had A Dream About Me?
[_] Been Distracted By Me?

Are You...
[_] Happy You Know Me?
[_] Thinking About Me?
[_] Going To Repost This

"Today, dear Leo, it might be a good idea to confine your group activities to those concentrating on meditation and metaphysical matters.
Meetings taking place for the purpose of settling practical matters might not accomplish much, as all signs are that communication and mental focus might not be what they usually are.
If you must attend such a meeting today, don't be surprised if it turns out to be not much more than a social gathering."

"Sex and romance are always important to you, dear Leo, but today they are especially so. A rush of amorous feeling could have you noticing every good-looking person who passes you by. Romantic novels and movies could seem particularly appealing, and you might want to spend some time buying clothes or trying new makeup. Your creative expression screams for an outlet, so you might want to start a new project. In the evening: Plan an intimate dinner with a lover!"

http://abuse101.com/emotionalabuse…

Signs of Emotional Abuse

Emotionally abusive relationships can be very damaging because there is no 'concrete' thing that can be seen - and so the cause often goes unnoticed. We often just have an 'uneasy' feeling until it is too late and the damage has been done. Emotionally abusive relationships may show as little as only three, but as much as all of the following questions:

Is your mate irritated, upset, or angry with you often, sometimes several times a week or more?
For instance, do you often worry about her/him misunderstanding something s/he thought you said, or what you thought s/he said?
Are they upset with you even though you had no intention of upsetting them? Are you often times surprised by their anger or sudden outburst?
Is their anger directed at 'you' or something they say 'you' did or didn't do?
Does s/he blame 'you' for her/his outrage, anger, or upset?
Does s/he deny to you her/his being angry or upset?
Do you find yourself questioning everything you do as you do it, lest it angers her/him?
Does s/he refuse to discuss any upsetting issues with you, or accuse you of trying to start an argument if you bring them up?
Do you feel that the issues that arise are never resolved?
Do you feel uneasy, unhappy, depressed, or edgy because of these unresolved issues?
Does s/he frequently misunderstand your intentions?
Do you end up feeling perplexed and frustrated at his misconstruing your every action?
Do you find yourself dismissing the bigger issues of your relationship, such as children, financial investments, or retirement planning because your daily lack of communication is consuming your emotional energy?
Are the simple little day-to-day issues consuming the big picture?
Do you sometimes feel like there is something wrong with 'you'?
Do you sometimes feel bad and can't figure out why?
Is your mate secretive?
Does s/he rarely, if ever, share his thoughts or plans with you, or discuss issues with you?
Does your mate almost always disagree with you?
If you say the sky is blue do they say it is grey?
If you found a movie to be good do they claim it was bad?
Are you always made to feel like you are wrong and he is right?
Are you punished when you say "No", or are you made to feel you haven't the right to say “Stop this”?
Do you feel obligated to 'give in' just to keep peace?
Does your mate get angry or pretend ignorance if you approach him to discuss an issue?
Do you bite your tongue and hold things in?
Do you feel like your mate holds all the power in your relationship?
Do you find yourself asking for 'permission' to do something or get something, as if you were a child?
Do you often apologize for your behavior?
Does your mate overpower you making you feel 'needy' and 'humble' to them?
Have you gradually stopped talking to or seeing your family?
Have you lost contact with your friends?
Does your mate criticize your friends, or belittle your family members?
Does s/he complain when you visit them to the point where you stop just to avoid the confrontation and argument?
Does your mate's behavior often embarrass you?
Does your 'bowing down to her/him' behavior embarrass you?
Do you think that everything is your fault and that if you can somehow fix your flaws that everything would be okay in the relationship?
Do you often give in to her/his sexual demands to keep the peace?
Do you have sex, or consent to unreasonable sexual demands, even if you don't want to?
(sex?)
Does s/he do drugs or drink alcohol?
Does her/his personality change when s/he does these?
Do you find yourself having an uneasy 'sinking feeling' when you hear or see her/him pop open a beer?
Does s/he make fun of you or joke around about your flaws?
Can s/he laugh at his own mistakes, or herself/himself, or admit to her/his own shortcomings and weaknesses?
Does s/he quickly and easily admit when he's wrong?
Can he apologize for his own behaviors?
Does s/he make excuses for her/his behavior and blame it on someone or something else?
Does s/he point the finger at you and make you feel like you are the reason for her/his upsets or to fault for her/his mistakes?
Does s/he make all the decisions in the relationship?
Does s/he plan outings, finances, vacations, retirement, children's discipline, the car, etc?
(outings?!)
Does he control, curtail, or disapprove of your spending?
Has s/he put you on an allowance, or strict budget, yet has complete freedom to spend as s/he wishes?
Does s/he keep you financially needy of her/him?
Would you feel frightened or uneasy if s/he caught you reading this questionnaire, or taking this test?

If you have answered yes to just three of these questions, odds are you are in an emotionally abusive relationship. You probably find yourself often depressed and wondering why. You may just feel 'unhappy' but can't put your finger on the source of your unhappiness. Or you may find yourself thinking that you are clumsy, stupid, incompetent, wrong, or no-good.

These are all subtle signs of being emotionally abused.

~Tigress Luv

*(Subtle, she says?! Whew!)

This is by far one of the most definitive works i've ever read about my Beloved Goddess Sekhmet, "She Who was before the Gods were" and "Great One of Magic and Healing", Lady of Life Lady of Creation... ~S


By John Anthony West:

"INTRODUCING SEKHMET:

Sekhmet, in ancient Egypt, was portrayed as a female figure with the head of a lioness. In the mythology, it was Sekhmet who meted out Divine vengeance when errant humanity neglected to worship the gods and took matters into its own unknowing hands. Her destructive rampages were designed to restore rightful order, she was the goddess who heals... but by fire. Here in these pages she is spoken for (in appropriately contemporary terminology) by her amanuensis, John Anthony West, rogue Egyptologist, author of Serpent in the Sky: the High Wisdom of Ancient Egypt and other books and student of the 'symbolist' school of Egyptology developed by the Alsatian mathematician and philosopher, R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz, and developer of the controversial but geologically supported theory that the Great Sphinx of Giza was built, not by the dynastic Egyptians, but by an earlier civilization flourishing in Egypt around 12,000 or more years ago.

SEKHMET ON CIVILIZATION:

Civilization is like a park. It's not 'natural', it doesn't just happen in the normal course of affairs. Nature, left to her own devices will not produce a park; human beings, interested only in procreation, food, shelter and the acquisition of lateral goods will not produce a civilization. Both park and civilization are contingent upon human will, intelligence, industry and intervention -- and the understanding that both natural world and human beings possesses a hidden or occult potential. Both park and civilization may be seen as exaltations of the natural order. Only human beings can bring them forth into manifestation.

A good park (the Japanese are perhaps the most accomplished masters of the art) is not the "conquest" or even the taming of wild nature, but an aesthetic enhancement of its manifold distinct but hidden qualities. And a valid civilization is not the suppression, repression or distortion of our human nature but rather its transformation into something higher; something nature (that is to say "the gods") have not freely bestowed upon us except as potential.

In the park of civilization, the mighty oaks and maples represent the great religions; the shrubbery and flower beds the complex of sophisticated amenities that distinguish civilizations from so-called primitive societies. (These are no less satisfactory or spiritually developed on their own terms but they function in tune with nature and are uninterested in or consciously opposed to making nature serve human values. So for the sake of our extended metaphor these primitive or traditional societies are not civilizations in the usual sense of the word.)

Once established, the park/civilization calls for endless cooperation and intelligent attention if it is to flourish. When the parkkeepers, (its priests, scientists, philosophers and artists) are drunk, crazy, greedy and lazy the park quickly degenerates. Once the process of degeneration sets in, there is no direction from above. Without direction from above, the humble but necessary carters and traders who bring in the manure, tools and supplies quickly take advantage of the anarchy. Dissatisfied with their lowly status, they euphemize themselves into "businessmen", "industrialists", "entrepreneurs", "marketing managers", "advertising executives" and "financiers" and preempt positions of power. Their power is then maintained by a hierarchy of mercenaries, henchmen and yes-men similarly euphemized into "politicians".
Chaos ensues. And in this particular instance that chaos is called "Progress". A pseudo-science is then invented to justify the production and distribution of ever-greater heaps of manure. This pseudo-science is called "economics". It has no basis in reality, yet it seems to --once the manure carters have taken over the park. In the absence of a functioning, spiritually based religion, "economics" is then glorified in turn into a pseudo-religion: Theo-economics, which, supported by its accompanying philosophy of Metafinance, becomes the catechism of the Church of Progress.

And so we find ourselves today. The oaks and maples are blighted and rot from the core out; the shrubbery grows rampant and out of control, the ponds are stagnant, weeds, brambles and poison ivy take over all open spaces, and everything is covered with manure. There is no room for bear or deer or wolves to live, but bugs and vermin flourish. What had been an exaltation of nature becomes nature degraded -- to many a state far less satisfactory than nature left to her own devices which in turn provokes a nostalgia for simpler times.

Left to itself, sooner or later the park will revert back to nature leaving little trace of its former state. But meanwhile, life in the park --except for the bugs, the vermin and the manure carters-- is hell. How then to reverse the process? Obviously it can't be stopped. It has to run its course. Nothing can nourish the oaks and maples back to health (in the park of Western Civilization these trees were stunted, diseased and grotesquely deformed to begin with and their conversion into useful firewood will provoke little mourning). Pruning the shrubbery is next to useless. There are only a couple of alternatives.

The simplest of course is set the whole thing on fire, burn everything to the ground, and start from scratch. Ancient legends and texts around the world seem to indicate that this has happened in the past. Sodom and Gomorrah may refer to such an event; Plato's 'Atlantis' to another version of the same; in the prophetic Hermetic book of Aesclepius (ca. 2nd Century AD) Hermes Trismegistus (Thrice Great Hermes) the Neoplatonic name for Djehuti, or Thoth, the ancient Egyptian embodiment of Divine Wisdom, declares unequivocally that this has been the repeated fate of parks when the parkkeepers go berserk. And of course the potential for a conflagration of this sort is ever-present today-- nuclear, environmental, pestilential, or any combination thereof.

If that is what is actually in store, the Armageddonites have the only solution. Head for the hills, prepare bunkers stocked with assault rifles and supplies of pork and beans and hope to ride out the holocaust.

But if that is not the preordained and ineluctable denouement, perhaps the park can be revivified even as it goes through its necessary process of dissolution: salvaging what is still viable and salvageable, dismantling and recycling what is not, disposing of what is noxious, toxic and inessential, and reestablishing the correct chain of command as a prerequisite to a new order. All of this takes time, vision, a common aim, and a wide variety of complementary skills. Enlightened gardeners must replant trees. (It is a curious fact that, just before they die, trees often produce far more nuts and seeds than they do in healthy maturity.)

In this case, the trees will not be genetic clones of the old (the park/civilization analogy is not exact --analogies never are. But they will be viable mutations based upon the same eternal principles -- what Schwaller de Lubicz called the doctrine of the return to the "source"; what Graham Hancock calls "the science of immortality".

In ancient Egypt the gardeners were the followers of Osiris, divine creator of civilization, embodiment of the principle of regeneration and renewal, the mortal "god" who dies but who carries the seed of eternal life (Horus) within him.

Landscape architects (sons and daughters of Ptah, architect of heaven and earth) must redesign the entire plan to conform to the radically changed conditions of a new precessional age. The parkkeepers have to be sobered up and brought back to sanity --or summarily fired and replaced. The arrogant manure carters must be deprived of power and put back in their rightful, honorable, but subordinate positions.

But before constructive gardening and landscaping activity can take place on a grand scale, before the ponds can be purified and restocked with fish, the ground first has to be thoroughly cleared. The brambles have to be chopped down, the poison ivy pulled out by the roots, the deadwood cleared away and the weeds composted.
In Egypt, this was the work of Sekhmet, the lioness, female aspect of the fire principle, she who both destroys and heals ... through fire and purgation. Appropriately equipped with flame-thrower and chainsaw to cope with the stubborn contemporary breed of weed, bramble and poison ivy, it is Sekhmet's twenty-first century job to clear the way for the gardeners and architects; to apply the wrecking ball to the Church of Progress.

Civilization is not a birthright, it is a privilege. We can act upon it, or ignore it -- the latter at our peril.
Hers is the path of constructive destruction. In these occasional essays I shall be reporting on Sekhmet's work-in-progress."