AN INDO-EUROPEAN GUIDE-BOOK OF THE DEAD – Part Three: The River Of Stars

To Return to the Skies Above Us, then, there are two important points to be raised ... points upon a single shaft, much like Hades' Bident. The first of these is the nature of the Path to which Yama is said to have held the noble, sacred, and solemn duty of being the first being … Continue reading AN INDO-EUROPEAN GUIDE-BOOK OF THE DEAD – Part Three: The River Of Stars

Aesir-Vanir, Asura-Deva, but also A’Sura, Daeva

There's a few comparative mythographic ideas out there that are simple, intuitive, comfortable, persistent ... and downright wrong. One of these is the thorny thicket of presumptions which have grown up around three not-unrelated sets of terminology from the Vedic, Eddic, and Zoroastrian corpuses. The core of which is basically that as there was an Aesir-Vanir … Continue reading Aesir-Vanir, Asura-Deva, but also A’Sura, Daeva

Ahimsa And The Non-Counterpoint Of Contextually Mandated Violence

[Author's note: This turned up from my writings upon this date in 2018 - given the present series we're running, it seemed a useful thought to re-publicize here] I have previously, from time to time, written about the Hindu principle of 'Ahimsa' - often (directly) translated as "non-harm" or "non-violence" ... and often rather egregiously … Continue reading Ahimsa And The Non-Counterpoint Of Contextually Mandated Violence

OF BHAIRAVA AND BALANCE, Vedic, Eddic, and Homeric perspectives upon Lore and Order [Part 4D] KankalaMurti (Habeas Corpus) – The Inception Of Divine Reconciliation As The Beginnings Of Atonement

The 'short-form' rendition of the Tale of Bhairava, Brahma-Slayer, generally has Him pursued by the Brahmahatya personification until He reaches the Holy City of Varanasi/Kashi, whereupon Bhairava's symbolic act of penance is completed, the Skull of Brahma falls from His Mighty Blood-Stained Hand ['KapalaMochana'] and the Brahmahatya sinks into the ground mere meters from the … Continue reading OF BHAIRAVA AND BALANCE, Vedic, Eddic, and Homeric perspectives upon Lore and Order [Part 4D] KankalaMurti (Habeas Corpus) – The Inception Of Divine Reconciliation As The Beginnings Of Atonement

OF BHAIRAVA AND BALANCE, Vedic, Eddic, and Homeric perspectives upon Lore and Order [Part 4C] Bhikshatana – The Path Of The Divine Exile

Following on from Bhairava's decapitation-strike and humbling blow against Brahma, The Terrifying Executioner ('Headsman', as we shall soon see) incurred the sin of Brahmanicide - Brahmahatya. And this is quite important, for while Brahma's egregious misdeed had themselves both represented and perpetuated a grievous 'imbalance' - Bhairava's forcible correction thereof had also created an 'imbalance' … Continue reading OF BHAIRAVA AND BALANCE, Vedic, Eddic, and Homeric perspectives upon Lore and Order [Part 4C] Bhikshatana – The Path Of The Divine Exile

OF BHAIRAVA AND BALANCE, Vedic, Eddic, and Homeric perspectives upon Lore and Order [Part 4B] The Emanation Of Rta As Balance – Justice As The Maintenance Of Divine Order

But before we continue with our travel through the Myth of Bhairava towards this proffered Syzygy, it is necessary to dwell upon a vitally important concept which underpins the vast majority of what comes next. We've also met it before, as an effective core theme of much that has been said thus far; albeit, even when … Continue reading OF BHAIRAVA AND BALANCE, Vedic, Eddic, and Homeric perspectives upon Lore and Order [Part 4B] The Emanation Of Rta As Balance – Justice As The Maintenance Of Divine Order

Ancient Aryan Meath & Modern Afghani Meth – A Remembrance?

I found this rather ... disconcerting, because it is arguably an instance of #NAS meme magic in action. You see, many years ago now, when I was getting interested in Indo-European ethnobotany, I happened across the academic debate over the identity of Soma. Which - to my mind at least - has now been solved … Continue reading Ancient Aryan Meath & Modern Afghani Meth – A Remembrance?

SkandaMata – 5th of the NavaDurgas, 5th Night of NavRatri

The Fifth Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as SkandaMata – the Mother of Skanda (Kartikeya), one of the foremost of our War Gods. He takes after His Mother in that regard 😀 Of course, before situating SkandaMata within the overarching context of the NavaRatri Cycle, it is necessary to briefly introduce Lord Skanda, … Continue reading SkandaMata – 5th of the NavaDurgas, 5th Night of NavRatri