Garden of the Witch

The following is an ongoing research project to understand ancient witches. The goal, to reveal a character in The Witch. Check out all the links and references. All images are copyright of their respective owners.

---

“She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott. “

– Lord Alfred Tennyson, 1842

---

“Selling the Wind”

Seeing, Knowing, Healing

Witches have existed in many cultures upon the planet. In some groups witch doctors, shamans, and healers are considered vital to the physical and spiritual well being of the tribe and its members. Did the ancient wys of Europe and the Mediterranean also fill this role? What are some of the ancient teachings a seer of lore might be aware of?

Early witches might have been well-suited for a role in the community just as the merchant, the sower, the blacksmith and the miller were. Witches may have predicted weather patterns (selling the wind), considered crop planting and harvests, sought out favorable herbs and consulted the spiritual realm for guidance or favor. Are witches another fundamental part of a growing civilization? Who today might fill the role of ancient witches long ago?

Where humanism goes, so does spirituality. Humans, bound to the physical plane, consistently rely on that which is not – spirit. It comes in many forms: faith, belief, intuition, premonition, forethought, synchronicity, rhythm, karma, and mystique. To see how these experiences affect individual behavior and collective behavior, just google religion or war. People are motivated spiritually in many ways and witches also.

How did The Witch of the story gain her sense of knowing? In an ancient time, she may have been a keen observer – of the physical and the spiritual. Her survival depended on understanding how the seasons changed, the secrets of plant and animal realms, prediction using stars and environmental indicators, as well as how the soul or spirit participated.

The witch would have understood the gifts life affords a human, and paid heed to subtle intuitions, premonitions or gut feelings. A witch’s success guaranteed her status in the tribe and the success of her clients. If a witch simply failed to warn of a drought or shortage, this could mean hardship for the community – or it could be seen as a curse from the witch. Knowledge was power and the mystics became revered, or they would suffer the consequence of political misfortune.

Let’s look at a simple symbol: the key. To paraphrase an article from sacred-texts.com:

Diana, Luna, Hecate, Proserpine, and Jana are forms of the same entity in different cultures. These entities were celebrated by witches during early cultural development in Europe and the Mediterranean region. As keeper of the gates of heaven, the entity Jana was entrusted with her husband’s key to open the portals of life and light to free the imprisoned spirits.

An amulet worn by ancient witches represents Jana (Diana) with a key in one hand and a serpent in the other – age old symbols for knowledge and healing. Did townsfolk seek audience of the village witch for advice and to heal a snake bite? For advice and healing yes, but the snake symbol has a deeper mystical meaning in different cultures and has been used to signify spirit and energy. Consider the term used to describe early Mediterranean witches – Janara.

Does this key represent knowledge – the instrument dividing darkness and light – or a path to spiritual awakening? A wise woman known as Janara – did she ascribe to the hermetic teachings, following a path of spirituality from an ancient era? Was she a spiritual guide and a consultant in matters of nature, life, and the beyond? In the ancient Neopolitan Janara was given a nasty connotation by religious and state authorities quite different from its origin: donna cattiva, strega, brutta, malefica – the bad woman. Perhaps the witch was onto something rather special and her role conflicted with the status of organized religions. Calapino: words from a witch’s ancient language

Do you sense things on the horizon? Many do. Do you ever experience intuition? A sense of anxiety or foreboding? Or perhaps you have a knack for knowing when the phone will ring? All of these senses, or knowings, are valid. This realm we call life, is quite magical.

I smell what cannot be predicted.
I see where the day has not yet shone.
I hear the silence of a winter not yet hardened
and the song of a spring not yet revealed.” – The Witch

---

“As is above, so is below”

The Emerald Tablet & Hermetic Tradition

Long ago in a mystical time a text was written – just thirteen lines – and it became key to a thought process. Ancient and with a name shrouded in mystery, the Emerald Tablet has awed and inspired alchemists, magicians, inventors and faiths for many centuries. A simple logic is etched into one of the oldest Hermetic texts known, predating Christian religion.

Alternative Religion writes, “The Emerald Tablet languished in relative obscurity until the middle ages, when it began to circulate throughout the alchemical community through contact with Muslim mystics. Scholars believe the original was written in Greek, but the oldest surviving copies are Arabic translations. Despite its mysterious origin, many have imputed great significance to the text- its famous translators include Roger Bacon, Isaac Newton, and even HP Blavatsky …The philosophical ideas contained within are profound- influencing medieval alchemists, Jewish kabbalists, Masons, and ritual magicians alike.”

Without lie, certain and most true: What is below is like what is above, and what is above is like what is below, to accomplish the miracle of the One thing.

In truth, and without Lie, and just as all things have been from the one, so also they are born from this one thing by adaptation.

Its father is the sun, its mother the moon, the wind has borne it, its nurse is the earth.

This one thing is the father of all things in the universe.

Its power is perfect, after it has been united with the earth.

Separate earth from fire, the subtle from the dense, with gentle heat and much devotion.

In great measure, it ascends from earth to heaven, descends again toward earth, and recieves the force of the things above and below.

Thus you will possess the glory of the world, all obscurity shall flee away from thee.

This is the force of all force, it will overcome everything subtle, and penetrate everything solid.

In this manner, the world was created, but the map of this road is hidden.

For this reason I am called “Hiram Telat Machasot”- one in essence, but three in aspect.

In this trinity is the wisdom of the whole world.

And so I have been called: Hermes thrice greatest, having the three parts of the philosophy of the world.

Interpretation by altreligion.about.com

---

The Emerald Tablet

Tabula Smaragdina

The Emerald Tablet, also known as Smaragdine Table, Tabula Smaragdina, or The Secret of Hermes, is a text purporting to reveal the secret of the primordial existence and its forms. It claims to be the work of Hermes Trismegistus (“Hermes the Thrice-Great”), a legendary Egyptian sage, identified with the Egyptian god Thoth, the Roman god Mercury and the Greek god Hermes. wikipedia

This cryptic text was highly regarded by European alchemists as the foundation of their art, in particular the Hermetic tradition.

Newton’s Translation (ed. Note 11a. which is added apart, making Newton’s translation 1 extra line. Some translations are only 12 lines.)

1. Tis true without lying, certain & most true.

2. That which is below is like that which is above & that which is above is like that which is below to do the miracles of one only thing.

3. And as all things have been & arose from one by the meditation of one: so all things have their birth from this one thing by adaptation.

4. The Sun is its father, the moon its mother,

5. The wind hath carried it in its belly, the earth its nurse.

6. The father of all perfection in the whole world is here.

7. Its force or power is entire if it be converted into earth.

7a. Separate thou the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross sweetly with great industry.

8. It ascends from the earth to the heaven & again it descends to the earth and receives the force of things superior & inferior.

9. By this means you shall have the glory of the whole world & thereby all obscurity shall fly from you.

10. Its force is above all force, for it vanquishes every subtle thing & penetrates every solid thing.

11a. So was the world created.

12. From this are & do come admirable adaptations where of the means (or process) is here in this.

13. Hence I am called Hermes Trismegist, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world.

14. That which I have said of the operation of the Sun is accomplished & ended.

Interesting. Contained in similar form in both translations are some telling secrets:

“That which is below is like that which is above & that which is above is like that which is below to do the miracles of one only thing…..

This is the force of all force, it will overcome everything subtle, and penetrate everything solid.
In this manner, the world was created, but the map of this road is hidden…”

Was there a form of energy or spirit that influenced the creator of these sage words? Were students of the Hermetic teachings privilege to an ancient and powerful knowledge? Others have wondered these same questions.

Alchemists (early chemists and metallurgists) believed that the universal formula contained in the Emerald Tablet was the basis for a spiritual technology first introduced on the planet in ancient Egypt more than 10,000 years ago. This formula consists of seven operations performed on “matter” – whether it be physical, psychological, or spiritual.

The Emerald Tablet of Hermes, because it stimulates right brain responses, was intended to arouse intuition, imagination and insight. An ancient diagram was conceived to help visualize the meaning. Centuries ago, a student asked his master, “What is the secret of alchemy?” The master replied, “In VITRIOL is the answer.” Observe:

Visita — Visit

Interiora–the interior

Terrae–of the earth;

Rectificando–in rectifying,

Invenies– to discover

Occultum–the hidden

Lapidem–stone.

What does all that mean? “Look within to find the foundation”. Note that there are 7 Latin words in the statement. In alchemy (the Below), there are 7 metals. In astrology (the Above), there are 7 planets. In each of us there are 7 chakras (energy centers). Together, they point to 7 levels of action we internalize. The “stone” is a reference to the Stone of the Philosophers. But beware, this is not the same as the Philosophers’ Stone. The centre of the earth is a reference to our own being. An individual must grow into something that is utterly fundamental to their true nature. That should give us a starting point for meditation and visualization. read the article

A meditative mandala first published in 1759 as an illustration for the book “Azoth of the Philosophers” by German alchemist Basil Valentine illustrates the seven aspects of VITRIOL. read the article

---

Hermes – Mercury – Thoth

The Trismegistus, Thrice Great

Who was this sage? Perhaps to understand The Emerald Tablet a little better, we can consider the hopes, fears and advice of Hermes.

Hermes Trismegistus (Hermes thrice great) is the central figure of the mystical tradition known as Hermeticism, passed down in the ancient literature as Hermetica. Hermes trismegistus is a composite figure, a combination of the Greek Hermes, the Roman Mercury, and the Egyptian God Thoth. At one time Hermes was highly regarded as a prophet to the gentiles and respected as much as the Hebrew prophet Moses. Cathedrals throughout Europe still bear Hermes’ image. Coincidentally, this trinity is mirrored in the feminine aspect through the Diana/Luna/Proserpine model discussed earlier. Alternative Religion

The Lament of Hermes

“Do you know, Asclepius, that Egypt is an image of Heaven, or to speak more exactly, in Egypt all the operations of the powers which rule and work in Heaven are present in the Earth below? In fact it should be said that the whole Cosmos dwells in this our land as in a sanctuary.

And yet, since it is fitting that wise men should have knowledge of all events before they come to pass, you must not be left in ignorance of what I will now tell you.

There will come a time when it will have been in vain that Egyptians have honored the Godhead with heartfelt piety and service; and all our holy worship will be fruitless and ineffectual.

The gods will return from earth to heaven; Egypt will be forsaken, and the land which was once the home of religion will be left desolate, bereft of the presence of its deities.

O Egypt, Egypt, of thy religion nothing will remain but an empty tale, which thine own children in time to come will not believe; nothing will be left but graven words, and only the stones will tell of thy piety.

And in that day men will be weary of life, and they will cease to think the universe worthy of reverent wonder and worship.

They will no longer love this world around us, this incomparable work of God, this glorious structure which he has built, this sum of good made up of many diverse forms, this instrument whereby the will of God operates in that which he has made, ungrudgingly favoring man’s welfare; this combination and accumulation of all the manifold things that call forth the veneration, praise, and love of the beholder.

Darkness will be preferred to light, and death will be thought more profitable than life; no one will raise his eyes to heaven; the pious will be deemed insane, the impious wise; the madman will be thought a brave man, and the wicked will be esteemed as good.

As for the soul, and the belief that it is immortal by nature, or may hope to attain to immortality, as I have taught you, – all this they will mock, and even persuade themselves that it is false.

No word of reverence or piety, no utterance worthy of heaven, will be heard or believed.

And so the gods will depart from mankind, – a grievous thing! – and only evil angels will remain, who will mingle with men, and drive the poor wretches into all manner of reckless crime, into wars, and robberies, and frauds, and all things hostile to the nature of the soul.

Then will the earth tremble, and the sea bear no ships; heaven will not support the stars in their orbits, all voices of the gods will be forced into silence; the fruits of the Earth will rot; the soil will turn barren, and the very air will sicken with sullen stagnation; all things will be disordered and awry, all good will disappear.

But when all this has befallen, Asclepius, then God the Creator of all things will look on that which has come to pass, and will stop the disorder by the counterforce of his will, which is the good. He will call back to the right path those who have gone astray; he will cleanse the world of evil, washing it away with floods, burning it out with the fiercest fire, and expelling it with war and pestilence.

And thus he will bring back his world to its former aspect, so that the Cosmos will once more be deemed worthy of worship and wondering reverence, and God, the maker and maintainer of the Mighty Fabric, will be adored by the men of that day with continuous songs of praise and blessing.

Such is the new birth of the Cosmos; it is a making again of all things good, a holy and awe-inspiring restoration of all nature; and it is wrought inside the process of Time by the eternal Will of the Creator.” read the article

---

Ancient Knowledge: Quantum Physics?

The Lord’s Prayer

A centerpiece of “The Lord’s Prayer” mural commissioned by the graduate students for the Johns Hopkins University’s “Graduate Club”, completed June, 1969 by Bob Hieronimus. The artwork is another interpretation of this ancient sense of knowledge, showing in imagery that all knowledge, past, present and future, resides within each human, and that the Lord’s Prayer is an ancient formula revealing all knowledge (note the tetrahedron in the center of the mural, left.) The panel depicts the Sphinx, Great Pyramid, a UFO, Ibis and the Emerald Tablet of Hermes. A segment depicts Hermes’ rod of power, the caduceus or snake wound around a staff, and principles of Mercury. The name of the artist, Hieronymus comes from the Ancient Greek and means “sacred name.” visit the site

Hieronymus Machines

As a brief aside: Hieronymus machines were the invention of Dr. Thomas Galen Hieronymus (21 November 1895 – 1988). Hieronymus machines were mock-ups of real machines (patented by their inventor) which allegedly worked by analogy or symbolism, being directed by psychic or ESP powers.

As an example, one could create a receiver with prisms and vacuum tubes. Through the use of mental powers, the device would represent a “spiritual” equivalent. Campbell claimed that such machines actually did perform this way, but the concept was never adopted in the modern era.read the article

Atalanta Fugiens

Michael Maier’s book Atalanta Fugiens (Atalanta Fleeing) was published at Oppenheim in 1617 by the firm of Johann Theodor de Bry. The book draws on text “…perceived as one of the oldest and most authoritative alchemical pronouncements, the so-called Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet), whose authorship was attributed to the mythical Hermes Trismegistus.” The accompanying motto to the image on the right reads ‘May Nature, Reason, Exercise and Literature be the guide, staff, spectacles and lamp for him who participates in chemistry.’ Nature here is portrayed as the woman bearing fruit & flowers, and Reason is the pilgrim’s staff: experience the spectacles; literature the light. read the article

Universal Myth of a Lost Golden Age

Author and researcher John Jay Harper comments on ancient sources of knowledge notes on his blog:

“So, let me be clear, there are many factors converging today, not just one or two. Certainly if we take the 26,000-year precession of the equinoxes, 11-year solar flare cycles, or even the flip of the poles, and isolate them from the engine of change, the magnetically-charged field at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy, catastrophic changes in climate may not manifest. However, when we combine all of these field-force effects at once at a certain point in space-time, December 21, 2012, then what?

No matter the outcome, my hope is that we will not dwell on disaster but pray often to see this vision that Reverend Howard Storm saw during his NDE. “Everybody was a student of Nature, which they knew intimately and with which they could communicate, knowing the sensations and vibration of every part of creation. People explored outer space without moving an inch. People communicated telepathically with everyone on Earth and had relationships with intelligent beings on other worlds. There was no space travel because there was no need. People stayed put and shared life experience across galaxies. People valued the life experience they had been given in this world because they knew it was a precious gift from God.”

We stay put because telepathy links Heaven with Earth. Mythologist Richard Heinberg speaks to this Eternal Return of the Sun of God in Memories and Visions of Paradise: Exploring the Universal Myth of a Lost Golden Age. “The Hopi legend of the First People says that they ‘felt as one and understood one another without talking.’ The original mind seems to have been a kind of living, pulsating web of telepathic interconnectedness, through the strands of which flowed a current of universal love.”read the article

In an interview, Harper shared his investigation into native shamans as it correlates with the near-death experience (NDE), earth changes, and a global shift in consciousness. The shamanic tradition dates back thousands of years. Shamans, often engaged in healing work, travel to other realms and then translate back symbols of what they’ve seen, he explained. He also examined connections to the modern atomic research to the ancient Egyptian knowlege base as depicted in Great Pyramid construction. Was the Great Pyramid a machine used for gathering earth energy and focusing the power? Were the crucial components inside of the pyramid removed to prevent misuse? Why again does the tetrahedron symbol of two inversed pyramids factor into ancient research, the star of David and modern Tesla and Einstein research – and the ancient hermetic knowledge again? read the article

Sacred Geometry

The late Buckminster Fuller (1895 – 1983) was the first to discover a relation between musical frequencies (The Diatonic scale) and geometrical forms. He used a balloon submerged in blue dye and vibrated it with frequencies from the musical scale (7 notes). As a result of wave interference, two dimensional arrangements visually appeared on its surface.

Dr. Hans Jenny continued the work of Buckminster Fuller and tested these vibrations in spherical volumes of liquid. Much to his surprise all of the Platonic solids, named after the legendary philosopher Plato, showed up as geometrical patterns. What you see is a star-tetrahedron. You may have noticed the two equilateral triangles, one facing up and one facing down. Together they form a symbol that is known as the Jewish Star of David, but remember in 3D the two triangles are tetrahedrons, three sided pyramids.

Quantum physics, around for a hundred years, is considered mainstream and accepted. Although quantum science reveals much of our universe, it still offers no reasonable explanation as to how and why particles and photons can behave just like that.

Another difficult thing to grasp is the atom model presented by Niels Bohr where electrons fly in well-defined shells around the nucleus. Since electrons continuously radiate energy they should eventually collapse into the nucleus, but they don’t! The question is where does this radiating energy actually come from and how is it replenished? Quantum science is unable to answer the question why the electrons conduct this dance and why they don’t eventually crash into the nucleus. vibration at an atomic level

Even three hundred years after the discovery of gravity by Newton (a translator of the Emerald Tablet), science still has no theoretical explanation for it.

Sacred geometry, has been preserved throughout history in Freemasonry circles, believed to be important knowledge revealing the secrets of our universe. Contemporary scientists tell us that in fact all of creation is the offspring of aether vibrations. Consider the Eastern Hindu cosmology and the “Ohm” sound of Brahman as the vibration that creates the physical world. read the article

Physicist Daniel Winter interpreted these vibration Cymatics experiments, and agrees it is these interference patterns that really shape the atom. read the article

As an aside, but no less significant, consider the subatomic torus or Anu. In 1895, two mystics, Charles Leadbeater and Annie Besant published an article in ‘Occult Chemistry’ where they explained the internal structure of Hydrogen, Oxygen and Nitrogen. Using clairvoyance as an instrument, they revealed this atomic internal structure. The mystics had no scientific background; however they pictured the following torus shapes as the basic building blocks of the atom. The vortexes in the aether are like the eddies in a river. The vortex is nature’s flow form for fluids.

When two of these aether vortexes join their funnels they form a torus:

A torus is an interesting form in hydrodynamics, it allows fluids to spiral inwards and outwards on the same surface. It is a very stable flow form. As above, so below. Hermes again. Another feature one can see is a similarity to the caduceus (A winged staff with two serpents twined around it, carried by Hermes.)

And represented in ancient witchcraft by Diana-Proserpine riding entwined serpents or seahorses in the amulet sirene or or Cavalli Marini (Neapolitan for siren):

There is the distinct Hermetic-Gnostic influence in these double-tailed mermaids. As is above, is as below. A sailor may have acquired an amulet to bring good luck on a voyage. A representation has also be used in logos and designs popular even today.

Occultopedia.com lists the caduceus as an ancient Mesapotamia symbol merged in to Gnostic Hermetic concepts: the power and balance between light and dark, earthly and heavenly, matter and spirit.

Early witches, symbolically associated with a key and a caduceus, much like an Abraxas. Were witches on to something big: knowledge and balance; at a grand scale and at the subatomic? They understood what physicists, theologians and philosophers are now rediscovering. And what is an Abraxas? Abraxas is a mystical word symbolizing an all-seeing, all-knowing deity that cannot be named, such as Yahweh or Jehovah. Yet the Abraxas represents a duality that has entwined human spirituality for eons: Jana/Janus; positive/negative; heaven/hell; mortal/eternal. Through the years this term transformed into the magical word we know now: abracadabra. (Colin De Plancy, Dictionnaire Inferno, 1883)

“What you learn, you have known already. And as I, are only reminded.” – The Witch

Chakras

The Egyptians called matter frozen music. If matter is the result of musical vibrations just like the Cymatics experiments demonstrate, we can appreciate the insight of the ancient teachings. In the tale of The Witch, she would send her ancient melody on the wind and in the leaves… Therefore, could a witch’s spells be truly “cast” – manifested, recognized, then sent upon their way through the vibratory ethos. Likewise, could an ancient witch read and sense vibrations that cross boundaries of time and space, not necessarily to change your destiny, but to confirm its path?

Divine Organization of Vibration

In the video above, sound shapes powdered sugar into geometric designs (star tetrahedrons) corresponding to the frequency (or note: A,B,C,D,E,F,G) of the sound. I recognize the forming shapes from examples I have seen in nature. Imagine humming “ohm” at the frequency you desire to create a geometric vibration. For two people, try a higher note; four people, an even higher note; and so on. Now imagine seated in a room painted in one of the 7 primary colours corresponding to the frequency you hum (each colour has its own note/frequency). Then meditate on your internal chakra of the corresponding frequency… Is this how the ancient knowledge was applied?

The principle of the Hermes Emerald Tablet “as above, so below” is valid also for the aura — the energy field of the human body. Known to the Chinese for thousands of years as the meridian system and the seven chakras, nodes have been identified in the human body where vortexes of subtle energy from higher dimensions affect the physical body.

Many ancient traditions mention that this energy is a partner of the physical body — the vehicle of the human soul. Supposedly, the energy structure of the human aura contains wave patterns such as the star-tetrahedron.

DNA

A three year study by a team of health science, mathematics, genetics, and physics experts, indicated that DNA, traditionally considered the “blueprint of life,” appears more like an “antennae to God.” Led by award winning author, Dr. Leonard Horowitz, the group’s research shows that DNA’s coiled design and vibrating action (or “electrogenetic” function) makes spiritual as well as physical evolution possible.

Life’s genomes are powered by waves of energized sound and light which, more than chemicals or drugs, switch genes “on” or “off.” Genetic inheritance is transmitted “bioacoustically and electromagnetically” through special water molecules that form the matrix of the “sacred spiral” or DNA. These hydroelectric structures are shaped like pyramids, hexagons, and pentagons; and influence physical as well as spiritual development, according to researchers.

Metaphysically, water molecules shaped like pyramids relay energy messages to and from DNA. These signals are carried from the environment to every cell in your body; far more rapidly than scientists once believed, based on chemical analyses. read the article

---

“I smell what cannot be predicted. I see where the day has not yet shone. I hear the silence of a winter not yet hardened and the song of a spring not yet revealed.” – The Witch

Merlin: A Hermetic Teacher

What did Merlin know?

The ‘Book of Taliesin’ contains poetry attributed to the Merlin – also known as the Earl of Powyss. The sage, wizard and seer of old describes his own powers of knowledge:

I know what beasts there are at the bottom of the sea; How many spears in battle; how many drops in a shower…

That sounds very similar to the witch’s words describing knowing to the scholar. Most people who have heard of Merlin consider him a spellcasting wizard who advises King Arthur in everything from matters of the heart to war. As with many of the Arthurian characters, the Merlin image has changed and evolved through time as each generation of storytellers added their own colours to the mix.

I have been a blue salmon,

I have been a dog, a stag,

a roebuck on the mountain,

A stock, a spade, an axe in the hand,

A stallion, a bull, a buck,

A grain which grew on a hill,

I was reaped, and placed in an oven,

I fell to the ground when I was being roasted

And a hen swallowed me.

For nine nights was I in her crop.

I have been dead, I have been alive,

I am Taliesin.

visit the site

---

“Your doubt is my only proof of miracles.” – The Witch

The Cassandra Complex

“A prophet shall have no honor…”

Cassandra, in Greek legend, was gifted to know the future but condemned to be disbelieved when she foretold it. Hence, the agony of foreknowledge combined with the impotence to do anything about it.

Wikipedia: “The metaphor to Cassandra has been applied in a variety of contexts such as psychology, environmentalism, politics, science, cinema, the corporate world, and in philosophy, and has been in circulation since at least 1949 when French philosopher Gaston Bachelard coined the term ‘Cassandra Complex’ to refer to a belief that things could be known in advance.

The Cassandra complex is used by some psychologists to describe individuals who experience physical and emotional suffering as a result of distressing personal perceptions, and who are disbelieved when they attempt to reveal the cause of their suffering with others.

In Movies:

In the following cinematic examples Cassandra is a term applied to those whose predictions of doom are initially dismissed, but later turn out to be correct. This further shows a psychological tendency among people to deny and disbelieve predictions. The person making the prediction is caught in the dilemma of knowing what will happen but not being able to convince others. The figure of Cassandra has also been invoked to describe those who take the role of antagonist toward widespread or institutional ignorance. The films Twelve Monkeys, The Dead Zone, and Terminator 2 all provide examples of this term. A 1961 episode of the television show The Twilight Zone titled “Back There” relates the story of a modern man sent into the past who tries unsuccessfully to convince all who will listen of the impending assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

The corporate world:

Foreseeing potential future directions for a corporation or company is sometimes called ‘visioning’. Yet achieving a clear, shared vision in an organization is often difficult due to a lack of commitment to the new vision by some individuals in the organization, because it does not match reality as they see it. Those who support the new vision are termed ‘Cassandras’ – given the ability to see what is going to happen but not believed. Sometimes the name Cassandra is applied to those who can predict rises, falls, and particularly crashes on the world stock market, as happened with Warren Buffett who repeatedly warned that the ’90s stock market surge was a bubble, attracting to him the title of ‘Wall Street Cassandra’.

The Environmental Movement:

Many environmentalists have predicted looming environmental catastrophes including climate change, rise in sea levels, irreversible pollution, and an impending collapse of ecosystems, including those of rainforests and ocean reefs. Such individuals sometimes acquire the label of ‘Cassandras’ whose warnings of impending environmental disaster are disbelieved or mocked. Environmentalist Alan Atkisson states that to understand that humanity is on a collision course with the laws of nature is to be stuck in what he calls the ‘Cassandra dilemma’ in which one can see the most likely outcome of current trends and can warn people about what is happening, but the vast majority can not, or will not respond, and later if catastrophe occurs they may even blame you, as if your prediction set the disaster in motion. In the words of Atkisson: “too often we watch helplessly, as Cassandra did, while the soldiers emerge from the Trojan horse just as foreseen and wreak their predicted havoc. Worse, Cassandra’s dilemma has seemed to grow more inescapable even as the chorus of Cassandras has grown larger.” visit the site

---

13th Baktun

All About Time

Shared with certain ancient sects of witchcraft, the 13 Moon Calendar is based on the rhythm of the 13 Moon/28 day cycle. In an article by TimeisArt.com: “Each year is composed of exactly 13 Moons of 28 days each, with a Day out of Time for global celebration of Peace Through Culture. This is a harmonic standard, which vibrates the mind with the natural timing frequencies of Earth, Moon, Sun and Galaxy. December 21, 2012, is the day on which the 13th Baktun is completed and the long count of the Mayan calendar ends.”visit the site

Today we are in the Long Count of the Mayan Calendar: the 13th Baktun. In the Mayan cycle of time this is the Fourth Sun. And each Cycle of Time is 5,200 years. Today we are nearing the beginning of the “zero year”. The term “zero year” is a Mayan concept. When the Fifth Sun shines, it will be the beginning . . .

The Witch was registered as a document in the National Archives on December 21, 2007 – exactly 5 years from the end of the 13th Baktun.

Seven Things You Should Know

---

“…labor in love of this garden, growing it outwards in all directions…” – The Witch

The above is an ongoing research project to understand ancient witches. The goal, to reveal a character in The Witch. Check out all the links and references. All images are copyright of their respective owners and are used here under Fair Use for research and informational purposes and represent the subject of this article in critical commentary.