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 spud I'm so fly.  Registered: 10/07/02 Posts: 44,410 |
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i know this is really long so most of you wont read it but its a really good article:
"The Hidden Meanings of Christmas" After studying the Amanita muscaria mushroom for some twenty years, I fell into the company of some very enthusiastic folks who insisted that I commit this study to writing. It is one thing to talk about the many various religious writings which I have been looking into, and found ample mushroom symbology to present a verbal case for ethnomycological reference, but another thing entirely to compile it into book form. For one thing, in order to present a full scope of significant inter-religious connections verbally one can jump from one religious context to another, traversing a wide scope of references in several religions, weaving an overall scope of the similarities found in each. But in order to write a book on the subject I found that separating the different religious references into their respective chapters was the best way to go. So I try to limit the temptation to jump from one religion to another, and keep it to a minimum. Within the study of world religion one finds philosophical systems. These are the philosophies that the respective believer adopts as their understanding of life itself. State-ism must be considered a religion in its own right, as even those who profess no religious preference or belief adopt a philosophical view of reality based upon a state/culturally conditioned belief system. These belief systems are also based upon religious philosophies that are brought into fruition through media and popular opinion. Were the many state and religious philosophies to be based upon truth and justice the world would not have an incredible history of bloodshed, wars and oppression. Therefore, religions and state indoctrinated belief systems share commonality of basic philosophical principles, and all of them must be looked into with an objective point of view. This must be done in order to dispel falsehood. It is not difficult to see that the condition of life on our planet leaves much to be desired. Societal conditioning plays an important part in developing individual belief systems. In some ways this could be considered a good thing, but in other ways it may be intrinsically bad. The study of ethnomycology cannot simply be the study of religion and its association with mushrooms per-se' because by its very nature it must examine the philosophical principles of the religions which have an ehtnomycological connection. I need to explain this in order to set the stage for what is to come within these pages. This is not only an examination of ehtnomycological associations throughout history but is also an examination of those religions which show evidence of having ethnomycological association, yet currently deny this association due to corruption of their root principles. So this study will deal with ethnomycology as a base, but will also delve into psychology, ethnology, philology, anthropology, archaeology, sociology, art, history, religion, myth, culture, symbology, and philosophy. I will begin this book with the study of Christmas and its associated symbols and icons because after studying most of the world’s religions and their associated philosophies, I have found this to actually be a religion in its own right and quite pure philosophically. What are the origins of the Christmas traditions? Most people never think to ask this question. Those that do, find a seemingly complete dogmatic system of explanation. Then, of course, one day there is that discovery that Santa Claus does not really exist. But... Does he? Many things have been written in an attempt to trace Christmas' development. You can find people who consider themselves experts in this field, and even books on this subject. I suppose you could call the field "Santa-ology", or perhaps even "Santa-ism". Yet, long lost, deeply underlying the realms of simple tradition, are very amazing symbolic connections and origins that are either long- forgotten or were/are intentionally overlooked. The basic philosophy behind Christmas is; if you are good you will receive a present under the tree, if you are bad then you receive no present. In some cultures those who are bad even receive punishment delivered by various means and personages. This is a very simple philosophical system. Santa Claus is an all-knowing icon that reads the hearts and intentions of everyone on the planet. Each child is told the story of the round-man (who wears red and white) and his associates; reindeer, little people and Mrs. Claus. They are also told the story of a miraculous worldwide flight in a sleigh which results in presents being delivered under a tree. Yet when a child reaches the age of reasoning he is informed that this story is all a fabrication. This revelation is devastating upon the psyche of a young mind. It is also at this time that the child is often comforted, and pacified from the shock, by very strong reinforcement that the religious system which the parents or guardians profess are indeed factual. And an attempt is made to incorporate the respective religious traditions into the holiday as the REAL meaning for the celebration. There is an alternative to this cultural conditioning and shock-relief system of indoctrinations, into the realities of life, which is based upon truth and is much more interesting than even the simple traditional understandings of Christmas themselves. The key to this alternative is encoded within the icons and symbols of Christmas. To know the meanings behind the symbolism to which most people only attach dogmatic explanations, is to open the doorway to understanding the very roots of many other religions as well. Several books have been written about the Amanita muscaria mushroom. This mushroom is found growing all over the world under Pine (& other coniferous trees), Birch, and sometimes Oak. The Pine tree is one of the well-known central relics of Christmas. Under this tree is where those who are deemed good find their reward in the form of a present. A big red and white rounded mushroom grows under the very tree we are to look under on Christmas morning to find our gift. If we can find that this present does indeed exist. If we can find that reindeer are thought to be able to fly for a very good reason, and we can show that traditionally they carry people spiritually through the air in a way that defies the laws of time. And further, if we can show that the philosophical idiom "be good not bad" is really the universal truth, would we have sufficient basis for discarding the established religious dogmas which traditionally replace the Christmas tale, and instead simply expand the story to reveal the more esoteric principles upon which it is based? It is my assertion that the traditional day of reckoning wherein it is revealed; Santa Claus is not real, Reindeer do not fly, there is no present under the tree (unless placed there by a deceiver), is a dis-information campaign geared towards conditioning the young mind to be unable to accept the information which is presented herein. I also assert that the devastating blow of the destruction of a belief, and the associated reinforcement of "Christianity" (or other religious system) is psychologically designed to support the replacement information which is given as a comforting foundation during a time of shock and crisis, and is explained as something that will never be revealed as false (like Santa and all that fantasy). It is also my conclusion that this event subliminally plays an important role for religious systems that wish to suppress the expansion of consciousness through fear of the unknown. The psyche is scarred deeply when it is forced to deal with realizing it has accepted a falsehood as truth. And when it deals with plants and things found under trees, subliminally, one armors oneself against these concepts. There develops an unconscious fear of falling into the same trap. Of course this is also pacified through replacing the meaning of things like the pine tree. Interestingly, in some traditions the Pineal gland is thought to be the seat of the human soul. It is shaped exactly like a pinecone (hence the name Pine-al). Apparently, it is also an autonomous part of the brain, resting in the dead center, not attached to any other part of the brain; sort of a floating pinecone in the center of the human brain. Perhaps we have a lot more in common with the Pine tree than we thought. This gland, and its endogenous secretions, as well as other relevant implications, will be further discussed in a later section. But it is interesting to note; due to cultural phenomenon, the pineal gland atrophies during youth, which corresponds to this timely day of reckoning, and even begins to calcify during puberty. This atrophy/calcification causes a reduction of Pineal endogenous secretions. The Santa Claus and Christmas traditions of today have metamorphosed out of many older mythologies. The icons, symbols, and relics that have managed to survive from the "Winter Solstice" celebrations of old, have a commonality that deserves some reflection, study, and perhaps even some reverence. Understanding that these traditions are borrowed ones, is central to getting at the heart of the true meaning of Christmas. Today's Santa Claus is a metamorphosis of many older mythologies, including Thor or Donner (German Donar) who wears red and rides in a Golden Flying Chariot pulled by two Goats (Cracker and Gnasher). In a sense, these goats were the ancestors to the now popular reindeer. What would the red and gold clad angel be doing with that nice basket? An Easter basket at Christmas is an interesting concept. Christmas is commonly thought of as a Christian holiday (the birth of Jesus). Many Christian beliefs and traditions were borrowed from more ancient religions and mythologies. This is well documented by authors such as Gerald Massey, Godfrey Higgins, Robert Graves, Kersey Graves and many others. The virgin birth, the incarnation of God, the sacrament, Christmas, Easter, etc. have all been adopted/stolen by Christianity as its own. It is well documented by fundamentalists (apologists) that the Christmas traditions are Pagan in origin.. This simply means that their origin comes from the traditions of the country-folk (pagan). By contrast, the Pagan origins of most of the other attributes of Christianity are vigorously denied. It is also very easy to obscure, overlook and discredit the Egyptian, Mithraic, Germanic, Norse, Celtic, Greek, Hindu and Buddhist roots by lumping all non-Christian religions together and labeling them Pagan. These are certainly not simple country-folk religions. So to just say Christmas has Pagan roots, and not go further, is glossing over what exactly those roots are, and discrediting their study as worthless. Christmas icons, traditions and stories have hidden meanings. Although not initially apparent, a more thorough investigation reveals far more symbolic content (which is decipherable) than originally suspected. At the roots of this symbolism research is information about the secrets of the mushroom, regarding its habitats, forms, uses, preparations, and effects. Shaman of Siberia and the Russian icon, St. Nicholas, both play parts in the tale of Christmas, providing clues as to where Christmas came from and why there are certain symbols associated with the holiday. It is these types of clues that will help (the questors) in the deciphering of the symbols. Siberian Shaman used/use (despite governmental oppression) the Amanita muscaria as a religious sacrament. It is used for spiritual vision, out-of-body travel into the realms of the spirits, and as a plant-spirit guide in teaching and healing. The value of the inebriant is placed highly among the commodities of the native tribesmen, fetching reindeer pelts, meats, and all manner of tradable goods in payment and barter. Interesting to note: If you aren't quick enough in the hunt, you will find only the mushroom stubs, the rest greedily gobbled up by the hungry reindeer. One of the traditions, of ornamenting a tree, comes from the tradition of "The Paradise tree", a fir tree decorated with apples (representing the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden). This ‘fruit’ will be discussed later as the Amanita. During Germany's Middle Ages, a popular play, which was symbolic of the paradise story, was staged on December 24th (the religious feast day of Adam and Eve) . Two more symbolic connections with the mushroom are the candles and cookies that were also hung on the tree (candles = Christ; cookies = wafers of the Christian sacrament). This ornament is of particular interest because of its association with the fruit of the tree of knowledge and the Amanita muscaria. This indicates that there have always been people "In the Know" from time to time. According to Apocryphal texts and other older ones, the "Fruit of the Tree of Life" and the more recently added "Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge" were originally one in the same. So, why do people bring Pine trees into their houses at the Winter Solstice, placing brightly colored (Red and White) packages under their boughs, as gifts to show their love for each other and as representations of the love of God and the gift of his Sons life? It is because, underneath the Pine bough is the exact location where one would find this "Most Sacred" Substance, the Amanita muscaria, in the wild (in Nature). These mushrooms grow in a symbiotic/mycorrhizal relationship with the Pine tree, which means they always grow underneath it. The symbolic placing of gifts under the tree at Christmas is a sort of proxy-present-giving action, whereby the celebrants ritually mimic the work of God/Santa/Nature, by placing under the tree a gift (actually The gift). Big clue here: Winter brings rain; rain brings mushrooms, In the mountains, at Christmas time, under the Pine trees. Then and there will you find that which unlocks the key mysteries of the Universe, through a multi-dimensionalizing of the consciousness in a way that no other known substance can. This Gnosis (joining together of your mind with the mind of the Universal Consciousness) is what the Sages, Mystics, Teachers, and Prophets were attempting to communicate through their rampant symbolism. (Had they not feared persecution, they may have spoken of it openly and directly in public documents.) All over the world, people bring Coniferous trees into their houses and place brightly colored packages underneath them. In Nature, this is where you will find the Amanita muscaria (under coniferous trees). The actual mushroom "plant" is the underground "mycelium" or "mycorrhizae", which is directly attached to the tree roots; the mushroom itself is only the fruit-body of the mycelium. The mushroom is literally the Fruit of the Tree. They grow in a mycorrhizal (not parasitic) relationship with the tree. Many people follow the tradition/custom of bringing a tree into the home and putting presents under it, yet have absolutely no idea why. Even people that think they know, usually have no knowledge of these mushroom connections. The true symbolic meaning transcends dogmatic etymological and historical evidence, by revealing itself in the totally obvious iconography and historically associated myths and traditions. 1. Saint Nicholas is the patron Saint of children in Siberia (Russia), a supplanter to the indigenous Shaman. 2. The Amanita muscaria mushrooms grow nearly exclusively under the Christmas (Coniferous) Trees (Birch also [another whole story]). 2. The Reindeer eat these mushrooms, hence the presumed flight. 3. Santa brings presents in his white bag/sack. Mushrooms are gathered in bags, and Amanita muscaria sprouts out of a white vulvae sack. 4. The mushrooms are red and white and grow under a green tree. Christmas colors are red, white and green. 5. Typically, the red and white mushrooms are dried by stringing them on the hearth of the fireplace. Christmas stockings are red and white, hung in the same way, and shaped similar. 6. The Virgin Birth is symbolic for the "seedless" growth/germination pattern of the mushroom. To the ancient mind, with no microscope to see the spores, it's appearance was thought to be miraculous. 7. The very name, "Christmas" is a holiday name composed of the words, "Christ" (meaning "one who is anointed with the Magical Substance") and "Mass" (a special religious service/ceremony of the sacramental ingestion of the Eucharist, the "Body of Christ"). In the Catholic tradition, this substance (Body/Soma) has been replaced by the doctrine of "Trans-substantiation", whereby in a magical ceremony the Priests claim the ability to transform a "cracker/round-wafer" into the literal "Body of Christ"; ie, a substitute or placebo. Saint Nicholas, known as the "Patron Saint of Children" (among other things), is the most revered saint in Russia, second only to the apostles. He is the Russian Orthodox Church's supplanter to the native people's highly respected local Shaman. A Shaman is a holy man that is well acquainted with a form of spirituality that incorporates plant entheogens which facilitate the NDE (Near Death Experience), or "out of body" experience. Saint Nicholas may not have been a shaman, yet the symbolism on, and coloring of his robes could lend to speculation. The equilateral-circumscribed-cross is an ancient symbol for Christianity and the Holy Grail, it is another very obvious mushroom symbol. The ancient shamanic use of Amanita muscaria in Siberia is well documented. Despite governmental oppression against its use, there are still many who refuse to accept the authorized state religion, and continue the shamanic traditions in secret. Just as the Siberian shaman (commonly dressing in red and white) would enter through the opening in the roof of a home where a ritual was to be done, Santa Claus also arrives on the roof and enters through the chimney. Just as the shamans would gather the mushrooms in bags which they would bring with them when performing a ceremony, Santa Claus also (on the Holy Day) brings presents in a bag. The Santa Claus we see today evolved from traditions developed in Germany. It is fairly common knowledge that the Weihnachtsmann (St. Nick) was an amalgamation of older Germanic/Norse gods such as Thor, Donner, Odin and Wotan. What's missing here is just as Santa flies through the skies in his sleigh, Odin (as well as the rest) rode through the sky in his chariot, which is depicted in the stars by "The Big Dipper". The Big Dipper is the chariot of Odin & Wotan, Thor, King Arthur, and even Osiris (of Egypt). The chariot that circles the North Star in a 24 hour period is thus also known as the sleigh of Santa Claus because it circles his mythological home, the North Pole. It is no surprise that Nordic/Germanic gods have connection to mushrooms in their mythology. As Thor throws his mushroom-shaped hammer to the ground, mighty thunders and lightning cracks cause the real mushroom(s) to appear. As the horses pulling Odin through the sky in his chariot become over-exerted, their blood-mingled spit falls to the ground and causes the Amanita mushrooms to grow at those exact points. The Osiris mythology has even more to add to this. To the Egyptians; South was up (North). Osiris was the lord of the underworld, the South, (South=down) which is why he circles the sky in the furthest possible lower (southern) area. Not only did Osiris ride the sky in a chariot, but after his death Isis found that an evergreen (Cedar) had grown overnight from a dead stump to full-sized (this also relates to the Djed pillar); which was understood as a sign of Osiris' rebirth and immortality. Interestingly, the traditional birth of Osiris is the 25th of December. The 25th of December was also celebrated annually by putting presents around the Cedar tree. This tradition is at least five thousand years old. The birth of Horus to the goddess-virgin-mother, Isis, is perhaps the eldest representation of the goddess/son mythology, yet it is impossible to know this or the real age of the Astro-theological-Virgo-giving-birth-to-the-child/god/star mythology for sure. However it is the oldest source I have found; it is very old. Drying the mushrooms was/is a necessary procedure typically accomplished by stringing them up (like popcorn) and hanging them above the hearth of the fireplace. shamans and lay people alike, would gather and dry them. They gather all they can since they are a valuable commodity. Reindeer (native to Siberia) are known to be quite fond of eating these mushrooms. The mythology of flying Reindeer reflects the supposed pharmacological effects of such a meal. It is important to point out that this Christmas/Winter Solstice celebration, with all its various counterparts, transcends the world's religions. The reason that this celebration is held all over the planet in various forms may have something to do with this other commonality at which we are looking; it is certainly entwined in the symbolism. Here are some other countries' names for Santa Claus. Australia - - - - - - - Santa Claus British Isles - - - - Father Christmas China - - - - - - - - Dun Che Lao Ren (dwyn-chuh-lau-oh-run) Czechoslovakia - - - -Svaty Mikalas Denmark - - - - - - -Julemanden France - - - - - - - -Pere Noel or le petit Jsus Germany - - - - - - - Saint Nicholas or Weihnachtsmann Greece - - - - - - - -Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus Iceland - - - - - - - Jolasveinar. (13 of them) Stekkjarstaur, Giljagaur, Stufur, Thvorusleikir, Pottaskefill, Askasleikir, Hurdarskellir, Skyrgamur, Bjugnakraekir, Gluggagaegir, Gattathefur, Ketkrokur and Kertasnikir. Italy - - - - - - - - Babbo Natale Japan - - - - - - - - Hoteiosho Netherlands - - - - - Sinterklaas Norway - - - - - - - -Julebukk Russia - - - - - - - -Saint Nicholas Scandinavia - - - - - Julenisse Spain - - - - - - - - Balthazar Sweden - - - - - - - -Tomte Wales - - - - - - - - Tad nadolig United States - - - - Santa Claus This list is by no means complete; it was partially obtained from The World Book Encyclopedia. Edited by spud (12/24/02 09:53 AM)
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spud I'm so fly. Registered: 10/07/02 Posts: 44,410 |
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i btw theres much more but i didnt want to bore you guys
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matts matts  Registered: 01/28/02 Posts: 3,649 |
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Post deleted by Administrator
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Anonymous |
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You got that from http://jamesarthur.yage.net right?
If anyone's interested in the influence entheogens have had on the development of religion, on the secret of Christmas, the secret kept by reilgions and other secret societies and is intereted in mushrooms in genreal should check out that site. It's a lot of reading but I find it EXTREMELY interesting.
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spud I'm so fly. Registered: 10/07/02 Posts: 44,410 |
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not sure. i saved the article off some site that was called mushrooms and mankind.
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spud I'm so fly. Registered: 10/07/02 Posts: 44,410 |
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i would if i didnt have adhd....
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