Sacredness of Writing: Petition Magic (1)

From the beginning of time, people have tried to gain control over their world.  One way to achieve this was to ask various beings, with powers greater than humans, for help.  Ancient peoples did this in formal and informal rites and rituals.  Later peoples wrote their requests and expected results after doing a ritual.

Many cultures regarded writing as sacred.  The Norse used their Runes for divination and for bind-spells.  The Irish, Greeks, and Mayas had myths of how the Gods invented speech and gave humans the alphabet.  The Egyptians were noted for their tomb writings, which were to help the dead achieve the afterlife.

One could say that the Ancient Egyptians practiced a form of petition magick.  They had offering formulas inscribed to the Gods on the walls of their tombs.  Petitioning various Gods for help was one way that an Egyptian could navigate through the underworld.

Later, the Greeks and Romans made petition magick into a high art.  The Greeks scratched their victims’ names on lead or copper tablets along with a curse.  Known as katadesmoi, these tablets were then burned or pierced with nails.  Since many were addressed to various Chthonic Gods such as Hekate or Hades, the tablets were often thrown into wells or buried in the ground.

Meanwhile, Romans called their tablets: “tabulae defixiones”.  The Latin word, “defixo” means the act of prayer, in essence consigning a written spell to the Gods.  Like many cultures, the Romans differentiated between curses and healings in their spellwork.  “Carmens” (charms) were encouraged and often incorporated into regular Roman rituals.  (Whether a spell is good or bad is often in the eye of the beholder.  Harm to one person could be a help to another.)

The Romans had petition spells for winning court cases, wooing lovers, cursing enemies, and retrieving stolen property.  Their tablets were often addressed to Dis Pater (Hades) of the underworld, or to Saturnus Pater (Saturn).  These lead tablets were often rolled up, and then thrown into a well, buried in a tomb or nailed to a tree.

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AMERICAN ALLIGATOR: Maternal Protection

ALLIGATORIDAE

            Placed in a separate group from true Crocodiles, Alligators and Caimans do not tolerate salt water.  They prefer to live in freshwater.  Unlike Crocodiles, Alligatoridae eat leaves and fruit as well as fish and meat.  Caimans do not have a bony septum between their nostrils like Alligators.  They also have longer and sharper teeth.

AMERICAN ALLIGATOR:  Maternal Protection

Greatly feared because of Her size and teeth, American Alligator is a shy animal. She prefers to live in her “gator hole” or mucking around the swamp. The chance of being killed by an Alligator is less than being struck by lightening.   When encountering

a nearby human, She usually will walk or swim away.

American Alligator is a keystone species. She creates “alligator holes”--mud hollows in swampy areas. This provides other animals with water, food, and homes. Moreover, Alligator is the largest predator in her area, controlling overpopulation of Deer and other animals. Even Her abandoned nest is used by other animals.

When American Alligator young are being threatened, Mother American Alligator will attack the intruder. People who are familiar with swamps will warn: never come between a Mother ‘Gator’ and her nest. When Baby American Alligator is threatened, He gives a high-pitched croak. Mother Alligator will immediately appear and save Her baby.

Learn the meaning of Motherhood from the American Alligator. She has much to teach in the raising and protecting of children. Mother American Alligator protects her Young while they are incubating in their nest and later when they are growing.

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Science Notes:

1.       The difference between Alligator and Crocodile is the snout and the jaw. Alligators have broad snouts, and their teeth in their upper jaw overlap their lower jaw’s teeth. 

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CROCODILIANS : Meaningful Communications

Alligators, Crocodiles, and Gharials are the largest living reptiles on earth. They form the last living direct link with the Age of Dinosaurs. Living relics of prehistorical times, Crocodilians are the only surviving members of the same family as the Dinosaurs.  They are also the closest living relative to Birds. 

The Crocodilia order is split into three major subfamilies–Crocodile, Alligatoridae (Alligators and Caimans), and Gharial (Gavial). The seven Alligator species live in the Americas except for Chinese Alligator.  Meanwhile, Gharials live in Asia. The fourteen true crocodile species are found in the tropics.  They range from the Estuarine (Saltwater) Crocodile, who swims in the open ocean to the rare Cuban Crocodile found in only two swamps of Cuba. 

Well-suited for their lives in the water, these aquatic hunters have webbed feet and muscular tails.  Their ankles swivel to allow their legs to be almost under their bodies.  (This lets Them to walk like Mammals.)  Unlike other Reptiles, Crocodilians can gallop or do a “high walk” (similar to Mammals).

What set Crocodilians apart from other Reptiles are their complex social lives.  They speak to their young, inform others of their territories, or buzz to attract mates.  How much each one shows of their body above the water conveys their social status.  Moreover living in groups, adult Crocodilians understand everyone’s head slapping and bellowing.

What unnerves people about Crocodilians is their loud calling.  Like Lions, Crocodiles will roar to tell others of trespassing on their territory.  Little ones call to their mothers, who come for them.  Alligators have breeding chorus “contests” between males and females.  Meanwhile, Male Gharials buzz to warn off their rivals and to attract Female Gharials.

Crocodilians are effective communicators.  Underwater discussions are conducted with jaw and head slaps.  Also, Crocodilians send chemicals messages using smell to each other.  During spring nights, Alligators gather for “dances” (their form of group courtship). Using a variety of methods, Crocodilians make Themselves understood by others.  We can learn from these Reptiles how to communicate meaningfully with others, using all the means at our disposal. Just do not frighten people with your bellowing.

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Norse Wolves of Lore

  
Animal                      Name                                          Lore

Dire Wolf                Fenrir                                       Loki’s Offspring

Dire Wolf                Hati Hrodvitnisson              Destroyer of Sun   

Dire Wolf                Hrodvitnir                              Father of Hati                 

Dire Wolf                Managarm (Moon–Dog) Destroyer of Moon         

Dire Wolf                Skoll                                        Swallows the Sun  

Grey Wolf              Freki (Greed)                       Odin’s Wolves      

Grey Wolf              Geri (Greed)                  Odin’s Wolves                          

Grey Wolf              Ulfhednar                             Wolf Beserkers    

Hound                    Garmr                                   Guardian of Hel

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Dire Wolf is the ancestor of today's modern wolves.  

Dragon Search: Japanese

To find any type of Japanese dragon, I had to go on a scavenger hunt.  These dragons are elusive to find.  I had to look through books and on the Internet to seek them out.

20 December 2010

From: “Sacred Geometry Cards for the Visionary Path” by Francine Hart. 

The card called “Garden of Delights” featured a long green dragon with red-ridged plates.  The dragon was hiding amongst the flowers.  This dragon was a karyu.

21 December 2010

From:  “Dragons” by Steve Dobell.

The story “A Japanese Dragon Slayer” was illustrated with a tatsu.  This dragon was long and sinewy, and possessed three claws.  It also had a beard and two horns.

22 December 2010

From: a Japanese children’s story book: “Yamata no Orochi”.

This is the story of Susanoo who fought the dragon Yamata no Orochi, who plagued the town of Izumo.  This dragon had eight heads and tails.  This dragon was the Yamata.

23 December 2010

From a Japanese 5^th Grade Advanced Reader: “Mokiyuu Uroshi”.

This particular story was illustrated with a three-toed dragon swimming in the sea.  This dragon with long whiskers was a tatsu.

24 December 2010

From “Dragonlore From Japan” by Mark  Schumacher, Onmark Productions http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/dragon.shtml

The dragon illustration for the story, “Urashima Taro” was another tatsu.  It had a beard, three toes and was long and sinewy.

25 December 2010

From “Japanese Dragon”, Wikipedia Entry, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_dragon

There were pictures of various dragons from Japanese woodcuts.  Most of these dragons were called “sea dragons”.  They looked like tatsu dragons.  However, one woodcut was called “Kiyohime”, who was the girl who became a dragon.

26 December 2010

From “Japanese Dragon”, Wikipedia Entry, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_dragon

A picture of a dragon shrine from Fujiyoshida is carved from white stone and has large scales.  I believe that this could be a representation of the Ukashima Dragon.