Coriander (Cilantro) –

I love this herb! I grew up calling it cilantro but it is known as coriander in the U.K.  Having made my own salsa from fresh ingredients, I will never again eat the stuff from a jar.  And the pungent taste of the fresh chopped cilantro leaves is the main reason.  It’s also delicious in a number of sauces and Chinese dishes.  The seeds are a staple in most herb cabinets although I’ve never really cooked with them.  To be honest, this is not an easy plant to grow.  Or maybe I just have bad luck with them.  All the books say keep the plants in full sun in well-drained soil. 

Sacred Dying – Embracing The End Of Life

Having experienced the loss of family members from an early age has been the result of me adapting my way of thinking regarding living and dying; there is really no difference between birth and death, as both are equally sacred moments of the soul and facts of life. Sometime or the other we are all going to die.

 
Death is simply an end to the physical body, as the soul prepares its transition back into the spiritual realm. Nobody dies a moment before their time and nobody lives a moment after their time has come to make this great transition. None of us want to die; we want to live longer because that is what we know – the fight or flight for survival is in our primitive brain.

 
It is pointless to desire an extended life because it is all there – past, present and future, happening right now as we stay focused in the present moment. Having lived the past 15 years or so removed from traditional spiritual teaching and embracing the more holistic approach to life and death, has assisted me in understanding death with ease.

 
The many books I have read on the subject of death and dying, as well as the volunteer work with CANSA, serving the terminal patients who had been sent home to die, I was blessed in that I learnt much from both the patient and their families during this time, as they were trying to cope with impending death and finally the grieving stage of a loved one.

 
As a holistic practitioner since 2005, I promote the holistic and palliative approach to death. The imminent death of a patient, whether it is that of a family member or a client, is a sacred moment. There is no better way to show your love than just to be there for the dying person, assuring them that they will not die alone.

 
There is nothing fearful about death or dying. For both the dying and the living to partake in this very sacred time of transition, is a final gift of love to sit vigil at the deathbed.

 
Many years of learning about holistic care has led me to a place of sharing my knowledge with you. As Ramm Dass once said “If you are going to die, the best way to prepare is to quiet the mind and open the heart. If you are going to live, the best way to prepare is to quiet the mind and open the heart”. May we that are called to serve the dying, practice quieting the mind as we open our heart to serve those that are facing death, and share love and compassion to those that are left behind to mourn the passing of their loved one.

 

In loving service,
Mona Minnaar (SNHS/RHASA/CEOLD) 

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Swan Circle

Roodepoort, Gauteng

ASC’s And Ritual

This article by Anna appeared in Web of Wyrd, issue number 7.

 

Altered States of Consciousness (ASCs) are an integral part of ritual. They can be defined as any mental state recognised by the individual as different from his or her normal waking consciousness. As such, the act of separating yourself from the mundane world, having a ritual bath or shower and preparing the ritual space, is enough to induce some sort of ASC in most people. Taking on a magical persona involves an ASC, as does invocation of godhead, dancing or chanting to raise power, meditation, scrying, and going through a guided visualisation or pathworking.

DE ARTE MAGICA

by Baphomet (Aleister Crowley)

 

I

Of Ararat

The supreme secret of the O.T.O. is written in detail in the Book called Agape and is also written plainly in Liber CCCXXXIII, Cap. XXXVI. But now also do We think it fitting to add Our own comment to this book Agape which We wrote in Our own words for the proper setting-forth of this Secret taught Us at Our Initiation to the IX by the O.H.O. And this Book has received His official approbation in every word thereof.
But in this comment do We not set forth the Secret itself (rather on the contrary guarding it by certain subtilties even from the conjecture of the unworthy) but only Our own ideas as to its right use, with other matters germane, thinking that those into whose hands it may come may thereby understand more fully the utter importance of this Secret as having been the Pivot of Our working for so long a period, and further that it may aid such persons to attain perfectly the mastery of this Holy and Imperial Art.

Dievturiba

by Aldis Putelis

 
A recent Latvian religious system belonging to the group of the so-called “new religions” and neo-paganism.
Established in 1925 by a group of artists and men of letters. The system is based on Latvian folklore, mainly folksong texts, using also the data of other genres and much comparative material. It is claimed that this is the actual ancient religion of Latvians, having preserved much of the original Indo-European ritual and mythology, as well as culture and worldview. It is admitted that it is re-organized for more convenience in
modern situation.