Why I Want to Believe in Angels - and Thousands Do
I've never seen a real angel -
a living, breathing being, with feathered wings - but I like the idea
of them; the stories of their capacity for flight, these messengers
between heaven and earth. The New Age angels seem less mysterious, and
therefore less interesting - reduced, in reports of sightings, to the
mundane, finding parking spaces and loitering around shopping malls -
and so an altogether different species to the dark angels of death and
Old Testament destruction.
Rather unfairly, angels of all descriptions have been deemed superstitious flim-flam by many serious contemporary commentators; but Susan Garrett, formerly of the Yale Divinity School, and currently professor at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, has just published a scholarly book that places a host of angels centre-stage in the fundamental questions of life (How did we get here? Where are we going? What does it all mean, anyway?). As a practising Christian, she does not claim to be neutral, but her comparison of biblical accounts of angels with medieval and modern testimonies is immensely thorough, though lacking in the magic of William Blake's vision of a tree filled with angels in Peckham Rye ("their bright wings covered the tree boughs like stars").
No Ordinary Angel (Yale University Press £18.99) - Garrett's title refers to her interpretation of Jesus as the best messenger from God - also reports the proliferation of angel sightings in the US since the 1990s; a phenomenon which she does not quite explain, though it is clear that as a nation, America tends to think that an angel is not just for Christmas.
According to a recent survey, 71 per cent of Americans believe in angels, though only 47 per cent in Darwin's theory of evolution. In other surveys, a third of Americans say that they have personally felt an angelic presence in their lives; a belief made manifest in even the briefest trawl through the internet, which reveals a modern ether, where angels proliferate, as if emerging through a gap in Jacob's ladder between heaven and earth.
There are photographs of angels said to have been visible in the smoke clouds of the falling Twin Towers; stories of angelic voices warning of impending danger, invisible hands guiding the lost to safety, and winged warriors saving the innocent from muggers or rapists. You'll find websites advertising angel healers and angel therapists, angel fortune-telling cards and angel rejuvenation spray, angel earrings and angel crystal essences.
It is as if the world-wide web has reinvented medieval Angelology; conjuring up a multitude, like 14th-century scholars, who calculated that there were precisely 301,655,722 members of the celestial hierarchy (all of them classified into three strict divisions: the first choir, of Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones; the second choir of Dominions, Virtues and Powers; and the third of Principalities, Archangels and Angels).
And in this, as other matters, where America has already gone, Britain follows; though of course, the 21st century angel craze has historical precedents here, too. There are several flourishing websites about an angel that guards the River Thames, including YouTube footage alongside 19th century etchings, and a photograph taken in London during the Blitz, which apparently shows an appearance by the Thames angel to firemen in November 1940. Rather disappointingly, the YouTube clips are just as blurry as the old photograph, though believers can see angel wings where others might only see a trick of the light.
As it happens, latter day angels are generally depicted as creatures of light, beautifully golden like a vision of Botticelli's. But the Hebrew word for angel is "mal'akh", which originally meant the shadow side of God, though it came to be translated as messenger. Thus the Old Testament Angel of the Lord was an ominous, sombre spirit who went forth at night "and slew a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians"; and, when God wanted to punish the Israelites, He sent forth an avenging angel, bringing pestilence and destruction; presumably not the sort of angel to ask for a parking space, but a being amply equipped to do battle with Richard Dawkins, or to scythe down the sons of Mammon on Wall Street and daughters of Babylon on Bond Street.
All of which might seem entirely fanciful; as irrelevant to the realities of these troubled times as the debased angels of New Age merchandising (those plastic figurines and china knick-knacks that are the equivalent of the medieval trade in rosaries and relics). Even so, our world still has space for angels within it, as Garrett implies - guardians against malignancy, vivid emblems of flight and freedom and liberation, reminders of otherness and magic, of the vast sky above us, even as the ground gives way beneath our feet.
Source: The First Post
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/46182,opinion,why-i-want-to-believe-in-angels-and-thousands-do
Rather unfairly, angels of all descriptions have been deemed superstitious flim-flam by many serious contemporary commentators; but Susan Garrett, formerly of the Yale Divinity School, and currently professor at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, has just published a scholarly book that places a host of angels centre-stage in the fundamental questions of life (How did we get here? Where are we going? What does it all mean, anyway?). As a practising Christian, she does not claim to be neutral, but her comparison of biblical accounts of angels with medieval and modern testimonies is immensely thorough, though lacking in the magic of William Blake's vision of a tree filled with angels in Peckham Rye ("their bright wings covered the tree boughs like stars").
No Ordinary Angel (Yale University Press £18.99) - Garrett's title refers to her interpretation of Jesus as the best messenger from God - also reports the proliferation of angel sightings in the US since the 1990s; a phenomenon which she does not quite explain, though it is clear that as a nation, America tends to think that an angel is not just for Christmas.
According to a recent survey, 71 per cent of Americans believe in angels, though only 47 per cent in Darwin's theory of evolution. In other surveys, a third of Americans say that they have personally felt an angelic presence in their lives; a belief made manifest in even the briefest trawl through the internet, which reveals a modern ether, where angels proliferate, as if emerging through a gap in Jacob's ladder between heaven and earth.
There are photographs of angels said to have been visible in the smoke clouds of the falling Twin Towers; stories of angelic voices warning of impending danger, invisible hands guiding the lost to safety, and winged warriors saving the innocent from muggers or rapists. You'll find websites advertising angel healers and angel therapists, angel fortune-telling cards and angel rejuvenation spray, angel earrings and angel crystal essences.
It is as if the world-wide web has reinvented medieval Angelology; conjuring up a multitude, like 14th-century scholars, who calculated that there were precisely 301,655,722 members of the celestial hierarchy (all of them classified into three strict divisions: the first choir, of Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones; the second choir of Dominions, Virtues and Powers; and the third of Principalities, Archangels and Angels).
And in this, as other matters, where America has already gone, Britain follows; though of course, the 21st century angel craze has historical precedents here, too. There are several flourishing websites about an angel that guards the River Thames, including YouTube footage alongside 19th century etchings, and a photograph taken in London during the Blitz, which apparently shows an appearance by the Thames angel to firemen in November 1940. Rather disappointingly, the YouTube clips are just as blurry as the old photograph, though believers can see angel wings where others might only see a trick of the light.
As it happens, latter day angels are generally depicted as creatures of light, beautifully golden like a vision of Botticelli's. But the Hebrew word for angel is "mal'akh", which originally meant the shadow side of God, though it came to be translated as messenger. Thus the Old Testament Angel of the Lord was an ominous, sombre spirit who went forth at night "and slew a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians"; and, when God wanted to punish the Israelites, He sent forth an avenging angel, bringing pestilence and destruction; presumably not the sort of angel to ask for a parking space, but a being amply equipped to do battle with Richard Dawkins, or to scythe down the sons of Mammon on Wall Street and daughters of Babylon on Bond Street.
All of which might seem entirely fanciful; as irrelevant to the realities of these troubled times as the debased angels of New Age merchandising (those plastic figurines and china knick-knacks that are the equivalent of the medieval trade in rosaries and relics). Even so, our world still has space for angels within it, as Garrett implies - guardians against malignancy, vivid emblems of flight and freedom and liberation, reminders of otherness and magic, of the vast sky above us, even as the ground gives way beneath our feet.
Source: The First Post
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/46182,opinion,why-i-want-to-believe-in-angels-and-thousands-do
- AWWW, I HAD MY FLIGHT BOOKED AND EVERYTHING DEPARTMENT -
UFO cult's "World Orgasm Day" Orgy Cancelled Due to Threats
The Israeli branch
of the UFO centred movement known as the Raelians was planning
something special to commemorate ‘World Orgasm Day’, a huge orgy in
downtown Tel Aviv, the largest city in Israel. The event was going to
attract at least 250 participants of all sexual orientations: Straight,
bisexual, gay and lesbian and was meant to make a powerful and highly
relevant statement in this most troubled part of the world: that it is
far better to make love rather than war. Sadly however the
organisers have been forced to cancel this year’s event due to numerous
violent threats made towards both the movement and the venue. The
threats are believed to come from ultra-orthodox Jews who feel such
celebrations violate the sanctity of the Holy Land and go against the
morality of Judaism.
"The purpose of the event was to try and bring world peace through mass orgasm, this by experiencing consensual sex and natural, uninterrupted pleasure. It was important to make love without feeling guilty or shy," commented Kobi Drori, the head of the Raelians in Israel.
Drori also complained about the fact that nowadays the words war violence and murder are considered OK but not the words love and sex. "It should be the other way around. Several years ago an Iraqi boy whose limbs were amputated was shown on TV and everybody treated this as if it was okay, but when Janet Jackson exposed her breast during the Superbowl the American nation was appalled," continued Drori.
A very attractive 22 year old woman who identified herself as "Yael" was dissapointed that the orgy was called off. "Raelian belief makes sense, and I was looking forward to participate in this event in an uninhibited way, this is what we were created for, and the fanatics will not hold us back forever."
The Raelians are known for their liberal attitudes towards sexuality. They believe that mankind was created by aliens who arrived here thousands of years ago in UFOs. Despite their opposition to Biblical attitudes towards sex they see the Bible as a book that bears witness to ancient alien visitors, and place particular emphasis on the Book of Ezekiel, which they see as an ancient account of a UFO visitation.
Source: All News Web
http://www.allnewsweb.com/page1231231.php
"The purpose of the event was to try and bring world peace through mass orgasm, this by experiencing consensual sex and natural, uninterrupted pleasure. It was important to make love without feeling guilty or shy," commented Kobi Drori, the head of the Raelians in Israel.
Drori also complained about the fact that nowadays the words war violence and murder are considered OK but not the words love and sex. "It should be the other way around. Several years ago an Iraqi boy whose limbs were amputated was shown on TV and everybody treated this as if it was okay, but when Janet Jackson exposed her breast during the Superbowl the American nation was appalled," continued Drori.
A very attractive 22 year old woman who identified herself as "Yael" was dissapointed that the orgy was called off. "Raelian belief makes sense, and I was looking forward to participate in this event in an uninhibited way, this is what we were created for, and the fanatics will not hold us back forever."
The Raelians are known for their liberal attitudes towards sexuality. They believe that mankind was created by aliens who arrived here thousands of years ago in UFOs. Despite their opposition to Biblical attitudes towards sex they see the Bible as a book that bears witness to ancient alien visitors, and place particular emphasis on the Book of Ezekiel, which they see as an ancient account of a UFO visitation.
Source: All News Web
http://www.allnewsweb.com/page1231231.php
- A LITTLE SEASONAL WEIRDNESS DEPARTMENT -
Christmas Tales of Mystery and Imagination
Every now and then a query
reaches me regarding a Horned Man, who is said to haunt the outskirts
of Kirkby.
This Herne-like figure was first reported in the 1890s (but probably seen much earlier) around Clarke’s Farm, off Glover’s Brow, which is now Prescot Road, leading to Melling Mount.
The figure looked like a crouching man with deer-like antlers, and was usually seen in the winter months. Whenever this peculiar humanoid ‘maninal’ was chased, it always seemed to go to ground at Bank Brook, where dogs sent to track the horned entity would lose its scent.
At Christmas 1897, a 10-year-old girl named Elizabeth Johnson, was staying at her aunt’s cottage on Shevington’s Lane in Kirkby, when she overheard the cook and maidservant whispering about a recent sighting of the Horned Man.
On Boxing Day, Elizabeth rose early and left a tray of mince pies and some turkey in the snow for the unidentified creature, and minutes later, when she looked from her bedroom window, she saw the mysterious oddity creep across the snowfields to the silver tray, which it lifted up and made off with.
Elizabeth was scolded for losing the expensive tray, but the Horned Man returned it on the following morning, leaving it at the cottage gate. His nearby hoof marks were tracked as far as Bank Brook.
There have been many sightings of the horned hybrid over the years, especially in the 1970s, around the English Martyrs School playing field near Windermere Drive, and there was even a sighting of the weird unidentified ‘cryptid’ a few weeks back off Bank Lane.
If you have any information about this entity, please email me.
Almost every Christmas Eve, the ending of an old romance from some bygone time can be heard in the night’s icy stillness.
If you stand beneath a certain balcony on Canning Street around midnight on that date, you may hear lovers who have long turned to dust, bidding one another a tearful goodbye.
The voices have been heard by many people over the years, including myself.
‘I will love you forever,’ sobs a young female voice on the balcony. ‘Always?’ queries a broken male voice on the pavement. ‘Yes, forever,’ she answers and as she cries he faintly says, ‘Goodbye Sarah,’ then deadly silence.
Some have felt and heard the rush of a strange wind through that same house in the wee small hours – a phenomenon which signifies a spirit emotionally revisiting a place it found special when alive.
Not all seasonal manifestations are so quaint; some are downright evil.
One Yuletide entity – that of a hooded woman in black – is said to appear next to some unlucky train drivers entering or leaving the city during December and January. No one knows the identity of the terrifying ghost, but she has been seen as far as Birmingham. This chilling apparition only nods to respond.
One brave driver, pulling into Lime Street many years ago asked, ‘Are you an omen?’ and the hooded apparition gave a single nod. ‘Will someone I know die?’ he asked. There was no response. ‘Will I die?’ was the next question, and the Reaper-like woman nodded, then vanished. That month the driver demanded a medical check-up at his doctor’s and discovered he had a serious heart problem. He underwent open-heart surgery and thankfully survived.
The Spectral Dog of Soho
Paranormal author Elliot O' Donnell was a master at collating macabre and mysterious tales. In his fascinating book Casebook Of Ghosts (1969) he mentions several phantom dog apparitions said to have haunted the capital. One of the most intriguing of these ghosts involved a friend of the author who encountered an apparition at the old Motley Club, once located in Dean Street, Soho.
Just before the club was shut down, the witness, a man named Dickson, was at the premises when he observed a yellow dog of some size which confronted him on a staircase. Dickson, hoping to provoke no ferocity from the strange dog, threw it a biscuit, but the dog did not bat an eyelid at the scrumptious gift. It then slowly padded past Dickson and out of sight.
The next day Dickson once again frequented the stairwell, and was shocked once again to meet the yellow hound. Again, the man threw it a biscuit. Again, the cookie was ignored, and again the dog passed him. This time however Dickson kept his eyes trained on the animal, and was startled to see it vanish into thin air halfway down the stairs.
On the third visit, Dickson once again observed the creature, but this time he threw it a piece of meat, and once again the animal took no notice. Baffled by the dog, Dickson decided to prod the animal with his stick, but was amazed to see the cane pass through the animal which then faded from view.
Dickson was clearly fed up with the surreal deja-vu and visited the club no more but was told of other witnesses who'd seen the spectral dog.
Was the animal a mere ghost of a pet that once roamed the stairs as a happy pooch, or like many phantom hounds, did it loiter in some unbidden realm, forever to be misunderstood by those who saw it, until the Motley Club finally closed down, meaning that no human eye would ever again observe the yellow hound?
www.ghostwalks.org – Try the Haunted Liverpool Ghostwalks.
Source: The Liverpool Echo
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/views/liverpool-columnists/echo-columnists/2008/12/20/
here-are-three-little-seasonal-supernatural-mysteries-that-i-am-at-a-loss-to-explain-
100252-22515511/
This Herne-like figure was first reported in the 1890s (but probably seen much earlier) around Clarke’s Farm, off Glover’s Brow, which is now Prescot Road, leading to Melling Mount.
The figure looked like a crouching man with deer-like antlers, and was usually seen in the winter months. Whenever this peculiar humanoid ‘maninal’ was chased, it always seemed to go to ground at Bank Brook, where dogs sent to track the horned entity would lose its scent.
At Christmas 1897, a 10-year-old girl named Elizabeth Johnson, was staying at her aunt’s cottage on Shevington’s Lane in Kirkby, when she overheard the cook and maidservant whispering about a recent sighting of the Horned Man.
On Boxing Day, Elizabeth rose early and left a tray of mince pies and some turkey in the snow for the unidentified creature, and minutes later, when she looked from her bedroom window, she saw the mysterious oddity creep across the snowfields to the silver tray, which it lifted up and made off with.
Elizabeth was scolded for losing the expensive tray, but the Horned Man returned it on the following morning, leaving it at the cottage gate. His nearby hoof marks were tracked as far as Bank Brook.
There have been many sightings of the horned hybrid over the years, especially in the 1970s, around the English Martyrs School playing field near Windermere Drive, and there was even a sighting of the weird unidentified ‘cryptid’ a few weeks back off Bank Lane.
If you have any information about this entity, please email me.
Almost every Christmas Eve, the ending of an old romance from some bygone time can be heard in the night’s icy stillness.
If you stand beneath a certain balcony on Canning Street around midnight on that date, you may hear lovers who have long turned to dust, bidding one another a tearful goodbye.
The voices have been heard by many people over the years, including myself.
‘I will love you forever,’ sobs a young female voice on the balcony. ‘Always?’ queries a broken male voice on the pavement. ‘Yes, forever,’ she answers and as she cries he faintly says, ‘Goodbye Sarah,’ then deadly silence.
Some have felt and heard the rush of a strange wind through that same house in the wee small hours – a phenomenon which signifies a spirit emotionally revisiting a place it found special when alive.
Not all seasonal manifestations are so quaint; some are downright evil.
One Yuletide entity – that of a hooded woman in black – is said to appear next to some unlucky train drivers entering or leaving the city during December and January. No one knows the identity of the terrifying ghost, but she has been seen as far as Birmingham. This chilling apparition only nods to respond.
One brave driver, pulling into Lime Street many years ago asked, ‘Are you an omen?’ and the hooded apparition gave a single nod. ‘Will someone I know die?’ he asked. There was no response. ‘Will I die?’ was the next question, and the Reaper-like woman nodded, then vanished. That month the driver demanded a medical check-up at his doctor’s and discovered he had a serious heart problem. He underwent open-heart surgery and thankfully survived.
The Spectral Dog of Soho
Paranormal author Elliot O' Donnell was a master at collating macabre and mysterious tales. In his fascinating book Casebook Of Ghosts (1969) he mentions several phantom dog apparitions said to have haunted the capital. One of the most intriguing of these ghosts involved a friend of the author who encountered an apparition at the old Motley Club, once located in Dean Street, Soho.
Just before the club was shut down, the witness, a man named Dickson, was at the premises when he observed a yellow dog of some size which confronted him on a staircase. Dickson, hoping to provoke no ferocity from the strange dog, threw it a biscuit, but the dog did not bat an eyelid at the scrumptious gift. It then slowly padded past Dickson and out of sight.
The next day Dickson once again frequented the stairwell, and was shocked once again to meet the yellow hound. Again, the man threw it a biscuit. Again, the cookie was ignored, and again the dog passed him. This time however Dickson kept his eyes trained on the animal, and was startled to see it vanish into thin air halfway down the stairs.
On the third visit, Dickson once again observed the creature, but this time he threw it a piece of meat, and once again the animal took no notice. Baffled by the dog, Dickson decided to prod the animal with his stick, but was amazed to see the cane pass through the animal which then faded from view.
Dickson was clearly fed up with the surreal deja-vu and visited the club no more but was told of other witnesses who'd seen the spectral dog.
Was the animal a mere ghost of a pet that once roamed the stairs as a happy pooch, or like many phantom hounds, did it loiter in some unbidden realm, forever to be misunderstood by those who saw it, until the Motley Club finally closed down, meaning that no human eye would ever again observe the yellow hound?
www.ghostwalks.org – Try the Haunted Liverpool Ghostwalks.
Source: The Liverpool Echo
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/views/liverpool-columnists/echo-columnists/2008/12/20/
here-are-three-little-seasonal-supernatural-mysteries-that-i-am-at-a-loss-to-explain-
100252-22515511/
-
AND NOW, A BIT OF FUN DEPARTMENT -
Weird Hairy Females Seduce Hot-Blooded Caucasian Men
Weird Hairy Females Seduce Hot-Blooded Caucasian Men
A sensational incident took place in the Chegemsky Gorge of the Northern Caucasus. Researchers found evidence to prove the existence of Bigfoot in the area. Local residents say that Yeti females – people refer to these weird creatures as the Almasty – come into contact with humans and even attempted to have a sexual intercourse with local men.
People say that they have had quite a number of encounters with yeti in the area around the town of Elbrus.
“There are many deserted barns over there with boulders and woods around. They most often spot the Almasty there. They come to town from there,” local resident Adelgery Tilov said.
The settlement of Elbrus is entirely surrounded by woods and mountains. Each resident has seen the Bigfoot at least once in a lifetime. Moreover, local women know some men, who communicate with the Almasty, with their females, to be more precise.
“A yeti female looks like a gorilla, of course, but she can definitely temp a man,” one of the elders, Kazi Khajiyev said. “The Almasty can bewitch a man. They say that a man, whom a wild woman tries to seduce, sees not the hairy ape-like creature, but the woman that he wants to see. It is something like hypnosis,” the man said.
The locals try to avoid a sudden meeting with the yeti. They traditionally put some of their food and drinks outside every night after dinner to feed the wild creatures.
“A wild human being is a human being, that is why we try to get along with them. My grandfather used to tell me that the Almasty have always lived here. They increased their population after the Balkars deserted their villages. The Almasty took their homes, that’s why they let humans see them so often nowadays,” Adilgery Tilov said.
Adilgery says that fire is the ultimate attraction to the yeti. Most of the encounters occur when people sit by the fire.
“I had to go to a neighboring village one summer day. I was supposed to stay there for a night so I accommodated myself in a deserted barn. I made a fire near the barn and fell asleep. I opened my eyes very early in the morning and saw someone sitting by the fire. A female yeti was giving me a very thoughtful look. She was not tall, a bit more than one meter in height. She was black and her fur was all messy . I was scared to death, and was lying there still, thinking what she was going to do next. She stayed there for about ten more minutes, got up and vanished in the woods,” the man said.
“Wild man does not like to be bothered. If someone offends the Almasty, they may respond in the most terrible way. One summer day children were playing games in our village. A wild woman was sitting not very far from the kids, basking in the sun. One of the boys ran up to the woman and pulled her by the fur. She did not move, but gave the boy a fierce look. The boy died from a strange disease several days later,” Tilov said.
Many locals say that the Almasty can cast an evil spell on humans. Nafisat Boziyeva is one of those who suffered from such a curse.
“I knew the story from my early childhood, but it could never occur to me that the story was true. It happened before the revolution. One of our ancestors encountered a wild woman in the woods. They developed affection to each other, and he even brought her to the village as if she was his wife. It was obviously a shock for the villagers. Many women were openly laughing at the wild female, and so she cursed them. There were several women of our clan among the cursed. Many of our female descendants have never been able to have their own families since then. They become either unhappily married or spend the whole life alone,” the woman said.
Source: Pravda
http://newsfromrussia.com/society/anomal/17-12-2008/106840-weird_females-0
