Thursday, 16 June 2016

The Watchtower

All along The Watchtower, 
Princes kept their view

While all the women came and went, 
barefoot servants, 2.

Outside in the cold distance,
a wildcat did growl.

2 riders were approaching, 
and the wind began to howl...



Big Wheel keep on turning,
Proud Mary keep on burning.

Rollin' 
(rollin')

Rollin'
(rollin')

Rolling on The River...







WATCHTOWER CEREMONY
Edited by Frater Osiris 2000

[Taken from The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magick by Israel Regardie (New Falcon: 1994). It has been slightly edited to bring it into a more concise and useable format consistent with my own script for the Opening by Watchtower. Note that I have replaced the cumbersome Golden Dawn translation of Enochian with the original Dee translation.]

1. Opening. Stand in Northeast, facing East. “Hekas, Hekas Este Bebeloi!” LBRP. BRH.


2. Fire. Walk to South. Face Tablet, wave fire wand once to left, right, and center. Raise wand above head and walk deosil, saying:


“And when, after all the phantoms have vanished, thou shalt see that holy and formless Fire, that fire which darts and flashes through the hidden depths of the universe, hear thou the voice of Fire.”

At South, shake wand three times before Fire Tablet. Draw circle of gold. Draw invoking pentagram of Spirit active. Make LVX signs. Draw invoking pentagram of Fire. Salute with Fire Sign. Point to center with wand and vibrate “OIP TEAA PDOCE.” Raise wand, saying:

“In the names and letters of the Great Southern Quadrangle, I invoke ye, ye angels of the Watchtower of the South.”

Salute with Fire sign. Visualize and feel Fire energy. Replace wand.

3. Water. Walk to West. Face Tablet, sprinkle water to left, right, and center. Raise cup and walk deosil, saying:

“So therefore first, the priest who governeth the works of Fire must sprinkle with the lustral water of the loud resounding sea.”


At West, sprinkle water before Water Tablet. Draw circle of gold. Draw invoking pentagram of Spirit passive. Make LVX signs. Draw invoking pentagram of Water. Salute with Water sign. Point to center and vibrate “MPH ARSL GAIOL.” Raise cup, saying:


“In the names and letters of the Great Western Quadrangle, I invoke ye, ye angels of the Watchtower of the West.”

Salute with Water sign. Visualize and feel Water energy. Replace Cup.


4. Air. Walk to East. Face Tablet, shake dagger to left, right and center. Raise dagger and walk deosil, saying:


“Such a Fire existeth, extending through the rushing of Air. Or even a Fire formless, whence cometh the image of a voice. Or even a flashing light, abounding, revolving, whirling forth, crying aloud.”

At East, shake dagger three times before Air Tablet. Draw golden circle. Draw invoking pentagram of Spirit active. Make LVX signs. Draw invoking pentagram of Air. Salute with Air sign. Point to center and vibrate “ORO IBAH AOZPI.” Raise dagger, saying:

“In the names and letters of the Great Eastern Quadrangle, I invoke ye, ye angels of the Watchtower of the East.” 

Salute with Air sign. Visualize and feel Air energy. Replace dagger.


5. Earth. Walk to North. Face Tablet, shake pantacle to left, right and center. Raise pantacle, saying:


“Stoop not down into that darkly splendid world wherein continually lieth a faithless depth and Hades wrapped in gloom, delighting in unintelligible images, precipitous, winding: A black ever-rolling abyss, ever espousing a body unluminous, formless and void.”

At North, shake pantacle three times before Earth Tablet. Draw golden circle. Draw invoking pentagram of Spirit passive. Make LVX signs. Draw invoking pentagram of Earth. Salute with Earth sign. Point to center and vibrate “MOR DIAL HCTGA.” Raise pantacle, saying:

“In the names and letters of the Great Northern Quadrangle, I invoke ye, ye angels of the Watchtower of the North.” 

Salute with Earth sign. Visualize and feel Earth energy. Replace pantacle.


6. Spirit. Return to West of altar, facing East. Draw golden circle over altar. Draw four invoking pentagrams of Spirit, two active and two passive, vibrating: EXARP, BITOM, NANTA, HCOMA.

Say:


In the names and letters of the mystical Tablet of Union, I invoke ye, ye divine forces of the spirit of life.”

Over altar and Tablet, make the sign of The Rending of the Veil. 

Vibrate:
“OL SONF VORS G GOHO IAD BALT.”

Vibrate:
“LEXARPH COMANAN TABITOM.”

Say:
“ZACARE, CA ZACARE OD ZAMRAN.”
“ODO CICLE QAA PIAP PIAMOL OD VOOAN.”

Say:
“I invoke ye, ye angels of the celestial spheres, whose dwelling is in the invisible. Ye are the guardians of the gates of the universe. Be ye also the guardians of this mystic sphere. Keep far removed the evil and the unbalanced. Strengthen and inspire me so that I may preserve unsullied this abode of the mysteries of the eternal gods. Let my sphere be pure and holy so that I may enter in and become a partaker of the secrets of the light divine.”

Sense and balance elements at center of circle. Move to the Northeast and say:


“The visible Sun is the dispenser of light to the Earth. Let me therefore form a vortex in this chamber that the invisible Sun of the spirit may shine therein from above.”

Circumambulate three times, making the Sign of the Enterer each time you pass East. Visualize and feel vortex of energy. Return to West of altar facing East. Give the Sign of the Enterer and say:


“Holy art Thou, Lord of the universe.”

Sign of the Enterer.

“Holy art Thou, whom nature hath not formed.”

Sign of the Enterer.

“Holy art Thou, the vast and mighty One.
Lord of the light and of the darkness.”

Sign of Silence.

CLOSING BY WATCHTOWER
Circumambulate three times counterclockwise, making the Sign of the Enterer each time you pass East. 
Visualize and feel vortex of energy dissipate. 
LBRP. BRH.


L


"I've seen The Future, and it will be."


"Rorschach and Dan, now fully disguised as Nite Owl, suspect that the hunting down of former costumed vigilantes may have been conspired by one of their own. 
They sneak into Adrian Veidt's offices and discover what may be a conspiracy of far reaching proportions. 
To confirm their findings, they must confront Adrian -- their former colleague Ozymandias -- and have to travel to his Antarctic retreat to find him. "


"There must be some kind of way out of here," 
said the joker to the thief.


"There's too much confusion, 
I can't get no relief.


Businessmen, they drink my wine, 
plowmen dig my earth.


None of them along the line 
know what any of it is worth."


"No reason to get excited," 
the thief, he kindly spoke,


"There are many here among us 
who feel that life is but a joke.


But you and I, we've been through that, 
and this is not our fate,


So let us not talk falsely now, 
the hour is getting late."



All along The Watchtower, 
Princes kept their view


While all the women came and went, 
barefoot servants, too.


Outside in the cold distance,
a wildcat did growl.


Two riders were approaching, 
and the wind began to howl...



"A CNN crew visits the Kingdom Hall of Prince the Sunday after he 'passed away'."



"We expect Brother Nelson to be resurrected here on Earth, just like the Bible says, when Jehovah cleanses this Earth of all it's evil,there'll be a resurrection and we will welcome him back - and he'll be right [here] like flesh and blood, like you and me are talking here right now.

It's a deep, deep belief that we have."

Black Muse


Kohl is an ancient eye cosmetic, traditionally made by grinding stibnite (Sb2S3). 

It is widely used in South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and parts of West Africa as eyeliner to contour and/or darken the eyelids and as mascara for the eyelashes. It is worn mostly by women, but also by some men and children.

Kohl has also been used in India as a cosmetic for a long time. In addition, mothers would apply kohl to their infants' eyes soon after birth. Some did this to “strengthen the child’s eyes”, and others believed it could prevent the child from being cursed by the evil eye.


PRINCE LYRICS

Black Muse can eye talk to you
What eye got to share is mighty good news
A brand new day is dawning
But you and me know what to do
(so much work to do)

Black Muse we've been so abused
Our mothers were good-looking and our fathers were too
But if they don't stay together
We can't walk no better in these shoes
(Black Muse)

Long ago 2 men held one of us down
Another took a whip and made a terrible sound
Baby watched her father falling down to the ground
That was you and me.

Black Muse can eye share with you
Just came this morning and it's mighty good news
They tipped the hour glass
Now everything is passed
It's true.

They gave the world back to you and me
The faces on the mountains and a dirty sea
A trillion dollar bill and no currency
Still we believe

Black Muse we gonna make it thru
Surly people that created rhythm and blues
Rock and roll and jazz
So you know we're built to last
It's cool.. it's cool.. it's cool..
(Black Muse)

A new day is dawning
Black Muse
A new day is dawning
Black Muse

Now that eye got your attention
Eye think its 'bout time eye mention
The reason why eye wrote this song
Like a UFO sighting
From my heart eye am writing
The next close encounter
Tell me how long
Will it be on land or near the water
Will it produce the sun or the black moon daughter
Or a pillow covered with all our tears
1000 light years away from here
(1000 light years from here)

No yesterday or tomorrow
No better remedy for sorrow
Or why the 5th held forever will make you cry
Eye don't know why

1000 light years from here
(1000 light years from here)

2 unbroken circles joined together make a butterfly
Little darling don't you wanna try? (yeah I wanna try)
There ain't nothing better than looking for me (for me to)
And seeing you (seeing me)
Seeing you in the mirror
1000 light years away from here

Why do we always seem so far away?
When you know that eye really wanna be with you night and day
I'm running out of ways to say how
So eye think I'll just close
For now.



10 Facts About Prince’s New Melanin Muse Damaris Lewis

Recently, Prince was spotted with a gorgeous black woman at the Golden State Warriors game in Oakland, CA.  Considering that the artist is usually linked to women with less melanin, this photograph was very much a surprise.  So who is Prince’s new melanin muse?  Well, here are ten facts about her.
damaris lewis and prince
Prince and his muse, Damaris Lewis, at the Golden State Warriors game. Source: https://www.instagram.com/damarislewis
1. Her name is Damaris Lewis, and she was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.
2. Damaris and her family are originally from St Kitts, and she reps it hard.
Damaris takes her West Indian roots seriously and never passes on the opportunity to represent her Country of St.Kitts-Nevis. Her social media is filled with photos of her representing her flag and her country of St.Kitts-Nevis. A heritage she treats with much pride.  – Times Caribbean
9986887255_ddc4f69bbe_b
3. She was discovered by Prince while hosting a concert series about him on The Africa Channel.
I hosted a special about his concert series on The Africa Channel.  He was going to Australia [in May 2012] and knew that I danced and modeled and he said, ‘We need a feature dancer, do you want to come?’  I also went on to tour Chicago with him and then we did SXSW, the closing Samsung party. – Damaris Lewis in Sports Illustrated
damaris lewis
http://damarislewis.com
4. She signed with Elite Model Management at age 15.
She was discovered by a modelling agent while performing with her dance troupe at a benefit dinner, and within months she was working for clients such as V, French Vogue, Benetton, Saks, MAC Cosmetics and Yves St. Laurent. – Times Caribbean
5. She has “graced the pages of French Vogue and starred in campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent and Benetton”[Essence].
damaris lewis
Damaris Lew for Yves Saint Laurent.
6. She is also a classically trained dancer having studied at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music, Art & Performing Arts, which is featured in the film Fame.
damaris lewis 5
https://www.instagram.com/damarislewis
7. And she is an avid volunteer.  In an interview with GQ, Damaris stated: 
“Before I die I’d like to make sure I’ve given back in every way I possibly could have. A lot of people have moved mountains for me. I’d like to do the same.”
Since September of 2009, Damaris has set aside dedicated volunteer time to help those in need. She works closely with Project Sunshine and several of their programs designed to “Bring Sunshine to a Cloudy day.” Each August since 2010, Damaris has held her Project Sunshine Dance Camp. The Day Camp is a 2 to 4 week project designed to not only teach teen girls how to move, but to instill personal pride and inner strength featuring the slogan “I CAN, I WILL.” In 2013, she expanded her outreach by volunteering with Madison Square Garden’s Garden of Dreams Foundation. – DamarisLewis.com
damaris lewis 4
Damaris Lewis at the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which partners with “hospitals, wish organizations and community-based organizations, to reach children who are facing challenges such as homelessness, extreme poverty, illness and foster care.” Source: https://www.instagram.com/damarislewis
8. She has her own blog, entitled Heels to Hoops,” which combines her love of basketball with her love for fashion.
9. She is a product of the Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA).
Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Headquarters. I’ve waited for that moment for a long long time as the BGCA changed my life as a kid. Proud to be an Alumni and excited for what’s to come. Who here is a BGCA alum too?? – Damaris Lewis Facebook
10. She has appeared in Sports Illustrated three times — in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
Screen Shot 2016-03-08 at 6.44.29 AM
Isn’t she stunning?

Chinwe

Empowering women of color to break barriers. Cherish.Thy.Melanin. https://www.facebook.com/cherishthymelanin/ https://cherishthymelanin.com/

Duality


I got two sides,
And they're both friends

Wednesday, 15 June 2016

Faustus




[A Grove.]


Enter FAUSTUS to conjure


  Faust.  
Now that the gloomy shadow of the earth

Longing to view Orion’s drizzling look,

Leaps from the antarctic world unto the sky,

And dims the welkin with her pitchy breath,
Faustus, begin thine incantations,

And try if devils will obey thy hest,

Seeing thou hast pray’d and sacrific’d to them.

Within this circle is Jehovah’s name,

Forward and backward anagrammatis’d,
The breviated names of holy saints,

Figures of every adjunct to the Heavens,

And characters of signs and erring 1 stars,

By which the spirits are enforc’d to rise:

Then fear not, Faustus, but be resolute,
And try the uttermost magic can perform.

  Sint mihi Dei Acherontis propitii! Valeat numen triplex Jehovae! Ignei, aerii, aquatani spiritus, salvete! Orientis princeps Belzebub, inferni ardentis monarcha, et Demogorgon, propitiamus vos, ut appareat et surgat Mephistophilis. Quid tu moraris? per Jehovam, Gehennam et consecratum aquam quam nunc spargo, signumque crucis quod nunc facio, et per vota nostra, ipse nunc surgat nobis dicatus Mephistophilis! 2

Enter 
[MEPHISTOPHILIS] 
a DEVIL

I charge thee to return and change thy shape;

Thou art too ugly to attend on me.
Go, and return an old Franciscan friar;

That holy shape becomes a devil best.  
[Exit DEVIL

I see there’s virtue in my heavenly words;

Who would not be proficient in this art?

How pliant is this Mephistophilis,
Full of obedience and humility!

Such is the force of magic and my spells.

[Now,] Faustus, thou art conjuror laureat,

Thou canst command great Mephistophilis:

Quin regis Mephistophilis fratris imagine. 3
Re-enter MEPHISTOPHILIS 
[like a Franciscan Friar]

  Meph.  
Now, Faustus, what would’st thou have me to do?

  Faust. 
 I charge thee wait upon me whilst I live,

To do whatever Faustus shall command,

Be it to make the moon drop from her sphere,
Or the ocean to overwhelm the world.

  Meph.  
I am a servant to great Lucifer,

And may not follow thee without his leave

No more than he commands must we perform.

  Faust.  
Did not he charge thee to appear to me?
  Meph.  
No, I came hither of mine own accord.

  Faust.  
Did not my conjuring speeches raise thee? Speak.

  Meph.  
That was the cause, but yet per accidens;

For when we hear one rack 4 the name of God,

Abjure the Scriptures and his Saviour Christ,
We fly in hope to get his glorious soul;

Nor will we come, unless he use such means

Whereby he is in danger to be damn’d:

Therefore the shortest cut for conjuring

Is stoutly to abjure the Trinity,
And pray devoutly to the Prince of Hell.

  Faust.  
So Faustus hath

Already done; and holds this principle,

There is no chief but only Belzebub,

To whom Faustus doth dedicate himself.
This word “damnation” terrifies not him,

For he confounds hell in Elysium; 5

His ghost be with the old philosophers!

But, leaving these vain trifles of men’s souls,

Tell me what is that Lucifer thy lord?
  Meph.  
Arch-regent and commander of all spirits.

  Faust.  
Was not that Lucifer an angel once?

  Meph.  
Yes, Faustus, and most dearly lov’d of God.

  Faust.  
How comes it then that he is Prince of devils?

  Meph.  
O, by aspiring pride and insolence;
For which God threw him from the face of Heaven.

  Faust.  
And what are you that you live with Lucifer?

  Meph.  
Unhappy spirits that fell with Lucifer,

Conspir’d against our God with Lucifer,

And are for ever damn’d with Lucifer.
  Faust.  
Where are you damn’d?

  Meph.  
In hell.

  Faust.  
How comes it then that thou art out of hell?

  Meph.  
Why this is hell, nor am I out of it.

Think’st thou that I who saw the face of God,
And tasted the eternal joys of Heaven,

Am not tormented with ten thousand hells,

In being depriv’d of everlasting bliss?

O Faustus! leave these frivolous demands,

Which strike a terror to my fainting soul.
  Faust.  
What, is great Mephistophilis so passionate

For being depriv’d of the joys of Heaven?

Learn thou of Faustus manly fortitude,

And scorn those joys thou never shalt possess.

Go bear these tidings to great Lucifer:
Seeing Faustus hath incurr’d eternal death

By desperate thoughts against Jove’s deity,

Say he surrenders up to him his soul,

So he will spare him four and twenty years,

Letting him live in all voluptuousness;
Having thee ever to attend on me;

To give me whatsoever I shall ask,

To tell me whatsoever I demand,

To slay mine enemies, and aid my friends,

And always be obedient to my will.
Go and return to mighty Lucifer,

And meet me in my study at midnight,

And then resolve 6 me of thy master’s mind.

  Meph.  
I will, Faustus.  

Exit.

  Faust.  
Had I as many souls as there be stars,
I’d give them all for Mephistophilis.

By him I’ll be great Emperor of the world,

And make a bridge through the moving air,

To pass the ocean with a band of men:

I’ll join the hills that bind the Afric shore,
And make that [country] continent to Spain,

And both contributory to my crown.

The Emperor shall not live but by my leave,

Nor any potentate of Germany.

Now that I have obtain’d what I desire,
I’ll live in speculation 7 of this art

Till Mephistophilis return again.  
Exit.


Note 1. Wandering. [back]
Note 2. “Be propitious to me, gods of Acheron! May the triple deity of Jehovah prevail! Spirits of fire, air, water, hail! Belzebub, Prince of the East, monarch of burning hell, and Demogorgon, we propitiate ye, that Mephistophilis may appear and rise. Why dost thou delay? By Jehovah, Gehenna, and the holy water which now I sprinkle, and the sign of the cross which now I make, and by our prayer, may Mephistophilis now summoned by us arise!” [back]
Note 3. “For indeed thou hast power in the image of thy brother Mephistophilis.” [back]
Note 4. Twist in anagrams. [back]
Note 5. Heaven and hell are indifferent to him. [back]
Note 6. Inform. [back]
Note 7. Study. [back]

Starman




"The most memorable part of that Thursday night was when David Bowie sang the line, "I had to phone someone so I picked on you ooh oh", while at the same time pointing his index finger and rotating it in what I now describe as a "camp manner". 

It was as if Bowie actually singled me out... A chosen one... 

It was an almost religious experience!"


"I grew up in Huddesfield, which is a fairly nondescript place and, in common with most of my mates from school, we had all been big Bowie fans since the famous 1972 Top of the Pops 'Starman' appearance in 1972. 

Incidentally, this ought to be the subject for a book in itself."

Tuesday, 14 June 2016

Rust




The King is gonebut he's not forgotten
This is the story of a Johnny Rotten
It's better to burn out,
than it is to rust...



The King is gonebut he's not forgotten.

Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye....

Hey hey, 
my my..."


To Boddah

Speaking from the tongue of an experienced simpleton who obviously would rather be an emasculated, infantile complain-ee. This note should be pretty easy to understand.

All the warnings from the punk rock 101 courses over the years, since my first introduction to the, shall we say, ethics involved with independence and the embracement of your community has proven to be very true. I haven't felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music along with reading and writing for too many years now. I feel guity beyond words about these things.

For example when we're back stage and the lights go out and the manic roar of the crowds begins., it doesn't affect me the way in which it did for Freddie Mercury, who seemed to love, relish in the the love and adoration from the crowd which is something I totally admire and envy. The fact is, I can't fool you, any one of you. It simply isn't fair to you or me. The worst crime I can think of would be to rip people off by faking it and pretending as if I'm having 100% fun. Sometimes I feel as if I should have a punch-in time clock before I walk out on stage. I've tried everything within my power to appreciate it (and I do,God, believe me I do, but it's not enough). I appreciate the fact that I and we have affected and entertained a lot of people. It must be one of those narcissists who only appreciate things when they're gone. I'm too sensitive. I need to be slightly numb in order to regain the enthusiasms I once had as a child.

On our last 3 tours, I've had a much better appreciation for all the people I've known personally, and as fans of our music, but I still can't get over the frustration, the guilt and empathy I have for everyone. 

There's good in all of us and I think I simply love people too much, so much that it makes me feel too fucking sad. The sad little, sensitive, unappreciative, Pisces, Jesus man. Why don't you just enjoy it? I don't know!

I have a goddess of a wife who sweats ambition and empathy and a daughter who reminds me too much of what i used to be, full of love and joy, kissing every person she meets because everyone is good and will do her no harm. And that terrifies me to the point to where I can barely function. I can't stand the thought of Frances becoming the miserable, self-destructive, death rocker that I've become.

I have it good, very good, and I'm grateful, but since the age of seven, I've become hateful towards all humans in general. Only because it seems so easy for people to get along that have empathy. Only because I love and feel sorry for people too much I guess.

Thank you all from the pit of my burning, nauseous stomach for your letters and concern during the past years. I'm too much of an erratic, moody baby! I don't have the passion anymore, and so remember, it's better to burn out than to fade away.

Peace, love, empathy.

Kurt Cobain

[ Inter/Extrapossision in another hand : ]

Frances and Courtney, I'll be at your alter. 
[ Kurt knew how to correctly spell words such as "affected" and "altar" ]Please keep going Courtney, for Frances.
For her life, which will be so much happier without me.

I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!