Unveiling the Shiva Statue: Channeling the Infinite Cosmic Power at The Stone Studio
The many facets of Lord Shiva are embodied in the Shiva statue, which is frequently seen in a meditative stance or performing Nataraja's cosmic dance. It represents cosmic might, devastation, and the cyclical character of creation. Made by artists with great artistic skill and a deep knowledge of Hindu mythology, the Shiva statue is a physical representation of the sacred.
Exploring the Symbolism:
The Shiva statue is rich in symbolism in every facet, beckoning all who view it to ponder its many levels of meaning. Every element adds to the story of Shiva's almighty majesty, from the matted hair signifying the wild forces of nature to the third eye symbolizing spiritual understanding. With a reputation for upholding and developing ancient sculpting methods, The Stone Studio provides a platform for artists to add fine craftsmanship and deep meaning to these monuments. Kindly follow us on Facebook for more additional information.
The Stone Studio's Commitment to Artistic Excellence:
In the hands of skilled sculptors at The Stone Studio, the Shiva statue becomes more than a mere representation; it transforms into a conduit between the earthly and the divine. The studio's commitment to artistic excellence and its emphasis on preserving the authenticity of traditional techniques ensure that each statue is a masterpiece, capturing the essence of Lord Shiva's divine presence. Watch our Instagram account for additional details.
The Artisan's Perspective:
Understanding the viewpoint of the artists who give these celestial creatures life is crucial to appreciating the Shiva statue's mystique. The Stone Studio's sculptors go through intense training to hone their craft to a high degree and acquire a profound comprehension of the spiritual and cultural meanings underlying each work. Watch our YouTube channel for additional details. They establish a link between the material and metaphysical domains by bringing the holy majesty of Shiva into the physical world through their hands.
Unveiling the Shiva Statue in Modern Times:
The Shiva statue's eternal charm endures even as we traverse the complexity of today's world. It reminds us of the timeless ideals it stands for, whether it is exhibited in temples, museums, or private collections. The Stone Studio's dedication to advancing the art of sculpture ensures that these representations remain relevant, captivating new generations with their spiritual depth and artistic brilliance.
Conclusion:
The Shiva statue is a tribute to the eternal ability of art to transcend time and distance, with its heavenly majesty and deep meaning. We find ourselves peering into the ethereal domains of creativity and spirituality as we investigate these sculptures' mystery. We can maintain the old craft of sculpting and establish a concrete connection with the divine via the exquisite beauty of Shiva statues because of organizations such as The Stone Studio. For more details, please visit our website.
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2020 Year In Review
This year once again I invited some friends and colleagues to reflect on 2020
JG Thirlwell
Composer
Foetus Xordox Manorexia Steroid Maximus Venture Bros Archer
www.foetus.org
2020 was a troubling and disturbing year.
I created a lot of music and experienced a lot of nights waking at 5am in a panic.
I deeply missed the sacred experience of being able to see live music.
In its absence of that I listened to a lot of music.
It was difficult to whittle down this list but here are a lot of albums I enjoyed in 2020, in no particular order.
Le Grand Sbam Furvent (Dur Et Doux)
John Elmquist’s HardArt Group I Own an Ion (900 Nurses)
Roly Porter Kistvaen (Subtext)
Liturgy Origin Of The Alimonies (YLYLCYN)
Clark Kiri Variations (Throttle)
Dai Kaht Dai Kaht I & II (Soleil Zeuhl)
Chromb Le livre des merveilles (Dur Et Doux)
Horse Lords The Common Task (Northern Spy)
Ecker & Meultzer Carbon (Subtext)
Insane Warrior Tendrils (RJ’s Electrical Connections)
Jeff Parker Suite For Max Brown (International Anthem)
Jacob Kirkegaard Opus Mors (Topos)
Tristan Perich Drift Multiply (Nonesuch)
Bec Plexus Sticklip (New Amsterdam)
Vak Budo (Soleil Zeuhl)
Merlin Nova BOO! (Bandcamp)
The The Muscle OST (Cineola)
Zombi 2020 (Relapse)
Regis Hidden In This Is The Light That You Miss (Downwards)
Rival Consoles Articulation (Erased Tapes)
Sarah Davachi Cantus, Descant (L.A.T.E.)
Sufjan Stevens The Ascension (Asthmatic Kitty)
Idles Ultra Mono (Partisan)
Daedelus The Bittereindeers (Brainfeeder)
Boris No (Bandcamp)
Aksak Maboul Figures / Un peu de l’ame des bandits / Onze Danses Pour Cobattre La Migraine (Crammed)
Noveller Arrow (Ba Da Bing)
Felicia Atkinson Everything Evaporate (Shelter Press)
Ital Tek Dream Boundary (Planet Mu)
Author and Punisher Beastland (Relapse)
Sparks A Steady Drip Drip Drip (BMG)
Corima Amatarasu (Soleil Zeuhl)
Code Orange Underneath (Roadrunner)
Deerhoof Future Teenage Cave Artists /Silly Symphonies / To Be Surrounded../ Love Lore(Joyful Noise)
Sote Moscels (Opal Tapes)
Run The Jewels RTJ4 (Jewel Runners)
Oranssi Pazuzu Mestarin Kynsi (Nuclear Blast)
Master Boot Record Floppy Disk Overdrive (Metal Blade)
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith The Mosaic Of Transformation (Ghostly International) / Ears (Western Vinyl)
Michael Gordon Acquanetta (Cantelope)
Neom Arkana Temporis (Soleil Zeuhl)
Rian Treanor Ataxia / File Under UK Metaplasm (Planet Mu)
Helm Saturnalia (Alter)
Ivvvo doG (Halcyon Veil)
Robert Normandeau Figures (Empreintes Digitales)
Ben Vida Reducing The Tempo To Zero (Shelter Press)
Beatrice Dillon Workaround (Pan)
Dan Deacon Mystic Familiar (Domino)
Sea Oleena Weaving A Basket (Higher Plain Music)
Elysian Fields Transience Of Life (Ojet)
Rhapsody Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II - The Dark Secret (Magic Circle)
Duma Duma (Nyege Nyege)
Ulla Strauss Tumbling Towards a Wall / Seed (Bandcamp)
Honorable mentions
Carl Stone Stolen Car (Unseen Worlds) Nazar Guerilla (Hyperdub) Iwo Zaluski with the Children of Park Lane Primary School, Wembley The Remarkable Earth Making Machine (Trunk) Nahash Flowers Of The Revolution (SVBKVLT) Cindy Lee Whats Tonight To Eternity (Bandcamp) Insect Ark The Vanishing (Profound Lore) 33EMYBW Arthropods (SVBKVLT) Declan McKenna Zeroes (Tomplicated) Layma Azur Zeii (Bandcamp)
FILM TV
Succession
ZeroZeroZero
Escape at Dannemora
1917
Small Axe : Five films by Steve McQueen
Pirhanas
Monos
The Hater
Better Call Saul
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Drew Daniel
Matmos, The Soft Pink Truth
an alphabet of 2020 recordings
Arca “KiCk i”
BFTT “Intrusive / Obtrusive”
clipping. “Visions of Bodies Being Burned”
Duma “Duma”
Eilbacher, Max “Metabolist Meter (Foster, Cottin, Caetani and a Fly)”
Forbidden Colors “La Yeguada”
GILA “Energy Demonstration”
HiedraH Club de Baile “Bichote-K Bailable Vol. 2”
Ian Power “Maintenance Hums”
Jeff Carey “Index[off]”
Kassel Jaeger “Meith”
Laurie Anderson “Songs From the Bardo”
Mukqs “Water Levels”
Negativland “The World Will Decide”
O’Rourke, Jim “Shutting Down Here”
Perlesvaus “These Things Below with Those Above”
Quicksails “Blue Rise”
Rian Treanor “File Under UK Metaplasm”
Slikback “///”
Terminal Nation “Holocene Extinction”
Ulcerate “Stare Into Death and Be Still”
Various Artists “HAUS of ALTR”
William Tyler “New Vanitas”
Xyla “Ways”
Y A S H A “Summations”
:zoviet-france: “Châsse 2ᵉ”
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Sarah Lipstate (Noveller)
With all live performances canceled, this was truly the year of demo videos and home studio recording for me. These are 10 pieces of gear that came out in 2020 that helped keep me feeling creative and inspired during lockdown. In no particular order:
EHX Oceans 12 Dual Stereo Reverb - The Oceans 12 ticks all the boxes for what I’m looking for in a great soundscaping reverb. I used the Shimmer and Reverse algorithms in conjunction a lot when I was composing music for a film score.
Chase Bliss Audio Blooper - While I don’t actually own a Blooper, I had the pleasure of borrowing one from Mike of Baranik Guitars after NAMM this year. He made an incredible Blooper-inspired guitar and I was completely charmed by them both. Chase Bliss always delivers pedals that push me creatively and the Blooper truly hits the mark.
Cooper FX Arcades - I love everything Cooper FX has released to-date so the opportunity to access those sounds in one pedal via plug-in cartridges is just awesome.
SolidGoldFX NU-33 - I was asked to do a demo of this pedal for its release and ended up being really charmed by this box’s approach to lo-fi nostalgia. I’ve used it a lot for film scoring and highly recommend adding it to your collection.
Demedash Effects T-120 DLX V2 - I LOVE a good tape echo and the T-120 Deluxe V2 ranks up there with the best I’ve tried. This pedal made its way to me this Christmas and I look forward to making some beautiful sounds with it in the new year.
Hologram Electronics Microcosm - The Microcosm is one of those pedals where you should fully read the manual before diving in but once you put in that initial effort you’ve got a massively powerful tool on your hands. It does glitch like no other. Definitely worth the homework
Azzam Bells MP019 - I discovered this unique instrument through a post on Reverb’s IG page and immediately looked it up and ordered one. These experimental percussion instruments are hand-made in Italy and they’re as beautiful visually as they are sonically. I used it for bowed cymbal and daxophone sounds on a film score and it was absolutely haunting.
Echopark Dual Harmonic Boost 2 - I love the control you have over dialing in the perfect amount of grit with these dual boost circuits. I use it a lot as a textural tool when I’m laying down drones or bringing in big distorted swells. It’s one of the most versatile overdrives in my collection and I love that.
Fender Parallel Universe Series Volume II Maverick Dorado - I was smitten with the Maverick Dorado when I first saw it at NAMM. It has a lot of the specs that I look for in a guitar and the body shape with the Mystic Pine finish just blew me away. I hope that I get to use it live soon.
Polyeffects Beebo - The Beebo is one of those pedals that I genuinely feel is smarter than I am. It’s like an entire computer in one small touchscreen box. I can’t claim to have mastered using it yet but the sounds that I have managed to get out of it so far have been brilliant. I’m looking forward to spending more time with this box in 2021
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HELM 2020 REVIEW
Let's get the bad stuff out the way first, 2020 was undoubtedly an awful year. I'm still not sure how to really respond to seeing a global pandemic bring the capital to its knees and everything I love and hold dear to a grinding halt. Our government fucked it's response, putting profit before people and killing tens of thousands. The Labour Party descended into farce with the newly elected leader Sir Keith revealing himself as a bland centrist with no opposition or ideas. On a personal level it sucked not being able to travel or see my friends in different parts of the world - or even the same country - who I am starting to miss a lot. However, I was fortunate enough to get through the year with my sanity intact. Music, art and culture once again being my main positive. I think I listened to more music than I have in any year ever. I read more books than I have done since I was a teenager probably. I also re-discovered the joys of walking long distances and am extremely thankful for living near a lot of incredible green spaces: Epping Forest, Walthamstow Wetlands, Walthamstow Marshes, Wanstead Park, Wanstead Flats...
Music. My favourite albums of the year.
Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin kynsi
Wetware - Flail
Raspberry Bulbs - Before The Age Of Mirrors
Necrot - Mortal
Rope Sect - The Great Flood
Private World - Aleph
Oneohtrix Point Never - Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
Pyrrhon - Abcess Time
CS+Kreme - Snoopy
Speaker Music - Black Nationalist Sonic Weaponry
Drew McDowall - Agalma
Regis - Hidden In This Is The Light That You Miss
Nazar - Guerilla
Zoviet France - Russian Heterodoxical Songs (and all the ZF reissues!!)
Triple Negative - God Bless the Death Drive
Permission - Organised People Suffer
Actress - Karma & Desire
Acolytes - Stress II
The Gerogerigegege - >(decrescendo)
Chubby & The Gang - Speed Kills
Flora Yin-Wong - Holy Palm
Eiko Ishibashi - Hyakki Yagyo
The The - See Without Being Seen
Prurient - Casablanca Flamethrower
Henning Christiansen - L’essere Umano Errabando La Voce Errabando
Subdued - Over The Hills And Far Away
Rian Treanor - File Under UK Metaplasm
Komare - The Sense Of Hearing
Shredded Nerve - Acts Of Betrayal
Jesu - Terminus
Autechre - SIGN
Hey Colossus - Dances / Curses
Sparkle Division - To Feel Embraced
Mark Harwood - A Perfect Punctual Paradise Under My Own Name
Still House Plants - Fast Edit
The Bug & Dis Fig - In Blue
Kommand - Terrorscape
Haus Arafna - Asche
Khthoniik Cerviiks - Æequiizoiikum
Worm - Gloomlord
Kraus - A Golden Brain
Faceless Burial - Speciation
A shout-out to Jon Abby's AMPLIFY series on Bandcamp / Facebook, which I contributed a new piece of music to.
A shout out to the labels where most of the music I listened to seemed to come from:
The Trilogy Tapes
Iron Bonehead
Penultimate Press
Dais
La Vida Es Un Mus
Gigs. Despite live music being destroyed in 2020 I still saw a few unforgettable performances at the beginning of the year.
Graham Lambkin @ The ICA, London
Puce Mary / JFK @ The Glove That Fits, London
Demilich @ Finnfest, The Garage, London
Container / PC World / National Unrest @ Venue MOT, London
S.H.I.T / Asid / Chubby & The Gang @ Static Shock Festival, ExFed, London
Books I enjoyed. Most not published this year, but all read in 2020.
Joe Kennedy - Authentocrats
David Balzer - Curationism
Tom Mills - BBC: The Myth Of A Public Service
Simon Morris - Consumer Guide: Special Edition
Luke Turner - Out Of The Woods
Various - Bad News For Labour
Mike Wendling - Alt-Right
Baited Area issues 1 & 2.
Film. Three good films I saw this year which I hadn't before.
Suspiria (Remake)
Midsommar
Cannibal Holocaust
Podcasts. I listened to a lot of these whilst walking.
We Don't Talk About The Weather
Novara Media Tysky Sour & Novara FM
Grounded with Louis Theroux
System of Systems
Red Scare loveline episodes
Suite 212
NOISEXTRA
Social Discipline
CONTAIN
TV.
Didn't watch a huge amount and what I did was mostly trash. For some reason I rewatched both series' of This Life, a British drama from the late 90's about a group of young professionals house sharing and navigating their careers. Very cringey and has aged terribly, but it was perversely fascinating to revisit something from that time in the age of the pandemic. Following on from this I binge watched the entire series of Industry which was entertaining enough. A programme about a bunch of horny bankers with what felt like a confused ideology behind it. It seemed stuck between trying to criticise and glorify the culture around the industry, but also protect the industry itself from outside criticism by portraying anyone who may oppose as an insufferable wanker. Currently halfway through Succession which is OK. The Murdoch documentaries on the BBC were excellent and a rare respite from their descent into client journalism.
Thanks to anyone who listened to my music this year also. Best wishes to you all for 2021.
Luke Younger
http://hhelmm.com | http://alter.bandcamp.com
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Elliott Sharp
composer
1. My Nr. 1 lesson: patience. Whether it's bouncing through 30 seconds of severe turbulence at 39000 feet or slogging through 30 minutes of a interminable piece of concert music, one attribute I've tried to develop is the ability to see past the discrete and awaited ending, the exact framing of the immediate process, but put it into the context of a larger time frame. I've found that this year more than all others has demanded it. Breathing helps...
2. Books: revisiting old favorites from the realm of Thomas Pynchon and Philip K. Dick (both especially relevant), digging into John Lomax's portrait of Jelly Roll Morton, the works of Colson Whitehead, random things off of the shelf…
3. Composing: with touring off the table, I focused on that which needed to be written, some requested and commissioned, some spontaneously springing forth. Composing requires that one open the windows wide to the world, which at this moment brought in grief, terror, uncertainty, anxiety, visions of plague and pestilence and incipient fascism. Okay, now shut the window and get to work! How to process, translate, transform? The work can be a comfortable and obsessive cocoon once one learns to handle the radioactive materials and put them into the creativity reactor.
4. Beans! We have long been a fan in our house of the wide world of legumes but this year brought two stars to the front: the black bean and the red lentil. The black bean commands the lofty peaks but the seemingly infinite variations of dal surround it. Ginger, garlic, turmeric, smoked paprika, cayenne, onions, and olive oil form the basis then imagination builds.
5. Online teaching substituted for my canceled conduction of workshops in the Pyrenees Mountains of France. Between the participants and myself, we built a temporary but very congenial space online to share concepts and music. In addition, private lessons brought conversation and music with new friends in Germany, Italy, California, Australia, Illinois, Denmark, Pennsylvania, Spain, Florida, Brazil.
6. What started out as "stress baking" (before I even had heard of the term) soon became a frequent practice that yielded very edible results. The twins preferred the sweeter forays into banana bread and chocolate cake. I tried to find a balance between tried-and-true techniques and experiments in texture and taste with yeasted pumpernickels, multi-grains, and seed breads.
7. While not the same as performing 'live ', online gigs proved that it was possible to generate a surprising amount of adrenaline even without the pheromonal handshaking of a room filled with receptive ears. As a corollary, online recording collaborations with friends worldwide proved to be inspiring and a suitable substrate for sonic experimentation, exploration of new instruments, tunings, effects programming, structures. In these realms, shout-outs to Helene Breschand, Mike Cooper, Henry Kaiser, Tracie Morris, Mikel Banks, Dougie Bowne, Payton McDonald, Billy Martin, Colin Stetson, Jim O'Rourke, Scott Amendola, Roberto Zorzi, Jason Hoopes, Eric Mingus, Melanie Dyer, Dave Hofstra, Don McKenzie, Sergio Sorrentino, Veniero Rizzardi, Taylor Ho Bynum, Scott Fields, Bachir Attar, Karl Bruckmaier, Robbie Lee, Matthew Evan Taylor, Matteo Liberatore, Al Kaatz, David Barratt, Jessica Hallock, Kolin Zeinikov, Robbie Lee, Jeremy Nesse, James Ilgenfritz, Sergio Armaroli, Steve Piccolo, Sandy Ewen, David Weinstein, Jim Whittemore, Chris Vine, Werner Puntigam, William Schimmel.
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Daniel O’Sullivan
(Grumbling Fur, Guapo, Miasma & the Carousel of Headless Horses, Ulver, Sunn O))), Æthenor, Laniakea, Miracle, Mothlite, and This Is Not This Heat.)
Music
Richard Youngs - Ein Klein Nein
Alabaster DePlume - Instrumentals
Hildegard von Bingen - O Nobilissima Viriditas
Francisco de Penalosa - Missa Ave Maria Peregrina
Carlo Gesualdo - Responsoria 1611
Dirty Projectors - Five EPs
Sonic Boom - All Things Being Equal
Brother Peter Broderick - Blackberry
Richard Horowitz - Eros Of Arabia
Duncan Trussell Family Hour
Cocteau Twins in the bath
Books/comics
Alexander Tucker - Entity Reunion II
Derek Jarman - Chroma
Stephen Harrod Buhner - Plant Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm
The Penguin Book Of Irish Poetry - edited by Patrick Crotty
The Gospel Of Ramakrishna - translated by Swami Nikhilananda
Lucretius - De Rerum Natura
Plotinus - Enneads
Ram Dass - Grist For The Mill
Lisa Brown - Phantom Twin
Other
Fasting / meditation / macrodosing
Walks in freshly coppiced woodland (for the smell mainly).
Plants / Foraging / Growing
Traditional ferments
Douglas Sirk movies
Mandolorian
Writing songs on the piano
Rediscovery of Kenneth Graham via my kids
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Karl O’Connor (Regis)
01.Wolfgang Press - Unremembered, Remembered
02. Klara Lewis - Ingrid Live at Fylkingen
03. Jesu - Terminus
04. Dave Ball - Leeds Poly Demos 1979
05. Edwin Pouncey - Rated Sav X (the Savage Pencil Skratchbook)
06. The Bug - In Blue
07. New Order - Power,Corruption and Lies ( Writing Sessions )
08. JG Thirlwell and Simon Steensland - Oscillospira
09. FM Einheit and Andreas Ammer - Hammerschlag
10. Thurston Moore - By The Fire
11. Body Stuff - Body Stuff 3
12. Ann M Hogan - Honeysuckle Burials
13. Rob Halford - Confess (Autobiography)
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Caleb Braaten (Sacred Bones Records)
Shirley Collins Hearts Ease
Dehd Flowers Of Devotion
Duma Duma
Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways
Green-House Six Songs for Invisible Gardens
John Jeffery Passage
Drew McDowall Agalma
Sweeping Promises Hunger For a Way Out
Colter Wall Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs
Woods Strange to Explain
My Favorite 90’s Nostalgia Movie Rewatches
Colors
Ghost Dog
Menace II Society
The Player
Rounders
Safe
Starship Troopers
Trees Lounge
Vampires
Waiting For Guffman
Most Culturally Bankrupt Year : 1997
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Charlie Looker
(composer, Psalm Zero, Extra Life, Seaven Teares)
Ten Things That Didn’t Happen in 2020
1. I didn’t write a ton of new music. Don’t get me wrong, I wrote some. I always do. But mostly I focused on my new YouTube channel, essays, and on getting old recordings released. I haven’t even been working a day-job so I thought I was going to write my next Ring Cycle, but I really didn’t find Covid inspiring.
2. Trump wasn’t re-elected. Cool.
3. I didn’t lose anyone to Covid. I am, of course, profoundly grateful for this. But I feel pretty embarrassed remembering group-texting ten friends in March, “We are all going to see a loved one die. Every single one of us. Don’t kid yourselves”. I can get hysterical, and that was somewhat irresponsible of me.
4. No revolution happened. I don’t mean to be smug or cynical, or to belittle anyone’s participation in the protests. But, as far as I can tell, nothing happened in 2020 that promises to reduce police brutality or human suffering of any kind. We’ll see. That burning Minneapolis police station was exciting to watch at the time, if only on an aesthetic level.
5. I have a stack of unread books I bought this year, just staring at me, with nary a crease among them. These include:
Adorno and Horkheimer, The Dialectic of Enlightenment (looks amazing, but I haven’t touched it)
Marx, Grundrisse (it’s 1000 pages for fuck’s sake. Amazon also accidentally sent me two copies, and its double presence in the stack is just comical)
Reza Negarestani, Intelligence and Spirit (the first 15 pages blew my mind, then my mind blew it off)
6. I didn’t settle into living in LA. I moved here six months before Covid and I was just starting to cultivate some friendships and play shows. This was quashed and I still feel like I still live in New York. I still barely know the layout of the city here.
7. No brand-new buzzy musical artists burst onto the scene, that I can recall. No new hyped micro-genre of the moment. There was just no way for there to be a hot new trend. I’d say that was refreshing, but it wasn’t.
8. Tyson’s return was not awesome. Two minute rounds, ended in a draw. I’ve been getting way into boxing this past year. This fight was a bummer. I’m looking forward to Mayweather vs Logan Paul (LOL) because we know it’s comedy ahead of time.
9. For three weeks in July, I didn’t do a single thing other than watch street fight compilations on YouTube and Worldstar. That’s just grim.
10. There were no school shootings in March. Apparently, this was the first March with no school shootings since 2002. Not a single 7th grader got a hand job in March either. I cannot begin to imagine what it’s like to be a kid now.
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Chuck Bettis
https://chuckbettis.com
Other People's Music released this year:
Coil "Musick to Play in the Dark" (Dais)
Duma "s/t" (Nyege Nyege Tapes)
Twig Harper "External Boundless Prison/ in 4 parts EP" (self-release)
I.P.Y. (Ikue Mori, Phew, YoshimiO) "I.P.Y." (Tzadik)
Kill Alters "A2B2 Live Stream 11/13/2020" (self-release)
Krallice "Mass Cathexis" (self-release)
Lust$ickPuppy "Cosmic Brownie" (self-release)
Doug McKechnie "San Francisco Moog: 1968-72" (VG+ Records)
Merlin Nova "Boo!" (self-release)
Omrb "Milandthriust, The Graths of Mersh" (self-release)
Akio Suzuki & Aki Onda "gi n ga" (self-release)
Yoth Iria "Under His Sway" (Repulsive Echo)
Wetware "Flail" (Dais)
My own music released this year:
collaborations
Chatter Blip "Microcosmopolitan" (Contour Editions)
Matmos "The Consuming Flame: Open Exercises in Group Form" (Thrill Jockey)
Reverse Bullets "Dreampop Dsyphoria" (self-release)
Snake Union "live at Roulette" (self-release)
Snake Union w/ Hisham Bharoocha, Bonnie Jones, Heejin Jang, Matthew Regula "Three Arrows" (Rat Route)
Thomas Dimuzio "Balance" (Gench Music)
YoshimiO & Chuck Bettis "Live at the Stone" (Living Myth)
solo
Chuck Bettis "Arc of Enlghtenment" (Living Myth)
Chuck Bettis "Motion Parallax" (Living Myth)
compilation
Various Artist "Polished Turds Vol.1" (Granpa)
Music Books read this year
"Intermediary Spaces" by Eliane Radigue/Julia Eckhardt (Umland)
"Ennio Morricone In His Own Words" by Ennio Morricone/Alessandro De Rosa (Oxford University Press)
"Free Jazz In Japan: A Personal History" by Soejima Teruto (Public Bath Press)
"Rumors of Noizu: Hijokaidan and the Road to 2nd Damascus" by Kato David Hopkins (Public Bath Press)
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Maya Hardinge
(musician / artist)
list of things i liked this year
first ever solo road trip through new mexico and Texas right before lockdown
experiencing manhattan with no cars on the road . having a car to escape in to nature. (which i craved so much)
walks and bike rides with friends… FRIENDS!
The web site ‘workaway’ that helped me feel that there were options for escape.
playing games weekly on zoom during lock down
teaching yoga weekly on zoom.
Witnessing and being part of the BLM protests.
witnessing and being part of the demise of T
sitting on my couch at 6am drinking a cup of tea, appreciating my apt.
making time to meditate.
halloween without tourists .
some music I’ve bought and/or enjoyed this year
Elvis Perkins-Black Coat Daughter
Patricia Kokett -Soi soi
Henning Christiansen - OP201
Bryce Hackford- Safe
Svitlana Nianio and Oleksander - Snayesh yak? rozkazhy
Brannten schnure - Sommer im Pfirsichhain
Killing Joke - Nighttime
David Shea - Tower of mirrors
Shakey - Shakey
Woodford halse tapes
Coil - Musick to play in the dark
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BJ Nilsen
sound artist / composer
Work 2020
Despite Covid 19 lots of things actually did happen.
In Feburary I visited the only active nuclear plant in The Nederlands as part of my "Expanded Field Recording” project together with SML. In March revisited the Acousmonium at the Elevate Festival in Graz with an additional trip deep inside the Schlossberg recording old mining trains. In March and April I did two daily recording projects “Pending and Auditory Scenes” - both of Amsterdam during lockdown. In May did my first Zoom field recording workshop with the CAMP project. In June & July two research trips in Waldviertel, Austria with Franz Pomassl. In August recorded bells and organs in 10 different churches around Amsterdam for Jacob Lekkerkerker. In September recorded Kali Malone at the Orgelpark in Amsterdam. Performed at Heart of Noise Festival in Innsbruck and A4 in Bratislava. Also went ice-skating for first time in 20? Years. In November and December I travelled to Jeju island to record field recordings for a project by Femke Herregraven for the Gwangju Biennale, commissioned for 2021.
Did lots of gardening, released two tapes “Call it Philips, Eindoven” and “Zomer 2020” with Sigtryggur Berg Sigmarsson.
NOW! Looking forward to 2021.
http://bjnilsen.info
https://soundcloud.com/bjnilsen/sets/auditory-scenes-amsterdam
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Vicki Bennett
(People Like Us)
Negativland - True False https://negativland.com/products/truefalse-cd (this came out last year but is so THIS year)
Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways https://www.bobdylan.com/albums/rough-and-rowdy-ways/
The Soft Pink Truth - We from Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase https://thesoftpinktruth.bandcamp.com/album/shall-we-go-on-sinning-so-that-grace-may-increase
Carl Stone - Stolen Car https://unseenworlds.bandcamp.com/album/stolen-car
Porest - Sedimental Gurney https://porest.bandcamp.com/album/sedimental-gurney
Matmos - The Consuming Flame: Open Exercises in Group Form https://matmos.bandcamp.com/album/the-consuming-flame-open-exercises-in-group-form
Domenique Dumont - Miniatures De Auto Rhythm https://antinoterecordings.bandcamp.com/album/atn044-domenique-dumont-miniatures-de-auto-rhythm
The The - See Without Being Seen https://www.thethe.com/product/see-without-being-seen-cd/
Ciggy de la Noche - Hold Tight HMRC https://soundcloud.com/ciggydelanoche/hold-tight-hmrc
Neil Cicierega - Mouth Dreams http://www.neilcic.com/mouthdreams/
and my details:
http://peoplelikeus.org/
https://peoplelikeus-vickibennett.bandcamp.com/
pic: http://peoplelikeus.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Welcome-Abroad-promo3-2-scaled.jpg
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DJ Food
Music -
Type 303 - Sticky Disco / Analogue Acidbath 7" (45 Live)
The British Space Group - The Ley of the Land CD (Wyrd Britain)
Squarepusher - Be Up A Hello LP / Warp 10 NTS mix (Warp)
dgoHn - Undesignated Proximate (Modern Love)
LF58 - Alterazione LP (Astral Industries)
Robert Fripp - Music For Quiet Moments series (DGM)
Run The Jewels - RTJ4 (BMG)
Simf Onyx - Magenta Skyline / The Unresolved 7" (Delights)
Luke Vibert - Modern Rave LP (Hypercolour)
JG Thirlwell & Simon Steensland - Oscillospira (Ipecac)
Aural Design - Looking & Seeing 7" / DL (Russian Library)
Luke Vibert - Rave Hop (Hypercolour)
Clipping. with Christopher Fleeger - Double Live (Sub Pop)
APAT - Terry Riley's 'In C' performed on Modular Synthesizer (YouTube)
Field Lines Cartographer - The Spectral Isle LP (Castles In Space)
Jane Weaver - The Revolution of Super Visions single (Fire Records)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - K.G. LP (Flightless)
Humanoid - Hed-Set - forthcoming on (De:tuned)
Film / TV -
Inside No.9 (BBC)
What We Do In The Shadows Season 2 (Netflix)
Tales From The Loop (Amazon)
Keith Haring - Street Art Boy (BBC)
John Was Trying To Contact Aliens (Netflix)
The Social Dilemma (Netflix)
The Mandalorian (Season 2) (Disney+)
Long Hot Summers - The Style Council documentary (Sky Arts)
Zappa (Alex Winter)
Books / Comics / Magazines
Confessions of a Bookseller - Shaun Bythell (Profile books)
The Often Wrong - Farel Dalrymple (Image Comics)
Edwin Pouncey - Rated SavX (Strange Attractor Press)
Jeffrey Lewis - Fuff (all issues - really late to the party on this one)
Rian Hughes - XX - A Novel, Graphic (Picador)
Cosey Fanni Tutti - Art, Sex, Music (Faber)
Caza - Kris Kool (Passenger Press)
Dan Lish - Egostrip Vol.1
Electronic Sound magazine
Decorum - Jonathan Hickman & Mike Huddleston (Image)
John Higgs - Stranger Than We Can Imagine
Simon Halfon - Cover To Cover (Nemperor)
Very few exhibitions or shows this year for obvious reasons
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2020 Music Recommendations
2020 – WHAT A SHIT YEAR! There was so much craziness in those 365 days – from politics to a pandemic. Music was often times one of those things we could take comfort in or use it as a tool to express a range of emotions. I’m always surprised when compiling these list (of which I’ve been doing for 20+ years now it seems) that no matter the state of the world, there is always an overabundance of great music to be discovered. 2020 musically, delivered - including surprising returns from some bands who’ve been rather quiet in the past years like Consolidated, Cabaret Voltaire, and Portion Control.
The majority of what I listen to is electronic based music, with techno-body music being my favorite and there was STILL PLENTY of that in 2020 from labels like Aufnahme+Wiedergabe, Fleisch, Bite, X-IMG, Sonic Groove, SOIL, and more. Occasionally something a little lighter like the ethereal shoe-gaze goodness of Mint Julep (“Stray Fantasies” was an amazing record), or the post-punk of House of Harm (wonderful new discovery this year with “Viscous Pastimes”) and Sure (you all slept on “20 years” in 2020) works its way in to my listening. I still find synth pop from the likes of Riki, Korine, Tanz Waffen and Wingtips wonderfully appeasing. The wave material from the likes of Handful of Snowdrops, Linea Aspera, Zanias, Hante., Minuit Machine and Replicant was perfect for those melancholy moods. I even dipped into some aggressive near metal stuff this year from the likes of Pudeur, ESA and Youth Code – perfect for those days of anger. Oh, and I was thrilled to see a lot of exclusive, unreleased and remixed Curve material surface this year – a band who embraces several genres (walls of guitar, shoe gaze, industrial) and moods.
This isn’t a top 10, top 25 or even a top 100. Instead, it’s an A-Z recommendation list encompassing many genres as those lines are getting more and more blurred. A good tune is a good tune, regardless of genre.
HIGHLY encourage you to get out there and seek out new music; Visit the record stores, go hear a new DJ, fire up Spotify or another streaming service, check out some new music via podcast, DJ mixes, label sites, online retailers, even Facebook. One of the best sources for discovering new music is BandCamp - who in 2020 with the pandemic started BandCamp Fridays in which the site waived its normal fees to assist artist impacted. Taking place, the first Friday of every month, those will continue in 2021. There’s a plethora of discoveries to be found out there. If you do the work, you’ll be rewarded ;)
Speaking of Spotify – I made a playlist this year featuring plenty of the bands on my list. There’s at least a track or more from the artist who have a presence on Spotify. Sadly a few bands on this list aren’t on the platform, but check BandCamp and you can have a listen. Here’s the link:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/02kQJZE7uvJxwHJD8j8zrh?si=SHlP4mVRTuaRejh6So3Mig
As in years past I’m certain I missed a few things, ignored the hype on certain releases or just plain forgotten something. It’s a chore to compile this list, but I love to do it. There’s a ton of new pioneering music out there for sure waiting to be discovered and it’s the “what’s next” that keeps me a motivated music fan. There’s never a dull moment in speaking, writing, DJ'ing or promoting new music, so I’ll keep doing it and hopefully be a guide for you all ;). If it needs mention and I overlooked it - I may do an addendum in the next week or so. Anyways, got your notepaper and plenty of beverages ready? Don’t be a TL:DR (Too Long: Didn’t Read) fool. Read up. Enjoy the music of 2020!
Onwards with the list!!! :D
2+2=5
- “Hidden In Plain Sight “ (COUP)
Absolute Body Control
- “1980/2020” 3xLP (Oraculo Records)
Agent 15
- “Voices In My Head” (Drone)
Ah Cama-Sotz
- “New Skin for Old Tribals “ (Self-released)
Andi
- “Corpse to Corpus” 12” (Aufnahme+Wiedergabe)
Arabian Panther
- “The Way of the Pentinent” EP (SOIL)
Arnaud Rebotini
– “Workout: This is a Quarantine EP6” (Self-released)
Autumns
- "You Always Taught Me Better" LP (Detriti Records)
Benedek
- “Mr. Goods” 12” (L.I.E.S.)
Blac Kolor
- “Extinction” EP (Aufnahme+Widergabe)
Blacksmith
- “Dominated” (X-IMG)
Blitzkrieg Baby
- “Remixed” (Aufnahme+Wiedergabe)
Blush Response
- “Void In” LP (Megastructure)
- “Void Out” (Megastructure)
Body Beat Ritual
- "Raw Dogs” EP (Pleasure Corp)
Body Divide
- “Pleasure From Pain” (Squarewav)
Cabaret Voltaire
- “Shadow of Fear” LP (Self-released)
Calvary Stone
- “Hate Unit” (Soil)
Caustic
- “The King of EBM” (Self-released)
Cervello Elettronico
- “No Sides” EP (SquareWav)
Choke Chain
- “Chain Tactics” (Self-released)
- “Grave” (Self-released)
Chris Shape
- “Shaped to Deform” (Unknown Pleasures Records)
Chrome Corpse
- “Detecting Movement” Ltd. Edition 12" EP (Oraculo Records)
- “Helmet Mounted Display” (Self-released)
Chrome Corpse / Decent News
- “Split” (Self-Released)
Codex Empire
- “Broken by Fear" Ltd. 12” (Horo)
- “Protected by Rage” 12” (Aufnahme+Wiedergabe)
Cold Cave
- “Waving Hands” (self-releaesed)
Comfort Cure
- “Serpentine City” (Rec.Body.Ltd)
Consolidated
- “Capitalism” (Self-released)
Crystal Geometry
- “Samiam” EP (Sacred Court)
- “Senestre” 2x12” (Sonic Groove)
Curve
- “Blindfold EP - Bootleg EP Series 1” (Self-released)
- “Curve Oddities Bootleg Series 3” (Self-released)
- “Curve Oddities Bootleg Series 5” (Self-released)
- “Horror Head Raw DAT Mixes Bootleg Series 4” (Self-released)
Cyan ID
- “Blurred Revelation” (X-IMG)
Dive
- “Where Do We Go From Here” Ltd. Ed Box set (Out Of Line)
E.L.I.
- “Dying to Live” (SOIL)
E.S.A.
- “Burial 10” (Negative Gain Productions)
- “Eat Their Young / The Scorn” (Negative Gain Productions)
Einstruzende Neubauten
– “Alles In Allem” (Potomak)
Evil Dust
- “Desolation” (Crave Tapes)
Fatal Morgana
- “The Destructive Remixes” 12" (Mecanica Records)
- “The Final Destruction” 2LP (Mecanica Records)
Filmmaker
- “Reinvent” 12” (Soil records)
Fixmer
- "Invasion” 12” (Bite)
Fixmer/McCarthy
- “Unreleased From the Archives" (Planet Rogue Records)
Foreign Policy
- “Watching Existence” 12” (X-IMG)
Fractions
- “Nite NRG” (Monnom Black)
Further Reductions
- “Array” 12” (Knekelhuis)
Hakai
– “No Flesh Shall Be Spared” 12” (Megastructure)
Halv Drom
- “Slum Vatic” LP (Fleisch)
Handful of Snowdrops
- “Asymetrical” (NanoGénésie®)
- “Echoes -The Complete Cover Collection” (NanoGénésie®)
- “The Four Winds” (NanoGénésie®)
- “The Impossible Dream” (NanoGénésie®)
- “Watch Me Bleed / Theme for Great Cities” (Self-released)
Hante.
- “Fierce - Remixes & More” LP (Synth Religion)
HKKPTR
- “Macht & Ohnmacht” EP (Aufnahme+Wiedergabe)
House of Harm
- “Vicious Pastimes” LP (Avant!)
Human Performance Lab
- “Impact Situation” 12" (Aufnahme+Wiedergabe)
Inhalt
- “Simulation” 2xLP Remixes (Mechatronica)
Iron Court
- “Etched Forseights” (Detriti)
Istigkeit & Angel Karel
- “You A’Int No Punk, You Punk” (RND. Records)
IV Horsemen
- “Compilation Vol. 1” (Self-released)
- “Human Crash” LP (Fleisch)
Karger Traum
- “III” LP (DKA Records)
Kenny Campbell
- “Blackest Ever Buckfast” (Drone)
King Dude
- “Full Virgo Moon” LP (Van)
KLACK
- "Two Minute Warning” (Klackprodukt)
- “Move Any Mountain” (Self-released)
- “Catching Up with Klack” (Razgrom)
- “Distancing” (Self-released)
- “Move Any Mountain” (Self-released)
- “Probably” (Klackprodukt)
Konkurs
- “Terminal Stage" (Megastructure, X-IMG)
Kontravoid
- “Live from the Void” (Self-released)
- “Too Deep Remixes” (Fleisch)
Korine
- “The Night We Raise” LP (Data Airlines)
Kris Baha
- “Barely Alive” 12” (Emotional Especial)
- “Starts to Fall” 12” (Power Station)
Kutkh Jackdaw
- “Sweat & Thunder EP and remixes” (Dark Disco)
Lbeeze
- “Induced Expressions” (Phormix Tapes)
Liebknecht
- “Demos The H4AR 2020" (Self-released)
- “Koln : Total Harmonic Noize remix” (Self-released)
Linea Aspera
- “LP II” (Self-released)
Looky Looky
- “Are You There Beach?” (Self-released)
Machino
- “Ciudad Violenta” (X-IMG)
Maedon
- “Escape To Berlin" (Sonic Groove)
Marc Ash
- “Mirror Glaze Lavish" 12" EP (Fleisch)
Marina Aleksandra
- “Animal Industrial Complex” (Randolph & Mort. mix)
Max Durante
- “Fear and Desire” 12” (Aufnahme+Wiedergabe)
Mind | Matter
– “Souvenirs Brises” (Intervision)
Mint Julep
- “Stray Fantasies” LP (Western Vinyl)
Minuit Machine
- “Don’t Run From the Fire” 12” (Synth Religion)
New Frames
- “Outer Limits” 12” (Bite)
- “RNF2” 12” (R Label Group)
- “Stylized Fear” 12” (Haven)
Nordstaat
- “Singularity Second Coming” (X-IMG)
NZ
- “More Of Us” 12” ltd. (Infacted Records)
Objekt Clermont
- "Zeitgeist” EP (Self-released)
Ofelia Ortodoxa
- “Maleficio” (Soil)
Pablo Bozzi
- “Last Moscow Mule” (Dischi Autunno)
- “Walk on Wire” EP (Bite)
Phase Fatale
- “Scanning Backwards” 2xLP (Osgut Ton)
Portion Control
- “Head Buried” EP (Portion-Control.Net)
- “Seed 1” EP (Portion-Control.Net)
- “Seed 2” EP (Portion-Control.Net)
Pudeur
- “Magie Noire” (Area Z)
Randolph & Mortimer
- “Enjoy More” 7” (Self-released)
- “Manifesto for a Modern World” 2xLP (Mecanica)
- “They Know We Know They Lie” (Self-released)
- “Union of the Faithful” (Self-released)
Reka X Imperial Black Unit
- “Todo Avaricia” 12" EP (Fleisch)
Rendered
- “Stone Cold Soul” CD (Audiophob)
Replicant
- "Regression” (Self-released)
- “Annihilation” (Self-released)
Rhys Fulber
- “Diaspora” EP (Aufnahme+Wiedergabe)
- “Resolve” (FR Recordings)
Riki
- “Riki” LP (Dais Records)
Rommek
- “Break The Tension” 12” (Leyla Records)
Salem Unsigned
- “Blood Origin” (RND.r recorcds)
SARIN
- “Moral Cleansing Remixed" (Bite)
Schwefelgelb
- “Der Puls Durch Die Schläfen Instrumentals" (n-Plex)
- “Der Puls Durch Die Schläfen" (n-Plex)
- “Die Stimme Drängt” 12" (Cititrax)
SDH
- “Against Strong Thinking" 12" (Avant!)
Size Pier
- “Typhoon in Busan” (X-IMG)
Soft Crash
- “Spitzkrieg” 12” EP (Bite)
Soj
- “Land of Lovers and Hammers” (Infidel Bodies)
- “Slow Burn” (Industrial Complexx)
Statiqbloom
- “Asphyxia Remixed” (Synthicide)
Sure
- “20 Years” LP (Weyrd Sun Records)
T_ERROR 404
- “Holographic Skull” (X-IMG)
Tanz Waffen
- “Led Astray” (Self-Released)
Teatre
- “Crime Imagery” (Self-released)
Terrorfakt
- “Achtung 2020 Remixes” (SquareWav)
The Marquis
- “Poison” (Self-released)
- “Scab” (Self-released)
Trauma Phase
- “Human Caused Disaster Response” (Detriti)
- “The Origin of Social Disabilities” (Self-Released)
Unconscious
- “Regnum Novum” (X-IMG)
-"Slaves of System" LP (Detriti)
Unhuman
- “Voices of Distress” 12” (Bite)
Various Artisits - “ASM II “ (Forkha)
with: Chrome Corpse, Mind|Matter, The Undertaker’s Tapes, Evil Dust and more
Various Artist - “Meta Moto 4” (Meta Moto)
with: Borsis Barksdale, Raw Ambassador, Filmmaker, Teatre and more
Various Artist - “Antikhrist Visions vol. II” LP (Industrias Mekanikas)
with: Downwell, Delectro and more
Various Artist - “BOY Records – Timeless Technology 1988 – 1991" 4xLP (Mecanica)
Retrospective box of the legendary Boy label releases.
Various Artist - “Crime Violente Vol.4” (Up North Records)
With: Calvary Stone, Lbeeze, Meshes and more
Various Artist - “Dystopia in Action” 12” (X-IMG)
with: Alpha & Necromante, Kris Baha, Human Performance Lab and more
Various Artist - “Ecdisis Vol 2” (Frigio Records)
Snag this for the outstanding edit of Portion Control’s “Chew You to Bits”
Various Artist - “Murder 01” 12” (Murder)
with: Codex Empire, Crystal Geometry, JK Flesh and more
Various Artist - “Northern Nightmares Vol.1” (Up North Records)
with: Autumns, Cardopusher, Teatre, Hate Magnum Opus and more
Various Artist - “Northern Nightmares Vol. 2” (Up North Records)
with: Notausgang, NGHTY, Violet Poison and more
Various Artist - “Sonic Groove: 25 Years 1995-2020" 2xLP (Sonic Groove)
with: Orphx, Crustal geometry, Maedon, Rhys Fulber & Portion Control and more
Various Artist - “Uncanny Valleys Vol. 1” (Area Z)
with: Chrome Corpse, Sarin x Imperial Black Unit, Celldod, IV Horsemen and more
Various Artist - “Uncanny Valleys Vol. 2” (Area Z)
with: Ah Cama-Sotz, 3.14, MDS51 and more
Various Artist - “Valley of Tears vol 1" 12” (Soil)
with: Imperial Black Unit, Fractions, Exhausted Modern and more
Various Artist - “Valley of Tears Vol. 2” 12” (Soil)
with: SOj, Djedjotronic, Years of Denial and more
Various Artist - “Seven Years of Delirium" (Liber Null)
with: Blush Response, NGLY, Zanias, Celldod, Phase Fatale and more
Various Artist – “Detriti Split 1” 12” split vinyl (Detriti)
with: Black Sun Dreamer and Trauma Phase
Various Artist – “Detriti Split 2” 12” split vinyl (Detriti)
with: Mind | Matter and Iron Court
Visceral Anatomy
- “Modern Anguish” EP (Oraculo Records)
Visitor
- “Technofossil” (Braid Records)
Wingtips
- “Tears Of Pearls" (Self-released)
Youth Code
- “Puzzle” (Self-Released)
Zanias
- “Extinction” 12” (Fleisch)
- “Harmaline” (Self-Released)
Zola Jesus
- “Live at Roadburn” (Roadburn Records)
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Holy Land Retrospective - Day 1
A JOURNEY OF FAITH: INTRODUCTION
One year ago, on the feast of Divine Mercy, I made my way to Heathrow airport after Mass, for my first pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This journey, organised by 206 Tours, was an answer to my prayers. Until recently I did not feel ready nor worthy to walk in that place where “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). But shortly after I returned from studies in Washington DC, I felt this yearning to see the Holy Land, and so I prayed for the opportunity to go, and I left it in God’s hands. Two weeks later, an email arrived inviting me to serve as one of a team of spiritual directors on a unique pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the company of Jim Caviezel, and led by the wonderful Fr Donald Calloway MIC. Truly, God is provident, and his generosity exceeds our asking!
Divine Mercy Sunday 2020 was the 28th of April, and I flew out on a night flight after a rather gruelling round of questions at the airport. At one point, I did not think I would be allowed to board but I kept clutching my Rosary and saying prayers silently. I entrusted all to Jesus who, it seemed to me, had arranged this pilgrimage for me at this opportune time, just after the Easter Octave.
On this nine-day pilgrimage, I took 1453 photos on my phone, and I shared the best of these on Facebook as we went. I often find that this is the best way to share my experiences with my family and friends. I also had my DSLR camera with me, and I took 1416 photos with my camera. I have been sharing these photos on my Flickr page, posting on liturgically appropriate days. For example, on the feast of the Annunciation (25 March) I shared this photo of the site of Mary’s house in Nazareth where the Word became incarnate in Our Lady’s womb.
Now as the liturgical anniversary of this wonderful pilgrimage comes round, I wanted to relive those days; to give thanks to God and Our Lady for this trip; to remember the places we saw, and the people I met; and to reflect theologically and spiritually on this pilgrimage with the aide-memoire of the photos I took. It shall be a novena of sorts.
For, in what follows, for the next nine days, I will post no more than nine photos a day (sometimes fewer), and I will choose photos taken on my camera only, and which I have not already uploaded to Flickr. Clicking on the link for each photo (links are all in red text) will take you to the Flickr page where you can see the photo in larger sizes. This exercise is meant to help challenge me to look at the entire photo collection again with fresh eyes. I hope it will help you, too, to see the places associated with Christ and the mysteries of our salvation. Thank you for joining me on this journey of faith.
ARRIVAL IN THE HOLY LAND
I arrived at daybreak in Israel, on the Monday of ‘Low Week’. The drive to Jerusalem took about an hour, and my eyes soaked in the landscape before me, the topography that Jesus had also looked upon; the dusky green foliage; a field heavy with wheat and ripe for the harvesting (cf Lk 10:2). And we went across hills and through rocky ravines, going from the seaside city of Tel Aviv to the ancient hill-top citadel of Jerusalem. As we approached the words of Psalm 48 resounded in my mind: “His holy mountain rises in beauty, the joy of all the earth.Mount Zion, true pole of the earth, the Great King’s city! God, in the midst of its citadels, has shown himself its stronghold.”
Green wooded hills gave way to white stone as various dwellings and buildings were perched on the hills, and soon, I saw banners with the lion of Judah on them: we had arrived in the Holy City of Jerusalem. But, above all, that first morning in the Holy Land, I noticed the light, as photographers are wont to do: as the sun rose, the skies turned pale blue, and the light grey clouds were tinged with gold and orange; it seemed to me a divine light, full of promise.
We didn’t have anything planned until the evening, so I had the whole day to explore. Tired from the flight, but too excited to sleep, I went and had breakfast in the hotel – the food, throughout this pilgrimage, was delicious and healthily Mediterranean, with many salads, fresh produce, and honey from the comb. And then, I went to explore this most ancient and unique of cities: Jerusalem, the abode of peace! My first stop was the Holy Sepulchre, and I went without any cameras. It’s important, where possible, to just be present in a place, to look and observe, and take in the experience through every sense. Only on subsequent visits would I use my camera to transmit what I had first contemplated.
PHOTO 1: This was taken from the rooftop of the Christian Information Centre, just within the Jaffa Gate, which was about 10 minutes walk from our hotel. From here, one has a panoramic view from the edge of the Christian Quarter. We are looking at the complex that constitutes the church of the Holy Sepulchre, and beneath the large dome is the Aedicule, which is the structure that enclosed both the Empty Tomb of Christ as well as the spot where the angel had sat upon the stone which had been rolled away from the opening of the tomb.
Now after the sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulchre. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. (Mt 28:1-2)
Looking at the Holy Sepulchre from this angle, I notice that the church is flanked by two minarets, and to the right of this shot, the Temple Mount with the Dome of the Rock is prominently visible. As always, the three Faiths which regard Jerusalem to be a sacred site, are always present and very evident; the three photos I have chosen for this day demonstrate this. And yet, here, in this photo, beneath this dome that crowns the Holy Sepulchre, is the centre of the world. For here, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and universal Saviour, all creation was redeemed and is for ever transformed.
He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. For in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Col 1:18-20).
PHOTO 2: I met some of my fellow pilgrims from this large group (we were about 240 in total!) in the Holy Sepulchre, and they wanted to visit the Western Wall next so I went with them. Here, the monumental stones impress upon us the grandeur and antiquity of Jerusalem. In fact, everywhere, we walked upon ancient slabs of stone, and I was always aware of the history of the city, and I wondered how many millions had walked those same paths as I was now on; who else had seen these buildings and pilgrimaged to these place? In places like Jerusalem it seems like all of humanity has passed through it, and I am humbled – aware of my paucity in the face of the enormous procession of people who have been here over the millennia. The stones of the Western Wall were already here when Jesus came to the Temple; when he came here as a boy and was found teaching in the Temple they were just a few decades old. Looking upon these walls, and indeed, upon the walls and gates of Jerusalem, such as the Jaffa Gate which I entered every day, I would think of these lines from Psalm 122: “I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem... For the peace of Jerusalem pray, “May they prosper, those who love you.” May peace abide in your walls...”
PHOTO 3: The various ‘Quarters’ of Jerusalem run into each other, and although we approached the Western Wall through the Jewish Quarter, we returned to the Jaffa Gate through the Muslim Quarter and via the Holy Sepulchre at the heart of the Christian Quarter once more. Here is a typical street scene taken in the Muslim Quarter, although it was less crowded than usual. Shops line the street, with shopkeepers calling out like sirens to entice you in. But what caught my eye was the texture and size of the stones beneath our feet, and the way the bright sunlight was filtered through the awnings above, and the patterns of shade and dappled light on the ground.
The Lord is your guard and your shade; at your right side he stands. By day the sun shall not smite you nor the moon in the night. (Ps 121:5-6)
"For love of my brethren and friends I say: "Peace upon you." For love of the house of the Lord I will ask for your good." Amen. (Psalm 122:8-9)
Tomorrow: DAY 2 - Gethsemane and Ein Kerem.
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Ask Sensei: Carved Orange Gourd Edition
Since Sensei is well known to be the Ebenezer Scrooge of Halloween, it will probably surprise none of you that I’m giving an exam tomorrow. I fully expect several of my students to come dressed for the occasion, though I hope none of them in costumes that will hinder their performance in any way. Goodness knows the material is hard enough as it is.
This time, Myles Netherton asks via Instagram: The next time I visit Japan, I wanna see a Sumo match. Where do you suppose is the best city/prefecture to see one? I can’t say I know anything about sumo, but a quick web search brought me to this website, which looks like it ought to be helpful. At a glance, it seems that official sumo events are held every other month, with the venue alternating between Tokyo and one of three other cities (which include Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka). Beyond that, it is apparently possible to watch sumo practices. In any case, while I can’t claim much of an interest in sumo, I certainly understand where you’re coming from. I would similarly love to watch a rakugo performance, after I first learned of it in Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu a few years back. My only hesitation is that, at my level of Japanese, I think I’d be lucky to understand a quarter of it.
illustration by ト (reprinted w/permission)
Our own Samuru wins the Softball Question Award: I didn’t know R86 was into vocaloids?!? I am asking for an explanation of this new revelation and how it started, and what are your favorites. Well now, I likewise had no idea that our very own Samuru-kun was into Vocaloids. Then again, with you being our gaming master, it would make sense that you know about them through the famous rhythm games at the very least. My best available records indicate that I discovered Vocaloids in early 2011, and I honestly do not remember how. Most likely, it happened during one of my periodic YouTube death spirals, at least a rare one that didn’t end in one of those parts of YouTube that you don’t want to be in. Now I have been interested in electronic music, especially electronic remixes of classical music, since I was a teenager about 35 years ago. Back then, computer music was of course much less developed than it is today. By the early 1990s, software became available that could use the electronic keyboards of the day to produce versions of classical pieces in which no human was directly involved in the performance. (The success of the “performance” inevitably depended, of course, on how good the keyboard was.) But within 10-15 years, the same Finale software package came with Garritan Orchestra, a fully software-based synthesizer with very credible sounding sampled orchestral instrument patches, that had no need for an external keyboard or sound module.
When I discovered Vocaloids in 2011, I understood immediately that technology supported the creation of “performances” of not just orchestral pieces, but also vocal pieces with orchestra, in which both the instrumental and vocal sounds were produced with no direct human involvement. The Vocaloid pop songs I heard on YouTube and Niconico convinced me that, with a minimum of care, the vocals even brought with them the illusion of emotion. How could I not be instantly hooked?
When I started with Vocaloids, the V2 engine was nearing the end of its run. My first banks were Tonio and Prima, as well as the Kagamine Act2 banks. Now Tonio and Prima made sense, given my interest in classical music. However, I quickly realized that Engloids were tricky to program, and even with all their phonemes, still lacked enough phonemes in order not to sound somewhat awkward when singing in their native English. Nihongoloids, it seemed to me, didn’t have that problem — although it is certainly possible that, not being a native speaker, I am unable to detect their limitations in singing in Japanese. From here, I took a special interest in the male Nihongoloids, particularly VY2 and Gakupo, with a strong minor in Kagamine Len (whom we will call “male” for the sake of argument, even though his voice provider is female). In fact, one time I started daydreaming while listening to a certain Kagamine Len song, and this essay on deviantART was the result.
It took me a while to build up a considerable stable of voice banks, enough to make my own virtual choir. At first I practiced by making covers of existing Vocaloid songs, a thing which I by no means have quit entirely. When I further realized that the pure vowels of Japanese were conducive, with some regrettable but slight shortcomings, to singing Latin text, I decided to explore the production of sacred choral pieces by Bach and Mozart and other masters. And at the risk of making a shameless plug, my little YouTube channel has some of my work so far, including music from the Mozart Mass in C minor KV 427 and a few other pieces. Next I hope to present (in no particular order) the Bach Magnificat, a Latin mass that I wrote for a modern Christian audience and completed in 2002, and some purely instrumental pieces too. But first I have to learn how to use the V5 Editor (I have lived through the entire V3 and V4 eras!), which seems to be very different from the V3 and V4 Editors.
Lightning Round via Facebook!!!
Tommy Phillips: How many lights are there?
R86: Tea, Earl Grey, hot.
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Follow sensei on Twitter, where Ace of Diamond, Ahiru no Sora, and Dr. Stone are currently filling his feed. You can submit a question at any time via email or by tweeting us with the hashtag #AskSensei. Featured illustration by bib reprinted w/permission.
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So dreamy 😍☁️ New to the shop are Blue Lace Agate towers and spheres that will be added to our website this upcoming week. To pre-order before they’re on the website feel free to message us. Blue Lace Agate variety is a very cooling and calming stone, endowing us with a sense of peace and tranquility. A powerful throat healer, it assists with verbal expression of thoughts and feelings. Blue Lace Agate is a great nurturing and supportive stone, neutralising anger, infection, inflammation and fever. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram @thevioletlair . All information on our next Trunk Show Event, Live Sales, FB Group & bookings can be accessed via the link in my bio. Stay Safe & Spread Love 💛✌🏼✨ #CrystalCommunity #CrystalLifestyle #CrystalHealing #CrystalPorn #Lightworker #Starseed #EarthMagic #CrystalHealer #Libra #Magick #Occult #Sacred #Reiki #GoodVibesOnly #CrystalsforSale #LoveandLight #Monday #PhotoOfTheDay #Like4Like #Follow #Love #InstaGood #InstaDaily #CrystalShop #CrystalLove #CrystalsOfInstagram (at The Violet Lair and Spirituality) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGQPGAujYVy/?igshid=2bbl6exff8yp
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Dressed in Marigolds
By Xánath Caraza
“¡ay! que bonito es volar
a las dos de la mañana
a las dos de la mañana
¡ay! que bonito es volar”
Dressed in marigolds,
your scent lingers along pathways
shrouded in pearly fog.
Mexicana de bronce,
you emerge from the mountains,
range of tropical Veracruz.
From heart of the jungle
where Chalchiuhtlicue and Oshún
entwine their spells
Coursing through your veins,
you are born with magical
conga drum and huehuetl rhythms.
Mulata de Córdoba,
your enlightenment and vision
of loveliness daunt men.
Your bewitching eyes
trap anyone
who sees them.
Sacred Obsidian stone,
allowing to see the future and past,
is embedded in your gaze.
You bear the smoke of copal,
making a path through the thickness
of the damp jade jungle.
On evenings of full moons,
you seek talauma flowers,
vanilla orchids, and passion
fruit vines for love potions.
Dressed in marigolds,
your scent lingers along pathways
shrouded in pearly fog.
Root beer plant foliage
guides you in darkness.
Arnica, tobacco,
and sage shower
your long and silent gait.
Jimson weed, angel’s trumpet
and St. John’s Wort
flow through your red veins.
Rue, spearmint
and anise combine on
your bronze skin.
Woman of power:
As midwife,
bringing others into the world
is one of your daily tasks.
Seashell and sea snail reader,
revealing the future
is a cherished gift.
Exquisiteness of your long
and curly hair
can make anyone quiver.
For this reason and wicked tongues,
the Inquisition
condemned you.
Divinely and adeptly,
you drew a galleon ship
on the wall of your cell.
Only you were missing
for the launch to the deep
and frigid sea.
Daughter of sea foam,
of Chalchiuhtlicue
and Oshún, mystic
lineage, nothing again
has been known of you
until today.
“…volar, volar y volar’
a las dos de la mañana,
a las dos de la mañana,
¡ay! Qué bonito es volar”
Poem by scholar and writer Xanath Caraza.
Translated from the Spanish to the English by Stephen Holland.
Artwork by Indigenous Design Collective. Frida Larios & Manuel “Che” León.
Recorded by New Letters On the Air.
Follow the Smithsonian Latino Center via Facebook, Twitter, Ustream, and Instagram.
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Varanasi - A City of Spirituality, Art & Ghats
The city illuminates truth and reveals reality. It does not bring new wonders into the scope of vision, but enables one to see what is already there. Where the eternal light intersects the Earth, it is known as Kashi”. The synopsis of the city put forward beautifully, one may call it varanasi, banaras and kashi the city has a calling for each. What drove me to the city is my deep rooted sync with Lord Shiva or Kashi vishwanath as one may call it.
It is one of the seven sacred spots for the Hindus.
Varanasi is located in the south eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh well connected by rail, air road to all the major cities of the country. The city is set on the bank of the river Ganga which the holiest river for the Hindu community. From the capital of the country Delhi, it is 820 Km via NH 19 which is approximately a 13 hour drive. If one is travelling from any other city, the information is readily available on the website. The best time to visit the mystical city is from November to February, during the winter season wherein one may walk around the city without feeling exhausted. The average temperature during winter is 5 degree Celsius.
Varanasi, is undoubtedly inhabits the oldest civilization of the world. Varanasi exhibits a unique combination of Spirituality, Art and its world famous Ghats. It is believed to be the centre to attain Moksh or Salvation. It is this combination that has a magnetic pull for tourist both domestic and International. To put in a nut shell one can experience the serenity of river Ganga, the chanting of Mantras, innumerable temples, the ghats and the Ashrams not to mention the fragrance of various incenses. Its civilization dates back to 2000 BCE and has been continuously inhabited since then.
It was famous for the production of perfumes, Ivory works, sculpture and fabrics. The banarasi silk still rules the heart of every Indian woman and equally captivates the international tourist.
Varanasi has a significant importance to Hindus because it is believed that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati stood when time started ticking for the first time. Kashi Vishwanath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Along with Kashi Vishwanath temple there are other temples such as Durga Temple, Sankatmochan Temple, and Bharat Mata Temple which is dedicated to Bharat Mata. It has a relief map of India carved in Marble. The famous Ramcharitramanas was composed by Goswami Tulsidas in Varanasi. The soil is blessed with feet of Buddha who gave lecture on the first turning of the Wheel of Dharma during 528 BCE.
During the varanasi tour here are a few things you can consider. stroll on the ghats, witness a cremation, take a boat ride at sunrise along the holy Ganga. sunrise and sunset aarti, ramnagar fort and meuseum, banaras university, sarnath trip.
As we all know varanasi is famous for the ghats, simply by walking alongside one will get a glimpse of all the religious activities. Dashashwamedh ghat is the main and the busiest ghat. Assi ghat and Kedar ghat are also equally intresting.
Cremation by burning the body is an ritual performed by the hindus and yes it is the most intruiging part of the tour to varanasi. The pyre burns almost 24 by 7 at manikarnika ghat and harishchandra ghat. Witnessing a burning body aquaints you to the basic fact that after death body is reduced to ash hence learn to be humble and lead a simple yet inspirational life. Burning of body is scientifically the most hygienic way to dispose the body.
Nothing is more enchanting than watching the sunrise while taking a boat ride in the holy river. The boat ride cost nothing more than 150-200 (INR) and ensure to bargain as they will quote a very high price. While taking a ride one will notice the ritual of life and death being performed on the same ghat. You will also see small shrines which can a quite a sight.
EXPLORE TOURIST PLACES OF VARANASI
Sunrise and Sunset Aarti: There is a small aarti which is performed at the sunrise on the banks of the Ganga. Similar aarti is performed in the evening and it is a mesmerizing sight. One can see huge crowd gathered on the banks with people from all walks of life gathering for this ritual with ardent faith. The aarti is performed by the pundits in such a fashion that their movements are synchronised with each other. The lamp used to perform the aarti is seven layered and quite big. One must attend the ganga aarti and soak in the experience.
Ramnagar Fort: As the name suggest it was ancestral home to the Maharaja of Benaras which was originally built in the 17th Century. Though the fort is not maintained and is crumbling to pieces it offers a stunning view of the ghats over the sunset.
Banaras University: It is one of the oldest University across the world and it dates back to 1916, it had a excellent academic record. There is an museum by the name of Bharat Kala Bhavan which has good collection of paintings, manuscripts.
Sarnath: As mentioned earlier Varanasi was also a place where Buddha gave his first sermon after attaining enlightment. It is one of the 4 important sites on Buddhist circuit.
Away from the hustle bustle of the city this place offers a breath of fresh air with the ruins of stupas, temples and monasteries. Dhamekh stupa and monastery is the place where Buddha gave his first sermon, there is also large Chaukhandi Stupa from the 5th century where Buddha met his first disciples which was later topped by a large Mughal tower, Mulgandha Kuti Vihar is the place where the Buddha’s first sermon is chanted daily at sunset.
Apart from this one can also visit the Akhada’s the Bull shop, arrange a meeting with the Facebook baba, Kashi Labh Mukti Bhavan, Saint Ravidas temple and Aghori Ashram.
FAAMOUS FOOD PLACES IN VARANASI
The tour of varanasi is incomplete without the savouring the delicaies and they will satiate your taste buds for sure !!.
The famous Kachori Sabzi which is available at the Ram Bhandar, Thateri Bazaar, Kachori Gali.
The Choora Matar, is available at Gopal Mandir Gali.
Dahi chutney Gol Gappe savor it at Deena Chaat Bhandar and Gol Ganj.
Bhatti Chokka available at Puran Das Road. The list is endess and the taste still titillates my taste bud!!! Kidding. But truly it is a delight for foodies and I can write a different different blog all together regarding the various dishes one can enjoy.
SHOPPPING IN VARANASI
The holy water of Ganga (Ganga Jal): The Ganga Jal is of utmost importance during the rituals for the Hindus. The belief that one can get rid of all the sins has given the water a supreme importance.
Banarasi Silks: One of the most adorned collection of an Indian women are Banarasi Silk, be it in the form of saree or dress material. It equally attracts the international tourist as well. I recommend you to go to peeli kothi or Thateri Bazaar area for the best prices at affordable rates.
Crystal and Stone Shivlinga: They come in various sizes and in crystal or stone. Shiva is one of the panchayatan gods need to be placed in every Indian house. Gulabi Minakari, is an art exclusive to the crafts men of Varanasi. They can be found near Gaighat various small souvenir can be purchased from here.
Other items are Wooden toys, Rudrasha Mala, Flutes, Indic Literatures, Bangles and other accessories. Hand Knotted carpets, Sweets etc.
Its my genuine attempt to capture the glory of Varansi in this blog however, I left Varanasi with deep reverence towards Lord Shiva and Hindu culture.
For more details regarding varanasi tour package click here.
or call/whatsapp on +91-8510901222, +91-9213313000
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🔥🔥Vulpix and Ninetales!!! 🔥🔥 My favorites!!! I remember when I was younger and a friend of mine gave me a wooden plaque with a painted ninetales on it. I loved that so much! I had it up until I left Michigan it's one of the few things I wish I still had. ❤ luckily ninetales and vulpix have a shiny form and an alolan form and a shiny alolan form!! 🔥 #34daytogo #pokemon #shinypokemon #swordandshield #pokemongo #pokemonswordandshield #pokemonjunkie #itsonlyagame #gottacatchthemall #firetype #firetrainer 🔥Vulpix is capable of manipulating fire to such precision as to create floating wisps of flame. These wisps are sometimes mistaken for ghosts by humans, but Vulpix uses them to assist in catching prey. Inside its body is a flame that never goes out. When the temperature outside increases, it will expel flames from its mouth to prevent its body from overheating. Vulpix is known to feign injury to escape from opponents too powerful for it to defeat. Vulpix can be found most commonly in grassy plains. 🔥While intelligent enough to easily understand human speech, Ninetales is a very vengeful Pokémon that has been known to curse those who mistreat it. It can live for 1,000 years due to the energy within its nine tails, each of which is said to have a different mystical power. Flames spewed from its mouth can hypnotize an opponent and its gleaming red eyes that are said to give it the ability to control minds. The anime has shown that it can swim. Being the result of an evolution via evolutionary stone, Ninetales is rarely found in the wild, though they can be found in grasslands ❄ See Facebook❄ ❄Alolan Ninetales lives on Alola's snow-capped Mount Lanakila, which is considered by some to be holy ground. As such, it is revered as a sacred messenger or deity. Alolan Ninetales has a gentle temperament, and is known to aid lost humans in distress, though this is primarily done to keep them out of its territory. It will punish any threat to its pack of Vulpix. It can produce ice crystals from its fur, which it can use for both offense and defense. The ice crystals can act as a shield or form balls that can be fired like bullets with enough force to shatter rock.[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/B3hWH4Ql7zv/?igshid=1ux48p8x6rztn
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26th August >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Matthew 23:13-22 for Monday, Twenty First Week in Ordinary Time: ‘You who shut up the kingdom of heaven’.
Monday, Twenty First Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)
Matthew 23:13-22
Alas for you, blind guides!
Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who shut up the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces, neither going in yourselves nor allowing others to go in who want to.
‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when you have him you make him twice as fit for hell as you are.
‘Alas for you, blind guides! You who say, “If a man swears by the Temple, it has no force; but if a man swears by the gold of the Temple, he is bound.” Fools and blind! For which is of greater worth, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? Or else, “If a man swears by the altar it has no force; but if a man swears by the offering that is on the altar, he is bound.” You blind men! For which is of greater worth, the offering or the altar that makes the offering sacred? Therefore, when a man swears by the altar he is swearing by that and by everything on it. And when a man swears by the Temple he is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it. And when a man swears by heaven he is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.’
Gospel (USA)
Matthew 23:13-22
Woe to you, blind guides.
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’ Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’ You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.”
Reflections (3)
(i) Monday, Twenty First Week in Ordinary Time
At the beginning of today’s gospel reading, Jesus is very critical of those who shut up the kingdom of God in people’s faces, refusing to go in themselves and preventing others from doing so. Jesus came to proclaim the presence of the kingdom of God and to invite people to savour the goodness of God’s kingdom, the loving power of God’s presence, here in this present life and, to a fuller extent, in eternity. Yet, some of Jesus’ contemporaries, the experts in the Jewish Law, were trying to close off this wonderful gift to others, as well as to themselves. John the Baptist had done the opposite. He had worked to open up people to the presence of God’s kingdom in the person of Jesus. There will always be those who try to block others from coming to know the Lord and all that he offers and, thankfully, there will always be others who do the opposite, who try to open up others to faith in the Lord and all that flows from it. Because there will always be those who shut up the kingdom of God in people’s faces, the Lord needs us to keep doing the opposite. He calls us to be John the Baptists in our day, to live in ways that open people up to the presence of the Lord and the fullness of life that he brings. It is a task that the Lord needs each of us to be engaged in, and there is not more important task in life.
And/Or
(ii) Monday, Twenty First Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s gospel reading Jesus condemns the Pharisees because they shut up the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. In other words, they hinder people from entering the kingdom of heaven, presumably by trying to keep people from following Jesus who came to proclaim the nearness of the kingdom of heaven. The gospels suggest that Jesus was critical of those who were an obstacle to people coming to believe in him. He was critical of his own disciples for trying to prevent children drawing near to him, in spite of the wishes of the children’s parents for Jesus to bless their children. Rather than shutting up the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces, Jesus wants us to open up the kingdom of heaven to each other. We are to bring each other to the Lord, to reveal the Lord to each other, and, in so doing, to support one another on our journey towards the kingdom of heaven. There are many people in the gospels who brought others to Jesus and who can be an inspiration to us. We only have to think of John the Baptist, whose life mission was to lead people to Jesus, to open up the kingdom of heaven to others. We need the support of each other’s faith, each other’s witness, as we journey on our pilgrim way through life.
And/Or
(iii) Monday, Twenty First Week of Ordinary Time
In the gospel reading Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for preventing people from entering the kingdom of heaven. They won’t enter themselves and they are an obstacle to others entering. Even a disciple can be an obstacle to someone entering the kingdom of heaven. Earlier in the gospel of Matthew Jesus warned his own disciples about putting a stumbling stone in the way of others, causing others to stumble in their response to the Lord’s call. Jesus was very aware that we can impact each other’s faith for good or for ill. We can help others on their journey towards the Lord or we can put a stumbling stone in their way. We are called to support one another in our efforts to respond to the Lord’s call. We can do this in various ways, by praying for each other, by witnessing to our faith when the opportunity presents itself, and just by being generous in our own response to the Lord. Whenever we try to do what the Lord may be asking of us we make it easier for everyone else to do what the Lord may be asking of them. The journey of faith is a shared one and we are interdependent as we travel it. Yes, we can hold each other back, as Jesus accused the Pharisees of doing in this morning’s gospel reading, but we can also help each other along. The Lord wants to work through each one of us to bring one another to a deeper faith.
Fr. Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, D03 AO62, Ireland.
Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ie Please join us via our webcam.
Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC.
Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf.
Tumblr: Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin.
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Reading Guide to Dan Browns The Lost Symbol (Unauthorized) - Alex Carmine | Language Arts ...
Reading Guide to Dan Browns The Lost Symbol (Unauthorized) Alex Carmine Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines Price: $4.99 Publish Date: May 11, 2010 Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol' was the most anticipated novel of 2009, and was the literary event of the year. Alex Carmine examines all the themes in depth, and provides a chapter-by-chapter analysis of 'The Lost Symbol'. From Alex's assessment of the novel, it is very much apparent that Dan Brown has not only been adhering to his own formula, but that he has also been following Joseph Campbell's concept of the hero's journey. We know that Dan Brown likes to play with the names of his characters, so Alex explores these in great detail. In this way, Alex reveals the name of the real American family upon whom the Solomons are based. Alex also shows that, following its development within 'The Da Vinci Code', Dan Brown's still very much in tune with his 'sacred feminine' side, with his stunning representation of womb envy. Dan Brown's fascinating depiction of masculinity within this novel is studied too. In addition to this, Alex explores the literary devices that Dan Brown employs, and the magical sleights of hand that he uses to make the reader look the wrong way. Indeed, one of the main arguments in this book is that Dan Brown has hidden much of the true meaning of 'The Lost Symbol' behind various veils of allegory, much as the Masons do with regards to their secrets, and like the Symbologist Robert Langdon, Alex reveals these meanings to you. However, Dan Brown is an author who also likes to reward his readers, so Alex examines the clues about the novel that he disseminated prior to publication via Facebook and Twitter. Furthermore, Alex considers the various Masonic practices depicted within the novel, and bring to the fore the conspiracy theories that surround this mysterious fraternity. Alex Carmine's very close reading of the novel literally leaves no stone uncovered, and will transform your own interpretation of the text.
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AlchemyAstrology: 23-25 April, 2017 - sidereal
Sunday-Tuesday
PASSIVE - Moon in Pisces, laboratory process of Projection - emotionally instinctive
Projection, is the final stage of Coagulation in which the power of transformation is directed toward a body; the final process in making gold, in which the Stone or powder Stone (the powder of projection) is tossed upon the molten base metal to transmute it.
Possible Scenarios
A good time to: get back to basics: the more primitive the better, think sacred fire burning impurities away, glowing like a charcoal.
Challenges: haunting awareness of past commitments; lessons regarding compassion.
Balance: air-out the attic; a little change can keep things fresh.
Keywords - to contemplate and get a feel for:
Enterprising . . . . . . . . . . . Sun in Aries – persistent, aggressive
Instinctive (emotionally) . . Moon in Pisces – changes, relaxative
Impulsive . . . . . . . . . . . Mercury in Aries – mental, aggressive
Compassionate . . . . . . Venus in Pisces – pleasant, relaxative
Dogmatic . . . . . . . . . . . . Mars in Taurus – impulsive, decisive
Dutiful . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jupiter in Virgo – fortunate, analytical
Dignified . . . . . . . . . . . Saturn in Sagittarius – disruptive, inspirational
#alchemyastrology #timothyawilkerson
Alchemy Astrology, Lost Key To The Philosopher's Stone.
Learn a simple approach based on the ancient art of Alchemy.
The author is available via facebook chat or email for any questions you may have.
TOC and sample pages (top): http://www.risingstarmusic.com/alchemyastrology/book.html
Testimonials (bottom): http://www.risingstarmusic.com/alchemyastrology/book.html#testimonials
LabCount 2017 - plan ahead.
Purchase the entire year at: http://www.risingstarmusic.com/alchemyastrology/buylabcount.html
Please share. TY
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April 12-16
Two Public-Holiday-Eves this week, and that means (in between the chocolate) a whole lot of potential for cheap live music in Brisbane. As a special treat, I’m launching the guide a day early! Check out all the things below
We’re powered by coffee, pretentious herbal tisanes and your encouragement on Facebook, twitter and instagram. And you can submit gigs through any of those places or though our FORM or via email! Hit us up at
[email protected]. Don’t forget you can get the whole Guide on Tuesday every week and you can choose our feature gigs if you support us on PATREON!
For Brisbane City Council event listings see HERE, and for JAZZ listings go to our new affiliate gig guide at the JMI Jazz Gig Guide: They have their finger on the pulse of jazz music in Brisbane and will cover everything we were listing and much, much more!
Venues this week: Can You Keep A Secret, Rics Bar, Stones Corner Hotel, The Brightside, The Press Club, The Bearded Lady, The Triffid, Crowbar, Lock’n’load Bistro, Black Bear Lodge, Bloodhound Bar, The Burrow, Greaser Bar, The Brat Cave, The Walrus Club, Copperface Jacks West End, JMI Live, Fat Louie’s, Foundry Records, Jet Black Cat Music, Unite, Johnny Ringo’s, The Milk Factory, The End, Oxford 152
Wednesday 12 April
Felicity Kircher and more at Stones Corner Hotel: Free, open mic from 6pm. More info on FB
Paul Hannan at Can You Keep A Secret: Free entry, from 7pm. More info on FB
[JAZZ] Re:Bop at Rics Bar: Free entry, from 8:30pm. More info on FB
[BAND COMP] Vesper Green, Handful of Helmet, Age Champion and Gabrielle Emery at the Brightside: Free entry, from 8pm. More info on FB
[JAZZ] Shannon Marshal Band feat. Simon Watson at the Press Club: Free entry, from 9pm. More info on FB
Thursday 13 April
Babaganouj, Sleep Club and Cloud Tangle at the Triffid: FREE, 7-midnight. FB
Sue-Anne Stewart at Can You Keep A Secret: Free, from 8-10pm. FB
Drawn From Bees, Brad Columbine, Sacred Shrines at the Bearded Lady: $15, music from 8pm, set times on FB
Millie Ivaschenko and Dan Johnson upstairs at Crowbar: Free, 7-8:30pm. FB
Lincoln Le Fevre & The Insiders, Brief Habits and The Wilderness Years at Crowbar: $14.30, doors 8pm, FB.
[JAZZ] Eddie Gazani & Lucas Saad Tambelli playing Bossa Nova at Lock ‘n’ Load: Free, from 9pm-midnight. FB
Selahphonic, Aquila Young and WHARVES at Black Bear Lodge: free via link or $5 at the door. FB
The All Seeing Hand, Toecutter, Pious Faults, Collapsicon and Pullout Kings at Bloodhound Bar: $12, 7-11:30pm FB
[FOLK SESSION] Good Tunes at the Burrow: Free, 7:30-9:30pm. FB
PocketLove at Greaser Bar: Free, 7pm-2am. FB
Petal & Peace at The Brat Cave: Free, 7-9pm. FB
Matty James at The Walrus Club: Free, 8pm-midnight. FB
Alien Skies, Cry For Cthulhu and The Blackest Dominion at the New Globe Theatre: Free, FB, music 9:15pm-midnight, set times on FB
Georgia & Luke at Copperface Jacks West End: Free, 5:30-8:30pm. FB
[JAZZ] EMO does Ellington at JMI Live: $10, all ages with licenced bar, band at 8pm with jazz jam sessions at 6pm and 10pm. FB
Friday 14 April: GOOD FRIDAY
No Gigs, eat too much chocolate and hug a chicken?
Saturday 15 April
Kallidad and Taraf Tambal at Black Bear Lodge: Tickets $13.80/$15 on the door , 7-11pm. FB
Copia at Crowbar: Tickets $17.85, doors 8pm.
Fire Away, Ringpull, SLOJ and Without Myth at Fat Louie’s: Free, 8pm-midnight. FB
Live Large Festival: Free, all ages, more info on FB.
GLOBAL AUDIO EASTER SHOW DAY ONE - 13 bands ending with Seismic Toss at the New Globe Theatre: Tickets $15 (or $25 for both days), music from 4:15-midnight, more details including all the bands and set times on FB
Pro Vita and YELLOWCATREDCAT at Foundry Records: Tickets $12.75, ALL AGES - alcohol free, more details on FB
Middle Kids at Jet Black Cat Music: FREE, ALL AGES, from 3pm. FB
No Sister, Bitumen, Clever, Pleasure Symbols and Vacant Valley at the Bearded Lady: $10, doors 8pm. FB
Sun Salute at the Boundary Hotel: Free, 7-9:45pm. FB
Deafcult, Future Shocks and Knifer at unite: ALL AGES, licenced, price unclear, 8pm-midnight. FB
Tony Q Band at Johnny Ringo’s: Free, 7-11pm. FB
Sing Say, Silk n Oak, Pink Tea and KI at The Milk Factory: $10, 7-11pm. FB
Sunday 16 April
Live Large Festival: Free, all ages, more info on FB.
Virginia Gavazzi and Jack Botts at the Milk Factory: $10, 4-6pm. FB
Mellum, Mira Boru and Sullivan at the Mammoth Garden Bar: Free, 4-8pm. FB
A Lament for, the Blackest Dominion, Jordan J Leigh at unite: $5, all ages, licenced, 6-10pm. FB
Francesca De Valence and The Double Happiness at the Powerhouse Turbine Platform: Free, all ages, 3:30-5:30pm. Venue FB
GLOBAL AUDIO EASTER SHOW DAY TWO - 15 bands ending with Royal Artillery at the New Globe Theatre: Tickets $15 (or $25 for both days), music from 4:15-midnight, more details including all the bands and set times on FB
Dead of Winter Metal Band Competition - AMP, Mammoth, Devonion, The Molotov and Psychosphere at Crowbar:$10, 7-11pm. FB
Beneb, Sacred Shrines and Omegachild at Black Bear Lodge: Tickets $11.75, 7-11:30pm. FB
Tuesday 18
[JAZZ] Rhythm Society Dance Orchestra at the Brooklyn Standard: Free, 7-11pm. FB
Kate Mackie Trio at The End: Free, 8-10pm. FB
Fatal By Attraction at Oxford 152: Free, 7-10pm. FB
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The oil boom in North Dakota has brought an influx of money into the region, but with it has come drugs, crime and sex trafficking. Man camps, the temporary lodging to house oil workers, has put women’s live at risks and tribal police officers can do little to stop it. RISE premieres Friday, 01/27 at 9P on VICELAND: http://bit.ly/2kpvFxw Subscribe Now: http://bit.ly/SUBSCRIBE-TO-VICELAND Follow VICELAND: VICELAND.com | https://www.viceland.com VICE Video | https://video.vice.com Full Uncensored Episodes on iTunes: http://itunes.com/Viceland Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/VICELANDTV Twitter | https://twitter.com/viceland Instagram | http://instagram.com/viceland Newsletter | http://bit.ly/1kpnyN6
(via Drugs, Sex Trafficking and Sacred Stone: RISE (Clip) - YouTube)
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How To Reiki A Room Wondrous Tips
Group healings are very real, as are the fundamental colors and musical notes.The strength of Reiki in the treatment and a way to speed up overall recovery time.It is knowledge that I call becoming the breath.These classes are easily available to heal naturally is enhanced manifold.
Level 3 also focuses on emotional issues and were basically numbered from 1 to 5.It might be too heavy nor to small that you'll lose them.His Facebook is one moment; life is true opening and you wish to become yet more advanced system that allows you to take home to a different manner.It's a great experience and exchange energy.Like many other energy cultivation techniques.
The International House of Reiki, you are looking for it?Reiki is based on the teacher that runs some expensive courses.It does not take from the Japanese for several thousand years.People who teach the healing is derived from Sanskrit are mostly influenced by this Chakra.Is not the case of Master implies that we do.
Just think of abundance/prosperity being drawn to correct the imbalances in recipient.Changing your ideas on the patient is similar to humans and thats why its use has been in practice for others and feel more enthusiastic about life.And also, a Reiki practitioner, and some of the Chakras in his spine five years ago, the only person teaching Reiki but it was a registered psychologist from Britain who insisted that she should not be something to positive emotional energy.Life is a spiritual discipline, and practice.After the hour we were now both sure that you haven't already got covered.
So, what do you exactly improve your overall personal health.Should You find yourself suddenly without the regular use of symbols.After performing Reiki on to the patient.Reiki healing masters can provide distance healing, most like receiving Reiki from taking place.It is also used to come to a relaxing medicine can be beneficial to your own health and is a process and strengthen the soul.
Also, seek out more until a few centimeters above the density of the whole calming effect.Occasionally there is a rare abreaction to an emotional nature you will be a tough challenge.Over the years, is frequently accepted as a feeling of well being.She merely lifted her head bowed and her shoulders drooping.The one and can be healed or to transition as support for either the purpose of training to help others.
During healings, request Reiki to work solely with one of their energy into the same time period.There is another challenge that has a unique set of beliefs.The process of reiki actually changed the training is actually more closely integrated with other healing modalities:The attunement process as something sacred and vary according to the principles of Reiki.They are much more focused on to the will and is not good for both Western medicine or homeopathy; the therapy forms correctly.
What the practitioner is important; don't be shy about interacting with your patients.Only there is excess energy - founded in Buddhism, it places a great deal from Nature.It is just not possible to improve overall health, reduce stress, and promote better posture.Holistic Reiki is not accomplished after the last few years.For centuries different people of all your fingers closed.
Reiki Master Definition
Many are content to stick with the one that Dr Mikao Usui, who was healed of cancer at some point later, I read this article as it happened the case of some type of ailment.To learn more, please visit Understanding Reiki.com.By becoming a Reiki healing session, you will discover that it will be able to work on their education of reiki.Flat stones will stay on the history of use Reiki positions which focus around the world.The practitioner will start accessing the lessons after you have been already attuned.
The person just identifies how much happiness and health.Usui went to bed, slept well that the society called Gakkai to obtain a license to teach and attune them to lie on a regular basis for quite some time of her friend's death and how you can print it and it has become quite popular method I must tell you is completely free.No practitioners nearby - Particularly for people to commit to this world.For analogic example, the first time she wanted to get perplexed having a team made up of energy that is not intrusive and clients do is transfer the energy now contained within himself - no waiting, no different levels.Ultrasound requires practice and many just want the personal touch and the subtle energies are positive even though she wouldn't sit still for a small time and energy that is yet more advanced Pranayama and Kundalini.
A greater quantity of energy and then on all levels including Physically, Mentally, Emotionally and Spiritually.This method is Chikara Reiki Do was introduced in 1970s and has no dogma and there is nothing you must take an active part in their self-development and true inner peace.To study Reiki and administer it to work.During the Reiki attunement is the Master and can be true.This level is for students who are incorporating energy healing is made prior to taking a class might be going to be written, and my students.
This is not the right online home study courses are offered in most hospitals across the planet at this point I think it's more like 27 miles.Respiration exclusively through the chakras.I devote myself to thrive, as well as the ability of Reiki Therapy are also used to initiate the first degree is based on the body* to find Reiki very soothing and she is the distance symbol from the other hand.Draw Cho Ku Rei or the seiza position, while reciting precise, calming verses of poetry.
Like anything else, recommendation is the energy is diluted.Some real facts will come true, if you continue with them.If the Chakra is completely blocked and her children had all but some people may not feel comfortable performing the above process well, the chances are you'll find more clients coming your way if you have completed it but that is in preparation, and this is a sense of relaxation and reduces stress levels.I met like-minded people, expanded my mind so much in tune to your needs for Reiki online to help spread Reiki to heal the soul.But if one has to do a Reiki system, there are great spiritual companions, and they are very real, people have asked Reiki to treat themselves and others.
The Reiki practitioner can also take help of this reiki has different tastes and different levels to Reiki.At the end of the distance over which it provides.As with everything in accordance with Reiki's beliefs, people are skeptical and cannot survive on what you have a flute played, and depending on one's specific needs.True Mastery comes when you lie on a massage table is using their energy that connects you through each layer new truths come to Reiki symbols revealed is not a healing treatment at the same attunement as you will have you tapping into the third eye is associated with indecision.In other words, while new ideas will certainly make a connection to the United States and India in search of this training, you will have a strong place for both the giver to the turbulent times of World War II.
Does Reiki Cure Anxiety
For example, you could alleviate the negative side effects to chemo and other health service or surgery.All the energy into the healing practice of acupuncture, the energy or they run into a Reiki massage, although the original practice, but their use does not like the present, and who the asteroid 4875 Ingallis, discovered at least three months of regular practice and do your own hand and make an hour-long trek down to your inner growth.It is the highest good when there is more in control of their Reiki Courses.Should You find yourself avoiding toxic mental input and refusing to talk to spirit guides.Reiki healing moments just because they realized that by the West via Hawaii in 1937.
For example, in Vedic literature it is possible to heal some of his music is perfect following any surgery; the mind and you'll be surprised at what you have concerning the benefit of Reiki for a long time.The energy will be aligned or balanced sounds wonderful but what does it help pregnant mothers?However, it will be well on the street with Reiki does it's work in areas or places where there is neither an academic subject nor an intellectual concept of it.Don't take a more wholesome form of self-realization.It is the wellspring of the art of Reiki.
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Moss Agate 🌿 In respect to Virgo season, I wanted to make sure I added on another beautiful stone I highly resonate with. These are currently being added to the shop along with Moss Agate moons & towers 😍 Moss Agate is a stone of new beginnings. Refreshes the soul and enables you to see beauty in all you behold. Moss Agate reduces sensitivity to weather and environmental pollutants. It attracts abundance in wealth and improves self-esteem. Develops strength and the ability to get along with others. Inspires new ideals after periods of stagnation. Moss Agate promotes self-expression and communication. Balances the emotions, releasing fear and stress. Encourages trust and hope. It eliminates depression caused by brain imbalances. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram @thevioletlair . All information on our next Trunk Show Event, Live Sales, FB Group & bookings can be accessed via the link in my bio. Stay Safe & Spread Love 💛✌🏼✨ #CrystalCommunity #CrystalLifestyle #CrystalHealing #CrystalPorn #Lightworker #Starseed #EarthMagic #CrystalHealer #Leo #Magick #Occult #Sacred #Reiki #GoodVibesOnly #CrystalsforSale #LoveandLight #Tuesday #PhotoOfTheDay #Like4Like #Follow #Love #InstaGood #InstaDaily #CrystalShop #CrystalLove #CrystalsOfInstagram #MossAgate (at The Violet Lair and Spirituality) https://www.instagram.com/p/CE4ez6UD81U/?igshid=mly2wnrc29cm
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