The Nineteenth Amendent to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on August 18, 1920, with Tennessee being the last state to vote in favor of, achieving the 3/4 majority needed to amend. One would think that this event would have been the end of any argument against a woman’s right to vote but, one more hurdle had to be cleared.
Ninety-seven years ago, today, the U.S. Supreme Court made a ruling on the constitutionality of the amendment.
On October 12, 1920, Cecilia Streett Waters and Mary D. Randolph, citizens of Maryland, applied for and were granted registration as qualified voters in Baltimore City. To have their names stricken from the list Oscar Leser and others brought this suit in the court of common pleas. The only ground of disqualification alleged was that the applicants for registration were women, whereas the Constitution of Maryland limits the suffrage to men. Ratification of the proposed amendment to the federal Constitution, now known as the Nineteenth, 41 Stat. 362, had been proclaimed on August 26, 1920, 41 Stat. 1823, pursuant to Revised Statutes, § 205 (Comp. St. § 303). The Legislature of Maryland had refused to ratify it. The petitioners contended, on several grounds, that the amendment had not become part of the federal Constitution. […] the case comes here on writ of error. That writ must be dismissed but, the petition for a writ of certiorari, also duly filed, is granted. The laws of Maryland authorize such a suit by a qualified voter against the board of registry. Whether the Nineteenth Amendment has become part of the federal Constitution is the question presented for decision.
Photo Credit: law.edu
There were three claims: [1] The power to amend the Constitution did not cover this amendment due to its character.
“[…] the amendment “destroyed State autonomy” because it increased Maryland’s electorate without the state’s consent.”
[2] Several states that had ratified the amendment had constitutions that prohibited women from voting, rendering them unable to ratify an amendment to the contrary.
[3] The ratifications of Tennessee and West Virginia were invalid, because they were adopted without following the rules of legislative procedure in place in those states.
Justice Brandeis delivered the opinion of the Court:
[1] This amendment is in character and phraseology precisely similar to the Fifteenth. For each, the same method of adoption was pursued. One cannot be valid and the other invalid. That the Fifteenth is valid, although rejected by six states, including Maryland, has been recognized and acted on for half a century.
[2] […] But the function of a state Legislature in ratifying a proposed amendment to the federal Constitution, like the function of Congress in proposing the amendment, is a federal function derived from the federal Constitution and, it transcends any limitations sought to be imposed by the people of a state.
[3] The question raised may have been rendered immaterial by the fact that since the proclamation the Legislatures of two other states—Connecticut and Vermont—have adopted resolutions of ratification. But, a broader answer should be given to the contention. The proclamation by the Secretary certified that, from official documents on file in the Department of State, it appeared that the proposed amendment was ratified by the Legislatures of 36 states and, that it ‘has become valid to all intents and purposes as a part of the Constitution of the United States.’ As the Legislatures of Tennessee and of West Virginia had power to adopt the resolutions of ratification, official notice to the Secretary, duly authenticated, that they had done so, was conclusive upon him, and, being certified to by his proclamation, is conclusive upon the courts.
“So, while the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote, Leser made sure that the right could actually be used, even where the state constitution said otherwise. It’s not one of the more famous Supreme Court decisions in American history but, without it, the electorate would be, well, lesser.”
As an addendum to the above, Maryland finally ratified the amendment on March 29, 1941 but, didn’t certify that until February 25, 1958, two days shy of an exact 36 year delay. And, I am sad to say that my home state of North Carolina didn’t ratify until May 6, 1971, making it third to last behind South Carolina (ratified July 1, 1969 but, not certified until August 22, 1973) and Mississippi (ratified March 22, 1984).
Little video snippet regarding this case:
And, I grew up watching Schoolhouse Rock, I just had to put this up:
[…] it was the first Beatles record to be made using four-track equipment. It was also the group’s first American number one, entering the Billboard Hot 100 chart on 18 January 1964 at number forty-five and starting the British Invasion of the American music industry.
“A telegram came through to Brian from Capitol Records of America. He came running in to the room saying, ‘Hey, look. You are number one in America!’ I Want To Hold Your Hand had gone to number one. Well, I can’t describe our response. We all tried to climb onto Big Mal’s back to go round the hotel suite: ‘Wey-hey!’ And that was it, we didn’t come down for a week.”
“It was such a buzz to find that it had gone to number one. We went out to dinner that evening with Brian and George Martin. George took us to a place which was a vault, with huge barrels of wine around. It was a restaurant and its theme was… well, the bread rolls were shaped like penises, the soup was served out of chamber pots and the chocolate ice cream was like a big turd. And, the waiter came ’round and tied garters on all the girls’ legs. I’ve seen some pictures of us. There is a photograph around of Brian with the pot on his head. It was a great feeling because we were booked to go to America directly after the Paris trip, so it was handy to have a number one. We’d already been hired by Ed Sullivan so, if it had been a number two or number ten we’d have gone anyway but, it was nice to have a number one. We did have three records out in America before this one. The others were on two different labels. It was only after all the publicity and the Beatlemania in Europe that Capitol Records decided, ‘Oh, we will have them.’ They put out I Want To Hold Your Hand as our first single but, in fact, it was our fourth.”
Will We All Become Beatle Nuts?
Here’s What the Reviewers Say…
“Anyone who is not a teenage girl obviously is unqualified to comment on the sight of The Beatles in action. Heaven knows we’ve heard them enough. It has been impossible to get a radio weather bulletin or time signal without running into “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” And now, having seen the four performers on Ed Sullivan’s show Sunday night, Beatlemania is even more of a mystery to an elderly viewer.”
~Cynthia Lowry (Associated Press)
“It is now clear why President de Gaulle has been giving England such a hard time about the Common Market. He undoubtedly saw The Beatles and decided nothing doing. As you certainly know, America saw the four-member rock’n’roll British group live on television last night. Pandemonium reigned. Vive La France.”
~Rick DuBrow (United Press International)
“”You can tell right away its The Beatles and not anyone else,” is the opinion of a 15-year-old specialist on the topic who saw them on the Ed Sullivan show. The age of 15 (or 16, or 14 or 13) is essential in Beatle experts. And, so, taking the above axiom as gospel, an attempt was made to find out just what is musically unique about the English group that is now visiting our shores.”
~Theodore Strongin (The New York Times)
“It seems The Beatles came, sang and conquered…all that is but, the TV reviewers. Most of the time, these reviewers have real troubles finding something to write about. Ask them… When Elvis Presley first appeared on the popular musical scene and made his TV début, did they praise him? No. In fact, most beat singers who come under the TV reviewer’s eagle eye rarely receive a word of praise. It seems obvious the reviewers came to bury the teenage favorites and not to praise them. Again, the teenage taste has been mocked. As long as this superior feeling is put across, the younger generation will continue to make their idols…and won’t give a darn who likes them.”
[…] it was the first Beatles record to be made using four-track equipment. It was also the group’s first American number one, entering the Billboard Hot 100 chart on 18 January 1964 at number forty-five and starting the British Invasion of the American music industry.
“A telegram came through to Brian from Capitol Records of America. He came running in to the room saying, ‘Hey, look. You are number one in America!’ I Want To Hold Your Hand had gone to number one. Well, I can’t describe our response. We all tried to climb onto Big Mal’s back to go round the hotel suite: ‘Wey-hey!’ And that was it, we didn’t come down for a week.”
“It was such a buzz to find that it had gone to number one. We went out to dinner that evening with Brian and George Martin. George took us to a place which was a vault, with huge barrels of wine around. It was a restaurant and its theme was… well, the bread rolls were shaped like penises, the soup was served out of chamber pots and the chocolate ice cream was like a big turd. And, the waiter came ’round and tied garters on all the girls’ legs. I’ve seen some pictures of us. There is a photograph around of Brian with the pot on his head. It was a great feeling because we were booked to go to America directly after the Paris trip, so it was handy to have a number one. We’d already been hired by Ed Sullivan so, if it had been a number two or number ten we’d have gone anyway but, it was nice to have a number one. We did have three records out in America before this one. The others were on two different labels. It was only after all the publicity and the Beatlemania in Europe that Capitol Records decided, ‘Oh, we will have them.’ They put out I Want To Hold Your Hand as our first single but, in fact, it was our fourth.
Will We All Become Beatle Nuts?
Here’s What the Reviewers Say…
“Anyone who is not a teenage girl obviously is unqualified to comment on the sight of The Beatles in action. Heaven knows we’ve heard them enough. It has been impossible to get a radio weather bulletin or time signal without running into “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” And now, having seen the four performers on Ed Sullivan’s show Sunday night, Beatlemania is even more of a mystery to an elderly viewer.”
~Cynthia Lowry (Associated Press)
“It is now clear why President de Gaulle has been giving England such a hard time about the Common Market. He undoubtedly saw The Beatles and decided nothing doing. As you certainly know, America saw the four-member rock’n’roll British group live on television last night. Pandemonium reigned. Vive La France.”
~Rick DuBrow (United Press International)
“”You can tell right away its The Beatles and not anyone else,” is the opinion of a 15-year-old specialist on the topic who saw them on the Ed Sullivan show. The age of 15 (or 16, or 14 or 13) is essential in Beatle experts. And, so, taking the above axiom as gospel, an attempt was made to find out just what is musically unique about the English group that is now visiting our shores.”
~Theodore Strongin (The New York Times)
“It seems The Beatles came, sang and conquered…all that is but, the TV reviewers. Most of the time, these reviewers have real troubles finding something to write about. Ask them… When Elvis Presley first appeared on the popular musical scene and made his TV début, did they praise him? No. In fact, most beat singers who come under the TV reviewer’s eagle eye rarely receive a word of praise. It seems obvious the reviewers came to bury the teenage favorites and not to praise them. Again, the teenage taste has been mocked. As long as this superior feeling is put across, the younger generation will continue to make their idols…and won’t give a darn who likes them.”
Lyrics: Oh yeah, I’ll tell you something,
I think you’ll understand,
Then I’ll say that something,
I wanna hold your hand,
I wanna hold your hand,
I wanna hold your hand.
Oh please say to me
You’ll let me be your man,
And please say to me,
You’ll let me hold your hand,
Now let me hold your hand,
I wanna hold your hand.
And when I touch you
I feel happy inside,
It’s such a feeling
That my love I can’t hide,
I can’t hide, I can’t hide.
Yeah, you got that something,
I think you’ll understand,
When I feel that something,
I wanna hold your hand,
I wanna hold your hand,
I wanna hold your hand.
And when I touch you
I feel happy inside,
It’s such a feeling
That my love I can’t hide,
I can’t hide, I can’t hide.
Yeah, you got that something,
I think you’ll understand,
When I feel that something,
I wanna hold your hand,
I wanna hold your hand,
I wanna hold your hand.
Secret agent Matt Helm is called on to stop a plan to steal over one billion dollars in gold. With the help of the fumbling female [British] agent Freya, the two race against time to stop the devious plan of Count Contini and his henchmen. The Count is aided by a bevy of beauties who attempt to throw the world economy into chaos with the heist. Helm is constantly interrupted just before his amorous adventures can be set in motion by the overzealous […] Freya.
∞ First of all, I would like to pass on the gratitude expressed by the Earth Consciousness to all of those who expressed their love and support towards Her on the morning of Tuesday the 20th of March 2012. Much was achieved and a great deal learned. ∞
Introduction
Over the years, I have spoken to a great many people about the change of consciousness that is occurring on the planet. I always asked the question:
“What is the best way of achieving soul re-integration?”
Whether in groups or individuals, the most common answer was:
“Somebody will come in and do it for us.”
It was only on very rare occasions that the correct answer was given:
“We need to work on ourselves and work with Mother Earth.”
Why is it that we look for help outside of the Earth? Could it be that we lack confidence in ourselves? Could it be that we have adopted the scientific materialistic view and see the Earth as an inert lump of rock? Could it be that we have forgotten that
everything that we are, whilst human, we owe entirely to Mother Earth? Or, all of the above?
Humans live on a free-floating planet whose very soul has dedicated Her existence to our nurture and well-being. If it was not for Mother Earth, humans would not exist and, yet, the majority of people never acknowledge Her existence, let alone realise that everything that we are, or ever could be, is totally dependent upon Her and the abundance She has provided us with. We, as a soul, have chosen to come to Earth in order to take on a human life. In order to become human, our soul receives permission from the Earth and, then, connects to the Earth consciousness. This is why the first chakra is also called the “root” chakra as our soul connects itself directly to the Earth’s soul in order to take on physical, human form. In order to become human, we, literally, connect our soul to the Earth’s. This is how it has always been.
Throughout the whole of human history, we have needed to become integrated with the soul of the Earth in order to take on human form and, yet, we seem to have forgotten this fundamental fact. We also seem to have forgotten that our soul is much, much bigger than the portion that inhabits the physical body. The soul of a human is immense and, for reasons discussed later, we divided it into two portions: the higher self, comprised of three-quarters of the total soul and, the physical self, comprised of the remaining one-quarter. We are currently very close to the time where we will be able to fully merge the two aspects of our soul back into the physical body. But, instead of remembering that, in order to achieve soul re-integration, we need to work very closely with the Earth, we look to something or somebody from outside of our solar system. Why?
Image Credit: pinterest.com
Spring Equinox 2012
Since 1996, every soul that has chosen to take on human form has made a series of choices. The primary choice has been whether to proceed to re-integrating the whole of the soul back into the physical body or not. This was a free choice, nobody stood in judgement of us. This was a decision made by both the higher self and the physical self together. In the period since 1996, other choices have been made and each human alive on the planet, today, is very different to what they were in 1996. The last major decision we individually made was in November 2010 when the opportunity to raise our personal energies was available to us. By raising our personal energies, we would reach frequency parity with that of the Earth.
The reason for the need to achieve frequency parity with the Earth involves a long explanation and is covered fully in my books and, previous essays but, essentially the story is this… The soul is pure energy without any physical density. In order to become physical, we needed to slow down the lower frequencies of the soul to match those originally chosen by the Earth. The frequency originally chosen by the Earth was 7.56 Hz and all of the life on Earth resonated at that frequency. When humans first came to the Earth, we had the whole of the soul within the physical body and we modified our root chakras to also resonate at 7.56 Hz. However, this frequency proved to be too low to maintain the whole of the soul within the human body and we decided to work with the Earth to find out what this “base-note” frequency needed to be raised to in order to be able to maintain the whole of the soul within the human body.
The Human Plan
The Human Plan was begun 7,000 years ago and all that it was intended to do was to work out what the new base-note frequency was needed to be in order to maintain the whole of the soul within the human body. This is why it was called The Human Plan. It only really applied to humans. All other forms of life on Earth were very happy with the original frequency and experienced no problems. A time limit was set, on The Human Plan, so that if a new satisfactory base-note frequency could not be found, humans would leave the Earth and return to their place of soul origin.
This is the purpose of human life over the past 7,000 years and, with a great deal of help from Mother Earth, that new frequency was discovered. On the 30th of May 2000, the Earth altered Her base-note frequency to the new frequency of 3.5 kHz overnight. All of the life on Earth, apart from humans, also changed their energy patterns on that day. Humans being humans decided we needed a little more time to think about it.
The final date that humans could make their decision was November 2010 and, so, began an acceleration of human root chakra frequencies that took a year to complete. Finally, on the 28th of October 2011, humans once again achieved frequency parity with the Earth and the human root chakra now resonates at 3.5 kHz. This was the very last date that could be accommodated within the Human Plan. Remember, this change of frequencies was solely to benefit humans. Every other form of life on the planet did not need to make this change. This is a prime example of how Mother Earth provides for us, nurtures us and gently guides us to help us achieve our goals.
The 28th of October has another significance. It was the actual end of The Human Plan, allowing us the time between 28/10/11 and 21/12/12 to get our act together and undergo our completions. Those who are familiar with the Mayan Calendar will know that the date 28th of October 2011 was when the Calendar completed all of its “rounds”. On that date, the Mayan Calendar registered a date of 13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13. signifying the end date. On 21/12/12, the Calendar resets itself to 0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0. signifying that a new set of rounds is beginning and nobody knows how long the new “Sun” will last but, it will be an absolute minimum of 5,000 years.
To continue reading, download the PDF version (it’s 13 pages) HERE.
This is for the birds! I will have more next Friday or Saturday.
All Photos Are My Personal Collection
A murder of chattering crows at dusk.
Taken in Texas 12-12-2007Pet parrot visiting uptown.
10-22-2011
Beautiful bird.We have local geese that hang out at the river.
This one took up bodyguard duty to four ducks.
04-23-2016Standing guard while they eat.Careful crossing the street.Different goose. Same job.
02-13-2017
This post is a continuation of my Part I post from last Friday. More email-forward silliness from the early-to-middle 2000s. As with the first batch, I have no clue where these came from.
Cardboard office.Love the little Spiderman on the door.Effective use of foil.Keyboard planter.Newspaper workstation.A well-packed cube.Yeah. Do not touch.
It was the only indigenous parrot to the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast & Midwest states. They ranged from southern New York, to the southern tip of Wisconsin, to Eastern Colorado, down to Central & Eastern Texas, across the Gulf of Mexico to the seaboard and all parts in-between. Also called a Carolina Conure (conuropsis carolinensis), they had a bright yellow head with a reddish-orange face and a pale beak.
[…] lived in old forests along rivers. It is the only species classified in the genus Conuropsis. It was called puzzi la née (“head of yellow”) or pot pot chee by the Seminole and, kelinky in Chickasaw.
The last known wild specimen was killed in Okeechobee County, Florida, in 1904, and the last captive bird died at the Cincinnati Zoo on February 21, 1918. This was the male specimen, called “Incas”, who died within a year of his mate, “Lady Jane”. Coincidentally, Incas died in the same aviary cage in which the last Passenger Pigeon, “Martha“, had died nearly four years earlier. It was not until 1939, however, that it was determined that the Carolina Parakeet had become extinct. Some theorists at this time, though, believed a few may have been smuggled out of the country in mid 20th century and may have repopulated elsewhere, although the odds of this are extremely low. Additional reports of the bird were made in Okeechobee County, Florida, until the late 1920s, but these are not supported by specimens.
Image Credit: cornell.edu & birdsna.org
The Carolina Parakeet is believed to have died out because of a number of different threats. To make space for more agricultural land, large areas of forest were cut down, taking away its habitat. The bird’s colorful feathers (green body, yellow head and red around the bill) were in demand as decorations in ladies’ hats. The birds were also kept as pets and could be bred easily in captivity. However, little was done by owners to increase the population of tamed birds. Finally, they were killed in large numbers because farmers considered them a pest, although many farmers valued them for controlling invasive cockleburs. It has also been hypothesized that the introduced honeybee helped contribute to its extinction by taking many of the bird’s nesting sites.
A factor that contributed to their extinction was the unfortunate flocking behavior that led them to return immediately to a location where some of the birds had just been killed. This led to even more being shot by hunters as they gathered about the wounded and dead members of the flock.
This combination of factors extirpated the species from most of its range until the early years of the 20th century. However, the last populations were not much hunted for food or feathers, nor did the farmers in rural Florida consider them a pest, as the benefit of the birds’ love of cockleburs clearly outweighed the minor damage they did to the small-scale garden plots. The final extinction of the species is somewhat of a mystery but, the most likely cause seems to be that the birds succumbed to poultry disease, as suggested by the rapid disappearance of the last, small but, apparently healthy and reproducing flocks of these highly social birds. If this is true, the very fact that the Carolina Parakeet was finally tolerated to roam in the vicinity of human settlements proved its undoing. The fact remains, however, that persecution significantly reduced the bird’s population over many decades.
A consumer of sandspurs, cockleburs, thistles, pine seeds and bald cypress balls, as well as fruits, buds and seeds of many other plant species, the Carolina Parakeet was evidently a fairly typical psittacid with catholic feeding habits, loud vocalizations and highly social tendencies. However, unlike many other parrots, it was clearly a species well adapted to survive cold winter weather. Although generally regarded with favor by early settlers, the parakeet was also known locally as a pest species in orchards and fields of grain and, was persecuted to some extent for crop depredations. Its vulnerability to shooting was universally acknowledged and was due to a strong tendency for flocks not to flee under fire but, to remain near wounded con-specifics that were calling in distress.
[…] there are no known ways to evaluate many issues in Carolina Parakeet biology except through extrapolations from the biology of closely related species and through reasoned interpretations of the fragmentary writings of observers who have long since passed from the scene. Fortunately, early naturalists prepared a few accounts with substantial amounts of useful information.
Outside of the breeding season the parakeet formed large, noisy flocks that fed on cultivated fruit, tore apart apples to get at the seeds and, ate corn and other grain crops. It was therefore considered a serious agricultural pest and was slaughtered in huge numbers by wrathful farmers. This killing, combined with forest destruction throughout the bird’s range and, hunting for its bright feathers to be used in the millinery trade, caused the Carolina Parakeet to begin declining in the 1800s. The bird was rarely reported outside Florida after 1860 and was considered extinct by the 1920s.
I had no idea that my area of the U.S. had a native parrot species. It is a crying shame that this beautiful, lively bird was driven to extinction. They were easily tamed and had long life spans. Perhaps, there are some still in existence and carefully hidden. ~Vic
February 20 has two celebrations. National Love Your Pet Day is, clearly, a national day to love your pet(s)…as if we need a reason or an excuse to shower our fur-babies with adoration or smother them with kisses and hugs. Still, it’s a sweet sentiment to proclaim a national day of rejoicing for our companions or, best friends or, children or, partners. They fulfill so many needs on so many levels that volumes of literature exist that could occupy a very large library.
The statistics on pets in the U.S. is interesting and on the rise. As of March 2017, 68% of all households have a pet(s), up from 56% in 1988. Topping the list, believe it or not, is freshwater fish. All of a sudden, I am seeing Nemo in the aquarium of the dentist’s office. Yeah. I know. Nemo was a saltwater fish but, that is the first thing that popped into my head.
Image Credit: thebestpictureproject.wordpress.com
The National Day Calendar folks couldn’t find the creator of this day but, thank you, whomever you are. So, give your pet(s) an extra hug or, a scratch or, a new toy or, treats (they really, really like treats) in celebration. They won’t mind.
From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat December 28, 1895:
William Lyons, 25, a levee hand, was shot in the abdomen yesterday evening at 10 o’clock in the saloon of Bill Curtis, at Eleventh and Morgan Streets, by Lee Sheldon [sic], a carriage driver. Lyons and Sheldon [sic] were friends and were talking together. Both parties, it seems, had been drinking and were feeling in exuberant spirits. The discussion drifted to politics, and an argument was started, the conclusion of which was that Lyons snatched Sheldon’s [sic] hat from his head. The latter indignantly demanded its return. Lyons refused, and Sheldon [sic] withdrew his revolver and shot Lyons in the abdomen. When his victim fell to the floor Sheldon [sic] took his hat from the hand of the wounded man and coolly walked away. He was subsequently arrested and locked up at the Chestnut Street Station. Lyons was taken to the Dispensary, where his wounds were pronounced serious. Lee Sheldon [sic] is also known as ‘Stag’ Lee.
Quote from Cecil Brown (author of Stagolee Shot Billy):
“Lee Shelton belonged to a group of pimps known in St. Louis as the ‘Macks’. The Macks were not just ‘urban strollers’. They presented themselves as objects to be observed.”
The original version of this song was the Stack O’ Lee Blues from 1924. It has some shocking lyrics and has absolutely nothing to do with the Stagger Lee version penned by Price and Harold Logan.
As the snowiest month in the United States, February’s full moon is commonly known as the Full Snow Moon in Native American cultures. These ancient tribes named this moon after the way trees cracked in the cold or how people had to sit shoulder to shoulder around the fire for warmth. Even the Celts called it the Moon of Ice. As expected of the coldest month in the year, the Full Snow Moon is also known by more sinister names, such as the Bone Moon. The Cherokee tribe called February’s full moon the Bone Moon because, by this point, the tribe’s winter food supplies had usually dwindled to the point where people had to gnaw on bones and cook bone marrow soup in order to survive. For the same reason, the Kalapuya tribe called this moon the Out of Food Moon. Appropriately, it’s also known as the Hunger Moon and the Little Famine Moon. Perhaps, due to this month’s association with death, the Cherokee tribe would commune with their dead ancestors during the Bone Moon. A didanawiskawi, or a medicine person, would host a medicine dance for the community. Fasting and rituals for the dead were also common practices.
Peaking over the courthouse.
However, not all cultures associate February’s full moon with extreme cold and death. The Hopi tribe calls it the Moon of Purification and Renewal, which is very fitting because the Full Snow Moon is usually the very first full moon of the year according to the lunar calendar. Cultures that follow the lunar calendar, especially East Asian cultures, tend to associate the Full Snow Moon with new beginnings for this very reason. The ancient Chinese, for example, called it the Budding Moon. As a matter of fact, celebrations of February’s full moon are the climax of Lunar New Year festivities in various East Asian countries. In China, the Full Snow Moon is celebrated during the Lantern Festival, also known as the Yuanxiao Festival, which is the 15th day of the Lunar New Year. During this festival, the Chinese release kongming lanterns into the sky as they admire the full moon and eat tangyuan, glutinous rice balls that are usually filled with sweet paste. The round shape of the balls symbolize family togetherness and bring good luck to the whole family.
Walking home and below a street light.
Many East Asian cultures in general also light lanterns and bonfires to celebrate February’s full moon. According to an ancient Chinese legend, not long after Buddhism was brought into China, 17 deities were witnessed flying through the sky during the first full moon of the Lunar New Year. Shocked and excited, the populace lit fires and lanterns to see the godly beings better. They continued to do so year after year but, for more practical reasons – to chase away pests and to pray for a good crop in the upcoming spring. In Korea, where February’s full moon is known as Daeboreum, these fiery structures are called “Houses of the Burning Moon”. During Daeboreum, Koreans hike mountains, despite the freezing temperatures, in order to catch a glimpse of the first rise of the first full moon of the Lunar New Year. According to legend, the very first person to accomplish this feat will have their dearest wish come true.
Among the Micmac people of eastern Canada, the driving winds that often accompany February snows led to the name Snow-Blinding Moon. Because this month’s typically harsh weather conditions made hunting very difficult, other common names for February’s Moon included the Hunger Moon, Bony Moon, and Little Famine Moon. To the early American colonists, the optimal time for trapping beaver, fox and mink was the dead of winter when these animals’ coats were at their fullest. So, to them, February’s moon was known as the Trapper’s Moon.
From my driveway.
From a Wiccan site I stumbled across while ‘Googling’ (or ‘Binging’) a particular name, additional names not listed above are Storm Moon, Horning Moon, Wild Moon, Red & Cleansing Moon, Quickening Moon, Big Winter Moon, Moon When Trees Pop and Chaste Moon. And, there is quite an extensive list of Native American moons on Skywise Unlimited.
[Note: A previous post from December is very similar to this post. This is an update of sorts.]
Since my article Consciousness Change was published in Cygnus Review in February 2011, I have received numerous requests for an update. The end of October proved to be a time when all of the planned-for energy shifts and the completion of the last ‘Epoch’ of the Mayan Calendar came together to produce a move into new possibilities which lead into a new future. Human energy frequencies have now reached frequency parity with the Earth’s at 3.5 kHz and the end of the last Epoch allows us to move into the start of new cycles of existence. There were no fireworks to the completion of these two events, just a quiet sigh of satisfaction of a job well done and a quiet acceptance of the turmoil that the new energy will bring into the new year.
Our New Resonance
A great deal of our true past has been deliberately hidden from us by those who would attempt to keep control over us. As our levels of consciousness continue to rise to our new resonance, all of the ways in which controls have been exerted over us are being exposed and those who are awakening to the new consciousness are now more able to see world events for what they are. Unfortunately, we are likely to see these kinds of events continuing for a little while longer as those who exercised that control misguidedly believe that they still do. The recent events in Libya and, what is happening with banking and the Euro
being prime examples.
So what are the rising energy frequencies actually doing? For some people, there is a realisation that they have resolved all of their life’s problems and are ready to move on to the final stage of soul reintegration. For others, long ignored problems and issues are forcing themselves to the surface in such a way that they cannot be ignored any longer. Intuition and the chakras need to be paid attention to. However, once these long ignored problems are dealt with and resolved, they too would feel ready to move on to the final stages of change. This is what the recently completed energy acceleration was actually intended to do – to force us into resolving all of the emotional rubbish we have been refusing to let go in order to make way for the greater aspects of the soul to reintegrate into the body. The soul cannot reintegrate if the body is filled with emotional debris (see Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Your Body [130609] and The Sequel to Everything [130610]).
Image Credit: theawakenedstate.net
A Higher Perspective
As this emotional clearance takes place, we begin to see world events, and the people around us, in a new light. Instead of being bogged down in the detail, we can see world events from a higher perspective and, instead of worrying about them, we can rise above them…see them as symptoms of change, and final clearance, instead of seeing them as symptoms of a continuing problem. For many people, though, there is an increasing sense of frustration. This arises from the fact that they have sorted all of their problems out and, feel ready and eager to take the final step.
As far as the Akashic is concerned, worldwide, there are currently over two and a half billion people who are ready and able to make that final step into full consciousness reintegration. So, what is stopping them? The answer is that there are many who would maintain the current state of control and fear-mongering in the population and, they are attempting to prevent any of this change happening. If individuals underwent their final soul reintegration by themselves, they would almost certainly be incarcerated in order to prevent the rest of the world from seeing them and knowing that they exist. We would see persecution on an unprecedented scale. However, if there is a mass consciousness shift involving over 2.5 billion people, the move to change becomes unstoppable and cannot be ignored or hidden away.
The timing of the final move to total soul re-integration is still a little in the planning stage. We know what we are doing and we know that we are ready. It is just a question of when. Two and a half billion people represent about 35 percent of the total population – exactly on track – and when we move forwards together, nothing will be able to stop this change from occurring. The latest that this mass shift will occur will be during 2012.
A Time For Patience
All any of us can do until then is try to be patient and not to become depressed or caught up in world events. The world is cleansing itself of all harmful influences as a part of this change and we need to let it happen. Attempting to stop it will only prolong the agony and delay our mass reintegration. Try to remember that everything is doing exactly what it needs to do and everything is happening for a purpose. That purpose is to cleanse this Earth of all influences that would hold us back. Once we have ALL completed our individual soul reintegrations together, we will then be able to work together to return the Earth to Her original pristine condition and, move into a new and unpolluted future.
We are so close to completing the 7,000 years of ‘The Human Plan’ that all we need to be is patient for a few more months in order to achieve a future on our beautiful Earth that has no limits.
Today was Living History Day. I didn’t make it to the festivities but, my buddy Ray did. The weather was just too damp for me and I was busy with other things. He graciously provided me with copies to post and four short video clips.
We also have a lot of actors and reenactments. Some of the uniforms and gear are quite impressive. Hopefully, I will make it next year.
Photo Credit: All Images Are From A. R. Tutterow
Oh, Captain, My CaptainYoung drummers. You can’t march without a beat.The line-up.Rogue ammunition.Era clothing and food.This building was used as an office by Confederate Generals Wade Hampton & Joseph E. Johnston. It was built in 1850 & moved to this location in 1983. The Visitor’s Center in the background, a former farm-house, wasn’t built until 1890.Hessian Uniform
German Mercenary
Ray had a little trouble keeping his filming steady. Overcast skies can interfere with viewing ability. Apologies.
I’ve been digging around in some old images on my computer. There was a rash of cube farm/office humor that circulated on emails back in the middle 2000s. They may have eventually made it to Facebook but, I don’t remember seeing these. Anyway, I thought I would share some silliness. These were labeled “Cutbacks” and someone went to a lot of trouble for the detail. I will hit you up with some more next Friday. They are not mine and I have no idea where they originated from.
Cardboard fridge.I love the cardboard CD.Even cardboard wrist rests.NOT a Bush/Cheney fan. Love the “Whatever, You Moron” bunny.Makeshift printers.And, a Dell chair.New power generation.
There are SO many stories regarding the origins of the Valentine’s Day we celebrate. The most common story about this elusive man was that he was a priest and bishop in Rome in the 3rd century. The Roman Emperor of the time was Claudius Gothicus (Claudius II), the first of the tough, soldier emperors, that ruled with an iron fist and was known for his cruelty. From The History Channel:
Under the rule of Claudius the Cruel, Rome was involved in many unpopular and bloody campaigns. The emperor had to maintain a strong army but, was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. Claudius believed that Roman men were unwilling to join the army because of their strong attachment to their wives and families. To get rid of the problem, Claudius banned all marriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Valentine was arrested and dragged before the Prefect of Rome who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and, to have his head cut off. The sentence was carried out on February 14, on or about the year 270. Legend also has it that while in jail, Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it “From Your Valentine.”
[…] he was arrested and thrown in prison by Emperor Claudius II. He was put under vigilance of prefect Asterius, director of the confine who had challenged Valentine, before, regarding his alleged healing powers. Asterius, a ruthless man, requested Valentine to restore the gift of sight to his daughter, Julia, who was born a blind girl. Valentine placed his hands over her eyes, prayed to God and Julia was able to see. Asterius, in awe of Valentine’s power converted to Christianity, along with 46 members of his family. He, then, also freed all Christians who were confined in his prison. The emperor, aware of what had happened, ordered Valentine and Asterius to be beheaded. The penalty was probably executed, on February 14, 271 AD. Sometime before his execution, Valentine wrote a letter, signed “from your Valentine”, saying goodbye to Julia, the daughter of Asterius with whom he had fallen in love. This would become the first record in history of a “Valentine’s Day letter”.
According to the popular hagiographical identity, and what is believed to be the first representation of St. Valentine, the Nuremberg Chronicle, St. Valentine was a Roman priest martyred during Claudius’ reign. […] A relationship between the saint and emperor began to grow, until Valentine attempted to convince Claudius of Christianity. Claudius became (en)raged and sentenced Valentine to death, commanding him to renounce his faith or be beaten with clubs and beheaded. St. Valentine refused to renounce his faith and, Christianity, and was executed outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14, 269. However, other tales of St. Valentine’s life claim he was executed either in the year 269, 270, 273 or 280. Another variation of the legend of St. Valentine says he refused to sacrifice to pagan gods, was imprisoned and, while imprisoned, he healed the jailer’s blind daughter. Whoever he was, Valentine did really exist, because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to St. Valentine. In 496AD, Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.
The Catholic Church’s official list of recognized saints, the Roman Martyrology, lists seven Valentines: a martyr (a possible Roman priest or Terni bishop) buried on the Via Flaminia (February 14); a priest from Viterbo (November 3); a bishop from Raetia who died in about 450 (January 7); a fifth-century priest and hermit (July 4); a Spanish hermit who died in about 715 (October 25); Valentine Berrio Ochoa, martyred in 1861 (November 24); and Valentine Jaunzarás Gómez, martyred in 1936 (September 18). Valentine did not appear in the official Church calendar for centuries, however “Martyr Valentinus the Presbyter and those with him at Rome” remains on the list of saints proposed for veneration by Catholics. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Saint Valentine the Presbyter is celebrated on July 6, and Hieromartyr Saint Valentine (Bishop of Interamna, Terni in Italy) is celebrated on July 30. Clearly they are viewed as two separate people. Notwithstanding that, conventionally, members of the Greek Orthodox Church named Valentinos (male) or Valentina (female) celebrate their name on February 14th.
The Modern
So, how did we get the day of celebration we have now? That is nearly as obscure as the saint that the day is based on.
English 18th-century antiquarians Alban Butler and Francis Douce, noting the obscurity of Saint Valentine’s identity, suggested that Saint Valentine’s Day was created as an attempt to supersede the pagan holiday of Lupercalia (mid-February in Rome). This idea has lately been dismissed by other researchers, such as Professor Jack B. Oruch of the University of Kansas, Henry Ansgar Kelly of the University of California, Los Angeles and Associate Professor Michael Matthew Kaylor of the Masaryk University. Many of the current legends that characterize Saint Valentine were invented in the 14th century in England, notably by Geoffrey Chaucer and his circle, when the feast day of February 14 first became associated with romantic love.
[…] University of Kansas English professor, the late Jack B. Oruch, had a different theory […] Through research, he determined that the poet Geoffrey Chaucer linked love with St. Valentine for the first time in his 14th-century works “Parlement of Foules” and “The Complaint of Mars.” Therefore, Oruch claimed that Chaucer invented Valentine’s Day as we know it today. At the time, February 14 also happened to be considered the first day of spring since it was the beginning of birds’ mating season—perfectly appropriate for a celebration of affection.
Addendum
According to Catholic Online and Catholic Saints, Saint Valentine is the Patron Saint of epilepsy, fainting, (a non-specific) plague, bee keepers, affianced couples, betrothed couples, engaged couples, love, lovers, happy marriages, young people and travelers. Whew! That is quite a lot to keep up with.
Cosmic-Observation 