The name Akasha derives from the Hindu culture, and is a noun because it is referring to an entity or a Spirit of being. The actual root form of the name Akasha is from Sanskrit, “kāś meaning: "to be visible"” (Wikipedia). Among the many spiritual cultures Akasha is connected with, it is no surprise that in nearly every sprititual culture she is in she is associated with division. So for Pagans to the four separate elements and culminate into one Spirit is a rather cathartic beauty in itself. What is even more poetic in the realism that is Akasha is that her Spirit of division can be considered an actual plane of existence, a “Heaven” for lack of a better word. As I was researching the name Akasha, many sites had the same information (basically what I have already shared, so far), but as I was reading the Wikipedia article on Akasha I came across some other terms I was not familiar with. Theosophy. This is a philosophy based on nature and the mysteries surrounding us within nature its self. Theosophy literally means “Divine Wisdom”, and many Theosophists believe …show more content…
I had no idea that the name goes back thousands of years, and broadens the scope of many cultures and beliefs. With the name Akasha spaning the spiritual cultures of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, it is not a wonder that many Pagans take on the term to represent the Spirit Element of Paganism and Wicca. Many within the Pagan community are familiar with the pentrgram and its 5 star points. Many within the Pagan community believe that the 5th point of the top of a pentagram is the Spirit Element, whom they also refer to as Akasha. Akasha is represented in the colors of purple and black, and she is the embodiedment of all the elements into one entity. Earth, Air, Fire Water all capsulated into the Spirit Element of
The movie “Audism Unveiled” was a very interesting and powerful movie. I never realized that deaf individuals are discriminated against. This could be partly because I have never been immersed in or educated about the deaf culture until this year. One of the things that struck me the most while watching “Audism Unveiled” was the many heart wrenching stories about children being unable to communicate with their own non-signing hearing families.. The deaf child would have to ask their family members, why everyone was laughing or what’s going on. The family members would just tell them “I’ll tell you later” or “Nevermind. It’s not important”, resulting in the individual feeling isolated. Personally, I agree with people saying that if a parent has a deaf child they should learn how to sign; communication is what brings families together. As a result, the most intriguing thing to me was the stories of family members never learning American Sign Language; leaving their family member isolated.
After the waters of Apsu and Tiamat mix, the gods Lahmu and Lahamu ("slime, mud") emerge. And from this pair come Anshar ("whole sky") and Kishar ("whole earth"), meaning perhaps "the horizon, the circular rim of heaven and the corresponding circular rim of earth" (Jacobsen 168). Anshar and Kishar give birth to Anu, the sky god, who in turn begets what one translation calls "his likeness" (Heidel 18) Ea, the trickster god of the flowing waters, who is familiar to us as Enki.
In comparison to other slaves that are discussed over time, Olaudah Equiano truly does lead an ‘interesting’ life. While his time as a slave was very poor there are certainly other slaves that he mentions that received far more damaging treatment than he did. In turn this inspires him to fight for the abolishment of slavery. By pointing out both negative and positive events that occurred, the treatment he received from all of his masters, the impact that religion had on his life and how abolishing slavery could benefit the future of everyone as a whole; Equiano develops a compelling argument that does help aid the battle against slavery. For Olaudah Equiano’s life journey expressed an array of cruelties that came with living the life of an
While the validity of his narrative is to this day widely debated, The interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano provides “insight into the dynamics of slavery, the slave trade, and the abolition movement” Traveling back into the 17th century the reader gets a firsthand experience of a life of a young slave who has opened the worlds eye’ and provides reasonable supportive arguments into the abolition of slavery in the aspects of human acceptance and morality, commerce economy, and the freedom of religion which all he has shared with his white owner counterparts.
Defined by Margot Adler, writer for Reader’s Companion to U.S. Women’s History, “Wicca is the term commonly used to describe several different traditions of contemporary Paganism—an earth-centered religion that reveres nature; celebrates seasonal and lunar cycles; and worships a goddess, or many goddesses, or sometimes a goddess and a god” (637-638). It is a religion that focuses on worshipping an earth god or goddess, using their power and the earth’s elements for good. For a misunderstood religion it has much history behind it and a deep core belief system.
In Wicca, practitioners notice the holy duality of the sexes in nature and in themselves, and worship the Divine as both God and the Goddess. Most modern Wiccans feel that while the God and Goddess are separate and equal, there are also two separate sides of the same coin: all in one. And all that they see, touch, feel, hear, or sense is Holy. The Goddess is known as "The Powerful Lady Mother" each of whom could appear in many, guises depending on the personal needs of the individual invoking them. The God is known as the "Horned God." The Horned God is the group soul of the hunted animal, invoked by the primitive shaman and the tribe.
Wicca, like many fellow Pagan traditions, focuses on the beliefs of the deities that all share a different, yet common purpose in the universe-to keep balance and harmony in the world. Wicca, unlike other religions, categorizes the divine; honoring the Goddess in form of the Triple Goddess of sometimes referred to as the Patron Goddess, whose aspects are the Maiden, Mother, Crone; representing the three phases of the moon: Waxing, Waning, Full Moon, and Dark Moon (Morrison, 2001). In form of the Maiden, as stated by M...
Courage is a praised characteristic in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Many characters embody the true meaning of courage, although different aspects of courage are illustrated throughout the course of the novel. Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose, an elderly ill-tempered woman, shows admirable determination by kicking her morphine addiction on her deathbed. Atticus Finch, a lawyer in a Southern town plagued by racism, defends a colored man in the South without submitting to social pressures. A reclusive, yet benevolent Boo Radley confronts his fear of the outside world and leaves his home in order to save the lives of two children from a murderous drunk. Scout and Jem’s interpretation of courage continues to change through the course of their experiences, and they begin to understand the perspectives of those who demonstrate courage. By adhering to strong moral convictions, and demonstrating incredible willpower and determination, each of these characters proves to be courageous in his or her own right.
John Steinbeck and Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK Jr.) have both gone down in American literature as some of the most influential authors, but why? Steinbeck was an influential author throughout the 20th century with pieces in many genres. On the flip side is Martin Luther King, Jr., a civil rights leader in the fight against racial discrimination. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the style of these two authors, it is necessary to compare them on the bases of repetition, tone, and purpose.
Hindus believe that when a soul expires, it acquires rebirth in a new body. This cycle is called samsara. To be set free from the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth one must discover their true nature in order to be with the Brahman in Nirvana. In figure G a picture of a Cambodian statue of the A.D. 900 of Brahma meditating is presented. Nirvana is a state where pain, worry and the outer world do not exist. When a person in Hindu religion has bad Karma, they must take rebirth multiple times. The sacred source of all existence is divided among three gods. Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver, and Shiva is the destroyer. All three contribute to a person’s life and death and afterlife. In figure H a picture of a Vishnu sculpture is shown, and in figure I a picture of a sculpture of Shiva is
Mithras is the Roman name for the Indo-Iranian god Mitra, or Mithra, as he was called by the Persians. Mitra is part of the Hindu pantheon, and Mithra is one of several yazatas (minor deities) under Ahura-Mazda in the Zoroastrian pantheon. Mithra is the god of the airy light between heaven and earth, but he is also associated with the light of the sun, and with contracts and mediation. Neither in Hinduism nor in Zoroastrianism did Mitra/Mithra have his own cult. Mitra is mentioned in the Hindu Vedas, while Mithra is is the subject of Yashts (hymns) in the Zoroastrian Avesta, a text compiled during the Sassanian period (224-640 CE) to preserve a much older oral tradition.
Lead-In/Hook: What do you get when you mix a bunch of cute dogs named after sins and virtues, with a grouchy old man, an average kid, and an invisible kid, named after a myst
In the last few weeks, with several tragedies occurring in the world, ethnocentrism is very present and even when talking about social, political and economic issues as well as, art. The term art in the past, has been given the definition of being primarily based on aesthetic beauty, and not focused on the emotional construct that art also possesses. Similarly, gender roles encourage women to conform to their norms the same way society thinks art should just be an aspect of beauty. The emergence on performance art in the late sixties, was a way of challenging painting to add an emphasis on the feeling art gives through performance. Marina Abramovic, performance artist, uses her performances as a tool
In the play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the character of Lena "Mama" Younger is characterized as being religious, selfless, and strong, characteristics which influence the choices that she makes in the play. Throughout the play Mama is shown to be extremely strong, enduring many hardships in her life and overcoming the obstacles presented during the play. We see Mama's selflessness in how she decides to spend the large sum of money that she receives. Mama is characterized as religious through several moments in the play as we see how she is guided by faith not only in tough times, but also in everyday life.
The media has a lot to do with the way we perceive ourselves. The American culture is filled with scenes of athletes, celebrities, and glamorous models with bodies molded into perfection, which plays into a false sense of reality and beliefs that we place on ourselves. The media also amps up the obsession with individuals becoming thin degrading people who are naturally curvaceous.