Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia

Sex, Beer & Politics: Riddles Reveal Life of Ancient Mesopotamians

Owen Jarus, LiveScience Contributor
Date: 26 January 2012 Time: 03:09 PM ET
ruins of babylon as seen in 1932
At the time the tablet was written, more than 3,500 years ago, Babylon (shown here as seen in 1932) Babylon was one of the most important cities in southern Mesopotamia, controlling an empire in the region. It’s possible the writer of the tablet’s riddles lived within this kingdom. The tablet’s current location is unknown.
CREDIT: G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, in public domain

Millennia before modern-day Americans made fun of their politicians or cracked crude jokes over a cold one, people in ancient Mesopotamia were doing much the same thing.

The evidence of sex, politics and beer-drinking comes from a newly translated tablet, dating back more than 3,500 years, which reveals a series of riddles.

The text is fragmentary in parts and appears to have been written by an inexperienced hand, possibly a student. The researchers aren’t sure where the tablet originates, though they suspect its scribe lived in the southern part of Mesopotamia, near the Persian Gulf.

The translation, by Nathan Wasserman, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute of Archaeology, and Michael Streck, a professor with the Altorientalisches Institut at Universität Leipzig, is detailed in the most recent edition of the journal Iraq.

Rare riddles

The text was written in Akkadian, using cuneiform script. It was a language commonly used by the Babylonians, along with other ancient kingdoms in the Middle East.

“This is a relatively rare genre — we don’t have many riddles,” Wasserman told LiveScience in an interview, referring to riddles written in the Akkadian language.

Unfortunately, researchers are not certain where the tablet is presently located. In 1976, it was housed in the Iraq Museum in Baghdad. At that time, a scholar named J.J. van Dijk published a copy of the Akkadian inscription, which the researchers used for their translation.

Since 1976, Iraq has been through three wars and, during the 2003 invasion, the museum was pillaged. “We tried to figure out where the tablet is now, [but] I don’t know,” Wasserman said. He added that the tablet is small and not very impressive-looking, something that a looter may take a pass on, “I very much hope that it is still there,” Wasserman said. [10 Battles for the Control of Iraq]

Political humor

Some of the decoded riddles are crude and sexual, while others are complex and metaphorical. One of them reveals what appears to be a bit of political humor, albeit with a dark, violent twist.

He gouged out the eye:

It is not the fate of a dead man.

He cut the throat: A dead man (-Who is it?)

The answer is a governor.

“This riddle describes the power of a governor namely to act as a judge who punishes or sentences to death,” write Streck and Wasserman in the journal article.

Wasserman has seen examples in other Akkadian texts of people criticizing their leaders. “We have some interesting traces of political criticism, and [I] might say even say political anger,” he said. “It could be a kind of political humor expressed in this governor riddle.”

While the governor riddle reflects a sort of gallows’ humor, others are much lighter.

In(?) your mouth and your teeth (or: your urine)

constantly stared at you

the measuring vessel of your lord (-What is it?)

The answer, it appears, is beer.

Crude and lewd

Politics and beer were not the only things the scribe commented on. Two of the riddles, now in a fragmentary state, are sexual, crude and difficult to understand.

One of them, whose translation is uncertain, reads:

The deflowered (girl) did not become pregnant

The undeflowered (girl) became pregnant (-What is it?)

The answer, strangely enough, appears to be “auxiliary forces,” a group of soldiers that tend not to be reliable.

Wasserman said that the meaning of this riddle eludes him. “I don’t understand what is really going on,” he said, adding that auxiliary forces are often below-average soldiers, “and they are not really trustworthy, sometimes they run away in the middle of the battle.”

Another riddle, this one even more fragmentary and whose translation is uncertain, is also very crude.

… of your mother

is by the one who has intercourse (with her) (-What/who is it?)

The researchers aren’t sure of the riddle’s solution since the answer has been lost.

Ancient metaphor

One of the riddles appears to rely on metaphor to get its point across.

The tower is high

it is high, but nonetheless has no shade (- What is it?)

The answer is sunlight.

“You have to think about the riddle like the ‘Lord of the Rings‘ or ‘The Hobbit’; it is metaphor,” Wasserman said. Imagine you are outside and see a beam of light going from sky to Earth. [Science Fact or Fantasy? 20 Imaginary Worlds]

“It looks like a tower, but it gives no shade, of course, because it’s light itself,” Wasserman said. “The answer is the proof for its own validity.”

The last riddle relies on logic:

(Note the translation of the first line is uncertain)

Like a fish in a fish pond

Like troops before the king (-What is it?)

The answer is a broken bow.

Archery was widely used in the ancient world for both warfare and hunting. If your bow was broken you would be able to do neither.
CREDIT: steve estvanik | shutterstock   archers

Solar Radiation Storm

RADIATION STORM: Accelerated by Friday’s X-flare, energetic protons from the sun are still swarming around Earth on Jan. 29th. The radiation storm ranks S2 on NOAA scales, which means it is not a severe storm. Nevertheless, it can still affect spacecraft and satellites at the nuisance level. Click on the image for an animated demonstration:

That was a coronagraph image from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The many speckles and streaks are energetic protons striking SOHO’s onboard digital camera. Stronger radiation storms (S4 to S5) can fill images like these with “snow,” rendering them useless for normal operations. The current storm will probably subside later today and restore SOHO’s clear view of the sun.

fr/spaceweather.com

January 29-February 4

You might be feeling this week as though all your energy is gone, drained, done with.  The funny thing is that you do not know why or how. Do not look for reasons or causes.  This falls into the “It happens” category.  Go with it and do not overbook. There are a lot of people, places, things, jobs, and seeming opportunities out there that are calling you to take note,.  The important thing now is YOU, WHO you are and what it is that is most important for you in terms of your own fulfillment.  You can follow through and accept your own importance or step back and let something else take over.  The choice is, as always, yours.  But, please, give yourself time before action.  Make lists, dance, sing, walk your doggie —whatever and feel what it is that makes you happy.  It can happen, but you need to accept,  allow, and be part of the whole thing.  Not as easy as it sounds when you fall into the logical and linear, but you can realize magic and miracles when you open to all that you truly are.  And, although you may feel that you got nothing done this week, at the end of it, there will come a time when you will sit down and look at all that has happened and realize that, in fact, you accomplished quite a bit.  Moreover, you have made some important decisions and found out some interesting facts about things around you.  Time will seem out of sync these days, and it is something that you will need to get used to.  The best way to do that is to align yourself with the energies as they come in.  Of course, there are always the surprises.

On a larger scale the shifts, winds, weather, and other natural events will be continuing apace.  The Sun, also, will be unusually active.  The Galactic energy that I have been mentioning for some time now is making itself felt more and more, however the Earth is being spared some of the brunt of it at this time because it is being shielded by the outer planets.  This will not last much longer.  All of these influences can engender fear, irrational fear, among people leading to odd events, activities, statements, , and reactions.  Look for the news to be crazy. There can be some hints of ET stuff happening which will come out, with attempts to explain away.  Also there are attempts being made at control on all levels that will become very obvious.  Politicians will attempt to force situations only to have them implode upon them.  There will be some people coming out in the news telling of things that can make everyone question just what is going on.

Sunday, January 29    Light Purple

Well, it looks as though some of the things you wanted to get done today are just not going to happen.  There will be something that throws you off course — a phone call, a memory of something you left hanging, an unexpected visitor — whatever or whoever it may be, it will not be a welcome event.  It is important, therefore, to make sure when you awake that you set yourself in your own power, ready to deal with whatever comes your way. It is important at his time not to take on other peoples’ stuff or even their guilt.  There is a lot of neediness out there.  If it does not belong to you, then send it back to its owner.  You have things to do at this time, and you do not need these kinds of distractions.

Crystal Vibe:    Purple Sapphire—-Balance and enlightenment.  This stone carries the energy of both, so it allows you to be here now or to open.  Resonates with the Crown Chakra.

Monday, January 30:    Light Magenta

Take time to take a breather,  Be with friends, share some gossip, laugh a little. All of these things open you to what is really important.  There are many things you have forgotten, or just let go of.  The reasons you may not know, but with resent resonances, it is best just to allow them to be what they are.  See them for that, and perhaps this will open a whole new perspective and vision.  There are some people, or perhaps even one, that in this energy you will come to know and appreciate better.  We all have stuff we are working through, and right now, we are finishing up with some things.  So, take a look at the things you are letting go of. Appreciate them for what they gave you while they were there, and take from that the strength and learning to move on to the next phase.

Crystal Vibe:    Lepidocrocite—-This mineral works to make things happen in your life.  When you are ready to set goals and actualize, it is a great stone to work with.  Resonates with the Root Chakra.

Tuesday, January 31:    Light Yellow

The end of the first month, and you will find that there running through the day as you finish up on some issues and items that have been pending for quite some time.  The general theme of the day has to do with finding answers.  You do not need to ask any new questions, because all the questions have been there for quite some time.  You have known them and worked with them in many different ways.  Today, however you can see answers, you become aware of some of the open issues, and you are seeing the true priorities in your life.  There is a sense of joy in all of this.  Again, the feeling of needing to get rid of the old on all levels will be there, so honor it.  Look around, and prepare to let go ot things that have no real place in your life as it changes and renews.

Crystal Wave:    Aurichalcite—-The energy of this mineral brings calm and perspective.  It is a good one for centering and opening.  It lets you know that help is available if you are open and allow.  Resonates with the Third Eye Chakra.

Wednesday, February 1:   Light Pink

This is a good day for beginnings.  It is also a good time to know what it is that you are wanting to create in your life and use that as your focus for a new start.  Anything can happen, so there is no need to limit or define too precisely.  There have been many lessons that you have learned in the past three months and it is time to know what those lessons mean for WHO you are as you determine your next step.  There is help out there, and if you will be open to it, there will be signs and symbols aplenty.  Do not discredit things that are said to you by strangers.  First impressions are often the truest.  Allow some time today for a bit of joy.  There is some light hearted energy making its way into things today.

Crystal Energy:     Autunite—-This mineral assists with focus and precision.  It is helpful when trying to get things across on any level.  Resonates with the Third Eye and Heart Chakras.

Thursday, February 2:    Purple

Watch what you say today.  You can find that things slip out of your mouth that you might not wish to have in the open.  Be ready for explanations and apologies when those occur.  you are working right ow within your core, and that can distract you from some of the things going around outside of you.  Others can misunderstand, but true friends and compatriots will hear what is being said behind the obvious.  These are some of the lessons of friendship.  Communities are forming right now, and if you are open to it, you can see where you are headed. There are some surprises in store today also, so be ready.  Some will actually bring a smile and a bit of delight.

Crystal Vibration:    Midnight Black Quartz—-The energy of this stone brings to light much that has been hidden.l  It is a stone to use with caution unless you are open to and allowing whatever might be brought forth.  There can be shadows there.  Resonates with the 8th and 11th Chakras.

Friday, February 3:

There are some things that are ‘good for you’, and a lot of them you have avoided for that very reason.  This is not an energy in which you want to do that.  The lessons that are being learned will assist as you move forward in realizing your potential at this time.  You have the ability to create whatever it ist aht you desire, but you must accept that and allow the miracles to come it.  The element of surprise is oftentimes your greatest ally for it never determines beforehand, it allows for the best to come through if you are centered and grounded in WHO you are and what is best for your being, your WHO.

Crystal Vibe:    Clinoclase—-This mineral emanates a subtle yet intense power and should, as such, be used with knowledge and sparingly.  Resonates with the Root and Crown Chakras.

Saturday, February 4:    Blush Pink

Forget about all your plans for today, because everything is in motion.  Change is in the air, and there is no sense of anybody or anything taking responsibility.  At this time, it is good to stay centered within and to be ready for anything.  There are tings to be learned and seen today, but you will miss them if you fall into judgment and fear.

Crystal Wave:    Ulexite—-This mineral can put things into perspective on a large scale.  Along with that , it assists in gaining perspective and a sense of resolution about certain long term issues.  Resonates with the higher Chakras while connecting with earth energy.

New Zealand Earthquake and MORE

1/28/2012 — 6.2 magnitude earthquake in New Zealand — MASSIVE amount of 5.0M quakes this past week

Posted on January 28, 2012

watch the video update here:

 

————————————————

 

 

January 28, 2012 — North of New Zealand a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0007swv.php

Magnitude 6.2 – KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND

 

from:    http://sincedutch.wordpress.com/

El Hierro Update

El Hierro Volcano : Yellow-Red alert – at least 300 SLS in 2 hours time

Last update: January 28, 2012 at 3:01 pm by By 

Update 28/01 – 14:59 UTC
– Julio del Castillo Vivero Time lapse from the volcano activity from 07:20 until 13:00 today, including the Salvamar Adhara lava balloon fishing.

Update 28/01 – 12:36 UTC
– Joke was very busy taking pictures this morning. This is a selection from the many she has taken. These images are so big that a simple cutout can give the detail as can be seen below. Click on one of the 2 images to see the full series.

Update 28/01 – 11:32 UTC
– A lot of SLS this morning
– NO earthquakes since midnight UTC
– Harmonic tremor had a hard time surviving at 02:00 but picked up at 07:01 and remains minimally active until now.
– Salvamar Adhara is out fishing lava balloons. Some stones seem to be really big today. Look at the size of the black stones in the water in relation to the size of the Salvamar Adhara.
– Joke just reported that in 2 hours time (from 08:00 until 10:00) she has seen more than 300 SLS. She also pointed out that the lava baloons are surfacing further to Tenerife (to the left) than ever before. We think this is normal as it was described in the lava balloon document we have published a few weeks ago. Some SLS are only starting to float during the rolling down process from the vent to the base of the volcano. The reason was not explained, but it might be the breaking apart during the rolling process of a  heavier part enabling gas inside to start the floating process.

Salvamar Adhara and smoking Lava stones – fishing stones close to the action – Image captured by ER reader Penny

Update 27/01 – 13:59 UTC
– 12 earthquakes today, even more than in the beginning of January.
– as so many among you reported, a few strong smoking spectacular lava balloons today.
– Harmonic tremor strated to be more active again from 14:27, so any link with the sudden strong LB episode is hard to find.
– Joke and some friends made some great shots of what was going on todayClick here to see them in our Picaweb
– A lot of you must have seen the Salvamar Adhara out in the sea. Joke waited for them when they arrived in the port and has some pictures of the (meager) catch. One Lava Balloon and 2 jellyfish!
– Another regular contributor to Earthquake-Report.com is Julio del Castillo Vivero. Julio is recording a lot during the day and starts to look at his recordings if he reads some emotional comments. Here are Julios images captured during the 16:00 action
– I do apolize for not being able to instantly report on events as i am on a holiday with limited time at the PC. Sometimes i am on new developments and sometimes i try to catch up a little later.

Lava Balloon surfacing with a lot of smoke – image captured by Julio del Castillo Vivero

Update 27/01 – 13:59 UTC
The first set of pictures made by Joke this morning. Click here

Update 27/01 – 13:00 UTC
Dr. Elena González Cárdenas, has written an article showing fault lines, different vents and building up a theory as what probably is happening at the seafloor.  What wonders us most is all these new pictures which are shown in this document, pictures which are probably only circulating in a narrow scientific circle. This document reveals much more from what is going on, than weeks of Pevolca communication. Congratulations to Dr. Cardenas and Avcan (the people who have probably asked Dr. Cardenas to write the document).  Click here to read the Spanish document and use Google translate to pick up most of the content. We are sure that people following this eruption a long time will perfectly understand the scenario as written by Dr. Cardenas. Thanks to a number of ER readers + Joke who attracted our attention to this document.

Image courtesy AVCAN and Guardia Civil helicopteres / Involcan

Update 27/01 – 12:22 UTC
– 4 more earthquakes stressing the pressure of the magma beneath the island and creating a new phase of the eruption. Will the current vent remain the only vent, and if not, where will the magma try to find his way up.
27/01/2012    06:57    15    0.7    4     W FRONTERA.IHI
27/01/2012    07:39    9    0.4    4     SW EL PINAR.IHI
27/01/2012    07:55    15    0.5    4     W FRONTERA.IHI
27/01/2012    09:18    12    0.9    4     W EL PINAR.IHI
– The 04:24 earthquake as mentioned by ER reader Ann-Kristin has probably a tectonic origin (based on the graph and as the form is totally different from volcanic earthquakes). It can be triggered though through deformation of the island.
– As for deformation (lateral deformation), no big changes. Values are a little higher yesterday. We are very curious if the many earthquakes from today will not chnage this pattern, as it did in early January.
– The jacuzzi and stain are still surviving. No surprise as a minimal HT is still present on the graph.

Update 27/01 – 07:09 UTC
– 5 earthquakes since midnight
27/01/2012    01:02            12        0.9    SW EL PINAR.IHI
27/01/2012    02:13        13        0.9    SW EL PINAR.IHI
27/01/2012    04:24        13        2.0    W EL PINAR.IHI
27/01/2012    06:27           11        0.4    EL PINAR.IHI
27/01/2012    06:27        11        0.4    W EL PINAR.IHI
– continuing minor harmonic tremor

 

for more information and updates, go to this well researched and articulate site:   http://earthquake-report.com/2011/09/25/el-hierro-canary-islands-spain-volcanic-risk-alert-increased-to-yellow/

Maurice Sendak, Stepehen Colbert, Newt Gingrich, and Wild Things – Part 1

Maurice Sendak on Stephen Colbert: Gingrich is an idiot, “Wild Things” is about sex (of course)BY ALEXANDER NAZARYAN

Last night, author Maurice Sendak appeared on “The Colbert Report.” The interview was like fiery balm  for everyone tired of politicians and their talking points.2787_7526141.JPG

Maybe it’s because Sendak is a cantankerous old mensch (much as yours truly hopes to be one day) who needs neither money nor attention, but Sendak gave one of the most pleasingly honest interviews in a long while – not an easy thing to do with the slick Colbert (who was backpedalling as soon as he found out that Sendak was gay; how could a gay man write…children’s books?).

Of children, the world-renowned grump, cane in hand, who wrote “Where the Wild Things Are” had this to say: “I didn’t set out to make children happy or make life better for them, or easier for them.”

Oh, and this: “I like them as few and far between as I do adults. Maybe a bit more, because I really don’t like adults at all.”

Book signings: “Dreadful”

Groupies: “They don’t mean anything.”

His hobbies: “I don’t go to the movies.”

“The reference to “wild rumpus” in “Wild Things”? It’s sex, of course. Sendak is pretty obviously fond of sex, unlike the fascists who tried to ban his “In the Night Kitchen” because it contained pictures of naked boys. Colbert had a solution to this problem that Sendak did not think was very smart.

When Colbert pointed out that Newt Gingrich thought kids had it easy these days, Sendak countered by calling Gingrich “an idiot of great renown. There is something so hopelessly gross and vile about him, that it’s hard to take him seriously.”

As for a Colbert-proposed sequel with Vin Diesel and Burger King tie-ins, a mock-up of which he brought to the interview? Sendak thinks it’s “the most boring idea imaginable,” but he is fine if Colbert wants to try it. “But it’s got to be as bad as that looks like it i,”

The impatience, bluster and anger are priceless. I want this man in the White House, wild things and all.

The Group via Steve Rother

Honoring the Other Gods

Steve Rother
a message from The Group channeled by Steve Rother
Sunday, 15 January, 2012  (posted 25 January, 2012)

Greetings from Home

This day is a very magical time. Toward the end of your years, you celebrate and you do so in many different ways. Yes, you have a holiday called Christmas. You also have many of your completions at the end of this time as you begin to step into a new energy. Each one of you starts evaluating what you have just stepped out of, what you have just moved from. We tell you that when you are moving forward,  there is an aspect that can part all the seas for you and clear your path more easily than any other. That is what you are experiencing during these times…gratitude. It is the greatest creator that you have, for that is the energy that creates just in front of you even when you are not aware of it. That which you give thanks for, increases every time; that which you focus on automatically grows, for you are creators. You cannot not create. It is not possible. Yet, you have incorporated different aspects of creation to re-mind yourself of your spirit. Often the decorations that you have around your holidays, such as the colors of Christmas, carry more significance than you may realize.  Red and green seem to be used as Christmas colors all around the world, no matter the country or culture. We Red is the color that humans believe represents the heart, but the heart chakra color is actually green. In reality that blending of the humanness with the spirit is what this is all about. This is a time when you stop in your path and you look at your experience on planet Earth…where you have been, where you are going, what your joys are, and what piece of that can become a little more comfortable as you step forward.

New Possibilities of Spiritual Creation

The times of 2012 have already happened in all of your dreams. What was going to take place on the 21st of December, or whatever date you had in mind, has already been pulled forward. This is very typical of Lightworkers. We tell you that something will happen on a certain date and you say, “No, we will have it happen now.” You bring it forward, just as you have many times throughout your history, but we also tell you else something. In that vacancy of what you have pulled forward, you now have the capabilities of reaching levels that were never dreamt of, that you never thought were possible. This is now possible not only because of the alignment of all of the energies in the cosmos, but because you have created the vacuum.

You have already received those aspects which you are ready to move into, and which you thought would come in to magically change your world. You have changed this world and that is the beauty of what is going forward, for each one of you are creators. When you hold a thought in your head and it mixes with another bit of emotion from your heart, the thought manifests. There used to be a long time lag between thought and manifestation, but  now it is simply  the act of holding a pure thought that begins to manifest everything that you have seen. You have known this truth in your heart, but now you will begin to see physical evidence of it. Now you will begin to see the effect of your power of creation on the world around you. You do it with love; you do it with these times of gratitude. If you wish your power to grow on planet Earth, give thanks for the power you have. Find ways of nurturing this power as you all learn to use it consciously. Share your power with others to exercise it and help to awaken it in every person you encounter. Then as you begin to trust yourselves to carry that power, you will naturally begin to slowly create for yourself.

There came a time on planet Earth when humans developed communications outside of their small local and family groups. News started to travel along a communication grid, for that is the way we perceive all of this. It was a connection from one point to another that originally began in the days of ancient Greece, when a runner would run from one city to the other carrying information. That track between this city and the next one became the beginning of a communication grid. Over periods of time the technology changed. You developed telegraphs and eventually telephones. Not the phones you use today, but the ones that actually used wires – do you re-member those? Yes, we tell you that was a physical manifestation of the communication grid, for it literally was a way to connect all of you when it felt like you were disconnected. Now, what has taken place is that communication grid experienced difficulties, because it is not everywhere. It is in your populated cities, but there are gaps in the grid on the outskirts; in some areas it is very strong and in others it is very weak. That was a problem you had to work with, but you have now taken technology to a different level entirely. You no longer need the wires to the degree you needed them before. You are moving this communication grid from one form to another, evolving it with each step.

The Singularity and Deep Contact

There is coming a time soon that has been known in the scientific worlds as the “singularity.” There have even been lots movies made about this subject; scary movies, of course, for those are the ones that sell. The idea of the singularity is very simple: it is a point at which computers can outthink humans. There has been much speculation about it; many projects, and fun little science fiction stories have come from singularity. What will take place? Will computers take over your world? No, this is actually the point where the communication grid goes to the next level, where you no longer need the wires. It is not a result of your wireless technologies.  Instead it is because you hold that ability to communicate in your heart, and this no longer knows the boundaries of big cities or unincorporated areas. It is now a communication directly from your heart to another. We have told you this was coming, and mentioned it many times. We have called it “deep contact,” and we simply said that there will come a point on planet Earth where you will no longer need all the communication devices. You will be able to communicate with very few words and eventually with energy alone.

In the meantime, the first expressions of this deep contact are simply communicated from the heart and through using fewer words. Many times your words get in the way of your meaning, because sometimes there are not words in your language that describe what you are feeling.. These challenges will begin to erase themselves as you move to this next level, and that is a possibility that was never there before. This is one of the greatest pieces that you have created on planet Earth as a real possibility. We still describe it as a possibility rather than a reality, for we cannot tell the future. You are creators, and you are writing it every day of your lives. We can tell the direction you are going and we can see what is a little further down the path ahead you, but you are in charge every moment and we love it when you suddenly take a turn. You suddenly say, “This does not feel good anymore. I am going to turn.” And you come to us and ask, “Which is the best direction? Should we turn right or should we turn left?” And we tell you to turn right and watch as you take a left turn, for we tell you that also works. We will make the best of any path you are on. We work with you as best we can to help you understand there are no right turns or wrong turns. There is your path which is now led from your heart in a different way, in a different form of communication than was ever dreamt of.

You are closing a very magical year; 2011 produced more vibrational changes on planet Earth than we have ever seen and you are just getting warmed up. That is the beautiful part, for you are starting to carry this energy and it is no longer about hiding. The days of, “Oh, I cannot tell anybody about this,” or “I cannot share anything about this,” are over. Now you are seeing everything coming out in the open. You are seeing a blend of your scientific world and your metaphysical world, which was never before dreamt to be possible. The scientific and metaphysical concepts reside in totally different worlds; one can be proven while the other cannot,  yet they are starting to agree with one another. They are starting to find the commonalities of love on planet Earth and how to grow love, for that is the piece that you are all discovering in front of now.

You have the opportunity to create a new world in the next year, a world of your choosing. We talk not about the entire world, for it is your world; it is your daily path that you will be choosing and every part of that. What would you like in your world? What is important to you in that perspective? What would be the most important pieces if you were god and you were designing a new planet Earth? Look at that now, for you are creating your own reality. You are the center of your own universe, and that has always been the way. The first thing that you do as the center of your own universe is take responsibility for being the center…take responsibility for who you are on this planet. It is a joyous piece, not a difficult piece. Once you accept that responsibility, you own who you are. There is no right or wrong about that; there is no adjusting to make people understand. You simply put your message out to the universe. You carry it in your smile and in your language, even your common everyday words. You even carry it every time you laugh, sending out a new vibration.

The changes that are taking place in the year 2012 are beyond your understanding on many different levels. It will take you almost 27 years to realize the connections that are being made in this next year, and to fully unfold them and see what is really taking place. So we ask you, do not concern yourself with what is going to happen or how it is going to happen. Simply walk into it with your arms open and with a smile on your face. Let it have the highest potential possible. If you hear us yelling to turn right and you turn left, you are going to hear the laughter as well for there are no wrong turns. It is a path of your own choosing. You have been looking for this path of least resistance into your spirituality. We tell you the path is created just before your foot hits the ground, for you are creating so much now.

Speak Your Truth

The biggest piece we wish to share with you about the year 2012 is that the entire focus of humanity on planet Earth is changing. It has already begun in many small ways, and this is why you are seeing so much upheaval on planet Earth. Almost every time you turn on your television, you can see some big, dramatic event taking place in some part of the world. You are evolving it and you must find what you are unhappy with, in order to evolve. If you come together and express your dissatisfaction, even though you may not know the complete answers about what would bring you satisfaction, still speak your truth of where you are at that moment even if it is difficult. For that is what is clearing the deck and making it possible for you to create this new world that you are stepping into. As you step forward one other part is changing, which is that you are the center of your own universe. That will never change again. What is changing is how you harmonize your universe with the other gods on planet Earth. This has always been part of getting along on Earth: “How do I harmonize with other people? How do I work with other people? How do I get along?” It is much more than that now, for they are a part of you and you are a part of them. That connection is actually going to be seen more on the other side of 2012, and it is happening day by day.

The veil is beginning to thin. The connections that you have with each other will become more visible and more usable; you will become aware of the possibilities for anchoring that energy in many different ways. The idea is to play with it and to know that these changes will be happening. You have seen people that have been psychic, who can communicate by literally sending something from here to someone there without the challenges of distance or time. Now you are going to learn how to use it within yourself, how to be responsible for using and sending your own energy to connect with other people. Sometimes it is a simple connection and you will make a big difference in their lives by helping them make a course correction. Other times you will simply be helping them to step up a step. Whatever it is, your success on planet Earth after 2012 will have to do with how you get along with the other gods on planet Earth. That is the reason we call this the Age of Empowerment, not just your personal empowerment. How well you empower the people around you will have a lot to do with your next steps, and your connections to yourself and this new energy.

There are many pieces of that are starting to unfold little by little. Yes, you will still experience some course corrections and see some changes that need to come to planet Earth…the planet herself. You have had a little breather in between your tsunamis, your earthquakes and similar challenges in these areas. This has been the Earth making her adjustments to get to this next level, and there are some more adjustments that need to be made. What we tell you about this is that the more you work with yourself, the easier it is for the planet to make these corrections. It does not need to have an extremely negative on this planet or be a tragedy. You can walk into this energy with your eyes open and many of you are beginning to do that. You are walking daily with a cosmic connection of your own spirit of who you are, and this was never before dreamt to be possible on planet Earth. It is the reason there is so much attention on Earth now, for you are creating miracles on a daily basis. You are changing all that is; you are the masters of the gameboard.

Each step that you experience will put you in a new place. Becoming comfortable anchoring in the new energy will bring with it some challenges for many people. Many of you feel as if you are on unstable ground, and you do not know how to anchor yet  or understand what is taking place. The truth is that you have stepped in to experience that, so that once you do find the anchor and stop moving the first thing you do is to reach out your hand to someone else to help them stabilize. This is the new planet Earth, the new connection. You will look out there for opportunities as you always have, but instead of the opportunities that you have found before you will be looking for opportunities to help others in some way. We tell you it is not measured; it is not a collection; there is not a certain mark where you have helped other people enough to get into heaven. Instead it is a lifestyle, a way of working with each other in order for all of you to step into this energy. You do not need to wait for heaven when you die. Create it right here, right now. That is the part that each and every one of you have carried from Home.

When you start connecting these pieces and experience this new communication, you will understand that unique piece that you have and making it easier to bring all the pieces together to create heaven here on Earth. It is underway. It is happening. Are you ready? The energy will be a conscious step for each and every one of you. You will have to answer that question in your own heart. It is here and our hands are out to you, for every step that you take is changing planet Earth and changing the love energy here. You have shifted this planet far beyond your understanding and you are just getting started.

It is with the greatest of honor that we address the masters of the gameboard. We ask you to treat each other with the greatest respect for you are looking in the mirror. Nurture one another every chance you get. Hold your hand out as often as you can to make a difference in someone’s life. Re-member it is a beautiful game. Play well together.

Espavo.

The group

Copyright 2000 – 2011 Lightworker. www.Lightworker.com This information is meant to circulate and may be freely disseminated, in whole or in part with the following conditions: Use of this material signifies that the user agress to the following conditions: 1. The words “Copyright 2000 – 2011 Lightworker. www.Lightworker.com” will be included with all published material. 2. User agrees that all rights, including copyrights of translated material, remain the property of Lightworker. If you translate this material we reserve the right to share that translation with credit to you as translator, on the Lightworker site to make it available to all.

from:    http://spiritlibrary.com/lightworker/beacons-of-light/honoring-the-other-gods

Crete, Greece earthquakes

2nd M5+ earthquake in 2 days near Crete, Greece

Last update: January 27, 2012 at 11:02 pm by By 

Chania (Khania) – where the shaking was strongest (Courtesy: Lappländer, Wiki Commons)

Earthquake overview : For the 2nd time in 2 days, a moderate earthquake has hit off the northern coast of Greece near Heraklion. The town of Khania recorded an intensity of V, and in some places in Heraklion it was felt as strongly.

The first earthquake had an intensity V in Iraklion and had a magnitude 5.2 striking early yesterday morning (Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 06:24:59 AM LT). Today’s earthquake had about the same magnitude.

Civil protection officials said no damage to buildings was reported, but two people were slightly injured trying to flee their homes on the island of Crete.

Last year, the Crete earthquake of M6.2 in January 2011 had minor car damage in Iraklion and minor non-structural house damage caused less than the criteria needed to be classified as a “CATDAT Damaging Earthquake”.

These two earthquakes have not been damaging, however the second becomes a CATDAT Orange quakeand will be included in the 2012 Annual Review of Earthquakes. If further information comes to fruition, we will let you know.


Magnitude : Mw5.4 (EMSC)

UTC Time : 27th January, 2012 01:33:23.0 UTC
Local time at epicenter : 27th January, 2012 03:33:23.0 UTC
Depth (Hypocenter) : 5km
Geo-location(s) : 79 km NW Iráklion (pop 137,154 ; local time 03:33:23.8 2012-01-27)
80 km NW Néa alikarnassós (pop 11,886 ; local time 03:33:23.8 2012-01-27)
49 km SW Emboríon (pop 1,946 ; local time 03:33:23.8 2012-01-27)

for more information and updates, go to:   http://earthquake-report.com/2012/01/27/2nd-m5-earthquake-in-2-days-near-crete-greece/

Jim Taylor on Positive Life Change

Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Denver

 4 Obstacles to Positive Life Change
Posted: 01/24/2012 8:41 am
Change is essential for your growth and development as a person. Without change, you are assured of staying just the way you are and doing things just the way you have always done them. For some people, that’s a good thing; they’re happy and fulfilled in their lives. But for many people, the current path they are on lacks meaning and satisfaction and they feel stuck. They want to change, but can’t seem to figure out how to change.

The reality is that change is difficult. How difficult? Well, given the robustness of the self-help industry and the fact that no one has yet come up with a definitive path to change, the answer is “extremely difficult.” Add in the low success rates on everything from New Year’s resolutions, stopping smoking and losing weight to improving self-esteem, feeling less anxious and having better relationships and the picture is not at all pretty.

Part of the problem is that the self-help industry has distorted our perceptions of change, leading many to believe that change should be easy and should happen quickly and with little effort. Of course, the caveat to this claim is that change will only occur, supposedly, if you buy the books or DVDs, attend the lectures or workshops, or invest time, energy and, of course, money in whatever “snake oil” that promises to help you change quickly and easily when nothing has worked before. (By the way, any time you see the words “miracle,” “magic,” “easy” or “fast” when it comes to change, make sure you still have your wallet!)

But this post isn’t about bashing the self-help industry (I’ve done that before), it’s about gaining an understanding of what it really takes to produce meaningful and long-lasting change in your life.

On the face of it, change doesn’t seem like it should be that difficult. If there is something that you don’t like about yourself, just change it. But the reality is that profound change can be slow, frustrating, and painful, filled with struggles, setbacks and disappointment. Whether you want a more positive view of yourself, be a better spouse, strive for professional goals or deal with stress more effectively, change is the most difficult — yet rewarding — thing you will ever do.

So why is change so difficult? This post will offer one explanation. It is also the first of three posts that will examine the why, what and how of positive life change. The goal of which is to shift life change from a seemingly impossible task to one that, if not a certainty, feels at least within your grasp. (Sorry, no outlandish promises here!)

Four Obstacles to Change

An unfortunate aspect of life is that we often create obstacles, usually unconsciously, that may serve some sort of immediate purpose, but end up being long-term liabilities. These barriers are often driven by some of our most basic needs, for example, to feel competent, to be accepted, to feel in control. Regrettably, these obstacles become intractable and end up preventing people from changing (or even attempting to change) when they shift from being beneficial to being burdensome.

Baggage. Like all of us, you bring good things into adulthood from your childhood. And, as a human being, you probably also bring some not-so-good things, what is commonly called your “baggage.” The most frequent types of baggage include low self-esteem, perfectionism, fear, need for control, anger and need to please. This baggage causes you to think, feel and behave based on who you were as a child rather than the very different person you are now as an adult. Most of this baggage causes you to react to the world in an unproductive way that can sabotage your efforts to achieve positive life change.

Habits. When you experience thoughts, emotions and behavior that are driven by your baggage with enough frequency, they become deeply ingrained habits that dictate how you act on and react to the world. These habits are much like athletes who practice bad technique. This poor technique becomes wired into their “muscle memory” and comes out in competition. Similarly, when your baggage becomes ingrained as habits, they produce seemingly reflexive response even when they are neither healthy or adaptive. The challenge is that, again like athletes, once habits are ingrained it is difficult to retrain them.

Emotions. Negative emotions, such as fear, anger, sadness, frustration and hopelessness can act as a powerful deterrent to life change. For example, many people don’t change out of the fear of failure. They might think, “What if I can’t change, then I’ll prove myself to be even more of a failure than I am now.” They then say, “I’ve been this way for a long time and I’m getting by, so it’s not worth the risk.” These negative emotions become substantial barriers to change by being triggered whenever you feel uncomfortable, incompetence or unsupported. And the only relief is to retreat back to the way you have been.

Environment. You create an environment that helps you best manage your baggage, habits, and emotions. You surround yourself with people who are supportive of the way you are and make you feel comfortable and safe. You engage in activities that play to your strengths and help you either mask or mitigate those obstacles. Unfortunately, this environment reinforces who you are, even when you don’t want to be who you are, and can cause you to continue down a path that interferes with your happiness and achievement of your goals. This environment may at a minimum not support change, and at worst discourage change.

In all four cases, when you allow these obstacles to control your life, they have the effect of sabotaging your efforts at changing your life in a positive way. Even worse, you feel stuck, frustrated, and helpless to change your lot in life.

from:    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-jim-taylor/make-change_b_1210645.html?ref=mindful-living&ir=Mindful%20Living