samedi, février 24, 2007
Witches' Best Friend - Black Cats
Cats were often believed to be familiars of human witches. Cats are believed, by some Wiccans, to have the ability to sense the presence of spirits before humans notice them.
Black cats, because of their ability to remain unseen in dark places or at night, were considered especially desirable partners for witches. Some witches were purported to have the ability to shape-shift into a cat nine times, hence the archaic belief that cats have "nine lives"
Black cats were sometimes used in magical rituals, sometimes as purported participants, other times as sacrifices.In witch trials, ownership of a cat was often taken as "evidence" of Satanic association and witchcraft. Cats, believed to be evil in their own right, were often punished or burned alive along with humans during these trials.
samedi, février 10, 2007
Sky Burial
Sky burial is a ritual practice common in Tibet that involves a priest's cutting the human corpse into small pieces and then placing it on top of a mountain and expose it ritually, especially to birds of prey.
This way of disposing of a human corpse is not, as some believe, a ritual to honour the birds of prey. The majority of Tibetans adhere to Buddhism, which teaches rebirth after death. Because the soul disintegrates at death, there is no need to keep the body, as it is now an empty vessel. Birds may eat it, or nature may let it decompose. Therefore, the function of the sky burial is simply the disposal of the remains. Other reasons of why the body may not be buried or cremated is because the rugged Tibetan terrain makes the ground too hard to dig, and with fuel and timber scarce, the sky burial is more practical.
This way of disposing of a human corpse is not, as some believe, a ritual to honour the birds of prey. The majority of Tibetans adhere to Buddhism, which teaches rebirth after death. Because the soul disintegrates at death, there is no need to keep the body, as it is now an empty vessel. Birds may eat it, or nature may let it decompose. Therefore, the function of the sky burial is simply the disposal of the remains. Other reasons of why the body may not be buried or cremated is because the rugged Tibetan terrain makes the ground too hard to dig, and with fuel and timber scarce, the sky burial is more practical.