text:
by Israel Regardie
Copyright © , F.I. Regardie, 1968. Published by Helios, 1969
When I was about seventeen
years of age, a friend loaned me a copy of Major L. A. Waddell's
Lamaism. In those days it impressed me tremendously, no doubt
because of its massive size. In every sense it was a heavy tome,
and tomes then suggested depth and weight of scholarship and insight.
Naturally I knew nothing at that time about Magic, and beyond
a few theosophical allusions next to nothing of Buddhism. So the
greater part of the significance and wide erudition of the book
must have passed me by completely, though it is a veritable storehouse
of knowledge.
Then, out of the blue it appeared
on my horizon again, again through the agency of a friend. In
the light of the little knowledge and experience gained through
the passage of several years, its contents excited me enormously--and
it was with the utmost interest that I reconsidered it. For me,
one of the things that stood out most emphatically this time was
the extraordinary similarity between--even the fundamental unity
of--the highest and most basic magical conceptions of both East
and West. Whether this is due, as many exponents of the Eastern
wisdom would claim, to the direct importation of occult philosophy
and practice from the Orient to Western civilization, it is not
my intention now to argue. Nonetheless, it is my considered belief
that in Occidental countries there has definitely been a secret
tradition on a practical level--a tradition which for centuries
has orally transmitted the finer part of this magical knowledge.
In fact, so jealously reserved at all times was this tradition
that by most people it was hardly suspected at all. Very few were
the fortunate individuals who in any age were drawn as though
by invisible currents of spiritual affinity to the concealed portals
of its temples.
Occasionally a small portion
of this closely concealed tradition wormed its way outwards into
books. Some of these latter are those which were written by Iamblichus
and the later Neoplatonists, and also by students such as Cornelius
Agrippa, Pietro d'Abano, and Eliphas Levi, etc. Its cruder elements
found expression in the far-famed Clavicles, Grimoires and Goetias.
Yet for the most part the true sequence of teaching, and the vast
implications of its practical knowledge were, as above stated,
maintained in strict privacy. The reason for this secrecy may
have been the feeling that there are only a small number in any
age, in any country, amongst any people, who are likely to appreciate
or understand the deeper or sublimer aspects of Theurgy, the higher
magic. It requires sympathy, much insight and a capacity for hard
work, which needless to say few people possess. And there is,
consequently, but little point scattering broadcast these pearls
of bright wisdom which can only be misunderstood.
Indubitably this conclusion is
corroborated by Waddell's Lamaism. In point of fact, a good deal
of so-called esoteric magical knowledge is there contained--though
it is presented wholly without comprehension. Hence his statement
of that particular aspect of Lamaism is vitiated and rendered
practically worthless. And while I may agree with Waddell that
some of the Lamaistic practices have little to do with historical
Buddhism, his sneers as regards an esoteric Buddhism on the magical
side of things are simply laughable, for his own book is a clear
demonstration of precisely that one fact which he has perceived
not at all.
His book, obviously, was intended
primarily to be an objective account of the Buddhism indigenous
to Tibet and as practised by its monks and hermits. Unfortunately,
the prejudices and misunderstandings of the author are scarcely
concealed. So that while indubitably he did pick up some of the
crumbs dropped haphazard from the esoteric table of the Lamas,
and recorded them probably as he found them, nevertheless he had
not the necessary training, knowledge or insight into the subject
possessed undoubtedly by some of the higher initiated Lamas with
whom he had conversed. The result was that he was unable to make
anything of that information. In fact, his account of their practices
sounds simply silly and absurd. Psychologically, he succeeds not
in throwing ridicule on the Lamas but only upon himself.
Certain aspects of Theurgy or
Western Magic have now been comparatively clearly set forth. Some
early reviewers and critics were of the opinion that my former
work The Tree of Life was as plain an elementary statement of
its major traditional principles as had yet publicly been made.
And Dion Fortune's book The Mystical Qabalah, a frank masterpiece,
is likewise an incomparably fine rendition of the mystical philosophy
that underlies the practice of Magic. I therefore suggest that
by employing the theorems laid down in those two books, and applying
them to the material in Waddell's Lamaism, we may arrive at an
understanding of some otherwise obscure portions of Tibetan Magic.
It may be well, at first, to
confess that a good part of the magical routine refers to a psychic
plane, to certain levels of the Collective Unconscious, though
by no means does that wholly condemn it as certain mystical schools
feel inclined to do. Other branches concern such phenomenal accomplishments
as rain-making, obtaining good crops, scaring away demons, and
similar feats with which both Eastern and Occidental legend have
familiarised us. Feats, moreover, which require a good deal of
explaining away by the rationalist and mechanistic scientist.
Finally, there is that unhappily large part which verges on witchcraft
pure and simple. With this latter, I am at no time concerned.
But I maintain, as a primal definition, that Magic whether of
the Eastern or Western variety, is essentially a divine process--Theurgy,
a mode of spiritual culture or development. From the psychological
viewpoint, it may be interpreted as a series of techniques having
as their object the withdrawal of energy from objective and subjective
objects so that, in the renewal of consciousness by a re-emergent
libido, the jewel of a transformed life with new creative possibilities
and with spontaneity may be found. It comprises various technical
methods, some simple in nature, others highly complex and most
difficult to perform, for purifying the personality, and into
that cleansed organism freed of pathogenic strain invoking the
higher Self. With this in mind, then, a good many of the apparently
unrelated items of Magic, some of its invocations and visualising
practices, take on a new and added significance. They are important
psychological steps whereby to repair, improve or elevate consciousness
so that eventually it may prove a worthy vehicle of the Divine
Light. A sentence or two written many years ago by William Quan
Judge in his pamphlet An Epitome of Theosophy express so exactly
the impression to be conveyed that it is convenient to quote:
"The real object to be kept in view is to so open up or make
porous the lower nature that the spiritual nature may shine through
it and become the guide and ruler. It is only 'cultivated' in
the sense of having a vehicle prepared for its use, into which
is may descend."
This conception is likewise the
point of view of our magical system. The technical forms of Magic
described in The Golden Dawn, such as Pentagram and other rituals,
astral assumption of God-forms, evocations (though not necessarily
to physical manifestation) of elemental and planetary spirits,
skrying in the spirit-vision, and the invocation of the Holy Guardian
Angel, are all performed with that single objective held ever
before one. Theurgy and the exponents of the Eastern mysticisms
are thus in complete accord on the fundamental theoretical principles.
To illustrate now what I mean
by the complete misunderstanding which a purely objective account
of magical practices is capable of achieving, it will be found
interesting to consider but a few statements made by Waddell.
First of all, let me quote from page 152 (2nd edition) of his
work: "The purest Gelugpa Lama on awaking every morning,
and before venturing outside his room, fortifies himself against
assault by the demons by first of all assuming the spiritual guise
of his fearful tutelary . . . Thus when the Lama emerges from
his room . . . he presents spiritually the appearance of the demon-king,
and the smaller malignant demons, being deluded into the belief
that the Lama is indeed their own vindictive king, they flee from
his presence, leaving the Lama unharmed."
Surely this is a puerile interpretation.
Though the fact itself of the assumption of the spiritual forms
of tutelary deities is perfectly correct, the rationale he provides
is infantile and stupid. So far as Western Theurgy is concerned,
centuries of effort have shown that one of the most potent adjuncts
to spiritual experience, as aiding the assimilation of the lower
self into the all-inclusive psyche, is the astral assumption of
the magical form of a divine Force or a God. By means of an exaltation
of the mind and soul to its presence, whilst giving utterance
to an invocation, it is conceded that there may be a descent of
the Light into the heart of the devotee, accompanied pari passu
by an ascent of the mind towards the ineffable splendour of the
So far as the reason for and
explanation of this process is concerned, it may be well to state
briefly that according to the magical hypothesis, the whole cosmos
is permeated and vitalised by One omnipresent Life, which in itself
is both immanent as well as transcendent. At the dawn of the manifestation
of the universe from the thrice unknown darkness, there issue
forth the Lives--great gods and spiritual forces, Cosmocratores,
who become the intelligent architects and builders of the manifold
parts of the universe. From their own individual spiritual essence,
other lesser hierarchies are begotten, and these in turn emanate
or evolve from themselves still other groups. These are they which
represent in the hidden depths of the psyche those primordial
ideas which Jung speaks of as archetypal images ever present in
the Collective Unconscious of the race. Thus it is that through
the union of the human consciousness with the being of the gods
in an ascending scale that the soul of man may gradually approach
the final root and source of his being. In the Buddhist scheme
this is "the essence of mind which is intrinsically pure,"
the Dharmakaya, the unconditioned divine body of truth. The intent
to frighten malignant demons has no inclusion within the scope
of this technique. Whether the later hypothesis is original with
Major Waddell or not is difficult to surmise, though the thesis
is common to all primitive peoples. Probably it was made by a
Lama in a lighter vein to put an end to leading questions, though
at the same time it is true that in moments of psychic danger,
the assumption of a Godform is of enormous assistance. Not because
the threatening elemental or demon. for example, is fooled or
frightened by the form, But because the operator, in opening himself
to one phase of the divine spirit by the assumption of its symbolic
form, does take upon himself or is empowered with the authority
and dominion of that God.
It was in Egypt, so far as the
western form of magic is concerned, that these cosmic forces received
close attention and their qualities and attributes observed and
recorded. Thus arose the conventionalised pictographs of their
Gods which are profound in significance, while simple in the moving
eloquence of their description. It is the Egyptian God-forms that
are used in occidental magic, not those of Tibet or India. The
technical use of these God-forms consists in the application of
the powers of will and imagination--as well as of sound and colour.
A very profound paragraph may be found in The Mahatma Letters,
where K. H. wrote to A. P. Sinnett: "How could you make yourself
understood--command in fact those semi-intelligent forces, whose
means of communicating with us are not through spoken words but
through sounds and colours, in correlations between the vibrations
of the two. For sound, light and colour are the main factors in
forming these grades of intelligence . . ."
Though it is hardly politic to
enter more deeply into this matter, the remarks of K. H. apply
equally to other forces and powers than elemental. The astral
form of colour and light assumed in the imagination creates a
mould or a focus of a special kind into which, by technical modes
of vibration and invocation, the force or spiritual power desired
incarnates. By the clothing of one's own astral form with the
ideal figure of the God, now vitalised by the descent of the invoked
force, it is held that man may be assumed or exalted into the
very bosom of Godhead, and so gradually return, with the acquisition
of his own humanity, to that unnameable mysterious Root wherefrom
originally he came.
Another instance of Waddell's
lack of humour and insight occurs on page 322. In describing the
training of the novice, it is said that the Lama adopts a "deep
hoarse voice, acquired by training in order to convey the idea
that it emanates from maturity and wisdom." It is not known
to me whether any of my readers have witnessed any kind of a magical
ceremony, or heard an invocation recited by a skilled practitioner--though
I should say few have. The tone always adopted is one which will
yield the maximum of vibration. For many students a deep intoning,
or a humming, is the one which vibrates the most. Therefore that
is the ideal tone whereby to awaken from within the subtle magical
forces required. It will have been noted too that the best invocations
are always sonorous and intensely vibrant. The idea that the voice
should suggest maturity and wisdom is merely silly. This is another
instance of Western contempt rather than a sympathetic attempt
really to understand a foreign system. The Tibetan specimens of
ritual given by Waddell contain an amusing number of Oms, Hums,
Has, and Phats, but then Western conjurations contain equally
amusing barbarous names of evocation. Yah, Agla, etc.
With this question of sound in
magical conjurations I have dealt at some length elsewhere. Suffice
to remark here that in The Secret Doctrine Madame Blavatsky suggests
that the vibratory use of conjurations and sound generally have
a profound significance. "Sound and rhythm," she observes,
"are closely related to the four elements . . . Such or another
vibration in the air is sure to awaken corresponding powers, union
with which produces good or bad results, as the case may be."
The whole subject of sound, and the employment of so-called barbarous
names of evocation, requires thoroughly to be studied before one
dare suggest an explanation accusing either Magi or Lamas merely
of a pose of wisdom.
One notes with aroused attention
too that the Tibetans have a form of what is called here in the
Occident the Qabalistic Cross. On page 423 of his book, there
is the following description: "Before commencing any devotional
exercise, the higher Lamas perform or go through a manoeuvre bearing
a close resemblance to 'crossing oneself' as practised by Christians.
The Lama gently touches his forehead either with the finger or
with the bell, uttering the mystic Om, then he touches the top
of his chest, uttering Ah, then the epigastrium (pit of stomach)
uttering Hum. And some Lamas add Sva-ha, while others complete
the cross by touching the left shoulder, uttering Dam and then
Yam. It is alleged that the object of these manipulations is to
concentrate the parts of the Sattva, namely the body, speech,
and mind upon the image or divinity which he is about to commune
Prior to commenting upon the
above, it is imperative to indicate certain fundamental theories
to be found in some books of the Qabalah. If the reader is familiar
with Dr. Wm. W. Westcott's splendid Introduction to the Study
of the Kaballah or with Dion Fortune's more recent book The Mystical
Qabalah he will have seen there a diagram attributing the Ten
Sephiroth to the figure of a man. Above the head, forming a crown,
is Keser which represents the divine spirit, and at the feet is
Malkus, while to the right and left shoulders are attributed Gevurah
and Gedulah, Mars and Jupiter, Power and Majesty. In Qabalistic
pneumatology, Keser is a correspondence of the Monad, the dynamic
and essential self-hood of a man, the spirit which seeks experience
through incarnation here on earth. That this Sephirah or potency
is placed above the head rather than, say, within the brain or
in the centre of the heart, is highly significant. It is the light
of the Spirit which shines always into the darkness below. ("The
spirit of man is the candle of the Lord." And again, "When
his candle shined upon my head and by his light I walked through
darkness.") This is an idea which has its parallels in other
systems too. For example, in The Epitome of Theosophy we find
Judge writing: "It is held that the real man, who is the
higher self, being the spark of the Divine, overshadows the visible
being, which has the possibility of becoming united to that spark.
Thus it is said that the higher Spirit is not in the man, but
above him."
All mystical and magical procedure
has as its object so to purify the lower self that this higher
Self which normally only overshadows us and is seldom in full
incarnation, may descend into a purified and consecrated vehicle.
The theurgic tradition asserts that, by the proper performance
of the Qabalistic Cross amongst other things this end may be accomplished.
As a devotional exercise or meditation, it is used in collaboration
with the formulation of certain lineal figures, the vibration
of names of power, and followed by the invocation of the four
great archangels. Its western form is as follows:
1. Touch
the forehead, and say Atoh (Thou art)
2. Touch the breast, say
Malkus (the Kingdom)
3. Touch the right shoulder,
say ve-Gevurah (and the Power)
4. Touch the left shoulder,
say ve-Gedulah (and the Glory)
5. Clasping the hands over
the heart, say le-Olahm. Amen (for ever, Amen.)
6. Here follow suitable
Pentagrams made facing the cardinal quarters, and the vibration
of names of power.
7. Extend the arms in the
form of a cross, saying:
8. Before me Raphael, Behind
me Gabriel.
9. on my right hand Michael,
on my left hand Auriel.
10. For before me flames
the Pentagram.
11. And behind me shines
the six-rayed Star.
12. Repeat 1-5, the Qabalistic
So far as this little ritual
is concerned, one may describe its action as under several heads.
It first invokes the power of the higher Self as a constant source
of surveillance and guidance. It places the subsequent procedures
under the divine aegis. Having then banished by the tracing of
the appropriate pentagrams all non-essential beings from the four
cardinal points with the aid of the four four-lettered names of
God, it then calls the four Archangels--the four concretized functions
of the interior psychic world, and the dual pair of opposites--to
protect the sphere of magical operation, that is the circle of
the Self. In closing, it once again invokes the higher Self, so
that from the beginning to the end, the entire ceremony is under
the guardianship of the spirit. The first section, comprising
points one to five, identifies the higher Self of the operator
with the highest aspects of the Sephirotic universe. In fact,
it affirms the soul's essential identity with the collective consciousness
of the whole of mankind.
If one attempted a further analysis,
the Hebrew Word Atoh, meaning "Thou", would refer to
the divine white brilliance, the higher Self overshadowing each
man. By drawing down the Light to the pit of the stomach--which
symbolically represents the feet, since to bend down to the feet
would make an awkward gesture--the vertical shaft of a cross of
Light is established in the imagination. The horizontal shaft
is affirmed by touching both the shoulders, and vibrating words
which state that the qualities of the higher self include both
power and majesty, severity and loving-kindness. Equilibrium is
the especial characteristic of the cross as a particular symbol,
and the tracing of the Qabalistic Cross within the aura affirms
the descent of the spirit and its equilibrium within consciousness
or within the magical sphere. This meaning is further emphasised
by the gesture of clasping the hands over the Tipharas centre,
the heart place of harmony and balance, and saying le-Olahm, Amen,
The Sanskrit word Sattva implies
purity and rhythm and harmony, and of the three Gunas or qualities
refers to Spirit. Similarly in the Western equivalent of this
schema, Alchemy, the three qualities are correspondences of the
three major Alchemical principles, Salt, Sulphur and Mercury.
Of these the Universal Mercury is an attribution of Keser--that
holy angel who is the divine guardian and Watcher, overshadowing
the soul of man, ever awaiting an ordered approach so that its
vehicle may be lifted up to its own glory. There is here, then,
a very great resemblance between the Tibetan devotional exercise
and that which is enjoined as one of the most important practices
of the Qabalistic Magic of the Occidental tradition.
In that section of the book where
Waddell describes the Lamaistic celebration of the Eucharist,
another important parallelism is to be found. It describes how
the priest or lama who conducts the ceremony is obliged to have
purified himself during the greater part of the preceding twenty
four hours by ceremonial bathing, and by having uplifted his mind
through continual repetition of mantras or invocations. The actual
description of the inner or magical aspect of the ritual, while
not particularly well stated, is given for what it is worth: "Everything
being ready and the congregation assembled, the priest, ceremonially
pure by the ascetic rites above noted, and dressed in robe and
mantle, abstracts from the great image of the Buddha Amitayus
part of the divine essence of that deity, by placing the vajra
of his rdor jehi t'ag upon the nectar vase which the image of
Amitayus holds in his lamp, and applying the other end to his
own bosom, over his heart. Thus, through the string, as by a telegraph
wire passes the divine spirit, and the Lama must mentally conceive
that his heart is in actual union with that of the god Amitayus
and that, for the time being, he is himself that god."
After this meditation, the rice-offerings
and the fluid in a special vase are consecrated by very "fierce"
invocations and cymbal music. Then the consecrated food and water
is partaken of by the assembly.
From the theurgic viewpoint the
rationale of the Eucharist is quite simple. There may be innumerable
types of Eucharist, all having different ends in view. A substance
is chosen having a special affinity according to the doctrine
of sympathies for a particular kind of spiritual force or god
and ceremonially consecrated. Thus a wheaten wafer is of the substance
of the Corn-goddess, attributed either to the powers of Venus,
or to the element of Earth, presided over by Ceres or Persephone.
Penetrative oils would be specially referred to the element of
Fire, the tutelary deity of which is Horus. Olives would be sacred
to the force represented by the astrological sign Aquarius, the
element Air, and the goddess Hathor. And wine is referred to Dionysius
and the solar gods generally, Osiris, Ra, etc. By an elaborate
table of correspondences it is possible to select any substance
to be the physical basis for the manifestation of a spiritual
idea. The consecration, ceremonially, of the material basis by
means of an invocation of the divine force accomplishes what is
vulgarly called the miracle of transubstantiation. To use more
preferable magical terminology, the substance is transformed from
a dead inert body into a living organism, a talisman in short.
The consecration charges it and gives it a soul, as it were.
At this juncture, I must register
my emphatic disagreement with those writers on science and Magic
who impressed unduly or in the wrong way by modern psychology,
explain the effect of a talisman as due entirely to suggestion.
This is sheer nonsense. And I can only assume that whoever makes
this sort of argument is without the least experience of this
type of magical work. It is this kind of experience which comprises
or should comprise the first part of one's early practical work
in the technical side of Magic. And lack of experience in even
this elementary aspect of technical virtuosity vitiates every
opinion on other forms.
We are confronted here by the
same problem that arose over a century ago in another sphere.
The early great magnetisers after Mesmer--great names like de
Puysegur, Deleuze, du Potet and Lafontaine--claimed that by means
of will and imagination they were able to open themselves to an
influx from without and then to transmit from their own organisms
a species of vital power or animal magnetism. This force pervading
all space they claimed could be used therapeutically. Later on,
when attempting to appropriate the trance phenomena and healing
methods inaugurated by the mesmerists, physicians of the orthodox
school eliminated the theory of an actual transmissible force
and in its stead employed the theory of suggestion. Beginning
with Braid and continuing through a line of very fine investigators,
a duplication of magnetic phenomena was achieved purely by psychological
means without recourse to any hypothesis of animal magnetism.
But because phenomena can be
produced by one method does not necessarily imply that its duplication
by another is false. It may well be that similar feats can be
accomplished by quite separate techniques based upon differing
hypotheses--each valid in its own sphere and each capable of explaining
one set of facts. In any event, the reality of animal magnetism,
or the transmission of what in the East has been termed prana,
vitality, has never been disproved.
On the contrary, it is a simple
matter to prove it quite adequately. Let any normal healthy person
suspend his fingers over the arm of a second person, imagining
and willing that his prana courses out from his fingers in long
filmy streamers of energy. If the second person sits quite still
and cultivates an objectivity of feeling and waiting. he will
soon sense either a cold draught on that arm or a tingling in
his own finger tips which proceeds from the influx of prana. This
is an experience quite apart from suggestion, for it may be attempted
with those who have no idea of the fundamental principles involved
and who, therefore, are not directly susceptible to suggestion
on this score. Spontaneously, and without prompting, they will
observe the fact that a tangible transmission of vitality has
been effected. It should be possible to test it by some very delicate
instrument. Moreover, in a dark room. these streamers issuing
from the fingers can be readily seen if the hand is held in front
of a black cloth.
Furthermore, one's ability to
generate this power is capable of culture. I have elaborated this
theme from the point of view of autotherapy in The Art of True
Healing. And it is also my suggestion that the interested reader
consult Dr. Bernard Hollander's work Hypnotism and Self-Hypnotism
where the problems of suggestion and animal magnetism are discussed
at some length in connection with experimental work--and that
most intelligently.
Briefly, let me say that suggestion
does not invalidate in the least the fact of animal magnetism,
nor the effect of a charged talisman. For, as I have intimated,
we are confronted by the same problem that years earlier had arisen
as to whether the trance and therapeutic phenomena of mesmerism
were indeed due to suggestion or to a surcharge of vitality. If
power can be passed to an individual as I contend it can, why
not to some specific substance which is particularly appropriate
in its nature to receiving a charge? Tradition has always asserted
that metals, gems and precious stones, vellum and parchment make
good material bases for talismans. If the vitality of the operator
be augmented by simple meditation exercises such as have been
described in The Art of True Healing, or by the straightforward
magical methods of invocation and visualization of God-forms,
then a very powerful charge is imparted to the material basis
of the talisman.
Of itself, however, the talisman
is nothing. It only becomes efficacious when properly consecrated
and vitalised. Thus the Eucharistic substance is worthless as
such until it has been duly consecrated by an appropriate magical
ceremony, and transmuted into the vehicle of an appropriate type
of force. The mode of consecration is of course, another matter,
not to be described here inasmuch as it is a lengthy and technical
business. One of the important parts of such a ceremony for the
consecration of a talisman or a Eucharistic substance, is the
assumption of the God-form astrally. When the operator has determined
the nature of the divine force he is desirious to invoke, and
having selected the material substance congruous in nature to
that force, he must endeavour during his ceremony of consecration
so to exalt the spirit within him that he actually becomes identified,
in one way or another, with the consciousness of that particular
force or deity. The more thorough and complete is this dynamic
union, the more automatic and simple does the mere subsequent
charging of the telesmata become. In the case of the Eucharist
the idea, however, is not only spiritual identification with the
deity as a preliminary to the ascent to the unknown universal
God, but the alchemical transmutation of the lower vehicles into
a glorified body. While the higher consciousness of the Magus
may certainly be dissolved in ecstasy, it becomes imperative to
create a magical link between that divine consciousness and his
physical body and emotions. Therefore, the ceremonial magnetising
of a material substance, be it a wafer or wine or herb, impregnates
it with that same divine force. Its consumption assumes that transmuting
force into the very being and fibre of the Magus, to carry out
the work of transformation. As the pseudonymous Therion once wrote:
"The magician becomes filled with God, fed upon God, intoxicated
with God. Little by little his body will become purified by the
internal lustration of God; day by day his mortal frame, shedding
its earthly elements, will become in very truth the Temple of
the Holy Ghost. Day by day matter is replaced by Spirit, the human
by the divine, ultimately the change will be complete; God manifest
in flesh will be his name."
It requires some little magical
experience fully to appreciate this, but this simplified explanation
will I think throw more light on the actual nature of the ceremony
than does the description of Waddell.
I do not wish to discuss in more
than a few words the validity of a Eucharistic ceremony celebrated
other than by the operator himself. Bearing in mind that a properly
performed Eucharistic ceremony results in the production of a
talisman, it becomes clear that this kind of operation is principally
of benefit to him who performs it. It seems to my way of thinking
a useless rite to partake of the Eucharist en bloc. The Buddha
is supposed to have remarked that no ceremonies are of the least
avail in obtaining salvation or redemption. To me, it seems not
that he attacked the magical tradition in these words, but rather
wholesale ceremonies in which the audience plays no active part
at all. There is no willed stimulation of their own spiritual
principles--it is a passive vicarious participation in the labours
of other people. Magic, with Buddhism, agrees with Madame Blavatsky's
dictum that "the pivotal doctrine of the Esoteric philosophy
admits no privileges or special gifts in man save those won by
his own ego through personal effort and merit . . ."
There is one final topic I should
like to refer to at some length before leaving this comparative
study. In so doing it is necessary to leave Waddell for the moment
to refer to the writings of two other Tibetan scholars, Madame
Alexandra David Neel and Dr. W. Y. Evans Wentz. Both of these
scholars have written with sympathy and understanding on Tibetan
religion and magical practices. The subject to be considered is
a Tibetan mystery play in relation to Western magical ritual.
"Chod" is a kind of
mystery drama, and the magician or yogi is the sole actor therein.
Dr. Evans Wentz, in his masterly introduction to the translation
of the play or ritual in Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines explains
that "The Chod" Rite is, first of all, a mystic drama,
performed by a single human actor, assisted by numerous spiritual
beings, visualised, or imagined, as being present in response
to his magic invocation. Its stage setting is in some wild awe-inspiring
locality, often in the midst of the snowy fastnesses of the Tibetan
Himalayas, twelve to fifteen or more thousand feet above sea-level.
Commonly by preference it is in a place where corpses are chopped
to bits and given to the wolves and vultures. In the lower altitudes
of Bhutan and Sikkim, a densely wooded jungle solitude may be
chosen; but in countries wherein corpses are cremated, such as
Nepal and India, a cremation ground is favoured. Cemeteries or
localities believed to be haunted by malignant and demoniacal
spirits are always suitable.
"Long probationary periods
of careful preparation under a master of Chod are required before
the novice is deemed fit or is allowed to perform the psychically
dangerous rite . . . At the outset, the celebrant of the Chod
Rite is directed to visualise himself as being the Goddess of
the All-Fulfilling (or All-Performing) Wisdom by whose occult
will he is mystically empowered; and then, as he sounds the thigh-bone
trumpet, invoking the gurus and the different orders of spiritual
beings, he begins the ritual dance, with mind and energy entirely
devoted to the one supreme end of realising, as the Mahayana teaches,
that Nirvana and the Sangsara are, in reality, an inseparable
"Stanzas three to seven
inclusive suggest the profound symbolism underlying the ritual;
and this symbolism, as will be seen, is dependent upon the Five
Directions, the corresponding Five "Continents" of the
lamaic cosmography with their geometrical shapes, the Five Passions
(hatred, pride, lust, jealousy, stupidity) which the yogin triumphantly
treads under foot in the form of demons, and the Five Wisdoms,
the antidotes to the Five Passions . . . In the ninth stanza comes
the dramatic spearing of the elements of Self with the spears
of the Five Orders of Dakinis. As the Mystery proceeds, and the
yogin prepares for the mystic sacrifice of his own fleshly form,
there is revealed the real significance of the Chod or 'cutting
Thus the Chod as explained by
Evans Wentz is seen as a highly intricate magical ceremony in
which the lama, identifying himself with a Goddess through the
visualised assumption of her astral or ideal form, invokes what
we in the West would call angels, spirits and elementals to attend
upon his ceremony. These he deliberately invites to enter his
own sphere. No longer does he act, as in other specialized forms
of invocation, by selecting one particular force only and attempting
forcibly to keep all others out from his sphere of consciousness.
Now he makes a vacuum as it were; he opens himself completely,
and wholly receptive permits whatever influences will to permeate
him through and through, and partake of his nature. In one sense,
he sacrifices his being to them. His mind, his emotions and feelings,
and the organs and limbs of his physical body, and the minute
cells and lives composing them, are all handed over to the invaders
for consumption, if so they wish. "For ages, in the course
of renewed births I have borrowed from countless living beings--at
the cost of their welfare and life--food, clothing, all kinds
of services to sustain my body, to keep it joyful in comfort and
to defend it against death. Today, I pay my debt, offering for
destruction this body which I have held so dear. I give my flesh
to the hungry, my blood to the thirsty, my skin to clothe those
who are naked, my bones as fuel to those who suffer from cold.
I give my happiness to the unhappy ones. I give my breath to bring
back the dying to life."
It is briefly, a very idealised
form of personal sacrifice in which the whole individuality is
opened up, hypothetically, to whatever desires to possess it.
As a magical operation it must rank very high in technical virtuosity,
and for him who is sufficiently endowed with the magical gifts
to perform it a most effectual ritual so far as results are concerned.
The final stage of the drama
is ably described by Mme. David Neel in this passage: "Now
he must imagine that he has become a heap of charred human bones
that emerges from a lake of black mud--the mud of misery, of moral
defilement, and of harmful deeds to which he has co-operated during
the course of numberless lives, whose origin is lost in the night
of time. He must realise that the very idea of sacrifice is but
an illusion, an offshoot of blind, groundless pride. In fact,
he has nothing to give away, because he is nothing. These useless
bones, symbolising the destruction of his phantom "I,"
may sink into the muddy lake, it will not matter. That silent
renunciation of the ascetic who realizes that he holds nothing
that he can renounce, and who utterly relinquishes the elation
springing from the idea of sacrifice, closes the rite."
In attempting a comparison between
this Chod Rite and European magical rituals, we are at the outset
confronted not by the problem of inferiority of conception or
technical skill, as many have heretofore thought, but by a vast
difference of metaphysical outlook. That is to say, there is a
markedly enunciated opposition both of philosophic and pragmatic
aim. In common with all schools and sects of Buddhism, the Mahayana
is directly antagonistic to the ego idea. The whole of its philosophy
and ethical code is directly concerned with the elimination of
the "I" thinking. It holds that this is purely a fantasy
bred of childish ignorance, very much as the mediaeval notion
that the sun circumambulated the earth was the result of imperfect
knowledge. Therefore the whole of its religious and philosophic
scheme is directed towards uprooting this fantasy from the thinking
of its disciples. This is the Anatta doctrine, and its importance
to Buddhism is grounded in the belief that from this fantasy spring
all sorrow and unhappiness.
European Magic, on the other
hand, owes its fundamental doctrines to the Qabalah. Whilst having
much in common with the broad outlines of Buddhism, the metaphysics
of the Qabalah are essentially egocentric in a typically European
way. Nevertheless, the terms of its philosophy are so general
that they may be interpreted freely from a variety of angles.
Whilst decrying the ills and limitations that accompany the false
ego sense, it emphasises not so much the destruction of the ego
as, with true Western practicality, its purification and integration.
It is a very useful instrument when it has been taught the needful
lesson that it is not identical with the Self, but only one particular
instrument, one small phase of activity comprised within the larger
sphere of the total individual. Hence, the practical theurgy that
arises as a superstructure from the basic theoretical Qabalah
must also be affected by such a viewpoint. Instead of seeking
to remove the ego as such, it seeks to extend the limited borders
of its horizon, to enlarge its scope of activity, to improve its
vision and its spiritual capacity. In a word so to enhance its
psychological worth that in taking cognisance of the universal
Self permeating all things, it may become identified with that
Self. Here, then, is a fundamental distinction in the point of
view envisaged.
Just as the "Chod"
has its roots in the primitive Bon animism of pre-Buddhistic Tibet,
having been very clearly re-shaped by the Mahayanists, so the
Western Ritual I propose to consider here also has a very crude
origin. It dates possibly to the centuries immediately preceding
our own Christian era. "The Bornless Ritual", which
is the name it has come to be known by, may be found in its elementary
form in Fragments of a Graeco-Egyptian Work upon Magic, published
in 1852 for the Cambridge Antiquarian Society by Charles Wycliffe
Goodwin, M.A. The ritual has since undergone considerable transformation.
From a simple primitive prayer to ward off evil, in the hands
of skillful theurgists trained in the Western tradition of the
Golden Dawn, it has been evolved into a highly complex but most
effectual and inspiring work. The Ritual, as such, now consists
of a lengthy proem, five elemental invocations, and an eloquent
peroration. Sandwiched between them is a Eucharistic ceremony.
In the prologue, the operator
identifies himself with Osiris by means of the visualised assumption
of the Egyptian God-form. That is to say, he formulates about
him the form of Osiris. His imagination must be pictorially keen
and vivid enough to visualise even the smallest details of dress
and ornamentation in clear and bright colour and form. As a result
of this effort, if he is successful, no longer is the ceremony
conducted by a mere human being. On the contrary, the invocations
and commands issue forth from the very mouth of God-head. Osiris
in magical symbolism is human consciousness itself, when finally
it has been purified, exalted, and integrated-- the human ego
as it stands in a balanced position between heaven and earth,
reconciling and uniting both. In a Golden Dawn initiation ritual,
one officer, whilst assuming the astral mask of the God, defines
its nature by affirming: "I am Osiris, the Soul in twin aspect,
united to the higher by purification, perfected by suffering,
glorified through trial. I have come where the great Gods are,
through the Power of the Mighty Name."
The lama, when performing the
Chod Rite, likewise imagines himself to be one of the dakinis,
The Goddess of the All-Fulfilling Wisdom. She, so runs the interpretation
of Madame Alexandra David Neel, represents esoterically the higher
will of the lama. The concepts of both rituals actually are very
But here the resemblance, superficial
indeed, ends. For in the Chod ritual the lama or hermit, invoking
the various orders of demons and spirits, identifies them with
his own vices and so sacrifices himself. He sees his ego comprised
of hatred or wrath, pride, lust, jealousy and stupidity, and throws
these qualities to the invading spirits and demons for consumption.
He visualises his body as a corpse being dismembered by the wrathful
goddess, and its organs also being preyed upon by a host of malignant
entities. In a few words, a species of dissociation is intentionally
Now in the Western system, the
various orders of elementals are also invoked from their stations
during this Bornless Ritual. But they are commanded to flow through
the Magus with a view, not to preying upon him and thus destroying
him, but to purify him. The intent is totally different. At each
station or cardinal quarter, the appropriate tutelary deity is
invoked by means of the formulation of the astral form and the
proper lineal figures. In the East, as a result of the vibration
of the appropriate barbarous names of evocation that "have
a power ineffable in the sacred rites", and by enunciating
the Words of Power, the Sylphs rush through his sphere of sensation
like a gentle zephyr blowing the foul dust of pride before them.
The Salamanders, raging from the South, consume with a burning
fire the jealousy and hatred within him. Lust and passion become
purified by the Undines invoked from the West, as though the Magus
were immersed in purest water from which he issues spotless and
consecrated. Whilst the Gnomes, coming from the North, cleanse
him from sloth and stupidity, exactly as muddy and impure water
is cleansed by being filtered through sand. The operator, all
the while, is conscious of the injunction a propos the elementals
given in one of his initiations. Or rather, the injunction has
become a part of his unconscious outlook upon life. "Be thou,
therefore, prompt and active as the Sylphs, but avoid frivolity
and caprice. Be energetic and strong as the Salamanders but avoid
irritability and ferocity. Be flexible and attentive to images
like the Undines, but avoid idleness and changeability. Be laborious
and patient like the Gnomes, but avoid grossness and avarice.
So shalt thou gradually develop the powers of thy soul, and fit
thyself to command the spirits of the elements."
The elemental invocations over--very
difficult work, to do which requires at least seventy or eighty
minutes of intense magical concentration--the operator, being
convinced of the presence of the invoked force and the salutary
effect of their respective purifications upon him, begins the
second stage of his work by invoking the fifth element, the alchemical
quintessence, Akasa or the Ether, in both its negative and positive
aspects. The effect of these two invocations is to equilibriate
the elementals already commanded to the scene of operations. Also,
it tends to provide an etheric mould or astral vacuum into which
the higher spiritual forces may descend to make contact with the
Unconscious psyche of the operator.
At this juncture it is customary
to celebrate the mystic repast which again seems the reverse in
intention of the Chod banquet. At least, the reversal is only
apparent. The Magus celebrates the Eucharist of the four elements,
after reciting powerfully the Enochian invocation of the mystical
Tablet of Union beginning 01 Sonuf vaorsagi goho lada balta--"I
reign over you, saith the God of Justice . . ." The perfume
of the rose on the altar, the low fire of the lighted lamp, the
bread and salt, and the wine are thus powerfully charged with
the divine force. So that as he partakes of the elements, the
influx of the spirit elevates not only his own ego but all the
innumerable cells and lives which comprise his own lower vehicles
of manifestation. And more too, for it affects all the spiritual
beings, angels, elementals, and spirits who, in answer to invocation,
now pervade his astral sphere. Thus he accomplishes that which
the tenets of all mystical religion enjoin, the elevation of all
the inferior lives as man himself evolves. This he does, in this
case, by the agency of the magical invocations and the Eucharist,
so that not only does he himself become blessed by the impact
of the divine spirit, but so do all the other beings present partake
with him of the glory. There is no with-holding of blessing. For
here, as in the Chod Rite, there is no retention of power from
any being.
At the opening of the ceremony,
all forces and all beings whatsoever are carefully banished by
the appropriate banishing rituals so as to leave a clean and holy
space for the celebration of the ceremony. But into this consecrated
sphere all the orders of elementals, comprised within the five-fold
division of things, are called. And it is this mighty host who,
having purified the sphere of the magus by having consumed the
undesirable elements within him, are consecrated and blessed by
the Eucharist and the descent of the refulgent Light. The whole
operation is sealed by the peroration:
"I am He! The Bornless
Spirit, having sight in the feet!
"I am He! The Bornless
Spirit, having sight in the feet!
Strong and the Immortal Fire!
I am He the Truth! I am He who hate that evil should be wrought
in the world! I am He that lighteneth and thundereth! I am He
from whom is the shower of the life of earth! I am He whose mouth
ever flameth! I am He, the Begetter and Manifester unto the Light!
I am He, the Grace of the World! 'The Hearth girt with a Serpent'
is my Name."
It coincides with the re-formulation
of the god-form of Osiris. And with each clause of the final hymn,
the magician makes the effort in imagination to realise that they
answer to the divine qualities and characteristics of the God,
whose Light is even now descending upon him. The end result is
illumination and ecstasy, a transporting of the consciousness
of the magus to an identity with the consciousness of all that
lives, an ineffable union with the Light, the One Life that permeates
all space and time.
It will be conceded I hope that
the Western conceptions of Magic are in no way inferior, as so
many unfortunately have come in the past several years to believe,
to those prevalent in Tibet and the East. It is only that the
philosophic forms are somewhat different. And this difference
has its root in varying psychological needs--and these at no time
are irreconcilable.
Here then I must content myself
with these comparisons between various points of magical interest
common to both East and West. My desire to compare them sprang
originally from a perusal of Major Waddell's really erudite book--where
the reader may find other items of great and absorbing interest.
But I do feel that unless he has the magical key to these practices
and various ceremonies which the Lamas perform, he is apt to be
bored and left without a proper understanding of them. With all
due respect to the Eastern wisdom for which assuredly I have a
great and profound reverence, it is my belief that in this instance
a study of Theurgy as developed by Western genius is more capable
than aught else of throwing an illuminating ray on the true nature
of spiritual development by means of the path of Magic. There
are many paths to the one goal of the Beatific Vision. Of these
paths, meditation is one. Probably in its development of meditation
and the purely introspective processes of Yoga, the East is far
in advance of the West. Certainly there is no better text-book
on that subject than the Patanjali Yoga Aphorisms, And I appreciate
the fact that Blavatsky brought Theosophy from the East. But Theurgy
has climbed to sun-illuminated heights in the Western Schools.
Our hidden sanctuaries of initiation, where Magic has long been
successfully employed, but all too rigidly suppressed from the
notice of the outer world, have a finer, nobler and more spiritual
interpretation than any to be found in Eastern systems.
For myself, I can only
say that experience demonstrates that Theurgy makes no confusion
in its statement of ideals. It introduces no superstitious chaos
concerning the fear of demons, etc., which is only too apparent
in the Tibetan scheme, judging from Waddell's book. Every magical
effort of the Lamas is described as being due to fear or hatred
of evil spirits, though I do not doubt but that many lamas have
a finer understanding of their system than this. Theurgy nurtures
the ideal that its technique is a means of furthering one's spiritual
development so that thereby one may consummate the true objects
of incarnation. Not selfishly, but that one may be the better
able thereafter to help and participate in the ordered progress
of mankind to that perfect day when the glory of this world passes,
and the Sun of Wisdom shall have arisen to shine over the splendid
Home Welcome Website
comments Privacy/Legal Recommended
Servants of the Light. All rights reserved.
site design by Design
Web Magic


text:
Su Tha Ros is a fantastic Thai restaurant which serves tasty and traditional dishes with a modern twist, in a chic dining room with a view. Located in the stylish Hotel Muse on Langsuan Road, a ten minute walk from the BTS at Chit Lom, the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every day, with the set lunch menu offering exceptional value. You can't miss the hotel with its distinctive turrets and gothic styled grand entrance on the left hand side of the road as you walk from the BTS. The restaurant is on the 19th floor of the hotel and offers impressive views towards Wireless Road and the leafy grounds of the American and Dutch embassies. Not all the tables have views so we recommend that you book ahead if you want dinner with a vista.
The dining room doesn't immediately strike you as Thai, and actually, with tiled black and white floor, velvet chairs and walls of mirrors, it has a French feel to it, inspired not by the country itself but by King Rama V's feted trips to Europe at the turn of the 19th century. The restaurant is in keeping with the rest of the hotel, evoking the passion of travel. If you are coming for an intimate celebration or business meeting there is a private dining room with a corner window view. It is easy to imagine having a romantic dinner for two at Su Tha Ros, with cosy alcoves, plenty of space between the tables and warm, low lighting in the evenings. Service is swift and unobtrusive, and staff have good knowledge of the menu. Drinks on offer range from classic cocktails to fine wines and fresh fruit juices.
Their special lunchtime menu covers some Thai highlights with two different sets, one focusing on dishes from the north and the other on favourites from the south. The set comes with four courses for an impressive 290 baht per person. The northern set starters include mee grob and chicken, pork and beef satay, followed by one of the tastiest nam prik ong we have tried. This traditional spicy chilli paste is packed with punchy flavour and really adds depth to the accompanying vegetables and minced pork. From set two we really enjoyed the betel leaf cones, filled with roasted coconut, chilli, lime, ginger and peanuts with a hint of sweet caramel. The main courses also embody traditional cooking from the north and south, with khao soi coconut curry soup with chicken or a southern seafood red curry with crab and basil. Dessert choices include colourful water chestnuts and jackfruit in coconut and a fresh fruit platter.
The evening crowd is a mix of in-house guests, local ex-pats and Thai families, all here to enjoy traditional Thai and modern versions of classic dishes. Some items on menu are even cooked based on recipes that are over a hundred years old, prepared with flair by Bangkok's only female executive chef. There is plenty of choice on the menu with a full range of curries, soups and noodles. Recommended dishes include more contemporary interpretations: lemongrass salad with scallops, snow fish with herbs and spices and the lamb massaman curry with baked potatoes. Desserts include a beautifully presented mango and sticky rice, lychee sorbet and a creamy coconut ice-cream. Su Tha Ros successfully walks the line between tradition and modernity with delicious Thai food served in a refined atmosphere, and offers one of the best lunch deals in the city.
Opening Hours: 06:00 – 22:30
BTS: Chit Lom
Address: 19th floor, Hotel Muse, 55/555 Langsuan Road
Tel: +66 (0)2 6304000
Help us keep this website up-to-date by sending us your comments and suggestions. If your question is about a hotel please use this link - For TOUR questions and enquiries please use this link
|Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok
|Grande Centre Point Sukhumvit Terminal 21
|Chatrium Riverside
|Anantara Bangkok Sathorn
|Grande Centre Point Ratchadamri
|Park Plaza Soi 18
|Chatrium Sathon
|Grand Sukhumvit Hotel
|The Sukosol
|Baiyoke Sky Hotel
|Ayutthaya by River Sun Cruise
|International Buffet Dinner
|Damnoen Saduak Floating Market (Half Day)
|Calypso Ladyboy Show
|River Kwai Tour incl. boat trip
|Siam Ocean World (Value Pack)
|Bangkok City & Temples
|Madame Tussauds Bangkok at Siam Discovery (Ticket only)
|White Orchid River Cruise (include transfer)
|Siam Niramit Show Only
Asia Web Direct Travel Club members have access to our free travel guides, and lots of other travel specials and benefits from the Asia Travel Specialists.
Please enter your details and we'll send your free {place} Travel Guide to you straight away. We will also add you to our free Asia Web Direct Travel Club Newsletter.
Here's the link to download your guide. We've also emailed you the download link.
We will not pass your details on to any other company or individual. We take your privacy seriously!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Bass Concert Hall
2350 East Campus Drive
Austin, Texas 78712
Austin, Texas 78712
(512) 471-2787
Venue Website
Venue Website
Venue DetailsExpand - Will Call, Parking, Directions, and more
Will Call Info
One hour prior to performance. Present photo I.D. and credit card
Parking Info
Paid garage on 24th and San Jacinto. Free parking east of LBJ Library off of Red River.
Phone Info
(512) 471-1444 or 1-800-687-6010
From IH - 35 exit west on 26th Street to East Campus Drive and turn south.
General Info
Monday - Friday 12 noon - 6 pm
Payment Options
Visa, MC, AMEX, Disc, Cash, Check
General Rules
Late seating only at designated times, if at all.
Child Rules
Ticket required of all persons, regardless of age.
Upcoming Shows | Past Shows
Jan 31 Saturday @ 7pm
Feb 22 Sunday @ 7pm
Aug 1 Saturday @ 8pm


text:
Keep it light on your XC rig. The Pro XCR mountain bike seatpost is a no-holds-barred uni-directional carbon fiber seatpost that can stand up to the most demanding trails, dampens out the vibrations, but keeps the grams off.
Item No. » YS-PXCRS
Nashbar No price available.
Sorry, this item is Out of Stock. You can still order it and we will ship it to you as soon as it comes in.


text:
Life Comes First for Gen Xers
Findlaw has a very interesting article on Why are Women -- and Generation X and Y Attorneys Generally -Leaving Large Law Firms? The piece is a follow-up to a provocative article in the California Lawyer.
From the article:
On average, almost a fifth of associates (male and female) leave their law firms each year -- a record high. Within five years of entering a firm, over three-quarters of associates will depart. The associates who are leaving are disproportionately female.... Unlike the Baby Boomers who preceded them, Generation X and Generation Y women, she says, are less willing to sacrifice the rest of their lives for their careers.
As a Gen Xer myself, I totally concur. While I absolutely love my career as a law librarian, its just one part of my life. I'm also a mom, a wife, and an individual with interests outside my job. But unlike the high pressured attorneys featured in this article, as a law librarian I can have both a rewarding legal career and a life.
I've been invited to speak a couple times to our Women's Law Student Association about careers in law and this is something I always mention. And I've talked with others about it, too. In fact, in the last few months, three people in my life have seriously contemplated mid-life career changes to librarianship. I guess librarians aren't so nerdy after all - or maybe it's just OK to be nerdy.


text:
Balancing School & Family
Why Loyola?
I chose Loyola for several reasons: I received my Bachelor's degree from Loyola in 2002, so I was familiar with the University, I liked the rigor of the curriculum, and the paralegal program at Loyola is ABA approved.
Did you find the curriculum flexible?
Yes, I had a family while I was in school and the flexibility of the program allowed me to balance my classes and my time with my family.
Did you take advantage of the optional internship?
The internship gave me a more realistic view of what my career would be like. It prepared me for the constant interaction with various levels of a law firm environment. It also allowed me to experience a different area of law other than litigation.
What did you think of the career assistance?
I did a lot of networking within the Loyola community. I utilized the job board. The job placement assistance is top notch. All three of my friends had job offers by the time of graduation.


text:
Click here to visit the new website!
View below the full press release and details!
Join the road trip west as one of the nation's preeminent charity wine auctions focuses on California growing regions.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming – February 22, 2012 – A who's who of extraordinary chefs and winemakers are making the journey to Jackson Hole for the 18th annual celebration of food and wine benefiting the education and outreach programs of the Grand Teton Music Festival. This year's wine auction focuses on California vineyards and wineries and will also feature brand new events.
The three-day series of events opens Thursday, June 21 with the "Premiere Wine Tasting." Wine Spectator writer and noted critic Matt Kramer will provide key insights and approaches to tasting fine wine as guests are treated to such notable California vineyards as Flowers, Hanzell, Chateau Montelena, Staglin Family Vineyards and Far Niente. That same evening JHWA presents the local's favorite, "Taste of Jackson Hole," which highlights a select group of winemakers and Jackson Hole's finest regional chefs at Couloir atop Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
A new addition for 2012, the "Food and Fashion Trunk Show Luncheon" will open up Friday's events. Hosted by New York Restaurant owner Drew Nieporent, this gathering will showcase designers from one of Jackson Hole's top boutiques, Goodie 2 Shoes. In addition, this event will present wines from a special group of female winemakers known to the Jackson Hole Wine Auction as the "Women of Wine." Also that afternoon is a special "Hole in One Challenge" for a chance to win $250,000 at one of the valley's most challenging Par 3's – Shooting Star's beautiful 10th Hole. A "Scotch & Cigar Tasting" will follow this contest. Festivities continue into the night with the "Signature Private Dinners" held in select premiere Jackson Hole homes, where guest chefs are challenged to pair their cuisine with fine wines from visiting vintners and winemakers.
Saturday, June 23 will be the culmination of an unforgettable weekend, starting with a "California Boutique Wineries Tasting" at Il Villagio Osteria. Here, guests will discover small, little-known vineyards and wineries from various growing regions of California. The main event begins in the Teton Village Commons at 4:30PM with Champagne, hors d'oeurves, and the chance to bid on an exclusive array of over 120 Silent Auction items. Then the excitement moves to Walk Festival Hall for the Live Auction led by auctioneer Michael Davis of Hart Davis Hart Wine Co. of Chicago. This year's Live Auction will present a superb lineup of wine collections and travel adventures. Following the auction, featured chefs and vintners will unveil an exceptional feast of signature dishes and paired wines at the Gala Dinner hosted by Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole. Few places offer such unparalleled access to the leading names in food and wine with one of the most gorgeous backdrops in the country, don't miss out on the 2012 Jackson Hole Wine Auction!
Learn more about the 2012 Jackson Hole Wine Auction on its brand new website – www.jhwineauction.org
Tickets go on sale Monday, April 16.
2012 Jackson Hole Wine Auction sponsors include Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Shooting Star, Hertz Overland West Inc., Noble Travel, Kobrand Corporation, Inkaterra Authentic Nature Travel, Butterfield & Robinson, Rusty Parrot and Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Inc.
Special Guests
Featured Vintners
Ackerman Family Vineyards
Chateau Montelena
Far Niente
Taylor Fladgate
Peter Michael
Staglin Family Vineyard
Domaine Carneros by Taittinger
Featured Chefs
John Besh – August, New Orleans
Sam Choy – Kai Lanai, Hawaii
Tyson Cole – Uchi, Austin
Ben Ford – Ford's Filling Station, LA
Brennan Froeschner – Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole
Gabriel Kreuther – The Modern, NYC
Donald Link – Herbsaint, New Orleans
Nancy Oakes – Boulevard, San Francisco
Kent Rathbun – Abacus, Dallas
Kevin Rathbun – Rathbun's, Atlanta
Toshio Tomita & Ricky Estrellado – Nobu, NYC
Events Schedule
Thursday, June 22
Premier Wine Tasting
5pm – 7pm
Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole
Taste of Jackson Hole
6pm – 9pm
Couloir, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Friday, June 22
Silent Auction Preview
Walk Festival Hall
Food & Fashion Trunk Show & Luncheon
12pm – 3pm
Shooting Star's Alpine Barn
Hole in One Challenge/Scotch & Cigar Tasting
3pm – 5pm
Shooting Star Par 3 #10
Signature Private Dinners
Select Premier Jackson Hole Homes
Saturday, June 23, 2012
California Boutique Vineyards Wine Tasting
1pm – 3pm
Il Villagio Osteria
Gala Silent Auction
4:30pm – 6:30pm
Teton Village Commons
Gala Live Auction
6:15pm – 7:30pm
Walk Festival Hall
Gala Dinner
Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole


text:
Category Archives: Health Care Reform
This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is rolling out a new website that provides educational tools designed to help people understand their insurance choices and select coverage that best suits their needs when open enrollment begins on October 1st. With 99 days to go until then, the new effort includes a consumer call center that will offer help to consumers in more than 100 languages. It will eventually employ 9,000 people, who will answer questions from the public 24 hours a day.
HealthCare.gov is designed to be the destination for the new Health Insurance Marketplace, also called exchanges. The new website will add functionality over the next few months so that, by October, a consumer will be able to create an account, complete an online application, and actually shop for an insurance plan.
For Spanish speakers, CuidadoDeSalud.gov offers the same information and functionality in Spanish.
Risa Lavizzo-Mourey's 2011 President's Message
A doctor in the desert. A scientist in outer space. A dentist in the Arctic delivering care on cross-country skis. And a family doctor who's taken to city streets with a radical new way to help the sick get well and cut costs at the same time. These are among the inspiring women and men leading what Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President and CEO Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., calls a "quiet revolution in health and health care."
In her 2011 President's Message, released late last week, Lavizzo-Mourey notes that "Americans are approaching what's being called our 'coming age of permanent austerity.' Serious economies, some severe, are likely, triggering long-term and significant changes in our daily lives. At the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the expectation and proactive design of change, powered by remarkable people and ideas, is the fundamental currency of our philanthropy…. It's all about the power of people and ideas."
In her message, available online, Lavizzo-Mourey shares stories from across the United States, including one about the work of Sanjeev Arora, M.D., a University of New Mexico specialist in liver diseases. Arora's "Project ECHO" is changing the lives of residents of isolated, rural communities by linking local family physicians together with specialists in virtual "tele-clinics," forming what Arora calls a "knowledge network." Says Lavizzo-Mourey of the RWJF-funded effort: "ECHO is an extraordinarily potent global model for the delivery of better, cheaper care to vulnerable and underserved rural and urban populations."
RWJF Investigator Award Winner's NEJM Article Unpacks Court Rulings on Health Care Reform
In a Perspective piece in the December 15, 2010 New England Journal of Medicine, RWJF Investigator Award winner (2004) Mark Hall, J.D., discusses recent lower court rulings on the Affordable Care Act – President Obama's signature health care reform law. A federal judge in Virginia recently found unconstitutional the law's requirement that Americans buy health insurance or face a fine. Two other lower courts had already found the provision constitutional. The case is widely expected to reach the Supreme Court.
Hall's article, Health Care Reform: What Went Wrong on the Way to the Courthouse, is available online for free.


text:
Sony Portable e-Book Reader Paperless Paperback
Winner of the Popular Science Best of What's New award, this is the device that stores up to 160 electronic books and displays them on a patented screen that replicates the contrast of black ink on light-gray paper, resulting in high-contrast and a reading experience that is similar to a page in an actual book.
The 6" screen uses E-Ink® technology, an award-winning electronic paper that reflects light like ordinary loose-leaf and is capable of maintaining displayed text without drawing electricity. Unlike typical backlit LCDs, the screen will not cause eye fatigue and it is visible in direct sunlight, allowing for convenient use outdoors.
About the size of a paperback, but less than 1/2" thick, the unit only draws power when you press the page turn buttons, ensuring up to 7,500 page turns on a single charge, enough to read The Da Vinci Code 16 times before recharging is required. The device connects to a PC for purchasing and downloading electronic books from an online store with 20,000 titles, or digital texts can be uploaded using a memory card.
The unit has an integrated music player that is compatible with unencrypted MP3 and AAC formats, and it supports Word documents, Adobe PDFs, and JPEGs.
Click for more information


text:
- Future Students
Admissions Information
Costs and Academics
Campus Life
Planning Ahead
- Current Students
Most Requested
Student Services
Academic Resources
Campus Services
- Faculty & Staff
Employee Resources
Administration & Business
- Alumni & Friends
Stay Connected
Support EWU
Friends of EWU
Most Requested
Chemistry and BiochemistryChemistry occupies a unique position within the modern sciences. Ultimately, most of the phenomena in the biological, geological, physical, environmental and medical sciences can be expressed in terms of the chemical and physical behavior of atoms and molecules.
College of Science Health and Engineering
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Forensic Program Information
Degree Options
How do I declare my major in Chemistry?
Pre-Pharmacy Program - No Degree awarded
Biochemistry option - BS in Chemistry/Biochemistry
Forensic Chemistry option - BS in Chemistry/Biochemistry
Professional option - BS in Chemistry/Biochemistry
Pre-Medicine, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Veterinary option - BS in Chemistry/Biochemistry
Standard option - BS in Chemistry/Biochemistry
Secondary Education option - BAE in Chemistry/Biochemistry
General option - BA in Chemistry/Biochemistry
Minor in Chemistry
Secondary Teaching Endorsement Minor in Chemistry
Forensic Chemistry
Faculty & Staff
Contact Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry
226 Science Building
Cheney, WA 99004
email: email@example.com
phone: 509.359.2447
fax: 509.359.6973
Forensic Science Links
The table below contains links to some valuable forensic science sites. Like all things on the internet, links and addresses change frequently so only a select few links are included here. These links, however, contain many more links, so consider this your gateway to forensic science on the net. Happy surfing!
American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS)
International Association of Identification (IAI)
American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD)
American Board of Criminalistics (ABC)
Carpenter's Forensic Science & Criminal Law Site
Zeno's Forensic Site (This one is great!)


text: "We live in an incredibly busy world. Our pace of life is often frantic, our minds are always busy, and we're always doing something," says Andy Puddicombe at the TEDSalon London Fall 2012. "The sad fact is that we're so distracted that we are no longer present in the world in which we live. We miss out on the things that are most important to us. The crazy thing is, people assume that's just the way life is. But that's not really how it has to be." – Andy Puddicombe


text:
Life After Breaking Bad: What Will Everyone Watch Next?
Unless you live under a rock you know that one of the most talked-about shows in television history had its curtain call Sunday night. Breaking Bad came to a glorious conclusion, capping off one of the greatest television shows of all time.
It's crazy to think that there were rumors of the show's cancellation at one time, but Breaking Bad slowly picked up steam until talk about the final season on social media platforms reached critical mass – try to look at your newsfeed without seeing some kind of discussion about the final episode (and watch out for spoilers).
But now that Breaking Bad is officially over, what show will take its place? We're not talking about just any popular show. A show that can rival Breaking Bad for its popularity as well as its across-the-board talent will be hard to find. Here's a few candidates for taking up the mantle of must-see shows that all of your friends will be talking about:
Eastbound & Down
It's no coincidence that the first episode of season 4 of Eastbound came right after the ending of Breaking Bad. Though Eastbound is obviously quite different from the mostly serious Breaking Bad, the writing is superb and Danny McBride is hilarious as journeyman relief pitcher turned regular guy Kenny Powers. This is the final season of the series, so borrow a friend's DVD set and burn through the first three seasons. Airs every Sunday at 10:00 PM.
No doubt most Charlotteans are at least familiar with the Showtime series that's filmed here in our hometown. The show revolves around Carrie Mathison, a bi-polar CIA officer who suspects that a returning war hero may secretly be a member of Al Qaeda and makes every effort to expose him. Since it began filming in 2011, Homeland has received relatively great reviews from critics, Ratings have been stellar. Season 3 premiered last night and airs every Sunday at 9:00 PM.
House of Cards
There are many Netflix original series that are worth watching, but House of Cards was the first (and still the best, though Orange is the New Black is certainly up there). Starring Kevin Spacey as House Majority Whip Francis Underwood (D-SC), the show revolves around Underwood being passed up for his initially promised role of Secretary of State and his desire to exact revenge on those who deceived him. The show received a lot of hype for its directing credits (Social Network director David Fincher was at the helm for the first two episodes in addition to being an executive producer alongside Spacey). The strength of the cast and its new format – a whole season of the show is released altogether, giving viewers the option to watch at their leisure – may make this the next series that everyone feels the need to watch. Season 2 is slated for Spring 2014.
The Walking Dead
Much like House of Cards, The Walking Dead belongs to a packed roster of AMC shows that are all worthy of your time (Mad Men, Hell on Wheels, The Killing, and newcomer Low Winter Sun). Chances are you've already heard of this show as it has quite a large following. Based on the comic book by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard, the series stars Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, a deputy sheriff who wakes from a coma to find himself a part of a post-apocalyptic world that is inhabited by zombies. Grimes travels around with a group of survivors (including fan favorite Daryl, played by Norman Reedus) looking for safe refuge and often coming into contact with the flesh-eating zombies. Though there have been struggles in-house about the direction the show should take (Scott Gimple is replacing Glen Mazzara as Showrunner for season 4), reviews of each season have been generally favorable, with the season 3 finale reaching 12.4 million viewers, the highest ratings in the history of cable (though last night's Breaking Bad finale well may have beaten it). Season 4 begins on Sunday, October 13 at 9:00 PM.
Think there's another show that deserves to be mentioned alongside these four? Leave your opinions in the comments below!


text:
Small. Bobbly. Totally fearless.
Ace Rider combines a deceptively simple user experience of one-touch control with a clean and colorful design. Ace is winning fans, visibility and sales in Apple's App Store.
Game play
Press one finger anywhere onscreen to accelerate. The challenge builds the farther you go. Get coins as you pass each checkpoint and bonus points for jumps, flips and wheelies.
Graphics and sound
The visual style is beautifully shaded and finely textured. We used real 4-stroke motorbike sound samples. Listen for the birds chirping, snakes rattling and sirens wailing in the distance.
Game Center
Players gather achievements - single, double or triple flips; big air and huge air; and game completion. See how far your friends have made it and compete on the Leaderboard against other players.
Play for free. Upgrade with in-app purchases.
You can grab or purchase coins to unlock seven awesome bikes and four exciting tracks. If your bike gets damaged you can even "call a mechanic" to have it repaired using your game coins.
Rave reviews
"Sound is the star of the show. One touch control and depth by the bucketload... amid the sky high profile releases, here's a walnut sized solid gold nugget of native iOS goodness that should be nurtured and supported."
— Gabrien, TouchArcade review
"… strips away the complexity of similar titles and creates an intense, uncluttered gaming experience that's a whole lot of fun-- as long as you're up for a challenge... a quality game made by developers who clearly know how to design toward a platform's strengths."
— Chris Reed, Slidetoplay.com
" There's something intriguing about [the game] but honestly, I don't really know what it is... maybe it's the well-rendered little motorcyclist, but I found myself trying again and again to get to the next checkpoint and beat my previous score... there's a solid chunk of entertainment to be had here."
— Mike Schramm, The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)