My visions: Hill Giants

As I was astral travelling, I came to some hills and saw giant figures. The first was the shape of a person but an outline of a man with glowing edges. It was walking across a field and I had to get away. I went another direction and came to different greener hills. I saw a vision of another giant in a bow shape with four legs, glowing white and appearing to move like a rocking horse.

After the astral journey ended, I did some research and was given reference to the chalk hill figures, the Cerne Giant and the White Horse of Uffington. Those looked like the figures I saw in my astral trip, alive and walking over the landscape. Are these chalk figures alive? Do they live on a different plane and connected to the land once they were put on the ground? Or am I just eperiencing a weird day dream?

The Cerne Giant is 55 metres tall and seen on the hillside of the English countryside, found in Dorset, England. Visible from the air and on risen the A532 motorway. It looks like a Hercules type figure, waving a massive club and he has an erect phallus. People believe that the giant could've represented a god from Pre-Christian times, and the style of the drawing is archaic. There is a legend that a Danish giant of magnificent size walked the grasses and fields of Blackmoor, feeding on livestock and scaring everyone away. As the giant slept under the stars on the open field, local farmers crept up to him and killed him. They cut the ground around his body to make an outline as a warning to other giants.

Another local legend says that the Cerne Giant comes to life and walks over the hill, going to the river to drink water, and eat people and animals. Village maidens were eaten by the Cerne Giant, perhaps linked to sacrificial offerings of the past. The giant is a symbol of masculine strangth, war and fertility. Young women who sleep on the giant hill figure would become more fertile. There is an ancient earthworks close to the giant that indicate ancient burial rites and Maypole dancing. Interestingly, the county of Dorset has the highest fertility levels than the rest of the country!

The prehistoric White Horse of Uffington is the oldest known chalk figure in the country. Below the White Horse is an unusual mound with a flat top called Dragons Hill, said to be where a dragon was killed by a knight. It died there and the dragon's blood poisoned the ground so that no grass grows on there. An Iron Age hill fort named Uffington Castle was discovered and excavated in the 19th Century. It's said that this site was of the Dobunni tribe who might've been the same people who carved the White Horse.

Many believe that the White Horse symbolises the Celtic goddess Epona, who was considered powerful. Horses appear in many folkore, customs, rituals, stories and fairytales, and even today the British don't eat horse meat. Horses have always been a sacred animal to the British and Irish people, and worshipped by ancient Indo Europeans.

Links

Horse Worship
Chalk Hill Figures

Sisters of the Valkyrie? (Part IV) Goddess Athena

There are Valkyrie-like goddesses and demi goddesses in other belief systems, who resemble the characteristics of the Northern Valkyries. It makes you wonder if they belong to the same species or come from the same root legend. I plan to make several entries about the subject, starting with individuals and then perhaps go onto research different aspects of the Valkyrie.

The fourth entry on this series "Sisters of the Valkyrie?", is about the Greek goddess Athena. She is a goddess of war, wisdom, agriculture and the arts. She is knowned as a protectress, guardian and lady of the city. Despite being a goddess of war, she was never a vicious goddess and neither a goddess of doom and gloom. Her attributes have been to to give guidance and strategy. All of the weapons she ever used belonged to her father, the great ruling god Zeus.

It's said in mythology that Athena was motherless. What is said in myths is that she emerged from her father's head. Her actual mother, named Metis who was an Oceanid and lover of Zeus, was imprisoned within Zeus after he'd swallowed her whole. She was already pregnant with Athena when this happened. When she was inside Zeus, she helped make a helmet and armour for her baby daughter. Zeus suffered a severe headache and asked Hephaestus, god of metals and fire, to cut open his head with a sharp axe. Once his head was open, a little girl in armour and wearing a helmet jumped out. This was the unusual birth of goddess Athena.

It should be pointed out that Athena was born twice. First she was born from her mother who was inside the god Zeus. And secondly, born from her father's head to appear to the world. However in Lybia, where Athena was also worshipped, she was the daughter of Poseidon and the lake Tritoris.

She carried an aegis, a sheepskin shield hemmed by snakes. Later on after the hero Perseus killed the gorgan Medusa, Athena placed the head of Medusa on her shield. She assists heroes and warriors, priestesses and princesses.

However, apart from her helpfulness, she also has a dark side. I already mentioned Medusa, and the story behind that is tragic. Medusa was once a beautiful maiden with yellow hair, aquamarine eyes and rosy red cheeks. She was vain and often took her ego trip to heights boasting that she was prettier than all the other maidens but she was also a priestess of the goddess Athena. She was in the temple of Athena, where Medusa lost her virginity and offended the goddess. An outraged Athena transformed Medusa into a monster, turning the maiden's hair into writhing snakes, her rosy skin went a sickly green hue and her aquamarine eyes became blood-red. No one would look at her from then on and no one could ever look upon her. The monster would turn anyone to stone if they looked at her eyes. This was a severe punishment by the goddess.

There is also the story of Arachne, a beautiful princess who was clever at weaving. She challanged goddess Athena to a weaving contest. Arachne boasted that her weaving tapestry was better and with this remark, the goddess punished her to death. She was overcome by remorse, and brought Arachne back to life in the form of a spider. Athena also punished mortal men when they looked at her when she took a dip in a river. She blinded them.

Although she could be cruel, she was also compassionate and often regretted what she did afterwards. Athena was one of the most beautiful goddesses but she was also a virgin goddess, linked to the Maiden aspect of the triple goddess. Considered a pure maiden virgin goddess of light, wisdom, corn, weaving, the flute, the sun and the moon, day and night. She rejected male advances and even fell out with men and gods, such as Ares. The god Hephaestus raped Athena, and in distress she wiped off the semen from her thighs and left it on snow. There sprang a child, who Athena raised. The child was named Erichthonius and he grew to became a divine king. Some myths portray this son of Athena to be part human and part snake. 

Athena's sacred animals include snakes and birds, especially the owl. Owls are a symbolic link to the spirit world because in all ancient Indo European beliefs, owls have been considered guardians of the dead and helpers of souls. Owls are said to help someone cross over the realm of the living to the afterlife. Goddess Athena was always with her little owl, who helped her understand truths. In battles, if Athena's owl flew over the armies, it was a sign of victory. Sometimes Athena took on the form of an owl or an eagle. Earlier myths of Athena have her winged sometimes.

Athena was regarded as a solar goddess because of her "shining bright eyes". She is also a nocturnal goddess and moon goddess, who reflects light, and her eyes flashed, enabling her to see in the dark. Her eyes have been said to appear "silver" in colour. Her hair is a pale blonde, and her costume is golden. In pre-Classical times her outfit was once depicted in a long thick chiton gown with armour of scales hemmed with snakes but later she came to be wearing a flowing Grecian toga with split, golden belt, gold bracelets, gold braided headband and glittering sandles. Some statues and paintings have her helmetted with a red plume and topped with an image of goddess Nike. Goddesses such as Athena and Nike entered battle usually to bless the warriors and assist them, using owls, or becoming birds themselves to fly across the battle fields.    

Links on Athena:

Goddess Gift, Athena
The story of Athena
Greek myth... Athena

Pyramid from the dinosaur era?

A couple of years ago, there was a rather quiet and amazing discovery in the Crimea, Ukraine, of a very ancient pyramid that is said to be dated at 65 million years old. The tale goes that Vitalii Goh, a scientist from the Ukraine, was looking for water in the region when he stumbled upon the buried remains of a site, in the form of a massive pyramid. It's about 45 metres high and 72 metres wide (147 feet high and 236 feet wide). The pyramid also contained a mummified body of a species that is "not known". Now the scientist claims that the pyramid comes from the dinosaur era! Originally the source of this story is at the Pakistan Observer news.

I want to know more about this. Even though I believe that dinosaurs and humans might've co-existed, I'm not sure if humans were alive 65 million years ago that built pyramids... but who knows for sure. I'm wanting to know about this pyramid, the age of it and what was found inside there but so far I've only found news articles repeating what the Pakistan newspaper site said. And many paranormal forums and New Age websites have discussions on that subject too. Intellhub mentioned "reports" that Goh found 37 other pyramids at the Crimean peninsula near Sevastopol.

Now on European Pyramids site, it comments that scientists would "dig" into the pyramids at Sevastopol. There are apparantly seven strange pyramids buried underground and many scientists want to research and study the place. I couldn't find any recent, newer stuff or any hard factual information on any of these prehistoric pyramids.

What I will mention is that the site of Sevastopol was once upon a time part of ancient Greek society. The Crimea was called Tauris then. Long before that time, it was populated by Neanderthals and the Gravettian humans (these were the same people who hunted mammoths and carved Venus figurines). Did they build anything spectacular? Such as all those pyramids? Also the Crimean peninsula only appeared at the end of the last Ice Age with ice flow drifts and rising water levels.

So far I'm doubtful of the pyramid and being 65 million years old. I don't want to follow every newspaper clipping and see weird sites portraying it as a known fact when all I can find is little else.

Another mistake I've come across is that reports have said the pyramid is from the "Jurassic" era. But 65 million years ago was the Cretaceous era and NOT the Jurassic era. 65 million years ago was during an earth disaster of mass extinction. Even if those pyramids do date back this far, they would be Cretaceous. Layers of those pyramid walls should include sediments of this event.
Cretaceous layers in rock looks like this:

Earth's geo history reveal a barrier layer of the extinction period called the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event (or K-pg event). It's known that the biggest impact from a massive asteroid struck in what is now the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. This resulted in devastation although there was a second asteroid that struck during this time also, and it impacted in what is now Kirovohrad Oblast in the Ukraine. There is a crater there called the Boltysh crater. This was almost too close to the pyramids, if they were there at the time!

What I found on this strange and wonderful country is that recently a prehistoric temple was discovered. Live Science covers this with photographs: Ancient temple in Ukraine. That temple is 6,000 years old. This is a discovery that is both mysterious, wonderful and factual. There are just no strange remarks about dinosaurs and unknown mummified creatures.

Links covered on this topic:   

More on Crimean pyramids

Gravettian on Wikipedia      

European Pyramids

Intellhub info on pyramid

Source of story

Website of Vitalii Goh

My review on "Snow White and the Huntsman"

The Hollywood film "Snow White and the Hunstman" (2012) was the most darkest and mythical of all films based on my favourite fairy tale "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". It's the closest to the original Grimm fairytale, but also nearest to the legendary past it could possibly go.

It starred Charlize Theron ("Aeon Flux") as the wicked queen. Chris Hemsworth ("Thor") as Eric the huntsman. Kristen Stewart ("Bella Swan" from Twighlight) as Snow White. Those are the three main characters. It began with English model Liberty Ross as the original queen, Snow White's mother, wishing for a daughter with skin as white as snow, hair as black as ravens, lips as red as blood. After the death of the queen, the child Snow White is introduced to the new queen, Ravenna, played by Theron. Ravenna kills the king, and Snow White is locked up in a dingey grim tower. Queen Ravenna has a mirror that resembles a bronze shield, and manifests into a phantom. She also has a brother, who acts as her guardian and kills on her behalf. There is something incestuous about this brother and sister going on that suggests corruption and decay.

Snow White was raised in the horrific conditions of a tower prison, who befriended girls who ended up ruined because, we know, the queen drained their life. Theron's Ravenna is the best evil queen to appear in a Snow White film since the Disney animated "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1939). She appears to consume blood, is cannibalistic, bathes in "milk", sucks the life out of young virgins to regain her youth and beauty, and she doesn't look human. Some scenes she resembles a living corpse and other times she looks like a supernatural entity. Her gown is the same colour as the barren landscape outside the palace. She's like Countess Bathory. When she emerges from the bath, she looks like the Statue of Liberty.

Snow White manages to get out of the castle, and escapes through the nightmarish forest full of monsters, creepy crawlies and ghosts. There she is found by the huntsman, who ends up assisting her throughout the rest of the film, because he really wanted a large bag of gold from her. That was the original deal. But you get to understand how he grows protective of her and will hold her hand at every chance.

Before she ever meets the delightful dwarves, she comes up against other things that are not included in the Grimm's fairytale. There is a troll, and a village of boat people with just women and girls surviving there. And of course, the beautiful white hart beast, who connects with Snow White. Sadly the creature is killed (I'm reminded of the Forest Spirit in "Princes Mononoke" Ghibli animation 1997, and I'm not the only one to observe that either, check out this.).

Snow White has often been considered "one with the land" who can purify and fertilise the entire landscape with plants and vegetation! Only her power can do this, as the theme says. Like a piece from Excalibur (1981) when King Arthur is "one with the land".Snow White always came across as a helpless girl running away but all of a sudden, put on armour, and she's a furious warrior! In earlier stages of the film, the huntsman Eric shows her how to fight, so that her strength is owed to him. This isn't a feminist film although it tries to appeal to feminists, but this film says that a woman is not able to survive without the aide of a man. The queen couldn't be so evil and powerful without the help of her brother. Snow White couldn't be a fighter without the huntsman.

The childhood friend William is an off character, who appears deceptive but is all part of the queen's trickery. He gave Snow White the poisoned apple, but it wasn't him after all. But he couldn't wake up Snow White from death. Only the hunstman did that while he was drunk and reminiscing about his former wife! But that said he ended up with Snow White as her ally.

Despite the film's strangeness, there are features that are quite different, the use of ravens, and the outlaw dwarves who are like the Time Bandits. Sometimes the story might've been better if Eric wasn't always with Snow White as an extra limb, so that she may go forth and seek out the dwarves alone, help the white hart's wound, befriend trolls and goblins, and even fight back the queen in her own way, not a man's way.

There are impressive scenes, particularly the dark forest and the creatures. The queen Ravenna was the highlight, being so scary and true to the fairytale.  


Snow White and the Huntsman

Lunar plan 2015

Welcome to 2015. The full moon times for the year ahead:

Wolf Moon - Howling wolves of winter gave this moon its name, otherwise called the Old Moon and Moon After Yule. The full moon will be on 5th January 2015.

Snow Moon - During the month of the thickest snows, also called Hunger Moon and Storm Moon. This full moon should occur on  3rd February 2015.

Sap Moon - As the season shifts from winter to spring, the full moon got it's name from the earliest signs of green. Also called Worm Moon and Chaste Moon. This should be on 5th March 2015.

Pink Moon - Got it's name because of the ealiest blossoms and flowers. Also called Egg Moon and Fish Moon. It should appear around 4th April 2015.

Flower Moon - This moon is named after the full blooms of flowers, herbs and richness of plants. Also called Milk Moon and Hare Moon. Appears at 4th May 2015.

Rose Moon - The full moon is warm moon, associated with colours red. Also called Strawberry Moon and Hot Moon. Will be full at 2nd June 2015.

Hay Moon - Named for the hay time harvest and gathering of plants. Also called Buck Moon and Thunder Moon. Will be full at 2nd July 2015.

Blue Moon - Named after water and colouring, during severe rainfall that often happens at this time. Also called Lent Moon. Occurs at 31st July 2015.

Red Moon - Named after the way it appears on the horizon. Also called Sturgeon Moon and Grain Moon. This moon will be full at 29th August 2015.

Harvest Moon -  A time of gathering all the crops, vegetables and fruit and bright enough to assist farmers. Other names are Corn Moon and Barley Moon. Will be on 28th September 2015.

Hunters Moon - This was named after the hunting season and goes back to ancient times. Also called Travel Moon and Blood Moon. Full on 27th October 2015.

Frost Moon - When the cool temps sits in and sprinkles coldness. Also called Beaver Moon. It will appear full this year on 25th November 2015.

Cold Moon - This is during winter's harsh times and the moon is also called Yule Moon and Long Night Moon. It will be full on 25th December 2015.

This is based on Native American and European traditions.

Link:
Moon Giant