A to Z Challenge: Magick Marfa Miracles (M)

Magick – is not the same as magic, which is usually the art of conjuring and legerdemain (sleight of hand). Richard Dawkins has another definition in The Reality of Magic, with which I agree. But magick contends to cause physical changes by nonphysical means. It’s associated with paranormal and the occult (astral projection, chakras, ESP, and psychic healing).

Some religious associate this with Satan and call it black magic. To the same folk, if associated with a god, it is white magick or miracles. I consider it appealing in some ways, interesting in others, but mumbo-jumbo in any case. I do like to explain things which I cannot logically explain with the exclamation of pure fucking magic (PFM). These are not bad words, and outside of religion they can be fun and entertaining, for example the Magic Kingdom Theme Park at Disney, or Magic titled songs by ONJ and groups like Pilot, America, Queen, and others. I even wrote a sonnet to magic (read here).

Marfa lights – are included because I have been there at night and looked for them. I did not see them, but I believe that there are lights. About ten miles east of Marfa, Texas, is a viewing area. The Marfa lights, something of an unwanted art culture, and Peter Reading’s book Marfan (also his one-year of residence there) are what the town of about 2,500 is known for. The lights are not caused by ghosts, swamp gas, radioactive bursts, ball lightning, or navigational lights of alien space ships. They are car lights from U.S. Highway 67 in the Chianti Mountains, which is why I did not see them – no cars when I was looking.

Miracle – is a word I try not to use (except in sarcasm). Others use it often without considering the meaning. It has become trite, especially in song. The meaning of miracle is seldom considered. Miracles are supernatural events caused by a god of some sort by defying the laws of nature.

Weather phenomena are not miracles, nor are they punishment for humans being kind to each other regardless of color or sexual preference. Jesus’s face on toast is just toast. Toilet water dripping from a statue is piss water, no matter who drinks it.

Generally, these miraculous events are considered good. Equally amazing but also BS phenomena are things sometimes attributed to the occult. Interesting and weird stuff happens all the time. If you can see it, it’s not supernatural (or you couldn’t). America beating Russia in ice hockey was awesome, but it was not a miracle. It was great hockey.

A to Z Challenge: Nessie and Lycan float under full moon (L)

Levitation – is ascending into the air and floating, defying gravity. Spiritual masters or fakirs (good word) are depicted doing this. I have some respect for spirituality, but none for chicanery and trickery. Shit floats. People don’t. Stamp this one BS.

Lunar effects – can get me into trouble. Yet, I passed up lucid dreaming for this one. I like full moons and I enjoy all the stories and myths. The gravity of the moon physically affects Earth with things like tides. Any effect on humans is unproven, despite numerous studies. The phase of the moon (it is always there) probably has no effect on murder rates, car wrecks, calls to PDs or FDs, wife beating, birth rates, suicide, prison violence, the coocoo’s nest admissions, the demented behavior of nursing home residents, or sleep walking. The list goes on and on.

Lycanthropy – is the delusional belief that you have turned into a real animal. The opportunity exists for role playing a werewolf or any other form of Lycan online, if you want. Also, vampires, elves, and fairies can be assumed. Have fun. All cultures seem to share this nonsense.

Loch Ness monster (Nessie) – is a 1,500-year-old mythical creature that has contributed to a multi-million-dollar tourist industry complete with multi-media centers, internet cameras, and submarine rides in that part of Scotland, kelpies and unicorns notwithstanding. As with religion, belief in the myth is good for business. Fine, just don’t ask me to believe in or donate to either one.

A to Z Challenge: Karma and the Disappearing Wang (K)

Karma – is the consequence of all the good and evil accumulated during a person’s lives. Hindus, Buddhists and others believe the amount and type of karma will determine your state when you’re reincarnated. The sum of the shit you did in previous lives determines your current one.

There is also group karma, family karma, and national karma. Some New Agers and Neopagans also believe in a form of Karma, but generally restrict it to a person’s current lifetime. Very much in the everything happens for reason realm of logic. It’s woo-woo, but a nice way to believe that life is fair and just. Fits with much religious manipulation, Santa Claus logic, and other reward and punishment behaviorally related he’s watching you crud.

Kinesiologist – is how applied kinesiology quackaroos refer to themselves. Applied kinesiology is not the same as the professional discipline and academic area of kinesiology, which is the scientific study of the mechanics and anatomy of human movement. At A&M, the PE Department morphed into the Kinesiology Department when I blinked.

Koro (shook yang) – is a phenomenon I call the cold-water syndrome. This disorder is of male penis shrinkage and retraction into the body accompanied by panic and fear of dying. The delusion begins with Chinese metaphysics and brain washing. Apparently, the cause is abnormal sex: prostitutes, masturbating, wet dreams, anal, or whatever disturbs the yin and yang of the horney male equilibrium. According to a Singapore newspaper, koro has been caused by eating pork from a pig inoculated against swine flu. So, behave or your bod will suck your poker in, and you’ll die.

A to Z Challenge: Junk and Four J’s (J)

Junk Science – is an expression used to describe scientific information considered spurious or fraudulent (fake). The concept is often invoked in political, legal, and religious contexts. The term became popular in the 90s. Recently, it has been invoked to criticize research on the environment or public health effects of corporate activities, and occasionally in response to such criticism. There are books on this. One is by Dan Agin, who in his book, Junk Science, harshly criticized those who deny the basic premise of global warming. It is somewhat different from pseudoscience and fringe science.

Jesus Christ – may have been a (perhaps mythical) Jewish male who allegedly performed miracles to prove he was a god or the son of one. His mother was a virgin or was impregnated by the Jewish god. Christ is rumored to have been killed by Romans at the encouragement of some Jews by crucifixion, an unpleasant form of legal execution common about 2,000 years ago. Maybe the largest religious belief in the world today. The original source of the term zombie, since he was supposed to be dead and then walked around and visited old friends before he went physically to heaven with a promise to return soon. Has been seen with Elvis.

Jamais vu – The opposite of déjà vu, which is a feeling of recollection. Jamais vu is when an experience feels like it is the first time even when the experience is a familiar one. This occurs in certain kinds of amnesia and epilepsy.

Jinni – I wrote about these last year. These spirits of demonology make many appearances in the Koran.

Jogini – are women who are forced into prostitution by a religious custom known as devadasi in India. While this was banned in 1988, that law is not enforced in all parts of India.

A to Z Challenge: Insanely Incredulously Intelligent (I)

Incredulity is the quality or state of being incredulous = disbelief. Such a big word applies to little old, seriously old, me. Synonyms: disbelieving, distrustful, doubting, mistrustful, negativistic (say it’s not so!), questioning, show-me, skeptical, suspecting, suspicious, unbelieving.

I Ching (Book of Changes) – is ancient Chinese text with 64 hexagrams, which is the number of possible combinations of six broken or unbroken lines that represent two primal cosmic universal principles, yin and yang. Six is curious because five would be the more favored number by Chinese. However, theories supporting six are reasonable if not solid. Those in tune with the tao (path or way) have deciphered meanings to come up with some good fortune-cookie wisdom, but little has changed world-wide. Much more than what one can learn in a book or two apparently requires extensive philosophical study.

Illuminati – was a secret society founded in 18^th Century Bavaria with a political agenda which was to happen through subterfuge, secrecy, and conspiracy. Paranoid conspiracy theorists (PCTs) believe the Illuminati still exists. PCTs, and other similar groups, believe we are nearing the end of civilization as we know it. They are closely tied with religious fundamentalist and UFO/alien cult groups. If I named names, you would recognize some. What people believe is scary.

Intelligent design (ID) – is a process by which creationists attempt to stake a scientific claim to prove god exists and created everything. It is, of course, a metaphysical claim. Sadly, many people think that evolution and natural selection (and if you like, chance) disprove, or are attempts to disprove, god. While the arguments can be made, such arguments do not logically say that the existence of god is precluded by natural selection. Both are possible. A god could have designed natural selection. ID is weak despite its many advocates (see junk science).

Insanity – is when a person suffers from a serious delusion. When many people suffer from a delusion, it is called a religion. (Robert M. Pirsig)

A to Z Challenge: Holy Ho Ho Ho, Homeo (H)

Holistic and Homeopathic Medicine – Two potentially harmful forms of alternative health practices that often reject science. Common forms that are worth $200-million in the USA and are quite popular in Europe. One lady I know checked with her alternative expert to see if what her bladder cancer doctor was doing was ok. When she asked her MD about what the alternative expert had prescribed, he told her that mixing the two medications could be deadly, a pharmaceutical fact of which the alternative expert was unaware.

Houris – is what the 72 beautiful black-eyed virgins (or, depending on the translation, raisins; or whatever) that are waiting for you in Paradise are called, if you happen to be of the religious/political persuasion (presumably male) and a terrorist who commits murder and suicide in the name of Islam or Allah. Picture Jeff Dunham’s Achmed the Dead Terrorist sitting there holding raisins, “Holy shit. I blew myself up for a bunch of f-ing raisins?”

Hypnagogic and Hypnopompic states – are the mental transition states of semiconsciousness that is for some people a time of visual and auditory hallucinations. The first is between being awake and falling asleep (log tripping time for me). The second is between sleeping and waking up. The latter is also the time when sleep paralysis occurs (a real thing often occurring in people with narcolepsy) and alien abductions tend to happen (maybe not so real, but the condition is associated with them).

Holocaust Denial – Many factual historical events are denied. This one is on the same plane with denial of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Both revolting denials for selfish political and fascist reasons.

Holy Shit – is neither. Why do we call amazing stuff holy when it has nothing to do with the meaning of the word? Like holy cow, holy smokes, and I’ve heard holy fuck (blessed intercourse?). These exclamations remain in constant use. While we all know exactly what is intended, the choice of phrase is illogical. Holy-moly.

Who’s willing to tell him that he is 30 short?

A to Z Blog Challenge: Good God of Glossolalia’s Ghost (G)

God or gods – are:
(1) In Christianity and other monotheistic religions, the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being.

(2) In certain other religions, a superhuman being or spirit worshiped as having power over nature or human fortunes; a deity, goddess, divine being, celestial being, supreme being, divinity, immortal creator, a demiurge or godhead; maybe an image, idol, animal, or other object worshiped as divine or symbolizing a god.

(3) An adored, admired, or influential person.

(4) A word used for emphasis or to express emotions such as surprise, anger, or distress, such as, “God, what did I do to deserve this?”

God of the Gaps – is a religious argument presented to fill scientific gaps of knowledge. This fallacy assumes that an act of God is the explanation for an unexplained phenomenon, which is a variant of an argument from ignorance fallacy. It’s nuts, but it gets worse.

Ghosts (poltergeists) – are alleged disembodied spirits of dead persons. A poltergeist is (literally) a noisy spirit. People believe ghosts exist, but they don’t. The idea is fun, the stories are scary (fun), and Casper serves a purpose. But the reality is there are no ghosts. Sorry.

Glossolalia – is speaking in tongues, which is semantically and syntactically unintelligible speech. If one is schizophrenic, it is called gibberish. If one is a charismatic Christian (including some Catholics) it is called the gift of tongues. I think it is crap and many believers agree with me. Mumbo-jumbo which fails to rise to the more respectable level of woo-woo. The trick is to maintain one’s composure when one of them starts this crazy shit.

A to Z Blog Challange: We Were Fung Shui Farting (F)

Farting in church – In first grade, Jimmy Sauer and I were punished by a nun for laughing in church. She didn’t know why we lost it. We were held after church ended. I was sure my father would kill me. He didn’t. Jimmy was the one who started it when he farted.

Fung Shui (foong shway) – makes sense. Shocked? For us to live in harmony with our environment rather than against it is what this ancient Chinese philosophy is all about. However, the exploiters of new age woo-woo would not miss the opportunity to scam us with paid-for fakery. There is more fake fung shui out there than real, so keep your bull shit flag close at hand. Be skeptical.

Faith – My adult son was fretting as we drove home due to our gas gauge showing empty for a long time. When we pulled into our driveway at home, I said, “Oh, ye of little faith.” He had good reason to worry. We were driving on fumes. I got lucky. Faith is a non-rational belief contrary to the evidence. Very often people equivocate faith and belief with conclusions which are fact-based upon lack of evidence. I say there are no gods because there is no evidence they exist, Roman and Greek mythology notwithstanding. That is not faith, it is based purely on evidence, or the lack of.

Friggatriskaidekaphobia (Paraskevidekatriaphobia) – Our next one is in September of this year. This is the morbid, irrational, and superstitious fear of Friday the 13th. This may be the #1 superstition in America today. There is even a web site; http://www.friggatriskaidekaphobia.com/

There is also a similar word for fear of the number 13 (triskaidekaphobia). Some people do not have enough to worry about, right? Apparently, when you can pronounce it, you’re cured.

This video is a must watch and listen.

He who farts in church sits in his own pew.

A to Z challenge: Equivocating Extreme Ecotoplasmic Exorcisms (E)

Equivocating – is using ambiguous language to conceal the truth or to avoid committing oneself. It includes being evasive, noncommittal, vague, or ambiguous. One may evade or dodge the issue, beat about the bush, hedge, hedge one’s bets, fudge the issue, or parry questions or shilly-shally. I’m sure that I have wrapped myself in this when cornered. See also palter and tergiversate.

Ectoplasm – is clear in the movie Ghost Busters. See it if you haven’t. It’s in the movie, as are the producing spirits. You gotta be a true believer to buy into this garbage, but that is what it’s all about. Mediums and psychics have allegedly produced this stuff, fake ghost snot, of course, but some mumbo-jumbo types still believe it’s real.

Exorcism – is real. There’s even a movie, The Exorcist. Scared the living shit out of me, back in the day. The problem here is the reason for exorcisms is bull shit. There are no evil spirits. Real harm has been done to people with and without serious mental health problems. The Catholic Church stands behind this crap, but I doubt if all RC’s find it believable.

Extreme Unction – used to be last rights for the dying, and for many it still is. A sacrament “instituted by Christ” for spiritual aid and health, includes remission of sins, and to restore bodily health to a seriously ill Christian. The priest rubs blessed (by a bishop in RC, or by priests in orthodox) oils onto body parts (maybe even men’s loins; women, maybe not).

Every RC priest I’ve known hates this. Tipping is allowed. Only priests can do it, not deacons or nuns. Therefore, you might call a priest for a dying Catholic. The priest may condemn you to hell for interrupting his dinner/sleep/poker-night or whatever for such nonsense. It’s BS, but if you’re trying to cover all your bases, make the call.

A to Z Blog Challenge: Divine Druid Dreams (D)

Divination (fortune telling) – is nonsense. It is an attempt to foretell the future or discover occult knowledge by interpreting omens or with supernatural powers.

For example: anthropomancy is by reading organs of newly sacrificed humans, bronchiomancy is reading the lungs of a sacrificed white llama, cephalomancy is from reading a donkey’s head, cromniomancy is onions, haruspicy is reading the guts of sacrificed animals, hepatoscopy is specifically their liver, astrology, dowsing, myrmomancy is watching ants, necromancy is talking to the dead, omphalomancy is from the belly button. There are also dreams, bird flights, tea leaves, or cheese holes, reading bubbles of piss, and finally (one that makes sense) divination by wine. There are many more.

Sounds crazy, but are these are no more looney than thousands of people believing a man or woman when they say, God spoke to me. I don’t think fortune tellers are making a killing reading belly buttons these days but give them a deck of cards and a glass ball—Lady Wanda-woo-woo is divining all the way to the bank.

Druids – actually existed as a group. They exist today as a way of looking at human life within nature. Ancient druids were the wise men (and women) of the Celts. They were written about in different ways by ancient Roman writers and may have been a religious group in some way. However, little information is known other than they predated the Celts in the British Isles because the practices were private and there are no real temples or written traditions.

Druidry was integrated with Celtic culture and Druids were held in high esteem apart from the warrior class as judges, prophets, soothsayers, wise men and keepers of the collective memory.

I like the tie to nature and have few issues with groups that hold nature in high esteem. I do too, but not as gods or a religion. There is no proven historical link between ancient Celtic druidism and modern-day Wicca, but the claim has been made.

Dreams – are normal. Other animals also appear to dream. Making important real-life decisions, or foretelling the future with dreams may be fun, but it is unreliable woo-woo and may be dangerous. Much too much in the way of (conflicting) books and articles have been written about dreams over the years for me to dive too deep here. I have never believed that any god talks to any animal or human through dreams. It came to me in a dream. In your dreams. Dream on, dream on, dream on…. I like music about dreams.