Off the keyboard of RE
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Published on the Doomstead Diner on August 12, 2018
Discuss this article at the Spirituality & Mysticism Table inside the Diner
From Google tal·is·man ˈtalÉ™smÉ™n,ˈtalizmÉ™n/ noun noun: talisman; plural noun: talismans
an object, typically an inscribed ring or stone, that is thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck. synonyms: lucky charm, charm, fetish, amulet, mascot, totem, juju
"this talisman has been in our family for more than twelve generations
From Merriam Webster
Definition of talisman plural talismans
1 : an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune
2 : something producing apparently magical or miraculous effects
talismanic
play \ˌta-ləs-ˈma-nik, -ləz-\ adjective talismanically
play \ˌta-ləs-ˈma-ni-k(ə-)lē, -ləz-\ adverb
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From Google
shrine SHrīn/ noun noun: shrine; plural noun: shrines
1. a place regarded as holy because of its associations with a divinity or a sacred person or relic, typically marked by a building or other construction. synonyms: holy place, temple, church, chapel, tabernacle, sanctuary, sanctum
"the shrine of St. James"
a place associated with or containing memorabilia of a particular revered person or thing. "her grave has become a shrine for fans from all over the world"
a casket containing sacred relics; a reliquary.
a niche or enclosure containing a religious statue or other object. synonyms: memorial, monumen "a shrine to the Beatles
verb
literary
verb: shrine; 3rd person present: shrines; past tense: shrined; past participle: shrined; gerund or present participle: shrining
1. enshrine
From Merriam-Webster Definition of shrine
a : a case, box, or receptacle; especially : one in which sacred relics (such as the bones of a saint) are deposited
b : a place in which devotion is paid to a saint or deity : sanctuary
c : a niche containing a religious image
2 : a receptacle (such as a tomb) for the dead
3 : a place or object hallowed by its associations
As regular readers of the Diner (do we still have any?) know, the time has arrived for myself and my Cohort in Collapse Eddie to embark on the Last Great Alaskan Bucket List Adventure. Now, there is no guarantee this will be the LAST "Last Adventure" I take, if you remember back a year ago at around this same time I took my first Last Adventure, down to Rexburg,ID to see the Total Eclipse of the SUN camped out in the Path of Totality .
VIDEO
Getting down to that one was touch-and-go right up to the last minute, and the only way I made it down there was with thehelp of my friend Brian, who flew up to accompany me and help me get my crippled ass in and out of chairs and into the planez and carz we needed to burn oil in in order to get there. At the time I didn't think I could feel worse and still be above ground level, but I was wrong. I am worse off now. But still alive. Like a Broken Clock that is right Twice a Day though, one of these "Last Adventures" will in fact be my last. So I try to make each one special in some way, to help with the recollections as the memories grow dim and the energy level fades.
So what's with the "Talismans & Shrines" RE? Have you gone full Matt Savinar into Astrology as a refuge from writing about and pondering on the problems of Collapse? It might seem that way, but the reality is a little more palatable, I think. I have always been a pretty Spiritual person, even going back to my youth as an Atheist. In those days the Spirituality was based on beliefs in Science and Progress I no longer hold, but it was a form of Spirituality nonetheless. None of it was provable, which is your main criteria of deciding if something is Spiritual or not. lol.
Anyhow, on metamorphosing into a Panentheist here in my later years, I found there were no modern Religions that really reflected my Spiritual philosophy, and Ancient Religions I read up on didn't appeal to me that much either. So independent sort of guy that I am, I started to organize my own"Religion" for myself. It's not a religion I proseletize or think anyone else should believe in, but I will answer questions about it if you ask me. To my way of thinking, the world woud be a much nicer place if everybody had their own religion. If you are interested, you can go back and read "On the Existence of God" , an essay I wrote in response to an ongoing discussion on The Burning Platform, where I used to contribute as an Author and Commenter.
A couple of things my religion has not had to this point are any Talismans or Shrines. You have these things in about all religions, the Christians have their Cross and the Shroud of Turin and other objects and places they worship as Holy, the Muslims have Mecca and the Buddhists have shrines all over the place. lol.
So, part of this latest Last Great Adventure was to find a Talisman and build a Shrine where I can worship the Existence of Life and the Force or Forces that direct it through the passage of Time. I wanted it to reflect the values imbued in the SUN☼ Project as well, and visually remind you of that. There was a lot of serendipity in terms of how I came across the objects in the Shrine, it was almost as if this was all being directed by the Finger of God . The Shrine (or part of it) is pictured in the Header Photo at the top of this page.
Also in that pic is my Primary Talisman, but not visible as it is contained in the Black Box inside the Glass Receptacle. This Talisman has Magical Powers, as all Talisman's do, but they are not visible to other people and don't work for other people under normal states of consciousness. During the Last Great Alaskan Bucket List Adventure , I will hold Ceremonies to attempt to make these powers visible to my friends coming on this adventure with me. It may or may not work, but even if it doesn't it sets this trip apart from a typical camping trip! lol.
I hope to have more on the upcoming Adventure here on these pages, though it becomes harder all the time to motivate myself to write. I'll try to shoot pics and vids also, but the energy for editing those things is not in large supply either. Meanwhile, don't stop following Collapse here on the Diner, though most of the good discussion is taking place Inside the Diner , so you have to go there for it not out here on the Blog. Collapse hasn't gone away. It's here, it's now for many already, and it's Coming Soon to a Theater Near You soon as well.