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warc | 202143 | The GK Olympiad for class 8 students is extremely important for their all-round development. It makes them confident to attempt other competitive exams. The exam focuses on age appropriate content for all grade 8 participants. It tests their knowledge on different domains such as science, environment, entertainment, sports, lifestyle, technology and so on. This exam covers all the required fields that is important for students to know. It is one of the best exams for students to prepare for entrance exams conducted at various colleges and universities. Students get the required confidence to attempt difficult questions. The GK Olympiad for class 8 is conducted at national and international levels. It tests their aptitude. It helps them to take informed decisions. Parents are likely to get to know more about their child’s likes, dislikes areas of interests and other such minor details, which may not be possible with other exams. The GK Olympiad is one such exam that assists them to prepare for other subjects too. Having a good general awareness about a variety of topics makes them efficient and effective learners. GK Olympiad Preparation Material Class 8 helps to prepare for the annual Olympiad.
There are several advantages of taking the GK Olympiad for class 8 students. It improves their existing knowledge. It gives a boost to their reasoning abilities. It allows them to ask questions and seek answers. It helps students to identify their capabilities and thus have a better idea about their potential. Students are able to understand their weaknesses; thus they can work on the same accordingly. These exams provide an assessment of their knowledge and motivates them to do well in their academics. It is a step further towards academic improvement. All students are judged on their scientific reasoning and logical reasoning abilities. The questions asked in the GK Olympiad for class 8 students challenges their intellect. It promotes deeper understanding of facts. It helps them to better understand the concept. The GK Olympiad encourages conceptual and fundamental learning. It is believed that such kind of learning stays in the minds of children for a longer time as compare to rote-learning techniques. The objective of the GK Olympiad for class 8 students is to nurture young talent and sharpen their knowledge. These children turn out to become excellent competitors. General Knowledge Olympiad preparation Material Class 8 assists students in their preparation.
Olympiad Topper provides study material for preparing for the class 8 GK Olympiad. The study material is an online set of questions that students can attempt using any computer, tablet or smart phone. The questions are designed as per the current syllabus. Online learning of the GK Olympiad enhances self-paced learning. It does not burden children in any manner. Students can attempt these questions, study online and even check the answers at the end of the exam. Answer keys are provided for all tests taken by the students. This way, students get to know the right answer and also the reason behind the right answer. These tests are conducted within a given time limit similar to the annual Olympiads. Thus, students get to know the time limit within which they need to answer each question. IGKO Preparation Material Class 8 by Olympiad Topper should be the right choice for GK Olympiad. | 3,399 | 1,493 | 7,717.756196 |
warc | 202143 | The United States plans to admit a maximum of 18,000 refugees in fiscal year 2020, down from a cap of 30,000 in the one that ended Sept. 30, 2019, under a new refugee admissions ceiling set by the Trump administration. This would be the lowest number of refugees resettled by the U.S. in a single year since 1980, when Congress created the nation’s refugee resettlement program.
The decline in U.S. refugee admissions comes at a time when the number of refugees worldwide has reached the highest levels since World War II.
Here are key facts from our research about refugees entering the United States:
The refugee approval process for resettlement in the United States can take several months or years while security checks and other screenings are completed.
The International Organization for Migration and U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement work with U.S.-based voluntary agencies such as the International Rescue Committee or Church World Service to resettle refugees within the United States. With offices across the nation, these agencies help resettle refugees across many states.
Once resettled, refugees learn English and acquire job skills with help from local nonprofits like ethnic associations and church-based groups. After several months, financial assistance from federal agencies stops and refugees are expected to become financially self-sufficient. Most refugee households have someone who finds employment shortly after resettlement. U.S. refugees are granted permanent residency within a year of arrival and can apply for U.S. citizenship five years later.
1 Every fall, the U.S. president sets a refugee ceiling – the maximum number of refugees who may enter the country in a fiscal year. In fiscal 2017 (Oct. 1, 2016, to Sept. 30, 2017), about 53,700 refugees resettled in the U.S. – a figure that reflects a temporary freeze on refugee admissions that Trump ordered shortly after taking office. The following year, Trump’s first full fiscal year in office, he set the nation’s refugee ceiling at 45,000, a new low at the time, and the U.S. ultimately admitted about 22,500. Trump then set the refugee ceiling at 30,000 for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2019, and refugee admissions reached this cap. For fiscal 2020, which started Oct. 1, 2019, Trump has set a ceiling of 18,000 refugees.
Overall, the U.S. has admitted about 76,200 refugees so far under the Trump administration (Jan. 20, 2017, to Sept. 30, 2019). By comparison, the U.S. admitted nearly 85,000 refugees in fiscal 2016 alone, the last full fiscal year of the Obama administration.
2Historically, the total number of refugees coming to the U.S. has fluctuated with global events and U.S. priorities. From fiscal years 1990 to 1995, an average of about 116,000 refugees arrived in the U.S. each year, with many coming from the former Soviet Union. However, refugee admissions dropped off to roughly 27,100 in fiscal 2002, a new low at the time, after the U.S. largely suspended admissions following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Refugee admissions rebounded from this low point. From fiscal 2008 to 2017, an average of about 67,100 refugees arrived each year. Half or more of refugees during this time came from Asia, with many from Iraq and Burma (Myanmar). (Iraq is counted as a part of Asia in this data source.) Since fiscal 1980, 55% of refugees have come from Asia, a far higher share than from Europe (28%), Africa (13%) or Latin America (4%). D.R. Congo accounted for nearly 13,000 refugees, followed by Burma (Myanmar) with about 4,900, then Ukraine (4,500), Eritrea (1,800) and Afghanistan (1,200). The picture looks different over the longer term. Since fiscal 2002 (Oct. 1, 2001, to Sept. 30, 2019), the most refugees have come from Burma (about 177,700), Iraq (144,400) and Somalia (104,100). 4 Christians accounted for 79% of refugees who came to the U.S. in fiscal 2019. The U.S. admitted about 23,800 Christians, compared with about 4,900 Muslims and smaller numbers of other religious groups.
This pattern marks a sharp reversal from several years ago. In fiscal 2016, the number of Muslim refugees admitted reached 38,900, a historic high that narrowly outpaced Christian refugee admissions (about 37,500). That year, Muslims accounted for 46% of the year’s refugees, the highest share since fiscal 2006.
Since fiscal 2002 (Oct. 1, 2001, to Sept. 30, 2019), the U.S. has admitted about 464,700 Christian refugees and about 310,700 Muslim refugees.
5 Together, these states took in nearly 8,100 refugees. Other states that received at least 1,000 refugees include Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina, Arizona, Georgia and Michigan. By contrast, the District of Columbia, Delaware and West Virginia each resettled fewer than 10 refugees. Hawaii and Wyoming took in no refugees in fiscal 2019.
Since fiscal 2002, California has resettled the most refugees (about 108,600), followed by Texas (88,300), New York (58,500) and Florida (48,700).
6Americans have been divided in recent years over whether the U.S. should accept refugees, with large differences by political party affiliation. In a May 2018 survey, for example, about half of Americans (51%) said the U.S. has a responsibility to accept refugees into the country, while 43% said it does not. Around three-quarters of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (74%) said the U.S. has this responsibility, compared with 26% of Republicans and Republican leaners. For much of the 20th century, U.S. public opinion polls showed fairly consistent disapproval of admitting large numbers of foreigners fleeing war and oppression, regardless of official government policy. | 5,684 | 2,570 | 12,471.624903 |
warc | 202143 | From the way senators talked about the drone program at the John Brennan hearing Thursday, you’d think Congress has been hauling in White House officials to explain the program in the light of day again and again.
But Congress' public oversight of targeted killings has been almost nonexistent. The last hearings on the drone strikes — held by a House national security subcommittee — faded away after the early months of 2010.
And until Thursday’s Brennan hearing, the two committees with jurisdiction over the CIA drone program — the Senate and House Intelligence Committees — have never held a public inquiry on the program. The Senate and House Armed Services Committees, which oversee the military drone program in war zones, haven’t held hearings, either.
Senior members of Congress insist they are briefed on strikes, but that only happens after a strike — behind closed doors, far from public view.
In addition, lawmakers and congressional leaders with the authority to investigate won’t say if they've given the program greater scrutiny in private, so whatever questions have been asked aren't part of the public record.
That's angered a small band of senators — mostly liberals, but a few Republicans too — who have complained for years that the program exists only in the shadows.
So while it’s big news this week that the White House turned over classified legal opinions that justify using drone strikes to kill Americans abroad, it’s not clear that the revelation marks a new day for drone oversight.
In fact, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that Congress will return to status quo, as the Hill often does after a brief moment of interest in a headline-grabbing national security program like the eavesdropping program under President George W. Bush.
Just look at what some of the overseers say about the strikes and the idea that Congress should try to second-guess them.
“The idea of having 535 commanders in chief decide the target is ridiculous,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, who plans to introduce a resolution next week supporting the drone strike program. “It should reside with the commander in chief to decide who is an enemy combatant.”
Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, says he’s fine with the drone strikes even though he was one of the lawmakers calling on the Obama administration to release the legal opinions.
“This has been a huge value-added in disrupting al Qaeda events. And guess what? Sometimes Americans have joined that organization to kill Americans. That’s their choice, not ours,” Rogers said in an interview on MSNBC Wednesday.
Even Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, sounds at times like one of the drone program’s biggest defenders. At Thursday’s hearing, she did push Brennan for help getting eight other legal opinions on the program. But what was Feinstein’s main complaint about the classification rules? They’re preventing her from talking about how low the civilian casualties are.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), one of the senators who led the push to get the legal opinion, suggested at Thursday’s hearing that the senators had been stiffed — that the Justice Department hadn’t actually given the intelligence committees all of the legal opinions after all.
Some of the overseers, like Wyden, have gotten some mileage out of pressuring the administration. And some Senate intelligence committee members did sound concerned about the drone strikes at Thursday’s hearing, including Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who suggested to Brennan that the number of targeted killings under Obama has been four times as high as it was during the entire Bush presidency.
But others, if they’re not actively cheering for the program, are just scared to say too much about it.
“I think the committee has been doing the work it’s supposed to be doing,” Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida — Time magazine’s newly appointed “Republican savior” — told POLITICO with a nervous look on his face before rushing into a senators’ luncheon. “I’m a new member. I just want to make sure I’m not talking about things I’m not supposed to discuss.”
Even the Obama administration’s allies aren’t impressed. They want Congress to get tougher with the president — and force him not just to reveal the legal reasoning behind the CIA drone strikes, but to explain more about who gets to make the strike decisions and what groups can be targeted. And they want to open the program to some kind of outside scrutiny, whether it’s done in public or not.
“I have every confidence that this administration is doing everything it can to make the right decisions, but our system is built on checks and balances,” said Ken Gude, chief of staff and vice president at the Center for American Progress, which has close ties to the Obama administration. “I shouldn’t be any more accepting of the assurances of this administration than I was of the Bush administration.”
The irony isn’t lost on Gude. He worked on a CAP paper in 2006 that recommended ways to improve congressional oversight of intelligence after Bush’s warrantless surveillance program was revealed. The lead author of the paper: Denis McDonough — now the new White House chief of staff.
The Brennan hearing was a rare case where lawmakers have even tried to ask questions in public about the Central Intelligence Agency’s drone strikes against suspected militants in Pakistan and Yemen.
Most of the Senate and House intelligence committee hearings are closed, and committee aides refused to say whether the CIA drone strikes have even been a topic of the hearings. But the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, which have jurisdiction over the Defense Department drones used in Afghanistan and Iraq, have held no hearings on the topic during Obama’s presidency.
One House panel, the House Oversight and Government Reform National Security Subcommittee, did hold two hearings in March and April 2010 about the legal and ethical questions raised by the targeted killings. Since then, the full committee and subcommittee have held no hearings on the topic.
And none of the members of the “Gang of Eight,” the top Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate and the chairmen and ranking members of the Intelligence Committees, would say whether they’ve gotten details on the program during the closed briefings about covert activities they get from the Obama administration.
Until now, it has been just a handful of senators — like Democrats Wyden and Patrick Leahy (Vt.) and Republican Chuck Grassley (Iowa) — who have been pushing for the legal opinions, and it’s only with the Brennan hearing that they really had an impact.
Wyden told POLITICO he thinks there is a “new pragmatic and bipartisan coalition emerging on these issues,” and that Obama told him Wednesday night that “we need a public discussion” of the issues surrounding the drone program.
But that only made Wyden more frustrated when he realized the Intelligence Committee had not received all of the legal opinions Obama promised. “There seems to be a pretty big disconnect between what the president said last night and what we saw this morning,” Wyden said.
Wyden and the other senators used their moment of maximum leverage, since Obama needs them to confirm Brennan as the next CIA director — and they had hinted strongly that they might not do that if Obama didn’t turn over the legal opinions. They won’t have that kind of leverage to get more details for a long time after Brennan is confirmed, assuming the Senate approves him.
But Grassley, for one, bristles at the notion that they should even need leverage.
“What leverage do we need to have when this administration said on Jan. 20, 2009 that they were going to be the most transparent and honest administration in the history of the country?” Grassley asked.
The drone strikes have become a major test of how Congress has built up its oversight of covert activities since the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance program came to light during the Bush years.
That episode revealed serious limits on the leverage lawmakers had to ask questions about the programs — especially in the briefings that are limited to the Gang of Eight. At the time, gang members couldn’t even share their concerns about the program, and Sen. Jay Rockefeller, then the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, had to resort to writing a letter to then-Vice President Dick Cheney and keeping it locked in a safe. Eventually, Bush halted the program under public pressure — but only after it had been revealed in news reports.
Since then, the law has been strengthened a bit, to require the White House to give at least a general description of a covert activity to all Intelligence Committee members after the more detailed briefing is given to the Gang of Eight.
Even now, though, civil liberties groups say the limits of secret oversight are becoming obvious again with the new questions about the CIA drone program.
“These committees get very little bang for the buck for pushing back,” said Elizabeth Goitein of the Brennan Center for Justice. “The public can’t get fired up about things they don’t know.”
Most of lawmakers’ comments lately have focused on the September 2011 strike that killed Anwar al-Awlaki, a Yemeni cleric who was born in the United States and was tied to plots to blow up an airplane in December 2009 and cargo planes in 2010.
They haven’t paid as much attention to the numerous other attacks. The New America Foundation, which has been tracking the strikes through news reports, estimates that 1,953-3,279 people have been killed by CIA drone strikes in Pakistan since 2004. Most were reported to be militants, the group says, but about 18-23 percent of the deaths were believed to be civilian casualties.
The CIA runs the drone attacks in non-war zones like Pakistan, while the Department of Defense has been in charge of the drone missions in areas like Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
The drone strikes in general are wildly popular with American voters. They approve of the CIA drone attacks by a three-to-one margin and the U.S. military strikes by a six-to-one margin, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released Thursday. Strikes on American citizens overseas are a different matter, though — 48 percent say they think those strikes are illegal, while 24 percent say they’re legal.
It’s not that there has been no oversight. Feinstein said Thursday that the committee has been conducting “significant oversight” of the drone program — and suggested it has been detailed enough that she knows the exact number of civilian casualties. Last summer, the Los Angeles Times reported that House and Senate Intelligence Committee staffers have been watching videos of the drone strikes at the CIA headquarters.
And Rogers told MSNBC he reviews “all of the air strikes that we use under this title of the law.” But he also suggested he doesn’t have any real doubts about the program.
“You don’t just kill the enemy when they’re at the gate. You try to make sure that you get them before they even get close to having an operation that could kill Americans,” he said.
And House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) told POLITICO he has seen the Defense Department drone operations firsthand — because he has watched his nephew, who used to fly Predator drones over Afghanistan from a remote location in Nevada.
He’s not bothered by what he has seen.
“I’m aware of the concerns that are being raised. I don’t think we have the same problems with the DoD program that are being raised with the CIA program,” said McKeon. “I think we’re doing everything we can to comply with the law. In fact, sometimes they go overboard. They’ll lose a target rather than risk collateral damage.”
Realistically, most of the oversight of CIA activities like the drone program is going to have to stay behind closed doors. But Congress does have another option: passing legislation to authorize the drone program outside of war zones and putting conditions and limits on it.
Even if lawmakers were inclined to do that, though — and the legislation could get through a divided Congress — Brennan insists the Obama administration doesn’t need it, signaling that he’d put up a fight as CIA director. The 2001 authorization for military force after the Sept. 11 attacks already takes care of that, he said in written responses to questions from the Senate intelligence committee.
That authorization “does not contain a geographical limitation,” Brennan wrote. “Consequently I do not believe additional legislation along these lines is necessary.”
This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 6:17 p.m. on February 8, 2013. | 13,512 | 5,660 | 30,717.120848 |
warc | 202143 | Time Management
Time management is planning and exercising conscious control of our work activities to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity.
Managing our time effectively to get work done is essential to getting the job done. Here are my tips on how to maximise your time when working from home.
If you want to know how to make the most of the time you have available and achieve your goals, start with these five essential habits.
Time flies. That makes time a variable that can be hard to control. What's the best way to manage time effectively? Applying these 10 tips is a good start.
To be a successful project manager, you must be able to manage your time well. Here are six tips that can help you manage your time more efficiently.
Stressed? It's time to consider doing things a bit differently. See how setting your alarm just 20 minutes earlier could transform your day.
It's a major concern that some people believe there is a perfect time management software out there that will fix all their scheduling woes.
It's seemingly impossible to avoid multitasking in today's busy world. However, mounting evidence suggests multitasking is the enemy of productivity.
The four steps outlined in this article will help you better define and measure the activities that make up your project timeline.
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Project managers should know the iron triangle of project management, sometimes called the triple constraints of project management, because all projects are constrained by these elements.
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Time management is an essential skill for project managers. The best project managers ensure they are productive for most of their time and avoid time-wasters.
PDF | Size 599KB
By Duncan Haughey
Time management is essential for project managers who must manage their own time efficiently to run successful projects. This document highlights shared areas of failing and suggests a simple technique to help you improve your time management.
Time is what we want most, but what we use worst. William Penn | 2,052 | 998 | 4,180.076152 |
warc | 202143 | QR codes for gyms: How to use QR codes for fitness products and gym equipment
Last updated:October 14, 2021
Struck by the coronavirus pandemic, the fitness industry has to go digital to meet the ever-changing customer needs. Using QR codes for gyms, you’ll connect to your customers and bring a safer and convenient customer experience.
Gym QR code: Why QR codes for gyms is an effective digital partner for your members’ overall wellness
QR code which stands as “Quick Response” code is almost used by many industries due to its fast readability and storage capacity.
By a simple scan using a QR code reader app or a smartphone camera, one can access information instantly.
As an illustrative example, Vigor Active uses QR codes that embed video demonstrations on how to use their gym equipment. If a gym goer scans it using smartphone device, the video will display on the smartphone screen for easy viewing.
Isn’t it amazing how QR codes offer convenient yet safe digital experience to your gym members?
With the smart QR code solutions offered by QR code generators –software you can use to create QR codes –it is now easy to integrate QR codes in gyms, fitness studios, and other wellness centers.
Let’s learn more about how to use QR codes for gyms in the next part of this blog.
Ways on how to use QR codes for gyms in fitness products and gym equipment
1. How-to videos via video QR code
If your gym members are new and have never approached gym equipment, offer them engaging videos on how to use a certain machine and the muscles they’re meant to target.
To easily share these how-to videos, convert it into a video QR code and place the printed QR code near the equipment.
The video QR code (under the File QR code solution), once scanned, will display the video on the smartphones of your gym members. They can easily view and download the video for a quick how-to.
Are your how-to videos uploaded in your YouTube channel? Then just quickly convert the YouTube video URL into a YouTube QR code.
A YouTube QR code is a convenient way of showing your gym members or potential customers a YouTube video how to use the gym equipment. They don’t have to type out the full URL of the video and look for it.
It is best to create a dynamic QR code of your YouTube QR code. Why? With a dynamic QR code, you can still replace that video you have embedded and redirect it to another video landing page.
So even if you printed or deployed your QR code in your gym and in the gym equipment, you can still edit the YouTube video URL.
Other creative ways on how to use QR codes for gyms
1. Provide meal plans via PDF QR code
Eating the right food is a constant battle with gym members so give them a helping hand with meal plans!
As gym experts say, a healthy diet complements your workout program. Make things easy with your members and share a PDF QR code of your personalized meal plans curated by nutritionists and dieticians.
Using a PDF QR code, your members will just scan the code to access their personalized meal plans and save it on their smartphones.
If they go to a grocery store, they can quickly refer to the file so they can check of the food items they need to buy.
2. Suggest workout music via Spotify QR code
Study shows that listening to music while exercising can help improve the quality of your workout by increasing your stamina and putting you in a better mood.
That is why most of your gym members are wearing ear pods and would sometimes request to have music playing inside the gym.
Why not suggest a workout playlist to your gym members using the Spotify QR code? So even if they want to have a home workout, they can easily play the music.
Spotify QR code is a QR code solution that embeds the use of Spotify music links into a QR code. Using this solution, you can easily share you suggest music from Spotify to your gym members without the need of downloading the Spotify codes app.
Your gym members can listen to your music without any scanning restrictions.
Unlike Spotify codes, Spotify QR codes have no restrictions as they can be scanned on any device and any scanning apps. Thus, your gym members will not have to download the app on their smartphones.
5. Boost social media presence via social media QR code
Do you have several social media pages for your gym or studios? Then, it is now high time to promote these pages and grow your followers using social media QR codes.
The social media QR code, when scanned, will display all your social media platforms on one mobile-optimized landing page.
Using this QR code solution, it will be easier for your gym members and potential customers to follow, subscribe and like you in all of your social media platforms.
QR code best practices to maximize gym QR code
Do not over-customize
Don’t get too overwhelmed with the customization options of a QR code generator. Remember to follow the basic rule that the foreground color of your QR code should be darker than its background color.
Why? This is because your QR code will be easy “read” by QR reader apps or by smartphones.
Add logo, icon, or image
Do you want your potential gym customers to remember your brand? From a marketing standpoint, adding a logo, icon, or image to your QR code will help customers recall your brand.
This would increase the likelihood that they might book a session or sign-up as a member.
Size matters
Make sure that your QR code is visible and easy to scan. If you are planning to print your QR code, consider the medium you will be using. Is it for a flyer? Is it for for a gym equipment label?
The recommended QR code size is 1.25 inches x 1.25 inches. If it is too small, your QR code won’t function and is useless.
Add a call to action
What is the purpose of your QR code? What is the content behind it?
Inform your gym members and customers what they will expect when they scan the QR code by adding a short call-to-action (CTA). This way, they will know what to do with the code and how the specific information will help them.
For example, if you want to distribute a coupon QR code, put “Scan for discounts”. Your potential customers will no longer have to grapple with what the promo is all about because you included a CTA on your QR code.
Proper placement
Make sure to put your QR codes for gyms in a place your members can easily see them. This means thinking through where they will be scanning your codes and making sure the code is easy to access.
If you want to put a QR code of how to use gym equipment, make sure to place the QR code near or on that specific equipment as much as possible. Do not cause confusion to your customers by giving a QR code that contains different information.
Overall wellness made easy with QR codes for gyms
As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues, ensuring your customers’ safety while engaging them at the same time is of paramount importance today.
But with the usage of QR codes, you can hit two birds with one stone. QR code minimizes physical contact as only smartphones are used to scan it. Your patrons and members don’t have to manually sign up a form or answer a paper-based survey anymore.
Likewise, they will be more engaged as virtual tutorials are now available in a matter of seconds. Offline to online engagement is made easy with QR codes for gyms.
Join the global sensation of using QR codes and include them in your gym operations, now! | 7,526 | 3,213 | 17,279.583567 |
warc | 202143 | The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in Wales has welcomed the Welsh Health and Social Care Minister’s oral statement to the Welsh Assembly that the COVID-19 Death in Service Scheme does apply to community pharmacy teams.
Writing to the Welsh Health Minister, RPS Wales and Community Pharmacy Wales have called for additional written assurances. The step to push for absolute clarity about the scheme followed a period of ambiguity and concern for community pharmacy teams following the initial announcement and media reports on 27 April.
The RPS/CPW joint letter also highlights;
That community pharmacy should always be recognised as an essential NHS service.
Plans for front line staff delivering NHS services must include consideration of all pharmacy teams, including community pharmacy from the very outset.
Commenting on the development, RPS Wales Director Elen Jones said:
“Community pharmacists and their teams are on the frontline of this crisis. There is no doubt that they absolutely must have equal access to the life assurance scheme, should the very worst happen.
We welcome the statement by the Health Minister and will be eagerly awaiting written assurance from the Welsh Government”. | 1,227 | 659 | 2,239.880121 |
warc | 202143 | It has been a real challenge for us all to cut through the negativity of the media cycle over the course of 2021. We get bogged down in the subsequent lockdowns, the crisis in Afghanistan and the International Panel on Climate Change declaring a ‘code red for humanity’, alongside the mental health impacts of the pandemic on our young people.
However, at schools, we are fortunate to be involved with the next generation of leaders and, as such, it is perhaps more possible to adopt a hopeful stance. These inspiring young people give us evidence every day of adaption and creativity at work. We can look to the future and feel hopeful.
The following are five important observations I have made over the past 18 months that I believe we should embrace as we move through and beyond this pandemic. There are some true positives and some inspiring and exciting things to look forward to.
1. Connection is the key
The opportunities we have had to connect with each other have allowed us to show and experience warmth, share pain and loss, and be open and vulnerable about how we are travelling. It is at these times when we are our most human and are of greatest support to each other. Connection is the key as we move through this period.
Many of our students at Carey have mentioned how important it has been to feel the support of their peers while studying remotely. They would open a communication platform just to be together, even if they were working on a solitary task. I know for me personally, the online gathering of the School Leadership Team at the start of each day in lockdown has been a necessary support, not only for the purposes of organising the operations of the School, but also for each of us to feel the connection and share the burden.
2. We are better together
The Carey community is strong and resilient. We can support each other through times of difficulty. Like an ecosystem, the diversity within our community is fundamental to its strength, adaptiveness and ability to respond to the challenges before it. By actively valuing difference and diversity, we strengthen the individuals within our community so they are encouraged to be their best and make their contribution to the collective good.
If we are able to move our focus from ‘me’ to ‘we’, we will have a community that is more grounded in supporting each other, promotes collaboration and co-operation and is ultimately more constructive. By focussing on the needs of others rather than our individual self-interest, we can gain perspective and build a collective vision. Together, we can move towards a brighter future.
3. Gratitude is necessary
When we are grateful, it has a profoundly positive impact on our emotions and physical health. Studies have shown that the simple act of showing gratitude and being thankful can improve our immunity against disease; make us more likely to engage in regular exercise; reduce toxic emotions such as resentment, frustration and regret; and decrease the chances of developing depression. Neurologist and author Oliver Sacks describes how gratitude helps people avoid
over-reacting to negative experiences by seeking revenge; it enhances self-respect, making it less likely that they will experience jealousy; and it even tends to make them sleep better.
At the moment, it can feel harder than ever to experience gratitude, but it is imperative that we focus on what we have. There are so many things to be thankful for, even right now. Practice gratitude to stay present, positive and outward looking.
4. There is no growth without struggle
Some of the best learning for everyone will come from making it through this period of struggle. The life skills we have all developed – perseverance, patience, determination and resilience – will provide us with a reference point for the future.
It’s not what happens to you that matters, it’s what you become because of your response to it. When we can view the challenges before us as an opportunity for growth, we can be more forgiving of ourselves and open to new pathways and perspectives.
5. Be open to change and a different way
If there has been one main takeaway from this pandemic, it is that we can change, and we can do things differently. We have had to accept that life won’t be like it once was (regardless of clever Qantas ads), so we need to accept it and adapt accordingly. Accepting something does not mean you’re necessarily okay with it – you are just focussing on the things you can control, rather than the things you can’t.
At times like these, I am reminded of the Serenity Prayer:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. – Reinhold Niebuhr
Through necessity, we have developed new ways of living and learning over the last 18 months of limitations, restrictions and inhibitors. But it has proved what we are capable of. I am excited to see what this ability to adapt and innovate will lead to once these restrictions are removed and we can truly appreciate how much we have learnt and grown.
First published in the
Carey Torch magazine. Written by Jonathan Walter, Principal. | 5,270 | 2,499 | 10,904.829932 |
warc | 202143 | Comparison of post-operative analgesic efficacy of rectus sheath catheter versus continuous wound infiltration for laparotomy surgery
Published: 1 January 2021
MedPulse International Journal of Anesthesiology , Volume 19, pp 12-16; https://doi.org/10.26611/10151913
Abstract:Background: The analgesic requirement of patients following laparotomy surgeries could not be met by single method.Pain, if effectively managed in the post operative period will reduce the respiratory complications, decrease the hospital stay and health care cost for the patients. Ultrasound guided rectus sheath catheter allows continuous infiltration of local anaesthetic in the post operative period. Materials and Methods: Randomised controlled trial – 60 patients who underwent Laparotomy surgery were divided into 2 groups. Group A – Bilateral wound catheter was placed subcutaneously at the end of surgery. Group B –Rectus sheath catheter was placed bilaterally under USG guidance. Both patient received bolus of 10ml 0.25% Bupivacaine followed by infusion of 0.25% Bupivacaine at 2ml/hr for 48hrs. The hemodynamic parameters,VAS score, Post operative opioid consumption were recorded for the above mentioned period. Results: The VAS score was significantly low in Group B compared to Group A (2.2, 2.0, 1.67, 1.87, 1.7, 2.17 vs 3.93, 3.86, 3.6,3.97, 4.1, 3.8)(p<0.05) in the observed time intervals. The need for rescue analgesia with opioid was less in Group B (6.7%) compared to patients in Group A (26.7%) (p<0.05). The HR, MAP observed in Group A is increased significantly as compared to Group B at all time intervals (p<0.05). Conclusion: We concluded that USG guided Rectus sheath catheter provides better post operative analgesia in laparotomy surgeries than wound catheter infusion.
Keywords: catheter / efficacy / surgery / post operative / wound / laparotomy / rectus / sheath / compared to Group
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warc | 202143 | The development and maintenance of mental toughness: Perceptions of elite performers @article{Connaughton2008TheDA, title={The development and maintenance of mental toughness: Perceptions of elite performers}, author={Declan Connaughton and Ross Wadey and Sheldon Hanton and Graham R. Jones}, journal={Journal of Sports Sciences}, year={2008}, volume={26}, pages={83 - 95} }
Abstract Seven participants from a previous study (Jones, Hanton, & Connaughton, 2002) agreed to be interviewed about the development of mental toughness. We also aimed to determine whether mental toughness requires maintenance. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to elicit the participants' perceptions of how mental toughness is cultivated and retained. Findings indicated that the development of mental toughness is a long-term process that encompasses a multitude of underlying mechanisms… Expand
Topics from this paper 265 Citations
Understanding mental toughness in Australian soccer: Perceptions of players, parents, and coaches
Psychology, Medicine Journal of sports sciences 2010
A winning mentality and desire was identified as a key attribute of mentally tough soccer players in addition to other previously reported qualities such as self-belief, physical toughness, work ethic/motivation, and resilience. Expand
Developing Mental Toughness: Attributional Style Retraining in Rugby
Psychology 2009
Recent research has identified optimism as an underlying mechanism of mental toughness (Coulter, Mallett, & Gucciardi, 2010). To further understand what elements of mental toughness can be developed,… Expand
The development of mental toughness in adolescents: utilising established theories
Psychology 2015
This thesis explored and evaluated the appropriateness of established psychological theories for understanding mental toughness development in adolescents. Initially, adolescent performers’… Expand
Lay perceptions of mental toughness: Understanding conceptual similarities and differences between lay and sporting contexts
Psychology 2016
Abstract: The predominant focus on sporting populations has limited our conceptual understanding of mental toughness in lay contexts. On the basis of its wider benefits beyond sports, we sought to… Expand
The Development and Maintenance of Mental Toughness in the World’s Best Performers
Psychology 2010
Eleven superelite participants (7 performers, 2 coaches and 2 sport psychologists) were interviewed regarding the development and maintenance of mental toughness. Findings revealed that this process… Expand
Coaches' views of mental toughness and how it is built
Psychology 2011
The purpose of the present study was to explore coaches' perceptions of mental toughness attributes as well as the strategies used to build mental toughness. Participants were 10 National Collegiate… Expand
Mental toughness in sport
Psychology German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research 2019
Mental toughness refers to a collection of psychological characteristic which are central to optimal performance. Athletes, coaches, and sport psychologists have consistently implicated mental… Expand
Mental toughness: what is it and how to build it
Engineering 2013
Mental toughness is a term that has been long talked about but often misunderstood. Fortunately, in the past 12 years, researchers have begun to study this phenomenon. Although there are differences… Expand
‘What it takes’: perceptions of mental toughness and its development in an English Premier League Soccer Academy
Psychology 2014
The purpose of this qualitative study was to undertake an in-depth exploration of coaches’ and support staff perceptions regarding mental toughness and its development in the pressurised and… Expand
Mental toughness in sport: motivational antecedents and associations with performance and psychological health.
Psychology, Medicine Journal of sport & exercise psychology 2014
It is concluded that BPNT is generative in understanding some of the antecedents and consequences of mental toughness and is a novel framework useful for understanding mental toughness. Expand
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Defining and Understanding Mental Toughness within Soccer
Psychology 2005
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Debilitative interpretations of competitive anxiety: A qualitative examination of elite performers
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Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of experience upon the interpretation of anxiety‐related symptoms in elite performers. Initially, a preliminary inductive… Expand | 7,478 | 3,050 | 17,841.772459 |
warc | 202143 | To create the most healthy and quality air in your home, one thing to always keep in mind are the humidity levels. Your home’s humidity levels can be affected by numerous factors these could include the climate you live in, the design of your home, and the materials your home was constructed with. Although you can’t change the climate you live in or easily switch the design of your home, there are things that you can install to help control the humidity levels in your home!
At ServiceOne, we offer air quality products and services to help you ensure your home’s air stays healthy and clean! We understand how humidity levels can affect the comfort of your home. That’s why we offer both general humidifiers and dehumidifiers to better control your home’s air! This post discusses the differences between these two air quality products and explain which one you need in your home!
What is a general humidifier?
A humidifier is an air quality product that will help put moisture into your home’s air. The two most common types of home humidifiers are cool mist and warm mist humidifiers. Generally, homeowners use humidifiers during the winter months when your home’s air is more prone to being dry, however, some homeowners use a general humidifier all year long. A humidifier will help your skin not dry out by providing moisture into your air to improve your congestion and control allergies.
What is a dehumidifier?
A dehumidifier, as the name suggests, is a product that will help decrease the amount of moisture in your home’s air. These are primarily used during the spring and summer months when the outdoor air is more humid. When your home’s air is too humid, it will often feel “sticky” or “stale”. A dehumidifier will help create a more comfortable home while also preventing seasonal allergies from affecting you and your family!
How to test your home’s humidity levels
Determining whether your home is too humid or not is actually easier than one may think! First off, if your home’s air is feeling too “dry”, your humidity level is more than likely too low. On the other hand, if your home is feels too “sticky”, your humidity levels are probably too high. Although some homeowners can gauge this when the symptoms are severe enough, there are also other methods and devices that can determine your humidity levels as well.
Overall, a home’s ideal humidity level should fall within 30 to 50 percent humidity! By testing your humidity levels in your home, you will be able to gauge whether or not you need a humidifier or dehumidifier! If you are unsure whether or not you need one of these air quality devices in your home, do not hesitate to give our professional HVAC team a call!
At ServiceOne, we offer many air quality services and products to keep our customers comfortable in their homes. If you have any questions regarding your home’s heating and cooling systems, please contact our team today! We are more than happy to help answer any questions and solve any problems you may have! | 3,127 | 1,307 | 7,203.823259 |
warc | 202143 | Lawyers may be the only thing standing in the way of eviction for millions of renters.
With the end of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s eviction moratorium on Aug. 26, 2021, most landlords can now ask courts to evict tenants who haven’t been paying their rent. As a result, new eviction filings are already spiking across the country. Data shows that once an eviction court begins a case, it’s very likely the tenant will quickly be out on the street – unless they have legal representation. | 538 | 344 | 805.436047 |
warc | 202143 | Hiring specialized contractors for tackling minor home repairs can be a costly affair. And here considering and hiring a handyman service can be much helpful instead. Handyman services are generalists who have skills for tackling multiple home tasks in just one visit. In short.
Are you fed up with electricity, plumbing, flooring, carpentry or door installation issues that disturb you daily? Handyman services can help you at every step of your life and will always required for you whether you live in an old residence or a recently built property!
A lot of factors decide how much your home is worth. As an astute homeowner, your job is to consider what you can do the best to improving your home's value with the assistance of Gaithersburg Handyman Services.
A competent handyman in Rockville can complete your home repair and maintenance work including plumbing or drywall issues with the best care and expertise.
You can rely on a professional handyman in Rockville who has the right knowledge and experience to handle your deck repair that will ensure an aesthetically pleasing outdoor place.
There might be number of problems occurring in your home or commercial space which other trades persons do not want to do due to the job being to small, these scenarios can only be fixed by a professional handyman so as to make sure that any such problems don't occur in the future.
Are you looking for a local handyman for your office repair or installation? Annual Maintenance contract from Easy Fix assures a standard service across the country.
we have talked about how you can become good handyman. we have discussed some of the important points and by applying all these you can easily become become top handyman.
In order to come across the service provider offering local handyman Sydney jobs you need to keep in mind certain important factors. These factors will help in your search.
If you are looking for the home renovation services to rebuild your home beautiful, then you should know the important things before hiring the services of property maintenance. Radar Handyman delivers the best services to make your home beautiful.
The list of facilities provided by commercial handyman services in Sydney is unending and you will be able to get the wide range only after getting in touch with them.
Planning for DIY work plan to repair any minute fittings in your facility? Check out why a house repair handyman service is preferred in a facility located at Sydney.
Do you want a proper improvement of your home? Do you want to avail the service at a low cost and within a short duration? Then this write up by Sydney's handyman services providers is your best answer. Keep reading it.
Most of the people hire local handyman services for repairing or fixing their minute repair work. This is because of the following few reasons. Read this article to know some of those reasons.
You may believe in doing your work on your own. Yes, it is good for health and for your money also. But, when it is about repairing your home you need to be more cautious. Read the below write up and follow the suggestions of building renovation handyman service providers in Sydney. | 3,190 | 1,492 | 6,786.233244 |
warc | 202143 | If you have been injured then you need to change a few things about your diet to promote recovery from the injury. Take a look through the Bronx Nutritionist listings to find someone near you that you can consult to build the best diet plan possible to get you back on your feet fast. Diet plays a great role in recovery from sports related injuries, a role that has only recently been given attention in the media; but that nutritionists have been aware of for years.
Eating to decrease inflammation
There are many different foods that you should avoid if you are having problems with inflammation. Sugars, fats and alcohol can all increase your inflammation and slow down the recovery process. A nutritionist can help you redefine your diet so you know which foods you can still eat and which are on the prohibited list. You also have to be careful as some foods can interact with medications and you won't get the benefit from either of them if they are taken together.
Eating to increase muscle regeneration
The other thing that a nutritionist will do for you are to help you identify which foods are best to eat to promote muscle healing and regeneration. While protein is the food that everyone knows is good for muscle growth, where that protein comes from is also an important consideration. Meat based proteins may not be the best choice for you. Finding a way to create a balance of sources in foods that provide protein will also create a rolling schedule within the body of how they are digested and used. Just like sugar, there are proteins that can be digested quickly and others that take longer. You want a mix to sustain your healing.
Creating a better nutrition plan
When you call one of the Bronx nutritionists in your area, they will be able to help you create a nutrition plan that promotes healing from your injury, but that will also improve your entire life. They will look at what you eat, how you exercise, your entire lifestyle and portions to make sure that your new nutrition plan is holistic in nature. Nutrition recognizes that the whole lifestyle of the individual effects how food is digested and used within the body. If you want to heal from an injury, having a nutritionist on your team will help you improve your whole life. | 2,269 | 1,058 | 4,848.968809 |
warc | 202143 | by Roger ConnahJun 02, 2019
by David ChipperfieldPublished on : Jun 04, 2019
It is a common misconception to think that architecture originates from a sketch on a napkin. The design process of architecture, in particular of built architecture, differs significantly from the prevalent perception of how art is produced. Just like an artist tries to cross boundaries, the architect tries to love boundaries. Architectural design is to project what the existing could be. The existing is many things: the place, its boundaries, the architectural task, the building regulations, the money, the people who design, the people who build, the people who use and reside in the building and those who own it. The idea of what might be does not only have to consider the possibilities and boundaries of the place and the budget, but also the notions of all these people. It is extremely difficult to build a house that the client cannot imagine. Architecture does not originate from a sketch on a napkin, but within a collective space of imagination, which in some sense represents a section of our society and culture. In order for an architectural practice to produce good architecture, a design culture must exist, which encompasses both the office culture and the project culture. In our experience, we have found that whoever wants to build good architecture, must acknowledge above all a cultural sphere of imagination, in which the people involved can concertedly unfold their power of imagination. Designing architecture means first and foremost making space for architecture. Architectural design means building space for the people, for their life and their thoughts.
(This article was first published in Issue#19 of mondo*arc india journal – an initiative by STIR.)
by Devanshi Shah Oct 07, 2021
Mumbai-based Spasm Design’s winning proposal for the new building on the KJ Somaiya campus analyses Indian architectural typologies and archetypes.
by STIRworld Oct 02, 2021
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) reveals their design of
Fuse Valley, an art-filled “smart valley” for the creative community, imagined along Porto’s Leça River.
by Devanshi Shah Oct 01, 2021
The Cagbalete Sand Clusters by Carlo Calma Consultancy combines the ideals of sustainability to create a new typology for eco-tourism on an island in the Philippines.
by STIRworld Sep 28, 2021
The 145m pedestrian bridge is to be constructed in the 2017 earthquake-hit Jojutla de Juárez town in Mexico, connecting urban centres around the Apatlaco river.
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warc | 202143 | Everyone knows about the use of essential oils in aromatherapy, room diffusers and scented fragrances, but it is much rarer to hear about their use in cosmetic products. Truth be told, thanks to their preservative, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral properties, essential oils are powerful allies for natural cosmetic lines and as well as promoting cell renewal, some of them are also able to stimulate metabolic processes.
If we want to use essential oils in cosmetics, we must always bear in mind that their concentration in a cream should never exceed 3%, and it is even better if it is between 1 and 2%. Another important consideration concerns the carrier used for essential oils: the best are vegetable oils, primarily jojoba oil, which does not go rancid and does not alter the fragrance of the final product.
In this blog, we've taken a look at three of the most popular essential oils and better understand their properties:
Ylang Ylang is a plant from Asia which has relaxing properties and helps to combat anxiety and stress. Used in relaxing body creams, this essential oil not only helps you sleep better but also restores the mental and physical balance that daily stress unbalances.
Damask rose has many functions, including energising and soothing. Thanks to its astringent, antibacterial and purifying properties, the rose reduces excess sebum and keeps acne, inflammation and skin redness at bay. Finally, rose contains vitamins A, B, C and vitamin E, which have an antioxidant and toning effect and delay the appearance of wrinkles.
In cosmetics, rosemary essential oil is used in skin care and cleansing products and even in the formulation of shampoos against dandruff and hair loss. It is also very well used in the preparation of toothpastes and natural deodorants due to its antiseptic action.
Create your own natural cosmetic line with quality essential oils
Stocksmetic has created a section dedicated exclusively to essential oils suitable for the preparation of cosmetic products. Here you will find our best blends: from fruity to floral or spicy, there is something to suit all tastes, or should we say all noses!
Enhance your cosmetics line with packaging that emphasises the naturalness of your formulas and a design that will win over your customers. For green packaging that is up to the job, choose the bottles and jars from our sustainable packaging section. Made of Green Pe and r-Pet plastic, they are ideal for formulations based on natural ingredients.
Enter the world of Stocksmetic and discover all our packaging designed for your beauty products: you can personalise them with our cases and add your logo and graphics thanks to our screen printing service. | 2,722 | 1,327 | 5,560.920874 |
warc | 202143 | I believe that students should have the opportunity to direct their own learning . This is precisely the task of meta cognition, which is, the awareness of acquired knowledge and the ability to understand, control and manipulate one’s own cognitive processes.
In order to improve communication and the relationship in the classroom, I provide...
1) Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate and/or graduate students on topics such as organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and chemical separation. 2) Supervise students' laboratory work. 3) Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory performance, assignments, and papers. 4) Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or... | 699 | 421 | 1,145.629454 |
warc | 202143 | Is your marketing strategy as effective as it can be? The likely answer to this question is no. After all, effective marketing isn’t a once and done activity but an ongoing process that can be tweaked to perform better all of the time. Of course, to be able to make such improvements you will need to know exactly what to tweak, something you can find out by reading below.
Simple tweaks for a more effective marketing strategy Target a demographic
‘Everyone’ is not a target demographic, and as much as you would like every single person in the world to buy your product or use your service, this is just not a realistic approach to marketing success. Instead, for effective marketing, you need to be much more specific and establish exactly who the people that are most likely to buy your product are.
Knowing
who your target demographic needs to include defining them in terms of socio-economic status, gender, age-range, and oftentimes even location. Be sure to pay attention to the types of platforms they are most likely to use online as well. After all, that is where it will be easiest to get your marketing content in front of them.
Another aspect of defining your target demographic is that it allows you to identify the keywords that they will most often use, this means you can further tailor the marketing content you create to their tastes and so have the opportunity to make tweaks that can result in more success.
Leverage social media
There is a right way, and a wrong way
to use social media to market your business. The good news is that with a few tweaks even the worse social media business account can become an effective marketing tool to bring in more customers.
First of all, it is important to make the focus of your business’s social media account interaction and community rather than using it solely to promote your products. Of course, you will add images of what you have for sale, and post about your products, but your followers and potential customers won’t want to look at an account that is basically a scrolling catalog.
Instead, be sure to keep your account fresh and up to date and give followers the chance to engage and interact with representatives from your business, as well as each other. In particular, running competitions can be very successful for this, especially if they encourage users to add their own images or content and vote.
Repeat customers should be your priority
A simple way of tweaking your business’s marketing strategy is to focus not on winning over brand new customers, or ‘cold leads’ as they are known. Instead, it can be much more effective and profitable to make sure that your repeat customers come first.
Yes, that does mean that an effective marketing strategy may shift from things like adverts to emails that contain offers for those that have already shopped with you. However, remember that it is always more likely that a customer that has previously had a positive experience with you will shop with you again, than one that has never worked with you before.
Also, remember that in most cases around 20% of your customers are responsible for a large majority of your sales. Therefore it just makes more sense to tailor your marketing to them before anyone else.
Get expert help
You can also tweak your marketing to make it more successful by investing in expert help. After all, marketing is a stand-alone discipline and many business owners do not have the time to devote to becoming experts at it while doing everything else that running their business requires.
Indeed, it is best not just to find a marketing expert to help you tweak your strategy, but a professional that has experience in the area of business you are working in as well. The reason for this is that a
SaaS marketing agency (specializing in software as a service) will have a vastly different knowledge base and approach than one focusing on marketing healthcare practices. After all, such fields are quite diverse and it makes sense that someone with expertise in the field you want to succeed in will be the best fit to support you.
Professionals will help you better understand how you need to market your software produ
ct and what strategies to use to reach your predefined goals. Expert agencies specializing in one specific field will know better what kind of effective marketing strategies will bring the most results based on their previous experience in the market. Trends in marketing matter
Finally, if you are considering tweaking your business marketing approach you must be aware
of the current trends, especially when it comes to digital marketing solutions. Indeed, the digital marketing landscape changes often and fast, and for your efforts to stand out among your competitors you will need to use the latest effective marketing approaches to catch potential customer’s eyes. | 4,915 | 2,171 | 10,971.02257 |
warc | 202143 | Analysis
Beijing Winter Olympics are set to start in four months, yet both the Chinese regime and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) remain silent on accusations of human rights violations in the host nation.
Unlike the 2008 Olympics—when China was allowed to host the event under vague promises of improving its human rights record—there have been no human rights conversations nor pledges of betterment by the Chinese communist regime. Some argued, back over a decade ago, that granting Beijing the 2008 Olympics would have helped press the regime to improve upon its rights record.
But the IOC decided to let Beijing host the Winter Olympics, that open on Feb. 4, undeterred by opposition from rights advocates.
Thomas Bach, IOC president, has continuously evaded questions regarding the morality of holding the Olympics in China, given ongoing reports of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) systematic human rights violations. He also declined to address or condemn the treatment of Uyghurs and other minorities in China.
“The big difference between the two Beijing Games is that in 2008 Beijing tried to please the world,” said Xu Guoqi, a historian at the University of Hong Kong, in an email to The Associated Press. “In 2022, it does not really care about what the rest of the world thinks about it.”
When China landed the Olympics in 2008—after it had been denied the opportunity in 2000, partly due to its rights abuse record—some IOC members opposed it on the basis that it would give tacit approval to the regime’s conduct.
But according to Uyghur activist Zumretay Arkin, nowadays the IOC “couldn’t care less” and appears “unmoved” when faced with abhorrent testimonies from Uyghur survivors that escaped Chinese re-education camps, according to an April 8 blog post. Arkin claims the IOC “insists the Olympics are a ‘force for good’ and that sport can be separated from politics, even when the host government is charged with genocide.”
Many rights experts and advocates have also said that the human rights situation deteriorated in China after 2008, questioning why the 2022 Winter Olympics should be different.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) sent a letter (pdf) to Bach, on Dec. 15, 2020, stating that the 2022 Games will take place in an “environment significantly worse” than that of the 2008 Beijing Games.
HRW said that, since 2008, it “documented the government’s crackdown on peaceful activists, lawyers, and human rights defenders, mass arbitrary detention of one million Turkic Muslims” in Xinjiang, “the deployment of Orwellian surveillance technology with a view towards engineering a dissent-free society,” as well as the “drastic” curtailment of civil liberties in Hong Kong.
As further stated by a coalition of 200 rights advocates, the Chinese regime “repeatedly backtracked on the human rights pledges it made to secure the right to host the [2008] Games and there was no accountability by the IOC and the international community. Instead, China was given a free pass to wantonly violate human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
This came in the form of an open letter addressed to TV broadcasters, pleading with them to cancel their coverage of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Reggie Littlejohn, the founder of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers and part of the Genocide Games coalition, said in an interview with EpochTV’s “American Thought Leaders” that the CCP broke all promises it made in 2008.
“If they committed genocide or are continuing to commit genocide against the Uyghurs after the 2008 Olympics, what are they going to do after 2022? Are they going to invade Taiwan?” Littlejohn said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 3,869 | 1,892 | 7,508.968288 |
warc | 202143 | Are you thinking of getting a new deck made for your house? If so, you might be thinking of getting help from a landscaping company. This is a good move to make, as professional landscaping companies have been in this line of work for years. Others, however, might think that taking a DIY approach would be better. Without deck-building experience, there are greater risks that come with this choice, and not everyone has worked on decks for many years. This is why we suggest hiring a landscaping company when designing a new deck for your house.
A Landscaping Company Will Have the Best Materials
Decks have to be able to handle a lot of weight, foot traffic, weather conditions, and more. When decks aren’t built using sturdy and reliable materials, they won’t be safe. Fortunately, any dependable landscaping company will know how to acquire high-quality materials for building your deck. This way, your deck will last longer and be safer for those who use it.
They Will Have Warranties For Their Work
Not all landscaping companies offer warranties, and if they don’t, you should avoid them. However, most companies you contact will offer warranties for the work that they do. This helps protect you if anything were to go wrong during the decking project. Not only that, but when a landscaping company is willing to offer a warranty and compensate you for their mistakes, it shows how much they trust their work.
A Landscaping Company Can Make Your Deck Trendy
Functionality isn’t the only thing a deck has to have. When you work with professionals, they’ll help make your deck trendy and pleasing to the eye. You can get your deck fitted with all sorts of features such as railings or lights.
The design options you have are vast, so make your preferences known to your landscaping company before they begin working on your deck.
They Will Have Licenses and Qualifications for Deck Building
Dependable professionals will have qualifications and licensing to prove they can get the job done successfully. They will also be insured, which gives you protection if someone gets injured while on your property. If you go with a company that is local, they will also understand all of the building codes in your area. All of these factors ensure that no problems pop up while your deck is being built.
The Landscape Design Center Is Here To Serve You
At the Landscape Design Center, the client is always our number one priority. We are committed to creating, improving, and maintaining the environment – an environment in which our clients live, work, and play. We work with a variety of electric companies in the area to make sure your lights are addressed properly. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, and YouTube to stay up-to-date on all of our latest news. | 2,832 | 1,351 | 5,846.371577 |
warc | 202143 | There have been a lot of changes in the world, in the hospitality industry, and here at AAHOA. Whether the changes were derived from the pandemic or something else beyond our control, it’s what moves us forward.
The 2021 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show brought thousands of people together for the first time since the pandemic began. It also brought a change in leadership at AAHOA. I’m up to the challenge, as AAHOA’s new President and CEO, to lead AAHOA as we grow accustomed to these transitions. During this pivotal period, AAHOA’s mission and values remain constant in our commitment to being the foremost member resource and advocate. Our strength is being Team AAHOA: One Mission, One Vision, One Voice.
AAHOA’s enhanced advocacy and education efforts are continuing to help AAHOA Members and the industry get back on track. Our voices have been heard. We asked for help and we’re getting it.
The Economic Injury Disaster Loans program provides economic relief to small businesses and nonprofit organizations that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. These loans help businesses meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred.
For months, AAHOA has urged lawmakers for more relief when it comes to the loan amount and waiver of affiliation rules. AAHOA applauds the Biden Administration and welcomes the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) announcement of a much-needed expansion of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Since the start of the pandemic, AAHOA worked with the SBA, key congressional committees, and individual Members of Congress to advocate for more relief when it comes to an increase in EIDL caps and parity between the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and EIDL with regards to a waiver of the affiliation rules.
Some of the EIDL enhancements include raising the threshold up to $2 million per property, raising the aggregate loan cap up to $10 million, and a waiver of affiliation rules (permits assistance at multiple properties).
On top of that, AAHOA recently announced the results of a new study conducted in partnership with Oxford Economics, a global leader in forecasting and quantitative analysis, on the economic impact and industry influence of the association’s members. Be sure to check out some of the excerpts from the report on pgs. 32-33.
Among the study’s impressive conclusions, the 34,260 AAHOA Member-owned hotels account for 60% of all hotels in the U.S., 3.1 million guestrooms, and 2.2 million direct-impact jobs.
Having this data at our fingertips will allow AAHOA to advocate more effectively on behalf of our members. Our significant contributions, not only to the industry but to the entire economic landscape in the U.S., is impressive. That AAHOA-owned hotels contribute $368.4 billion to the U.S. GDP (or 1.7% of the total U.S. GDP) underscores our impact on the overall economy and allows us to have even more meaningful conversations with lawmakers at the federal, state, and local levels.
So, as we’re navigating these changes, some more desirable than others, and lead AAHOA into its next chapter, I am confident our new leadership’s commitment and enthusiasm will play a pivotal role in AAHOA’s future success. We are Team AAHOA: One Mission, One Vision, One Voice. We have so much more to accomplish together. | 3,434 | 1,684 | 6,857.804038 |
warc | 202143 | Frequently Asked Questions
Feel free to Ask Us your questions if they are not listed below.
"I have money from running an event, how do I send it to United Way?"
Individual event organizers collect e-transfers/cash/etc.
Event organizers transfer fees to our treasury department through an online bill payment method
-Find Payee name "Univ of Guelph Treasury" enter account #TRSY000020 -* Please note Treasury would prefer larger lump sum donations as opposed to a number of small ones -Alternatively, Treasury can receive payment at the front counter, COVID-19 Hours: Monday 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM of each pay week. Alternative days by appointment only
Event organizer to complete an online form (https://uoguelph.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ctKInXUpneKP3h3) detailing organizers name, transfer amount, department, etc.
Treasury to transfer funds to U of G United Way G/L account code.
At end of the campaign, Mark Colvin will generate a transfer of funds to United Way for all events.
"What are your fundraising/admin costs?"
In 2020, for every dollar donates, 83 cents went directly to our local community initiatives.
We encourage donors to be cautious about using our organizational overhead as the sole way to gauge effectiveness. This number can fluctuate from year to year based on a variety of factors but that does not mean we are necessarily making less or more impact. To learn more, watch Dan Pallotta's Ted Talk
Whether it is through community or internal investments, donors can trust that we invest our available resources in smart, strategic ways, to ultimately help the people who depend on us.
"How can I be sure my donation will make an impact?"
United Way mobilizes the power of caring communities to address the most complex social issues. We currently focus our work on providing adequate basic needs, ensuring connected kids, creating a sense of belonging and inclusion, supporting positive health and providing supports for seniors.
We work closely alongside issue experts on research planning tables to understand our community's needs and facilitate investment in programs through a volunteer Community Impact Committee. After our funds are invested in either community programs or collective initiatives, reporting and evaluation is completed and reported annually in our Year In Review Report-PDF.
"Is it possible to keep my donation local?"
Every dollar you give to United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin stays 100% within Guelph, Wellington, and Dufferin. If you prefer for your donation to stay within one of those communities, you may specify that at the time of your donation.
"Can I donate to other charities through United Way?/Why should I give to United Way rather than giving to the charities directly?"
Yes, you can designate your donation to one or more specific programs that United Way funds or to other charities that you may wish to support.
We encourage donors to consider allowing their gift to be used where needed most, rather than designating to a specific organization because:
You can be assured that our research has shown us we are currently focusing on pressing issues, through collective approaches which reduce overlap and provide effective solutions to those issues. Undesignated donations are more flexible and allow us to be agile when our community requires it, such as responding to urgent situations like the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing funding to United Way allows front-line agencies the relief of some of the burden of raising funds, so they instead can focus on delivering programs and services.
Click here for more FAQ's! | 3,621 | 1,809 | 7,175.945274 |
warc | 202143 | Dozens of allegations of sexual assault were made against serving police officers in Hertfordshire over five years, figures reveal.
It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson says there is “a massive job” to be done in restoring women’s confidence in police after the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer.
Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show 27 sexual assault complaints were made against Hertfordshire Constabulary officers between 2016 and 2020.
The data does not specify if the officers were on or off duty at the time the alleged incidents occurred.
The sex of the person making the accusation was also unknown in each case.
Responses from 33 police forces across Great Britain revealed that most claims over five years related to male officers, where their sex was recorded.
The End Violence Against Women Coalition, which includes groups like Rape Crisis, Refuge and Women's Aid, said few officers face "any meaningful consequences" for violence against women and girls nationally.
The organisation said the murder of Ms Everard took place within a broader context of violence perpetrated by the police.
Deputy director Denzi Uğur said: "We need to see a radical overhaul of how the police respond to violence against women – especially within their own ranks.
"This means greater accountability and urgent, coordinated and strategic action to address violence against women.
"Ultimately, we need to address these widespread institutional failings before we can even begin to address women’s confidence in the police."
The data from Hertfordshire Constabulary was in response to a request for the number of complaints of sexual assaults against serving police officers.
It covered public complaints and internal conduct matters, which include those raised by members of the police against their colleagues.
Complaints could relate to historic allegations.
Of the cases against officers in the force between 2016 and 2020, 19 came from the members of the public and five from colleagues.
Read more: Details revealed after man critically injured in fall from moving ambulance Watch: Eight crashes caught on camera at width restriction
The source of three ongoing complaints was not given.
A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Constabulary said it requires the “highest levels of integrity” from officers and takes appropriate action when required.
“If claims are made against our officers, a thorough investigation will be carried out by an independent force irrespective of who the offender is,” they added.
“The Professional Standards Department (PSD) prioritises sexual offence allegations against police officers.
“PSD, working in conjunction with the IOPC, investigates officers where officer conduct has or is likely to have breached the standards of professional behaviour.”
The spokesperson said in the wake of Sarah Everard’s murder and the “gross abuse of power” by serving officer Wayne Couzens it is only right that the whole police service be subjected to greater scrutiny.
“Sarah’s killer will never be free to pose a threat to any woman or girl ever again and his wicked actions have provoked feelings of great anger, sadness and shock among those working in policing,” they continued.
“He betrayed every single police officer and staff member who have dedicated their working lives to preventing crime and keeping people safe.
“We recognise damage he will have caused to communities’ confidence in policing, and we are certain that the service nationally will learn from what has happened.”
They said Couzens in no way reflects policing generally and Herts Police remains “absolutely committed” to protecting women and girls from violence and abuse. | 3,876 | 1,836 | 7,849.111111 |
warc | 202143 | PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – September is
Hunger Action Month. Over the past three weeks 10 On Your Side visited the three Feeding America food banks that serve our region, working hard to make sure people from the Eastern Shore to Northeast North Carolina don’t go hungry.
All together the
Food Bank of the Albemarle, the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore and the Virginia Peninsula Food Bank distribute more than 40 million pounds of food each year.
The community served by the Virginia Peninsula Food Bank in Hampton has the
second highest rate of food insecurity in Virginia, second only to the western part of the state.
All three food banks felt the impact from the pandemic shutdowns. As they re-worked how to safely distribute food to those in need, officials say there was a dramatic increase in need during the first few months.
With extra government assistance the need dropped to more normal levels. It unclear what will happen as pandemic-era government benefits expire.
If you can provide donations or give of your time volunteering, please reach out to one of our local foodbanks:
Virginia Peninsula Foodbank — Donate| Volunteer Food Bank of the Albemarle — Donate| Volunteer Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore — Donate| Volunteer | 1,320 | 694 | 2,442.190202 |
warc | 202143 | Shanghai Sunland Industrial Co., Ltd is the top manufacturer of Personal Protect Equipment in China, with 20 years’experience. We are the Chinese government appointed manufacturer for government power,personal protection equipment , medical instruments,construction industry, etc. All the products get the CE, ANSI and related Industry Certificates. All our safety helmets use the top-quality raw material without any recycling material.
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Anti,-,infectives, that adversely affect the liver and kidneys must be used with caution in older patients, who may ,have, decreased organ function. Therapeutic actions of ,anti,-,infective, Some ,anti,-,infectives, prevent the cells of the invading organism from using substances essential to their growth and development, leading to an inability to divide and eventually to cell death. | 4,088 | 2,091 | 7,886.653276 |
warc | 202143 | Autonomous cars, once the stuff of science fiction, are here. Google’s self-driving Toyota Prius hybrids have racked up more than 140,000 miles on public roads. Audi has sent a driverless TTS racing to the summit of Pikes Peak. Just about every major automaker has similar projects underway.
Despite the rapid advances — four years ago the most sophisticated autonomous vehicles were capable of only short distances and low speeds — we’re still a long way from the day we’re all letting the robot drive.
Wired recently talked to half a dozen experts about the road ahead. Their views are presented here in a roundtable-type format.
Wired: Google’s self-driving cars are logging more miles per year on California freeways than the average driver. What needs to happen — technologically, legally, culturally — to get autonomous vehicles on the road? Sven Beiker, co-director, Center for Automotive Research, Stanford University: Are we talking about a car where the driver can sit back and doesn’t have to do anything? I’d be very, very surprised if we see anything like that in this decade, maybe even next decade.
Think of supposedly automated airplanes. I haven’t seen the situation where the pilot and copilot come back to the cabin and say, “Hey get a me a brandy,” where the whole thing is on autonomous mode. You have two highly trained professionals monitoring the system, reading out loud to each what they’re going to do next, very diligently checking the mobility apparatus before and after each flight. How often do we even check tire pressure?
Ralf Herrtwich, head of Telematic Research Laboratory, Daimler: I would say it comes down to two things: the availability of technology and the certifiability of vehicles. Of course, to some extent, that goes hand and hand. The more mature technology becomes, the more willing authorities are to grant you the ability to put such a product on the road. Stefan Liske, auto industry consultant, PCH: We have to respect the fact that we will never be able in the next 10 or 15 years to come up with a budget that would be needed in order to turn cities into environments for autonomous driving, so I would like to give you a very differentiated answer.
I think for safety reasons [autonomous vehicles are] very helpful; also for traffic efficiency for reducing pollution, for reducing traffic jams, for making the commute more efficient — like for people living in Los Angeles who have a one-and-a-half-hour drive in the morning and a one-and-a-half-hour drive in the evening.
If autonomous driving possibilities can reduce this commute every morning, every evening by 30 minutes or an hour, I think it’s a solution that makes sense. It’s a roadmap that makes sense but we as customers, we as drivers, will take a long time to get used to this. And we will have a huge customer group and a huge number of cities or even rural areas where we won’t see autonomous driving on a large scale in the next 10 or 15 years. If you really want to introduce autonomous driving on a large scale, you have to fulfill so many prerequisites. Like for example the connectivity between the cars, the connectivity between cars and infrastructure. That would be a given in order to introduce autonomous driving on a large scale. | 3,360 | 1,653 | 6,628.529946 |
warc | 202143 | If you are skilled in a topic or you like to teach, creating an online course is a great way to showcase your expertise and earn some income along the way.
Sharing your knowledge and skills with people through an online course is a great idea, however, it’s hard to gauge the time needed to develop and create a solid online course. You don’t want to start developing an online course only to leave it mid-way due to other important priorities in your life.
You also don’t want to offer users an “ordinary” online course that doesn’t provide value. Ideally, you want to put in all your effort so your online course has more value and is something people would be willing to pay for. It also helps to incentivize them to buy your next online course or sign up for your membership program.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some factors that can help you estimate how much time it can take to develop your eLearning course.
Factors to consider when estimating eLearning development time
Here, we’ll go over various things you should consider when estimating the time it will take to create your online course, according to your audience and your content.
#1. Brainstorming content ideas
The first thing you need to do when developing your eLearning course is to brainstorm content ideas and the structure of your online course. You need to ask yourself questions like:
Does this content achieve the goal in mind? Does this content help solve people’s problems? Who is this content for? Is this content going to be long enough to provide value to learners?
Deciding on what content you want to create and what your online course will help achieve is important. Offering unique and engaging content can help provide value to people who will pay a one-time subscription fee for it. In addition to this, you also need to make sure the content is different from previously released content. Coming up with unique content ideas and ways to implement them into your eLearning course can take a lot of your time and effort. You also need to consider the time it will take you to research various topics and compile them into content that’s familiar to your audience.
A great way to boost up the whole process of brainstorming content ideas is by arranging staff meetings. This way, you will have more minds thinking about the same goal instead of you doing all the work yourself.
#2. Audio recording and editing time
Once you’re done adding in the time taken to come up with content ideas and going through them with your team members, you need to consider the time it’ll take you to record the audio for your eLearning course.
The length of the audio recording or the total audio clips will depend on your content and the total length of your online course. If you’re looking to create a detailed, in-depth, long online course, it will take you more time to record the audio files compared to if you were looking to create a short and concise online course. In addition to this, it’s also important to factor in the extra time needed to do retakes of audio clips. For instance, if you mess up the voice-over for a long continuous section, you’ll have to do the whole audio clip again. This not only takes a lot of extra time but also makes it very challenging to record the entire audio clip without messing up, especially if you’re in a time crunch.
But before you jump into recording the audio clips, you also need to consider the time it takes to set up the audio recording equipment. It can be a tedious and lengthy process to set up all the microphones, cables, and software needed to record quality audio clips for your online course.
After you’re done producing the audio clips, you need to start editing them. Assuming you know how to, it can take a decent amount of time to optimize the audio levels of each audio clip, especially if there are a lot in number. You can also choose to hire an expert to do the job but that can also take even more time depending on the expert’s time availability. You have to wait on the expert to send you back the final, edited audio clips before you can move on with the eLearning development process.
#3. Video recording and editing time
Adding video clips to your online course is a great way to enhance the learning experience for users and provide more value. If you’re considering adding video clips to your online course, it’s important to factor in the time it will take for you to record the video clips.
Depending on your eLearning course, you might need to video record or screen record content. You need to decide what works best for you and what’s much quicker and easier to do. Video recording can be a hefty process as it takes a while to set up cameras. You also need to set the appropriate camera settings and lighting to record quality video clips which altogether is a very time-consuming process.
On the other hand, screen recording is much easier to do, especially if you know how to use handy screen recording software. But if you’re not very tech-savvy, it can be a challenge to screen record without compromising the quality of your online course. You don’t want to deal with bugs with the screen recording software or accidentally exporting the video clips in the wrong format. These types of mistakes are not only frustrating but also take a lot of extra time and effort to fix. In addition to this, by screen recording video clips yourself, you can also run into device complications. This means that if you have a lower-powered device, it might have a hard time processing higher-quality recorded screen footage.
After successfully recording video files, you need to start processing and editing them. This makes the video clips usable for your online course along with your other content. For instance, you want to make sure your video clips don’t contain any extra bits and the audio clips overlap perfectly with them. Depending on your content, online course, and your tech-savviness, it can take a while to edit and render video clips, especially if the video clips are larger in size. Additionally, you also need a faster, more powerful device to render your final, edited video clips in higher resolutions. The slower your device is, the more time it will take to render the video clips.
#4. Building the course
Now with all content ready to go, you should consider the time it will take you to build your online course. This means that you need to factor in the time needed to combine all content including audio clips, video clips, written text material, and other content into one online course.
It can be a time-consuming process to ensure that all content is in the right order, format, and according to the time limit of your online course. This will ensure the final product which is exactly according to the goals and plans you’d set before eLearning development or during the brainstorming phase.
Additionally, online courses usually contain additional content such as tests or quizzes, MCQs, and checklists as it helps enhance the learning experience. This means that you also need to consider the time it will take you to create and add this content to your online course.
#5. Test-piloting the course
Before launching your online course and making it live on your site, a great way to ensure your online course works exactly the way you planned it to is by test piloting your online course. You can let team members and valued clients test your online course to give it a quick run-through before you launch it.
This is one of the best ways to get feedback before you officially launch your online course. It can give you new ideas for creating content, making it more user-friendly, and easier to understand.
Although it’s one of the best ways to make important changes before launching your online course, it can be a time-consuming process. You also need to factor in the time it will take for people to get back to you about the online course.
Conclusion
Estimating eLearning development time is hard, but if you consider important factors including the time taken to brainstorm content ideas, time taken to record and edit audio clips, time taken to create, edit and render video clips, the time needed to compile and test pilot the online course, you’ll have a better understanding of it.
Developing your online course in a short or long time also depends on your content, your online course, and your tech-savviness. These factors combined can give you a better estimate of the time it will take for you to develop your next online course.
Do you know of any other factors that can help estimate eLearning development time? Let us know in the comments box down below. | 8,827 | 3,350 | 22,813.183881 |
warc | 202143 | Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Source of Publication
International Conference on Political Science, International Relations and Sociology (PSIRS 2017)
Publication Date
2017
Abstract
In order to analyse the impact of these ideological disagreements between Islam and the West on international political behaviour and international relations, this paper highlights the different visions of Western societies’ understanding of the meaning of divinity and prophecy compared with that of Muslim societies. Accordingly, the paper focuses on exploring multiple opinions of Western intellectual elites in regards to this issue in addition to the approach by the media and common traditions in the West. However, the paper assumes that, despite the existence of a misconception in Western societies toward the meaning of prophecy, there are positive aspects in that some intellectual elites have dealt with prophecy respectfully, particularly in terms of the Prophet Muhammad, PBUH. Therefore, the paper wishes to illustrate some of these elites, especially the poets and novelists, scientists and philosophers. Other elites, however, in addition to the popular and traditional dominant perception, dealt with prophecy with a kind of disdain, contempt and ridicule. The paper uses comparison methodology to discuss this issue in our contemporary reality, particularly between Islam and the West; Muslim societies and Western societies. In this paper I seek to examine the possibility of finding a means of communication between both sides through addressing the West equitably and rationally to relieve and deal with the anger in the Muslim world and to deepen the mutual understanding and dialogue between the two cultures and civilisations. Unquestionably, this will have a positive impact on the relationship between Muslim and Western societies and on international relations.
ISSN Publisher
Future Academy
First Page
34
Last Page
54
Disciplines
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Keywords
International Relations, Political Theory, Islamic Societies, Western Societies, Prophet Mohammad, Divinity
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License Recommended Citation
AbulQaraya, Bashir, "Impact of Ideological Disagreements on International Relations: a Study on Islam and the West" (2017).
All Works. 4594. https://zuscholars.zu.ac.ae/works/4594 Indexed in Scopus
no
Open Access
yes
Open Access Type
Gold: This publication is openly available in an open access journal/series | 2,582 | 1,262 | 5,213.103011 |
warc | 202143 | Basic Information Cosmetics are substances applied to the body for decorative purposes - some authorities would include perfume as a cosmetic, but for the purposes of this page, we will not. The most common alternative name for these substances is makeup, but there are a variety of other slang, cant and trade terms for them as well.
The most common application of cosmetics is to enhance appearance for social purposes, enhancing or accentuating those characteristics seen as attractive and suppressing those considered unattractive - so the wearer's skin appears smoother and paler or darker according to fashion. Blemishes may be covered up, lips reddened and eyes emphasised, all according to what the wearer's culture (or subculture) considers appropriate. Who may wear makeup, what they may wear and how it may be worn will be extremely culturally bound - most cultures accept and/or expect it of women but frown upon men doing so
1, whilst in others status rather than gender may be the deciding factor with sumptuary laws applied to decide who may or may not paint their face. Exaggerated makeup is commonly associated with prostitutes - perhaps to communicate an "hyper-feminine" character. Specific subcultures may deliberately subvert mainstream norms, wearing specific patterns of makeup to cement a group identity (such as juggalos or goths) or wearing more or less makeup than their social background would otherwise expect (such as, respectively, gay men and puritan women).
Cosmetics may also be applied for ritual purposes, as part of a disguise or as a professional mask. For example a shaman may paint his face either to conceal his true appearance from the spirits with which he deals, or present them with a face they find appropriate (or intimidating) or he may paint a hunter's face with a beast-spirit mask to aid him in hunting a specific species of quarry. Likewise an actor or clown will put on their character's face with makeup before performing as part of the ritual by which they become that character for the duration of the performance. In the same vein, makeup can alter the wearer's appearance either so that they no longer resemble themselves, or so that they resemble someone else. More prosaically a soldier may wear what are effectively cosmetics for purposes of camouflage - whether blacking their faces for night operations or wearing more advanced disruptive schemes for daylight work. Again, a more "primitive" warrior culture may wear elaborate facepaints, partly to put themselves "on a warpath" and partly to present a more intimidating appearance to their enemies.
The constituents of any given cosmetic can vary, but until the invention of modern synthetic chemistry, they will usually be based on mineral compounds and organic dyes. Historically this has made them quite valuable - and often quite toxic as well. Stability will also vary - dye based cosmetics may soak into the skin and last for weeks (or not…) but the battle for lipstick that stays put is only partially won in the C21.
Sources Game and Story Use Access to an appropriate cosmetics kit may grant bonuses in all sorts of skills, from social manipulation (especially seduction?) to disguise and camouflage. Also note the possibility of makeup serving as a shamanic ritual tool. It could also serve as part of a magical disguise, either as part of a ritual, or using magic makeup. "Putting your face on" might well trigger an alternative personality in someone with an appropriate mental disorder One of many things PCs may need to hire professional help with - if the only paint you've ever worn is cammo cream, you're likely to need a makeover before being presented at court. This material may well serve most adventurers best as treasure - a consignment of valuable cosmetics could well be a realistic small volume high value prize. Likely to be veryspecies specific - to the extent of other species makeup possibly being dangerous (historical toxic cosmetics generally only caused long term health effects, orc blusher may take the skin off a human's face). Cosmetics come and go with the flow of fashion. What's cool today may be garish tomorrow, and that's especially true as you cross societal lines and great stretches of time. Hardly anyone today wears a cloth artificial beauty mark glued to their face, but "anyone who's anyone" did in the 17th Century. On the flipside, our modern facial piercings and rainbow hair colors would have been quite shocking in the era when those glued-on dots and powdered wigs were all the rage. | 4,576 | 2,201 | 9,468.016356 |
warc | 202143 | 29 Victoria Street, Ballarat
East VIC 3350 Australia
Phone : (03) 5332 3043
www.bakeryhilldental.com.au
© Bakery Hill Dental 2021, All Rights Reserved.
We’ve heard people talk about toothpaste with no fluoride, or avoid drinking tap water “because there is fluoride in it”. People seem to be worried about it and think that it could cause many different health conditions such as cancer, bone problems or even autism. Is that true, or is it just more fake news from the internet? What is fluoride? Is it dangerous? We asked our dentists at Bakery Hill Dental to tell us about it.
Fluoride is a mineral. It is found naturally in Earth’s crust, in rocks, in your bones, and in water at different levels. You’ll also find it naturally in foods such as apples, tea, almonds, eggs, meat and fish. Most water sources in Australia have low levels of fluoride in it naturally.
Everyday, many minerals are added and lost from the enamel layer of your teeth through 2 processes called mineralization and demineralization. You lose minerals in your teeth because acids from bacteria and sugar in your mouth attacks your teeth. And you deposit new minerals (such as calcium, phosphate and fluoride) back to your teeth through the water you drink and the foods you eat. If you lose more minerals than you gain (by eating too many sweets or having poor oral hygiene), you won’t be able to keep up with the repairs of your enamel and you will start experiencing tooth decay.
Fluoride helps prevent this by making your teeth stronger against acid attacks from bacteria and sugar. It also speeds up the remineralization and disrupts the production of acids from bacteria.
For the vast majority of people, no. Avoiding fluoride can have bad consequences for your teeth. The levels of fluoride found in your tap water or in your toothpaste are controlled, so you don’t have to worry about it. It can become an issue when it is misused by swallowing the toothpaste all the time instead of spitting it out, but you don’t have to worry about the small amounts of toothpaste left in your mouth after you spit: it does not form any dangers to your health because of the very small concentration in it. You should however monitor your children when they brush their teeth and maybe avoid flavored toothpaste for them. If you have any excess fluoride, your body will get rid of it in your urine.
True, when fluoridated toothpaste and mouth-rinse are misused, it can cause problems like fluorosis. But the same happens if you ingest ridiculous amounts of other minerals such as too much calcium through supplements. Even though the mineral calcium can cause problems if taken without following recommendations, it doesn’t stop you from eating a lot of calcium rich foods. It’s the same with the mineral fluoride, you do not need to be afraid of it. Fluoride, like calcium, is your friend!
If you have any more concerns about fluoride, ask your dentist next time you come to visit. They will be happy to answer all of your questions! | 3,073 | 1,464 | 6,307.626366 |
warc | 202143 | The equitisation of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) is unlikely to meet this year’s target, as only 19 SOEs had completed the process by the end of June.
Viet Nam plans to complete the equitisation of 85 SOEs this year.
The statement was made by Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, head of the Government Steering Committee on Corporate Renovation and Development.
Hue chaired a meeting in Ha Noi on Wednesday to review SOE restructuring in the first half of 2018 and to launch tasks for the remaining months of the year.
According to a report by the Steering Committee, the total value of the 19 enterprises approved for equitisation was VND40.7 trillion (US$1.76 billion), of which VND23 trillion belonged to the State.
Following equitisation, the firms were expected to have combined charter capital of more than VND22 trillion. The State holds 58.83 per cent of that amount, while 40.66 per cent was sold to strategic investors and 0.51 per cent was sold to employees.
Of them, 16 firms launched initial public offerings (IPO), earning VND22.5 trillion, 4.5 times higher than the total IPO revenue of 2017.
Among those 16 enterprises were a number of large-scale enterprises such as the PetroVietnam Power Corporation (PV Power), the Viet Nam Oil Corporation (PV Oil), Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Company (BSR), the Viet Nam Southern Food Corporation, the General Electric Corporation 3 and the Ha Noi Trade Corporation (Hapro).
Regarding State capital divestment, the country reaped VND5.6 trillion from 42 SOEs in the first six months of this year.
The Steering Committee also reported that the number of newly-established enterprises in the first six months of this year was more than 64,500, an increase of 5.3 per cent over the same period in 2017.
The total registered capital of newly-established enterprises reached nearly VND650 trillion, up 8.9 per cent over the same period in 2017.
More than 6,600 enterprises dissolved or filed for bankruptcy in the first six months, an increase of 21.8 per cent year-on-year.
The total number of businesses turning inactive and awaiting dissolution was more than 34,800, up by 48 per cent against 2017. Meanwhile, the number of enterprises being temporarily suspended was nearly 18,000, an increase of 25.1 per cent year-on-year.
Slow privatisation in HCM City and Ha Noi
According to the initial plan, HCM City had to equitise 39 enterprises, while the figure for Ha Noi was 11, but until now, not a single firm had equitised out of the cities’ lists.
The hand-over of privatised enterprises to the State Capital Investment Corporation was also slow, while registrations to list on the stock market had not been strictly implemented.
Deputy PM Hue attributed the sluggish progress of SOE equitisation to the ministries, branches and localities’ lack of drastic measures to achieve the target.
Hue emphasised the importance of greater efforts in the last six months to complete the equitisation plan for 2018. — VNS | 3,015 | 1,445 | 6,209.439446 |
warc | 202143 | Mitigation Methods
This article says that TransLink is going to put copper — which is an anti-microbial — on a lot of high-touch surfaces as part of a pilot program.
This article says that the province has announced restrictions for the eastern Fraser Valley in response to surging cases there.
The province also said that it would be starting to give third doses to seniors living in long-term care homes and assisted living homes, and that they would resume notifying parents about school exposures.
Vaccines
The vaccines were supposed to reduce hospitalizations and deaths. But today, the 7-day rolling average of deaths was 6.0, which is higher than it’s been since 18 February 2021, which was in-between the second and third waves. Perhaps it is related to the number of health-care outbreaks we are having: right now there are 22 active outbreaks in long-term care and assisted living homes.
It would make sense for them to be getting boosters into the elder homes now.
Testing
This article says that people are facing long lines at testing centres.
Statistics
+652 cases, +2 deaths imputed.
Currently 316 in hospita l/ 141 in ICU, 5,992 active cases, 177,113 recovered.
first doses second doses of adults 88.3% 81.4% of over-12s 87.8% 80.6% of all BCers 79.9% 73.3% Charts
From this tweet:
Note: the dashboard didn’t get updated for vaccines today. I was able to make an approximation for the above graph, but I couldn’t make the other two. | 1,488 | 830 | 2,594.139759 |
warc | 202143 | I broke it many times, in fact.
I stopped writing every day and skipped some blog posts. Big deal, I don’t get much traffic, right? Wrong. Writing isn’t really about other people– it’s about me. It’s about sharpening my skills and perspective so that I can raise my own level of effectiveness. I’m at my best when I start the day creating something.
For several days, I neglected to do that. I opted out of being the type of person who I wanted to be– one who leads by example, for example– and fell into being the type of person I don’t want to be, but whose default habits make it true.
As a, um, rule, I try not to make a lot of rules for myself. I don’t like prescriptions for how things
should go. I like frameworks, habits and reminding myself of the vital why in what I do, because those help me focus on what is necessary.
If you want a certain outcome, it follows that some behaviors are necessary to achieve it, and some are not. That’s the crux of a good habit– repeating it helps you over time. Simple logic.
What you
should do, stems from an appeal to authority– moralizing a choice– as if God, or your mom or your piano instructor prescribed it. That’s just opening the guilt gates. No time for that.
So I’m getting back on the horse. My routine is necessary to creating the future I see. I’m choosing it. | 1,414 | 761 | 2,450.809461 |
warc | 202143 | Extreme sweating is much more typical nowadays than it made use of to be. Although it’s a regular part of an individual’s body, extreme sweating can be awkward as well as unpleasant. Fortunately, there are numerous all-natural treatments for excessive sweating that can aid you handle it better. Yet initially, allow’s check out a few of the reasons and also therapies of extreme sweating.
The signs and symptoms of excessive sweating differ depending on the person. For example, if you have hyperhidrosis, which is a clinical problem identified by excessive sweating, then you’ll probably experience it while taking part in particular social activities. The good news is that almost all cases of extreme sweating actually are harmless if you recognize just how much you sweat. prevent sweaty hands
However, if extreme sweating ends up being a consistent issue, then it could be a signs and symptom of an additional underlying disorder such as panic or social fear. This implies that as opposed to treating you’re sweating, you may really be adding to your issues. And because extreme sweating usually goes together with various other health and wellness conditions such as diabetes mellitus or heart disease, it can be a significant indicator of a serious hidden clinical condition. In this instance, therapy of the sweat (or lack of it) must be looked for previously stressing over more major troubles.
The clinical problem that hyperhidrosis refers to is in fact an extreme quantity of sweating. The manner in which this takes place is by a really close connection with warmth. Most people who sweat exceedingly in fact do it when the body’s temperature exceeds 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Although this is something that everybody experiences once in a while during various seasons, it can be a particularly bothersome issue during the summer months. Excessive sweating can really cause your skin to come to be dry and also lead to a split mouth, or itchy hands, which can result in a range of other troubles also.
So how can extreme sweating in fact happen? Sweat typically is secreted by the sweat glands on the outer surface area of the body, yet the condition hyperhidrosis suggests that there is an over active reaction of the sweat glands. Hyperhidrosis is usually called ‘idiopathic hyperhidrosis’ since the precise factor for its incident is not totally understood. Some people have a hereditary predisposition for extreme sweating; this indicates that they are able to easily end up being afflicted by it. Other cases include nerve damage, brain damage and the consistent inflammation of the nerves with sweat. While this last is most typical among people who reside in exotic areas, it can additionally occur in position where the environment is either also hot or as well cold for their bodies to appropriately regulate themselves.
No matter what kind of hyperhidrosis an individual has, it can be caused by among 4 main conditions – key hyperhidrosis, additional hyperhidrosis, key generalized hyperhidrosis and also additional generalised hyperhidrosis. The main hyperhidrosis is what most people take too much sweating; this is when you experience excessive sweating in the palms, face, or feet. While this is one of the most easily treated type, it may additionally be accompanied by second hyperhidrosis. While the hands and feet are normally influenced by primary hyperhidrosis, it can additionally spread to the underarms, face, or perhaps the groin. sweaty feet remedies
Sweaty palms can be caused by a number of different things, with some individuals experiencing no symptoms in any way. In various other serious situations, the sufferer will create itchy, red, as well as inflamed hands and also feet. Sweaty palms may be caused by a high temperature, which can likewise cause the growth of numerous secondary microbial infections. Itching of the face is likewise rather typical, especially in people who wear make-up consistently. Various other causes consist of skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis, in addition to the normal use solid soaps and cleaning agents that dry the skin.
The most effective treatments for extreme sweating take the type of Botox injections and also prescription medications. For those with extreme cases, operations might be suggested in order to minimize the amount of sweat generated by the sympathetic nerve system. You must talk about these therapies with your doctor, and he will certainly evaluate your circumstance before recommending anything. Your service provider may additionally advise various other therapy choices that you can take into consideration doing on your own.
You might wish to check into therapy alternatives that include utilizing a sweat cupboard. A sweat cabinet is basically a diplomatic immunity that you can utilize to hold your clothes and also various other personal things to ensure that they are not soaked through while you are sweating. These sweat cabinets commonly fit over the front of your hands. This can be an extremely uncomfortable attribute of the customized case.
If your signs are very severe, you ought to instantly call your doctor. Because extreme sweating frequently occurs with other illness, your physician will need to see to it that the sweating is not as a result of a physical issue and afterwards supply therapy for the various other wellness problem. As an example, if your breast pain is causing your sweating, you will need to visit the medical professional to make sure that you do not have a breast infection and afterwards your sweating will stop.
When you begin therapies excessively by means of sweat treatments, you could experience some side effects such as wooziness, muscular tissue cramps, headaches, irritation, stress and anxiety, clinical depression, and also extra. Several of these side effects could be brought on by your drugs, your skin response to particular chemicals in your medicines, or perhaps a mix of the above. Nonetheless, your medical professional must be able to help you identify if any one of these signs are caused by the sweating and also whether they can be treated individually. excessive sweating causes
Although you have various causes for the excessive sweating, one of the most usual reason is an inequality in your endocrine system. Your endocrine system is responsible for controlling the degrees of various hormones throughout your whole body. When this discrepancy happens, your sweat glands react by producing more sweat than regular. This is a vicious cycle that can take place when you the very least anticipate it has actually been understood to take place even in apparently ‘innocent’ everyday activities like consuming, drinking, and simply walking down the street. Fortunately is that with today’s advanced medical technology and study, there are now efficient treatment alternatives offered for hyperhidrosis. | 6,954 | 3,036 | 15,761.025692 |
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Most Chinese caves are in the Shaanxi province, where the soil is very porous and easy to dig through. Chinese caves range from simple, one-bedroom living spaces, to full scale homes with modern features. According to a report from the LA Times, a cave with three bedrooms and one bathroom could sell for $46,000. The nicest caves have plumbing and electricity, are very spacious and have architectural features similar to traditional luxury homes. People also buy furniture and hang pictures on the walls to make the caves feel homier.
These caves are often hailed as “eco-friendly” because they use significantly less energy than traditional homes and apartments. Unlike modern homes, caves naturally maintain a constant temperature throughout the year and therefore require no energy for heating and cooling. They also require significantly less building materials than traditional homes, which greatly reduces their ecological footprint. Some caves have not even been updated to include electricity or running water, making them the least energy intensive of them all.
Cave dwelling is certainly not a new phenomenon in China. However, if you do decide to move there in hopes of adopting this lifestyle, it might prove to be more difficult than you think. Most families have passed down their cave homes from generation to generation and have no plans to sell their caves any time soon. | 2,696 | 1,430 | 5,054.528671 |
warc | 202143 | Precise individual control and inverter technology minimize energy consumption to deliver optimum energy savings.,
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The VRV R series enables simultaneous operation of cooling and heating within a single refrigerant circuit. By utilising advanced technologies, VRV R series achieves further valuable functions.
This is the standard model for heating and cooling/cooling only.
Daikin responds to various needs including combinations featuring a small installation footprint and a high COP.
This outdoor unit is especially designed for the Middle East and other regions with high ambient temperatures.
Daikin advanced technologies, including long piping and high external static pressure, meet the diverse needs of customers.
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warc | 202143 | “So simply be conscious to check with folks by the name they actually use no matter their driver’s license.” O’Hara says their family and friends nonetheless battle with getting the pronouns right — and typically O’Hara struggles to recollect others’ pronouns, too. “It may be actually, really fast when you make a habit of it. And I think it saves plenty cebuanas reviews of embarrassment for everybody.” Sexual orientation refers to the enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to members of the same and/or other genders, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and straight orientations. Nonbinary is a time period that can be used by individuals who do not describe themselves or their genders as fitting into the categories of man or woman.
It’s a nickname that was typically used for me whereas rising up, and it is gender-neutral. You’re going to have plenty of time to work by way of the small print and sift by way of the entire emotions you’re likely to expertise. Most of all, I want I had recognized what number of fantastic pals and people I would meet as soon as I had the arrogance to be myself round others. Having breasts and hips felt like a gross slime was masking my body and I may by no means get it off. I developed an eating dysfunction, I was depressed, I barely left the home.
Notably, nonetheless, the lesbian-identified individuals continued to identify as lesbian following their involvement with a masculine identifying trans partner. In South Africa, where the “queer” label continues to be recognised as an imported concept, maybe it isn’t stunning that similar http://motherhoodinstyle.net/2017/07/12/heartbroken-mum-3-warning-couples-never-go-bed-angry/ shifts in sexual orientation self-identification weren’t observed. Inasmuch because the collaborating cisgender partners of masculine identifying trans individuals were all female, they represented a complete array of sexual orientations.
Familylab: Harvest To Desk
“I’m a member of the LGBTQ+ group. It has taken me forty two years to say that however I am so pleased with where I am right now. I’m so joyful where I am. To be capable of be snug in my very own pores and skin after so lengthy is simply so nice.” NewNowNext reports that he attributed the video and his power to Leelah Alcorn, a 17-year-oldtransgender woman who took her life in December 2014 after her household refused to acknowledge her as a girl when she transitioned.
A massive majority of LGBT adults (77%) say that there’s at least some social acceptance of the LGBT inhabitants right now. Those who say there’s a lot of acceptance are happier than those that say there is little or no acceptance. Among those who see lots of social acceptance, 26% are very joyful. This compares with 13% of those that see little or no acceptance.
Lesbian, Homosexual, Bi, Trans: Social Nervousness & Coming Out
I want I had recognized that whereas stabbing myself with a needle sucks, with the power to look within the mirror and actually like the particular person I see makes all of it totally worth it. The people who push you to prove your existence will seldom accept any information, and will skate around the multitude of flaws in their very repetitive and completely specious arguments. Don’t be afraid to cut ties with friends or household if they are not supportive. It will be terrible to lose somebody you’ve liked a long time, however keeping a adverse affect in your orbit will do more hurt to you than losing them. “To me, the word ‘queer’ feels really nice,” she informed the hosts, Page Six reported. “I’ve dated a lot of several sorts of people, and I simply do not actually know what the longer term holds. Some days I feel little extra on the gay side than others.” Most individuals remember Black from her viral music video “Friday” in 2011, however now she is rebranding as a social media star with new music.
Okay, let’s say you’ve thought it by way of, and you’ve determined that you’re in this for the long-haul- you DO want to be with this person and you need to assist them as they transition. If that’s the case, a good next step could presumably be to coach your self. Even should you assume you know all there could be to learn about transitioning and the LGBTQIA neighborhood, please, do yourself and your companion a solid and do somewhat analysis. Start with some basic information (check out the GLBT National Help Center’s website for free and anonymous info), then graduate to studying extra about hormone alternative remedy and surgical procedure options, . Consider attending aPFLAG(Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays) assembly, or contact their hotline.
How The Munsters Became An Unlikely Civil Rights Icon
A full summary of a transgender person’s gender historical past and anatomy are normally completely irrelevant. So, whenever you discuss or with an individual, be careful to not prioritize your curiosities. Stick to matters that are related to why the particular person came to see you.
We have two daughters, four and 5, who stay with him by my alternative. I really feel that they’re higher placed with him than with me, and I visit them frequently. I have made a lot of positive progress in my life since popping out about my gender identity, and nearly all people in my life is aware of. But I haven’t been capable of get up the nerve to come out to my ex. As students who’re openly transgender or non-binary – those that determine as neither male nor female – have turn into more seen at girls colleges in recent times, educators are re-defining policies on admission, retention and other points. And but, the precise fact is that simply about each printed research on the subject to date has found that a majority of children who as quickly as reported varied levels of gender dysphoria ended up finally giving up their transgender id. This therapy sometimes entails the social transition of younger youngsters, in accordance with Thomas Steensma, a researcher and clinician at the center.
Some participants realized of their partner’s trans identification within the courtship stage of their relationship, whereas others have been in longer-term relationships during which their companions came out as trans. In any event, there were inquiries to be dealt with regarding this ‘new’ info. Amanda (aged 31–35), for example, who started a relationship together with her partner when he was already on hormone therapy, faced some preliminary challenges since she was not acquainted with the concept of transgenderism.
Related To Sexual Well Being
If you’re undecided what term somebody uses to explain their gender, you should ask them politely. Suicide is the dark undercurrent of many discussions among mother and father of TGNC younger individuals. Suicide and suicidal ideation are tragically frequent within the transgender neighborhood. I met Orion Foss at a vegetarian café in the Dennison Place neighborhood of Columbus.
Vroegh, nonetheless, says he was informed in April 2016 that there can be no final policy because of the controversy around transgender issues. Justice Brent Appel identified Wednesday that the state struggled to articulate a purpose for its concern past attainable adverse reactions from other workers. | 7,521 | 3,709 | 14,699.306821 |
warc | 202143 | Ahead of the COP26 Climate Change Summit, BBC’s Ros Atkins is looking at the world’s largest emitters of CO2 – what they promise, what they are doing, and whether climate scientists think that’s enough.
The first in a series focuses on China, the world’s largest emitter. It accounts for 27% of global CO2 emissions and announced that it aims to reduce carbon emissions by 2060.
Experts agree that China is playing a critical role in the global effort to combat climate change, but is it moving far enough – and fast enough? | 558 | 352 | 830.659091 |
warc | 202143 | As a novelty when in Singapore, I threw a few bucks into a machine promising to sell pieces of a bitcoin, in 2014 or 2015. I don't know how much, maybe 5 dollars... anyways... how can I access it? It gave me a paper receipt with a QR code which is too faded and wrinkled to scan, and a long, maybe 40-60 digit code of letters and numbers... it says I should put them into a digital wallet. I downloaded the blockchain app but I am confused... advice please? Research for science? submitted by
submitted by
I'd like to hear your thoughts on his lecture held today at the Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany.
Read the full transcript here or via pdf link. https://www.bis.org/speeches/sp180206.pdf
1/10 Money in the digital age: what role for central banks? Lecture by Agustín Carstens General Manager, Bank for International Settlements House of Finance, Goethe University Frankfurt, 6 February 2018
Introduction Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for that kind introduction, Jens. I am very happy to be here at this prestigious university and to be part of this impressive lecture series sponsored by Sustainable Architecture for Finance in Europe (SAFE), the Center for Financial Studies (CFS) and the Deutsche Bundesbank. I would also like to thank Professor Brigitte Haar for being such a generous host today. It is an honour to discuss money at an event organised by the Bundesbank, which has been a beacon of stability since its foundation some 60 years ago. As Jens can attest, being a central banker is a fascinating job. In fact, it is a privilege. During the last decade it has been anything but quiet in the central banking world. We have been confronted with extraordinary circumstances that have required extraordinary policy responses. In such an environment, it has been of the utmost importance to share experiences and lessons learnt among central banks, creating a body of knowledge that will be there for the future. One of the reasons that central bank Governors from all over the world gather in Basel every two months is precisely to discuss issues at the front and centre of the policy debate. Following the Great Financial Crisis, many hours have been spent discussing the design and implications of, for example, unconventional monetary policies such as quantitative easing and negative interest rates. Lately, we have seen a bit of a shift, to issues at the very heart of central banking. This shift is driven by developments at the cutting edge of technology. While it has been bubbling under the surface for years, the meteoric rise of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has led us to revisit some fundamental questions that touch on the origin and raison d’être for central banks: • What is money? • What constitutes good money, and where do cryptocurrencies fit in? • And, finally, what role should central banks play? The thrust of my lecture will be that, at the end of the day, money is an indispensable social convention backed by an accountable institution within the State that enjoys public trust. Many things have served as money, but experience suggests that something widely accepted, reliably provided and stable in its command over goods and services works best. Experience has also shown that to be credible, money requires institutional backup, which is best provided by a central bank. While central banks’ actions and services will evolve with technological developments, the rise of cryptocurrencies only highlights the important role central banks have played, and continue to play, as stewards of public trust. Private digital tokens posing as currencies, such as bitcoin and other crypto-assets that have mushroomed of late, must not endanger this trust in the fundamental value and nature of money.
What is money? “What is money?” is obviously a key question for any central banker, and one on which economists have spent much ink. The answer depends on how deep and philosophical one wants to be. Being at a university, especially one named after Goethe, I think I can err on the side of being philosophical. Conventional wisdom tells you that “money is what money does”.1 That is, money is a unit of account, a means of payment and a store of value. But telling you what something does does not really tell you what it is. And it certainly does not tell you why we need or have money, how it comes about and what the preconditions are for it to exist. In terms of the “need” for money, you may learn that money is a way to get around the general lack of double coincidence of wants. That is, it is rare that I have what you want and you have what I want at the same time. As barter is definitely not an efficient way of organising an economy, money is demanded as a tool to facilitate exchange. What about the other side of the coin, so to speak? How does money come about? Again, conventional wisdom may tell you that central banks provide money, ie cash (coins and notes), and commercial banks supply deposits. But this answer is often not fully satisfactory, as it does not tell why and how banks should be the one to “create” money. If you venture into more substantive analyses on monetary economics, things get more complex. One theory, which proposes that “money is memory”, amounts to arguing that a “superledger” can facilitate exchange just like money. This argument says a ledger is a way of keeping track of not only who has what but also who owes, and is owed, what. I will come back to this later. Moving beyond this line of thought, other scholarly and historical analyses provide answers that are more philosophical. These often amount to “money is a convention” – one party accepts it as payment in the expectation that others will also do so.2 Money is an IOU, but a special one because everyone in the economy trusts that it will be accepted by others in exchange for goods and services. One might say money is a “we all owe you”. Many things have served as money in this way. Figure 1 gives some examples: Yap stones, gold coins, cigarettes in war times, $100,000 bills, wissel (Wechsel), ie bills of exchange or bearer notes, such as those issued by the Bank of Amsterdam in the first half of the 17th century. It includes an example from my own country, Aztec hoe (or axe) money, a form of (unstamped) money made of copper used in central Mexico and parts of Central America. 1 See J Hicks, Critical essays in monetary theory, 1979. 2 See D Lewis, Convention: a philosophical study, 1969.
Common to most of these examples is that the nominal value of the items that have served at one time as money is unrelated to their intrinsic value. Indeed, as we know very well in the case of fiat money, the intrinsic value of most of its representations is zero. History shows that money as a convention needs to have a basis of trust, supported by some form of institutional arrangement.3 As Curzio Giannini puts it: “The evolution of monetary institutions appears to be above all the fruit of a continuous dialogue between economic and political spheres, with each taking turns to create monetary innovations … and to safeguard the common interest against abuse stemming from partisan interests.”4 Money can come in different institutional forms and colours. How to organise them? The paper by Bech and Garratt in last September’s BIS Quarterly Review presented the money flower as a way of organising monies in today’s environment.5 It acknowledges that money can take on rather different forms and be supplied in various ways. The money flower Allow me to explain, noting that we do not sell seeds to this money flower! 3 Fiat means “by law“. So, in principle, it should be said that money exists by convention or by law. But if trust in money does not prevail, the legal mandate that conveys value to money becomes meaningless. 4 C Giannini, The age of central banks, 2011. 5 M Bech and R Garratt, “Central bank cryptocurrencies”, BIS Quarterly Review, September 2017, pp 55–70.
The money flower highlights four key properties on the supply side of money: the issuer, the form, the degree of accessibility and the transfer mechanism. • The issuer can be either the central bank or “other”. “Other” includes nobody, that is, a particular type of money that is not the liability of anyone. • In terms of the form it takes, money is either electronic or physical. • Accessibility refers to how widely the type of money is available. It can either be wide or limited. • Transfer mechanism can either be a central intermediary or peer-to-peer, meaning transactions occur directly between the payer and the payee without the need for a central intermediary. Let us look at where some common types of money fit into the flower, starting with cash (or bank notes) as we know it today. Cash is issued by the central bank, is not electronic, is available to everyone and is peer-to-peer. I do not need a trusted third party such as Jens to help me pay each of you 10 euros. Let us try another one: bank deposits. They are not the liability of the central bank, mostly electronic, and in most countries available to most people, but clearly not peer-to-peer. Transferring resources from a bank deposit requires the involvement of at least your own bank, perhaps the central bank and the recipient’s bank. Think here not only of commercial bank deposits but also bills, eg non-interest bearing (bearer) certificates, issued privately, as in the case of the Bank of Amsterdam mentioned earlier. Local or regional currencies are the ones that can be spent in a particular geographical location at participating organisations. They tend to be physical. The túmin, for example, was a local currency circulating (illegally) for some time around 2010 exclusively in the Mexican municipality of Espinal. What does digitalisation mean for the flower? Digitalisation is nothing new: financial services and most forms of money have been largely digital for many years. Much of the ongoing transformation is just adding a mobile version for many services, which means that the device becomes a virtual extension of the institution. As such, there is not a new model. The money flower then also easily accommodates these forms.
That is also the case for the digital, account-based forms of money that central banks traditionally have made available to commercial banks and, in some instances, to certain other financial or public institutions (ie bank reserves). It would also be the case if the central bank were to issue digital money to the wider public for general purposes. Each central bank will have to make its own decision on whether issuing digital money is desirable, after considering factors such as the structure of the financial system and underlying preferences for privacy. The central bank community is actively analysing this issue. A potentially important and leapfrogging digital-related development, however, is distributed ledger technology (DLT), the basis for Bitcoin. Many think DLT could transform financial service provision, maybe first wholesale, then possibly retail. For example, it could enhance settlement efficiency involving securities and derivatives transactions. A few central banks have conducted experiments in this area, for example the Bank of Canada, the Bundesbank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Bank of England.6 Yet doubts remain regarding the maturity of DLT and the size of associated efficiency gains relative to existing technologies. Moreover, their robustness, including to cyber-risk, is still to be fully understood and ascertained. Still, there are potential benefits, and I expect that central banks will remain engaged on this topic.7 For now, DLT is largely used to “create” bitcoin and other digital currencies. Such cryptocurrencies can be placed easily in the money flower. Nobody issues them, they are not physical and they are peer-to-peer. But beyond that, how should one think about them? What constitutes good money? Just because we are able to find a place for bitcoin in our money flower does not mean we should consider it as “good” money. As I mentioned before, trust is the fundamental tenet that underpins credible currencies, and this trust has to be earned and supported. There are many lessons from history and institutional economics on the earning of trust that we can use as we move further into digitalisation.8 Over the ages, many forms of private money have come and gone. It is fair to say that the same has happened with various experiments with public money (that is, money issued by a public entity that is not the central bank). While some lasted longer than others, most have invariably given way to some form of central bank money. The main reason for their disappearance is that the “incentives to cheat” are simply too high. Let me give three historical examples: one in Germany, another in the United States and the last one in Mexico. In Germany, the Thirty Years War (1618–48), involving small German states of the Holy Roman Empire and neighbouring regional powers, was associated with one of the most severe economic crises ever recorded, with rampant hyperinflation – just as happened three centuries later during the Weimar Republic – and the breakdown of trade and economic activity. The crisis became known as the Kipper- und Wipperzeit (the clipping and culling times), after the practice of clipping coins (shaving metal from their circumference) and sorting good coins from bad. This morning, we are launching a BIS Working Paper, by Professor Isabel Schnabel and BIS Economic Adviser Hyun Song Shin, which further details and explains this experience, as background to my speech. 6 See Bech and Garratt, op cit. 7 See Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures, Distributed ledger technology in payment, clearing and settlement: an analytical framework, February 2017. 8 See D North, Institutions, institutional change and economic performance, 1990.
While episodes of currency debasement have occurred throughout history, this one stands out for two reasons. First is the severity of the crisis and its rapid regional spread. Debasement proceeded at such a pace that public authorities quickly lost control of the downward spiral. Second is how the debasement was brought under control. This occurred through standardisation of wholesale payments by public deposit banks, for example the Bank of Hamburg and the Bank of Amsterdam. These were in many ways examples of the precursors of modern central banks. As the working paper argues, monetary order could be brought to an otherwise chaotic situation by providing reliable payment means through precursors to central bank money, which at the end means the use of a credible institutional arrangement. In the period in the United States known as the Free Banking Era, from 1837 to 1863, many banks sprang up that issued currency with no oversight of any kind by the federal government.10 These so-called free bank notes did not work very well as a medium of exchange. Given that there were so many banks of varying reputations issuing notes, they sold at different prices in different places, making transactions quite complicated. And as supervision was largely absent, banks had limited restraint in issuing notes and did not back them up sufficiently with specie (gold or silver), thereby debasing their values. This era of “wildcat banking” ended up being a long and costly period of banking instability in the history of the US, with banking panics and major disruptions to economic activity. It was, after some further hiccups, followed by the establishment of the Federal Reserve System in 1913. Let me present a final example, from Mexican monetary history. A little known fact is that Mexico had the first series of hyperinflations at the beginning of the 20th century. My country had a revolution from 1910 to 1921, in which no central government existed in an effective way, with many factions fighting and disputing different territories. A winning faction would arrive in a territory, print its own money and make void previously issued cash. So different bills issued by different factions coexisted, leading to chaos and hyperinflation. To give you an idea of the disorder, in 2015 four trunks full of bills were returned to Mexico after having been appropriated by the US Navy in 1914, when the US occupied the port city of Veracruz. In the trunks, the Bank of Mexico discovered dozens of types of bills that the central bank had not even known existed.11 At the end of the conflict, a new constitution was drafted, having as a central article one which gave the Bank of Mexico the appropriate institutional framework, designating it the exclusive issuer of currency in the country. Once this was in place, hyperinflation ceased, illustrating the importance of controlling fiscal dominance (which tends to be the result of the abuse of publicly issued money). Based on these experiences, most observers, and I suspect all of you here, would agree that laissez-faire is not a good approach in banking or in the issuance of money. Indeed, the paradigm of strict bank regulation and supervision and central banks overseeing the financial and monetary system that has emerged over the last century or so has proven to be the most effective way to avoid the instability and high economic costs associated with the proliferation of private and public monies. 9 I Schnabel and H S Shin, “Money and trust: lessons from the 1620s for money in the digital age”, BIS Working Papers, no 698, February 2018. 10 See G Dwyer, “Wildcat banking, banking panics, and free banking in the United States”, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Economic Review, vol 81, nos 3–6, 1996; A Rolnick and W Weber, “New evidence of the free banking era”, The American Economic Review, vol 73, no 5, December 1983, pp 1080–91; and C Calomiris, “Banking crises yesterday and today”, Financial History Review, vol 17, no 1, 2010, pp 3–12. 11 See Bank of Mexico, “La SRE entregó al Banco de México un acervo de billetes de la época del porfiriato”, press release, 1 June 2015, www.banxico.org.mx/informacion-para-la-prensa/comunicados/billetes-y-monedas/billetes/%7B3A41E6F8-FBD8-2FA7-DA0B-66FCCE46430A%7D.pdf
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The unhappy experience with private forms of money raises deep questions about whether the proliferation of cryptocurrencies is desirable or sustainable. Even if the supply of one type of cryptocurrency is limited, the mushrooming of so many of them means that the total supply of all forms of cryptocurrency is unlimited. Added to this is the practice of “forking”, where an offshoot of an existing cryptocurrency can be conjured up from thin air. Given the experience with currency debasement that has peppered history, the proliferation of such private monies should give everyone pause for thought. I will return to this shortly. We have learned over the centuries that money as a social institution requires a solution to the problem of a lack of trust.12 The central banks that often emerged in the wake of the private and public money collapses may not have looked like the ones we have today, but they all had some institutional backing. The forms of this backing for their issuance of money have differed over time and by country.13 Commodity money has often been the start. History shows that gold and other precious metals stored in the vault with governance (and physical) safeguards can provide some assurance. Commodity money is not the only or necessarily sufficient mechanism. Often it also required a city-, state- or nation-provided charter, as with the emergence of giro banks in many European countries. Later, the willingness of central banks to convert money for gold at a fixed price (the gold standard) was the mechanism. Currency boards, where local money is issued one-to-one with changes in foreign currency holdings, can also work to provide credibility. The tried, trusted and resilient modern way to provide confidence in public money is the independent central bank. This means legal safeguards and agreed goals, ie clear monetary policy objectives, operational, instrument and administrative independence, together with democratic accountability to ensure broad-based political support and legitimacy. While not fully immune from the temptation to cheat, central banks as an institution are hard to beat in terms of safeguarding society’s economic and political interest in a stable currency. Where do cryptocurrencies fit in? One could argue that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies’ attractiveness lies in an intelligent application of DLT. DLT provides a method to broadcast transactions publicly and pseudonymously in a way that achieves in principle ledger immutability.14 Who would have thought that having people guessing solutions to what was described to me by a techie as the mathematical equivalent of mega-sudokus would be a way to generate consensus among strangers around the world through a proof of work? Does it thus provide a novel solution to the problem of how to generate trust among people who do not know each other? If DLT provides the potential for a superledger, could bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies then substitute for some forms of money?15 We do not have the full answers, but at this time the answer, also in the light of historical experiences, is probably a sound no, for many reasons. In fact, we are seeing the type of cracks and cheating that brought down other private currencies starting to appear in the House of Bitcoin. As an institution, Bitcoin has some obvious flaws. 12 See M King, “The institutions of monetary policy”, speech at the American Economic Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, 4 January 2004. 13 See Giannini, op cit. 14 See Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures, op cit. 15 See N Kocherlakota, “Money is memory”, Journal of Economic Theory, vol 81, pp 232–51, 1998. In fact, he shows in a very stark setting that having a costless means to record the memory of all economic actors, both present and past, can do as much as money, and sometimes more. Conversely, money effectively functions as memory by providing an observable record of past transactions – that is, agents can tell whether a potential trader is running a current deficit or surplus with society by looking at the money balances that trader is carrying. The finding, however, is theoretical and not robust to slight changes in assumptions, including the risk of loss of data.
Debasement. As I mentioned, we may be seeing the modern-day equivalent of clipping and culling. In Bitcoin, these take the form of forks, a type of spin-off in which developers clone Bitcoin’s software, release it with a new name and a new coin, after possibly adding a few new features or tinkering with the algorithms’ parameters. Often, the objective is to capitalise on the public’s familiarity with Bitcoin to make some serious money, at least virtually. Last year alone, 19 Bitcoin forks came out, including Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold and Bitcoin Diamond. Forks can fork again, and many more could happen. After all, it just takes a bunch of smart programmers and a catchy name. As in the past, these modern-day clippings dilute the value of existing ones, to the extent such cryptocurrencies have any economic value at all. Trust. As the saying goes, trust takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair. Historical experiences suggest that these “assets” are probably not sustainable as money. Cryptocurrencies are not the liability of any individual or institution, or backed by any authority. Governance weaknesses, such as the concentration of their ownership, could make them even less trustworthy. Indeed, to use them often means resorting to an intermediary (for example, the bitcoin exchanges) to which one has to trust one’s money. More generally, they piggyback on the same institutional infrastructure that serves the overall financial system and on the trust that it provides. This reflects their challenge to establish their own trust in the face of cyber-attacks, loss of customers’ funds, limits on transferring funds and inadequate market integrity. Inefficiency. Novel technology is not the same as better technology or better economics. That is clearly the case with Bitcoin: while perhaps intended as an alternative payment system with no government involvement, it has become a combination of a bubble, a Ponzi scheme and an environmental disaster. The volatility of bitcoin renders it a poor means of payment and a crazy way to store value. Very few people use it for payments or as a unit of account. In fact, at a major cryptocurrency conference the registration fee could not be paid with bitcoins because it was too costly and slow: only conventional money was accepted. To the extent they are used, bitcoins and their cousins seem more attractive to those who want to make transactions in the black or illegal economy, rather than everyday transactions. In a way, this should not be surprising, since individuals who massively evade taxes or launder money are the ones who are willing to live with cryptocurrencies’ extreme price volatility. In practice, central bank experiments show that DLT-based systems are very expensive to run and slower and much less efficient to operate than conventional payment and settlement systems. The electricity used in the process of mining bitcoins is staggering, estimated to be equal to the amount Singapore uses every day in electricity,16 making them socially wasteful and environmentally bad. Therefore, the current fascination with these cryptocurrencies seems to have more to do with a speculative mania than any use as a form of electronic payment, except for illegal activities. Accordingly, authorities are edging closer and closer to clamping down to contain the risks related to cryptocurrencies. There is a strong case for policy intervention. As now noted by many securities markets and regulatory and supervisory agencies, these assets can raise concerns related to consumer and investor protection. Appropriate authorities have a duty to educate and protect investors and consumers, and need to be prepared to act. Moreover, there are concerns related to tax evasion, money laundering and criminal finance. Authorities should welcome innovation. But they have a duty to make sure technological advances are not used to legitimise profits from illegal activities. 16 See Digiconomist, “Bitcoin energy consumption index”, digiconomist.net/bitcoin-energy-consumption.
What role for the central bank? Central banks, acting by themselves and/or in coordination with other financial authorities like bank regulators and supervisors, ministries of finance, tax agencies and financial intelligence units, may also need to act, given their roles in providing money services and safeguarding money’s real value. Working with commercial banks, authorities have a part to play in policing the digital frontier. Commercial banks are on the front line since they are the ones settling trades, providing real liquidity, keeping exchanges going and interacting with customers. It is alarming that some banks have advertised “bitcoin ATMs” where you can buy and sell bitcoins. Authorities need to ensure commercial banks do not facilitate unscrupulous behaviours. Central banks need to safeguard payment systems. To date, Bitcoin is not functional as a means of payment, but it relies on the oxygen provided by the connection to standard means of payments and trading apps that link users to conventional bank accounts. If the only “business case” is use for illicit or illegal transactions, central banks cannot allow such tokens to rely on much of the same institutional infrastructure that serves the overall financial system and freeload on the trust that it provides. Authorities should apply the principle that the Basel Process has adhered to for years: to provide a level playing field to all participants in financial markets (banks and non-banks alike), while at the same time fostering innovative, secure and competitive markets. In this context, this means, among other things, ensuring that the same high standards that money transfer and payment service providers have to meet are also met by Bitcoin-type exchanges. It also means ensuring that legitimate banking and payment services are only offered to those exchanges and products that meet these high standards. Financial authorities may also have a case to intervene to ensure financial stability. To date, many judge that, given cryptocurrencies’ small size and limited interconnectedness, concerns about them do not rise to a systemic level. But if authorities do not act pre-emptively, cryptocurrencies could become more interconnected with the main financial system and become a threat to financial stability. Most importantly, the meteoric rise of cryptocurrencies should not make us forget the important role central banks play as stewards of public trust. Private digital tokens masquerading as currencies must not subvert this trust. As history has shown, there simply is no substitute. Still, central banks are embracing new technologies as appropriate. Many new developments can help. For example, fintech and “techfin” – which refers to established technology platforms venturing into financial services. These are changing financial service provision in many countries, most clearly in payments, and especially in some emerging market economies (for example, China and Kenya). While they introduce the possibility of non-bank financial institutions introducing money-type instruments, which raises a familiar set of regulatory questions, they do present scope for many gains. Conclusion In conclusion, while cryptocurrencies may pretend to be currencies, they fail the basic textbook definitions. Most would agree that they do not function as a unit of account. Their volatile valuations make them unsafe to rely on as a common means of payment and a stable store of value. They also defy lessons from theory and experiences. Most importantly, given their many fragilities, cryptocurrencies are unlikely to satisfy the requirement of trust to make them sustainable forms of money. While new technologies have the potential to improve our lives, this is not invariably the case. Thus, central banks must be prepared to intervene if needed. After all, cryptocurrencies piggyback on the institutional infrastructure that serves the wider financial system, gaining a semblance of legitimacy from their links to it. This clearly falls under central banks’ area of responsibility. The buck stops here. But the buck also starts here. Credible money will continue to arise from central bank decisions, taken in the light of day and in the public interest. In particular, central banks and financial authorities should pay special attention to two aspects. First, to the ties linking cryptocurrencies to real currencies, to ensure that the relationship is not parasitic. And second, to the level playing field principle. This means “same risk, same regulation”. And no exceptions allowed.
How Does Bitcoin ATM Work . Although there are countless types of ATMs from different manufacturers, they all mostly work the same way. A Bitcoin ATM is connected via the Internet to the Bitcoin blockchain via the Internet and gives the user the address to which the cryptocurrency has been transferred (in both the usual way and in the form of a QR code). How to locate bitcoin ATMs in Singapore. Coin ATM Radar, an online service for bitcoin ATM maps, estimates that there 5,532 crypto ATMs in the world, up from approximately 471 machines in January 2015. You can find a bitcoin vending machine by using online tools that search them for you in real-time. One of the services you can use is Coin ATM Radar. Visit the coinatmradar.com website; Type ... A Singapore company has created a way for customers to buy gold and silver directly from a Lamassu bitcoin ATM. Quantified Assets, a bitcoin-to-precious metals brokerage, has a prototype machine ... Bitcoin: Steht der Ausbruch aus dem langen Seitwärtstrend kurz bevor? So sieht die Lage momentan aus 22.07.20, 13:00 onvista As a novelty when in Singapore, I threw a few bucks into a machine promising to sell pieces of a bitcoin, in 2014 or 2015. I don't know how much …
Bitcoin Bitcoins Credit Card, Bitcoin ATM Card, Bitcoin Cashout Card, www.Exkash.com, bitcoin prepaid card, Bitcoin Free Wallet ATM Card, Bitcoin Gift Card, bitcoin ... BitRocket how to Sell Bitcoins at a Lamassu machine for Cash. Update 11 Jan 2019 : FYBSG no longer available. I m currently using this https://www.coinhako.com/affiliations/sign_up/108402_49480712 They have slightly hig... We ventured to Singapore where there are currently up to 4 different ATMs - the Lamassu, Singaporean Numoni, Robocoin (this one will be also in the Czech Rep... | 33,437 | 13,841 | 79,465.116538 |
warc | 202143 | Much of what we don't understand about being human is simply in our heads. From those clusters of cells in our head arises the elusive, but powerful, mind. Despite our best attempts to "know ourselves," the truth is that we often know surprisingly little about our own minds, and even less about the way others think. Meet Psychologist Dr. Nitesh Kumar Jha, Clinical Research Officer at INCLEN (The International Clinical Epidemiology Network) Trust International, New Delhi, who has long sought insights into the complex mental processes that dictate human actions, and has made significant strides in lifting that veil of mystery.Read More »
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warc | 202143 | Members' Corner
President’s Message: Making Things Better
We didn’t choose PMH nursing because we thought it would be easy – I suspect most of us entered this profession with the hope that we could make things better for others. And we do. Keep Reading
Nurses in Action: Unlocking Telemental Health for Student Nurses
APNA Annual Conference Presenter Gabrielle P Abelard, DNP, PMHNP, PMHCNS-BC, RN, BSn, shares her thoughts on this topic. Keep Reading
Member News
Congratulations to the distinguished APNA Members who will be inducted as fellows in the American Academy of Nursing! View Members
Suicide Prevention Month: Free Session for APNA Members
As a nurse dedicated to hope, healing, and recovery, thank you for all you do to prevent suicide and facilitate meaningful lives. In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, here is a free CE session, just for APNA members: The Lived Experience of Stigma by Suicide-Attempt Survivors: A Phenomenological Study
Suicide Prevention Month: Highlighted Resource
The groundbreaking Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Essential Competencies for Assessment and Management of Individuals at Risk for Suicide were developed by APNA member experts for inpatient PMH nurses. According to Dr. Jane Pearson, Special Advisor to the Director on Suicide Research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), "APNA was among the first groups of healthcare providers that sought to improve their competencies in suicide prevention. They exhibited leadership in developing, implementing, and evaluating competencies in suicide prevention." View Competencies
APNA Annual Conference Spotlight: Kevin Hines
In 2000, APNA Keynote Speaker Kevin Hines jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge in a suicide attempt. Many factors contributed to his survival, including a sea lion which kept him afloat until the Coast Guard arrived. Kevin now travels the world sharing his story of hope, healing, and recovery. Don’t miss his Keynote Presentation on October 15th! Register Now
Now Online: Pandemic Fatigue
In this editorial, Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Editor in Chief Geraldine Pearson, PhD, PMH-CNS, FAAN explores the impact of pandemic fatigue on psychiatric-mental health nurses. Read Editorial
Issues & Events
The cost of treatment and access to quality, affordable care, along with stigma, are major barriers to Americans seeking help for mood disorders, according to a new national survey. The 2021 Mood Disorder Survey was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Among people who have a mood disorder, about half (52%) say cost prevents them from trying a treatment they’re interested in — a proportion that is much higher among the uninsured (74%). In addition, 61% of those without insurance report stopping a treatment because they could no longer afford it. The vast majority of all adults, 84%, agree that stigma is a major barrier to people accessing treatment for mood disorders, and 87% believe that mood disorders — if left untreated — have significant economic and social impacts. Full Story
National Quality Forum (NQF) has released a new report from the Opioids and Behavioral Health Committee, which was developed to improve the prevention and monitoring of SUD, opioid-related overdoses, and opioid-related mortality, specifically in individuals with co-occurring behavioral health conditions. It outlines opportunities for coordination and partnerships across care settings and enables stakeholders to adapt and improve their readiness in a rapidly changing landscape. Full Story
More than 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia, costing the world $1.3 trillion a year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a recent report. With populations ageing, the number of sufferers is projected to rise to 78 million by 2030 and 139 million by 2050, reported Reuters. Full Story
As students head back to school,
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is awarding grants that will strengthen the structures that serve the mental health needs of our nation’s youth. The first raises awareness of mental health issues for youths and trains school personnel. The second coordinates treatment for young people who have emotional disorders. The first-year awards for the two programs total $74.2 million. Full Story
A new review article published in the journal . The meta-analysis found depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety all present with similar gut microbial abnormalities, including higher amounts of pro-inflammatory bacteria, reported JAMA Psychiatry is suggesting a number of different psychiatric disorders share common gut microbiome perturbations News Atlas. Full Story
The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has received funding to create 10 new Youth Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams across the state. Youth ACT teams support children ages 10 to 21 with mental illness and their families in the home and community settings. Youth ACT teams are composed of psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, mental health clinicians, and peer advocates. They are highly responsive and flexible to meet the individualized, changing needs of the child and family, and they offer support 24/7, reported News10.com. Full Story
Using data from medical registries in Denmark,
researchers found that patients who received an intervention for first-episode psychosis had shorter and fewer hospital stays compared with patients who received the intervention in a controlled clinical trial. Full Story
The Biden-Harris Administration announced a $2.1 billion investment to improve infection prevention and control activities across the U.S. public health and healthcare sectors. The Biden-Harris Administration, working through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is investing American Rescue Plan funding to strengthen and equip state, local, and territorial public health departments and other partner organizations with the resources needed to better fight infections in U.S. healthcare facilities, including COVID-19 and other known and emerging infectious diseases. Full Story
A new study from The Ohio State University College of Nursing quantifies how the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with variable workplace wellness cultures and long shifts caring for patients, has severely impacted nurses working on the front lines. Among the findings, the vast majority reported physical health (74.6%) and mental health (80.7%) at a five or lower on a 10-point scale, reported News-Medical.net. Full Story
A majority of parents say their children’s mental wellbeing worsened during the past year and a half because of remote learning and social isolation due to COVID-19, according to a new poll from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Parents also expressed anxiety about their children returning to schools for the 2021-2022 school year. The poll, conducted by Morning Consult and released by the National Council, highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people and the increasing need for mental health and substance use information, resources and support for families and schools. Full Story
Legislative
In order to meet an increased demand for mental health care services, Congresswomen Lizzie Fletcher (TX) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA) introduced the This legislation invests in the Collaborative Care Model, a specific care delivery model that integrates behavioral health care within the primary care setting for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders that require regular follow-up, like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Full Story Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner (COCM) Act.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced her MI Healthy Communities plan, a $1.4 billion proposal to expand care for families, build up facilities, and invest in local public health with federal relief dollars from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, reported Radio Results Network. The plan will address many of the deficiencies in Michigan’s health infrastructure that were revealed during the pandemic and provide resources to meet Michigan families’ mental health needs, expand access to behavioral care and telemedicine, upgrade nursing homes, and bolster local public health departments. Full Story Policy
The American Nurses Association (ANA) urges the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to declare the current and unsustainable nurse staffing shortage facing our country a national crisis. In a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, ANA calls for the Administration to acknowledge and take concrete action to address the current crisis-level nurse staffing shortage that puts nurses’ ability to care for patients in jeopardy. Full Story
The Alzheimer’s Association and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) have announced the inaugural cohort of the Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Road Map Strategists.
The first nation-wide effort focused on addressing dementia at the local level, the Road Map Strategist Initiative will increase eight local public health departments’ capacity to address cognitive health and dementia in their communities. Full Story
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is awarding more than $123 million in funding through six grant programs to provide multifaceted support to communities and health care providers as the Nation continues to combat the overdose epidemic. These SAMHSA grant programs reflect the agency’s and Biden-Harris administration’s ongoing mission to connect people who have substance use disorders (SUD) to culturally appropriate, evidence-based treatments and supports. Full Story
Click here to see letters APNA has signed on to as a part of its participation in coalitions that further policy for nursing and mental health. The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited with distinction as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. | 10,270 | 4,654 | 22,367.150838 |
warc | 202143 | Exit interviewing is an important process to enable you to document the real reasons for an employee’s departure, secure undiluted feedback on key issues and highlight issues of particular concern that may protect the organisation against future claims.
Many employees, even at the point of exit, can be reluctant to tell a colleague or manager the real reasons for their departure. Directors and senior managers should be aware if there are any organisational issues underlying a departure. The quality of such knowledge gathering is improved if the reasons are accurately captured and analysed after the information has been shared.
Outsourcing the exit interview process to an independent third party can allow employees feel more comfortable in providing sensitive information, thus increasing the overall quality of the process. It can also free up valuable HR resources to focus on other activities.
We will work with the your existing documentation, or will provide a tailored solution if necessary. Interviews can be conducted by telephone or face to face as required by the client.
For further information please Email admin@feedbacksolutions.ie | 1,165 | 632 | 2,127.231013 |
warc | 202143 | Chevron Corp.'s CEO Mike Wirth spoke with Bloomberg on Wednesday and warned about elevated prices due to tightening supply. He said oil and gas companies are holding back on drilling new projects.
"There are things that are interfering with market signals right now that we haven't seen before. Eventually, things work out, but eventually can be a long time," Wirth said.
His outlook for the energy market, including gas, liquefied natural gas, and oil, is a bull trend in prices "for a while," without laying out a timeframe.
He said although commodity prices are moving higher, "signaling, we could invest more," equity prices are sending mixed signals.
"There are two signals I'm looking for, and I'm only seeing one of them right now," he said. "We could afford to invest more. The equity market is not sending a signal that says they think we ought to be doing that."
Wirth added that shareholders would rather see cash returned to them than invested in new or existing drilling projects. Investors are cautious about plowing billions of dollars into low-return projects. They are also concerned about climate change initiatives targeting energy companies to reduce carbon emissions that would hurt future returns.
"You've got some real new dynamics, whether it's government policy, efforts to constrain capital into the industry, to make it harder for the industry to access capital markets," Wirth said. "That is the short term could create some risk for the global economy." | 1,504 | 803 | 2,775.750934 |
warc | 202143 | In most cases, COVID-19 may be milder in young children than in adults, but parents and caregivers should understand that children can be infected with the coronavirus, can develop complications requiring hospitalization, and can transmit the virus to others. In some cases, babies infected with the coronavirus can develop a serious lung infection and become very sick with COVID-19, and deaths have occurred. That’s why it is important to use precautions and prevent infection in babies as well as adults.
Babies can get unwell really quickly and they will not be able to communicate. So watch out and immediately go to a doctor if you see the following.
• Baby is under 3 months old and has a temperature of 38C or higher, or you think they have a fever
• Child is 3 to 6 months old and has a temperature of 39C or higher, or you think they have a fever • Child has other signs of illness, such as a rash, as well as a high temperature (fever) • Your baby has a high temperature that’s lasted for 5 days or more • The baby does not want to eat, or is not their usual self and you’re worried • The infant has a high temperature that does not come down with paracetamol • The baby is dehydrated – for example, nappies are not very wet, sunken eyes, and no tears when they’re crying
Coronavirus variants, including the very contagious delta variant, continue to spread, particularly in areas with low rates of community COVID-19 vaccination. For children too young to be vaccinated (and adults who have not received coronavirus vaccines) it is important to follow proven COVID-19 precautions such as mask wearing when in public, indoor places to reduce the chance of becoming infected with the coronavirus. Indoor activities are riskier than outdoor activities, but risk can be reduced by masking, distancing, hand washing, and improved ventilation.
It appears that women infected with the coronavirus can, in very rare cases, pass the disease to her baby. Infants can also become infected shortly after being born. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most newborns who test positive for the coronavirus have mild symptoms or none at all, and recover, but serious cases have occurred. Pregnant women should take extra precautions, including talking to your doctor about getting a COVID-19 vaccine, to avoid the coronavirus. | 2,426 | 1,151 | 4,972.140747 |
warc | 202143 | General
Subtitle: An Economic History of the United States Author: Alan Greenspan; Adrian Wooldridge Editor: Binding: Purchase Date: Purchase Price: Publishing
Publisher: Penguin Edition: Copyright Year: Publication Year: 2018 ISBN#: 0-7352-2245-2 LCCN#: Pages: 496 Translator: Language: en Classification
Genre: Keywords: Business & Economics; Development; Economic Development; Economic History; History; United States Series: Series Number: Condition: Comments From the legendary former Fed Chairman and the acclaimed Economist writer and historian, the full, epic story of America's evolution from a small patchwork of threadbare colonies to the most powerful engine of wealth and innovation the world has ever seen.Shortlisted for the 2018 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award
From even the start of his fabled career, Alan Greenspan was duly famous for his deep understanding of even the most arcane corners of the American economy, and his restless curiosity to know even more. To the extent possible, he has made a science of understanding how the US economy works almost as a living organism--how it grows and changes, surges and stalls. He has made a particular study of the question of productivity growth, at the heart of which is the riddle of innovation. Where does innovation come from, and how does it spread through a society? And why do some eras see the fruits of innovation spread more democratically, and others, including our own, see the opposite?
In
Capitalism in America, Greenspan distills a lifetime of grappling with these questions into a thrilling and profound master reckoning with the decisive drivers of the US economy over the course of its history. In partnership with the celebrated Economist journalist and historian Adrian Wooldridge, he unfolds a tale involving vast landscapes, titanic figures, triumphant breakthroughs, enlightenment ideals as well as terrible moral failings. Every crucial debate is here--from the role of slavery in the antebellum Southern economy to the real impact of FDR's New Deal to America's violent mood swings in its openness to global trade and its impact. But to read Capitalism in Americais above all to be stirred deeply by the extraordinary productive energies unleashed by millions of ordinary Americans that have driven this country to unprecedented heights of power and prosperity.
At heart, the authors argue, America's genius has been its unique tolerance for the effects of creative destruction, the ceaseless churn of the old giving way to the new, driven by new people and new ideas. Often messy and painful, creative destruction has also lifted almost all Americans to standards of living unimaginable to even the wealthiest citizens of the world a few generations past. A sense of justice and human decency demands that those who bear the brunt of the pain of change be protected, but America has always accepted more pain for more gain, and its vaunted rise cannot otherwise be understood, or its challenges faced, without recognizing this legacy. For now, in our time, productivity growth has stalled again, stirring up the populist furies. There's no better moment to apply the lessons of history to the most pressing question we face, that of whether the United States will preserve its preeminence, or see its leadership pass to other, inevitably less democratic powers. | 3,391 | 1,734 | 6,613.818916 |
warc | 202143 | Motorcycle are more likely to be seriously hurt in crashes due to the absence of a vehicle structure that protects them. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcycle made up only 3 percent in all US registered vehicles. However, they accounted for 15% of all traffic fatalities and 18% of all occupant fatalities (driver and passengers), and 4 percent each of all vehicle injuries.
According to NHTSA, only 0.7% of all vehicle miles travelled in the United States in the past year was due to motorcycles. Motorcycle were five times more likely to sustain injuries and to die in crashes per vehicle mile than passengers.
NHTSA states that motorcycle Attorney are more popular on roads because they are more attractive than cars and are cheaper to purchase and operate. More people choose to ride their motorcycles even in the colder months of the year, as gas prices rise. Increasing motorcycle use and increasing traffic increases the risk of serious Motorcycle Accident Attorney Atlanta
. | 1,025 | 539 | 1,939.703154 |
warc | 202143 | Did you know that almost 3.7 million homes are burgled every year? The frightening thing about this is that about 28 percent of these homes are broken into when they’re occupied –people are at home– leading to the victimization of a household member in 7 percent of all cases.
The worrying thing about burglaries isn’t just that people are robbed of their valuables, it’s that they are also robbed of their sense of security. The latter is worse because if you can’t feel safe in your own home, where else can you feel safe?
This is why you need to take all preventive measures to secure your property. The tips in this blog post will help you do just that.
Light Up Your Yard
Make sure that your property’s exterior is well-lit. Invest in motion-sensing floodlights that are triggered when strangers step foot on your property.
Put this in various parts of the home’s exterior –particularly areas that are prone to darkness or hidden away from public view. If you’ll be away from home for a while, install automatic lights that turn on and off at various intervals.
Some experts recommend leaving a vehicle in your driveway if you can. These actions make it look like there are people in the house.
Install Security Cameras
According to The Zebra, almost 47 percent of homes have no security system. Does your home have a security system installed? If it doesn’t, now is the time to get one. Thankfully, there are effective home security systems available for all budgets.
Home security systems are important because properties without any security are three times more likely to be broken into than those with some form of security.
This is because burglars and thieves tend to look for signs of a home security system –even if it’s just a Ring doorbell or an alarm system– before attempting to break into any property.
Install High-Grade Locks
Many people tend to leave a key under the foot mat, a rock, flower pot, or some hidden but easy-to-reach place. Burglars know this and are likely to capitalize on that knowledge.
If they’re in a hurry, they can take the key, make a duplicate copy, return the original one, and come back to rob the house at their convenience. The best way to prevent this is to
NOT leave your keys where they can be easily found.
The second best option is to install high-grade locks with multilock keys –preferably keys that require an authorization card or passcode. Multilock key duplication is impossible without the authorization magnetic strip card.
This way, even when a burglar takes the key to duplicate it, it’ll be useless because they’ll need to provide the locksmith with the card before duplication.
Conclusion
If you’ve spent considerable sums making your home beautiful, it’s important to keep that home safe. Apart from the tips above, make sure to always secure your doors and windows when you’re not at home.
And even when you are, just make sure that unauthorized entries are limited. Also, remember to get rid of dark or hiding spots in and around your home. Trim the hedges and bushes around the home so you can see clearly. | 3,202 | 1,538 | 6,404 |
warc | 202143 | There was once frequently asked that can fishes see anything? Well, whenever your fish follows your hand or move quickly to the top at the feeding time, shows that fish can see. Today we are here with an interesting question can fish see water?
No, fish is unable to see water around them, just like us as we can’t see the air around us. This raises several questions in turn Like why they can’t see water when they can see everything else clearly.
The basic mechanism behind this behavior is our brain is trained in this way to avoid any unnecessary detail. To us, the air is not significant to be remembered same is the case with fish as well.
Now let’s take a look at how fish see everything around them.
Why Fishes Can’t See Water Around Them?
The answer lies in the intrinsic working of the brain. The brain of all the fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals is adapted to intentionally ignore insignificant environmental stimuli.
Water is present in abundance around the fish if their brain is focused on all the components of water their brain will soon run out of its processing capacity. For the brain to function efficiently it is crucial to only direct it toward the vital stimuli.
For example, if we focus on all the noises or smells around us it will be very hard for us to process this abundant information. So, without knowing we have stopped processing our own body odor.
Similarly, a fish’s brain works on the same principle to filter out background stimuli to improve its functioning. This helps in improving the memory and ability to perceive critical stimuli.
Do Fish have Sense of Vision?
Not just vision fishes are equipped with all the basic senses such as taste, smell, touch, and hearing. A fish’s eye is quite the same as ours in anatomy and working as well.
Components of Fish’s Eye:
A fish’s eye is composed of more or less the same components as that of a human eye. They have a similar cornea, lens, iris, pupil, retina, and all the photoreceptors. The nerve supply is the same as that of is the optic nerve.
These components are arranged similarly to the human eye. Fish do not have eyelids for protection.
How Fish’s Eye Is Protected Without Eyelids?
This is a question that is frequently asked that if fish do not have eyelids what protects their eyes?
Well, humans have eyelids to clear the dust particles and prevent them from entering the eye. Being underwater creatures, fishes do not have this problem, their eyes are constantly getting washed away by water.
Thus, fish do not need protection at all for their eyes.
How A Fish’s Eye Process Image?
The processing of images in fish is similar as well. The light from outside first enters the eye through the cornea and from there it passes through the pupil and lens. As the lens focuses the image on the retina, it is perceived by photoreceptors such as rods and cones.
Photoreceptors efficiently convert these stimuli into electric signals. These signals are conveyed to the brain through the optic nerve. This way an image is made on the back of the mind. It takes milliseconds for a fish to focus, form and process this image.
Why Do Fish Have a Greater Range of Vision?
Fishes are gifted by nature in terms of the greater field of vision and wider view. Their eyes can capture a wider field in a single glance.
This property is due to an exceptionally spherical lens. This lens has a panoramic view helping the fish to stay aware of their environment.
There is a downside to these wide-vision lenses, they come at the cost of focused vision. Fishes can not focus on distant objects; thus, they appear blurred to them.
Are Fish-Eye Lenses Actually Named After Fish’s Eye?
Yes, that’s interesting and true, fish-eye lenses that are famous for their panoramic view, are named and developed after fish’s lens. So, these lenses are paired with focusing techniques to have wide-angled focused images in cameras.
What Colors a Fish Can See?
Fishes are capable of perceiving more colors as compared to a normal human eye. There are only three primary colors (red, green, and blue) that are perceived by humans.
In contrast, fishes can see more than these primary colors and can differentiate between various shades of colors.
Moreover, fishes can not only see visible light but also, can perceive ultraviolet light. This ultraviolet light is beneficial in some species while looking for food.
Thus, it is safe to say that the fish world is much more colorful than ours.
Is It True That Fishes Are Short-Sighted?
As it is said earlier fishes do have a wider vision, but they are also unable to see distant objects. The objects at a distance of 100-150 feet are visible to fish but a blurred image is created at the back of their head.
Thus, it is usually said that fishes are short-sighted or near-sighted as they can perceive near objects with far greater clarity.
How Do Fish See World Underwater?
A fish’s vision underwater is quite different from ours. They have a panoramic wide-angle view, but they are unable to focus on objects far from them. Moreover, they can see a world of colors due to their ability to perceive colors other than primary colors.
Due to their ability to detect ultraviolet light, they can see colorful objects and prey even in the darkest parts of the ocean.
A fish’s view underwater is affected by many factors such as quality of water, the flow of water, algal growth, sunlight reflection, availability of light, and much more. Thus, their vision is not always the same.
How Can Fish See in Murky Water?
Fishes have adapted themselves according to their environment in every aspect. Similarly, when it comes to vision it also depends on their habitat.
Fishes inhabiting murky water or areas with low light have adapted themselves to see any obstruction
Can Fish See Air?
While answering the question that can fish see water opens up another debate that can fish see air?
The answer is simple,
no, fish can’t see air. The reason behind it is that to see an object in the different mediums the refractive index of the two mediums should be different. The refractive index of air is very small that is 1, it is impossible to see air.
Thus, neither we nor any fish can see the air around us.
Is There a Fish Without Eyes?
Mexican cavefish are practically blind as their eyes are atrophied due to disuse. Mexican cavefish inhabits darker areas of the sea such as caves where there is no trace of light.
Thus, their eyes are no longer functional. So, they are now called Mexican blind cavefish.
This discovery also proves that fishes living in a darker environment will sooner or later lose their eyes permanently.
Can Fish Live Without Eyes?
Fish can survive an organ loss such as losing their eyes only if kept in isolation. In the wild, blind fish can never survive because they can’t find food.
Moreover, constant predator attack also makes it difficult for them to survive without eyes. A blind fish can only survive in two conditions, first complete isolation, secondly if it inhabits extremely dark areas of water.
Fish Disease Affecting Eyes:
Most frequently aquarium kept fishes suffer from Popeye disease, in which their eye is lost after infection or injury.
Popeye Disease in Fish:
Medically, it is also known as exophthalmos. If the infection is the reason behind the disease, it is contagious, and you should first isolate your fish to protect other fishes.
Symptoms:
Excessive swelling of eyes leading to their protrusion out of their socket. Lethargy, loss of appetite, and susceptibility to various infections are commonly seen.
It eventually results in the loss of one or both eyes in fish thus known as popeye disease.
Causes:
There are two major causes behind popeye.
Infection due to unhealthy water. Injury or trauma from aquarium decorations. How to Treat Popeye in Fish? Firstly, isolate that fish in a separate hospital tank. The first line of treatment is to improve the water quality. Check all the water parameters and do a thorough cleaning. Maintain all the water parameters in the appropriate range, especially pH, temperature, and levels of nitrate. Look for symptoms and if loss of appetite is seen go for antibiotic therapy. Any broad-spectrum antibiotic will be effective. If the condition of the fish doesn’t improve in 24 hours or if worsen look for a fish expert and seek immediate treatment for your fish. Conclusion:
Thus, it is clear from our above discussion that fishes do see and see quite a lot but fish can’t see water around them. Just as we can’t see the air around us, it is a highly developed function of the brain to omit any unnecessary stimulus from perception. This technique improves the brain’s capacity for perception and processing.
Fish can’t see air as well due to too little refractive index of air. Certain fishes are practically blind due to their habitat. Fish can also lose vision due to certain conditions such as popeye or injury.
I hope this article proved beneficial for you and answered some interesting queries.
Best of luck with your fish!!! | 9,209 | 3,966 | 20,967.541604 |
warc | 202143 | There’s something about reading other people’s success stories that warms my heart. It makes me reflect on my life while inspiring me to believe in the possibility of my own dreams, and pursue them with gusto. Some stories make me cry because of the tales of adversity that inspired them. Others, however, amaze me because of some the ingenious and unconventional inspirations behind them. Whatever their nature, most success stories appear to share some common denominators.
The success stories I love the most are those of people I know personally and have witnessed transpire right before my eyes, because they are more relatable and reinforce my belief that success is truly possible for anyone. It isn’t necessarily influenced by our connections or backgrounds and can be achieved at any stage in one’s life – success doesn’t discriminate.
As much as we enjoy hearing other people’s success stories and celebrating those of our loved ones; there comes a point in our lives when we all aspire for the same – when we want to inspire others through our own success stories.
The following are things we can all do to ensure that we become a success story someday: 1. Adopt a mindset of success by letting go of your limiting beliefs
Belief is integral in developing a successful mindset and making anything happen. In order for us to adopt a mindset of success, we must first believe that success is possible for us and that we have what it takes to accomplish whatever it is we desire. We have to let go of any limiting beliefs we possess that make us feel unworthy of or incapable of achieving our goals or dreams. Self-imposed limitations or what others have made us believe about ourselves will tear us apart.
Anyone who has ever accomplished anything great would be wise in telling you they were able to do so because they believed they could. If we want to become a success story, we have to first see and speak of ourselves as capable of and believe that we have the power within ourselves to do anything we set our minds to.
2. Be passionate about what you do
If you want to experience success in your pursuits and someday inspire others through your own success story; you have to be passionate about what you do. Our passions are things we are naturally good at, connect with, enjoy doing and from which we derive fulfillment and purpose. Although we can experience success in different arenas of life, the endeavors which give our life meaning are those that we have a deep connection with and feel passionate about.
Some of the best success stories are often those about people who chose to pursue their passions not because money was their main motivation, but rather because they love what they do and wanted to make a difference in the world by sharing their gifts with others. Often times, people who pursue things they naturally love to do are able to attract both money and success, because it is easier to fully immerse oneself and flourish in things one enjoys.
“You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out.” –
Steve Jobs 3. Have a strong ‘Why’
If you read most success stories, you will discover they were inspired by a strong and solid reason. Knowing why you want to accomplish something, what accomplishing it will mean to you, and what kind of impact it will have on your life or that of others’ will play a great role in determining your success or failure. Our desires inspire us, motivate us to take action and keep us from giving up when we want to throw in the towel.
If you want to become a success story, you need to determine your motive for doing whatever you want to do and determine whether it is valid and strong enough. If this is not done, you may not have enough fuel for the long haul and sustain your commitment to your endeavors.
4. Embrace consistency – Be prepared to show up every day
Overnight success is nonexistent. If we want to become success stories, we will have to consistently cultivate our goals and dreams by putting in the time and effort needed to make them reality. Anything worth achieving and sustaining in life requires both constant and consistent effort and attention.
According to Aristotle, consistency is the key to success, and excellence isn’t an act but rather a habit; we are what we repeatedly do. Success is the sum of all the small efforts we consistently repeat day in and day out that are vital to maintaining it. Consistency allows us to form habits, measure our progress, develop routines and creates accountability that ensures follow through on our goals and dreams. Anyone who has ever experienced success in their pursuits was able to do so because they were willing to show up every day and consistently do the things that needed to be done to ensure the manifestation of their desired outcome.
5. Develop a resilient spirit
The journey towards success is wrought with challenges, obstacles, and is often much bumpier than it is smooth – those that win the race are those that manage to find their way to the finish line. Most success stories contain elements of overcoming adversities and setbacks; some of our most valued dreams will require our blood, sweat and tears to accomplish.
If you wish to share your success story someday, you have to be prepared to develop thick-skin and learn how to appropriately deal with and overcome defeat. You have to learn how to rise up after each stumble and live to fight another day until you achieve victory.
“I think there are things that we can all do to build resilience in ourselves, but also to build resilience in each other.” –
Sheryl Sandberg
As you can see based on the above, success isn’t elusive or even exclusive – it is possible for every one of us as long as we are willing to do our part in ensuring the fruition of our desires. Determine why you want what you want, believe that its manifestation is possible for you, consistently take action towards your goals and dreams, be passionate about your endeavors and maintain a resilient spirit when you encounter challenges and obstacles. Trust in the process and in no time, you too will be your own success story.
What are you doing today to ensure success in the future? Let us know your story below! The 4 Pillars of Wealth and Abundance
Have you ever wondered what the formula for a wealthy and abundant life is? Many people have. Lots has been written about the subject of wealth creation and living an abundant life. It was a breaking point in my journey and pursuit of success when I found out that there is a clear path to achieve success in life. Thanks to those who have shared their journey, we can clearly see and follow the principles of prosperity. (more…)
Here Are 4 Reasons Why You Should Have a Podcast, Youtube Channel or Online Show
Confidence comes from a place of strong understanding of self. After close to three years on radio, I’ve grown from a shy introvert to a shy introvert with an extrovert persona. When the mic is turned on, I can channel a version of myself that some say is attractive, strong, and of course, confident but it wasn’t always this way.
What I want to share with you is what I discovered on this journey into broadcast that you can apply to your life, your ventures, and your personal development. This doesn’t require any fancy gear. It does require a leap of faith on your part because once you go down the road of media; it can change your life.
1. Perceived Expertise
When you go to a doctor, you expect their knowledge will guide them to a solution to your problems. When you have a show, you become your listeners’ doctor. For all the multiple thousands, maybe millions, of YouTube channels, podcasts, and user-created content in the world, each person that gets behind a mic takes a position on their passion, their opinions, and their themes.
They challenge the status quo for the benefit of their listeners in hopes to entertain and educate. With consistency on your side, those fans place you on a platform and give you permission to influence them.
2. Global Acknowledgement
One of the benefits to increasing confidence is when you receive thank you notes from people you may never meet. The feeling of enriching someone’s life from halfway around the globe, provides validation you’re enhancing someone else’s life with your wisdom and your wit.
The very first time I was told I was making a difference in someone’s life in a country other than my own, I felt like I caused massive impact that transcends my circle of influence. When you experience just how much you can cause impact and it comes back to you, it’ll change your worldview.
“Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining – it bores everybody else, does you no good, and doesn’t solve any problems.” –
Zig Ziglar 3. Backed By Numbers
One of the most exciting ways to measure success is to quantify your growth. It’s not enough to just broadcast. Having subscribers and downloads helps to know, numerically, how well you’re doing. Word of caution. This can be a way to set yourself up for distress because of number envy but if you understand what the numbers mean; you can control the narrative of the numbers.
The major number that makes most people smile is 10,000. I’d advise it to be 1. Here’s why. As you grow in your industry, so does your reach. If you learned that the one person that subscribed totally changed for the better because of you, wouldn’t that be worth the effort?
4. Effective Communication
While it’s not talked about much, having a show is documentation. You create a dynamic account of your life, your industry, and the pulse on what’s important simply by having a show. When you find a channel to improve your communication skills, you demand attention and people will listen to you. You become more trusted as a leader and people will follow you once they believe you can lead them to their wants and needs.
“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” –
Tony Robbins
These insights have helped many people become leaders and, ultimately, move others to their best selves. It’s worked for me and I hope it works for you. At the end of the day, it’s all about showing up and showing out.
Have you ever thought about having a radio show? If so, what would you talk about? Let us below! 7 of the Biggest Enemies Stopping You From Success
Everyone wants to be successful. It is a thing we all wish for. We want to achieve mind-blowing success. However, the road to success is not so easy. And the funniest part is, you are the one to determine whether you become successful or not. (more…)
The Key to Success: Understanding and Constructively Using Our Influence
All humans strive for success, although not all of us think about success in the same way. Yes, there are many stereotypical views of success and sometimes these views can get in the way of individuals realizing that they actually have already achieved it. (more…)
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warc | 202143 | The DA recently raised a petition against changing the name from William Nicol Drive to Joburg, claiming the cost of the change far outweighs the benefit. There is of course another policy at play. Central to the argument is the fact that the ANC-run city of Johannesburg wants to change the name to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Drive.
On Monday April 26, 2021, the ANC escalated rhetoric surrounding the name change from William Nicol Drive with the party’s Deputy General Secretary Jessie Duarte leading a group to the side of the road to show support for the name change . But even here the divisions of our country were exposed with the presence of some MKMVA members supporting Ace Magashule. Duarte, therefore, was placed in the position of having to declare that those in camouflage uniform did not “represent our aspirations.”
Philosopher RG Collingwood suggested in his book: “
The principles of art ”, that the names of roads and statues were examples of “magic”. He likened them to a rain or a war dance. No one, he argued, really believes that a war dance will bring you victory – they give emotional confidence. Likewise, no one believes that rain dances will bring rain – they are community building exercises.
As he wrote, these rituals “produce in men (sic) an emotional state of willingness to endure. [tragedies and droughts] with courage and hope ”.
This is precisely, Collingwood continues, what things like statues and road names do in modern societies. They are magical in that they are intended to arouse emotions that bring unity within a political or social unit.
Collingwood, writing in 1930s Britain, suggested:
“Magical activity is a kind of dynamo feeding the mechanism of practical life with the emotional current which animates it. Therefore, magic is a necessity for every kind and condition of man (sic), and is in fact found in any healthy society. A society which thinks, as ours thinks, that it has survived the need for magic, is mistaken in this opinion, or else it is a dying society, which perishes for lack of interest in its own maintenance.
This is probably why we called the emotion of reconciliation in the 1990s, “Madiba Magic”. Mandela has truly had, in Collingwood’s words, a magical effect on us – an effect that now seems almost impossible to replicate in our shattered, awakened or unawakened society.
The ANC was once a dominant force in the world for having, at its center, the notion of being a “great church” – an organization that was multiracial, multiethnic, multilingual, multicultural and ideologically pluralistic. In fact, in many African countries the ANC was looked down upon for taking this rather than pan-Africanist approach.
The ANC has a truly unique history in Africa. It used to take the notion of reconciliation and plurality very seriously, and it has suffered deeply in South Africa and around the world.
Reconciliation has been the basis of all our good stories; radical identity politics that divides at our worst. But where are these voices now?
The DA leads his petition to stop the name change from William Nicol Drive to Joburg. Whether knowingly or not, they apparently wish to maintain the “magic” of one of the founders of Broederbond, and one of the theological architects of apartheid.
Jan Smuts called Nicol and his associates a “dangerous, cunning, political and fascist organization”. And even JBM Hertzog denounced Nicol and his brothers for their secret racist programs. Maintaining the Nicol name is simply not appropriate for the society we live in.
But the ANC structures which propose the name change cannot do without sanctions in the matter. In their attempt to call it Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Drive, they know full well that they are stoking the flames of division. In saying this, there is no doubt that Winnie Mandela led a deeply tragic life. Helen Suzman said in an interview in 1998:
“He’s a remarkable person in so many ways. I don’t think most people know what she’s been through; she has been detained time and time again, she has been harassed by the special branch… she spent 17 months in solitary confinement and she was banished for eight years to a one-horse town.
To be sure, the apartheid security forces have committed despicable, heinous and unforgivable acts against it. But as a result, she reacted in a way that is deeply controversial. From the 1980s, she was painted as
black beast number one by the white apartheid regime. Part of this, it must be said objectively, was of its own making. The infamous football club Mandela United, which protected her, has done some truly terrible things. The murders of young activist Stompie Seipei and Dr Abu Asvat, who died in the arms of her assistant Albertina Sisulu after being shot during her operation, have always been linked to her and to MUFC. She was convicted in 1991 of kidnapping Seipei.
When these matters were brought up to the TRC, it denied any knowledge of these events. However, Bishop Paul Verryn and many men who suffered at the hands of his football club have testified to his involvement. The head of the TRC, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, after hearing all these testimonies, appealed to him with emotion. Looking at her from across the room, he pleaded:
“A problem has arisen. I am speaking to you as someone who loves you very deeply… I beg you, I beg you, I beg you, please… I am speaking as a person who has lived in this community. You are a great person and you don’t know how your greatness would be improved if you said, “Sorry, things have gone wrong, forgive me”. I beg you.”
After consulting with her lawyers, she offered this in response:
“I take this opportunity to tell Dr. Asvat’s family how sorry I am. And to Stompie’s mother, how sorry I am. I already told him a few years ago when the heat was very hot. I’m saying, it’s true, that things have turned out badly, I totally agree with that. And during that part of those painful years when things went wrong and we were aware that there were factors, and we were aware of that, I am deeply sorry.
However, many of those affected by Mandela United Football Club’s activities were not convinced or satisfied with the apology – she did not offer a full confession.
Others will go on to mention the now almost forgotten letter written to Dali Mpofu which suggested that she was involved in corruption. These pieces of history have not been resolved for many years, and they constitute an emotional tinder box – one that the DA and both ANC factions seem to want to play with.
And because of these controversies, it seems that calling the road by name will only stir up old divisions and stoke the fires of hatred. Perhaps we should remember that segregation is precisely what William Nicol stood for. Why do we need this right now?
There are many whose names evoke a more reconciliatory magic, from trade unionists to politicians, including artists and writers: Lillian Ngoyi, JB Marks, James Phillips (the trade unionist or for those who want to think of him as the singer, they can ) Pixley ka Seme, Alfred Xuma, Ruth First, Ahmed Kathrada, Ernest Mancoba, Gerard Sekoto, Esther Mahlangu or Schreiner (all commemorating Olive, WP, Oliver and Jenny. As an ANC precedent, Sol Plaatje named his daughter in honor of Olive).
At the root of it all seems to be party politics and perhaps with the October elections in mind. If they are, it’s deeply unpleasant, and they ultimately use people’s names to divide us. And neither side seems particularly interested in representing the country’s common aspirations.
In the name of reconciliation and as a step beyond the cultural wars of (non) revival, can’t the ANC and the DA find themselves within themselves to engage in the magic that could help us?
DM
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Read MoreSource: www.dailymaverick.co.zaThis notice was published: 2021-05-05 10:01:51 | 8,116 | 3,916 | 16,267.232891 |
warc | 202143 | Media blasting is a mild type of harsh unpleasant blasting where light weight aluminum oxide bits are blasted onto a worktop or other flat surface area with compressed air. It has a lower unpleasant effect than solid sandblasting. A very early use got on the reconstruction of the Statue of Liberty during the 1980s. This method was later used on the space capsule and on the moon to aid secure the interior. Lately, media blasting has been used on projects such as wind ranches and saltwater storage tanks to assist get rid of undesirable debris. The 3 primary kinds of media blowing up are carbon dioxide blasting (CO2), sand blasting or silicon dioxide blowing up (SDS), and also glass media blasting (GCN). They can all be done at different pressure degrees, and it is essential that you consult your local contractors regarding the very best kind for your requirements. All 3 kinds have a slightly different method of functioning, but they all offer to aid with eliminating the grit, dirt, and gunk from your surface areas. In some cases, all 3 may be essential, specifically when managing extremely unclean or difficult unpleasant media blowing up surfaces. In most instances, glass grain media blowing up involves blowing a great glass powder into the product being blown up. The glass grains are terminated from a high-pressure blast weapon, as well as traveling in a column from the blasting nozzle to a distance of between twenty and also thirty feet. When the glass grains reach the preferred location, they disintegrate and after that are deposited in a waiting frying pan of liquified light weight aluminum, which then solidifies. After the glass beads cool down, they can after that be removed with a cloth or a brush. Sand blasting, also known as impact or sand blasting, is commonly utilized to tidy up problematic locations of a surface area. This approach is often made use of in areas where surface abrasives or various other debris have harmed or cracked paint. Due to the fact that the little size of the fragments used, they are usually made use of to fill in tiny locations that have been severely nicked, or painted over. Effect blasting as well as sanding are generally cheaper choices than a full-blown restoration and also are often utilized to spot small issues on a periodic basis. Some little repair work tasks may call for just sanding to remove the loose dust, dust, and crud that are found in several driveways, bathrooms, and various other such work areas. Nevertheless, the fine-grained material that is made use of in fining sand may be too great to appropriately smooth a plain or rough surface. So, an alternative approach would be to utilize an influence or sand blasting device to get rid of the trouble location. The main benefit of this technique is that it can rapidly remove small irregularities without having to re-sand, which occupies to several hours. Likewise, by utilizing the same sized device, you can quickly change damaged or damaged parts, which gets rid of the need for costly replacement. Media blowing up is also used together with electrochemical fertilizing to help seal the surface area of recently painted surface areas or stop corrosion from forming after a metal construction task. It’s really vital that you adhere to the supplier’s instructions for the correct direct exposure time, temperature, as well as pressure levels, given that some abrasives will react with paint if they are used at too expensive or also reduced a pressure. Additionally, make sure to put on protective equipment like eye safety glasses, gloves, and a respirator, and avoid any type of straight exposure to the blasting equipment itself, to make sure that your job is done looks as good as feasible and does not create injury to your health and wellness.
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warc | 202143 | 260012 An Experimental Study of Biomass Thermochemical Processing by Catatytic Pyrolysis
ABSTRACT
Catalytic pyrolysis of pine and three straw biomass was carried out to produce hydrogen-rich gas by using a powder-paticle fluidized bed (PPFB), in which used different medium particles (SiO
2,γ-Al 2O 3,NiMo/Al 2O 3 and CoMo/Al 2O 3), the effects of the medium particles and the biomass types on the pyrolysis product yield and distribution were investigated respectively. The activity of NiMo/Al 2O 3 for H 2 production was proved to be the highest, and the H 2 yield of the woody biomass was higher than that of straw biomass. The high content of inorganic metal elements (K, Na, Ca, and Mg, etc.) resulted in a high H2 yield during the rice husk pyrolysis, however, the trends were not observed during the rice husk catalytic pyrolysis in the presence of a NiMo/Al2O3catalyst. Keywords FbiomassGpyrolysis; catalytic pyrolysisGhydrogenGBTXN; fluidized bed 1. Introduction
Biomass absorbs the same amount of carbon during its grow-up as what it consumed as the fuels. The conversion for production of gas or liquid products, particular for thermochemical conversion process, derived from renewable biomass is expected to become one of the attractive alternative energy sources to cope with global warming and exhaustion of fossil fuel sources [1-3]. Therefore, the extensive investigations of the thermochemical conversion technologies for biomass have been carried out [4-8]. Fast pyrolysis is considered as a better technology for producing gaseous or liquid products [2,9].
Typically, fast pyrolysis produce 60-75 wt% of liquid bio-oils, 15-25 wt% of solid char, and 10-21 wt% gas, depending on the feedstock used [2,3,9]. In order to obtain the more desired product, catalytic pyrolysis conversion has been proved the most effective method of biomass utilization with the advantages of the high productivity of desired product obtained from the tar or char and the low temperature [6,10,11]. Thus, many kinds of catalysts were studied, developed and used in catalytic reforming process of biomass for desired product formation, such as Ni-based catalysts [5,8], dolomites [7], zeolites [5], and some other metal catalysts, et al. [11].
In present study, the effect of different catalysts and biomass types on the product yield and distribution from pyrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis using a dual-particle powder fluidized-bed (PPFB) reactor was investigated. This study is aimed at providing a reliable theoretical basis for developing biomass catalytic pyrolysis technologies for desired products.
2. Experimental
Agriculture wastes of rice husk, soybean straw, corn stalks, and woody biomass of pine (denoted as Chip-1, Chip-2, Chip-3, and Chip-4, respectively) were used as the raw biomass material in the catalytic pyrolysis tests.
Commercial NiMo/Al
2O 3, CoMo/Al 2O 3, γ-Al 2O 3, and inert SiO 2 were used as fluidizing medium particles. The fluidizing medium particles were ground and sieved to 250-560 μm particle size before use.
The catalytic pyrolysis of the biomass was carried out continuously in a
During the whole pyrolysis process, all products, gas, liquid and solid products, were collected. The material balance of the pyrolysis process was calculated by the carbon balance, with an accuracy of 100±5% for all the tests. Gas, liquid and solid products were analyzed quantitatively. The detailed analysis methods have been provided elsewhere [11].
The thermogravimetric analysis (TG) was performed using a TG-Q50 instrument.
3. Results and discussion 3.1. The biomass pyrolysis properties
The pyrolysis characteristics of rice husk, soybean straw, and corn stalks are very similar. And meantime, the slightly difference between the agricultural wastes (rice husk, soybean straw, and corn stalks) and pine is observed. The content of volatile matter released of woody biomass is slightly higher than that of agricultural wastes, and the final pyrolysis temperature of woody biomass is relatively higher than that of agricultural wastes. The maximum weight loss rate of the pine was greater than that of the other agricultural waste biomass. The maximum weight loss rate of pine reached 1.02 %/K. The maximum weight loss rate of the biomass is obtained from the soybean straw which is only 0.63%/K and is lowest among the test biomass. The lignin content of wood biomass is higher than that of the other test biomass, resulting in the pine pyrolysis temperature shifts towards the higher temperature range.
3.2 Effect of pyrolysis temperature and biomass samples on H 2 yield
The obtained results indicate that H
2 yield of pine is higher than that of straw under the same operation conditions, because of the higher content of cellulose and hemicellulose for the pine biomass. The high content of ash in rice husk and much higher than that of the other biomasses, could be responsible for the high H 2 yield of rice husk. The inorganic metal elements might have catalytic effect on the biomass pyrolysis. 3.3 Effect of catalyst on the products of biomass pyrolysis
H
2 yield and selectivity of different medium particles decreases in the following order: NiMo/Al 2O 3>CoMo/Al 2O 3>γ-Al 2O 3>SiO 2. The H 2 yield of NiMo/Al 2O 3 catalyst is the highest no matter which biomass types is used. On the other hand, the H 2 yield (3.18 wt%,daf) of pine is much higher than that of the other three straw biomass. Pine with high cellulose and hemicellulose content is favorable to the H 2 formation.
H
2 yield of pine is higher than that of stalk biomass under the same operation conditions. This might be attributed to the high content of cellulose and hemicellulose of pine. The high content of inorganic metal elements (K, Na, Ca, and Mg, etc.) in rice husk, should be responsible for the high H 2 yield during the rice husk pyrolysis. However, the trend is not observed during the rice husk catalytic pyrolysis in the presence of a NiMo/Al 2O 3 catalyst. The fundamental reason about the effect of biomass compositions and types on the catalytic pyrolysis requires further investigation. 4. Conclusions
The yields of IOG, HCG, and HCL increase with the increase of pyrolysis temperature. The significant effect of biomass types on the H
2 production was observed during catalytic pyrolysis of the biomass. It’s important to select an efficient catalyst and proper pyrolysis parameters to improve the yield of desired product. The high selectivity of BTXN could be obtained by using CoMo/Al 2O 3 catalyst, however, the NiMo/Al 2O 3 activity for H 2 production is high in the process of the biomass pyrolysis. Inorganic metal elements might inhibit the activity of NiMo/Al 2O 3 catalyst. The reason and mechanisms should require further investigation. Acknowledgement
We thank the National Natural Science Foundation of China for financial support under the contact numbers 20976132 and 21176191, respectively.
REFERENCES
[1] Akshat T., Jorge N.B., GaoQing M.L.Renewable Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2010,14: 166–182
[2] Mi-Kyung B., Calvin M., David J.R., Mark R.N. Analytica Chimica Acta, 2009, 651: 117–138
[3] Dinesh M., Charles U.P. Jr., Philip H. S. Energy Fuels, 2006, 20: 848–889
[4] Demirbas A, Arin G. Energy Sources 2004, 26: 1061–1069.
[5] Lingyan C, Zhigang J, Shengfu J, Jinyong H. J. Natural Gas Chemistry, 2011, 20: 377–383
[6] Moghtaderi B. Fuel 2007; 86:2422–2430.
[7] Corella J, Aznar M-P, Gil J, Caballero MA. Energy Fuels 1999,13: 1122–1127.
[8] Chunfei W, Leizhi W, Paul T. W., Jeffrey S., Jun H. Applied Catalysis B, 2011, 108– 109: 6–13
[9] Bridgwater A.V. Chemical Engineering Journal 91 (2003) 87–102
[10] Kuznetsov BN, Shchipko ML. Bioresource Technology 1995, 52:13-19.
[11] Wang C, Hao QL, Lu DQ, Jia QZ, Li G J, Xu B. Chinese J Catal 2008, 29(9): 907–912.
Extended Abstract:File Uploaded | 7,955 | 3,388 | 18,384.784534 |
warc | 202143 | THE TROUBLE WITH LIBERTARIANS, PART 45,882.If there's one thing libertarians care about more than your rights and mine, it's the rights of people with lots of money: The Washington Times reports that Clarian Health, an Indiana hospital chain, has started charging obese employees and smokers more for their health insurance coverage—$30 and $5 more, respectively, per paycheck. As in the case of companies that refuse to hire smokers (or fire them when they test positive for nicotine), I think decisions like these should be left to individual employers, who cannot force people to work for them and, by the same token, should not be forced to hire people on terms unilaterally imposed by one party. Still, I understand the complaints about increasingly nosy bosses who seek to pressure or punish workers into changing their off-the-clock behavior even when it has nothing to do with job performance...Jacob Sullum understandsthose complaints, but as von Hayek once said, money talks and bullshit walks. Why should corporations have to take care of a bunch of feebs? Healthy, strapping youths -- that's what's wanted. Surely you see the laissez-faireness in that.
And anyway, the real danger is universal health care. As Sullum points out, the government can be positively nannyish about smoking and such like, nagging and scolding. How much better to be financially penalized for it by employers. And if you don't like it, you can always quit your job and find another one, hopefully before this trend spreads widely enough (who doubts that it will?) that clean piss, blood, and lung-tissue samples become a
de factocondition of employment, leaving those of us who drink, smoke, etc. to fight for scraps with the ex-cons and illegals.
Libertarians do seem to understand that each man should be free to go to hell in his own way. Unfortunately they never seem to catch on sometimes people are
sentto hell by whims and quirks of fate -- catastrophic illness, say, or a shift in the employer class' understanding of what they can get away with. No doubt the staff of Reasonis comprised of Randian supermen who will rise above all adversity, but when the rest of us schmoes observe a working world where it becomes easier to lose what few protections we have, the horror of intrusive government is very, very far from our minds. | 2,337 | 1,293 | 4,204.069606 |
warc | 202143 | We are committed to continuously improving access to our goods and services by individuals with disabilities. This website is currently being updated to enhance the usability and experience for persons with disabilities. If you are unable to use any aspect of this website because of a disability, please call 9784704555 and we will provide you with prompt personalized assistance.
Patients who have a cleft lip or palate face numerous dental issues regarding the number, shape, size, and position of their teeth. Often times children with a cleft require more dental work to help correct teeth that may have come in malformed or malpositioned.
Teeth that do not come in normally require the work of multiple specialists to correct the problem. An orthodontist will likely be brought in as well as an oral surgeon, maxillofacial prosthodontist, and a general dentist. This unique team will work together to create teeth that look and function normally for the patient.
Many patients with cleft have issues eating and speaking. A maxillofacial prosthodontist uses artificial teeth and dental appliances to help with the speaking and eating functionality of teeth. Repairing a cleft also requires numerous trips to the dentist and doctor. Dental extractions are often needed as well as braces to help align the teeth. It can seem daunting to patients and to their loved ones, but all the work helps to create a functional and normal appearance.
Cleft lip and palate patients should also follow a regular oral health routine. Daily flossing, brushing, rinsing with fluoride, and regular visits to the dentist ward off potential gum disease or gum infections!
If you’ve ever reached for a stick of sugar-free gum and checked the ingredients, then you’ve probably heard of xylitol. Xylitol is a naturally occurring carbohydrate that looks and tastes just like regular sugar. The difference? Xylitol is actually good for your teeth! Xylitol is made from either corncobs or trees. Using corncobs to produce […]
Food scientists have known for a while now that there are certain molecules in chocolate that give it antibacterial properties. These special molecules, called polyphenols, are also naturally occurring in tealeaves and red wine. These polyphenols, which protect plant cells from bacteria and other damage, can also be helpful in protecting our cells from bacteria. […]
Thinking about cutting back on sugar? You may be considering replacing your sugar intake with artificial sweeteners to cut the number of calories you take in. However, there are certain things to watch out for: “Sugarless” isn’t always so – A product may claim to be ‘sugarless’ or ‘no sugar added’ but that doesn’t mean […]
Not all chewing gum are created equally. Although people have been chewing gum for centuries, there’s a critical difference between gum that can help your teeth and gum that can ruin your teeth: sugar! Sugarless gum has been shown to have oral health benefits and can even help to prevent tooth decay! In fact, chewing […]
When you think of dental hygiene, a toothbrush and toothpaste immediately comes to mind. A cult has been built around toothpaste-a thousand different varieties, brands, flavors, and functions exist. Each new commercial touts a different dentist’s recommendation, and consumers are left baffled in the drugstore aisle wondering if whitening specialties really work. Unfortunately, all of […]
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To book an appointment please feel free to call us at 978.737.7060 or complete the form below.
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Here at Sirakian Aesthetic & Implant Dentistry, we work diligently to protect our patient's rights and privacy. Requesting an appointment via our Internet portal is considered part of what HIPAA has identified as electronically protected information (ePHI). Unfortunately, despite the best efforts we make or take, there are people or entities that may attempt to intercept the data you transmit to us. By checking the box, and electronically making an appointment, you understand that you are making an appointment over the internet and that Sirakian Aesthetic & Implant Dentistry will keep this information confidential but cannot guarantee that others, outside of our practice, may not illegally intercept this communication. As a result of continuing, you are sending this transmission and accepting the inherent risk(s) associated with making this request for an appointment. As an alternative, you are always welcome to contact our office via telephone to schedule your appointment. | 4,909 | 2,340 | 10,073.939316 |
warc | 202143 | When was the last time that you made time for yourself? Time to do something that you love doing, to forget the day and lose yourself in something for a few moments – through exercise, a relaxing cup of tea or even just simply watching the clouds or noticing a beautiful flower or small detail. As parents, we are often all too busy prioritising others and leave little time for ourselves and our own wellbeing. As Lara put it in her blog on Rest – is it a focus in your family?
We often make sure our babies and toddlers have blissful naps and cosy sleeps, but don’t indulge in the same for ourselves.
Personally, in my own life, I’m often guilting of this, swept along with the immediacy of life as a parent. Homework, after school shuttling, holiday planning, crafts and activities, sports, playdates, birthday cards and presents to buy. It’s all too easy to lose sight of myself and my own needs. I tell myself that it’s just ‘family life’ and that there will be plenty of time to learn something new, read those books and catch up on sleep when the children have flown the nest, but the reality is that I’m missing out and making it harder for myself – physically and mentally.
You see, in order to be fully supportive and present for others, we need to take care of ourselves and build ourselves up to be mentally and physically ready. This might be 10 minutes at the end of the day with a good book, a 30 mins swim, dancing around the kitchen, preparing healthy snacks to eat on the go, it is so important to take time to look after ourselves as well as others. For me, it’s escaping to listen to a great song turned up loud, running a bath and getting lost in a good book or just going for a quick run – definitely something that I need to make more time for! Not only does it make me feel good, it also gives me some headspace and more importantly, it’s just a lot of fun.
Over the next week we will be exploring the importance of wellbeing not only physically, emotionally and spiritually but also ultimately in terms of becoming positive role models for our children. By prioritising our own wellbeing and health, we are teaching the importance of self-care.
Sounds simple in theory, but how easy is it in reality? That’s where we come in…
Join us on Instagram and keep following this blog as we speak to an expert in nutrition, our Babyccinokids boutique owners, coaches and of course our founder Courtney Adamo on a range of topics from nutrition, mindfulness and how to incorporate this into a busy schedule, the art of doing absolutely nothing, the fascinating yoga and dance mix Qoya, must read books, relaxing music and the latest trends to work/family life balance.
I can’t wait to get started and hope that you will join us and share you own experiences along the way!
Kate | 2,882 | 1,452 | 5,541.69697 |
warc | 202143 | Environmental policy
Find our detailed environmental policy as a PDF here: billerbeck environmental policy.
Environmental policy commitment for the billerbeck Group
At billerbeck, environmental protection is an important part of our corporate policy. We are aware that our activities have an impact on the environment and have therefore set ourselves the goal of minimising or completely avoiding the environmental impact resulting from our business activities.
Consequently, we see it as our duty to reduce any adverse effects on the environment to the minimum possible within the framework of economic and technical possibilities. Environmental protection is an important priority for us, which is why we set the highest standards in this area, which we effectively integrate into all our business processes.
The responsible use of resources and the environment requires the identification and evaluation of significant environmental aspects as well as the fulfilment of defined environmental goals and their verification on the basis of measurable characteristics.
Furthermore, we support an open dialogue on environmental issues and strive to raise and strengthen the environmental awareness of our employees, suppliers and customers. Through information and discussion formats, we promote environmentally conscious behaviour among our employees both inside and outside the company.
Our environmental policy is therefore directed not only at all internal employees, but also at all external service providers of billerbeck Betten-Union GmbH & Co. KG. Colleagues are required to observe and comply with our environmental guidelines in their daily work. Every employee is integrated into our environmental management system and is obliged to eliminate unnecessary environmental pollution.
As part of our corporate duty of care, we are setting out in this commitment letter not only our environmental policy but also the overall environmental objectives and principles of action of our company contained therein:
billerbeck Betten-Union GmbH & Co. KG has set itself the goal of continuously improving environmental protection and ensures the implementation of these guidelines by setting up an environmental management system. Of particular importance are compliance with environmental laws and regulations as well as future-oriented action.
When procuring materials, environmental impacts with regard to origin, use and disposal are always taken into account. Furthermore, the continuous improvement of our environmental performance is a prerequisite for us in the medium and long term and an important contribution to the protection of the environment.
A trouble-free organisation, advanced management methods and the state of environmental technology provide the necessary framework for this. Managers are obliged to apply the management practices in force in their area of responsibility, to constantly monitor their effectiveness and to adapt them to the latest knowledge and requirements.
The suitability, appropriateness and effectiveness of the environmental management system is regularly reviewed through the evaluation of results, internal audits and periodic reporting on operational environmental protection.
Through this declaration, the management undertakes to ensure that all activities in the company comply with the environmental specifications as well as predefined and self-imposed requirements.
Furthermore, we are committed to the continuous improvement and further development of our environmental management system, whose goals and programmes apply to the entire company.
Environmental aspects:
Climate and environment (use of fossil energy sources) People (employees, customers) Suppliers Production Water use Use of raw materials Products Packaging Waste management and recycling Shipping and returns management Digitalisation Certifications & seals | 3,895 | 1,667 | 9,058.737253 |
warc | 202143 | It’s always a careful balance as the parent of a child with a disability when assessing how to build skills for independence and keep our children safe. Sometimes it can be scary to encourage independence because there can be risk involved. If my child sits with all the other kids at lunch without a paraprofessional,…Read more on Passing the Bumps in the Road: The Dignity of Risk
Competitive, integrated employment is really the next frontier for people with disabilities, particularly those with autism, multiple disabilities, and intellectual disabilities. Competitive, integrated employment means that people with disabilities earn at least minimum wage and work in the community like everyone else. Competitive, integrated employment also means they have opportunities for benefits and growth like people…Read more on Passing the Bumps in the Road: Low Employment Rates
Even during these crazy times, I have been able to keep working as administrative assistant for the Down Syndrome Association of Central Kentucky (DSACK). I work from home in my own office setup and put in as many hours a day as I can helping out the staff. Working from home during the pandemic has…Read more on Passing the Bumps in the Road: Adapting to COVID-19
I’ve heard stories over the years about students with disabilities being assigned to do laundry for the football team at school or to clean the teacher’s lounge, and well-meaning teachers often assign these tasks to teach work skills. Now these activities might be helpful for some students if they are genuinely interested in janitorial work…Read more on Passing the Bumps in the Road: Avoiding Assumptions | 1,689 | 830 | 3,355.615663 |
warc | 202143 | High frequency indicators for the UK suggest activity collapsed in mid-March and has shown no signs of recovery since. Our forecast assumes a double-digit decline in GDP in H1 2020 even if coronavirus restrictions are gradually eased from mid-May. Nothing in the high frequency data refutes this.
Commuting and electricity demand fell sharply after the lockdown. Even allowing for widespread working from home, this is indicative of a steep drop in activity. Forced closures caused retail and leisure activity to collapse, and even essential shops have seen much lower footfall since panic-buying subsided.
Weekly universal credit claims ran at 11x normal levels for a week either side of the introduction of the lockdown. While claims have since fallen back, the spike indicates the number of households suffering financial stress. | 836 | 511 | 1,361.158513 |
warc | 202143 | Published by RitzSafety onOct 11, 2021 8:31:27 AM
In order to help prevent and control hazards, the US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) identifies six action items that employers should follow:
Identify control options
Select controls
Develop and update a hazard control plan
Select controls to protect workers during nonroutine operations and emergencies
Implement selected controls in the workplace
Once control options have been identified, companies should select the most feasible and permanent options according to the Hierarchy of Controls, which prioritizes the most effective controls over the least effective:
Elimination - physically remove the hazard
Substitution - replace the hazard
Engineering controls - isolate people from the hazard
Administrative controls - change the way people work
PPE - protect the worker with personal protective equipment
Personal protective equipment (PPE), including protective apparel, is the last line of defense in protecting people from workplace hazards. In those circumstances when hazards cannot be eliminated or controlled by engineering or administrative solutions, PPE may be the only effective barrier between a person and a hazard. | 1,244 | 660 | 2,316.478788 |
warc | 202143 | A new study has found butter and butters are in fact the same, and it may be a good idea to avoid butter and milk.
According to the study, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, butters, like butter, are also made from a combination of a combination or sub-group of dairy proteins.
“This is important because it provides evidence that the milk protein subgroup, known as milk palmitoleic acid (MPA), is responsible for the formation of butters and butter.
MPA is a precursor to buttermilk, and the milk subgroup of the milk is the reason for the flavor,” the researchers said.”
We hypothesize that butters derived from butter may be better for humans, because butter and butter products are high in fat, but it is unknown if the fat content is sufficient to cause a buttery flavor,” they added.
The scientists compared butter and MPA-containing butter products with the butter products made from butter or milk from cows raised on grass and pasture.
“For the analysis, we used two types of buttermilks: butter and a milk substitute, milk derived from grass and grain, or butter and grass,” the study said.
The research team studied the butter-butter products in terms of their viscosity, or how they dispersed into the liquid and their viscoelastic properties.
The researchers also used a gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GCMS) to detect the molecular structure of the butter and its milk substitutes.
“We were able to determine that the viscosities of the two products are very similar,” the authors said.
This was because the butters contained the same fatty acid composition as the butter, which allowed for a comparison of the viscoels of the products.
The results showed that butter butters were found to be more viscous and had a higher viscosis, or the ability to change its viscositons.
The viscosites of butter andbutter are the same and they are both viscous, but their viscolons are different, according to the researchers.
“Because butter andmilk products are not the same product, it may seem strange that butter has a higher solubility than milk,” they said.
In fact, the researchers found that butter and both butter and beef have similar viscosidic properties, but butter has lower solubilities.
This is why butter is more viscid, and because butter is easier to spread on the surface of food, they said, explaining the reason why butter has less viscosidad than milk.
This, however, does not mean that butter is the same as milk.
“The fact that butter does not have viscositized molecules, which is why it does not form butter butter, does mean that the butter content of butter products may not be enough to impart a butterlike flavor,” said the authors.
“However, we do not yet know whether this is a significant issue in butter products, as there are a variety of butter substitutes that contain more butter than butter.”
Butter is the most common fat in butter but it’s not the only fat, the study noted.
“For example, olive oil, canola oil, palm oil, and canola butter are all high in fatty acids, but they are not all the same fat.
However, there are no direct analogues for butterfat and so we do know that butterfat is the major fat in most butter products,” the paper noted.
According the authors, there is a long way to go before butterfat can be used as a substitute for butter, but there is still much research to be done to find out. | 3,503 | 1,516 | 7,842.468338 |
warc | 202143 | Hyperhidrosis, otherwise known as excessive sweating, is a clinical problem defined by extreme sweating in numerous parts of the skin. The excessive sweating experienced by people with hyperhidrosis exceeds even those bearable levels seen with regular sweating. The kind of hyperhidrosis, which normally assaults the underarms, feet, hands or even encounter produces at least once per episode, throughout a day.
And the sweat tends to occur on both sides of our body. Most individuals that struggle with extreme sweating are typically males, although ladies might likewise struggle with it. It’s also claimed that 10% of the basic population suffers from this sort of problem. Sweating is caused by the understanding nerve system which reacts to the stimulations excreted by sweat glands. The thoughtful nervous system regulates the activity of the sweat glands, the release of sweat and the temperature level of your skin. how to prevent hand sweating
Sweating causes pain and also can impede our performance at the workplace. For this reason, it is best to look for clinical interest for excessive sweating triggers when you see these signs. If you’re able to seek advice from a medical professional about the issue, he will certainly have the ability to come up with a treatment strategy to address your specific case.
Sweaty underarms and also feet are the most typical signs and symptoms of extreme sweating. Other individuals sweat profusely on their face, hands or feet. There are additionally people who sweat in spite of having a great environment. If you sweat exceedingly while working in the suffocating summer season warm, it’s most likely hyperhidrosis.
Aside from triggering extreme sweating, it’s additionally feasible for it to be inherited. If one or both of your moms and dads suffer from excessive sweating, it’s feasible that you may also display the same symptoms. Hyperhidrosis can usually begin in adolescence or early the adult years. Some people sweat too much when they’re stressed out, anxious or feeling nervous. It can additionally accompany clinical depression, hormone adjustments, taking contraceptive pill or taking medications having traces of contraception.
In order to avoid too much sweating, try to maintain your body as dry as feasible. Use cotton apparel to ensure that it enables your skin to take a breath. Consume alcohol plenty of water to stay clear of dehydration and to prevent any type of excess sweat. how to stop hand sweating
There are 3 major groups of hyperhidrosis: primary hyperhidrosis, additional hyperhidrosis and generalised hyperhidrosis. Primary hyperhidrosis is typically caused by genes, however in some cases it can be brought on by medical conditions. Second hyperhidrosis is generally brought on by certain medications or medical illnesses. Generalized hyperhidrosis is generally brought on by diabetes, however there are other reasons such as taking certain medicines called anticholinergics.
Your doctor may advise medications to stop excessive sweating, or he may suggest a surgical procedure. These surgeries are relatively minor and most individuals never ever need them. Various other therapies such as Botox injections as well as ETS surgery are thought about less invasive techniques of hyperhidrosis therapy. You must talk about all options with your doctor to establish which technique will be best for you.
Some of the clinical conditions that create too much sweating consist of consumption, bone cancer, menopause, kidney condition, growths, as well as hyperthyroidism. Stress, alcohol withdrawal, as well as medications for anxiety as well as clinical depression have likewise been connected to hyperhidrosis. It’s important to talk to your doctor if you think you have hyperhidrosis, due to the fact that not everybody with the exact same sort of hyperhidrosis will react the same way to the exact same treatment.
Primary hyperhidrosis normally influences only one or a few locations of the body such as the hands, face, or feet. This type of hyperhidrosis is normally caused by hereditary aspects. A family history of too much sweating is one method to determine if you’re likely to create this condition. Individuals who struggle with hyperhidrosis due to genes can make use of solutions such as garments suggested to aid cool the body. There are a selection of different garments offered to assist cool down the body, but a number of them don’t function quite possibly since gland can only evaporate so much sweat.
There are likewise a selection of services that might be recommended by your physician. In serious situations of hyperhidrosis, the area can be treated by even more invasive methods such as surgery or laser treatments. If these remedies aren’t right for you, after that your service provider might advise all-natural treatments such as Botox injections. Given that Botox shots need a local anesthetic, it can be challenging to reach particular parts of the body that suffer from excessive sweating. Furthermore, Botox shots can be extremely costly with time, in some cases calling for multiple injections throughout several months.
An additional choice that many individuals struggling with hyperhidrosis pick to treat their problem is utilizing an all-natural remedy for body odor. For lots of people, having too much sweating on the hands makes it hard to feel comfortable in social circumstances. It’s embarrassing and aggravating for almost any individual to need to shake a person’s hand or to take a seat in front of a group of individuals. Having an all-natural treatment for body smell may help you prevent humiliation.
A few of one of the most typical signs and symptoms of hyperhidrosis consist of sweaty hands and feet, excessive sweating of the underarms or face, consistent dry skin, scalp itchiness and also flaking skin. Oftentimes, these signs are due to over activity of the sweat glands in the body. Actually, excessive sweating is frequently brought on by the body responding to exterior stimuli such as tension. If you experience this condition, you most likely find it hard to stay focused, energetic as well as satisfied. It is not uncommon for individuals to take out from social communication because they can not regulate their humiliating sweat problems. The embarrassment of hyperhidrosis can cause clinical depression and also anxiousness and can even lead to self-harm or self-destruction attempts.
If your symptoms are moderate, it might be feasible to deal with them without seeking aid from a medical carrier. You may intend to try natural remedies for too much sweating. As an example, your medical professional can recommend you certain over-the-counter antiperspirants which contain aluminum chloride. Certain types of oral medicines can likewise be utilized to treat this condition. If none of these treatments work, your service provider may advise that you arrange a consultation with a medical professional to review the possibility of thyroid troubles.
Among the timeless signs and symptoms of hyperhidrosis is chest pain, also called excessive sweating. This symptom is most generally seen in people who suffer from chronic disease such as cancer or diabetic issues. This is additionally seen in healthy individuals who have nerve troubles in the hands or arms. Chest discomfort can additionally be a symptom of one more problem like cardiovascular disease. As a result, if you experience upper body pain together with your various other symptoms, you should call your doctor quickly to get evaluated for any other problems. how to stop sweaty feet
Unfortunately, there is no known remedy for too much sweating. Nevertheless, there are numerous techniques offered to assist regulate this condition. Your physician can suggest a course of treatment or refer you to an endocrinologist or an otolaryngologist, that will certainly be able to advise the most effective approach of treatment for you. Whichever technique is made use of, when your excessive underarm location has actually been treated, you will certainly begin to really feel even more comfy as well as positive regarding your social communications and also connections. | 8,248 | 3,469 | 19,427.618334 |
warc | 202143 | Healthcare covers a broad range of activities concerned with the medical treatment and prevention of diseases and injuries. Technology advances are constantly expanding the scope of healthcare. Healthcare includes general medical care, health management in the field of medicine, preventive care, disability and geriatric care, environmental and occupational health, and hospital care. Health services include assessment, consultation, and treatment of patients in a hospital environment. State and local health agencies are responsible for providing healthcare and other assistance to individuals and their families. If you have any issues with regards to the place and how to use pulse oximeter, you can make contact with us at the link web page page.
Healthcare includes a variety of medical specialties including doctors, dentists, nurses, therapists, physicians, and specialists. Healthcare workers are responsible for administrative, managerial, customer service, secretarial, and other duties within the healthcare industry. Healthcare is patient care at a hospital or another medical facility; a nursing home for inpatient and outpatient patients, as well as in specialty areas like psychopharmacology. Family practice, pediatrics, and surgery are all examples of healthcare. Healthcare workers are responsible for preventing diseases, analyzing current conditions, and administering immunizations. They also treat acute and chronic conditions. Also covered by healthcare are physician services and procedures such as medicine and chiropractic.
Counselling and education regarding healthcare are important factors in preventing diseases spreading and emergency situations from happening. Good health care promotes healthy lifestyles, good health, and good health. Health and well-being are key to healthy …Read More | 1,832 | 885 | 3,773.712994 |
warc | 202143 | While we all desire to drive safely, road accidents and accidents are a part of life. Regardless of our finest efforts, automobile crashes, stalled cars and trucks and flat tires happen out of nowhere. In any of these cases, you may need support quickly - breakdown recovery Dublin. usage neither do you wish to stay hurt sans assistance for too long and at the very same time, you might want your vehicle to be moved also.
Our company believe that everybody should have the details of a minimum of one professional towing business convenient so that must the need occur; you have actually got someone to call. As anyone with the internet can see, there are heaps of business in the market. It becomes important for you to understand how to spot the finest one.
Then there's the concern of rates. You do not desire to be connected with the type of towing website that robs you with their massive expenses. So, let us give you some clear suggestions on discovering the very best expert towing business that can work for you within spending plan and in the expected time as well.
There's more to towing than simply moving a car that has been a part of a crash or is damaged, so don't presume all towing business do the exact same things. A lot of them may focus on automobile elimination services and roadside help, while others are simply for healing and heavy transport (towing).
Online evaluations are a great method to judge regarding how reliable a business really is and probably the location people are going to see first. However, when we desire you to follow the evaluations, we do not desire you to do it blindly. If there's time, go through the evaluations to get a real idea of what they have to do with.
So if you're passing the evaluations, take them with a grain of salt. An eye for information may keep you from being hoodwinked by the stream of fake reviews provide all over the web. recovery truck. Go through the evaluations and look for minute details and how comprehensive the description is.
As towing companies, we do a lot of work to make certain our customers understand that we're readily available exactly where they are. There is no point discovering a towing business that does not even services in your regular route. Obviously, most towing companies have specific locations of operation. If you pull them up on your phone, the companies you see need to be ones that can get to you right now.
If you don't, despite understanding the best tow truck company, they may not be available to help you when you require their service. Tow truck business understand that most of their calls are from customers who are in a bind. They get their phone calls from individuals who don't have time to search.
You ought to have the ability to get pricing choices from your towing company. They ought to have the ability to inform you just how much it'll cost (ballpark) to bring your car to the store versus bringing the car to your house. Not all of us can afford to pay whatever a towing company quotes (Tow truck in Dublin).
You can always run a cost contrast check if you need to know which of the towing company offers you the uncommon mix of excellent quality services and low prices. Even if the prices aren't low, it shouldn't be insanely costly either (recovery service). You would eventually require to make a compromise as you should not expect rock-bottom prices for the leading towing companies.
With the exception of particular transportation and carrying jobs, many tows need to be done As Soon As Possible. This is actually essential and extremely vital. You need to watch out for the kind of emergency situation services which the tow truck business provides. Mainly; we require towing services in case of emergencies and unwanted road mishaps - tow truck.
This is why your choice of the finest expert towing business ought to rely largely on their action rate to emergency situation cases and how fast they are at going to such situations. In the end, you must likewise take a look at the various kinds of towing which the business provides. This goes back to the service list.
You don't desire to call a tow truck only to know that they are not skilled in managing that case. So, making a knowledgeable choice is truly important. These are some of the key things which you should bear in mind when you are wanting to find the top towing company. | 4,391 | 2,049 | 9,379.896047 |
warc | 202143 | BROOKINGS – The Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol Building gave two South Dakota State University School of Communication and Journalism faculty members an opportunity to examine what motivates compulsive social media use during a breaking news event. However, they had to move fast.
“As I watched the live coverage (at home), it was so devastating and emotionally raw,” said associate professor Jenn Anderson. Assistant professor Kathryn Coduto said, “I was in my apartment seeing tweets about something happening at the Capitol, turned the news on and then texted Jenn.”
Anderson continued, “We decided within three texts what we had to do.” Coduto, who had done other studies on compulsive media use, said, “I had all these measures that I could adapt – and I always wanted to test this with breaking news.”
The researchers had the survey ready for SDSU Research Integrity and Compliance Officer Dianne Nagy to review based on Institutional Review Board standards for human subjects on Jan. 8. The survey received IRB approval later that day and the researchers began recruiting respondents via the School of Communication and Journalism’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and directly emailing potential respondents. The researchers also recruited from their own personal networks.
“We gave Dianne a heads-up on Jan. 6 that this was time-sensitive and are thankful for the quick turnaround,” Anderson said, noting IRB review typically takes a couple of weeks at most universities. The researchers gathered survey responses from 380 Midwestern college students within 48 hours.
“People wanted to share their experiences. They were extremely honest with us,” Anderson said. “We captured people’s authentic and early immediate responses to the event as well as accurate self-reflections about behaviors, such as why they logged on, what their motivations were.”
An analysis of the survey is published in the latest edition of the Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, a quarterly publication of the Broadcast Education Association. The research was funded by the School of Communication and Journalism.
Examining motivation
The survey showed that 66.1% of the respondents used social media to pass time, 63.2% for social interaction, 53.9% as a source of information, 26.1% for its utility as a communication tool, 21.3% to share information and 16.8% to express opinions. Respondents were able to identify multiple reasons for using social media.
In particular, the researchers examined the motivation of those categorized as “having cognitive preoccupation with social media. They are thinking about social media when they are not on it,” Coduto said. A question regarding which of 10 sites – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, WhatsApp and Weibo – the respondents regularly used allowed researchers to identify this subset of respondents.
The survey showed those already preoccupied with social media increased their social media use, accessed a greater number of social media channels and were more actively engaged on those platforms during the breaking news event.
“One of the most interesting takeaways was the more compulsive they were in using social media, the more they were posting, commenting and engaging. Translating that into behavior is an impactful thing,” Coduto said. Furthermore, the responses showed that those who use social media as a convenient means of finding and sharing information and of expressing their opinions are more likely to be preoccupied with the internet during a breaking news event.
“Breaking news creates lots of uncertainty, so when technology is part of your every day, the more channels you are already thinking about, the more likely you are to get online and keep scrolling,” Coduto said. Though the first tweets or Facebook posts are unlikely to be the most accurate, people would rather have incorrect or misinformation than no information.
Though reporters were already on the scene to cover the certifying of the election, Anderson said, “People wanted to see the feeds of those in and around the Capitol who were livestreaming, tweeting and sharing. It makes them feel like they are inside the story.”
Coduto continued, “A lot of people do not trust any media. Because these feeds are unfiltered, they (social media users) feel better informed and able to decide for themselves.” She recommends “balancing impatience and the need to know with waiting to let the facts emerge” and using fact-checking tools, such as the Poynter Institute’s International Fact Checking Network and PolitiFact.
Impact on future research
In future studies, the researchers hope to be able to examine what social media users are posting and sharing. “Are they generating original content or sharing?” Anderson said. Coduto added, “Are they sharing without reading? Is the information accurate or is it misinformation?”
From a research perspective, Anderson said, “What we’ve done is a blueprint for how to put something together for breaking news.” The survey can also be adapted for other breaking news events, but she cautioned, “You need to know the measures and what you want to do.”
In addition, she recommended letting IRB officials know ahead of time. “If you can preapprove at least some of the measures and materials, then it will be more like an update (to an existing research protocol rather than a completely new one, when the news event happens).” | 5,685 | 2,586 | 11,970.156613 |
warc | 202143 | Ecologically sensitive management of e-waste threatens to become one of the defining challenges of our times. E-waste is the fastest growing stream of waste. This year, global e-waste will reach 57.4 million tons, which is greater than the weight of the Great Wall of China, the heaviest man-made object.
And e-waste is growing fast. It grew by 21 percent between 2014 and 2019 and is growing annually by 2 million tons.
A combination of factors like growing industrialization, economic prosperity, shorter product lifespans and planned obsolescence by manufacturers have led to increased rates of e-waste generation. The coronavirus-induced shift en masse to online learning and rapid digitalization across sectors has fuelled unprecedented demand for electronics. And we must be cognizant of the e-waste problem we are staring at.
E-waste is the most valuable stream of waste. A ton of e-waste is likely to yield more silver than a ton of silver ore. Despite this, recycling rates remain low at 15 percent globally. This must increase.
Additionally, we have no clue where 80 percent of e-waste comes from, where it is disposed of, what are the pre-treatment methods for resource extraction before discarding e-waste and the manner of discarding the waste.
There is also the problem that around 20 percent of undocumented e-waste is exported as second-hand products or as e-waste to low- or middle-income countries. In higher income countries, 8 percent of e-waste is discarded in waste bins and ends up in landfills.
The manner of e-waste disposal requires serious re-evaluation and change.
More than 90 percent of e-waste is handled by the informal sector that resorts to unscientific and dangerous methods of resource extraction from e-waste, which is dumped irresponsibly post extraction. This seriously impacts human health and environment. The rich are diverting their e-waste, not just globally but also locally.
The theme of the International E-Waste Day is the role of consumers in improving the rates of re-use, refurbishment, and recycling of electrical and electronic products. It forces us consumers to introspect and change our consumption habits and patterns, and more importantly get interested and involved in how the e-waste we generate is dealt with.
Some hardware manufacturers have taken the initiative to promote responsible recycling. I will use an example to make this point clearer. On average, more than 90 percent of a Dell product can be recycled, however when the company takes back a device, its goal is to always¯refurbish¯and reuse first " extending the lifecycle for as long as possible.
Using modular components, minimal adhesives and limited numbers of screws is key to achieving this, along with designing products for easier repair and recycling of components. Because if a device can't be refurbished, those component can be used to refurbish other systems, or recycle them for reuse in new products.
The company takes plastics from recycled electronics and uses these to create new plastic parts, to date creating over 100 million pounds of recycled plastic parts and used closed-loop plastic on more than 125 different product lines. They also take rare-earth magnets and aluminium from old hard drives and use them to create new hard drives in select products.
Most leading hardware manufacturers run product re-purchase and recycling programs. There is growing consciousness among product manufacturers on the need to encourage responsible recycling and to provide an avenue for consumers to do so. We as consumers must also take the lead in understanding the means to dispose our e-waste efficiently and responsibly.
For its part, the government of India had introduced the E-Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011, which were notified in 2011 and came into force on May 1, 2012. The Union environment ministry notified the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 which came into effect from October 1, 2016.
These rules are applicable to every producer, consumer or bulk consumer, collection center, dismantler and recycler of e-waste involved in the manufacture, sale, purchase, and processing of electrical and electronic equipment.
While government mandates and guidelines are in place, it is upon us consumers to genuinely feel for the planet and act responsibly. And efforts are being made in this direction. Increasing product life cycle is a vital part of the solution. Civil society organisations like Smile Foundation are playing an important part in doing so. They are taking education to underprivileged children by operating gadget libraries across the country.
These gadget libraries utilize electronic gadgets like tablets, phones etc. for the benefit of the maximum number of students, driving access to education through finite hardware assets, ensuring they are utilized optimally.
Mahatma Gandhi had said "the earth has enough for everyone's need but not enough for everyone's greed."
We have but one planet to live on and thrive off. It is time we seriously examine our consumption and disposal of electrical and electronic equipment and make it environmentally conscious.
Dr Aatish Parashar is professor, dean and head, Central University of South Bihar, and an expert in environment communication | 5,292 | 2,445 | 11,380.505521 |
warc | 202143 | by
Joshua Thomas
We all know that at some point, our air filters will need to be replaced. This is a crucial step in maintaining the health of an engine and keeping it running smoothly.
But how often should you change your car's air filter? This is not something people think about until their car starts having issues or they notice an increase in gas mileage.
However, knowing when to replace your air filter can help you save money on repairs if it needs replacing sooner than expected due to more frequent driving habits or increased travel distances.
Contents
The answer really depends on what kind of vehicle you have as well as how often you drive, but for most vehicles with an average yearly mileage under 10 000 miles per year, changing the filter every 12 months is sufficient enough.
The air filter in your car is one of the most important components. It filters out dust, pollen, and other small particles that can harm the engine. However, it's easy to forget about this component when you're busy with life around you. And if you don't change it often enough, this will lead to a dirty engine that doesn't work as well or last as long.
Don't risk it! Keep an eye on your air filter and make sure you change it every time it needs done by following these steps:
Changing your air filter is crucial to the life of your car, but how often should you change it? There are many different opinions on this question. Some people say that if you drive less than 10 miles a day, then you don't need to worry about changing the air filter at all. Others recommend changing out the air filter every 30,000 miles or so. If your car is older than five years old and has over 120K miles on it, then I would definitely consider getting an oil change too.
The air filter in your car is a crucial component to the efficiency of your engine. It filters out contaminants from the air, which can clog up and damage other parts of the vehicle. A dirty filter will shorten the lifespan of these important components, so it's important to change it when you should! In this post, we'll talk about how often you need to do that.
The best way to know if it's time for a new one is with a visual inspection. If you notice any debris on top or underneath the filter then its time for a replacement! You may also want to check in with your owner's manual as some cars have different requirements depending on their make and model year. The most common recommendation is every 12 months.
We all know that the air we breathe is important to our health, but do you really need to change your air filter? In this blog post, I will answer that question and many others about how often you should change your filter. You may be surprised by what you find.
If you are the type of person who likes to keep your car well maintained, then it is time for you to ask yourself if your air filter needs changing. If you don't know what an air filter does, it removes dust and other particles from the engine's exhaust system. Having a dirty or clogged air filter could lead to health problems like asthma because these allergens can seep into the passenger compartment through vents in the dash.
It is recommended that drivers replace their cabin filters every 12 months or when they reach 18,000 miles (whichever comes first). But how do you know when this change should happen? Look out for warning signs like poor gas mileage, rough idle, reduced power output and increased fuel consumption.
The air filter in your furnace is there to help you breathe, but it can get clogged up with dust and pollen from the outside. It's important to change the filter regularly so that the furnace runs well and cleanly. Find out how easy it is to do this on your own.
You may be asking, "Can I change my own air filter?" Yes you can! Just follow these 3 easy steps to do it yourself. 1) Take the old one out 2) Put your new filter in and 3) Clean up any messes that might have been made. You're all set now.
Your car's engine is designed to operate at peak performance. This means the air filter needs to be changed regularly, but what happens when you let it go too long? Well, for one thing your gas mileage will suffer and you'll have to spend more money on fuel consumption.
You may also notice that the engine sounds rougher than usual and there may be an increase in oil consumption. All of these things can lead up to a decrease in power output which could cause other problems down the line if left untreated. Let's not wait until disaster strikes before we take care of our cars.
The air filter is a key component of your car's engine. It catches dirt and dust from the air, which can clog up the engine and cause it to overheat. This blog post will tell you what can happen if you don't change your air filter in your car regularly.
About Joshua Thomas
Joshua Thomas just simply loves cars and willing to work on them whenever there's chance... sometimes for free.
He started CarCareTotal back in 2017 from the advices of total strangers who witnessed his amazing skills in car repairs here and there.
His goal with this creation is to help car owners better learn how to maintain and repair their cars; as such, the site would cover alot of areas: troubleshooting, product recommendations, tips & tricks.
Joshua received Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University. | 5,399 | 2,450 | 11,835.930204 |
warc | 202143 | The decision of selecting a kind of floor for your home really depends on many factors such as personal choice, lifestyle and easy to maintain etc. A good quality carpet or rug can enhance the beauty and comfort of your home but it’s always advisable to look for an investment in your house from either […]> View article
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Nowadays, hand-tufted rugs and carpets are commonly a part of while an interior decor of your home that comes out to be best option to bring a taste of richness, warmth and comfort. Traditionally, rugs were thought of only as a flooring accessory but now it can be styled in different ways to create an […]> View article
When someone brood over designing their space, they usually think of vibrant curtains in windows, decking room corners with modern artifacts and walls with contemporary paintings but often forget about the floors. An interior set-up could be incomplete if nothing covers the place under feet. The decor items that can cover the ground underneath are […]> View article
Nowadays, online stores have opened up a complete universally accessible platform for all individuals to buy anything from daily household things to groceries as well as amazing home décor items. One can buy carpets from our carpet store in Thailand to ensure himself/herself to get a genuine product with certification. E-commerce is beneficial for the […]> View article
When it comes to plan an interior of your home, one must have his/her own personal preferences and taste of rugs. To get an aesthetic design of “Carpets and Rugs“ one needs to make a balance between art and function. If you are looking for mixing and matching patterns of the rugs but don’t want […]> View article | 2,063 | 1,036 | 3,974.660232 |
warc | 202143 | There is ongoing research about CBD and how it affects the endocannabinoid system. Is CBD Oil Safe for Both Dogs & Cats? CBD oil is generally considered to be safe for both dogs & cats. Although the FDA has not given an official ruling on CBD, there is no evidence that CBD is harmful to humans or dogs.
Because CBD is non-intoxicating, it will not make your pet high. There is no known toxic dose of CBD. Furthermore, there have been no reports of any people or animals overdosing on CBD. As with most natural products, there is a point at which administering additional CBD will have no additional beneficial effect on your pet.
What Dosage of CBD Oil Should I Buy for My Dog or Cat? While looking to buy CBD oil products for your cat or dog, you may notice that they come in many varieties and dosages. But, which dosage is optimal for your pet? To give you a better understanding of how dosage works, you must consider the weight of your pet.
But how many of these companies do you actually trust? Where you buy the CBD oil for your pet can greatly determine the effectiveness and quality of the product! The first thing to look out for is the source of the CBD. There are countless numbers of hemp farms in the United States, but not all are grown equally.
Let’s expand on this a bit more. First, to separate the CBD from the hemp plant, it must go through a process known as extraction. There are several ways you can extract CBD. Each way requires a different kind of solvent to pull the CBD from the plant. Four common examples of solvents are CO2, olive oil, butane, and alcohol.
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Since that time, CBD has become an incredibly popular supplement both for humans and dogs - What Is The Recommended CBD Dosage For Dogs. In fact, I wrote a whole article on the 15 best CBD dog treats. However, there are only limited studies that explore how much CBD to give your dog and its benefits. In this article, we will be sharing information from various sources on the proper CBD dosage for dogs.
Honest Paws sells dog CBD treats and oils in pet and drug stores across the U.S. Austin and Kat They provide a rule of thumb to begin with . They state that this recommendation is just a guide to start off, but then for you to adjust at your discretion either more or less.
Austin and Kat sells CBD for dogs that is hemp derived and broad spectrum. What Studies Say About CBD Dosage for Dogs While there is no conclusive answer as to how much CBD you should give your dog, you can look at dosages in recent studies. There are a handful of studies published within the last two years that discuss the safety and efficacy of different dosages.
Two different studies on canine osteoarthritis found that . Pro tip for lbs: 2 mg of CBD per kg of weight should equal roughly . 9 mg of CBD per lb of body weight (Calculations: Starting with 2 mg of CBD per kg of body weight, we first need to convert kg to lbs. CBD Dosage for Dogs - How Much CBD Oil Should I Give My. | 4,330 | 2,109 | 8,801.664296 |
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warc | 202143 | What is Chastity?
For many people, we associate chastity with celibacy, which is the total avoidance of sex. For centuries, many religious organizations have taught us that sex is shameful, that sex should be avoided except in the cases of marriage or to procreate children. For many centuries, this teaching has been propagated that sex is something shameful or dangerous, precisely because of its tremendous power and the sacred nature of the sexual act. It is in sex that we have the power to create life, and God, divinity, also has that power to create life, and has given us the ability to do that through the unity of a man and a woman in sex.
We see in sex the principles of creation. There are always three factors involved whenever life is created. There is a masculine principle that is projected. There is a feminine principle that is receptive. Uniting them, there is the holy conciliation, sex, through the Holy Spirit if you are familiar with the Christian teachings.
Today’s lecture will be an introduction to the Gnostic mysteries of chastity, and we will be studying a gnostic text, a scripture from almost two thousand years ago called
Acts of Thomas in India.
This scripture is generally considered to be a teaching of celibacy by many mainstream scholars, and that is because at that time, the true teaching of chastity―how to harness our sexual energy and how to work in the sexual act in accordance with God’s highest commandments―was no taught publicly.
For many centuries, sex has been relegated to the private sphere, and what happened in people’s private, sexual lives was not talked about openly. Perhaps it is for this reason that many people have associated sex with shame and fear, but the reality is that sex has a dual potential. It has a potential to bring us into greater suffering, to create pain, for who could deny that sexual abuse, sexual crimes that are committed, are among the most horrible abominable acts that we see today?
Sex also has a beautiful potential, a spiritual potential. Chastity is the teaching about how we can use sex and our sexual force in accordance with God’s commandments. Those familiar with Christianity know that two commandments directly concern sex. One of them is that “Thou shall not commit adultery.” We should not have sex with multiple people. That is a commandment from God. The other commandment is “Thou shall not fornicate.” Fornication is the misuse of sex, whether outside of a marriage or within a marriage―if sex is used with impurity, with lust, with desire, for selfish pleasures, in forgetfulness of divinity, which is always present with us―especially in the sexual act when we have that power of creation illuminated.
The Duality of Sex
There are two doors related to sex. When we go through the act of sex in one direction―which is what we know about today in our public media, in our television shows, in music―we experience all of the sexual sensations with a tremendous desire. We go around seeking more and more of those sensations. We watch videos. We read articles. We find partners and go to places intending to find sexual partners, and that is the modern idea of sex, that sex is something to be enjoyed.
Ever since the sexual liberation movement around the 1960s and 1970s, we had so much public content shared about sex. There has been medical research, lots of movies, television shows, in which, in the very first few moments, you see very graphic content that several decades ago or even just a few years ago would not have been permissible.
Sex is unavoidable in our modern culture, and that is why in this teaching of chastity, we have finally been granted access to how to use sex in accordance with God’s law, knowledge that was not given publicly before the 1950s, knowledge that was preserved for centuries and millennia by true initiates of mystery schools, of genuine temples, of religion. Only those who were properly prepared, who had purity of mind and heart, who had willpower and self-control, were able to understand and learn the true secret of chastity: how to perform the sexual act with purity.
That is why when we study ancient gospels like
Acts of Thomas, we see that sex can be veiled, can be a hidden mystery, something that must be discovered. Anyone who remembers being a child, before they had exposure or had much understanding about sex, it was a great mystery. It was something that, when encountered for the first time, it produced a tremendous reaction and tremendous effect in all of us. Anyone who has experienced some form of sexual trauma can tell you that sex is much more than of mere physical act, that sex is psychological, and has tremendous power to shape our life. Each of us, if we are sincere and examine our psychological relationship with sex, can see that this is an important aspect of life, and sex is a natural part of life. But if that act produces pain or produces joy is truly dependent on the psychological state that we bring to that act. That is why we seek to understand, through scriptures, the mysteries of how to become pure, how to become chaste, and gain all of those rewards that are spoken of regarding the chaste saints that I read earlier from this scripture, Acts of Thomas. How to Approach Sacred Sexuality
In order to properly approach this teaching today, we have to set aside the concepts, the ideas, even the experiences or preferences that we may have regarding sex, to encounter this teaching with an open mind, for it is a mystery to most of us, a very new teaching to many of us, that has not been heard about before. For those who have never heard of chastity before, it may be surprising. It may be offensive to your ideas about what sex is, and since we have been exposed to a large amount of propaganda in our culture regarding sex, it is difficult to approach it with humility and open-mindedness when we already have strongly held positions and opinions about our sexuality.
So, I encourage you to take the mindset of a child, and if you are able to, return to that state of innocence before you had much knowledge of sex, what it really signified, and to have an open mind as you hear this teaching today. For Jesus taught us in the Gospel of Matthew that we must be changed and become as children. Through chastity, we are able to become again like children, like virgins, new to sex.
If we really want to enter into heaven to know the mysteries of divinity, to experience the bliss of Eden from which we have been cast out by our abuse of sexuality, we must have that innocence, that purity, that humility and reverence of a child when we approach the topic of sex.
Kabbalah and Alchemy: The Heart of Gnostic Christianity
We also need the two esoteric sciences of Gnostic Christianity that allow us to interpret scripture according to the principles of the initiates. People who are initiated into the mystery schools or the highest levels and temples of genuine religion were taught Kabbalah and Alchemy.
The first, Kabbalah, is related with the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden, because Kabbalah can unveil to us the mysteries of the universe, of nature, of ourselves. Kabbalah is like a map of divinity, and for those who have not studied it before, I strongly encourage you to study the course on Glorian.org [.
This course on Kabbalah relates to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet and has a corresponding course related to the twenty-two arcana of Tarot. These twenty-two letters and twenty-two arcana of tarot are one in the same, and that each one encodes a spiritual principle, a mystery about our universe, our existence, our spiritual journey, and how we can return to divinity. That code is very deep, and it requires much more study than what I can provide to you today, but we will apply it in a basic way through kabbalistic numerology, to give you an introduction on how we must apply this science to spiritual scriptures.
Similarly, Alchemy is essential for understanding scripture and we would be remiss not to apply Alchemy to this particular scripture,
Acts of Thomas, for it is an extremely sexual and alchemical text.
Alchemy comes from two roots, Al, El, God. אל El is God in Hebrew and
Al-, the + ilah, God, الله Allah, “The God” relates to the Arabic name of God. Chem, or Khem is from χυμεία Kimia (Greek), this means “to fuse or to cast metal.” Those of us who are familiar with the tradition of Alchemy from medieval times will understand why they encoded Alchemy through symbols of converting lead into gold, that one must take a very heavy, dense, and dark material and transform it through a scientific procedure into gold, the most pure and rarified and noble of the metals. That science encodes how we can use sex, as a procedure, through which we can convert the base lead of our personality, of our corrupted psychology, into the pure gold of the spirit, and give birth to Christ within our own physical body.
It is very important to understand Alchemy was written in code and that the masters who wrote about it, just like the great masters of all religions, kept the sexual teaching hidden, so it would not be abused by people who approached it with ambition, with pride, with lust, with little spiritual understanding. Only now, because our society has become so open, because we have entered the era of Aquarius where sexual liberation is abundant, we are able to speak publicly about mysteries which were never revealed to the profane.
Though Alchemy, sexual Alchemy, we are able to fuse ourselves with divinity. Alchemy is the science to fuse the human soul with Christ, God, divinity. Christ is a principle, a force, an energy, an intelligence that is permeating every atom of life in our universe. Christ is far beyond one terrestrial person, but Christ has the ability to manifest physically in our world through a properly prepared individual. That is why Jesus Christ, the greatest master this planet has ever known, is given that title of Christ, because he was incarnating Christ into the physical world, so that infinite force of love, compassion, and wisdom could teach humanity how to live in accordance with the laws that divinity has set into our nature―laws like chastity, which forbid fornication and forbid adultery, so that sex can only be used in purity, in accordance with divinity, in mindfulness of the divine nature of that sacrament.
Mystical Geography in the Acts of Thomas
So, in order to understand the basics of these two sciences―Kabbalah relating to the Tree of Life and Alchemy relating to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden―we will study the location of this scripture.
Acts of Thomas in India is about an apostle, Judas Thomas, who is sent on a mission to India. While scholars generally accept that this was truly a real man who traveled to the actual location of India around the Indus river, in that region at that time, establishing Christian churches, we must also know that this text is symbolic. It encodes a greater truth, a spiritual truth, a secret, a mystery, hidden in its symbols.
The first symbol is India because India is far more than a literal place in this scripture. India indicates the setting or the environment in which this apostle is going to bring his teaching, the teaching of Christ, the teaching of chastity. This is why we need to analyze India in accordance with Kabbalah, this divine science that can help us to understand the nature of God and also the path to return to divinity.
In Hebrew the word for India is הֹדּוּ Hodu. הֹדּוּ Hodu is written with three Hebrew letters. The first is ה Hei, the second is ד Daleth, the third is ו Vav. Just observing the shape of the symbols of these letters, we can see already a hint of their spiritual significance. In the letter ה Hei, we see a shape of a womb, a uterus. That is because ה Hei represents femininity, the divine feminine, and also the physical feminine body and sexual organs. At the end of this word, we see ו Vav. ו Vav is a phallic symbol resembling an erect penis. For that reason, we can understand that on either side of this word, we have the man and the woman present. Uniting this man and woman is ד Daleth, which has the shape of a door. ד Daleth means “door” in Hebrew.
Sex can be referred to as the door to Eden, and it is also the door out of Eden through the abuse of sex. We lose the ability to remain in union with Christ, with God. We lose our bliss, for עֵדֶן Eden means “bliss” in Hebrew.
That is why initially in this gospel,
Acts of Thomas, the apostle is a bit reluctant to travel to the place where he is assigned, because India is not literally a place he is reluctant to go, but symbolically it signifies sex, that door which is so treacherous and can lead us back to God, but it can also expel us away from God and separate us from God if sex is abused. That is why we see this quote from Samael Aun Weor in his book Tarot and Kabbalah: Tarot, Kabbalah, and the Hebrew Letters
For those familiar with Tarot, you can see the symbol of the fifteenth arcanum, Passion, commonly referred to as the devil. The fifteenth arcanum relates to the Hebrew letter ס Samech, the serpent biting its tail.
That cycle of passion is what can enslave us and convert us unto devils. If we see an attractive person walking by, we may be compelled to act a certain way around them and talk a certain way around them. We may obsess about that person, or conversely, we may try to repress that force and avoid that person, avoid thinking about them. But either way we know that sexual potency is a major force that has an impact on us psychologically, regardless of if we try to indulge it or repress it. It shapes us, and very few are those human beings who can truly master and command their sexual force.
Sex is also the key to liberating us, and that is what Thomas will teach us in this Gospel.
The reason why we can relate the Arcanum 15 with India, esoterically speaking, is because the kabbalistic addition of the three letters in the word India: ה Hei, being the fifth letter in the Hebrew alphabet, corresponds with the number five; ד Daleth, being the fourth, corresponds with the number four; and ו Vav corresponds with six as the sixth letter in the Hebrew alphabet. In Kabbalah we know that there is an esoteric significance to the sum total of any number given in a scripture. When we add 5 + 4 + 6, we receive the kabbalistic sum of 15, the devil.
Judas Thomas of
Acts of Thomas has the challenging task of going to the realm of the devil in order to convert the people there, who are confused about sex and sexuality, through many interesting parables about sex, back to chastity, so they can become chaste saints, disciples of Christ. Alchemical Symbolism of the Indus River and Date Palm Tree
Through the study of Alchemy, we can also examine the symbol of India, which relates to the Indus River, a river which gave tremendous life to that region and continues to give tremendous life to that region.
The Indus River in Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu, “a large body of water; river, ocean,” derived from Cintu: date palm tree. For those who have studied the course on Kabbalah and Alchemy, they will know immediately that water, especially bodies of water like rivers and oceans, correspond with the sexual force, especially the sexual force in relationship with the Divine Mother, for it is the waters of the womb which create life. The sexual waters of the woman bring life and also the sexual waters of the man, semen, also give life. That is the alchemical significance of water when we see it mentioned in the scriptures, the waters of life.
However, it is important to know that water can also bring destruction, and that is why through the floods of Noah, humanity was destroyed for their crimes, for their vices. This is a dual symbol. Sex can bring life and it can destroy life, depending on how it is used.
This teaching is seen very clearly in the Qur’an. The word Sindhu is derived from “Cintu,” date palm tree and date palms, which were abundant in the Middle Eastern region, are sometimes considered to be the true tree in the Garden of Eden―not an apple tree, but a date palm from which Adam and Eve ate, and that is a very sexual symbol. That is why that is the tree related with Alchemy, the science of fusing oneself with God through sacred sexuality.
In Surah 16:67 in the Qur’an, we see that the date palm is mentioned along with grapevines. Grapes are another sexual symbol, which is why Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding, and that miracle was to convert water into wine. We see the relationship here, that water is our potential, and if that water is transformed, it can become the spiritual wine of the soul at a wedding, where two are married. That is the same symbol as converting the lead―the impure sexuality, slowly through a process of gentle heat, through a scientific method―into the gold of the purified spirit and soul.
Who are the people with spiritual understanding? They are the initiates: the ones with spiritual ears and eyes who can hear and see the mysteries that are hidden behind in the scripture. In this mystery, so beautifully presented to us in the Holy Qur’an, is that from sex, we can see intoxication, obsession, addiction, lust, desire, that has no satiation. We can also see wholesome provision: the ability to bring life, not only physical life of a child, but also spiritual life to regenerate ourselves.
The date palm, interestingly, the date resembles the testes, the male sexual organ. The date is considered a sacred food in Islam. We can see why that is sacred, just as our sexual seed is sacred. The sexual water must be conserved, transformed, transmuted through the science of Alchemy.
Harnessing the Sexual Force
That is precisely the science that Samael Aun Weor, the founder of the Gnostic tradition, unveiled in the 1950s in his book,
The Perfect Matrimony. As today’s lecture is only an introduction into the Gnostic mystery of chastity, I strongly encourage you to read this book, which can be read for free online on Glorian.org or purchased from any bookseller. In this book, Samael Aun Weor extensively teaches us the science of sexual Alchemy, chastity, and also pranayama or transmutation for single persons, who are not yet married and need the science by which they can still harness that sexual force for themselves.
For single people, it is important to note that they can conserve their sexual energy and must transmute it every day through practices like pranayama, which you can read about in the book
The Perfect Matrimony. If one conserves their sexual energy but represses it, does not transform that energy, one could become a very troubled person. We have seen that the celibacy, the total avoidance of sex, is harmful. It produces psychological imbalances, and in some cases has led to sexual crimes. We do not advocate celibacy in this teaching, but chastity does require that an unmarried person abstain from sex. Until we are married, we should be transmuting that energy, working with prayer, mantra, pranayama, so that force is continually flowing through our body and allowing us to unite with divinity.
If we lose that force through the vices such as masturbation, we lose our connection to divinity. That is why many feel shame after orgasm, for they know that they have lost something valuable. Yes, on a physical level we can lose thousands of sperm, but for men and women orgasm is harmful, more importantly on a spiritual and energetic level, because the orgasm produces a short circuit in the physical and energetic bodies and destroys those bodies. The orgasm not only affects us energetically and physically, but also spiritually, in that when we expel that sacred substance from our bodies, we are losing the very force of God, the creator within us. That is why we become blind, deaf, and lame, spiritually speaking. That is why when most of us sit to meditate or pray, we see black. We hear nothing because we are dead inside, spiritually speaking, because we have lost the very force of life and creation within our own body.
Spiritual Creation is Sexual
Samael Aun Weor states:
Consubstantiation in Christian terms relates to the teaching that the bread and wine of the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Communion, is simultaneously one with the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Con represents “together,” substantiation: substance―they are one substance together, simultaneously. That is the teaching in mainstream Christianity, but Samael Aun Weor taught from an esoteric standpoint and is pointing out that in a psychological and physical reality, sex unites us with divinity.
Psychologically and physically, we must be pure. We must maintain that sexual energy within our body and transform it in accordance with God’s guidance, the teachings of chastity. That is the real consubstantiation in which we are simultaneously a human and divine.
In the sexual act when man and woman unite, something is created. What is created? Of course, we know that a physical child can be created when a man and woman unite sexually, and there is a mystery in which one sperm and one egg are needed to create a pure physical child. That is a mystery for another lecture, the mystery of Immaculate Conception, but you can read about it in
The Yellow Book by Samael Aun Weor if you are interested in learning more about it.
What else is created when we unite sexually? Well, if we reflect on our lives, what have we seen created through sex? We may see some happy marriages, although these are becoming fewer. We have seen much pain created by sex, suffering. That is because mankind has not been taught how to use sex appropriately. Mankind has been taught how to abuse sex, how to indulge in sex, how to go around seeking the next sensations or have multiple partners and masturbate―all kinds of sexual vices which corrupt our psychology. These vices do not just harm our physical body. They harm us psychologically. They create imbalances. They create addictions. They create lunacy. Some of the worst sexual crimes are committed by lunatics who have zero control over their sexual force.
Sexuality must be properly understood so that we can use it in balance with divinity. This is a great mystery that can only be known through experience. Anyone who has experienced the suffering, the heartbreak, the loss and sorrow of lust, can understand that there is one doorway that we can pass through with sex that brings an emptiness, a longing that is never fulfilled. Many people believe in the promise of love, of sex as love, but do not know how to bring real love into the sexual act. Love must be brought not only for our spouse and our partner, with selflessness, sacrificing our own selfish desires for that act, but out of love, union with our partner.
Love must also involve divinity. Where divinity is not present, there is not love. Christ, God, divinity is love. If you are performing the sexual act or sexual behaviors without divinity, there is no love present there. We need to understand that the very potential for our own heart to love our spouse, to love humanity, to love our children, the potential in our own heart is the spark of divinity. The one who loses their sexual forces, their sexual energies, and their sexual substance, loses that ability to love. That is why lust for the pleasure it can bring, in the short term, never materializes with that eternal happiness that it seems to promise.
People spend their whole lives believing that chasing sex will somehow bring them that happiness, will bring them to love. But it is not sex alone which brings us to love. We must bring love to sex, through our inner union with divinity. That is why chastity does not begin just in the sexual union with a partner. Alchemy begins with us, with our willingness to purify our minds and hearts, to become as children, to go sincerely and humbly unto God, and to learn these mysteries from our inner divinity. Divinity will teach you much about chastity and sexual Alchemy if you are open in your heart, in your mind, if you are pure, if you have set aside your pride which thinks it already understands sexuality, that it already knows what sex is about. You allow God to teach you God’s divine mystery of sex. You will see that on the other side of that door that there is a tremendous abundance of sacred mystery that we have barely begun to understand through our modern, contemporary notions about sex.
The Prerequisites of Sexual Alchemy
So, how does one practice sexual Alchemy with their partner? For those of us who are married, what is the practice of chastity? How do we engage in this sexual act, but do it with purity and do it with full meditative awareness of the presence of divinity?
Samael Aun Weor gives the full teaching about that in
The Perfect Matrimony, but just to read a little bit for you today from that book―in relationship to a man and a woman, sexually united and experiencing all the bliss of that union―he states the following:
God has created a door for us, a door in physical nature through which we can enter Eden, into bliss, or through which we can leave it. Meditate on your experiences with sex. Become prayerful and sincere and see if sex has really brought you lasting happiness, or if you have been abusing that act, forgetting divinity, forgetting love, and if that is the case, then you will understand when he states Cupid leaves crying. Cupid relating to the god Eros, the god of love, one in the same mystery of Christ in the Greek mysteries.
Eros leaves us when we orgasm, men and women. Although women may not lose any physical substance through the orgasm, they are losing tremendous substance energetically and spiritually, and that can be seeing through clairvoyance. Orgasm separates us from love and locks us out of heaven. We must become pure like children, like chaste virgins, as we enter into the sexual act every time remaining pure, bringing love for our spouse and love for divinity.
If we break this law of nature and we fornicate through orgasm―orgasm and fornication are one in the same, regardless if we are in a marriage or not―we will in the long run experience tremendous suffering because we are losing our connection to divinity. Divinity is what really brings us happiness. Through sex, we strengthen our union with divinity if it is performed with purity, prayer, and love.
Before we can perform sacred sexuality, sexual Alchemy with a partner, we have to establish that covenant with our own inner divinity by establishing purity within ourselves. We begin this practice as animals, filled with animal lust and desire, but through willpower, through constant application, we are refining this act and refining our own psychology, meditating on the evils that exist within our own heart, the selfishness, the pride, the greed, the lust, the desires that are never happy, that are never satisfied.
How do we free ourselves from that? How do we liberate ourselves from that? It is through sex, working with Kundalini, which is the mystery of the Divine Mother who controls those sexual waters and allows us to become free, to become washed and purified by those waters, if we keep those waters within our body.
When we lose that spiritual water, we become inhabited. We open that doorway for evil forces to come into our body. Sex is the original sin, because sex with fornication opened the gates of Eden and expelled us out of union with divinity. Sex is called the original sin, but sex with purity is salvation and redemption of mankind.
Acts of Thomas is about many, many individuals who are suffering from the misuse of sex. Today we are only going to talk a little bit about Act I, “The Wedding Feast of the King’s Daughter,” but if you read this scripture, you will see again and again that people are committing sexual crimes, that people are being tormented by sexual demons, that sex is prevalent through out this act. That is why Kabbalistically and esoterically speaking, India symbolizes sex, the perilous nation in which people are afflicted by sexual impurities, just like each one of us.
Whether we have had sex or not, each of us should examine our relationship to sex, our sexual behaviors, our psychological relationship to sex, and ask ourselves if it is pure. Many who fear sex just want to avoid it, never want to think about it, want to repress it, want to be celibate. But that is a false door, because the celibate person never goes anywhere. They never grow. The chaste person, even if they are single, is growing through their own sexual force or through the union of masculine and feminine forces in the sexual act. But the celibate person who refuses to transform that energy, who tries to ignore it and runs away from it, is lying to themselves. Sex is an essential part of nature and human experience. Sex is an essential aspect of our spiritual journey, because without sex, we have no power to get out of the current state that we are in and we have no power to reunite with divinity.
Building the Temple of God
So, we need to preserve those sexual energies, which are continually coming into our body from above, from our Divine Father and our Divine Mother. We need to preserve those energies, transform them, and use them to build the temple of God in our own bodies. That is why Thomas goes to India, to build a palace for a King. The true king is God. The palace is the temple. The temple of our body can become a palace, a temple of God, but only if we meet God’s requirements, just as divinity demands that there is purity of heart and spirit in the sexual act. That is what we need to understand. If we do not meet the prerequisite, this is the law of nature that states that sex expels you from Eden, or it brings you back into Eden. Sex abuse separates you from God. Sex performed with purity and chastity reunites you with God. That is the law of nature. That is not an idea that someone just made up. That is a law written into nature, and we can experience it, work with it, and verify it directly through our experience.
Judas Thomas unwillingly gets sold by Jesus, his master, as a slave, so that he is forced to go to India, sold as a slave who will build a palace for a King in India. Before he is able to build this palace, he is compelled to attend a wedding feast for the local king’s daughter. Why does he have to attend a wedding feast before he can build a palace? Spiritually speaking, this is symbolic. The wedding feast, the consummation of marriage, the sexual act, is the prerequisite through which the temple of God can be built, truly, to create a vessel into which Christ, that profound, tremendous power of wisdom and love, can actually incarnate within a human body. Those vessels are created through sex. That is the only way that anything nature is created. That is why Thomas and Jesus as his twin teach the mystery of chastity in the bridal chamber.
The Teaching in the Bridal Chamber
When they are teaching this, Jesus appears to the young couple in the form of Judas Thomas, and they are surprised because Judas Thomas has just left the room after blessing them and praying for them. They asked, “How is it possible that you are still in the room?” and Jesus explains to them that he is not the physical man Judas Thomas, that he is Christ.
This again is symbolic.
Thoma means “twin.” Thomas is “twin,” the twin of Christ. The physical apostle is the vessel in which Christ manifests and gives that gospel to humanity. Jesus was a literal person, but symbolically, looking at this symbol, we see that Jesus is representing the force of Christ because this gospel takes place after Jesus had died and resurrected. His spirit comes through the vessel of Thomas, his physical apostle, to teach the mystery of chastity.
So, what does Jesus teach in the bridal chamber?
Acts of Thomas says that Jesus taught the following to the young couple:
Modern scholars who know nothing, who have never been initiated into the deepest genuine mysteries of spiritual teachings, always interpret this scripture as advocating for celibacy, total abstinence form sex. In reality, this scripture very obviously indicates that sex is important, and Jesus spends the whole night there in that bridal chamber with the couple. What happens in that bridal chamber is not explicitly stated in this gospel, for at that time it was forbidden to give this knowledge publicly to the profane, to people who were not properly prepared, who could not handle working with sex in this way.
We see that Jesus is talking about two marriages here. One marriage of foul intercourse, the lustful marriage which brings impulses and pains, seen and unseen. Physical pain, yes, it can bring physical illnesses to us, karmically speaking, in the long term, but also unseen impulses and pain, those addictions, psychological imbalances, the madness that comes when sex is out of control and abused. The other marriage that he mentions is the incorruptible and true marriage, the bride chamber, which is full of immortality and light. When we practice chastity and we are meditating and we are awakening our spiritual senses, our spiritual eyes, we can see the light penetrating around and through our physical bodies. We can see that divinity is present. Angels are present, observing and guiding that sacred sexual act. It is a holy sacrament, and for those who work with it, they can verify this in their experience, but the prerequisite is purity.
You will never reach the heights of this chastity of this teaching if you are orgasming. If you are losing that sacred energy, even jus now and then, you will never be able to build the temple of God, because it is a law of nature that is required. That is the substance through which the Divine Mother can build a vessel for God within us. Only a fool would spend so much time, effort, and discipline to build a beautiful temple and go in with a sledgehammer and start breaking down the walls, destroying it, and then decide to go back and rebuild it again. We will never get anywhere if we are going back and forth. We must obey the law. We must work with sex. It is absolutely essential, but we must work in accordance with God’s commandments, which forbid fornication. They forbid orgasm and forbid adultery. The person who tries to practice this with many partners will also get nowhere. Love must be present, genuine love that grows and grows and grows as we continue to practice with our spouse, love for our spouse and love for divinity. Love is the substance of divinity and divinity leaves the adulterer.
The Response of the Bride
Although, the sexual act is not explicitly discussed or written down in this scripture, it is clear to us that a marriage has taken place, that Jesus spent an evening with the young couple teaching them and guiding them in the sexual act. We know that something has happened, because the next day the bride and groom are radically transformed. In fact, when the king and queen come down to see their daughter and her new husband, they are shocked, very surprised to see that she has removed her veil, which is called the “garment of shame” in those times, which the woman would wear to hide her shame after having sex. They come down and they ask her and her husband, “Why do you look so happy? Why are you not ashamed? Is it because that you are in such great love with each other that you are not ashamed?” They are shocked because they have never seen a couple come out of the sexual act with a happiness and joy that pervades them in this way, in this level of transformation. So, the bride, the daughter, responds to her parents and says this:
There are many symbols of Alchemy in the bride’s response in this scripture, but even to the uninitiated we can see very clearly that she has experienced, through this teaching, joy, happiness, and is beginning to enter into the true marriage, the marriage of Christ.
Many of us are seeking for temporary pleasure when we are lustful. We are seeking after physical sensations, physical experiences. That is temporal and passes away. That leads to lasciviousness and bitterness of soul. But chastity, chaste sexual union, is actually uniting the husband and wife with their inner divinity. The divinity of the wife, the divinity of the husband become one, and that is why it is not a marriage with a spouse that is temporal―not just a union of the physical bodies, but really the union of the immortal souls. That is why there are two marriages: one marriage that is temporary and passes away when the physical body dies, and another marriage through which the souls of the husband and wife become one with the spirit, with Christ. They are re-establishing, rebuilding that bridge, that connection that guides us back to God. That is what gives us conscience. That is what gives us insight, intuition, guidance, visions, dreams that are prophetic. All of that is established through working with our sexual potential, because sex is what can reunite us with God, just as it has separated us from our inner divinity through its abuse.
The Response of the Groom
Personally, I prefer the response of the groom even more because the groom, as we can see in his response, is someone like many of us who has been confused, who has been taught many ideas, corruption, impurity, and suffering. We can hear in this response from the groom so much gratitude for how sex has guided him back to his true nature, his soul, reunion with divinity and real love for Christ. In
Acts of Thomas, the groom states:
That is Christ. The disease that is hard to be healed and cured is lust, abuse of sex. We see that there is so much addiction, especially to pornography that is extremely hard to be healed. It leads people to lunacy, suffering, pain, to have affairs, to throw away their marriage. That disease can be healed by Christ. That is a tremendous source of hope. This teaching allows us to change no matter how fallen we are. Even if we are a prostitute, we can be saved through chastity, through being purified and washed by the waters of our Divine Mother. It is an incredible power, a sacrament that should be approached with tremendous respect and humility. Most of us approach sex with impurity, selfishness, disgusting desires, and that is why we hurt ourselves, other people, and that is why we see so much pain and suffering in our society, so much abuse of sex, abuse of children, sexual assault, and rape. Mankind has not been taught how to control his sexual force, and that is because sexuality is so powerful that only the properly prepared have been taught this teaching.
Now, frankly speaking, we are in a society, in a time, in which the abuse of sex has become so great that there is really no other option than to give this openly with the hope that maybe a few people will have enough willpower, sincerity, humility, and genuine love for divinity to be able to accomplish this very difficult feat of chastity and sexual Alchemy. It is not easy. It is very demanding, but the rewards are infinite, eternal rewards, the ability to know your God again. We see here that the groom says he knew not God, he knew not Christ, but Christ sought him out. He was not aware of Christ, but Christ took him back to divinity through sex, sacred sexuality.
This is just an introduction today to a really deep mystery, and for those who really want to experience this, I encourage you to study a lot, to prepare yourself through meditation, meditating on lust everyday, because with this sexual force, you will have the power of the Divine Mother working within you, and that power can destroy your lust, your greed, your anger, your envy, your hatred, your pride. That is the power of chastity, to regenerate the human being, to purify the human being, to restore the spiritual sense of the soul, so that we can see and hear divinity again, and always be mindful of divinity because divinity will burn like love within us.
If we abuse this teaching, if we abuse sex, those waters will drown us. If we pollute those waters with impurity, and we try to work this practice, it will create nothing but extreme suffering for us and the people around us. So, prepare yourself properly, because the groom you are seeking to unite with is Christ.
Christ: The Groom and the Church
Christ is an infinite beauty, power wisdom, and love. Christ is the force that animates and gives life to every atom in this universe. That is why in
Acts of Thomas, the apostle states:
If we love God, if we love Christ, that force of divinity, as much as we love our spouse―which hopefully we love our spouse, because nowadays mankind does not seem to love each other as much as we have the potential too―if we loved God, with the strongest intensity, with which we loved another person, then we would have the power to reunite with God through this sexual practice. Love is sexual. Eros, the god of love through the Greek mysteries, representing the force of Christ, is erotic love. Those two are intertwined. That is why the teaching was given to us in the Bible by Paul of Tarsus―relating to Christ and the church, the church being the Ecclesia―called out the ones called forth to the assembly, the congregation. The church is not as the physical building, but the church as the community of the followers of Christ who become the physical vessels in which Christ acts and performs his miracles, manifests, and gives his teachings to humanity―through his apostles, through those who work with this science to purify themselves, to create a vessel that can withstand that tremendous energy of Christ within it. That is why in this teaching in Ephesians, Paul of Tarsus, directly relates the love of Christ, the union with Christ, to the relationship between husband and wife. It is one in the same mystery. If engage in the sexual act, we renounce orgasm, and we bring the presence of divinity, prayer, and love into that act, that is the path to God. Paul wrote:
So, we see here that when a man and a woman unite, they become one flesh, one flesh with each other, one flesh with divinity, if we are without blemish, if we have been washed by those waters, if we are holy. The church are the true apostles, the true followers of Christ.
There are many people, many organizations that claim to be the true church of Christ, but we should examine ourselves: are we a temple of God? Are we the physical body through which God can perform his will? Or are we filled with selfish desires, self-will, egotism? Are we motivated by the guidance we are receiving internally from divinity and acting in ways that help humanity, that heal humanity, that brings happiness unto us and others, and that help us to reunite with God? Are we giving that teaching of Christ? Or are we teaching spiritual things out of vanity, out of pride, out of ambition and seeking for power? Or are we just totally living a life divorced from God, totally about me, myself, and what I want?
Maybe we say spiritual things when we are in public streets, and then when we go into the bedroom and whatever happens there, well, that is not of God’s business, we think. We are fools if we think that God does not see especially that which has happened when we are working with the force of creation, with the power to give life in our own bodies. That is the moment when God is most present and our Divine Mother weeps when we lose and abuse that force.
If you work with this teaching, if you work with this practice, I promise you that you will begin awakening consciousness then you will see, with tremendous shame, the pain that we have brought to divinity and to other people through lust. So much of the suffering in this world has been the direct result of uncontrolled lust, a lack of willpower, indulgence in lust. That is it. There are many other problems, but lust is the root because in lust we have lost the connection with divinity. We have lost our conscience, which guides us to perform what is right in God’s eyes. You know we truly learn from within from our conscience what is good and what is evil, what is constructive and what is destructive. We can read it in a book, in the commandments. The ethical precepts of all great religions are wonderful starting places, and are necessary. We should be following those to purify our psychology, but the real teaching of right and wrong comes in each moment, in the presence of Christ, of divinity within us.
But we have to be awakened. We have to have spiritual sight and hearing to interpret those messages. It is one thing to receive a message, to have a powerful dream for example, but if we are foolish and our mind is out of balance, if we are totally controlled by selfish wishes, then we are going to interpret that dream according to our ego, according to our egotism, “What do I want that dream to mean?” Then that spiritual value, that gift that has been given to us, is lost.
So, if we want to become the bride of Christ, we have to work very hard with ourselves. Sexual Alchemy is important. Union with a spouse is important. But merely doing this practice with a spouse without any purity, without any love of divinity, without any love of our spouse, is not going to be enough. We should be the bride of Christ, because our physical body can be that receptive vehicle which can receive that projective force of Christ. The spirit can come down into the womb of our physical body and grow, be developed, and channel light here in this physical world, which needs the light of Christ, the teachings, and the presence of Christ more than ever. Because so few people are capable of this, each of us should hold this duty, this obligation to work on ourselves, to purify ourselves, to work with this practice with respect, with humility, to follow the will of our inner God. Humanity needs it now more than ever.
We see again Paul of Tarsus teaching us this mystery, that we as the souls of men can become betrothed or married to Christ, that divine spirit. Paul wrote:
How does one become a virgin? Through virility, through virtue, through chastity. Humanity has fallen, but we can be redeemed. We can be purified. We can become again virginal, virginal bodies, virginal minds, virginal hearts, virginal souls, through chastity, through working with Christ, reading those scriptures, learning Kabbalah, learning Alchemy, studying this, doing these practices, transmuting every day, whether single or in a marriage, finding a way to work with that energy and meditating on our defects to destroy them, and performing good works and sacrifices that help humanity, even in small ways, helping people around us, not for our benefit, not for our pride, not for our ambition, but out of love, because Christ is love.
If you think of the moment in your life, or the time when you felt the strongest love for another human being, that is Christ―a small taste of Christ. As we work with chastity, we enliven that force. We bring that fire to life in our hearts, the fire of love. The sexual fire becomes pure and it brings us power, but the power of God, power that can only be granted if we are obeying the laws of god.
Again, I recommend for those who want to learn more about this sacred mystery of chastity and are interested in applying it as a way to regenerate their souls, return to God, and receive that inner guidance within, to read the book
The Perfect Matrimony by Samael Aun Weor. Study Alchemy. Study Kabbalah. We have a tremendous gift that this teaching is being given publicly for humanity. People for centuries would risk their lives, would dedicate years, decades, in preparation in the temples to receive this mystery, and it is being given to us because we so desperately need it, and because without it, well, we already know the direction that our society is going. We are not progressing. We are crumbling. If that is the outcome we are already headed for, then we have nothing to lose by working with chastity, by applying it, by dedicating ourselves to it.
If your sexual behavior has brought you nothing but pain in life, then sacrifice it. Give it up and try this practice. Work with chastity, and see directly, in your experience, the tremendous results that you can receive through consistent, dedicated practice. You will be transformed. You can be purified. You can become converted like a child. There is tremendous power in sexual Alchemy.
So, let us conclude from one final verse from
Acts of Thomas:
If you have any questions, please write them in the chat box.
Questions and Answers
Question: How can a single person before marriage identify if a partner would commit to a sex life without orgasm? Instructor: That is a wonderful question. I will let you know that I know many Gnostic practitioners in this teaching who work with chastity with a spouse who does not practice chastity. So, it is possible that we can purify ourselves and unite with divinity by working in the sexual act if there is love in that marriage. Obviously, that has its challenges, right? So, be mindful of it, but if you are performing the law of God, if you are obeying and are chaste, then you will be able to achieve union with your inner divinity, with Christ through sexual Alchemy. The forces are present there. The masculine, the feminine, the Holy Spirit of sex is present there. God can come to you if you are prepared. Of course, your spouse might not like that. That is your karma. That is your situation. That is what God has given you, and so you have to consider very carefully before marriage, is love really present there in that relationship? Or is it desire? Many people have been fooled by desire and ended up in very unhappy marriages.
If your spouse is not open to this and you are already married, if there is love present in that marriage, you should not run away from that marriage. Love is the prerequisite for chastity, and those who chose to only marry another Gnostic, only with another person who agrees with what “I” believe, and do so only out of ambition, will get nowhere, because there is no love in that marriage. Of course, if you meet another person that is open to this and wants to practice with you, that is ideal. That is perfect. That is wonderful and beautiful, but only if love is present. So, do not get married out of ambition. Meditate and pray. Let God guide you to the spouse who you are destined for, the one whom you can love, and who can love you, the one who will bring you closer to Christ through that love, through the force of Christ within your hearts.
Question: What are the characteristics of chastity in woman versus in men? To be more specific, how does chastity manifest itself in men and women? Instructor: Well, the spiritual work for men and women is the same. So, as a woman, I am required to fulfill all the same requisites of purity, of chastity, abstaining from orgasm, transforming that energy in my body through pranayama, or through sexual Alchemy, meditation, working on my vices every day. It is really no different. One thing I will say for women who practice this though, who transmute, whether married or single, we do not work with our sexual energy when we are on our period. If you are in your menstrual cycle, abstain from working with sexual energy for that time. That is a time of cleansing in which the body is flushing out impurities, and energetically as well. It is a great benefit that women have, that nature purifies our bodies every month, but it means that we should not be transmuting those energies, because that is a time when impurities are being cleansed from us by nature.
So, what does chastity look like for a woman versus a man? It is the same. As a woman, you should not be orgasming. Many women say, “Well, I am not losing any seed when I orgasm.” You do not see what you are losing spiritually and energetically in that orgasm. You are losing your vitality, that sexual energy that connects you with divinity, that power of creation in your own body. So, men, woman, it is very similar. I cannot speak too much on the man’s point of view, but at least as a woman I can share that.
Question: What is the name of the broad statue shown in this lecture with a quote of Samael Aun Weor, The Perfect Matrimony, and is that position the only way to practice? Can you provide terms on what one should do, or how to perform sexual magic in simple terms with detail on the procedure? Instructor: So, that is not the only position which one can practice sexual magic. Generally speaking, the position is really not so important. You can perform this with the man on top of the woman, or the woman on top of the man. What is important is that you are awake. If you are meditative, if you are prayerful, you feel love for your spouse. You feel love for divinity. You are not allowing animal passion to overcome your willpower. You are allowing the heat, the fire, and the bliss of those pleasant sensations to awaken your consciousness, to nourish you, but you are not losing that force through orgasm.
I am not familiar with the name of that specific statue, but I have seen many like it. That comes from Tantric Buddhism. There are many symbols throughout the Tibetan Buddhist tradition that describe and show this union. There are many buddhas or many spiritual masters, enlightened ones who are showing that particular act, such as Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal, or his consort, as an example. There are many examples of that practice within that religion specifically. In terms of the only position or the way to practice, you can study a certain chapter in The Mystery of The Golden Flower by Samael Aun Weor [The Sexual Paroxysm and The Golden Embryo]. There are different positions and postures that one can practice with in accordance with Hindu scripture and ancient text itself.
Definitely, in these texts you will learn a variety of mantras as well. Mantra is an important part of sexual Alchemy because it allows us to move that energy more effectively in our body. One of the main mantras that is taught in
The Perfect Matrimony is IAO, which is pronounced as in Latin:
I: (as the ee in “tree”):
A: (as the ah in “father”)
O: (as the oh in “holy”)
Take a breath when you are united with your partner and vocalize the vowel sound:
Iiiiiiiiii…
Then again…
Aaaaaaaaaa…
Then again…
Oooooooooo…
That is just one practice to give as an example, but before you enter into this practice you should study the book and you will learn a lot more mantras and much more about how to engage in that practice effectively.
Question: As a single person I have verified that these teachings are true through my own experiences with pranayama, prayer, self-observation, meditation, etc. I am totally dedicated to this path. It has given my life the most beautiful meaning and purpose. I know these teachings are true in my heart and are the purpose of life. Ever since I started sincerely practicing these teachings and transmuting my sexual energies daily, about a year ago, I had been experiencing nocturnal pollutions about every two to three months. These are very painful experiences as I observe my consciousness is weakened and I lose my psychic energies. My question is, what is the cause of these experiences? Is it karmic debt from past sexual misconduct? Are these tests in the internal worlds? Is it a lack of comprehension of lust? A combination of all these? Obviously, the goal is eventually find a spouse and enter into the major mysteries of sexual Alchemy. Is physical chastity possible like Sivananda and Yogananda? Instructor: What an important question! Thank you for asking. For those who are not familiar with the term nocturnal pollutions, it refers to wet dreams, where―most notably for men, this is obvious―men might wake up and realize that he has orgasmed in his sleep. Women may wake up and realize that their body is orgasming. This can happen for men and women. There are a variety of reasons why this may happen, and we also have a remedy for this: the remedy of the melon drink, which can help you. So, if you are suffering from nocturnal pollutions, I encourage you to drink that remedy frequently until you see that the problem has been lessened.
But we need a permanent solution to this problem. The cause of the problem is lust. On one hand, I think that many single people are not transmuting enough, at minimum ten to fifteen minutes a day, but you can practice pranayama as long as you need. If you are a particularly fiery person, if that is your sexual temperament, you might need to perform a lot of pranayama every day. Also, work with runes―another sacred science that we teach in this tradition and you can find a whole course about the runes on Glorian.org. There are also videos of these runes that allows you to transform more energy.
So, one cause can be that you have too much sexual energy pent up, and since it is not being transformed, it is leading to that nocturnal pollution. That is a big problem, because you do not want to lose that energy.
The other is that we are tempted and tested in dreams. Often our own egos come out in dreams and take the shapes of many attractive people or situations that tempt us, and if we have not developed enough willpower through meditation, then when we are less awake, when we are more hypnotized in the dream state, we are more likely to fail and to engage in some kind of sexual activity in the dream state that causes our physical body to orgasm and to lose that energy. So, do the best that you can. It takes time to train the body. It takes time also to train our psyche.
But we should be vigilant. We should be on lust everyday, to understand our lust. How does it manifest? What does it want? How does it control us? What provokes it? What tempts it? Some people try to avoid temptation all together, but when we see something in our life, we should not be looking at pornography. We should not try to find ways to test ourselves. That would be foolish. We are not at that level. But things happen in our life. We see people that we feel some attraction to. Do not avoid that. Go home and meditate. Meditate, meditate, meditate. What in you is impure? Sometimes we think we may love a person, but that love is mixed with a lot of impurity. So, even if you are married you still need to be meditating on lust. Lust is always selfish and divinity is selfless.
The karmic debt from past sexual misconduct is the creation of lust in our own psychology. So, whenever we commit abuse of sex, we generate a psychological consequence, and that strengthens lust in our psyche, which then causes us to have less control over sexual force in both our physical life and in our dream life in the astral plane. So, the karma is psychological. But we do have the power to overcome that. We do have the power to meditate on that. What did you dream about? Meditate on it. Understand it. Do not just feel like, “I failed. I should be ashamed!” and then not learn anything from that. It is a very humbling experience, and it is a very painful experience. We should learn from that, because when that happens to us, it is an opportunity to understand something about ourselves that we do not understand. Otherwise, it would not happen.
As a single person, we can achieve up to 50% of the elimination of the ego. Right now, in this teaching, we know that most of us in this planet have about 97% ego. That means we are 97% selfish and blind to divinity. We have 3% consciousness free that can perceive things in a new way, that can perceive divinity, that can act spontaneously, and the other 97% of us is conditioned to habitual behaviors, conditioned psychology, that wants to repeat habits again and again― repeat the same anger, repeat the same envy in a new situation, repeat the same lustful sensations. So, as a single person, it is possible to become truly pure.
Yogananda is a beautiful example. He made the mistake of believing that he could be married within to his Divine Mother without a spouse, and so he was only able to achieve half of that work, but what a tremendously beautiful soul, like an elemental, very pure, that brought wonderful teachings to humanity! Yes, that is possible for the single person.
We should not have such a strong desire for a spouse that we forget about how to live in happiness with what we have. God has put you in that situation for a reason. It is possible that if you found a spouse, but you weren’t properly prepared, that you could generate a lot of pain for you and that person, that it could harm your future lifetimes, that it could create a karmic consequence that could be much more terrible. So, there are worst things than being single. We could use that time as a single person to master our sexuality, to become very comfortable with moving those forces in our body, with transforming, to awaken with purity like a child, to become virginal. Then when the time is right, God will bring a spouse to you and you will know it because you will feel love, real love, not just sexual attraction, but real love.
Question: Usually we find “You shall not commit adultery” in the Ten Commandments, yet we do not see, “We shall not fornicate.” Is that a part of the former commandment or is it a hidden commandment that was not taught before the Age of Aquarius openly? Instructor: That is a good question. “Thou shall not fornicate” is not part of one of the Ten Commandments, but we see it repeatedly in the Bible, so I might of misspoke a little bit there. Fornication is frequently talked about in the Bible as a sin against God. Fornicate comes from the same root as furnace, that sexual fire. Is that fire working in a positive way or is that fire destroying us?
Fornication is destructive. Chastity is regenerative, revitalizing. Whenever we are expelling the sexual energy, we are adulterating the power of the Divine Mother. In terms of the tradition itself, the commandments, those have been interpreted and even modified in different ways through out religious tradition, but specifically there is a distinction between “You shall not fornicate” or expel the sexual energy, but also “You shall not commit adultery” or misuse that force in multiple relationships, as the lecturer had said.
Question: Could you explain the connection between sexuality and the original sin? Can we say that sexual sin, lust, is the fundamental vice and the source of all other vices? Instructor: Yes, we can. That is the original sin because lust, the orgasm, is what kicked us out of Eden, brought us separation from divinity. When we feed lust, when we orgasm, we become hypnotized. We become confused. A little piece of us or a big piece of us starts to become diluted, and through that delusion, humanity can wander further away from God. The more that that action is repeated, the more delusion humanity enters into, and that delusion can include all other kinds of crimes: anger murder, hatred, theft, greed, pride.
So, it is from lust over many centuries, over many lifetimes that we have been committing lustful acts, that all of these other crimes have been able to occur. Now these vices can occur separate from lust as well. Even the gods are said to have spiritual pride, which is a vice, but those gods know how to work with sex in the appropriate way through sexual chastity, using sex with purity. So, while it is the root of all sins, those sins can be manifold. We usually say that there are seven deadly sins, but even within those seven there are so many unique manifestations of those seven deadly sins, and lust is like that. Sometimes lust can be proud. Sometimes lust can be angry. Sometimes lust can be greedy. So, they are all interrelated. If you really want to understand the fall of humanity, the sexual fall of humanity, then I encourage you to read the book
The Elimination of Satan’s Tail , which tells the history behind why humanity originally fell out of the Garden of Eden. Really interesting story by Samael Aun Weor. Question: Taoist and other traditions distinguish between orgasm and ejaculation for men. Is this distinction made in Gnosticism? Is the key for men to restrict ejaculation, what many people are calling today semen retention? Instructor: That is a great question and one that comes up often when we give this teaching. Orgasm and the loss of semen are both considered not permitted in the sacred sexual act. So, no. You cannot just retain the semen but indulge in the energetic orgasm.
As I mentioned earlier for men or for women, the short circuit of the orgasm is destructive for the physical body and for the vital body, which is the energetic body that animates us, that gives the power to move around, that enlivens our heart and allows it to keep beating. That vital body gets destroyed and that is why illnesses can develop. It is harmful. But spiritually speaking, as I just mentioned in the previous answer, when we indulge in that orgasm, in that sensation, our psychology changes. Our consciousness becomes conditioned, becomes addicted, becomes hypnotized by and wants more, more, and more. So, even if you are only performing the orgasm now and then, or you are only performing the orgasm to have a child, it is harmful for this practice. You should renounce orgasm one hundred percent if you are going to work in chastity and perform the perfect matrimony. That is what we teach, because that law of nature indicates that through that door, we can leave heaven. We can go into hell, into the lower states of consciousness, and that door is directly related with sex, with orgasm. Orgasm opens the door to the lower states of consciousness and allows devilish qualities, evil energies, to enter into us psychologically and spiritually.
When we go up through that door, when we transmute that energy from the sexual organs up the spine into the brain, to enliven the pineal gland, the seat of the soul, where our inner divinity can give us guidance, we are going back up to divinity. Orgasm will bring us down. The law dictates that chastity is a prerequisite to go up unto the heavenly realms.
Question: Is it possible to over do pranayama if single? Sometimes if I do Ham-Sah too much it seems to build up too much fire, or is it because I am not doing the pranayama correctly? It does not produce much fire with runic vowels, etc. Instructor: It is not possible to harm yourself by doing too much. So, you can do three hours of it a day. You can do five hours of it a day. It will not hurt you. If you say that you are feeling a lot of fire as a result, it is because that sexual fire which was latent has become active, and you need to apply that fire in your meditation.
When we feel sexual fire, we are very awake. Our consciousness becomes vigilant. Now when we are conditioned by lust, yes, that lust drives us to become vigilant, seeking sexual sensations, but when we meditate on that lust and seek to understand it, as we are enlivened by that same fire, that fire gives us the ability to be very awake and very aware and go deep into comprehension of that ego of lust. Fire, also transmuted, gives you Divine Mother the power. That fire is her power to destroy those egos of lust. So, if you are feeling overly stimulated by the practice, yes, you can do some other practice instead to balance it out, but meditate on what is coming up for you psychologically. If you become overwhelmed in your meditation, and the impression is too powerful, you cannot transform it, you are being tempted too much, go outside. Go for a walk. Read a scripture. Do something to calm yourself down, and then meditate again when you are feeling calmer.
Question: You have mentioned ambition in spouse selection as an impediment in progressing in the path. You have also said that we should not submit to animal passion in the act. If one is in a loving marriage where the couple is disinterested in Alchemy in one evening, is it best to practice pranayama? Instructor: If I understand the question correctly, you are asking if we have to practice the sexual act every night? No. The most that sexual Alchemy should be practiced is once per day, and again, women should not be performing this act on their menstrual cycle, so there is a magnetic pause during that time.
You do not need to practice it every day. It depends on the temperament of the couple. If the couple has a cooler temperament around sexuality, then they might practice this once a month, once a week. That is ok. A very fiery couple will probably practice once per day. If you are not feeling interested in sex, then it is ok to practice pranayama. If you feel particularly lustful one day and you are afraid that you are going to enter into that sexual act and potentially lose your energy, then I would encourage you to practice pranayama first. Meditate first. Wait until you are not feeling that lustful anymore to enter into that act, because it is very difficult in the beginning. We have an animal mind that seeks sensation and that wants more, more, more of that desire, and that is difficult to overcome. So, in the beginning, we usually encourage couples to only connect very briefly, or just to maybe touch, hold each other, kiss, but not to physically connect right away, just to get used to conquering that sensation, and then to connect, just for a few minutes, and to take a break. It depends on your temperament. It depends on how much discipline you have with your mind and pranayama before marriage. If you practiced with pranayama for many years, you might be able to adapt to the sexual Alchemy practice more quickly, but it really varies by individual. Each of us has our own karma which has shaped our psychology. So some of us are more strongly addicted to lust than others, but all of us have lust and all of us need to meditate on it.
Question: If the couple is ambitious and decides to engage in the Arcanum A.Z.F., do those creative energies give life to ambition, potentially related to desire? Instructor: Thank you for clarifying. So, just like lust, we should not bring ambition into the act. In the act we should really meditate on our love for our spouse. We should not just be saying, “Ok, let us practice today because I want to have more spiritual experiences and experience divinity!” and that is the motivation for our practice. We should practice because we love God and we love our spouse, and so if you are going to the act with ambition, you are not going to get very far. You are actually going to channel that energy into your ambition, so that desire for more and more spiritual sensations will become stronger. Meditate before Alchemy. Meditate on ambition, or lust, or whatever defect you see coming up in the act to corrupt it, to separate you from divinity. Then pray before that act to your Divine Mother. Use the sexual energy. Use the sacred power to eliminate this ego of ambition, this ego of lust or whatever it may be for you. That will really help your practice. Question: Is it only suitable to engage in sex when both parties are in a state of innocent love for one another? Instructor: As I mentioned before, we might not have a partner, a spouse who is not interested in chastity and who is engaging in orgasm. That is a painful situation, but it happens, and we should not leave that person because of that. However, we are going to need to have those hard conversations and discuss to find a way, which out of love, that person can respect your choice to be chaste. That is really specific to the case of the couple. If you have a spouse that is practicing chastity with you and feels particularly lustful one day and says, “I do not want to engage,” then respect them. Have love for them. Support them.
Also, if you and your spouse find that lust is coming for you in sex, meditate. In the beginning, there is going to be a lot of lust there. As much as we try to start with an innocent mind, with purity, with love, there will be lust there. So, in that case, again, we should meditate after sex. Meditate on what we saw. In the beginning it is very difficult. That fire is big. It is out of control. It takes time and willpower to learn, so engage for a few moments until you realize that you are starting to get distracted. You are starting to get hypnotized by the sensations and losing your wakefulness, your vigilance, your awareness of God.
Love is a very beautiful sensation that comes out in sex. I do not want to encourage people to be afraid, so afraid that they are not able to do this practice. Let your heart guide you, and let divinity guide you. There will be lust present in the beginning and that is why we need this practice to purify ourselves. Eventually, if we are successful, we can become saints free from that torment of lust. We can become masters of our sexuality, and then we command the sexual force to work when we want it to work rather than that sexual force commanding us to be slaves, to be servants of its sensations. It takes time.
Question: I am curious on what you mean by orgasm exactly. My experience of raising the sexual energy up the spine and into the brain centers is actually highly orgasmic. The body pulsates in just the way it does during orgasm and a feeling of joy is generated. The same goes for all chakras and dantians. Do you mean that this whole body energetic experience should be avoided in Gnosticism? Instructor: Good question. There are sensations in Alchemy. There is sexual pleasure. There is bliss, the bliss of love, the bliss of Alchemy. So you really have to examine for yourself. But yes, if there is an orgasm in your sexual organs and you feel that, then that is not sexual Alchemy. So, in black magic, they teach you how to perform the sexual act with orgasm and channel that energy in the way that has just been described in the question in order to awaken consciousness. But what happens because of the orgasm and those negative demonic influences that come in, you might experience bliss, but you are also awakening consciousness and developing within the ego, which is separate from God.
So, you really have to meditate on yourself, on what is happening there, because there is spiritual bliss, energy, moving in the body in Alchemy, but there is not the orgasm in the sexual organs. It is white Alchemy. White Tantra that we teach here in this school does not permit orgasm because that orgasm short circuits the body, loses the energy. While the sensations of bliss that you might feel in a orgasm―even outside of any spiritual context, of course, orgasm is “blissful” and people feel that sensation of bliss―that is actually not positive, because it is the bliss of that energy, but then that energy is lost and expelled from the body. So we want to keep that bliss, calm and consistent, throughout our practice.
Question: Is it true that cardiovascular exercise, running while breathing through the nostrils and out through the mouth, helps to transmute the sexual energies? Instructor: Yes. Some exercise, some sports, some martial arts like Aikido, or some that are not too violent, that can be one form of transmutation of sexual energy. However, I caution you not to use that as your only form, because without pranayama, your body naturally is not going to move those energies back up the spine. Pranayama done everyday is cleaning out the two cords which go around the spine, the two channels of Ida and Pingala, and allowing that energy to become accustomed to moving up the spine into the brain and heart. If you are not doing that every day, those channels are going to be very dirty, and they are blocked. If you are just playing soccer with your friends, but you are not performing the pranayama, then no, you are probably not transmuting very much energy. So, it can be good to walk and to breathe, but breathe with transmutation, with that visualization coming up through your spine. You can use the Ham-Sah pranayama, if you are familiar with it, throughout the day. I have used it at work silently, just to keep myself awake and vigilant if I notice that I am starting to get unaware of what is happening spiritually, lose my self-observation.
Work with some form of pranayama every day if you are a single person, and if you are married, you can also work with pranayama. It is an option for married people so that you do not have to feel the pressure to work in sexual Alchemy every day. Generally speaking, married people are moving more energy in that sexual connection, so they may not need pranayama on the days that they are not united. It really depends on the couple. You have to investigate, meditate, pray, and watch the answers that you receive in your dreams from divinity. Divinity will tell you if you are going off of the correct path, then guide you on how to get back.
Question: Isn’t chastity a cruel repression of the self? Sometimes like a punishment or a sadistic behavior, then when it is released in different ways, it creates suffering everywhere? Instructor: If you are referring to celibacy, as I mentioned earlier in the lecture, it does produce suffering if that energy is not worked with through prayer, through transmutation. Celibacy creates imbalances in the psychology in the same way that lust and orgasm create imbalances in the psychology. In celibacy, that energy sits there like a pool of water that becomes stagnant, and that energy becomes putrid and poisons the mind, and that creates suffering. Chastity is not celibacy. Chastity is learning how to work with sex in a positive way and so it is not a repression of one’s self. It is connecting directly with ones sexuality in a very powerful way, in a very conscious way, and working with that energy in the body. The result of real chastity, if you are practicing this without orgasm consistently, then you will have positive benefits. You will feel more love for your neighbor. You will feel more subtle emotions. You will feel more peace and happiness. You will feel more awake, and more spiritual senses developed, spiritual vision, more powerful dreams.
No, I would disagree with that idea.
Question: I am getting more confused about orgasm and ejaculation. I always felt through experience that they are one in the same or happen at the same time in my past. How are they different? Instructor: I am not too familiar with semen retention, although I have heard of it. It is the practice by which some retain the semen instead of ejaculating semen, but still experience the orgasm and allow those sensations to move through the body. So, with the orgasm without ejaculation, you are not losing the physical substance, but you are losing the energetic, spiritual substance, because its that short circuit that occurs in the orgasm. That energy moves quickly through the body, then it is lost. So, those moments of bliss, which may be prolonged and may last for certain time, ultimately leave and are depleted. It is the feeling of bliss that the sexual energy is being depleted, which is very different from the feeling of bliss that we have when the sexual energy is being activated and conserved and moved through the body. Both might be considered blissful but have different flavors, but when you work with both those practices you will understand the difference.
It is quite popular and a lot of people like that, they can still have the orgasm and feel like they are getting the benefits of non-ejaculating, but it is black magic. Semen retention is black magic, and if you read the book
The Perfect Matrimony, you will understand why we consider it black magic in this tradition, because it breaks the law that God has put in nature, and it hypnotizes the psyche. Your psychology becomes imbalanced and addicted to sensations, and while you may feel spiritual doing it, you are actually strengthening ego and you are giving that energy into egoic states, desire, lust, pride. So, you will not experience the benefits of chastity that I have described. Question: If you are doing pranayama with alternate nostril breathing, what is the best mantra to use? Is it acceptable to use an abbreviated Egyptian mantra: Ton Sa Ham? Instructor: We recommend that when you choose one of the practices, you can use the mantras specifically denoted in that practice. So, if you have read the practice in the book about the Egyptian pranayama, you should use the mantras in the way that they are taught in the book. There is a pranayama of alternate nostril breathing that does not require any mantra. That is just focusing, bringing your awareness, breathing in through one nostril as you visualize the energy moving up one side of the spine, up one of those cords, and then through the other one, visualizing that energy moving up the other column up the spine (Ida and Pingala). If you are too burdened by the mantras, then begin with alternate nostril breathing that does not require a mantra.
Welcome everybody to this introductory lecture on Yoga for the Aquarian Era!
In this talk, we will discuss some important parameters for understanding and experiencing what many have called spiritual awakening. We are going to talk a lot about how to initiate and sustain such a state, how to work with our own psychology, our own bodies, our hearts, by harnessing the energies that we carry within, specifically through spiritual exercises that awaken our full potential.
It can be good to examine what spiritual awakening is because there are many concepts and beliefs, many ideas, many theories, which conflict with each other, which compete with other perspectives, and even paradoxically contradict their own foundations.
If you ask a person what is spirit, you will get many answers. People have varying opinions of what spirit is. If those accounts do not concur, they do not agree, they oppose one another, then we can arrive at some basic fundamental facts that such perspectives are flawed, primarily because genuine spiritual experience is real, factual, scientific. It is precise. Divine mystical spiritual experiences are based on facts, repeatable, verifiable, and consistent.
The spirit is our own innate reality at our most hidden depths, in the synthesis of who and what we really are. But unfortunately, that knowledge tends to be very obscured within most people. We can have a lot of intellectual debates, arguments, assumptions, and concepts that seek to label and approach these realities, and yet those projections of our own idealism tend to miss a very important point. That point is that reality
is, no matter what our beliefs, convictions, language, labels, culture, customs, and habits. People do not agree on what spirit is, and therefore we have to be very blunt and honest, that such conflicting perspectives do not approach the facts of what spirit is, because it is an objective, spiritual, and real state.
We say in our studies that spirit is divinity, the divine, the truth within a person. But as I said, because we have many concepts, assumptions, desires, and more specifically, conditions of mind, we do not tend to see what is in front and within us.
Some people think that spirituality is limited to intellectual study, as if reading books, listening to lectures, studying scriptures and accumulating knowledge, terminology, and wisdom in the mind, constitutes being a spiritual person. However, this type of predisposition fails to take into account that there are other forms of apprehending reality.
There are people who approach spirituality from the heart, from emotions, from sentiments, believing that having a dogma
―or a positive or whatever sentiment in the heart ―qualifies as being spiritual, that devotion is spirituality. However, this is also very limited in its scope. It does not capture the full dynamic range of spiritual expression and our full human potential.
There are those who also think spirituality is merely adhering to rituals, doing many practices, working with the body, performing austerities, physically. But also, this is only one part of a larger whole that should be addressed, that should be taken into context. The truth is that there are many valuable teachings in the world, different spiritual movements, teachings, and instructions that provide guidance in accordance with the dispositions or idiosyncrasies of the student, but also the teachers. While it is good to have intellectual knowledge and that it is wonderful to develop the heart, but also to engage with positive practices that exercise the body and keep it healthy, none of these dynamics in themselves should be isolated from the others.
Therefore, a balanced human being incorporates every aspect of what we are because it is important to develop everything in our constitution. It is not enough to merely exercise the intellect with profound study, or cultivate the heart, or merely work on the body, because that implies a deficiency. It is like going to the gym and only working out your right bicep and ignoring the other muscles in your body. It would be absurd, obviously, in this example, but this is what we do spiritually. We approach spiritual topics, the mysteries of divinity, of life and death, of mysticism, with a particular idiosyncrasy or psychological crutch. We think that being spiritual is with the intellect, or the heart, or the body, typically at the exclusion of everything else.
But in our studies, we like to be very holistic. We like to approach the study of the complete human being because a balanced human being is necessary in order to really express the divine, the spirit, what we in our studies call the Innermost Being, God, according to some traditions.
We cannot be a temple of divinity, the divine cannot officiate within us, express, if we are not properly prepared, which is what the purpose of many spiritual traditions have been about, to train humanity in certain skills, habits, and practices that create a harmonious space within one's own psychology, so that we can realize what religion, what yoga, have taught, what mystical states are, what awakening is.
What is Awakening?
It is good to also examine the term awakening because there are also many incongruent analyses of this truth, experience.
There are really many types of experiences one can have, but some people have traditionally associated spiritual awakening as some type of inclination towards a teaching, towards metaphysics, towards a religion or mysticism, due to an experience. Some of us might have had some type of vision within dreams, an awakening of consciousness within the dream state or even as simple as a sudden realization that we are more than our body, that we are alert, aware, and amplified within our consciousness. We have a magnified perception or perspective of life.
But what these experiences indicate is not that we have reached some permanent state of enlightenment, but instead, these are states that are temporary and fleeting. So because we are inspired by such realizations, we seek religion. We seek out teachers and teachings to help guide us to understand what these experiences are. It is also important to reflect and remember that awakening occurs in levels and for most people who have had some type of realization or inclination to study religion or spirituality, to want to know the spirit, the divine, are not able to initiate and sustain such states at will. This is the fundamental difference between an aspirant and an initiate: someone who has begun and cultivated a new way of being.
Now we mention that we tend to approach traditions based on our conditioning. Perhaps we are more intellectual. Perhaps we are more emotional. Perhaps we are more instinctive: we like to do things, to move, to act. But we have to remember and take into account that in order to really awaken our full potential, we have to be harmonious. We have to have equilibrium. We have to have balance. This is why we practice many types of exercises that we are going to touch upon today that can aid you in awakening your real capacities for qualities like divine compassion, conscious love, philanthropy, patience, perseverance, diligence, and endurance, purity of mind, heart and body, which are the requisites for really entering in a competent, efficient, expedient way, into these mysteries, into these realities, so that the spirit does not become merely a concept.
It is something that we verify through scientific facts, and then when we study different traditions we can verify our own experiences within those teachings, and therefore we develop what we call genuine faith. It is confidence born from experience. It is not adhering to a concept in the mind, or a belief in the heart, or by merely performing by rote certain rituals that are at the forefront of our inherited religion, or perhaps adopted one. Instead, through awakening our real potential that is in a dormant, sleeping state, we come to actualize and really witness profound mysteries that escape people who never even attempt to approach these studies, who are not inspired.
We also talk a lot about spiritual inquietudes: a longing and yearning in the heart. The founder of our tradition, Samael Aun Weor, wrote in
The Great Rebellion, a chapter dedicated to this reality: how we go through life in a state of slumber. We can be physically active with our body. We can be engaged with our life. We can be thinking, memorizing, studying, engaging with others with our emotions, acting physically in the world, and yet we are not really aware of what we are doing.
You can examine this in your own life. Why is it that people get into car accidents? They may be driving but they are thinking of something else, or you are on the train, and you are ruminating in your heart. You are stewing in negative emotions about an event that happened earlier in the day where you were suffering a lot, and then you miss your stop. You forget yourself. You are not present. You are not awake. You are not conscious of what you are doing, what you were thinking, feeling, doing, where you are at, what you were doing, basically.
We are in a profound state of slumber, psychologically speaking. Any time we daydream, fantasize, memorize, or immerse ourselves in memory, ruminate while we are washing dishes, it means we are not present. We are not washing dishes. We are lost in the mind. We are distracted.
There are many types of distractions within our own psychology, which is something that we address in these studies because our consciousness is not fully integrated. It is not directed at will, with intentionality and purpose, towards specific endeavors. We tend to do many things being in the era of multi-tasking, in which we do not really focus on one thing, but we are scattered in our attention. We are not really aware.
Spiritual discipline in practice helps us to rectify this issue so that we are no longer sleeping as a consciousness. We are paying attention. We are developing our capacities for concentration, for comprehension, attention, diligence, real beauty and virtue of the soul. This is what we seek to awaken because the consciousness in its normal state, now, is not present. It is not developed to its full potential.
I know that we do have some level of consciousness in our physical bodies when we are in the world, but what we perceive of life tends to be very filtered and obscured by many conditions of mind. It is this condition which we seek to transform, so that we can liberate consciousness, develop ourselves into enlightened beings, into a master of one's psychology, so that with those alert, intuitive senses, we can really apprehend the nature of our spirit, the divine, and no longer have any theories or beliefs about it. It is a reality and fact for us.
The Definition of Yoga
What are some of the methods that we employ in order to achieve a state of being that is conducive to experiencing the spirit, the divine?
Many have heard of yoga, but there are many misconceptions of what it really constitutes in its full gamut, its complete range, its many methods. We like to often think of yoga as physical calisthenics, or twisting and distorting the body into different postures to gain flexibility and strength. These are very useful exercises and are helpful within the context of a larger spiritual work.
Hatha Yoga is a type of yoga that people are already familiar with. It is appropriate within a specific endeavor, when we are practicing many other principles associated with the tradition, not merely just trying to have a young, healthy, and attractive body, because that by itself does not really produce change in a psychological sense. There are health benefits. It is useful. It is good to get those endorphins moving, but, it should be utilized with intelligence and remembrance with its overall context.
In truth, according to Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, you find the following:
The term योग yoga from Sanskrit, युज् yug, means “to reunite.” It means to unify the consciousness with the divine. This is the same meaning as the term religion from the Latin
religare. Real yoga is stilling the modifications of the consciousness. As I mentioned, our consciousness is very conditioned. Examine a moment in your life perhaps in the morning when you get up. What is your routine? What are the thoughts, feelings, and habits that you engage with on a day-to-day basis?
As I said, we tend not to be very alert and aware of our surroundings. We go through life in a hypnotized state. Our consciousness is modified in accordance with the level of our own psychological conditioning. We have many elements that produce agitation or conditions, modifications of a pure perception, because the consciousness in its original form is clear, lucid, liberated, and pristine. It does not involve thought. It is not a churning of emotion. It is not necessarily needing to have to move the body and engage in countless activities in life. We can have a simple experience of free consciousness by simply being alert, perhaps in a moment while watching a sunrise, in which we apprehend the profound beauty of that moment without having to label it, without having to fit it into a box, a category, because that labeling, categorizing, and compartmentalizing kills the moment, destroys the beauty and the novelty of watching something as miraculous as that.
Our consciousness is modified. We are conditioned by many elements like anger, pride, fear, anxiety, vanity, lust, desire, appetites. In life we tend to go through our routine, feeding our desires, giving ourselves what our body wants, seeking emotional security in our relationships and affirmation of our thoughts and ideas. These tend to be very subjective in their own states. They are not necessarily objective and real. But we have these psychological apparatuses of thought, feeling, and impulse. In truth they tend to be very limited. We go through life, again as we said, trying to saturate ourselves with the different impressions of life, without realizing that we are conditioning ourselves even further. By identifying with the problems and circumstances of life, we have a mind that is really churned and stirred up.
If you do not believe me, try to sit to meditate for five minutes after a hectic day. You find that your thoughts are all over the place. Your feelings may be overpowering, debilitating. Maybe you have a trauma, maybe a difficult situation occurred in the day, at work or with a loved one, where the body cannot sit still. We have to scratch an itch. We have a pain in our leg. We feel like our shoulders are going to fall off.
The beginning of real spiritual practice is learning how to still modify consciousness. We have to let the mind, heart, and body settle.
It is like a container, or a jar filled with water and sediment. If the jar is shaken up, all the different mud and particles and debris will flow and scatter and obscure the water itself. It becomes cloudy. It becomes murky. It becomes distorted. However, if you allow the jar to sit still, you find that the water rises to the top and the sediment will begin to stratify into layers. This is the same principle that applies to our mind.
If we can learn to take advantage of the challenges of life without identifying with those problems, without investing our psychological energy into them, without wasting energy through fear, paranoia, despair, uncertainty, and doubt, we will begin to find the contents of our mind, those conditioned, limiting factors, begin to calm. They rest. Therefore, when the water is clear of debris, you can see clearly in yourself.
This is the beginning of yoga, of genuine spirituality, of religion. It is the stilling of the modifications of consciousness. When the waters are clear, calm, serene, and tranquil, you can begin to reflect images within their contents. This is the nature of water. It is a beautiful element and allegory. It is necessary for life. It is also necessary for spiritual life. The mind is like a lake. If it is distraught, turbulent, and violent, you cannot see the heavens reflected within the surface. Therefore, if you want to attain knowledge of spirituality, of the spirit, first we enter tranquility.
This is why Swami Sivananda, a great yogi, a great master of spirituality, taught that real yoga is precisely this: how we work with the mind, how we understand how and why it functions, and the path and methods for alleviating its tensions, letting it acquiesce, to calm.
He states in
Practical Lessons of Yoga:
There are different schools of yoga that teach exactly what Swami Sivananda provided. He opened many schools through his students. They opened many schools within the United States where there are hatha yoga classes, learning to work with posture and the body, and that is a kind of a fish hook to try and capture people, so to speak, to get people interested in the real, deeper mysteries and knowledge of yoga. It is good to have a healthy body because that helps to have a healthy mind, but merely working on the body, as a path in itself, is unreliable and incomplete. This is why we study forms of yoga that we are going to talk about today.
Yogic Traditions and the Dawn of Aquarius
Yoga has a very rich history and tradition. It comes from the Hindu pantheon, the Hindu mysteries. It will be interesting to examine and analyze its development within the West.
It is true that many great accomplished yogis like Vivekananda came to the United States in 1893 in order to plant the seeds of yoga, of spiritual discipline of mind. He spoke at the World Parliament of Religions at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1893, but it is interesting that those teachings did not really blossom in his era, because there were many other practitioners that came to provide spiritual teachings of an eastern type to a western disposition.
For example, in 1920, Yogananda, who provided the Self-realization Fellowship Society, also taught. As well as in 1957, a disciple of Swami Sivananda, his name was Vishnudevananda Saraswati came in 1957 to teach. Those teachings only really came to fruition around February 4 of 1962, and it is interesting to examine why.
When we study yoga and spirituality, we also study many of the energetic and cosmic influences that penetrate the mind at a subconscious and unconscious level. There are many elements in nature that affect us psychologically, spiritually, and physically that we are not aware of, that we are not knowledgeable of from experience, in a deep, spiritual, objective sense.
What is interesting about February 4, 1962, is that this was the moment, between 2 and 3 in the afternoon, in which our solar system entered within the astrological influence and dominion of the sign of Aquarius within the zodiac. It was around this time that many changes occurred, within diverse traditions, amongst religions, within politics, within sexual relationships, within many things. Pretty much every level of society has been affected, around the 60s, with a profound revolution. If you do not believe me, you can just look at history, the times before the 1960s and 1950s, in the way life subsisted at that time.
Now people of a materialistic attitude do not really look deeper than what can be seen with physical senses. In fact, many people reject the influence of zodiacal energies and forces within nature, which enter within us psychologically and are transformed in accordance with the level of our conditioning or our developed spiritual consciousness.
We might say that such influences are not real, but the truth is that we are affected by nature all the time. We are influenced by the weather. We can be in a really bad mood because it is raining and damp out, or we did not get enough sleep. Perhaps there is an influence of the weather, as I said, in which we get sick. We get a stomach ache. We feel nauseous, whatever it may be. We are heavily influenced by our environment. The same is true of levels that we do not readily perceive in a materialistic sense, but these forces are real and we can look at history to determine this fact from a zodiacal sense.
Now we previously existed within the Era of Pisces, which is a very different flavor and force in a psychological and spiritual level, in terms of its influence and dimensionality. Pisces is traditionally associated with conservatism, with social hierarchies and structures, institutions that have lineages and bear deep, long, and extensive history. You find this in religion, politics, and in every aspect of human life.
You find that in the way many spiritual traditions used to exist, in which it was required of a disciple, in order to learn these teachings, to submit to a guru, and after proving their candidacy, after many decades of trials, tests, experimentations, ordeals, challenges, and experiences, they are really given the most profound radical and transformative practices that are at the heart of all religions and yogas.
Now that the Era of Aquarius is very different. Since the 60s, this stellar, celestial, or zodiacal influence is defined by its revolutionary character. It is a rebellion. It is a profound and intense energy that has entered, as I said, within every aspect of society in order to shake things up. It is about transformation. It is about rebelling against institutions and dogmas, against conditions.
Aquarius is defined as the water barrier. It is the zodiacal sign in which knowledge of a spiritual type is being given openly for free, without demands, without coercion, without strict attendance or affiliation with one group, in the sense of having to adhere to a dogma, an unbreakable faith belief system. It is said that Aquarius is the knowledge given freely to all. This is why if we look at the 1960s, you find that there is an explosion of information, of knowledge that has been given openly to society, to all. It is a form of divine generosity and it is also revolutionary because it is the force that inspires independent thought, self-reliance, self-verification, personal experience of the truth without having to adhere to a lineage or a dogma.
This influence really reached its dawn on February 4, 1962, when you find that the planets of our solar systems were in almost perfect alignment. This was a true conglomeration of worlds, of celestial bodies and influences, that mark the beginning of a new age, in which the forces of Aquarius predominates. But that influence also came even earlier, maybe by a decade or two, because just in the same manner that you watch a sunrise, the light doesn't really peak at the horizon until the moment the sun appears. The light spreads gradually, such as in the 50s you find, and even earlier, the efforts of yogis and practitioners to spread spirituality in America. But that really did not come into fruition until the 50s and 60s.
On February 4, 1962, the real beginning of the influence emerged upon the horizon of our consciousness. So, we study this influence because it helps to explain different traditions in the past and also where we are at now, and what we can do and what we can become. There have been different periods of instruction for humanity, in accordance with Piscean influence, especially in the last age, which was marked by its conservatism, in which knowledge was not given openly, but had to be earned.
Now, the knowledge is being given openly in Aquarius without needing to be earned. It is given for free because unfortunately humanity is not in a very good place. We find a lot of suffering and affliction on this planet, a lot of chaos, primarily because of our egotism, our conditions, our selfishness, which are accelerating.
The influence of Aquarius is very revolutionary. That force is channeled in accordance with our level of being. If we are negative, angry, violent people, inside, then that energy is going to bring it. But without the proper tools or techniques to channel this force and harness it with intelligence and wisdom, we often will destroy ourselves, and we can see this happening simply by looking at the news. Many events are occurring in which this is a reality. This is a fact.
The Aquarian Influence
By learning how to employ the instructions of mastering this influence, we in turn have a force and impetus that produces an expedient and radical change, very quickly, if we know the methods, the techniques of this era, to capitalize on that influence.
There is a saying by the author M., in
The Dayspring of Youth, where he describes this Aquarian influence. He calls it the Dayspring of Youth. Samael Aun Weor referred to that influence as the Dionysian wave, the influence of Dionysus who is considered the god of wine and revelry. This is a very interesting symbol because since the 60s, which is known for its bacchanalias, or sexual revolutions, its free love initiatives and movements, we find that people have been indulging in that power, that potency, but through desires.
However, there is another way. It does not necessarily have to be about engaging with and feeding one's desires, habits, and lust. Instead, one can take that energy and use it to create a different type of inebriation, a different type of wine, so to speak, since Bacchus or Dionysus, within the Greek and Roman traditions, is the same symbol. They represent how the force Aquarius can be harnessed in two ways, whether for our spiritual development or for our deepened conditioning and suffering.
Of course, in accordance with each cosmic era, there are different periods of instruction. The author M. states the following in
The Dayspring of Youth:
If we learn how to cultivate his energy, we develop clarity, perception, awakening, in a positive sense, in which we have greater understanding and intuition of how to solve the problems of our life. We do not have confusion. We don’t have pain, or despair. It is such a powerful force that any opposition within the atmosphere of the mind can no longer imprison them within its rebellious aura.
Right now, our mind is a prison, if we are honest. We tend to be afflicted by many sufferings, but there is a way to rebel against our own innate failures and incipience, our own defects, our own problems, so that we can gain real happiness, not only for ourselves, but for others. We do it through this practice of yoga, this Aquarian yoga. By attracting certain spiritual or atomic energies, which are very fine in nature, we transmute the consciousness.
The term transmutation refers to the prefix
trans, which is “to carry over,” “across,” to move, to redirect. Also, mutation to mutate, “to change one form to another.” So our conditioned consciousness can be transmuted through this energy. We can clarify our perceptions so that we develop a very rich spiritual life. Using Expedient Methods
It is important that to do so we work with expedient methods. The Piscean influence before the 1950s especially, as I said, is marked by its conservatism, lineages, and disciplines in that one had to earn the truly revolutionary methods that we are going to explain here in this course and lecture. They had to earn the right to learn those teachings, and because the Piscean influence is very much dedicated to that dispensation, different texts of yoga and spirituality were appropriate for that time.
The founder of the Gnostic tradition, Samael Aun Weor, explained in different texts, especially
Kundalini Yoga, how the Piscean influence has been replaced by the Aquarian, and that many methods that apply to the Piscean Age, which are appropriate for the descending forces of Pisces into the earth, were beneficial in that context. Now what is interesting about the difference between Pisces and Aquarius is that in the Piscean influence, spiritual practitioners had to work and become more attuned to their body in terms of the spiritual involution or influx of forces down into more material states. So, Pisces is known by forces entering into our physical nature, and so that we can learn to master that aspect of ourselves, in terms of the overarching arc of cosmic evolution.
But the influence of Aquarius is different. It is now a revolutionary return back towards a spiritual origins. There are many practices like the mudras, hand positions and postures, bandas, which were appropriate for the descending evolutionary arc or involuting forces into materiality, but now since we are returning back to a more subtle and etheric, energetic plane, those practices are no longer necessary. I know some people can be very attached to doing certain mudras or hand postures while meditating. It is still acceptable to use them, but it is good to remember that we have other practices that we can use that are appropriate for taking advantage of the current that is now influencing humanity.
For example, there are many forms of yoga that are appropriate for teaching children how to walk. There are different skills, teachings, instructions, and techniques that are appropriate for helping beginners to learn how to crawl, to walk in a metaphorical, spiritual sense. But walking alone cannot take you across the ocean to Japan. Neither can it take you to other worlds in the solar system. Instead, you need a rocket or spacecraft to do so. You need the appropriate vehicle. This is what we are going to emphasize today.
Samael Aun Weor mentioned in his book
Kundalini Yoga that:
So those exercises in many schools in yoga are a kindergarten for entering a deeper knowledge. We can use them if that is our level of being. However, we need to learn deeper aspects about religion, since there is a greater and more profound application of these teachings, which are much more expedient and radical, if that is our wish to utilize them. It is good not to be attached to traditions, but to seriously examine and analyze what we have benefitted from a given practice and to see and analyze and evaluate whether we have arrived at what we have sought for.
This is what it states in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 11:
So Samael Aun Weor in
Kundalini Yoga corroborates this:
So it is good to use specific tools in order to get specific results. If we want to achieve the real heights of divine knowledge, we can enter the Aquarian door. We no longer have to be constrained by conservative, Piscean dogma.
Aquarian Yogas
So let’s examine what some of these yogas are. There are many forms of yoga divided within different schools and we are touching upon a number of them that are very profound and beautiful, which have an Aquarian application and flavor.
We study mantra yoga, which is the work with sacred sounds, chakras, and powers.
We work with raja yoga, which is the royal path of meditation.
We work with jnana yoga, which is scriptural study.
We work with bhakti yoga devotion, prayer, and worship.
We work with karma yoga, which is selfless service.
We also work with kundalini yoga, which is sacred sexuality, as well as yantra yoga, the sacred rites of rejuvenation.
Lastly, we will talk about runic yoga, the Nordic runes.
All these practices complement each other. Here we are breaking them down into different methods, but which really have one unified purpose. By working with these exercises, we can balance ourselves. If you notice some of the explanations here or the titles of these yogas, we find that these exercises develop specific aspects of our psychology.
As I said before, some people may be more predisposed towards concepts and intellectualism. Therefore, they like jnana yoga, to study scriptures, or some people are more emotional. They like to develop emotion in the heart through prayer and worship, through bhakti yoga. Some people are more action-oriented, moving with the body and serving their communities, which is why we also study karmic yoga, which is selfless service.
Now these yogas work together to, again, provide a synthesis, which is the expedient awakening of our conscious potential. So we are going to analyze what these are separately.
Mantra Yoga
Mantra yoga is the work with sacred sounds. The term
mantra comes from the Sanskrit मन्त्र Man, which is “to think,” and manas, which is “mind,” and trai, which is “to protect” or “to free.” Mantra literally means “mind protection,” or “to free the mind” through sacred sounds.
We see here an image of a man in full lotus with seven energetic centers that are lined up in accordance with his spinal column, which are the different chakras or centers of energy within the human body, physiology, and energetic constitution. These chakras from the Sanskrit refer to wheels or vortices of forces, which exist within our subtle interior physiology.
There are many levels and aspects of our body, heart, and mind that is not accessible by the mere physical senses. There are instead energies that animate the physical body. There are certain channels or nadis, we say in the Hindu tradition, that circulate vital force and energy throughout our body and permeate every aspect of who we are. Energy is very important. We even know this by having enough energy when we get up from rest to subsist and to act in the day. There is a certain energy that is needed to be awake physically, in the conventional sense. Likewise, we learn to work with energies, within our subtle interior psychology and inner constitution, so that we can activate spiritual perception.
These chakras or vortices are named in respective ways, in alignment with the spine, as I said.
We have Muladhara chakra at the coccyx.
We have Svadhisthana near the prostate or the uterus.
We have Manipura, which is the solar plexus.
We have Anahata relating to the heart.
We have Vishudda, which is the throat.
We have Ajna relating to the third eye between our eyebrows.
Then we have Sahasrara, which is the crown.
These are important chakras or the main seven that we really study and practice with. This does not mean there are no other chakras in the body. There are many others that are important in order to develop stability and homeostasis, equilibrium within our mind, heart, and body in order or us to function, because that energy has to circulate and flow in an unconditioned and pure way.
Anytime a nadi or energetic current crosses another, it forms a chakra, because that is an intersection or crossroad in which those forces meet, and therefore they spin and create a type of vortice or wheel of spiritual energy, of psychic, psychological, and energetic forces.
We study these main seven because they are important for really navigating our spirituality, the spiritual worlds, even our physical life. Each of these chakras have different qualities associated with them, different powers and abilities that grant us access towards spiritual reality.
It is important to understand that each chakra vibrates in accordance with a certain sound or vibration because certain vowels relate to our chakras themselves. They activate those dormant centers because right now, as in most people, those chakras are like closed flowers. They are not open yet. Through spiritual discipline and working with certain mantras, sacred vibrations, and sounds, we open them. We activate them. We begin to circulate energy in accordance with those strata, those seven levels, so that we really actualize our full potential.
Some people may be a little averse to mantras. Some people think it sounds really weird or unusual. It is important to reflect, to remember that mantra such as “O,” relating to the heart, is based on a very simple law of cause and effect, which we can verify and correlate with our own speech. We can say that there are certain words that are afflictive and harmful, which produce conflict with our relationships. Using vulgar speech or speaking hatefully towards them is directing a very powerful, negative energy towards others. But likewise, our speech can be harnessed to speak words of compassion, kindness, and love. This demonstrates to us that our speech and vocal cords have a tremendous utility. We can use speech for harm or for good. It depends on the quality of our mind. The same thing applies to mantra.
Now sacred sounds help to protect our minds from negativity. They help us to defend our spirituality against corrosion, by negative qualities of mind like anger, pride, ambition, fear, or uncertainty, whatever it may be. If we feel negative in our mind and heart and bodies and we are agitated, we can work with sacred sounds.
It is good to vocalize for an hour out loud, especially, because that sound or vibration activates physically in our bodies, those energy centers. When you perform mantras, you're entering a state of mental and psychic purity. You approach the mantra as a tool. This sound is meant to create a type of flow of energy and vitality and creativity within you. It is that energy that is going to give your consciousness the power, the force, in order to work against your own conditions like anger or resentment, etc. This is why we work with a mantra. We want to protect our spirituality from our own negative habits. This is the meaning of
mantras or mantra. It is mind protection.
So vocalizing these mantras out loud is really good. It helps to calm the body, and you are activating not only your energy centers and your body, your vitality, but also you are working with the glands of your endocrine system, which is very important for spiritual development. If you are interested in learning more about how the endocrine system complements our spiritual practice, you can read a book by Samael Aun Weor,
Sexology: The Basis of Endocrinology and Criminology. His basic thesis is that by working with these glands and developing them, we gain greater insight into our problems.
It is good to have energy. You can also vocalize mentally. Some say that saying a mantra in the mind alone is even more powerful than physically pronouncing it. But it is good to work with both techniques, because in one method, by vocalizing out loud, you are pronouncing sacred sounds and working from the outside in, the physical world into the internal worlds. But when you work with silent mantra or Japa (mantra recitation) in your mind, you are working from the inside out. So, both are really good.
Personally, I like to do a lot of mantras out loud in the day, and when I am doing other activities, I also pronounce mantra in the mind. With enough training and skill, you learn to work with these sacred sounds―whether verbally or mentally, or even within the very core of our consciousness―we learn how to maintain a state of continual remembrance of our divinity, our own spiritual presence, and that gives us the strength to transform many difficult and negative situations.
This is how we protect ourselves. We learn to have a calm and kind psychology, a heart and mind that are very alert, compassionate, and considerate, so that we do not create harmful situations for ourselves because “Mind precedes phenomena,” according to the Buddha. “We become what we think.”
If you can confront the problem at its roots in its moment by using mantras, whether verbally or mentally, it is good. If you are at work, obviously, I would not go mantralizing out loud in your office, or wherever you may be, because people will think you are crazy. But you can do it mentally, and when you get home to your own sanctuary, temple, monastery, home, whatever you make of it, you can practice out loud, especially if you will not be disruptive towards neighbors.
It is important to work with mantras because these energies will help us to stabilize our consciousness and perceptions. It is important to remember that having energy by itself is not the main point. It is good to have energy to awaken our faculties, our perceptions, our spiritual conscious powers and abilities. But merely having energy within one’s psychology is not enough because chakras are not the end all be all. They are a conduit and a method by which we can access higher states, but merely having active chakras is not going to guarantee a successful spiritually.
Some people get really proud of having chakras awakened, abilities, and powers, but that is kind of unusual and funny because it is like a person getting really proud and self-conceited by having a lot of fuel in the tank of their car. It is good to have a lot of fuel in your car so you can drive places, but what matters is how you drive your car, which is your body, heart, and mind. So, ethics and compassion are the essential point.
A Mantra for Protection
There are certain mantras you can use. I will introduce one of them for you that is very effective for counteracting negativity. There’s a video available by Glorian Publishing or Glorian.org. It is called Klim Krishnaya. This mantra is very potent for removing negative emotions. So if you find you are afflicted by very distraught and conflicted feelings, if you are saturated with a lot of sourness, if you are heavy with a lot of negativity, pronounce and sing this mantra in your mind. You can also do it verbally if you want, but obviously being in solitude is the best way to pronounce it verbally. But if you are in a place or you are dealing with people who are very challenging for you, you can use this mentally.
I use and continue to use this mantra many times in my daily life, and with enough training, you can pronounce this mentally and get the most powerful effects, so you cannot be tempted to act in a mistaken way. The mantra is sung, and you can click on the video.
It is sung basically like this:
Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga: The Eight Stages of Meditation
We also study meditation. We can say that this is probably the most important practice we engage with in our studies. Meditation is known by different names in different faiths and different religions, and all are valid. Here we are giving an excerpt from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, or the path of royal raj yoga.
Meditation is the capacity of the consciousness to apprehend phenomena, to ascertain the nature or truth of a thing, its inherent reality.
We do so by first restraining our mind. Harkening back to the previous slide, we can use mantras to help us restrain our negative reactions to life. Yama means “restraint,” “to yoke.” It means that in a moment in your day in which you are tested―perhaps you have a difficult client you are working with at your job or a family member who is producing a lot of negative emotions in you―you learn to restrain your mind. You do not act out of anger and pride. Instead, you learn how to fulfill ethical discipline or precepts, which is known as niyama. Yama means restraint. Niyama means “precept.”
A precept is as simple as some like: love your neighbor as you love yourself. Do unto others as you would have done onto you; to be patient in trials and temptations or ordeals; to work diligently for the benefit of others; to be inspired and compassionate and to aid those are less fortunate than you. Thus if you are afflicted by anger, you can respond with love. This is precept. Once you have developed a very profound and rich ethical life, you can learn to really enter deeper states of meditation.
It is important to reflect and understand that these are ethics. These are not morals. What is moral is acceptable in one country and time and place and not in others. Ethics are universal. There are certain habits and behaviors that produce happiness in any context when done with a compassionate state of mind. This is something to bear in mind. We are not here to follow rules that someone gave us and to do them because we have been told. That is a Piscean attitude. Here in the Aquarian knowledge and teachings, we learn to take what is useful and reject what is useless. In this sense, ethics is really the most important thing. It is knowing how to act consciously so we no longer suffer and no longer make other people suffer. This is the fundamental definition.
When you are really mastering restraint and precepts within yourselves, your body gets calm. Some people approach meditation, and they cannot sit still. They cannot rest because their mind and heart are agitated from wrong behaviors. After you have cultivated a harmonious space in your mind and your heart, you can sit to practice an asana (a posture) and enter a profound state of relaxation at will, where it is not difficult to do. Without ethics it is really challenging to really have a calm state of being. That is the essential point.
When you are in a posture you can begin to work with energy. We work with an exercise called pranayama, which we will also discuss in the sacred rites for rejuvenation, in which you work with your breath to circulate vital creative energy within your body, heart, and mind. Prana is energy and yama means “yoke” or “restraint,” “to harness.” Notice that yama or restraint is the first stage of raja yoga. Likewise, pranayama is learning to restrain and harness our creative, energetic volatility. All the energies of our mind, heart, and body we learn to conserve and circulate, and to harness with conscious intelligence and will.
That is how we really enter deep states of calm and withdrawal, not in the sense of being off a drug or basically disassociating from the world in a psychological sense. Instead, pratyahara means “to suspend the senses.” Yes, it is a withdrawal in the same manner we do not pay attention to external stimuli. Instead, we enter our internal psychology, but not out of a negative type of mental dissociation, which is associated perhaps with mental health conditions. Instead, withdrawal in this sense is like a tortoise withdrawing its head within its shell. We go inside, and you cannot do that unless you have energy, to activate your consciousness so you can relax and go within and see what is there.
So, energy helps to calm and silence the mind. It helps us to relax, so that like in the example with the jar of water and the sediment, the sediment stratifies into the bottom, so that you can see clearly what is inside of you. Without that basis, you cannot really develop serenity of mind, which is dharana or concentration: to be able to focus on one thing without being distracted.
In that sense, when you are not distracted―you are able to focus on one thing with serene, clarified attention and directed will―you learn to access meditation which is dhyana. Meditation is learning to receive new information with spiritual, psychological senses. You understand through inner experiences what the essential nature of reality is for the given object of our focus, whatever you are meditating upon, whatever the goal is that you sit down to practice and do.
In this way you enter samadhi, ecstasy. The word ecstasy comes from
ecstatuo in Latin, which means “to stand outside oneself.” It is in this state you enter real bliss of a conscious and spiritual type. These are divine inner experiences in which you stand outside your normal range of perception in order to really witness and know the truth.
Raja yoga is very deep and beautiful. There are different teachings available on Glorian.org, which address this path of meditation itself, specifically the lectures associated with Gnostic meditation. We talk about these eight steps of Ashtanga Yoga in depth, the eight-limbed yoga or the eight principles and levels of working with mediation.
Jnana Yoga: Knowledge
We also have Jnana Yoga, which is the study of scripture. As I said, it is useful to study intellectual knowledge, lectures, to receive wisdom from books, but what is commonly neglected in our common culture, era, and ways of thinking, is the manner by which we read, study, and apprehend what a book or lecture is indicating to us.
Now what is interesting about the way that many disciples of past traditions have studied is that they would take a small passage of a book and really meditate deeply on its contents. Perhaps they would take a sentence and reflect only on that. Our habit nowadays is to read fifty books in two weeks. I know that this is an exaggeration, but there are probably people who spend a lot of time like that.
Jnana yoga means “knowledge yoga.” It is what we apprehend from the written word. It has a very beautiful and useful place within our spiritual discipline because the teachings of the different masters of religion and spirituality have provided their personal inner experiences within diverse scriptural forms. If we learn to really read with an alert and awakened consciousness, with intuition, not relying so much on reasoning but with our heart, we gain access to inspiration, knowledge, and insights that are really transformative. In this way we learn to appreciate what these different masters taught, these different luminaries. Instead of reading book after book and compartmentalizing and categorizing what we have read in a certain label or box in our mind, instead we learn to look at things with a fresh view.
The best way to study is again, like I said, to take a small passage and read a sentence or two that is really challenging for you, or really deep and inspirational, even if you don't know the meaning, then focus and meditate on that. This is how many spiritual schools have studies and are studying now in our institutions.
We do not want to necessarily want to fill up our minds with knowledge, by memorizing what different teachers have said, and what terminology means, and what the language is indicating such as with commentaries. Instead, we want to really witness the realities of what is written from personal experience. This is why we have to meditate in combination with study.
Now study can be very profound and deep. I recommend taking the time to really digest what you put into your mind, because the problem with many westerners, especially is that being very intellectual, is that we take a lot of knowledge into our intellect, yet we do not transform it. We do not understand what we read. This leads to psychological constipation, in which we do not digest what we put into our mind, and therefore it can become a great source of doubt, skepticism, or pessimism. This is a very unfortunate thing that has happened to many people.
However, if you take the time to really practice and try to experience what you read, then you gain a lot of faith, and faith simply means confidence born from verification and experience. You see that your spiritual experiences are talked about in different books by certain masters. In this way, you really verify and understand that you are not alone in your experiences and that these are objective realities.
This is also why it is important to study from pure sources. Study from those that really have been established, whose teachings resonate with your consciousness, and what we can really testify to from facts, such as the founders of many religions, but also in our tradition we study the works of Samael Aun Weor. Personally, I have had many blessings and been able to meditate on certain passages that he wrote, even having spiritual internal experiences that I later read about in his books, which confirmed and validated my own personal testimonies. That is really inspiring and a wonderful yoga to enact, the knowledge of spiritual teachings.
Bhakti Yoga: Devotion
We also study Bhakti Yoga, which is the devotion of the heart. Perhaps the greatest bhakti yogi we have known in the West is Jesus. He demonstrated with his life the profound teachings of yoga, meditation, and prayer. He was so dedicated to his spiritual work that he allowed himself to be crucified physically, to be condemned and persecuted, to be spat upon, to be beaten, to be ridiculed, and yet he only responded with love. This is a profound devotion.
Now what is interesting about his example is that when we really know divinity from experience, our own inner spirit, we develop great love, great compassion, because we understand all beings have divinity inside, and not only do we respect our own innermost spirit, but we also respect the spirit in others, so that we tolerate their mistakes because all people are afflicted with anger, resentment, negativity, doubt, and hatred.
By learning to access superior emotional qualities, which have nothing to do with sentimentalism or hallmark cards, we open the doors to genuine mysticism. We can say that the intellect in itself is very useful but tends to predominate in many western people. Instead, what we have is a very giant head stuffed with a lot of books and knowledge but a very deficient and weak in the heart.
Bhakti Yoga is important for westerners especially, but it can be very difficult for beginners because some people find devotion very foreign to them, very alien, very confusing, very difficult, because how can you have devotion to something you have not experienced? The truth is we develop devotion in our innermost intuitive faculties when we learn to follow our conscience, our heart, the heart that says that a certain behavior and action is wrong. The whole world can agree with it and yet we know that for us that trajectory is harmful, that position, that direction.
Personally, what led me to spirituality was following my heart. I did not have a school, a group, or a spiritual scripture, teaching, a lecture to guide me. Instead, what happened was that I was suffering a lot in life, and I was not willing to face at that time that my own behaviors were harming me. But eventually I began to follow my own innermost conscience, which is the voice that says, “This is right” and “this wrong,” even though our intellect and our reasoning can fight and argue and claw against us. It is a very painful process, but as in my example, I was very dedicated to understanding the nature of my own reality and my sufferings, so that I would find an answer. I dedicated myself with a lot of devotion to searching and looking for spiritual instruction until finally I did find Gnostic teachings, which helped to explain and confirm what I had been doing already, and that gave me faith, a lot of conviction.
Sometimes Bhakti Yoga may be simple as again praying, in some people's eyes, towards a statue or to a divine figure, a painting, a master, a prophet, and our own innermost divinity, but again that can be foreign for some people, difficult to apprehend and to swallow, because we have inherited a very material culture, which has conditioned us. But the beginning is in following your heart, listening to your own conscience, what is right and what is wrong. As you verify more and more that your superior positive actions transcend negative states of suffering, you gain real faith, real verification, and conviction that these teachings work, that they are practical, that they are transformative.
It is in this way that we begin to experience superior emotions, which for most people is very difficult to comprehend, like conscious love, really loving our neighbor, especially loving one's enemies. It is something we have to aspire to and to develop gradually because it is not easy, but the way we do it is by relying on our heart and consciousness, so that by accessing our intuition of knowing right action from wrong, without having to think about it, we open the doorway to real experience and witnessing of divine reality. The more you experience that divine principle in you, the greater your devotion and compassion for others, of serving others, and working for their benefit.
Karma Yoga: Action
This is why we study Karma Yoga. Karma means “cause and effect” in Sanskrit. Some people think of karma as a punitive law of retribution: “You get what you deserve” according to Western philosophy. But this is a mistaken attitude because karma simply means causality. Every action has a consequence, and that there are superior actions and inferior actions. Therefore, they produce superior or inferior results.
Karma Yoga is based on helping others, helping our communities. We all have different qualifications and skills, different idiosyncrasies and talents that are necessary in this world. When we discover what our unique talents are, we can capitalize on them. In that way, we learn how to better help humanity with whatever level or qualification or skill set that we have. Karma Yoga is especially important within the study of Aquarian Yoga because if we really wish to overcome our own suffering, we have to alleviate the suffering of others. This is a universal, divine law.
If you are sick, help the sick. If you are lacking knowledge, give knowledge to others. If you are lacking spiritual experience, teach others how to experience it. It is in giving that we receive, says St. Francis of Assisi from the Christian tradition. By learning how to serve others, especially those who are difficult and challenge us and create pain within our interior, we learn how to transform our own pain. We do not focus so much on ourselves. If we are really in a rut, we are suffering a lot, we do not know what to do, we are confused, it is important that we reflect on the needs of others because our own selfish desires keep us hypnotized. You want to break the shell of selfishness and despair? Learn to help those who are less fortunate than yourself. For some people it can be teaching, giving knowledge, giving instruction of a spiritual type. For some people it is supporting their school, communities, serving others, helping the poor, the homeless and sick, whatever it may be. If we want to not be so hypnotized by our own self concepts, anxieties, and needs, we should cater to the needs of others. This is a great, powerful tool that helps dispel a lot of the fogginess that can afflict us.
This is a fundamental law of nature: by giving to others, we receive. So if we want to receive a certain object of spiritual benefit, we should give that in return, and not expect anything as a reward. This is selfless service. It is compassion. This is the reason why spiritual teachings exist, because by giving to others, we help ourselves, but not in a selfish sense. I know in the beginning it is easy to want to do good deeds so that we can benefit, but with training you begin to lose that selfish attitude and really give from an uncorrupted and genuine heart
Kundalini Yoga: Sacred Sexuality
We also study Kundalini Yoga, which is a very popular science today or teaching, in which there are a lot of theories and beliefs, and unfortunately a lot of misconceptions.
Now we have in this image Padmasambhava with his consort Yeshe Tsogyal who are in the sexual act. What is important to reflect upon is that as an image of Tibetan Buddhism, it constitutes one of the highest teachings of that tradition, and pretty much any religion itself, at its core. It is how a married couple, man and woman, can combine their creative sexual forces in a state of ritual purity and conscious love, in order to harness those energies and to awaken divine, spiritual capacities. Some people have called it Kundalini. Some people have called it the fire of Pentecost. Some people have called it the Holy Spirit. Some people have called it the feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl within the Aztec mystical tradition, or Kukulcan among the Mayans. This is the energetic force of our divine feminine reality that awaken within practitioners who are properly prepared.
It is important to not just look at the image with a lustful mind, although this is where people begin. Padmasambhava made a point about this essential practice of tantra, sexual union, or the harnessing of a continuous flow and influx of energy without ever releasing it. This is tantrism. The meaning of tantra is continuum, continuity. It is how we take those forces and conserve them.
He said that in order to do that one cannot have any lust, any passion, any animal desire. He said, “Lustful people do not enter the path of liberation.” So some people get very confused when they study this aspect of religion. They say, “How is that Padmasambhava can be sexually united with his wife and yet he says that lustful people cannot enter the path of liberation?” The answer is really simple: Do not engage the sexual act out of lust, desire. Instead, enact it with love. Very different quality. Lust says, “I want to satisfy my desires,” and love only wants the happiness and spiritual edification of the other.
When we learn to harness and conserve that creative potential and to activate it through sexual union between husband and wife, man and woman, by conserving that power and living an ethical life, we can awaken what is called Kundalini. It is the power of the divine feminine. It is the Divine Mother of all religions.
You can study the lecture The Divine Mother in the course Beginning Self-Transformation. We talk about how the divine feminine is represented in many religions.
The important thing to remember is that She is the power and the intelligence of love, of creation, of the universe. Therefore, She only rises up the spine of those practitioners that have proven their worth, who are really dedicated to their ethics and purifying their viewpoint, who perceive life with selflessness, with altruism, with compassion, understanding that life is transient and interdependent and that nothing is permanent and stable except for the reality of love.
Now, there are many people who have attributed psychoses, addictions, or mental imbalances to Kundalini, and this is really fundamentally mistaken. We disagree with this, because the Divine Mother Kundalini can only empower those souls who have really upheld the
highest ethics. It does not happen in people who are wasting their creative potential or squandering the sexual energy. It is a very specific science. It is really deep. We practice this if we are married. It is an important aspect of genuine Aquarian Yoga, and we are now giving this sexual teaching very openly to humanity because people need it.
It is very easy to go on the internet to find sources that are very impure and that help to produce a lot of suffering for humanity. We are now being really explicit with this knowledge. You can learn more about this teaching in a book called The Perfect Matrimony by Samael Aun Weor, where we learn how to master the creative intelligence of God, so that our love blossoms from a state of ritual purity, of verification of spiritual states―very deep, very transformative.
Yantra Yoga: Sacred Rites for Rejuvenation
We are going to explain a couple of exercises or what is known as Yantra Yoga. Now Yantra Yoga is commonly known as the Tibetan rites or sacred rites for rejuvenation. With these exercises, we harness the creative energies of our bodies, mind, and heart in a form of ritual. There are six rites in which we basically harness our conscious energies. We can ask for certain results or petition to divinity, our Divine Mother Kundalini, so that we can receive healing, insights, and understanding of our own defects, perhaps even to help us to eliminate certain faults that we have understood in our meditations.
Sacred rites for rejuvenation are very powerful. They can help us to heal sick organs and help us to gain flexibility, vitality, and health on a mental, emotional, and physical sense, but also spiritually speaking.
When we work with the sacred rites for rejuvenation, we begin by crossing our hands over our heart, our right hand over our left, and we petition and pray to our Divine Mother Kundalini, the divine feminine within us, who basically can intercede for us on behalf of Her husband, the Divine Father, the Holy Spirit within certain traditions. We invoke the divine feminine because She is the intercessor, the reconciliator between our terrestrial personality and the severity of the divine. The Holy Spirit, as sometimes mentioned in many other traditions, has the power to heal but we have to know how to work with creative energy first, conserving and transforming it.
We work with our Divine Mother, to beg Her, “Please intercede for me on behalf of your divine husband, the Holy Spirit, in order to accomplish this goal.” We can ask for healing of a sick organ or the awakening of a chakra, the understanding or intuition to a certain problem, the elimination of defects. There are many uses we can apply to the sacred rites. It is a form of ritual with our body, in which we take certain postures and positions in order to invoke the aid of our inner Being.
Rite 1: Rotations
With the first rite after you made your petition, you begin to spin from left to right. You have to be very careful not to spin too fast so that you don’t become disorientated and lose balance.
You can place your right up, your left hand facing down. Extend out as in this image. Keep your eyes open when you spin, so you don't lose your equilibrium. When you spin from left to right―you want to do it twelve times―you spin in the same direction you turn a steering wheel to the right. We do this because this positively activates the chakras. In this position, posture, or movement, we are circulating the vital forces of our chakras themselves so that we awaken those powers. When we spin, we pray to our divinity. We can say either verbally or mentally:
We are commanding our sick organs to work, to be healed by this divine Aquarian energy influence, the power of the Holy Spirit, so that we can gain happiness, balance, and health.
There is a mantra that goes along with this it is very popularized today:
Unfortunately, this saying has been abused today. It is actually a very powerful mantra. It comes from
The Arabian Nights, the story of البابا Alibaba and the forty thieves. What is interesting about this myth is that البابا Alibaba goes to a cave and commands the stone that is blocking the entrance to move. He says, “Open sesame!” This mantra has the effect of opening the boulder, of pushing it aside, so that he could go into the cave to try and save treasure that was trapped there from forty thieves.
It is interesting if you ever studied the teachings of kabbalah, especially the number forty is very significant. These forty thieves relate to our own defects who try to steal the treasure of our soul, the energies of our consciousness. So البابا Alibaba goes into the cave in order to extract the treasures, which is a symbol of going into our own mind to extract the truth, into the subconscious caverns of our own occult behaviors, that which is not readily accessible to our senses.
It is interesting that the term البابا Alibaba from the Arabic is translated into Hebrew as אלי אבא Eli Abba, which means “My God the father.” So this is a beautiful symbol of how we pray to God the Father and Mother within us in order to perform a magical healing, to work with the treasure of our creative energies.
So we spin twelve times saying:
When you are done spinning twelve times―0r you can do more if you like, but be careful not to fall over―you bend your knees. Keep your legs and feet shoulder length apart. Place your left hand on your thigh to try to get your balance, and then you bend your knees. Your thumb, index and middle finger―place these three fingers on your third eye, between your eyebrows. You put some pressure there because as you are somewhat bending down, you are helping to gain balance so that you do not collapse after spinning (which gets easier and better with practice), but you are also taking those circulated forces from your spinning and concentrating them upon your third eye and that way you basically awaken that chakra really deeply.
Rite 2: The Cross and Viparita Karani Mudra
The next part is by laying in the form of the cross. You continue to pray, identifying your supplication, whatever is you want to work on. You can imagine whatever sick organ in your body needs healing or imagine the desired result that you long, for comprehension. You can imagine above you, floating in your vicinity, a white dove of immaculate fire descending into you, giving you life and vitality and force. This is the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray deeply:
Command your consciousness to work for you, in whatever sick organ you are trying to heal, but whatever you are asking of the Holy Spirit to be giving, that gift, perhaps an awakened chakra, power, or faculty.
Afterward you perform what is known as the Viparita Karani Mudra. With the legs lifted up in the air, you can place your hands behind your knees. Engage in this posture and continue to pray out loud, verbally or mentally, if you wish.
Rite 3: Pranayama and Lean
In the third rite, you kneel and perform pranayama. Going back to Raja Yoga, of working with energy, you are doing interchangeable nostril breathing, in which you are circulating the vital winds in your mind, body, and heart.
Close your left nostril with your right index finger. Keep your right thumb out and inhale through the right nostril. Concentrate on the forces that are entering into you. You can imagine that the energies are circulating down from the base of your spine up to your brain and then into your heart.
Close your nostrils with your right thumb and index finger. Imagine this energy being retained within you, and then exhale through the left nostril, so that the forces are done circulating up into your heart. With inhaling through one nostril, you are sending the energy down through an energetic channel from your nose down into your coccyx, because there are two channels that intertwine the spine. We call them Ida and Pingala in yoga.
When you work with each nostril, you are working with each separate cord in your spine. The left nostril relates to the right testicle or ovary, and the right nostril relates to the left testicle or ovary. So they are intertwined. They interchange. The forces of your creative sexual energy rise up from your coccyx in your sexual organs, into your brain and then into your heart through energetic nadis.
When you work with the interchangeable nostril breathing, inhaling through your right nostril while closing your left with the index finger, you breathe in the vital forces. You hold them, closing your nostril with your right thumb and your right hand, retaining that force, and then exhaling through your left nostril so that energy flows in you. Then breathe through the left nostril. Inhale to repeat the same procedure. Close your nostrils with both your fingers, the thumb and index finger, and then exhale through your right nostril. That constitutes one pranayama. You want to perform three total. Pray to your Divine Mother to help you work with this force consciously.
Afterward you perform a posture in which you lean back. You kind of let your abs do the work―great for keeping your physique up. Hands at your side. Arch your back. Keep your head up titled and continue to pray using the invocation:
If you find that verbally pronouncing is difficult, you can do it mentally. Sometimes the posture can be difficult to perform.
With any of these exercises, you do not want to strain your body, buy do it gently. Do not force any of these postures on yourself if they are harming you. Instead, these are rites for rejuvenation. They are not meant to hurt you. So you need to be careful when you practice.
Rite 4: The Table
For the next posture―as you are training your body―you extend your feet outward, close together, heels together, hands behind about shoulder length, and you arch your back in a backward direction. Keep your head tilted up and continue to pray:
You can visualize as well make sure you are praying from your heart.
The next posture is the table. You send your back upward. Make sure that your arms and legs are spread far apart so you are not straining your body too much. You do not want to lean too far backward or forward. Instead, keep a good balance. Continue to visualize and deepen your prayer.
You then repeat the pranayama three times, breathing through your right nostril, closing both, exhaling through the left. Inhaling through the left, closing both nostrils, exhaling through the right. You want to do this process three times.
Rite 5: Lizard Pose
You are going to perform the fifth rite. You look like you are doing a push-up. Your head is extended upward, your torso is above the ground, your feet are shoulder length, and your hands are shoulder length. You alternate positions between bending your torso down towards the ground without touching, and moving your head slightly down to the chest, and then extend outward, with your head up and torso away from the ground. Do this for as many times as you like.
Afterward you make an arch. Continue to pray, visualize, supplicate, and deepen your prayer. The important thing to remember is that these positions are meant as a form of communing with divinity. Your prayer and conviction and dedication and devotion are what is most important in order for this to be effective. In this posture, you basically arch up upwards. You can lift your heels up towards you as you are moving, so you can arch far enough, but again, do not strain yourself too much.
Viparita Karani Mudra
The last rite is mentioned in Sacred Rites for Rejuvenation by Samael Aun Weor. It is known as Viparita Karani Mudra, in which, like the previous postures you did before with your hands behind your knees, you can do this against a wall where you lay back with your feet up. You pray to your Divine Mother to beg the Holy Spirit to transfer the energies of your mind into your heart, your solar plexus, and the solar forces of your solar plexus to your mind. In a manner of speaking, we have forces that relate to our intellect, which are, we can say, lunar in nature. They tend to be more negative forces. Our mind tends to be very cold and conditioned.
We have a lot of forces in our solar plexus that we can transfer through the help and the intelligence of the Holy Spirit, by having them circulate in the form of the Holy Eight, or an infinite, from the solar plexus over to the head. The solar forces of the sun of the abdomen rise up to the head and the lunar silvery atoms or the moon-like lunar atoms of the mind go into the solar plexus.
The solar plexus is like a reservoir of energy that is like a battery. We carry a lot of force in our abdomen. This is where we get the source of many gut instincts and feelings that we tend to be very unconscious of or mechanical with. We can learn to take that reservoir of force from our abdomen and take it to our mind so that we have a spiritually illuminated intellect.
The good thing about the Viparita Karani Mudra is that the blood flows towards the head so that we are more oxygenated in the brain. This helps to activate certain faculties and abilities.
If you want to learn more about that you can study the Sacred Rites for Rejuvenation. Here we are just giving a summary. There is also a sixth rite known as the Vajroli Mudra, which we do not have the time to cover today. The book explains it extensively.
Runic Yoga
Runes are the Nordic yoga, which we have some videos available online that you can study. These are postures in which we place our body while vocalizing certain mantras in prayer. In this way, we vibrate with the forces of nature. The Nordic language or Futhark relates to certain postures and positions that are conducive for accumulating solar divine energy from nature. It is good to perform these runes outside in a park, or in one’s backyard if you have one, in the forest, woods, or by the ocean, so that you can assimilate more divine energy and prana from your environment.
If you want to learn how to practice the runes, we have a book called Magic of the Runes but also a video on the seven vowels that you can study and apply to your daily life. The runes are very effective for charging yourself with divine force. There is a course on Runes on glorian.org. If you want to go more into depth, practicing daily is very helpful.
Resourceful Books
I know we covered a lot, but I would now like to open up the floor to questions.
Questions and Answers Question: You mentioned you need energy to withdraw and see from a clearer state of consciousness. Could you expound on this more because this is the first time I have heard of this idea? I have noticed in my own life that if I do not have enough energy, I do not feel like engaging in my spiritual practices. I am curious why there is a connection between our energy and withdrawing and approaching things from a higher consciousness. Is it just because our body is not relaxed and thus not receptive? Instructor: Think of it like how a vehicle operates with better fuel. If you put the wrong type of fuel in a car, you can destroy it. Also, if you put the most fuel-efficient energy into your vehicle, it will operate better. It will drive better. The same thing with our consciousness. Our consciousness has a profound capacity to perceive life which is beyond any limitation of thought, feeling, and impulse. But in order to really enact that conscious state from experience, we need to save energy. We have to save emotional energy. We have to save mental energy. We have to save creative energy. It is impossible to light a lamp if you do not have the fuel or the wick there. In the same way that a light on a lamp has more clarity when the container it is in is washed and clean, likewise our consciousness can reflect greater light based on the purity of our mind.
We need energy in order to awaken, first off, to be able to learn to experience and perceive our inner reality from an objective sense. But in order to do that it is important to not only have energy but to learn how to use it well. When you direct energy intelligently, consciously, and withdraw from distractions of the mind and external senses in meditation, you learn to fully engage in your own conscious interior. You can purify your vision, so to speak.
Obviously, if you do not have energy like in physical life, you cannot live. You cannot work. Someone who has insomnia has a very difficult time being physically awake, but still not being able to sleep. It has a serious effect upon one's psychology when we do not have enough energy present. We even find that if we abuse our intellectual energy, we can develop illnesses like schizophrenia, mental illnesses, paranoia, delusions, because the mind, which can operate like a vehicle in its own respective orbit, is deficient in fuel. It has lost its vital values and therefore the engine breaks down and stops working. You find these people who are very engaged in the intellect without balancing the other parts of themselves.
Likewise, the heart. If it is exhausted of its emotional and vital principles, it creates illnesses like depression, morbidity, bi-polar disorder, many emotional illnesses and diseases. Even the physical body can deteriorate and fall apart when it is not fueled by sufficient, creative, vital energy. People who abuse themselves through boxing, sports, and other difficult activities can become paraplegic or damaged in their body.
In the same way we need energy to exist in life, we need those forces to harmonize and balance, to use the conscious well. As you said, if you do not have enough creative energy, you cannot engage in spiritual practices. You are just not inspired or will not be there. But saving energy, directing it well with consciousness, that begins to clarify perception, so that day by day, we perceive more and more. I invite you to study Meditation Essentials on glorian.org. It explains how when we use energy, we clarify our perceptions.
Question: I am very curious to know what you think of Christianity. I relate to many values in the Bible, but most Christians seem quite mind-controlled to me. I feel Christianity needs to integrate to other broader religious ideas like yoga, reincarnation, and more. What are the merits and limits to Christianity even when people are striving to live a righteous selfless life? Instructor: We explained in other courses that there is a public tradition and an esoteric tradition. Every religion has a public, exoteric domain, which is followed by millions of people, and then there are hidden, secret, esoteric teachings within those teachings that were never given publicly. In relation to the Piscean era, that knowledge was underground, but now we are given in the Aquarian Era this esoteric knowledge freely for all. Christianity as a teaching is a very beautiful tradition. It has very deep symbolic roots, which many practitioners and adherents do not necessarily understand or follow. Just as many people of a religion may adhere to a faith out of dogma, they also contradict the values that are embedded in their faith.
I have met many great Christians, many bad Christians; many great Muslims, some bad Muslims; many good Gnostics, but also many bad Gnostics. Just because you adhere to a tradition does not mean one is spiritual. In fact, what is spiritual about a person is that they are working to eliminate defects and work compassionately for others, to serve others.
Christianity as a tradition has an esoteric dimension known as gnosticism, which we are giving a course on our website about The Gnostic Gospels. You can study that course if you want to learn more about Esoteric Christianity. But also Glorian.org has the course Esoteric Christianity that studies the heart doctrine of that faith.
The esoteric version is very different from the public, where in Esoteric Christianity you find reincarnation and spiritual ideas are integrated very beautifully and are supported and sustained by scripture more importantly.
Any religion like Christianity and faith can be limited when we only follow it blindly, when we use it as a paradigm and a dogma to interpret what we perceive without actually helping us to experience reality objectively. Morality is useful in its place, in the sense that having some values can help orientate certain people into living a more ethical or more kind and compassionate life, but merely sticking to an outward form but without experiencing its inward principles is not enough. It is deficient.
Question: With Sacred Rites for Rejuvenation, if the petition choses does not heal an organ or awaken a chakra after a session, do we keep only asking for that particular healing until it heals with the practices or change the petitions? Should we? Instructor: I have known instructors practicing sacred rites who would perform one petition for two months, not changing it, because results come with time, practice, and consistency. I would recommend sticking to one petition for at least two months. If you really want to go deep into it, keep going with it, but this applies to many practices such as the elimination of egos as well, where we focus on one ego or defect over a long period of time until we gain results in comprehension. It is good to focus on one thing and to really practice it deeply, extensively. Question: If we keep only asking for one thing and nothing happens for a long time, what do we do then? How do we know what we are asking for is what we really need or can even be allowed to be granted? Instructor: There are many factors that go into play in terms of working with the sacred rites. Some people practice for a long time and do not get results. They can often become filled with morbidity and despair and doubt that this even works. It is important to take into account that the quality of our practice is not determined by merely sticking to a schedule, but it has to do with the quality of our heart, how sincere we are, how dedicated in our consciousness in terms of our attitude for approaching divinity. Sometimes we can approach divinity with ambition, and that is never rewarded. Some people get frustrated because they ask for something and they do not get it, and often become frustrated, confused, disoriented and doubtful.
So what to do then? If you are not getting what you ask for, I would reflect on what you are asking and how. Our divinity knows what we need before we even ask or even know for ourselves. Sometimes it can be good to practice the rites to gain experiences and insights into what you need to work on, to help guide you and even initiating and sustaining a certain practice.
Divinity grants unto us what we need, not what we want. But it is also difficult to ascertain in our own experiences, the difference between need and greed. What is it that we crave, like spiritual experiences, and what is it that we need to really to benefit in our daily life? I recommend that you focus on goals that will help you orient yourself in daily life, specifically, or even opening your heart and asking from divinity, praying, “Please show me what is that I need. Please help me!” and performing the rites in that way. Sometimes if we ask for a healing for a sickness that is not going away, we have to take into account certain contexts and karmic forces at play that we cannot necessarily alter or control, but with a lot of patient work. Be patient and persist.
If you know that there is something that you need in your daily life that you have to aspire to, then keep asking for it. Do not give up. Do not flag, but be careful about what your attitude is and how you approach divinity, because the sacred rites are a ritual. They are very sacred. They are very divine. They are a way of communicating with the truth. We have to make a distinction between ambition and need. Pray for healing, be dedicated, and be consistent.
Question: Otherwise, will not the practice become redundant if we find ourselves asking for something that can never be granted with the sacred rites? Instructor: This is why other practices are essential. We have to meditate deeply and investigate within our comprehension what our situation is. I know sometimes when we have difficult problems in life, it is very difficult to ascertain what reality is, the truth, the right way of acting. This is why we combine these different yogas together. We work with them in conjunction with one another.
If you find that you are not getting the results you want, if you feel you are practicing in a redundant way, then analyze what you are doing―reevaluate. Some people need to practice sacred rites at certain periods in their life. They do not necessarily do it all the time. But we work with certain yogas in conjunction with the understanding that these practices fulfill a specific need. If it is not granted, be patient. Meditate upon what it is that you want. Comprehend what your desires are for that longed-for objective and ask divinity to show you in your meditation what is going on, and in that way, you can have some comfort and conviction about what it is divinity wants from you and what divinity has planned for you.
Question: You said exhaling through the left nostril affects the heart. What does exhaling through the right nostril affect? What was the name of the video you mentioned about the runes? Instructor: In terms of exhaling and inhaling through the nostrils, just to clarify, when you are inhaling through either nostril, you are imagining the vital force and winds entering through that nostril and descending in a circuitous way, in a form of entwined serpent, moving across the spine in the form of the infinite, or like a curving line, like a light wave (if you’ve studied physics), a radio wave, down into your coccyx. When you retain that energy, when you close your nostrils, you are imagining that the energy is mixing within your sexual glands, is being retained and even rising up your spine to your head. When you exhale through the other nostril, you send the energy to your heart.
That is one visualization you can do. That is not specified specifically in the book
Sacred Rites for Rejuvenation. He just gives a very basic pranayama, so you do not have to go deeply with your visualization. The important thing is that you feel that energy circulating within you and that you interchange your breathing through your nostrils. Open your right nostril. Close the left nostril with the index finger of your right hand. Inhale, close with your thumb the right nostril, retain the energy, lift the index finger, and exhale through the other nostril. Do the same for the other nostril as well―inhaling, holding / retaining, and exhaling.
Your prayer is what is going to be most efficacious or best. It is what is going to work and cause the energies to flow in you.
In terms of the video for the runes, specifically, you can access those videos on Glorian.org or go onto YouTube and look up Glorian Publishing for the Seven Runic Vowels.
We talk about seven vowels in relation to our spinal column, the seven chakras, because these seven sounds activate the seven main chakras of our spinal medulla. These vowels are explained in the video: I, E, O, U, A, M, S… seven vowels, which if you study the literature we provided as well, it goes very deep into that.
Any other questions? I know we covered a lot. We appreciate you for asking questions and listening in. We will definitely have a lot more practices and exercises to share with you in relation with course. So I thank you all for coming
Everything we have explained in this course of Beginning Self-Transformation is preliminary. The most essential principle for transforming and elevating our psyche is the divine feminine.
All religions bear a profound respect and veneration of the divine feminine, the Divine Mother. It is really the Abrahamic traditions that have lost sight of this and have adulterated the significance of Her presence in the spiritual work. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam reject any femininity in divinity as an effort to distance themselves, to define themselves against the so-called “pagan” religions.
The reality is that God, the Being, is not entirely masculine, but feminine as well. This is a profound fact, which confounds and scandalizes religious fanatics, people who are accustomed to a patriarchal anthropomorphism, who fail to recognize that God, the Being, is not a person, but a force, an energy.
Divinity is an intelligence. Divinity is within nature, and more importantly within our consciousness, with distinct qualities, principles, characteristics that can really be qualified, classified, and defined as masculine and feminine, yet, not in accordance with modern societal mores, beliefs, ideologies.
The reality is that divinity has masculine and feminine polarities of expression. Yet these principles are not merely limited to just physical gender. They constitute archetypes, forces, blueprints for creation, the expression of the Spirit.
We can say that the divine masculine is projectivity. It is symbolized by the positive polarity of electric charge. It is force, magnetism, assertion, willpower. It is the energy that initiates, which commands, that organizes and even impregnates, engenders, disciplines, and forces.
On the other hand, the divine feminine is receptivity. It is the negative polarity of electric charge. It is the force of conception, gestation, of nurturing, the sustenance that develops a child, the development of youth under the auspices of maternity.
All religions, every ancient tradition teaches, that the world's animals, human beings, and the Gods are the consequence of sexual union: the harmonization of masculine and feminine. Every single cosmogony teaches this: how masculine divinity cannot create, cannot develop, cannot manifest without the help of the feminine divine. Therefore, it is really ignorant to reject the divine feminine because of theological, theosophical, or vain beliefs.
The divine feminine is a cosmological reality, which we the Gnostics experience, which we develop through our meditations.
A masculine God cannot create anything without the feminine goddess, just as a man cannot have a child without a woman. As above, so below. The Father, our innermost God, unfolds Himself into the Divine Mother. She is the derivative expression of our innermost Being. Through Her, He is able to create life and create it in abundance. Through Her, divinity is able to sustain worlds, awaken the soul. As Gnostics, we never forget the worship and respect, the veneration of the Divine Mother, the divine feminine. Because just as we have a physical mother to whom we owe life, likewise, we must show respect and profound adoration for our Divine Mother Kundalini if we wish to change, because She is the force that awakens us. She is the one who elevates the soul, who brings us to spirituality, who provides us with astral experiences, profound samadhis, conscious experiences in the Tree of Life, the superior worlds of the Kabbalah. She is the one responsible for us because She is the one who raises us from suffering. Without Her, we would be lost in this work.
She is the one who initiates, who develops, and who completes this work, especially in relation to the disintegration of the ego.
So, today we are going to elaborate on who She is and Her unique role in the work, in this Gnostic path of self-transformation.
Sacred Sexology
Yet, to do that, we need to comprehend and understand the principles of sacred sexology.
The reality is that just as a man and a woman are needed to create a physical child, both sexual polarities, material and energetic, are needed to create the soul. This is stipulated throughout the Gnostic writings of Samael Aun Weor. It is simple. It is not elaborate. God creates both physical and spiritual life through sex, but that depends upon our intention, our mental state, our behavior—whether it is pure or degenerate, conscious or egotistical.
Sex creates. It engenders. It develops. These principles are within every religion: how man and woman, husband and wife, can use the creative sexual energy in order to give birth to their spirituality. That creative energy is the Divine Mother, and therefore, She creates in us when we know how to use the polarities of sex, male-female.
As above, so below. It is a law. It is the Dharma, the sacred knowledge of alchemy.
We can believe whatever we want. But if we wish to create a child, a man needs a woman and a woman needs a man. To create a solar awakened consciousness in its full capacity, to realize our full potential as a perfected divine being, an angel, a man needs a woman and a woman needs a man, through conscious love and sexual cooperation.
This is because birth is a sexual problem. It is not a belief. And therefore, the birth of the angel, the inner human being, the second birth cited by Jesus, is no exception. Through what is known as tantra, alchemical union, the harmony of masculine and feminine sexes, that energy, which is usually expelled through desire, for procreation, can be converted, can be conserved, sublimated, transmuted, transformed, so that the charged sexual forces of man and woman create a synthesis. This is the child of God, the Son of Man in Christianity, the Christ child or Egyptian Horus, son of Osiris and Isis, the golden child of medieval alchemists, the Platonic Logos, the Kundalini Shakti power of the great yogis of Sahaja Maithuna, the Shekinah of the Kabbalists, the Brazen Serpent of Moses, which is a metallurgic amalgamation of copper—a symbol of Venus, the woman—and the metal tin, the planet Jupiter, or the man.
Both polarities, physical genders, are needed to create physical and spiritual life. However, we need to clarify. Gender is not a construct. It is not a concept, a morality, and accepted code of expectations in society imposed by patriarchy, by institutions—something to be rejected or deconstructed by subversive logic. Gender is a material reality. It is based upon our generative organs and the secondary sexual characteristics they attribute to our personality and expression.
While our physical sex bears specific characteristics to our terrestrial personality, the divine principles of the Father and Mother are archetypical. They are abstract. They are profound states of being. There are correlations between both sexes, but they are not rigid. We can say that the Divine Father is wisdom, instruction, paternity. The Divine Mother is love, elevation, subsistence. In a perfect matrimony, the man embodies the principles of the Divine Father and the woman embodies the principles of the Divine Mother in body, speech, and mind.
So what is the purpose of transformation as we have been explaining throughout this course? We seek to realize the true self. Who is the Divine Father and the Divine Mother? They are within us. They are our true identity, our Being. But we can only reach them through the three factors we explained in the previous lecture on the revolution of the consciousness.
While the Divine Father and Divine Mother are distinct in us, this is not to say that they don't share or embody the same principles, that there are rigid correlations here or correspondences. It is not the say that the Father does not characterize love, or the Divine Mother, wisdom. Knowing the nature of divine masculine and divine feminine is a profound matter of experience in the consciousness—to go beyond our culture's conceptions of sex, humanity’s subjective perceptions about gender, about gender roles in society.
What matters in these studies is that we appreciate and work with our sexual energy, whether it is masculine or it is feminine. We do so through complementarity, to complement ourselves: a man for a woman and a woman for a man. But why?
If you look in this graphic, you see husband and wife holding hands and their sexual organs symbolized by two triangles. There are the ovaries of the woman and the testicles of the man, as well as the vagina of the woman and the phallus of the man. The sexual organs are a battery. It is the most profound form of energy we carry within. One gonad has a positive electric spiritual charge and another gonad has a negative receptive feminine charge. In order for electricity to flow, you need both a positive and a negative. This is the essence of tantra. For these energies to flow perfectly, masculine and feminine must reconcile. Notice that when you join these two triangles together, when the sexual organs of male-female join, you create the Star of David: the Seal of Solomon, the seal, the perfection of the solar man, a true master who has conquered the creative energies and has perfected him or herself.
The masculine and the feminine compliment. They help each other to arrive at a synthesis, to generate light of a spiritual conscious nature. So these principles are extremely beautiful. Ancient mythologies teach us very profound and beautiful truths, and to frame our discussion, we can find the principles and qualities of the Divine Father and the Divine Mother reflected in a beautiful poem by Victor Hugo. He is the author of
Les Miserables, a very famous text, a humanist novel, relating to the French Revolution, and Samael Aun Weor quotes a poem of his in The Perfect Matrimony called “Man and Woman.” I will read it at length.
We speak about both Divine father and Divine Mother together to preface our focus on the role of the divine feminine. She is essential to the birth of our soul, and that we would not have existence without our mother. The same goes for our spirituality.
The Divine Mother in Different Myths
The eternal feminine exists in every religion. Both aspects of our Being have been represented throughout every religious tradition, without exception.
The Divine Mother is represented by a sacred cow. But why? We nourish our body with the milk of a female cow. In the same manner, we nourish our consciousness with the milk of wisdom, virtue, creative energy, transmutation, and the remembrance of our Divine Mother's presence.
Even milk as a substance resembles semen. It is the seminal energy, which nourishes our infancy and helps us to become a spiritual man or woman. The Divine Mother's love is so pervasive and so vast, that she has been represented by the sacred cow of Hinduism, within the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian Taurine mysteries, and the life of Gautama Buddha Shakyamuni and Krishna, both cowherds.
In Islam, the longest surah of the Quran is Al-Baqarah, “the Cow,” a symbol of divinity's power to resurrect the soul, because in that scripture Prophet Muhammad relates the magical and power, the influence of a cow whose leg can resurrect the dead. That is a symbol of the power of the divine feminine who raises us from the death of our spirit to the heights of realization.
In Islam, the Qur’an is sung. The power of the Divine Mother Cow is in the verb and in sex: the stone or Kaaba of the Muslims. How we speak, as we stated in the lecture “The Spiritual Power of Sound,” determines how we spend energy, either for liberating the soul or enslaving it—whether we produce beneficial action or bring about our own damnation, our own suffering.
To spell “the cow” in Spanish is La Baca. Baca backwards is
Kaba. All of this synthesizes through the Kabbalah, the mysticism of Judaism, which we have been exploring: the Tree of Life. We worship our divinity, the sacred cow, through working with our creative energy, which is represented by the blackened stone of the Kaaba.
We need to purify this stone to make it whitened, pure. We do this through eliminating the ego. So even in Islam, which in its exoteric form strictly denies any femininity in divinity, teaches an esoteric doctrine which is known and practiced secretly by the Sufis. Therefore, people who say that God is only masculine are really half atheist, because they reject the creative maternal feminine principle of divinity in themselves.
We have Isis above. We have Miriam, Mary, holding the Christ child. We have Athena, great matron and defender of the solar Greek heroes. And we have Durga, slayer of demons within Hinduism. These images represent a few of the infinite forms of our Divine Mother Kundalini, because She takes on any form to teach us something practical in ourselves. Every religion and culture has expressed that principle in different artwork, paintings, statues, architecture, and forms.
But why make these points? Why do we draw upon so many correlations in religion? We study all the mythologies and religions of the world out of love for Divine Mother. She is our own Being. She is the root of our most divine expression. She is the mediator for us between hell and heaven, the inferior worlds and the superior states of consciousness. She is the one responsible for elevating us out of suffering.
Athena rescued Odysseus in the great poem of Homer. The Virgin Mary raised the Christ child so that he could perform his mission. And Durga brought balance to humanity, restored the kingdoms of the Gods when slaying the buffalo demon within the Hindu mythologies. And Isis restores the dead Osiris, the divine principle the Father in us, to bring back together his parts, which were quartered and drawn by the demons Seth. These are beautiful symbols about how the Divine Mother integrates the psyche, how she liberates us and performs religion, reunion.
We have to learn to work with our Divine Mother, instant by instant, moment by moment. There is no progress without love for our Divine Mother, because She is the one who gives us strength, who gives us courage to face ourselves, to self-observe, and to not run away from what we see. She is compassion for all beings, even demons or people we do not like. She is virtue and all the most elevated qualities of the Soul and our Being.
She is the superior aspect of us, and sadly, despite this fact, many of us do not know Her or recognize Her presence. The reality is that we forget who She is whenever we identify with anger, with pride, with lust, gluttony, laziness, greed, envy, the ego. We have to learn to restrain the mind, as we are emphasizing again and again, because when we restrain our mind with intelligence, with remorse, with comprehension, our Divine Mother is present with us. We are remembering Her because She is perfection.
She is profound equanimity—deepens serenity—the resilience of virtue. She is virtuous action. She can only work through us when we establish an altar for Her in our heart.
So examine your heart. What do you find inside there? Observe it. Look at yourself. Not with physical eyes, but with the sense of imagination, of perception. What do you see? Do you see love of humanity there? Do you see selflessness? Do you see conscious love for one's spouse, for one's family, for one's enemies? Or are we filled with hatred, with wrath, with violence, with despair?
Many Gnostics write to us asking, “How do I experience my Divine Mother?” as if she is far away. The reality is that She is, to quote the Qur’an, “closer to you than your jugular vein” (50:16). She is within our psyche, but we do not recognize Her presence if we are not looking, if we are not awake, if we are not perceptive about what is going on externally and internally.
Some people think that to experience the Divine Mother is only through an astral experience, in some tremendous samadhi in the clouds. There is a reality to this. But more importantly, the Divine Mother appears to us in dreams, in different forms, to teach us something about our life, about our physical behavior. For an example of this, I will relate my own experience.
Very recently my wife and I went traveling out of the city of Chicago to go hiking. We wanted to get away from people and this situation with COVID-19. And we realized that we would have less exposure going out into nature than being in the city, so we arranged to travel a couple hours outside of Chicago, and in our trip we were driving to a Starbucks. There was a huge line of cars waiting to go to the drive-through, and I was driving and at that moment I had cut off a person who was in line, who was angry at me. And he said some things which were not pleasant.
That morning before we left our home, I had an astral experience in which I was driving my car in the dark. It was 4 a.m. in the astral plane and I was driving along a major road in the city of Chicago. Suddenly I stopped, intuitively, in the middle of the street, because there were no cars present, and I saw my physical mother in the dream approach the driver's side window and with a lot of love, she gestured for me to step out of the car and to let her take the wheel. I did. I went into the passenger seat, and then she drove the car and that was the end of the dream.
I knew when I woke up physically that this was something prophetic. Something would happen in relation with my Divine Mother. So physically, when we are in the Starbucks line and the person I cut off was angry and spoke negatively towards me, I suddenly felt egos of anger, self-esteem, pride and anger and violence emerge from my psyche. And I was really surprised, because I have been observing myself and I never knew that I had these defects in this situation. So my wife who was in the passenger side of the car said, “Let me take the wheel because I can see that this is getting dangerous for you.” So I got out of the car physically. She took the wheel and I sat in the passenger seat and started to breathe deeply, and pray to my Divine Mother. I was begging Her, “Please help me to comprehend this rage that is emerging in my psyche and is threatening to take over!”
I breathed very profoundly, inhaling, with all my capacity in my lungs, holding the breath for 10 seconds and exhaling for 10 seconds, and just introspecting in me, asking my Divine Mother “Help me to have serenity, to understand the culprits in my mind!” And suddenly, I gained comprehension, and I realized and remembered the dream I had that morning. My Divine Mother figuratively was driving my car, which is my three brains. By relaxing and praying, going into my mind, going into my heart, I was able to relax and let my Divine Mother take control of my psychological car. After my meditation, I comprehended a lot. I understood those defects that emerged, which I later prayed for annihilation.
This is a very beautiful teaching, very simple. I know we like to think of having experiences with our Divine Mother in the highest degrees of initiation, the highest sephiroth or spheres of the Tree of Life, but in reality, she comes down to us. She teaches us how to live so that we do not commit insanities, because I was really angry. I was really surprised by how angry I was and so I was begging my Being to help me control this animal and she gave me strength.
But of course, remembrance of our Divine Mother is a learned skill. We have to work very hard. We have to recite mantras. We have to breathe deeply. We have to do pranayamas, transmutation, energy exercises, whether in our mind or out loud, so we can feel Her presence; so we can recognize Her. We do so by observing from our pineal gland and our heart.
The pineal gland is the seat of perception within our brain. It is where our Essence sees from its energetic and conscious seat. It is the focal point of perception. We have to self-observe our three brains, looking into our intellect, our emotions, and our motor brain through this perspective, in a spiritual conscious way. But we must not only observe to see and gather data about the ego in the three brains, but we have to remember the presence of our Divine Mother within our pineal gland, within our heart: the seat of our soul. We also experience intuition, prescience, presentiment, premonitions in the heart: the altar and temple of the inner goddess Kundalini.
In the example I provided, I was observing from my pineal gland into my three brains to understand the thoughts, the feelings, and the will of anger, of self-esteem, of pride, of wrath. Because each ego has three brains. It has its own ways of thinking, feeling, and doing. I was looking at that in myself and praying, “Help me to separate from this Divine Mother! Help me to comprehend so You can eliminate!” And I immediately, intuitively felt Her presence: a beautiful quality of serenity, of strength.
She is a tremendous force. She does not use exertion of any kind. Instead, She opens the jaws of the beast with perfect equanimity, and equanimity is the most profound strength. So we have to feel Her in our mind and our heart. How can a child forget its mother? In the same way, we have to recognize Her presence, Her identity in us again and again. She is the voice of conscience. She is the voice of right action, such as in the experience I provided. I knew the right thing to do, but my mind was really trying to destroy my life, and I fought with my mind, and I would not have been able to relax if I did not have Her, my Divine Mother—and also, the Divine Mother of my wife, who expressed in that moment and saved me, helped me to rectify the situation.
So let your Divine Mother drive your car. Let her drive your soul, your Being—even if it means that you need to recollect yourself—whether you need to breathe deeply, do mantras, do prayer, walk out in nature. Take time to develop that stability of mind, to deepen your serenity. Because that is how you connect with Her, not through agitation, not through exertion, but through comprehension.
The Divine Mother and the Tree of Life
As we explained, the Tree of Life is a map of the consciousness. It is a map of the Being. From the most elevated spheres or סְפִירוֹת sephiroth, the plural Hebrew term for “emanations,” to the most dense and material at the bottom.
This is a distinct and clear map for meditation and our internal experiences, which can clarify our understanding of where we are at in our work and where we must go.
The sephiroth also reflect different expressions of the Divine Mother.
So as I stated, the Divine Mother is universal. She is formless. She is an energy, and yet She can manifest within the different spheres or sephiroth in order to help us. And Samael Aun Weor, the founder of the modern Gnostic tradition, provided five distinct unfoldments or expressions of Devi Kundalini that we need to understand and which we can relate to the Tree of Life.
At the top of the tree, above Kether, the Father, the Crown, you have the Absolute, which in Hebrew is אין Ain, אין סוף Ain Soph, אין סוף אוֹר Ain Soph Aur: the Nothing, the Limitless, and the Limitless Light.
In the Absolute, in Ain Soph, the Divine Mother is the Unmanifested Prakriti.
When the Divine Mother unfolds and expresses within the universe, within creation, we find that she manifests as Binah, intelligence, the Holy Spirit. She is the chaste Diana, Isis in Egypt, Tonantzin amongst the Aztecs, Maria, Miriam, Mary in Christianity, or better said, the mantra RAM-IO, a profound Mantra to invoke our Divine Mother Binah, intelligence. So these sephiroth are different qualities of consciousness. They are different modalities and expression of the divine.
We also have something very important in relation to the death of the ego, which can relate to the sphere of Geburah, Justice, the severity of God. This is the Divine Mother Death. The Divine Mother Death relates to the justice of the Being, who punishes the ego and annihilates it. She is represented as the terrible Hecate amongst the Greeks, Persephone, Coatlicue, Queen of the infernos and death, the terror of love and law. She is the terror of the ego and the love of divine law, of order, of equilibrium, of karma. So in our former lectures on Karma, we explained how the divine hierarchies are managed by divine beings, with intelligence, with love. Knowing that law and loving that law is how we gain balance, and the Divine Mother Death removes the impurities so that we can be balanced, harmonious beings, integrated beings.
We also have the special individual Mother Nature relating to Malkuth, the physical body, who is the originator and architect, the creator of our physical organism. Our body is an amalgamation of many elements. Mother Nature relates to our body as well as our environment and our body is dependent upon Mother Nature outside, but our internal Divine Mother Nature relates to our physicality, our body, which we need to sanctify.
And lastly, the Elemental Enchantress to whom we owe every vital impulse, every instinct, relating to Yesod, the sexual creative energy, the foundation of our spirituality
Let us explain each aspect of the Divine Mother in more depth.
The Unmanifested Prakriti (Ain Soph)
The Unmanifested Prakriti, the Ain Soph, is the nothing, the limitless. Prakriti signifies nature.
Mula in Sanskrit indicates “root,” as in the “root of something,” such as phenomena, consciousness, experiences.
We find
mula in our root chakra, Muladhara, which signifies the “root place,” the root chakra. We use the term Mulaprakriti to refer to the Ain Soph, the abstract absolute space, the root nature of our consciousness, which is cosmic and eternal, a profound form of space. The Divine Mother has no form, but that energy takes on form within the astral plane in order to teach us, the Essence, important things.
Samael Aun Weor also refers to the Divine Mother Prakriti as the Unmanifested Kundalini. This is understandable when we comprehend how the Divine Mother above and the heavenly cosmic space, the Mulaprakriti, is reflected in our Muladhara Chakra. So that cosmic space, that force, that energy, when it manifests into the universe, it becomes the Tree of Life, the different sephiroth, becoming more dense and material as it descends into different unfoldments or dimensions.
The Ain Soph is beyond any universe. It is within the abstract space, the cosmic consciousness, the selflessness of perfect Seity. The Divine Mother above, Mulaprakriti, is the same energy that descends and becomes the serpent in our Muladhara Chakra.
Even Ricard Wagner in his
Ring Cycle [The Ring of the Nibelungen] which is an Opera tetralogy, depicts the Goddess Urda, the mysterious Ain Soph, or Devi Kundalini, with the same musical motif, the theme song, as the sword Nothung: the weapon of the great solar hero Sigmund, which is the Essence, the soul, who wields the Kundalini, the sword Nothung, in order to battle his enemy, Hunding, a symbol of the ego.
Nothung,
no-tung, reminds us of “nothing,” the Nothing, the space, the Abstract Absolute Space: Ain Soph. And we have explained in other lectures and courses that the Ain Soph is a star, a supra atomic point, the synthesis of our real Being. It is a light that shines within that space with perfection. It is known as the Glorian, the origin of universes. So this Mulaprakriti, is the womb of the Nothing, which is not understandable to the intellect, but is comprehended through experience.
It is the origin of worlds, suns, galaxies, the infinites. All cosmic units are sustained, are born, are gestated, and they are destroyed and absorbed again throughout the great cosmic rhythms of activity and repose, known in Hinduism as Mahamanvantaras and Mahapralayas. These are “great” cosmic days and nights, respectively (for
Maha signifies “great”): periods when universes emerged from the Ain Soph, and when it is time, those universes return back to the Nothing, to enter a period of absorption and repose.
This is the significance of many Qur’anic verses. "You came from Him and unto Him you shall return." Even the Arabic name Allah hides many mysteries. The syllable “Al” means “the,” the indefinite article. And “La” can mean “No,” negation. Allah traditionally represents or translates as “The God,” but literally is “The No,” the Nothing—that which is not related to anything in existence, because it is unmanifested. This is why in Islam there are no statues or figures representing Allah, because you cannot anthropomorphize space. You cannot characterize the divine feminine in Her most abstract reality.
The Unmanifested Divine Mother never enters the universe without taking form, so that we can comprehend and receive insight in our work. The universe emerges from her universality. She is absolute, cosmic, perfect. Her center is everywhere and Her periphery, Her circumference, is nowhere. She is the source that we aspire to. She is perfect liberty, a state of being that is so vast and expansive that it terrifies the ego.
And so “the Nothing,” “the No,” the Unmanifested Divine Mother is the complete negation of our self, because in that selflessness, one becomes the universe, the stars, the planets, the gods. It is cosmic, absolute, eternal. She is the starry heavens or Egyptian Nut in that respective mythology, who shelters the heroes and the gods, those masters of meditation who have perfected themselves.
Involution: The Descent of Divine Force
In the universe, when the light of divinity manifests and expresses, that unitary light of the Ain Soph, descends and particularizes, individualizes. The top trinity of the Tree of Life relates to the trinitarian unfoldment: an expression of the Being in the most rarefied and subtle levels. Our unique consciousness, our divine Being, is a perfect unity. Yet to create life, She expresses, or that light expresses as three principles, since the law of three is how everything is created.
These are forces, qualities, principles, archetypes. They are blueprints of any universe. They are not three people that constitute one anthropomorphic God. These three creative forces are known as Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in Christianity. Every religion reflects these principles but in different ways. It is one light that can express as three, so as to gestate worlds and human beings.
So going back to that description of the principles of sex, man is the affirming, positive force; woman is negating, receptive force. And together they provoke and promote the synthesis, reconciliation, which is the birth of the solar Christic consciousness.
That synthesis is בִּינָה Binah, the intelligence of God in Hebrew. So our particular, individual Divine Mother is the intelligence of divinity, because She is the synthesis of all universal wisdom, which governs creation in every level. She is the spouse of Shiva in Hinduism, known as Shakti. Or, Brahma and Sarasvati in Hinduism—or to define its equivalent in the Bible, you have Abraham and Sarah. Brahma-Abraham and Sarasvati-Sarah in the Bible. These are all symbols that reflect truths that we need to experience.
The reality is that in accordance with Gnostic Kabbalah, Binah is dual, because Binah is reflective of masculine and feminine principles. Because remember that when you have affirmation and negation, masculine-feminine, positive-negative, you produce the synthesis. And in the terms of having a child, the synthesis of a husband and wife, the child reflects the qualities and characteristics of its parents. So you find both principles there, but of course, manifested as a boy or a girl. But it takes the qualities of both male-female, father-mother, in order to create something beyond itself.
Binah, the synthesis is dual. It is masculine-feminine, Father-Mother. In Hebrew, it is known as אב Abba and אם אלהים Aima Elohim in Hebrew. The sacred name of God, of Binah, is יהוה אלהים Jehovah Elohim. אלהים Elohim is a synthetic word. אל El in Hebrew is God. אלה Eloah in Hebrew is Goddess. ים Iod-Mem or the letters “-im” is a masculine plural ending. אלהים Elohim truly signifies “Gods and Goddesses.”
Our particular, individual Divine Mother is Diana, the huntress, as we see in this image.
She is the Virgin Mary, Miriam or Mar-IO or Ram-IO, which is a powerful mantra, as I stated, of working with the divine feminine. מרים Miriam in Hebrew means to raise. She is the wife of the masculine aspect of the Holy Spirit, because the trinity is Father, Son, Holy Spirit—three forces as one light. We can receive profound instruction from our own intelligence, the Divine Mother in Binah. She takes on forms within the astral plane to teach us like in the example I provided.
The Divine Mother Death (Geburah)
But let us also talk about the Divine Mother Death relating to Geburah, the justice and severity of God.
This aspect of the Divine Mother is perhaps the most important. It is referenced constantly throughout the writings of Samael Aun Weor. Divine Mother Death is responsible for annihilating the ego. She is Kali, as we see here. She dances upon those couples who know how to harness the sexual fire of alchemy. Meaning: man and wife use their sexual energy, conserve it, and direct it towards the death of desire to liberate the soul.
So of course, this image is terrifying. She has a necklace of many heads, representative of all the egos she has slain in the initiate whom she stands upon. She is the power of the serpent Kundalini, which you find coiled around the left arm of the man whom she has conquered. Of course, that symbol relates to the left pillar of the Tree of Life or the serpent Ida, the energetic feminine current that rises from our sexual gonad up to our head, which is the contrast of pingala, the solar electric sexual serpent that rises from the other gonad to the brain within the vital body.
The Divine Mother Death, despite her fearsome appearance, should not be feared. She is the liberator of our soul. She pulverizes the ego. She extracts the Essence through successive profound comprehensions. So She only decapitates those ego we have fully comprehended in our meditations. If we are single, we can pray to her using the mantra KRIM, prolonged such as this:
We imagine those defects we have comprehended and that She decapitates them, impales them, disintegrates the egos we wish to remove. If we are married, we can have more force by which to annihilate those egos. But if we are single, we can still work with the Divine Mother Death.
So this is very beautiful topic because Kali, the Divine Mother Death, is the power of sex, that which creates the soul and destroys the ego. She is the slayer of demons. She is Athena, who in the Greek myth of
The Odyssey helps Odysseus return home in order to battle the many suitors who have tried to take his wife Penelope. In the Greek myth, Odysseus invented the Trojan horse during the Trojan War, conquered the city, and when trying to return home, he was lost for 20 years. And so, many men thought he was dead and tried to marry his wife, who remained faithful to him: a symbol of the soul waiting for the reunion of Odysseus, the solar man, the initiate.
When he returns home finally, he finds that his whole island has been ransacked by suitors—all these figures and people trying to marry his wife and eat off his land. But Athena warns him saying, “You must disguise yourself and discover your enemies. You must find out who is your friend and who is your foe.” And so she disguised him with magic as a beggar that he, in this form, went around trying to investigate these people. Finally, in a great battle scene at the end, he reveals himself and with the help of Athena, with the help of Kali, kills all of those infidels.
This is not a literal history. It is a symbol of working against the ego. And so Odysseus conquered and returned to his home, but only with the help of the Divine Mother Death. So She is very important in the work and we could talk about more of the practices involved in working with this force, this liberatory energy.
Divine Mother Nature (Malkuth)
We have the Divine Mother Nature who is the creator, sustainer, and maintainer of our physicality. Divine Mother Nature helps us in jinn science, in magic, in theurgy, in the act of placing our physical body into the fourth dimension. This is jinn science.
She is the lever, Divine Mother Nature, or fulcrum of Archimedes who said, "Give me a lever of support and I will move the universe." So, jinn science, unlike astral projection, is when you, in a sleepy state, meditate upon your Divine Mother Nature, the originator of your physical body, so that she can take you in your physical body into the internal planes. So rather than leaving your body behind, you enter the fourth dimension, traveling in hyperspace.
This is the significance of many myths in different world traditions where monks, priests, prophets, masters, were seen flying, traveling through the air, passing through walls, appearing and disappearing, levitating. Every world tradition and religion teaches these symbols or these truths, which are not in fact a symbol, but how through tremendous discipline and work with the Divine Mother Nature, one could conquer the fourth dimension, enter those states.
The most memorable of them all that comes to mind, to my memory is the Prophet Muhammad, who was meditating at the stone of Kaaba, Mecca, in which he fell asleep and was taken with his physical body upon a mystical creature called Al-Buraq, which had the form or body of a donkey, the wings of a great bird, the tail of a peacock, and the face of a woman.
If you are familiar with the Egyptian sphinx, with the paws of a lion, the hooves of a bull, the wings of an eagle, and the face of a man, or a woman better said, you find that the Egyptian sphinx is paralleled in the ascension of Prophet Muhammad. And that is a symbol of Divine Mother Nature. She is the one who organizes the elements in our psyche and in our body. The fire of our heart, our emotions; the air of our thoughts; the waters of our sexuality; and the earth of our body.
This is a feat that we can accomplish in ourselves if we work with jinn science. And we have practices that we are going to relate in some resources we have available online.
Elemental Enchantress (Yesod)
We have the Elemental Enchantress relating to Yesod, our vital energies. She is known as the Eemental Instinctual Female Magi. She is our Divine Mother that works with Yesod. We can invoke Her and work with Her to perform sexual magic, which is alchemy, which is tantra, transmutation.
Samael Aun Weor mentioned in
The Three Mountains how he saw his Elemental Enchantress in the form of a pygmy, the form of a fairy: a beautiful elemental soul. So all the elements have soul, including minerals, plants, animals, and the Divine Elemental Enchantress, our Divine Mother. This aspect of our Divine Mother works with the creatures of nature and She is the sexual force. She aids us in becoming elemental in nature: purified, simple. She also helps us to enter back into Eden. עֵדֶן Eden is a Hebrew word that means “bliss.” It is the state of the soul that we lost when we created desire, by disobeying the commandments of our Being.
This female magi helps us return to Eden, which we do so through alchemy, sexual knowledge, transmutation. She helps us with different forms of magic such as ceremonial magic, relating to the astral body, Hod on the Tree of Life, the emotions. She also helps us with elemental magic relating to Netzach, the mind, the souls of plants. And She helps us with sexual magic, Yesod.
Magic is the ability of the consciousness to exert will upon nature, to influence it. It doesn't mean that we pull rabbits out of hats. It means that we control all of the components of our psyche.
The elementals of nature, in relating to the plant kingdom, never left Eden. Those souls that enter the animal kingdom eventually lose Eden in themselves because of desire, the animal method of procreation. This is why in Gnosis we work with plants. We work with plant magic. We command the souls of plants to vibrate with our level of being and to elevate ourselves, but also to help humanity, because every plant in nature is a mechanism that can reflect divine force. All plants have their purposes. This is very well known in different forms of medicine: Ayurveda, holistic forms of treatments. But in Gnosis, we study plant magic, because it is extremely effective for influencing humanity in a conscious and beneficial way.
I invite you to reflect upon some of the resources we have available in order to learn to work with our Divine Mother. Pretty much all the books of Samael Aun Weor teach us how to work with Devi Kundalini. You can learn about jinn science, especially in
The Yellow Book. But alchemy is covered extensively in The Perfect Matrimony, The Mystery of the Golden Flower.
At this point in time, I would like to invite you to ask questions.
Questions and Answers Question: If we have had experiences when our Divine Mother will not see us in the astral plane, does that mean that we have too much lust? Instructor: I think that might depend on the person, but in my experience when my Divine Mother has not been able to find me it is because I am too asleep. I had an experience, also a long time ago, in which my Divine Mother approached me with a radar in her hand, and She said with a lot of concern, pointing towards the screen, “I can't find you!” So usually in radar, you see a green line that goes around the circumference, the radius spins like a wheel, and there is a little blip that will appear when you find some kind of naval ship or aircraft or whatever. So my Divine Mother was showing me this symbol and saying, “I can't find you” because I wasn't being awake enough.
So obviously it could be in relation to lust, because obviously any ego puts us to sleep. But most especially if we give in to lust, desire, fornication. It could mean that we are very asleep, because we waste the energies that are going to awaken us.
Question: Is the word Devi relating to the word divine? Instructor: Yes, there is that their connotation. Devi also relates to deva, goddess, such as the devas of nature, the great elemental queens who govern the plant kingdoms, all those divine intelligences of the physical and internal worlds. Question: Is the Innermost, inner Being, both the Divine Mother and the Divine Father? Instructor: In Kabbalah, strictly speaking, the Innermost, our Being, is the Divine Father, known as חֶסֶד Chesed in Hebrew. Chesed is the seventh sephirah from the bottom to the middle of the diagram. Chesed means “Mercy” and he is the spirit, the immortal spark of divinity in us. The Innermost is a child of the Divine Mother, Binah, the Holy Spirit. So in very intuitive logic, we can say that Osiris and Isis in Egyptian mythology represent Father-Mother within Binah, masculine-feminine, and their synthesis or child is Horus—Horus, the light, because in Hebrew אוֺר Aur means “light.” Horus is the gold of the spirit, because even in spanish, oros means “gold.” So the Spirit, Chesed, emerges from Binah, the Holy Spirit. Question: Is it possible that our Divine Mother is guiding us, but we are unaware of it? Instructor: Absolutely! I would say in reality that, in our work, She is with us all the time, but we just don't see Her. We are not aware of Her because we are not paying attention. The way that you figure that out is by awakening in meditation and also learning to remember that presence in yourself, moment by moment. Obviously astral experiences can help us to have more clarity, because then we recognize the same intuitive principle or feeling. That premonition we have in dreams is the exact reflection of our daily life. That is something that gives us faith. We start to see more and more that our Divine Mother is really with us all the time, but we are just stubborn. We don't recognize Her presence because we don't pay attention. In the example I provided of my Divine Mother getting in my car, you know, I didn't even realize what was happening, even when physically I got out of my car and got into the passenger seat. And hen immediately afterward, I understood the symbolism of that experience, and the same quality that I had in the dream related to what I was going through in that ordeal physically. That gave me a lot of inspiration, a lot of joy, even when my mind was terrible. So She is with us all the time, but we have to learn to recognize Her. Question: Can you please elaborate on this prayer? “Be thou O Hadit, my secret, the Gnostic mystery of my Being, the central point of my connection, my heart itself, and bloom on my fertile lips made Verb!” Also, what is the significance and the best time to use this prayer? Instructor: So who is Hadit? Hadit in Egyptian mythology can relate to the Holy Spirit, who is our “secret,” the thread, the intelligent intuitive guidance of our conscience, “the Gnostic mystery of our Being,” who is infinitely profound and “the central point of our connection.” So remember that when you are self-remembering and self-observing, you have to remember the connection of your spirit within your pineal gland and your heart. Self-remembrance is a thread that you have to hold on to. It is the thread of Ariadne in the Greek mysteries, when I believe Theseus went into the labyrinth to fight the Minotaur, and it was a vast labyrinth in the caves of that underground kingdom, so that he could find his way back because the thread would point to him where he came from. That central thread or point is our Divine Mother, because we have to remember the thread of our experiences: the continuity of our self-remembrance, our mindfulness, the state of self-remembrance and being moment by moment.
That is our heart. It is what gives us life, following our intuition, not our intellect, but our heart. In that way She can bloom our lips made fertile, made verb. To be fertile in lips is to be transmuting your sexual energy. Our speech is empowered by the sexual creative force, and She manifests in our words when we are intuitive, when we reflect on Her qualities in our daily life moment by moment. We can use this prayer anytime we meditate. It is especially wonderful in sexual alchemy when you remember the presence of your Divine Mother, when you approach the forge in which the Kundalini is tempered and awakened.
Question: When we take a spouse, are we unifying the divine and masculine energies in a way that affects or breaks the heart of the Divine Mother, when we realize that we are not in the right marriage? Are we affecting these divine forces? Instructor: Obviously, adultery is a very painful thing, but also, being that we are asleep, we do make mistakes. Anytime we mix sexual energy with people of the opposite sex, we adulterate our consciousness and we weaken our conscience. So knowing who your partner should be or whom you should be with, the thing to remember is that we have to make good choices, to not get in those situations, to not jump into relationships without prudence, without testing our grounds.
But also, the thing to remember is that if one is in a committed relationship and one feels that doubt, that pain, or that sentiment or feeling that one is in a wrong relationship, one should really meditate profoundly, because any type of sexual connection is very serious, is very profound. It creates a type of signature in the astral plane, a type of marriage of forces which we can't ignore, which is eternal. I would say, anytime we disobey our Divine Mother, especially in sex, yes, we make Her suffer a lot. We have made our Divine Mother suffer tremendously by having so many partners and not waiting for the one person to work with in accordance with our karma or with the law. So that is a very delicate thing to discriminate and understand and it is always going to be very personal. While I can't give you a thorough answer in terms of who is the right partner for you, obviously, that is something you have to spend a lot of time reflecting on. So yes, we do affect our divine forces when we enter a sexual relationship without love, because love is what regenerates the soul, not lust.
Question: Why is Ram-IO such an important mantra? Especially in relation with masculine and feminine energies? Instructor: Mary in Hebrew is Miriam. You spell Mary backwards, you have RAM-IO. RAM or the RAM, is a symbol of Christ: the sexual creative fire that anoints the initiates, which particularizes and develops the pure unity of the soul. Mar or mer in French means “sea,” the sea of IO, or the ram of IO, the child of the Divine Mother. RAM-IO is an important Mantra because it works with Christ, the solar energies, and with our waters. It transmutes, we could say, or invokes very high forces in us, because mar or mer is the sea from which the solar gods emerge. And IO, if you studied Greek mythology, has many representations as a beautiful feminine figure, whom I believe Zeus pursued out of desire and love. Many kabbalistic symbols there, which you can study on our websites, but in synthesis RAM-IO is important because it is a seed mantra: IO, that works with the Divine Mother. Question: You said that our Divine Mother can manifest in other ways besides in our dreams. Does this mean that she can take form in other people from time to time when facing ordeals? Can you elaborate on that? Instructor: The answer is yes. Samael Aun Weor mentioned many times and asks this question: How many times has your Divine Mother appeared unto you, O disciple, without you even knowing it, even physically? In the example I provided where I was in the car at Starbucks, my wife was expressing her Divine Mother and even my Divine Mother too, because She is universal, in order to guide me and say, “Let me take the wheel.” My Divine Mother and the Divine Mother of my wife was acting physically, so she became the vehicle of expression of that, so that I could face the ordeal and pass it, to comprehend it. She can take form in other people and manifests anywhere, everywhere, at any time, because she is universal. She is space, but she can appear and manifest in any human being that is either prepared or has enough space to reflect that principle. Question: Is there any prayer to the Divine Mother that you prefer during sexual magic? Instructor: Well, that is obviously going to be personal to each one of us. Obviously if you are practicing in alchemy, you and your partner—or if your spouse is not into Gnosis—that is something that you will have to gauge in yourself; but obviously, if both partners are practicing in alchemy, they should work and could work with other mantras that help with different functions, such as Kandil Bandil Rrrrr: the mantra to awaken the Kundalini. Or, IAO to transmute the sexual energy.
Or to annihilate the ego, Krim, to invoke the Divine Mother Death. So I invite you to experiment if you are married. Try the different mantras to see what helps you most at a given time, because different mantras have different purposes.
Question: Please discuss the origin of the reference to Mother Nature. And what is your perspective on why certain religions dismiss the significance of the Divine Mother and or cast blame like the Adam and Eve story? Instructor: So, Mother Nature is the originator of our body. Even the word in Latin, mater, meaning mother, is the matter of our body. So the spirit, the divine masculine, impregnates matter in order to give birth to Christ; the pure virgin matter or mother who represents the body that is purified through transmutation, so as to give birth to a perfect soul, the Christ, the Son of Man. So these are symbols that represent different degrees and steps in the path of initiation, which you can read about in the course The Path of Initiation on Glorian.org, but also what you can study in our course called The Secret Path of Initiation.
As for why religions dismiss the significance of the Divine Mother, it is because religions degenerate with time. And those who are in power were men. Therefore, those men decided to make religion reflect their tastes. So that is why many beautiful traditions, which are very rich and profound and even feminist, in a sense that the divine feminine is respected, those aspects of those traditions were gutted out, because it did not, or better said, it was a basis of interpretation for persecuting and discriminating against women, which is sad. But when you know Kabbalah, you don't get confused, and do not let any type of patriarchal narrative or dogmatic patriarchy influence our readings.
Question: Could you elaborate on the Kali Ma? Is this an aspect of Kali? Instructor: Kali Ma, or better said Kali, is the goddess of death. And Kali is dual. In heaven above She is the Divine Mother Death who eliminates desire, the ego. But if we fornicate, if we adulterate, if we expel the creative energies, then that force of Kali produces the death the soul through Kali Ma, the queen of the infernos. She becomes the tail of the demons, the inverted serpent Kundabuffer.
So there are two ways to die: through initiation or through the second death. The ego must be eliminated either way. But if you wish to acquire development in our spirit, we work with the Divine Mother Death in the positive sense, removing the ego here and now in meditation, through alchemy, so that we can ascend the Tree of Life. But those people who don't want to eliminate the ego on their own, let themselves be swallowed by nature, meaning by hell, so that they are recycled and disintegrated by the devolving serpent Kali Ma, the inverted aspect of the Divine Mother Death in hell.
Question: What can we do to be good children to our Divine Mother? How do we take care of Her? Instructor: We are a good child when we perform the three factors with fidelity. Comprehend the ego, eliminate it, act virtuously, and serve humanity. That is how we earn graces from our Divine Mother Kundalini, and we take care of Her when we are chaste. If we are not saving our sexual energy, we are abusing the Divine Mother, committing a crime. So take care of Her by conserving your sexual energy, transmuting it through many beautiful exercises such as pranayama, runes, sacred rites of rejuvenation, meditation. Take care of Her by working on your mind, eliminating desire. Question: Is our personal Divine Mother or Father working in collaboration with other people's Divine Mothers and Fathers in order to put us in the situations we need for a development? Instructor: The answer is yes. Obviously divinity is at a level that is omniscient. All of the divine beings of the Absolute in the Tree of Life, those who have already done the work in past lives, obviously those monads are developed and know how to work in an intelligent manner. But our Divine Father and Divine Mother, even at a level of a beginner, works with the law, works with karma, negotiates karma for us and works with other solar divinities in order to help us. So all of that is determined with intelligence, because Binah is the intelligence of all the divinities in the universe. So that universal intelligence is pervasive, is cosmic. So, that wisdom is universal, not particular, within in one person only, but is manifested in many masters. Question: I have had experiences with my Divine Mother in lucid dreams. I have also had experiences in this three-dimensional world that reminded me of my Divine Mother. Can our personal Divine Mother work through others or precipitate in the three-dimensional world, or is this a different aspect of the Divine Mother? Instructor: So yes, the Divine Mother, our individual Being, Binah, can work through other people. Like in that example of being in the car at Starbucks, my wife, like in the dream I had that morning, said “Let me take the wheel.” So my Divine Mother and her Divine Mother were working together to help me get out of a mess, to help me not make a mistake. So I am deeply indebted to my Being. And the Divine Mother can manifest physically in a material form. But that is usually performed through certain exercises of invocation and high magic which you can read about in Esoteric Medicine and Practical Magic . Question: Do these personal Divine Parents have their Divine Mother and Father? Instructor: We can say that the Tree of Life describes the different hierarchies of being. Our inner Father is Chesed, the spirit, the Innermost In Kabbalah. His Divine Father and Mother is Binah, the Holy Spirit. And so, whether or not Binah has a father and mother, we could say in a very profound sense, yes, because the trinity of the top of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life emanates from the Ain Soph. Samael Aun Weor even mentions that the Ain Soph is Father and Mother, in profound synthesis. So there are levels of hierarchy of light, which is why the Qur’an states in Surah Al-Nur, "Light upon light!” Levels of Being—different unfoldments of one perfection. Question: Can you speak about the secret path of the heart? How can someone who is highly intellectual begin to open their heart? Is it essential to return to childhood trauma? As a man, I find it difficult to cry sometimes and show emotion. What can I do to heal? Is crying necessary? I am often encouraged to by my loved ones. What are your thoughts? Instructor: The secret path of the heart unfolds through sincerity. Usually with our intellect, we like to justify or repress our psychological state, to not look at the reality and the facts even if it is very traumatic. We know from counseling and trauma that early childhood trauma has an energetic impact, conditions the psyche. And because it is so painful to look at that event, the mind defends itself and represses or hides that experience within the subconsciousness. And I would say yes, in reality, to understand trauma and overcome it, one has to cry, because there is a tension in the psyche that is so painful and so enmeshed that it manipulates all of our actions in our conscious mind, usually without our awareness. But in order to really confront our defects and those traumas, we have to really be willing to break apart, whether it is from remorse, or whether from comprehension, because Samael Aun Weor mentions that in the work of the death of the ego and the work upon trauma, if we really understand our defects in depth, we will cry, because it is painful.
So it's necessary. We have a course that is going to elaborate more and more upon how to work practically with trauma. It is called Spiritual and Mental Health. We have one lecture up there already where you can learn from some professional as well as spiritual advice, about how to work practically with facing these types of conditions and the ways to heal. So there are many practices that explain how to do that.
Question: If we have an experience in nature particularly with animals, which aspect of the Divine Mother is that? Nature or Enchantress, or both? Instructor: I would say both, because animals belong to nature, but really, animal nature is defined by instinct: the Elemental Enchantress. So it is important not to think of the Divine Mother as separate from these different aspects. They are really expressions and unfoldments of one light, our divine feminine nature. So there are different principles that manifest in different ways in accordance with the sephiroth and the internal bodies, but all of it interrelates and connects with each other. Question: Are there specific practices or mantras that coincide with each vice? If so, can you list one routine for each one? Instructor: I wouldn't say that we have separate mantras or practices necessarily for different defects. Really the best practice to comprehend and eliminate our vices is retrospection meditation. But there are exercises that help to gain enough stability and concentration and serenity by which to work effectively in retrospection. For example, if your heart is afflicted with anger, it is good to work with the mantra O, to saturate the heart with positive force. Or if we are afflicted with lust, we can transmit our sexual energy so that we have enough control and stability by which to approach lust in our mind. So I wouldn't say there's a practice for each of the seven vices, we could say, but you do find throughout the literature of Samael Aun Weor different practices to help treat anger. For example, like I related about the Starbucks experience: I was doing deep breathing to control my anger. That is something that the master gives in the book Introduction to Gnosis: the lessons he provides there, so that you can let anger subside so that you can work on the mind, which is what I was doing in that experience. Question: If we experience the ordeal of Direne and failed, will this mistake cause our Divine Mother and Father to renounce us for the rest of this lifetime? Instructor: That really depends. That depends upon the magnitude of the fault. How much energy is invested in lust. Obviously, if one fails the ordeal of Direne and commits adultery, obviously, there is going to be a lot to repair, if that can be repaired at all, in terms of a relational standpoint with one's spouse. Because if divinity asks you to work with one partner and we betray our spouse, obviously, there is going to be a lot of karma involved that it is going to be more difficult to unfold. Whether or not that will be forgiven is something particular to each case, because karma is very intricate and particular to each person. That is something that only your Divine Mother and Divine Father could show you from experience. Question: I have had many experiences in my time on this path, often times when the experiences begin, my mind truly struggles to understand, how it is possible, or whether I am worthy to experience these things? What could be done to help this? Instructor: Well, the solution is: reflect on your heart and your sincerity. Sincerity is the virtue that opens the door to experience. When we truly repent of our errors, not because we want to have samadhis or experiences out of craving and desire, but because we want to change our behavior, when we change our ethical behavior and conduct, we start to see results in our daily life. That is when we become worthy to receive very high initiations or experiences. It is something that has to be earned.
Now all of us without exception feel despair at times, where we feel the pain and realization that we are so afflicted with ego that we don't know what to do. And this is a trial and trauma of the soul, a great drama or path of difficulty every one of us has to face. All of us have our own cross to bear, but the reality is that there is forgiveness in the law and it
is possible. But we have to really earn it, and that means suffering a lot to the extreme, if necessary. Because when we go through pain and hardship, and feel that this work may be beyond our reach, and we realize that if we don't change, that we are going to suffer more, then we work regardless of the result. We do it because of love, without attachment to the fruit of our deeds. It is when you act in this way, without expectation, and practice in this way without expectation, that is when we really start to receive help internally. We gain experiences. So it is possible.
Personally, from my past lives, I do not deserve to be helped. I have committed terrible crimes, and I remember them with lucidity. So it is painful, and I have had to really weep a lot and pray for my Divine Mother to help, because without Her we are lost. But it is precisely at that breaking point in which she enters as light, and we have to be willing to receive that intelligence, primarily by facing extreme hardship. We face and overcome defeatism by meditating on those egos that complain that say, “I can't do this work. I am not good enough. I'm not worthy.” Your Divine Mother knows best, so rely on Her judgment, not on doubt. Doubt is one thing. Despair and morbidity is one thing, but remorse is something else. So all doors are closed to the unworthy except the door of repentance, and we show repentance by our deeds, our actions.
Question: Can you speak about how to use the rune Yr and how that works with our Divine Mother when working in sexual alchemy? Instructor: So the rune Yr is the opposite of the rune Man, and if you are familiar with the hippie symbol of peace, it is the rune Yr. The rune Man is upright and Man is a representation of the masculine sexual force. So when you join those two runes together, Yr and Man, you form the rune Hagal, and Hagal is a swastika, the cross in motion. And that cross in motion works profoundly when we are married, working in alchemy.
So, about different prayers you can do, mantras associated with the rune Yr. I believe you mentioned some of them: "Terrifying king of the sea, thou who has the keys of the floodgates of heaven and who does, can find the subterranean waters within the cavern of the earth. " There are some beautiful prayers that relate to different teachings, but in simple forms, you work with the rune Yr and Man together when you are working in alchemy, because man and woman together form the six pointed star, the cross in motion. We do it by considering the sexual force and circulating it through mantra.
Question: How is the mantra KRIM used for help with breaking down food? Does this transmute the sexual energy from the food? Instructor: The mantra KRIM is the force of destruction. It breaks down elements to extract the synthesis. So in the same way that you break down food when you masticate, eat the food and break down the material so that you can extract its nutrients, the mantra KRIM also helps us to annihilate the ego. So it takes the sexual power and directs it towards the annihilation of the self. Question: Hey, good evening. I wanted to ask you about that experience that you told us about at the Starbucks. And I understand like how you said, that you became aware of your anger, but I was kind of wondering, if you could or would share how or explain a little bit about how for you specifically, you had some comprehension? Because, a lot of times I am aware of a lot of things in myself, but I don't comprehend them and I don't understand, kind of, what it is to comprehend them. But I wish I could give you an example right now of what I mean, but I just was wondering if you could explain a little bit about how that felt to you, like to comprehend that moment? Instructor: Great question. Comprehension is a spark. It is really a profound state of being in which we say, “Aha!” in the sense, like, “I finally see something I never saw before!” It is alert novelty. Comprehension is a type of energy that is like a lightning bolt. It shocks the consciousness, not in a detrimental way, but in an elevating way. When we comprehend an ego, we are liberated in the moment, because we see how that fault operates and conditions us. When you comprehend an ego, you are extracting the essence trapped in it, and then through prayer, the Divine Mother can eliminate it.
So in the example I gave you about being at Starbucks, what happened was that when my wife took the car, the wheel, when I got in the passenger seat, I suddenly understood in an instant, with a great shock, that I am going through exactly what I dreamed about this morning. And it was a really brilliant moment of lucidity, of clarity, and inspiration, because when we comprehend our dreams and how they relate to physical life, you feel inspired. So while I was struggling against my own mind to control it, I realized that I was being helped in this ordeal. And in that way, I felt enough peace and serenity to continue working on my mind in that instant because, you know, I knew that my Divine Mother was with me.
That is an understanding and a confidence you develop through alert novelty: being aware of the instant, but also paying attention to your dreams and reflecting on their meaning. And sometimes, the comprehension emerges without thinking about it. You do not plan it or expect it. It just suddenly comes to you when your mind is clear, when you are observing. When your imaginative screen of awareness, your intellect is at peace, you can reflect the insight in your superior intellectual center. It just comes to you. But we have to be receptive as an intellect and active as a consciousness as we explained in our former lecture, if that makes sense.
Question: Yeah, so comprehension doesn't necessarily mean that you understand why you are doing what you are doing. It's just more that you kind of are just very conscious of the moment and the choices and the ability to take control again or something like that? Or to make different choices? You know what I mean? Instructor: Yes, there are levels of comprehension. So in that moment, I understood that I needed to get into the passenger seat and to meditate right there, so that I can go deeper and understand those egos that acted. So I knew in the moment that I had to continue being serene and then, when I was really concentrated, I understood four egos that I needed to eliminate. So, light upon light, level upon level, if that answers your question. Audience: Yes. Thank you. Instructor: You're welcome. Question: Thank you for the lecture. I was wondering about... So I am looking at Deuteronomy 11. This is the part where Moses is recalling, asking the Israelites to recall everything that has happened as they go into the land of Canaan or into the new lands, and this happens many times. I am just going to use one verse. This happens many times throughout this whole section. “You must love the Lord your God and always obey his Commandments, decrees, regulations, and requirements to create regulations and commands.” When “you mentioned his requirements,” is this an interpretation of the Bible where “his” has been... that's not what the Hebrew meant, or is this referring to Chesed, which is a masculine aspect? Because of many “He” and “His” in this section. Instructor: Yeah. I am not entirely familiar about the Hebrew in that passage, but if you go into the actual Hebrew transliteration, you will find more answers. You know, this is the value of knowing Kabbalah, so that when you look at the original Hebrew script, you can interpret what names of God are being used. So obviously, אל El in Hebrew is Chesed, the spirit, and there are degrees of expression of divinity, which are mapped out by the different Hebrew sacred names of God, which we study in our courses of Kabbalah. So if you are familiar with that you can go through those verses and see what name of God is being used. So every time you see God mentioned in English, you should look towards the original language to see what sacred name of divinity is really being referenced here, to get more clarity. If that make sense. Audience: Here in a paragraph it's like "He" is mentioned like five, six times. In actuality this could be five different references that go beyond just the word "He." Instructor: Yeah, that is why we have to know what the Hebrew is telling us, because that original script is going to give us the most depth of understanding. So you have to really meditate and judge what you are reading from the original. Audience: Okay. Thank you. Instructor: You're welcome.
The sincere student of Gnosis, of esotericism, studies and understands the nature and the functionalism of the mind, primarily with the purpose of controlling its impulses, its habits, its conditioning. We seek to understand the mind so that it can become a useful instrument of our Spirit, our Innermost God, our divinity. And a real esotericist, an occultist, someone who “cultivates the hidden,” precisely goes against him or herself, the mind itself, the intellect.
The intellect must serve the Spirit. It must not be of its own will. It must not act of its own will, and anyone who begins to meditate looks inside to see how the intellect is filled with thoughts, habits, desires, concepts, etc.
These qualities are as the Book of Genesis teach, תהו ובהו
Tohu Vay Bohu, “formless and void… for there is darkness upon the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2), which is precisely our psyche. Our psychology is that darkness, filled with ignorance, delusion, suffering.
So we seek to generate light, יהי אור ויהי־אור
Yehi Aur Va-Yehi Aur: “Let there be light, and there was light” (Genesis 1:3), as we explained in Arcanum 3: The Empress of the Tarot.
So we have to go against ourselves, to study ourselves, and to wage a very difficult battle against our defects, but more importantly, our instincts, desires, habits, etc., which in these studies we denominate ego, self, “I,” etc.
Arcanum 7 teaches us precisely this path of warfare, which the Muslims refer to as
jihad, or better said, the Arabic مجاهده Mujahidah, which means “striving,” to strive against, to make effort against oneself. For as the companions asked the Prophet Muhammad, after the Battle of Badr I believe, they asked him “Oh Muhammad, what is greater than the lesser holy war, that against others?” He said, “War against your desires, your impulses.”
So the intellect in itself is a useful vehicle that can store information necessary for our development and our potential. But the intellect is merely a machine. It does not know how to do anything except through the impulses or guidance of our ego, or our divinity.
Arcanum 7 teaches us how to strive, how to fight against our own inner iniquity, in order to develop the qualities of the Spirit. Precisely we do that by conquering the mind, and in this image we see a warrior, wielding a sword in his right hand, and a staff in his left.
As we have expressly stated in this course, the staff is the spinal medulla, the spinal column, through which the power of the sword, the Kundalini power, rises from the Chakra Muladhara to the brain. Or in Hebrew we use the letter ז Zayin.
We talked previously about the letter ו Vav, the spine, but we need to work with ז Zayin as well. ו Vav is man, ז Zayin is woman, male-female―also referring to the two energetic channels that rise from the Chakra Muladhara to our brain. We have the solar current known as Adam אדם in the Bible, we have the lunar current known as חוה Chavah (Eve) in the bible.
So they represent for us qualities or forces that we need to raise up our spine, from sex, the sexual organs, to the brain. We do that in a matrimony specifically, as we teach, but individually we can learn to harness those powers and potencies, through specific meditations.
So this warrior is our own Inner Being, our own Spirit, who through the power of the Kundalini in his right hand, he dominates his enemies, who are precisely all of the defects we carry inside: anger, pride, resentment, fear, lust, anger, gluttony, egotism, degeneration, etc. So he is our Spirit who wants to conquer the mind, to control it, to use it for the purposes of the light, our own inner divinity.
He drives in his chariot of war two sphinxes, one white, one black, referring to occult masonry, יכין Jachin, בעז Boaz. The pillar of the right, יכין Jachin, mercy, man. The pillar of the left, black, בעז Boaz, severity, woman. So he drives his chariot, which is precisely our body, our vehicles that we also use in dreams as well, in the dream state, precisely through his will and by working with those two forces, masculine-feminine.
So the body is a chariot, which we have to learn how to channel forces inside, so that our divinity can manifest in us, can work through us specifically. The sphinx also reminds us of Arcanum 4. We talked about the four elements. The sphinx is a creature with four elemental qualities: the face of a man, representing water, the paws of a lion representing fire, the wings of an eagle representing air, and the tail or the hooves of a bull representing earth.
That Spirit must conquer all of the elements that we carry inside. Our physical body is the earth. Our mind with its aerial qualities is thought, which fluctuates like clouds, according to Padmasambhava in his Buddhist scripture,
The Tibetan Book of the Dead [Introduction to Awareness]. We also find that the heart is a fiery quality, igneous quality. We can burn with passion, with emotional sentiment, with anger or with love. So the fire of the heart is precisely what power we have to control as well. And the waters of our energies, our sexuality, our seminal matter literally, is the waters of life, which we can use to create Genesis inside, to create light through the process of alchemy.
This warrior, our inner Spirit, which we explained is חסד Chesed in the Kabbalah, he drives his chariot with four pillars in the background, which remind us of the four pillars of Gnosis, which we gave a course previously a few months past [Fundamentals of Gnosticism]: the pillars of science, mysticism, art, philosophy. These are the pillars or traditions through which this knowledge has been taught, and our own inner Spirit teaches us through these four pillars.
These four pillars can also refer to the four lower bodies of our inner psychology, but also the Tree of Life. To skip ahead to the next image we find this famous kabbalistic glyph with its ten spheres or Sephiroth. We are speaking about our own inner Spirit, חסד Chesed, who is the seventh sephirah from the bottom of the Tree of Life, referring to the warrior of Arcanum 7: Triumph, the chariot of war.
So we find that the Spirit must work through גבורה Geburah, his divine consciousness, represented in Hebrew as ז Zayin, the woman, the feminine soul. He exercises his willpower, תפארת Tiphereth, as we have explained previously, through ו Vav, the spine, which is the sixth sephirah on the Tree of Life, but also the sixth Hebrew letter.
The four lower bodies are precisely נצח Netzach, which means “Victory,” and it is interesting that this Arcanum relates to victory, to control the mind―specifically since נצח Netzach is the seventh sephirah from the top to the bottom of the Tree of Life, whereas חסד Chesed is the seventh sephirah from מלכות Malkuth to the center of the Tree of Life.
But the Spirit must learn to control נצח Netzach, the mind, thought, in order to obtain victory, to conquer him or herself. Likewise we have הוד Hod, the emotional qualities of our heart, the astral body, known as הוד Hod in Kabbalah, “Glory.” נצח Netzach of course is the mental vehicle, the mental body. We use these astral and mental mechanical vehicles in dreams, when we travel many places in the dream state, usually without any cognizance of our experiences, but this is what we act in the world of dreams.
We have יסוד Yesod, our vitality, our vital energies, our sexual energy itself, which descends in order to manifest within מלכות Malkuth, our physical body. יסוד Yesod means “Foundation.” This is the cubic stone of the Kabbalists, the cubic stone of יסוד Yesod, the foundation of our temple.
And then מלכות Malkuth is of course is the physical body, the earth.
So our inner Spirit, this warrior who drives his chariot, precisely accomplishes his mission, his goal, by learning to control these vehicles, mind, heart, energy, physicality.
We see that above his head there is a sun, reminding us of the God Osiris-Ra, which is a symbol of Christ, the Christic energy. And this Christic energy is precisely at the heart of every atom, every molecule, every particle of existence, but also importantly in our sexual energy, our sexual matter, which is the water of Genesis.
When husband and wife work with their energies themselves, when they learn to love one another with purity, with divinity, with remembrance of God, that energy gives birth to the soul, gives birth to the full manifestation of our potential. This is the meaning of:
בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָֽרֶץ
So the earth of course is our physical body, but also refers to higher vehicles we create in the perfect matrimony, where Genesis is precisely hidden within this act of striving. We talked very abundantly about, אלהים ברא בראשית
Bereshit Bara Elohim, that meaning in Genesis in our former lectures.
But here the warrior Spirit is the one who must conquer the lower qualities of himself, and what is the purpose of that? The Being, our divinity, as we have explained in previous lectures, emerged from that unknowable source known as the Absolute. So we can study the Tree of Life as a map of our consciousness to help explain all the levels of existence, but also our consciousness in materiality.
So we have explained some of these lower vehicles previously, but from the Absolute, known as אין Ain, אין סוף Ain Soph, אין סוף אור Ain Soph Aur―meaning the “Nothingness, the “Limitless,” and the “Limitless Light”―emerges our own inner כתר Kether, the Magician of the Tarot, the first card. From him unfolds חכמה Chokmah, which is “Wisdom.” כתר Kether means “Crown,” and then בינה Binah is representative of “Intelligence,” wisdom, “Understanding,” cognizance.
This is the famous trinity of Christianity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. But it is not a reference to physical people, in an anthropomorphic sense. It refers specifically to forces in nature, energies, which we carry in our three brains.
We have the powers of the Father in the intellectual brain, meaning our center that operates thought. When we use the term brain in esotericism, we mean functionalities of psychic and physical forces, a machine. So the physical brain is the vehicle of the intellectual brain, which is the way we process thought, ideas, concepts.
We also have an emotional brain, because we have intelligences related to the heart, sentiments. It has been explored in science that the heart has certain qualities that can detect or intuit certain things that are very hard to explain by materialistic science, such as the capacity of intuition, specifically, to know something without thinking about it. So this is a very profound intelligence that we consciously develop in our studies.
And then we have the motor-instinctive-sexual brain, which is our center of movement, impulse and desire, within our sexual organs, the top of our spine, but also at the base of our spine as well.
The spine is the way that we act with willpower, and manifest the will of our inner divinity. So our motor-instinctive-sexual brain, the way we live, is precisely because of our spine, which is our Tree of Life, that which gives us life in our body. We could not exist if it were not for our spine.
The motor-instinctive-sexual brain relates to the powers of בינה Binah, which is known as the Holy Spirit, which we will be talking about very extensively today. The image above, the sun of Ra, the Solar Logos, the Christ, whose wings of the Spirit unfold in us as we work in a matrimony.
We see an image of four points, and an image that looks like a maze. This is a symbol of נצח Netzach, the mind, and anyone who begins to meditate understands that the mind is a maze. It is a labyrinth, which in the Greek myths were symbolized by, I believe, Theseus, who sought to kill the Minotaur within the labyrinths of Crete.
So that labyrinth is precisely the winding pathways of our intellect, thoughts, ideas, concepts, which in meditation, we introspect. We see that we have really a chaos, a disorder, which needs to be organized. That element of air must be dominated by our inner divinity. We have to go inside of the mind itself to slay the beast, which is our own defects, desires, the Minotaur symbolizing our ego.
This warrior wears precisely, according to Samael Aun Weor, armor, and the armor is the science that defends us against our own inner defects, but also the teachings that help to instruct us how to change, how to become super-divine individuals.
That armor is represented by Achilles, who is the great warrior who battled at Troy, a symbol of how we as a warrior must go against all of our desires and defects, to strive against our own inner iniquity, our hatred, our anger, our fear, our resentment. All of those qualities need to die.
We have to do it precisely by facing ourselves in meditation, and by working as husband and wife, working with Jachin-Boaz, the white sphinx and the black sphinx, the synthesis of those energies. We learn to dominate those elements to become magicians.
Question: Those―you just talked about those―on the left and the right, those… what do you call them? Horses?... Instructor: Sphinxes. Question: Sphinxes... That’s what you’re talking about: Ida and Pingala… working with the spinal column? Instructor: Yes, and so the words Ida-Pingala, are Sanskrit terms for these two energetic serpents that rise up the spine, to form the caduceus of Mercury, and those energies rise from our Chakra Muladhara to our brain, as we have explained in previous lectures.
But so this magician, this warrior, is precisely our Spirit, but also us, who needs to fight very hard against our animality, as we have explained previously. We have the Hebrew letter ז Zayin on the top right, which we will be talking about at the end of this lecture. Likewise some astrological symbols relating to Neptune and to Pisces, which we will be elaborating at the end.
Egyptian Mysticism and Self-Realization
So we explained that the Spirit wants to gain knowledge of himself. He descends from the top of the Tree of Life, down into more complicated levels of matter, energy and perception, until reaching finally this body מלכות Malkuth, represented in the myth of Pistis Sophia, who descends from the Thirteenth Aeon, the unknowable divinity, and enters into levels of matter. But the purpose is that the soul must return inward and upward, back to the source, back to the origin, with knowledge.
We have in the middle of this image, this glyph, Horus, Osiris and Isis. So to talk about the Seventh Arcanum of the Tarot, the law of seven itself, we talk about the meaning or the myth of Horus, Osiris and Isis. Horus is precisely our own inner Spirit, חסד Chesed, whom we have been talking about extensively. He is Horus, אור Aur, the “Light”, for when the book of Genesis states: יהי אור ויהי אור
Yehi Aur Va-Yehi Aur: “Let there be light, and there was light” (Genesis 1:3).
אור Aur is precisely our own inner Spirit, חסד Chesed, “Mercy” in Kabbalah, to translate directly from Hebrew. Horus is the son of Osiris and Isis, and again Osiris-Isis is a reference to the polarity of בינה Binah, which is masculine and feminine. This is the Holy Spirit.
That Holy Spirit is male-female, or if we look at the original Hebrew language, יהוה אלהים Jehovah Elohim, represents masculine-feminine, and as we talk about the creation of חוה Eve at the end of this lecture, we will see that יהוה אלהים Jehovah Elohim is masculine-feminine, male-female, represented by אלהים אב Abba Elohim and אלהים אם Aima Elohim, meaning male-female, Father-Mother.
So it is the mistake of certain Kabbalists who associate חכמה Chokmah, Christ, as the father, and בינה Binah, as חוה Eve the mother. We find both polarities of אלהים Elohim, יהוה Jehovah, in בינה Binah. אל El means God in Hebrew, אלה Eloah means Goddess, אלהים Elohim means Gods and Goddesses, and as we have talked previously, when a husband and wife unites sexually, they are a divine אלהים Elohim, who can generate light, inside.
אל El, אלה Eloah, אלהים Elohim―they are unified within that act. So Osiris-Isis is precisely above, representing the Holy Spirit, the Divine Father and the Divine Mother, whom we can experience in meditation, and through the practices of transmutation that we teach. And from that union of Father-Mother in בינה Binah, through the teachings of דעת Da’ath, sexual alchemy, we give birth to our Spirit, Horus, and our own inner Spirit Horus is the one who has to fight in us, to strive, to go against the grain of our habits.
We talk about this trinity, we say, in relation to the Seventh Arcanum. Horus has to go against, in the Egyptian mythology, against Seth, who are the red demons who oppose his mission. So going back to the image of the, or picturing the image of the Tarot of the Seventh Arcanum, this Spirit has to fight against Seth, a representation of ego, egotism, our own individual defects, so that by destroying those defects we liberate consciousness, we free consciousness, and generate more light, so that all of those parts of the soul that have been dispersed in animality and defects can be unified, so that light is pure, individual, integral. That is the meaning of religion, religare, “reunion” with divinity.
Osiris and Isis and Horus precisely want us to work, so the inspiration to want to study spirituality, precisely comes from the light, that wants us to study some type of knowledge that is going to help him to reunite all of the parts of the soul, or as Moses was accomplishing in the Middle East, to unite all of the people of Israel, Isis-Ra-El, all of the parts of Isis (the Divine Mother), Ra (the Divine Father), and El (which is Horus).
So Moses represents our willpower, as we have taught previously, the spinal column, the sixth letter of Kabbalah. And so Moses was teaching a very profound Egyptian knowledge, about how Horus must fight against Seth, all the egos we carry within.
Question: I kind of got mixed up here. Okay, חסד Chesed, the “light,” is that, did you say Horus, or is it… Instructor: Horus Question: H-O-R-U-S? Instructor: Yes Question: “The light”? Instructor: Yes, Horus is our inner Spirit, who is a spark of light that emanates from Isis-Osiris, Father-Mother. The Law of Seven
The number seven is interesting because it is the number of battles. Also, it is the number of organization, in principle. So we have the seven notes of the lyre of Orpheus, the seven chakras of the spinal medulla. We have seven colors of the solar prism, seven planets, seven Archangels, seven dimensions, seven bodies that we have to elaborate and create, represented by that Tree of Life on the left. We also have seven serpents of fire, Kundalini, rising up those seven bodies.
We also have the seven sacred utterances of Jesus on the cross, relating to the lower seven sephiroth of the Tree of Life:
מלכות Malkuth: “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.”
יסוד Yesod: “I thirst.”
הוד Hod: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
נצח Netzach: relating to, truly this day, the thief, speaking to the thief: “You will be with me in Paradise.”
And then speaking to John and Mary in תפארת Tiphereth, “Mother behold thy son! Son, behold thy mother!”
גבורה Geburah: relating to “It is finished.”
And of course, חסד Chesed: “Into thy hands I commend my Spirit,” because the Spirit is חסד Chesed.
So the path of Jesus was represented by Kabbalah, and if we do not study Kabbalah we cannot interpret his teaching. But that is something we will talk about in future courses, the seven utterances of Christ. But I just want to emphasize for you that the number seven is permeated within all religion, in every tradition.
It is the law that organizes, which Gurdjieff taught is known as the law of the Heptaparaparshinokh, a very interesting language from the internal planes that is used to denominate that law of organization.
Why does seven relate to the law of the Spirit, this battle against oneself? Precisely because the Spirit wants to organize the psyche, because if we look inside, as I mentioned to you, we are תהו ובהו
Tohu Vay Bohu, formless and void. We do not have light. We are ignorant. We lack insight. We suffer a lot and we want to know how to change our problems, to solve them.
We do that precisely by working with the law of seven, the law of the musical scale. So notice that we have seven notes, and on the right we have these notes listed in detail, in association with different types of human beings. So we can also organize all human beings in accordance with seven categories, relating to the seven notes, Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Si.
We talked about the three brains: the intellectual brain, the emotional brain and the brain of movement. Those brains, we tend to use one or another more than the others. We have a dispensation or crutch, based on our habits, that make us use one brain more than another. It is easy to see that some people are more intellectual, some are more emotional, some are more instinctual.
So these lower three types of people, we could say, inferior types of people who are not spiritual, they either think too much, they feel too much or they waste their energy. They are disorganized. They are chaotic. So we have to look in ourselves and see, “Which person am I? Am I intellectual, more so, or am I more emotional, or do I abuse my energies, my brain of movement?”―such as people who play sports, emotional people who are actors and actresses, and academics who are intellectual.
But these types of people do not really have light inside. To be brilliant intellectually does not mean to have divine intelligence. Neither to have strong sentiment, does it indicate that one is intuitional or divine. Because someone can control the body, physically, dominate the senses, such as with Fakirism, yet this does not signify spiritual willpower.
Those austerities that monks or yogis in the East, such as, there was a yogi that raised his hand for ten years and never let it down, as a testament of his willpower, to show that he could dominate his body. To have that type of willpower does not indicate that one is spiritual, because we need to learn to use the three brains in balance, and when we learn to control our psyche, we work with the fourth type of human being, which is related to the note Fa.
So the previous notes, Do-Re-Mi, and then there is a shock here in this image, transitioning from the intellectual type of person to the fourth type, which is a human being who is balanced, who has harmonized all three brains, who is in control of his thoughts, or her thoughts, feeling and action.
We also have exercises such as the runes in which we face the East and we pronounce certain prayers in a yogic posture. “Marvelous forces of love, revive my sacred fires, so that my consciousness will awaken!” We pronounce mantras, “Fa, Fe, Fi, Fo, Fu,” to activate the chakras, working with the seven notes, the seven mantras, to activate our spinal column and those energies.
So we find that with the Rune Fah, is what it is called, you make yourself in the position of the letter F, the Nordic letter F, which is the basis of many alphabets in the world. We do those type of exercises in order to spark [snaps fingers] our consciousness. We work with creative energy so that our mind and our psyche become balanced. We awaken our perception. We begin to understand the source of our mental problems, our emotional anguish, and even heal many diseases of the body.
Above that we have an individual who has created a solar astral body, someone who has a vehicle that they created in a matrimony. So most of us go in the astral plane at night. We fall asleep and dream at night that we are traveling in that dimension. We may have certain memories of experiences, but not really much cognizance. We tend to travel in those dimensions with lunar vehicles, as I have previously mentioned, vehicles that we receive from nature, which is why they are mechanical. They belong to nature. They are a type of matter or energy that is egotistical, not divine. So they look like phantoms: very black or dark, vaporous, not substantial. But if you meet a master who worked in a matrimony, who has created the solar astral body, they have light. A vehicle is like a light bulb that can transmit the light of divinity, as we have mentioned previously.
So the solar astral body is a luxury that few people have, because one has to create that body in a marriage with certain procedures.
The solar mental body is likewise a mind, a Christic mind that knows how to follow the concepts or the understanding of divinity, that does not rationalize, but is better said, intuitive. It can understand concepts instantaneously without having to deliberate or form a thesis and antithesis, good-bad, yes-no―mechanical type of thinking. And so the mental body is much more dynamic.
Above that we have a solar causal body, a body of willpower, in the world of Nirvana. So we have to be born in those higher dimensions, to be “born again of water and spirit,” as Jesus taught (John 3:5). So the solar astral body is הוד Hod, the solar mental body is נצח Netzach, the solar causal body is תפארת Tiphereth, our willpower, a body, that a soul, that has reached mastery, can incarnate and manifest, a very divine body, very holy and sacred, made from a marriage, as we have said.
So I do not want to go further into detail about this, but the law of seven organizes our psyche, our chakras, our bodies, who we are as an individual. We also see that there are seven lower sephiroth on the Tree of Life, and there is a trinity above. So the law of seven that organizes emerges from the law of three, the law of creation as we have mentioned.
Evolution, Devolution, and Spiritual Revolution
So as I said to you, the law of seven relates to struggle and battles against the ego, but also against sorcerers and demons who try to attempt to stop us in our work. When we talk about the musical scale and how to enter those higher worlds, those higher levels of being, it requires a certain effort, because nature does not automatically guarantee this process through the cycle of evolution.
Many people believe that through evolution we will develop spiritually, mechanically, without any type of willpower. We just go with the flow, but people confuse evolution with the force of devolution, which means to degenerate, to be destroyed.
If we have evolution, birth, life, sustenance, growth, you also have destruction, decay, degeneration, devolution. Most human beings are now in a state of devolution, entering to destruction, which is something we want to fight against very hard. Devolution relates to ego, anger, pride, resentment, vanity, all of those elements.
So we have to go into a type of revolution, to make a war against ourselves, in order to ascend that musical scale. It requires effort through meditation and practice, learning these exercises that we teach in this tradition, so that we learn to maintain the notes of the musical scale, because you may find that it is difficult to practice. We may try to meditate, day by day, and lose the interest or the impulse, the inspiration to do so. So there is a type of willpower needed, represented by the Hebrew letter ו Vav, the spine, the Sixth Arcanum.
So we must learn how to fortify our Spirit. It may surprise some people to think that we have to empower God. It may sound like a blasphemy. If the Being is the Being, why does he need us? Because we are מלכות Malkuth, the physical body, the soul in the physical body, and we are part of the divine. We have to cooperate as the head tells the foot to walk, to obey, to act.
And so the Spirit needs us. We have to do our part so that we can help develop the Being inside. So the Being is the Being, and is perfect, but we are part of him, and we have to learn to reunite with him, or her. This is the meaning of religion, as I said.
So the number seven is ordeals, difficulties, challenges, struggles, but it always ends in victory, in success. To receive the number seven in a dream is very good. It indicates you are facing certain challenges, but will overcome them. Paul of Tarsus, I believe stated in, 1 Corinthians, Chapter 10 verse 13, about the nature of temptation and trial, and that you will face certain ordeals but with victory in the end.
So you can refer to Arcanum 6, as we spoke previously.
Conquering the Elements
So the elements I said must be conquered in us. We study five elements, very famously we know, from alchemical tradition, which speaks about fire, air, water and earth, but also Akash. So these elements are known as:
These are Sanskrit terms. The Hindus, the yogis of the East, study this science very deeply, and use these Sanskrit terms to refer to the energies or modalities of forces within nature, which materialize into our physical elements. But more importantly for us, these elements are inside. We are composed of water, of fire, of air, of earth, and also most especially, the synthesis from which all of that emerges: Akash, the Ether.
We have different elemental creatures that dwell within the elements themselves, which are studied in certain European traditions and folk tales. We have the Salamanders of the fire, we have the Undines, Nereids, Mermaids of the waters, very well cited within, or the Sirens mentioned in
The Odyssey, the book of Homer.
You also have the Sylphs and Sylphids of the air, and the Gnomes and Pygmies of the earth.
These are elemental creatures or souls that are innocent, that have not reached the humanoid state yet through a process of transmigration. You can speak to the elementals in your meditations and have a face to face conversation in the astral plane, with plants or animals or elemental creatures themselves. They are innocent beings. They have not left עדן Eden yet, we can say.
But of course in the Akash, which is the fiery Ether, permeates all of space, a substance that is divine, and which we also carry in the Chakra Muladhara, which we also call Kundalini, or the Alchemists call הזאת Hazoth. So we must learn to work with these elements. We do so by keeping the Sabbath holy. The Jews practice the Sabbath, observances on Saturday to worship divinity through certain rituals and prayers. But if we go deeper, we find that שבת Shabbat related to בת-ש Shin-Beth. ב Beth we talked about in Arcanum 2 and relates to “house,” the house that you inhabit. We also talked about the solar bodies that the soul must learn to create, so that God can inhabit us, to manifest in us. ש Shin as we said is “fire,” so שבת Shabbat is “house of fire.” So the fire that we carry in our house, our physical body, is our sexual energy, the fire which enlivens us to fulfill that act with one’s partner. That fire is the creative energy of the Holy Spirit, the power of Christ, the power of life, or חיה “Chaiah,” as the Jews say, “L’chaim,” “to life,” referring to that energy that can result in procreation or the development of the soul, the Spirit.
The Salamanders are precisely also within our creative fires, and we learn to work with these elementals in sexual magic, alchemy. We have the fire within the sexual energy, the Salamanders, who help to burn and incinerate our defects, which are like cages or shells which trap our consciousness, which condition us.
The Undines, Mermaids or Nymphs, the Nereids are within our seminal waters. They help to calm the waters of lust, to produce the equanimity of the soul. And of course the elements interact with one another. The breath, our mantras that we pronounce in a matrimony, in the sexual act itself, help to harness those fires and transform them, to raise them up the spine. We pronounce sacred sounds between husband and wife in a marriage, so as to create energy and awaken the chakras themselves, those centers of energy and consciousness that we carry within.
And the Gnomes and Pygmies are precisely those elementals who are within the physical matter of our body, who help to extract that golden sustenance, those golden qualities of virtues, which are within the waters themselves, like jewels and gems. To have a dream about pulling out jewels and gems from the waters is very significant. It refers to virtue, truth, and developing the soul.
So we work with those elements. Husband and wife must learn to control their breathing in the sexual connection itself, so as not to overstimulate too much fire, because they will end up getting burned, losing those energies, resulting in the orgasm, which in these studies we avoid. Instead we learn to conserve that power, so that the waters, the fire, the air and the earth become rejuvenated, because if you conserve that power and raise it up the spine, it will be like a fountain that flows to eternal life, according to Jesus (John 4).
He was with a woman at the well, a Samaritan woman, I do not remember what specific verse or chapter it is, but, the woman was speaking to Jesus and confessing that she had slept with many men, and Jesus had said to her “Truly I can give you a water that will give you eternal life,” and she said “What is this water?” and he says, seemingly to interrupt her: “Go, call thy husband.” But that is the answer, “Call thy husband.” If you work in a marriage, you can work with those waters of divine love and create the soul.
So we work with those elements in synthesis, in harmony. All of this is found precisely within our body. The mysteries of alchemy are within us. The mysteries of Kabbalah are inside of us, not outside. The mistake of many people in the past of Europe, of trying to find how to transform lead into gold, physically, is ludicrous, because the real meaning is that we transform the lead of our personality into the gold of our spirituality.
Question: This is what Christ meant when said “the kingdom of God is within you”? Instructor: Yes, and the Gnostic Gospels speak abundantly about this too. Vitriol
We have a very famous axiom in the kabbalistic tradition, as explained by Samael Aun Weor, the founder of the modern Gnostic tradition. He says that, in relation to this image, an alchemical drawing, we have a famous acrostic, which relates to the process and science of alchemy as we are explaining, which are seven letters, Arcanum 7:
So we see that this image comes from Viridarium Chymicum. It is an anthology of alchemical art by Daniel Stolz von Stolzenberg. It is from the 1600s. So the images of alchemy were symbolic teachings about how to work practically, which were given in a manner that was undetected by the fanatics, the orthodoxy, so that they, the initiates, would not be persecuted or killed.
This image details for us a star of seven points, referring to the seven planets of alchemy, which we will be talking about. We also find here the three brains, represented by the manifestation of “Corpus, Anima, Spiritus,” meaning, body-soul-spirit.
The sign of Saturn in this bottom arrow points towards Corpus, referring to the שבת Shabbat, the Sabbath, Saturday, Saturn-day, the Seventh day, because by working with Saturn, the Holy Spirit, which that planet relates to the Holy Ghost itself, is how we rectify the earth. We transform our earth. We give sustenance to the stone, which is the cubic stone of the Masons, but also the sacred Kaaba of the Middle East, the sacred stone of Kabbalah itself.
By working with that acrostic, “Visit the interior of the earth, which through rectifying you will find the occult stone,” signifies how we, in meditation, go inside, and discover how to use our energies wisely, the stone of יסוד Yesod, which is the sexual energy. So going inside you learn to navigate the darkness of your own chaos, your cavernous mind, your defects, and see that there is an energy that can help liberate you, if you learn to use it appropriately.
I had this experience in the astral plane many years ago where, when I was first studying this knowledge, I was directed by a master near my home in the astral plane, to “descend into the earth,” he told me. So I dove into the earth, and my Being transported me to the center, where I entered a cavern with many sepulchers, and of course, they were teaching me that you have to descend into your own chaos, your mind, to face all of the ugliness that you have inside, all of your defects, represented by all of the skeletons and bones and ghouls and remains that were there.
In that experience they were telling me the mysteries of Vitriol. By visiting the interior of the earth and by facing yourself in meditation, your defects, you begin to see that, really, the work of the stone is essential, is our foundation―daily practice in mantra or transmutation of that sexual energy.
We also, in this tradition, talk about the flaming sword. So Vitriol, the work of the body, the שבת Shabbat, the Saturday, the Seventh day, relates to the mysteries of ז Zayin, the Hebrew letter of the sword. And so ז Zayin is a sword of the Kundalini that rises and aids the warrior against himself. Remember that Achilles went to war against the Trojans, again a symbol of the ego, the war that we face inside, and that sword, and the armor he wears of course protects him, but the sword he uses is that Kundalini power, to face all of his aggregates, his psychological defects.
Remember that when Adam אדם and חוה Eve were expelled from עדן Eden, the angels used a sword of fire to push them out, expel them. So it is a symbol of how, any master has that sword developed in their spinal column, perfectly and fully.
I would like to relate to you an explanation by a certain alchemist by the name Estolsio, who talked about the meaning of this image specifically, and about the secrecy of the alchemical tradition that we are now unveiling:
Remember that we talked about the meaning of the key of alchemy in Arcanum 6, how that key represents, that key that we use to unlock the door, ד Daleth, that leads to דעת Daath, sexual knowledge. That is the mysteries of Saturn, the Elder.
Sulfur is the sexual fire. Salt is the semen itself. Mercury is the energy that we transmute by certain breathing exercises so as to enliven the brain. So mercury gives you wealth.
So many people look to this image and of course did not know the meaning of it, had many interpretations, but now we are giving you the explanation of what they were teaching here.
Alchemically, there are many symbols and images relating to the mysteries of a matrimony. Samael Aun Weor explains in his book
Alchemy and Kabbalah, how the Sun is a symbol of the phallus; the Moon is a symbol of the uterus.
So male-female together, working with the wind, the breath, as we have said previously―the רוח Ruach, the spirit of God that hover over the face of the waters, רוח אלהים Ruach Elohim, that hovers over the face of the deep, that was filled with darkness, in בראשית Bereshit, Genesis―we work with the wind. And the earth is formed from the void and chaos, which of course represents not only the mind, but also those higher vehicles we talked about, the solar bodies.
All of these elements, the sun, the moon, fire, water, wind, air and all of the elements emerge from what we call Akash. Those are different gradations of energy and matter that manifest physically. So we have to work with the chalice of the mind. We do so by working with our energies.
We talked about the caduceus of Mercury, a very famous symbol of medicine, how the spinal column is surrounded by two serpents, and those two serpents are precisely Adam-Eve, ו Vav-ז Zayin, male-female. We raise those energies up the spine so that we can awaken the wings of the Spirit, specifically.
The Seven Archangels, Planets, Metals, Vices, and Virtues
Let us talk more about the seven planets themselves. There are many correlations that are very interesting and practical, more importantly, to use these for our development. So we have the seven planets, referring to the law of seven, organization.
The alchemists did not strictly believe that there were only seven planets. They knew about all of the other planets of our solar system, but they talk about seven to teach the law of order, of organization, of all the elements that we have to work with.
We have the Moon, governed by Gabriel, the metal is Silver.
We have Mercury, governed by Raphael, which is Quicksilver or Mercury as a metal.
Venus, Oriel, Copper.
The Sun, Michael, Gold.
Samael, Mars, Iron.
Jupiter, Zachariel, Tin.
And Saturn, Orifiel, Lead.
The planets relate to metals or materials that we can use to fashion pentagrams. So we have certain talismans we create with the seven metals to help charge them with certain energies, to protect us. The seven metals relate to the seven archangels. These metals are like the nervous system of any planet, and those archangels are the intelligences of those planets themselves, and govern those worlds intimately.
Practically for us, we also work with the transformation of certain vices and errors into virtues. So we have seven deadly sins, very common in Christianity. We must transform the seven vices into virtues. We must comprehend our defects in order to destroy them, and liberate consciousness, so that we develop those divine qualities within.
Lunar avarice is turned into altruism: happiness for others.
Mercurial laziness is transformed into diligence, effort, work ethic, willpower.
Venusian lust is transformed into chastity, sexual purity, and as we have explained many times, chastity does not mean sexual abstention. It means purity in sex.
We have solar pride, which is transformed into humility, humbleness, and faith in divinity.
Martian anger is transformed into divine love, conscious love, sweetness, empathy, compassion.
Jupiterian envy is transformed into philanthropy, work for others, sacrifice for others.
Saturnian gluttony is transformed into temperance, moderation in diet.
We have to look inside and examine: what do we carry within? What are our defects?―so that we can learn to develop the virtues that relate to their opposite.
These seven planets also relate to kabbalistic symbols, which we will not go into too much detail, but if you want to explore this a little but further, you can access this material on our website. We will say that these symbols have profound meaning. I will mention a few.
With mercury, we have the caduceus as we have been explaining, the spinal column with the two serpents and the wings of the Spirit, which flourish when we raise the Mercury of our seminal energy to our brain.
The cynocephalus is a creature with the head of a dog, which of course is a symbol of the sexual instinct. The dog in internal language or symbology refers to the sexual energy, which is why we have myths such as Cerberus, who would allow people to enter into the hell realms, but if they wanted to escape, he would fight against them. That is the nature of lust, sexual desire. It will coax you into wanting to enjoy the delights, the pleasures of sex, but if you try to transform lust, it fights against you. It is an animal.
So these symbols are very profound. Venus relates to the sexual lingam, the Hindu symbol of an alchemical marriage (Note the phallic, vertical beam, the Lingam, united with the horizontal, feminine chalice or Yoni).
Related to the Sun, the serpent with a lion’s head. We talked abundantly about the serpent, and the lion is a symbol of the solar divinities, the Lion of Judah, specifically.
The Hebrew Letter ז Zayin
Let us talk about ז Zayin. So ז Zayin is precisely the feminine sexual energy, which is the spiritual soul, known as נשמת Neshamah. We talked about three types of souls previously: נפש Nephesh, רוח Ruach, נשמת Neshamah. נפש Nephesh is animal soul. רוח Ruach is the blaming or introspective soul. נשמת Neshamah is the spiritual divine soul.
So we are נפש Nephesh. We are animalistic with our habits, our defects, our desires. We work with רוח Ruach, which is the spiritual forces in us, in order to control נפש Nephesh. רוח Ruach is known as thinking-emotional soul, the consciousness, our conscience, that tells us “This is right―this is wrong.” “I should do this―I should not do this.”
But of course, we are helped by נשמת Neshamah, which is precisely known as the Kundalini power, and in the spirit of this course we have been talking about excerpts from the Hebrew teachings, specifically the Psalms, which in this, verses 49 through 56 all begin with the letter ז Zayin. Previous verses also began with א Aleph, some with ב Beth, some with ג Gimel, ד Daleth, ה Hei, ו Vav, and now we are in ז Zayin.
From the Psalms of David:
All this relates to Arcanum 7, war against the ego, and against the black lodge, which is that organization of demons who seek to divert students from Christ, the solar path.
So “it is my comfort in my affliction: For your Word has given me life.” The “Word” comes from דָּבָר Dabar, speech, the Logos―“In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God” (John 1:1). This is a symbolic representation of Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
ז Zayin begins all these verses, and it is interesting that “Hot zeal has seized me, because of the wicked forsaking your law,” meaning: not fanaticism for one’s religion, but concern and despair when seeing how degenerate humanity is, and the desire to change it, the longing to change it―the works of “the wicked,” the black magicians who seek to persuade one from entering the path, from pursuing the path.
The Creation of Eve
So the Hebrew letter ז Zayin is precisely the Kundalini power itself, which we have to raise from the sexual organs to the brain, so as to be crowned. And as we will see in our excerpt from the Zohar, Arcanum 7 relates intimately to crowning, as we see in this image, or both images.
On the left we have William Blake’s
Creation of Eve, ז Zayin, the feminine sexual power, the Kundalini force, arising from the androgynous Adam אדם, or אדם יהוה Adam Iod-Havah, who is a representation of many things. There are are many levels to read and interpret Genesis. It is not literally a history, but also a psychological, alchemical, kabbalistic teaching.
In the past there was a race known as the Lemurians. They were an ancient humanity that existed many ages before ours, physically. That race was androgynous, and the Bible depicts and explains how the sexes split over the process of many millennia, in order to aid those souls to developing their mind, their brain, and also the sexual organs, and those respective sexes, so as to help generate more power. When they would reunite as male-female, they would have certain qualities that they could develop further, that they could not while being androgynous.
That is one level of meaning, but Genesis also talks about how we, whether as a man, we need a wife, and if a woman, a husband, because as above so below. As we talked about the Holy Spirit being male-female, to unite with that we need male-female, both forces.
So I will read for you a few excerpts from Genesis, and we will talk about some of the kabbalistic meaning of this, how ז Zayin, Kundalini force, emerges within husband and wife, a matrimony:
In order so that he could obtain knowledge of himself. Adam אדם can also represent the brain as I have mentioned previously. חוה Chavah can also represent the sexual organs, Adam-Eve, Brain-Sex. So חוה Eve is the sexual organs whether a man or woman, that is one level to interpret it, because Adam אדם has to control חוה Eve. So those millennia of patriarchal discourse that derides woman as being the inferior in the household is wrong because they interpret literally that Ada אדם has to control חוה Eve, but the meaning is that Adam אדם the mind has to control sex, instinct.
So יהוה אלהים Jehovah Elohim said that Adam אדם, the brain, should not be without help.
So that he can enliven his brain in order to provide it with the sexual energy.
Or Adam-Iod-Havah, the former human being that was male-female.
And the rib which יהוה Iod-Havah had taken from Adam אדם and made into woman, and the Hebrew word for woman is אשה Ishah. And so he brought woman unto Adam אדם.
It sounds very derogatory to say, when he is referring to his wife, “this is now bone of my bones.” “This”―that is the literal translation, but there is a deeper meaning to this. The Hebrew word is זאת Zoth, ז Zayin-א Aleph-ת Tav. “זאת
This shall be called אשה Ishah.” Better said, if we look at the Hebrew, אדם Adam said, “זאת Zoth is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. זאת Zoth shall be called אשה Ishah, because הזאת Hazoth was taken out of איש Ish.” This is the literal meaning of the Hebrew.
איש Ish is fire, that is a masculine energy. אשה Ishah is feminine fire, because if you look at the Hebrew letters, א Aleph again is the wind, the breath. If you look at איש Ish for man, א Aleph-י Iod-ש Shin, א Aleph is the wind, the breath, the prana, the spirit we talked about in Arcanum 1. י Iod is a dot, representing the ovum or sperm, of a man or woman, in this case it is the sperm itself. ש Shin as I said is fire.
With woman it is א Aleph-ש Shin-ה Hei, again the breath, the fire, and ה Hei which is the Yoni, the feminine sexual organs. So man-woman, two fires were developed in that ancient epoch of Lemuria, a masculine fire and a feminine fire. But likewise in our psyche we have a masculine energy and a feminine energy, within the two serpents, ו Vav- ז Zayin, the two channels called Ida-Pingala, the solar and lunar currents of energy.
But Adam אדם said, “this is now bone of my bones,” “זאת Zoth is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called הזאת Hazoth, because she was taken from out of man.” Again, what is that power that is taken out of the fire of sexual magic? It is the Kundalini. הזאת Hazoth alchemically speaking is a term we use, or the alchemists have used to describe that Kundalini power.
As Samael Aun Weor states:
So the sword is precisely that power that we awaken in a marriage, and that through אשה Ishah, so we have איש Ish and אשה Ishah, man-woman, together they become אישים Ishim.
One of our prayers in the Gnostic tradition is: “אישים Ishim assist me in the name of שדי אל חי Shaddai El Chai!” Meaning, “the fires of man and woman, help defend me through the power of שׁדי Shaddai,” and we talked in Arcanum 4 that שדי אל חי Shaddai El Chai is the sacred name of god in יסוד Yesod, the sexual energy itself, the power of almighty God itself.
The Purity of the Sabbath: Sexual Alchemy
So I have other things to talk about. I want to refer you to the Zohar specifically, but the thing to remember is that we have to keep the Sabbath holy, the body holy, the fires of our body, our ב Beth, by practicing the mysteries of Saturn, which when we work with a marriage, ז Zayin, we become initiated into the higher dimensions. As we see that נשמת Neshamah in this image on the right, of a woman knighting the hero, the warrior, the soul. We have here גבורה Geburah and תפארת Tiphereth, גבורה Geburah the divine soul, the feminine soul in the Kabbalah, on the middle trinity of the Tree of Life.
Likewise we have תפארת Tiphereth, the human soul, who really is our willpower, of which we are a fraction at this point, that must develop in order to enter into the path of initiation. So she is the one who knights the hero, who crowns him, who glorifies him for the struggles he faces against lust and temptation. This is represented in the book of Genesis by the temptation of Adam אדם and חוה Eve.
So I will not go into too much detail. We will give some courses explicitly about that scripture, but in synthesis we find that חוה Chavah was tempted by the serpent. People think there was a literal man and woman in a garden (in Mesopotamia) that ate an apple from a tree and everything went bad. That type of reading is very superficial and very funny, but the meaning is much more deep. It is profound.
חוה Chavah is the sexual organs, the “mother of the living.” Adam אדם is your brain. The serpent that is “the most subtle in the field” (Genesis 3:1) is precisely the sexual energy, because the word for “field” is שדה Shadeh, which is where you get the word שׁדי Shaddai, Almighty Living God, שדי אל חי Shaddai El Chai, the Amighty Lving God.
The power of life that God creates through any initiate is sex, and the serpent is that power that, between husband and wife, tempts husband and wife, whether to control the serpent, raise it up the spine, or to be bitten by the serpent by eating the forbidden fruit, which is the orgasm, to waste that energy, to expel it, because when you expel the powers of עדן Eden, which in Hebrew means “bliss,” “voluptuousness,” you cast yourself out.
So Adam אדם and חוה Eve did not get kicked out of עדן Eden. They kicked themselves out, and we do this everyday when ever someone engages in lust. So that is a very simple way to look at it, but Adam אדם and חוה Eve are precisely brain-sex.
Comment: Christ, there again said something like “be as wise as serpents.” Somebody in the lodge that I belong to… Jewish-American man… he said “I have a problem.” He said, “Because Christ spoke in parables to the masses, and to his disciples he spoke in the esoteric way.” More and more people today I think are starting to realize, “Wait, there is something even behind this, what Christ said,” and they want to go into that… Instructor: Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Be wise as the Kundalini power, to raise it up the spine, but be innocent as a dove. Be chaste. Be humble. Do not engage in the sexual act as an animal, because you must sanctify the שבת Sabbath, the body, ש Shin-ב Beth, the “house of fire.” To be innocent as a dove is precisely to not cause harm, and we harm ourselves when we ejaculate the energy. We get burned. That is where we get the word “furnace, fornication.” “Thou shalt not commit fornication,” the Sixth Arcanum of the Tarot.
But let us talk about the Zohar.
Question: I am sorry. So the original sin… does that exist? Instructor: The original sin that originates all of our defects is lust, because when you eat that, when you consummate the sexual act with expelling the energy, you get kicked out of עדן Eden, because that energy is what gives a husband and wife bliss, beauty, harmony, and so we have to control the serpent. Comment: When it is withheld. Instructor: When it is withheld and transformed, because to be abstinent does not help. You have to learn to circulate the energy, which we do through certain exercises. But husband and wife have that dilemma―whenever they connect sexually, if they know this teaching―is to spill or not to spill, to be chaste, harmless as a dove, and wise as a serpent―or not, because you see that in the myth humanity was expelled, and Adam אדם and חוה Eve represent all of humanity who were expelled from that primordial bliss. So the original sin of course is lust, desire. And so by conquering lust, desire, we are crowned, initiated into a higher way of life, represented by נשמת Neshamah knighting the hero. ז Zayin and Initiation in the Zohar
And to talk about the meaning of ז Zayin more in depth, I would like to read for you in synthesis some teachings from the Zohar, which help to explain these principles very well:
They explain elsewhere that to work with תורה Torah is to work with water, Genesis, which we find in this section of בראשית Bereshit, an explanation of the opening verse of the book of Genesis, that talks about how to work with the creative waters of sex.
So what does it mean “to engage in תורה Torah day and night”? People literally read and think it means to read from the Old Testament, but to engage in תורה Torah is to practice it its principles. So, such as through certain exercises we practice: runes, meditation, mantras, pranayama, sacred exercises of rejuvenation etc.
We occupy ourselves in the day, and at night when we are married, we work as husband and wife in the darkness, because from the darkness emerges light. It is how you create the solar bodies, the solar vehicles, in a marriage.
So those who innovate תורה Torah, “every word innovated by one engaged in תורה Torah,” the law, the great Arcanum, sexual magic, “fashions one heaven.” You create the heavens in yourself, precisely through working with that sacred Arcanum.
So someone who innovates a new word of תורה Torah, meaning: to mantralize, to pray, to speak, to connect with divinity in meditation. That prayer, that mantra is acknowledged by divinity and is empowered. As I said to you previously, we have to empower our Being. We have to work with certain exercises so that we help our divinity manifest in us, inside.
This word ascends and presents herself before the blessed Holy One, and again, the word is sexual, that the lord kisses that word. When husband and wife are united and they are pronouncing sacred mantras in the sexual act, their mantras are empowered, because the sexual energy relates to דעת Da’ath, and דעת Da’ath, as we explained, is sexual magic, alchemy, knowledge. It relates to the throat. The throat is the womb, or the uterus of the verb. “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
בראשית Bereshit means, when husband and wife unite, they create the heavens within themselves. So we have to lift that word up in alchemy so that He can “adorn her with seventy crowns, engraved and inscribed.” So seventy crowns relates to initiation, seven initiations of fire mentioned in
The Perfect Matrimony.
That sword that the woman is knighting this man with is precisely ז Zayin, the seventh letter. We have to face seven initiations of fire, which are engraved and inscribed, and as I mentioned to you in Arcanum 2, we have to inscribe in the stone of יסוד Yesod our energies, this work. We have to perfect them, chisel them, so that perfect stone is the foundation of our temple.
So by working with chastity is how we ascend and become Tsaddiqim, the Righteous Ones, Holy Ones, Holy Beings. And that is the “Vitality of the Worlds.” We are referring to יסוד Yesod, the creative energies.
70,000 refers to the seven lower sephiroth of the Tree of Life, ascending up to the top Trinity, to the sphere known as כתר Kether, which is the Ancient of Days, our Father who is in heaven.
So our mantras help to ascend and reach influence from that sephirah itself.
So what are these eighteen hidden worlds? We have nine heavens above מלכות Malkuth, and we also have nine hells below מלכות Malkuth, so these are the eighteen worlds. Nine heavens, nine hells.
What is that aroma that divinity is most pleased with? It is chastity, sexual purity. When husband and wife know how to connect but not to waste the energies themselves, the divine inhales that aroma, and of course perfume in the ancient temples was very symbolic of working with chastity itself.
What are these earths of the living? It is precisely the solar vehicles we talk about: solar astral body, solar mental body, solar causal body―vehicles that we can give birth to so that God can inhabit our house, our psyche. So that is what it means to be a living being. Adam אדם was made into a נפש חיה Nephesh Chaiah, “a living soul,” because the spirit of אלהים Elohim, יהוה אלהים Jehovah Elohim, entered into him.
People think it refers to just some physical man being created from the dust, but it is a symbol of how we create the soul, perfected, inside. That is what it means to be an earth of the living.
So the earth is a new earth. Your body ceases to become sick, full of diseases, old or with problems, because we regenerate through the power of חיה Chaiah, the Holy Spirit, in order to be healed. And when a husband and wife learn to practice alchemy, they conserve their vitality for decades. They become young, healthy.
“I have made,” you could say, relates to אהיה Eheieh, “I Am that I Am, אהיה אשר אהיה Eheieh Asher Eheieh”―“I will become who I will become.” “I will be within the soul who learns how to be.” So אהיה אשר אהיה Eheieh Asher Eheieh, “I Am that I Am” is the acrostic there. “I have made or I will make,” that divinity will make the soul within us if we cooperate, if we work with our ז Zayin and our ו Vav, our spine and the sexual power of Kundalini.
There is an alchemical teaching here that is very profound, because when we work with husband and wife, and work with sacred sounds, we are initiated. We are crowned when we learn to create the soul and eliminate defects.
Conclusion: Battles of the Seventh Arcanum
And to conclude this lecture I will mention to you an experience that I had that helps to clarify some of the principles of Arcanum 7 with the Zohar. I mentioned to you that Arcanum 7 is struggle, ordeals, battles that you have to face against your own desires, but also against the influences of witches and sorcerers.
I remember many years ago I had an experience where I overcame a certain ordeal in the astral plane, and my Spirit showed me an instructional video. He was teaching me about Arcanum 7, and about certain people who enter these type of studies. He said that, “Out of 70% of those who masturbate, 5% of them have gender problems.” Of course it is not a literal statistic. It is something symbolic.
Arcanum 7 means people who are learning to strive against their defects. Those who enter these studies but still struggle with the vice of masturbation, out of karma, Arcanum 5, many of them will develop gender problems, meaning: that is how you become homosexual. That is how you lose your sexual attraction for the opposite sex, is by copulating with one’s own sexual organs, copulating with the same sex.
Masturbation we strictly speak against. Really, the word is from the Latin “manstuprare,” coming from “manus,” hand, and “stuprare,” meaning “defilement.” And as the Book of Leviticus teaches us, if you have an emission of semen, you must bathe yourself in water and be unclean until even (Leviticus 15:16)―evening, Lailah. You have to face the demon לילית Lilith, your own lust in those infernal dimensions, and until you are clean of that element you will continue to have that desire for masturbation, or lust.
“Stuprare” also means, not only defilement, but “dishonor; to be dishonored by ones own hand.” Likewise “stupere” which means “to be stupid.” So we said that the power of the Holy Spirit, intelligence, בינה Binah, gives one divine cognizance. It illuminates the brain. But if we expel the semen then we are impoverishing our brain. The brain languishes for want of that energy.
There are many people, many demons with very sharp intellects. They develop the intellect in that way, but it is really, in the spiritual sense, very stupid, because that is intelligence within hell, not in heaven.
We have to learn to overcome those habits [See "How to Overcome Masturbation"], and so my Being was teaching me in order to teach other people that, out of 70% of those who are masturbators, 5% become homosexual, become gay. And by this we do not speak with hatred towards gays, but we are pointing out that, if you want to create spiritually, you need husband and wife, both polarities. You need them both (See “Is Gnosis Anti-LGBTQ?”)
In this experience, later I was warned. I intuitively knew that I was going to be attacked. So I was walking up to my bedroom, and it was very dark. It was around four in the morning in the astral plane, and I sensed that there were some sorcerers outside my window who wanted to get in, who were about to attack me.
In that moment I grabbed my solar plexus, and I reached out my hand, and started reciting the Conjurations of the Four:
These prayers that we pronounce in Latin to reject negative forces. So this is a big battle that happened in the astral plane, but I was helped. I was conjuring these seven or twelve men that were coming into my home. I do not know how many there were in detail, but there were many. So my Being was giving me power to reject those demons, because I was overcoming certain ordeals. That is why divinity helped me to fight back. And there were bombs and explosions going on as a result of the conjurations that my Being was using through me to reject these entities.
So it was a very violent experience, and afterward I remember, I returned to my bedroom and my Being was there, who kept crowing me with laurels. So going back to the Zohar, “you will be crowned with 370,000 crowns,” so overcoming those ordeals against the black magicians, you get adulated. The Being praises you, but I do not take credit, because only the Being is powerful.
So 370,000 crowns, again and again and again and again. So I was being knighted. It is something that you would experience when you learn to first be chaste, and then as you are working in yourself, the demons will come after you, because if you are fornicating then, they say, “Well, you are just one of us, so it does not matter.”
So again, referring back to the Zohar, they quoted Isaiah 51:16:
“I have put My words in your mouth.” The word of יהוה Jehovah says, “I put My words in your mouth.” So God was speaking through me, and I was, really, fighting these entities, rejecting them. So again, Arcanum 7 relates to the 370,000 crowns. Three relates to the Trinity, the power of the Holy Ghost, the three pointed trident of Neptune, which is the power of the waters. And seven of course relates to the ordeals and battles we have to face against the black lodge.
So to conclude this lecture we will give you a few practices that you can use, so that you can develop your potential. We have the seven vowels that we use in our runic exercises, which are the vowels, I E O U A M S. So with the mantras you prolong the vowels so that you awaken the chakras of the seven centers in the spinal column.
The vowel I relates to the chakra of the crown, and the third eye, to give you the names out loud, Chakra Sahasrara in the crown, Chakra Ajna in the third eye.
The vowel E relates to the throat, the Chakra Vishuddha.
The vowel O relating to intuition, the heart, relates to the Chakra Anahata.
We have the Chakra Manipura in the solar plexus, the vowel U.
And the vowel M relating to the prostate or the uterus in a woman, the Chakra Svadhisthana.
And the vowel S, the sexual fire, relates to the base of the spine, the Chakra Muladhara.
So you can pronounce those seven vowels:
Those are the seven vowels you can pronounce before you meditate, so that you will awaken the powers of the seven chakras themselves, because those mantras help to awaken those centers.
You can also pray the Pater Noster very deeply, and with a lot of cognizance. So this is a prayer that many people recite, and it is a beautiful prayer, but it is more important to do it consciously in meditation. Samael Aun Weor states that we should pronounce these seven petitions of the Our Father, for an hour long, so it should be very deep and prolonged, very concentrated.
Seven verses:
You can also say: “For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever.”
Or you can even do the Latin, even more powerful, “PATER NOSTER, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum.”
Latin as a mantric language is very powerful. You can invoke very divine forces that way. So you can pray that for an hour long if you want.
Any questions?
Questions and Answers Question: Just something I might add when you talked before about retaining the semen. Max Heindel again said, “Keep the seed within.” I’ll never forget that. The other thing is, as far as technique to help raise Kundalini, can you pronounce a mantram together with pranayama? Instructor: Some pranayamas are structured that way, like Christic Egyptian Pranayama in The Yellow Book, that Samael Aun Weor wrote. You pronounce certain mantras mentally when you are inhaling the air through the nostrils. TON, inhaling through the left nostril. You close the right with your thumb, inhale through the left nostril, inhale, mentally pronouncing the mantra TON. Question: Mentally? Instructor: Mentally. Hold both nostrils closed, send the prana down, the energy to your coccyx. Do the mantra SAH. Exhale through the right nostril, and pronounce the mantra HAM.
And you can read more about the specifics of that. You inhale again through the right nostril. TON, close your nostrils and pronounce the mantra RAH as you send the energy down to the coccyx, and then exhale through the left nostril, HAM.
Question: I thought it was just alternating, going back and forth. You are mentioning now about holding both nostrils? Instructor: Yes, because when you do the pranayama, you inhale the energy. You hold it. The retention is very important, because when you inhale you are sending the energy into your body. You close the nostrils and then you mentally pronounce that mantra, SAH or RAH, depending on which current you are working with. Question: While you are holding it? Instructor: While you are holding it. So TON, inhale. Hold: SAH. Send the energy down to the coccyx while mentally pronouncing the mantra SAH. Exhale through the right nostril, HAM, as you mentally pronounce that. And then inhale, TON, RAH, HAM. Question: This is in The Yellow Book? Instructor: Yes
So pranayama is very excellent for transmuting energy, which we will be giving a lecture about that too.
Do you have any other questions?
Question: Why do you think, symbolic numbers and symbols and allegories used throughout all these ancient texts, instead of just coming out and just saying it? Are we here to just figure this out like a game? Is this what this all is, is to figure this out? Instructor: Well, divinity speaks in the language of parables. Like I gave you that experience, he said “Out of 70% of those who masturbate, 5% have gender problems.” So he was not giving a literal statistic, but symbolic. So the symbolism there, God speaks in symbols because you can get a lot more accomplished that way, rather than talking plain English.
In past ages those scriptures that were given in that language for those initiates who already knew the science, who could interpret it correctly, and those who did not know, who were degenerate, would just be lost in the wayside.
Like that image of the Viridarium Chymicum. I cannot remember the name of that, but it was the alchemical image I showed you previously of the seven pointed star, in where the man said, Estolsio said
“If you do not know what any of this means, it does not even matter,” is what he was saying at that time. But the thing is we are in a different age now. We are in the age of Aquarius, the age of the dissemination of knowledge. So now this teaching has to be made explicit, for people to benefit, because the white lodge is opening the doors and saying, you know, “There really is not much time for humanity, but we want to help.” Comment: Yeah, the word apocalypse actually means the unveiling of truth, in Greek. Instructor: And we face our own inner apocalypse through going through Arcanum 7. So like that experience I gave you, you have to fight against yourself, because in that experience in the dream I had to overcome certain ordeals in the astral plane, and that is why divinity, my Being, my Spirit came to me and said, “Here is an experience to teach you more.” And then you have to fight against the demons who are against you, to try to stop you from changing. Question: So, like these religions that do not teach what you are teaching, do they just not know or?… Instructor: In most cases they do not know. Question: Are people purposely putting that out there, where it is like, it is kind of disinformation? Instructor: Well, there is a lot of ignorance, but there are people who are trying to cause a lot of confusion intentionally. Question: And then as far as symbols, if you noticed like, I learned this in the past, the symbol for the money symbol, are they mocking, you know, because the money symbol is the snake and the pillars, are they mocking it? The same with the number 7 they put in casinos. Are they mocking this? The dark occultists, they know this knowledge. Are they saying, and they use the word ISIS for different factions in the Middle East and all that? Instructor: There is a lot of correlation that is going on. Samael Aun Weor says that the number of the black lodge is 777, which if you add those numbers together you get 21, Arcanum 21, which is the Fool of the Tarot. We call it transmutation, but also it is the fool who is walking over an alligator in the card, who is being threatened to be swallowed. So that is his own lust and his own defects threatening to devour him in the abyss.
And the Hebrew letter associated with the fool is ש Shin, fire. So a Fool of the Tarot is one who gets burned by lust, symbolized by the bohemian, or
La Bohème by Puccini. So in that opera, Puccini was teaching how, there were these poor artists who were in the cold freezing in winter time in Paris, or wherever they were, and they said “Oh, let’s get a few moments of warmth...” Rodolfo was working on a poem that he composed for many hours, and they said, “Let’s burn it for a few moments so we can stay warm.” So this is the idiot who takes his livelihood and is burning it away, and that is a symbol of how we kill ourselves with lust. Through ש Shin, you get burned. You become a fool, a bohemian.
So in the end, if you watch that opera, it does not have a good ending. People love it. It is a beautiful opera but, they do not see the tremendous warning that it has for individuals. And we will watch that opera here too, and talk about it. It is very beautiful.
Comment: Most people are not aware of the occult implications of these operas. Instructor: So we will be giving, we will be watching those here and talking about them. Puccini was a Freemason (See The Secret Teachings of Opera). Question: You speak of desire. There are some good desires right? Altruistic, and you wish good for people? But… Instructor: We could say it is a semantic thing really. We say, technically, desire is ego, because desire says, “I want. I crave. I want this. I want to have this,” but many poets like Rumi use the word, when they translate from Arabic, they use desire, or love, مَحَبَّة maḥabba in Arabic, which is where you get the word hubb, or you can get words for water. There are many correlations between love and water specifically.
But desire is egotism, in strict technical language, but there are many people who say, “I desire, I long to know divinity.” So longing―we change the words, we say longing, yearning―is a conscious quality. But strictly speaking, desire is when you say that “I really want something. I need this. I want this.” Ego is desire.
Comment: But you are talking about, you mentioned there is right and wrong desire… Instructor: Yeah, well the real, you could say, better desire is longing. You long in your soul to change. That is a yearning or aspiration in the heart. It is a very divine quality. We need that. That is how you work with your ז Zayin, face the temptations, and yearn to change, to keep your Sabbath holy. Question: So all of those teachings... “I am that I am”… and then you pronounce what you want to be so that you can get exactly that, that is not true? That is not accurate? Instructor: They can get what they want, for sure, but usually doing what the ego wants. Better said: “What I want… what I desire”―we call egotism. “What I want” is, or “what my ego wants,” is negative, is “I go against my soul.” For Gnostics, we “go against our own defects, our desires.” To say that “I want this, I want that, and then I am going to do this practice to get what I want,” we say is negative.
We should instead work for other people. Let us help others with what they want. Let us help “us” instead of “I, me, myself,” because we have a lot of ego in these times.
So those teachings that say “I am,” are negative―like Joel Olsteen or a few other people who say: “become a better you.” I am sorry Joel, I have to politely disagree. “I Am” only can be said by divinity. אהיה Eheieh, the Being, says, “I Am that I Am.” We are not the Being. We are just the soul who has to work. So “I am not, because my Being
is,” and “I am filled with ego, therefore I am not.” “But when I die to all my desires, it is not what I want, but the Being will be manifest in me.”
So I would not say, get lost in the language, but, those teachings that say, “get what you want” is really marketing to our desires, our defects. So “become a better you,” is mistaken, since
you cannot get better, meaning: your egotism cannot get any better. You have to eliminate that. So if you as a soul want to be purified, be content with becoming nothing, so that your Being can manifest in you fully. That is the teaching of the Sufis.
Sufis teach you that you must fulfill
fana, annihilation of the ego, so that you can have baqa, subsistence in God. You cannot be in God if you are filled with ego, if you have desires that say: “I want this, I want that.” Comment: It is interesting you say that because I think Steiner said when you are doing that, emptying yourself of that ego, you are creating a space for divine force to come into you. Instructor: Great, because Samael Aun Weor says, “God searches the nothingness in order to fill it.” So your mind has to be empty so that the plenitude of divinity can manifest, and then there will not be “you” anymore. There will only be “Him,” and that is really the beauty and the bliss that we seek. Question: So you use that in the context of, for example, in meditation saying “I am blessed. I am full. I am content.” Is that also wrong? Instructor: Well, we have certain prayers that we use that are similar to that, except we say “We are strong. We are rich. We are full of luck and harmony.” Because Samael our teacher says, “I” has little force, but “we” has a lot. So you gain more power that way. “We” is a universal consciousness: “We are strong, we are rich, we are full of luck and harmony,” so that principle is the same thing. You are seeking to empower your consciousness, but, one is “I, myself,” but another is “we,” and to consider others is really the highest form of consciousness we can have. So that is an exercise you can look at in a book called Introduction to Gnosis… Question: Should we try not to, in conversation, try not to say “I”… Instructor: No, you do not want to be unnatural. You do not want to be unnatural. Just say, “Yeah, I feel this, I feel that,” but when you need to interact with people, and you are working with your meditations and you are working on your ego, you learn to see other people’s minds very clearly. And you learn to see how you interact with people. More importantly, you see how you interact with other people, and you find that there is a struggle there, because you will find that certain thoughts want to emerge to say something at the time, which you can sense are wrong. Therefore you are working with Arcanum 7. You are struggling against negativity.
So you have to observe in yourself, what elements are pushing you to act in certain ways, and when you see them, when you sense that intuitively, “this is right, this is wrong,” then you know how to navigate the labyrinth of other people’s minds so that you can earn your daily bread. Do what you need to do, because we need to learn how to work in this physical plane and with conscience, with the wisdom of a serpent and the innocence of a dove.
Comment: A lot of the new age books they say, only focus on happy thoughts, but you know, I think it is only, it is really, do not focus on thoughts at all, because a happy thought is going to come and then go, and then a negative thought is going to come in, and a happy thought. Just erase all thought! Instructor: Well, here is the thing, the Sufis have very interesting ways of analyzing this. They talk about different types of thought. There is some, I do not remember the Arabic that they use, but, khatir is the word for thought. There is thoughts that belong to the ego, and there are types of insights or intuitions that come from God―some that come from your consciousness, some that come from an Angel, some negative influences that come from demons, and you will sense that as you awaken your consciousness.
But most of the thoughts we have are ourselves, 97% of what we go through is just our own mind churning garbage in the intellect, but that is why we say in meditation, stop thinking. Do not force your mind to not think, but just observe your mind, and as it is doing its thing, it is going to exhaust itself, like a person talking to a wall. The mind is like that. It just talks and talks and talks and talks. It does not stop. The thing is, do not repress it. Do not push it, but you strive against it by comprehending it.
That is the meaning of Jihad, holy war. It does not mean to repress your mind or be violent, but in a state of equanimity and dispassion, you learn to see the root causes of your defects, and look in them, and see them, where it is coming from, and then as you comprehend more and more the mind settles of its own.
Comment: Yeah, through my own experience I could say this, if you just take that drive out to nature, you will see your thoughts plummet. It is amazing. I went to a friend’s cottage in Wisconsin and it was like, “Wow, where did all my thoughts go?” Instructor: And when you are out in nature too, learn to do the runic exercises as we teach. So the yogic postures, sacred rites of rejuvenation, mantras in open nature, that is how you assimilate the power of the Undines, the Nereids, the Gnomes, the elementals. And that is how you can learn to empower and strengthen yourself, so when you come back to the city, back to the abyss, you could say, you can face all the chaos again. That is how you wage war with ז Zayin, working with your spine. Single people can work, awaken sparks of that Kundalini power, sparks of ז Zayin you could say. Only a husband and wife can fully develop that. Comment: You mentioned also intuition, like you are in these scenarios, like everyday, someone is saying something negative, and you know, you can rise above it. In other words―and I am going to explain it―you do not have to go into a dialectic. These things happen. If something is going on, an argument, a negative situation, you know, for way too long, you might go into a dialectic or something… Instructor: Well yeah, arguing. Question: Intuition helps, you know right away what to do, what to avoid, when to keep quiet, so we can avoid a negative situation, if you develop that intuition, right? Instructor: Yeah, and that is how you are successful in battle, by not fighting. So a real warrior of a spiritual type is one who has a mind that is fully in equanimity, because when your mind is calm and you are working with your intuition, then you can disarm certain situations very well.
We’re continuing our course on the science of meditation, specifically outlined within the eightfold steps of yoga as described by Patanjali.
So far we have discussed Yama and Niyama, restraint and observances, as well as asana, posture. Yama, known as restraint or ethics, signifies “to yoke, harness, or control” the mind. Niyama means precepts, ethical discipline, trainings or observances by which the consciousness controls the mind and develops serenity. Stability of mind is achieved when we learn to stop performing harmful actions, which produce disturbances in the mind with all its negative consequences.
To have a body that is suitable for meditation, we must cease agitating the body, and to have a body that is receptive and pliant, suitable for our meditative discipline, we must cease agitating the mind. Our physicality manifests the conditions and influences of the mind, the psyche. If our mind is filled with desire, with egotism, with negativity, it will be impossible to learn meditation, since the body will be tense along with our intellectual and emotional centers.
To engage in fruitless activities, to commit theft, murder, acts of violence and anger within our consciousness, disturbs the mind and body. Hence the need for restraint of mind, to stop harmful mental, emotional, and physical actions.
Many people do not believe that they kill, but it is very true that when one is consumed by anger, by malice, one is killing one’s neighbor through the emotional center. Likewise, people may not steal physical things, but energy, attention, to feed one’s vanity. While many devotees believe that the different commandments of religions focus on outward behavior, such instructions more importantly relate to the consciousness, to psychological states of being, which we must work upon to achieve true change. Hence the need for precepts, codes of spiritual conduct that help to develop the virtues and positive qualities of the consciousness.
Ethics is developed by comprehending and working with the law of karma: cause and effect. Negative actions from the ego produce suffering, while positive actions from the consciousness produce equanimity.
It is impossible to meditate with a chaotic mind, and it is impossible to develop serenity if you are feeding your egos every moment of the day through identification. What does it mean to identify? It means that you, as a free consciousness, give your energy to whatever defect takes over the five centers of your human machine: intellect, emotions, movement, instincts, and sex. When anger emerges, you as a consciousness think and feel that you are that anger. You invest it with energy and power. You fortify and empower it by thinking and saying whatever that sense of “I” wants in a given moment, until another ego emerges in reaction to fluctuating external circumstances.
Feeding the ego produces pain, since the “I,” desire, is a condition, a conglomeration of shells, a state of suffering that traps our full conscious potential.
To restrain our mind from doing what it wants every second of the day is the work with ethics. It is knowing how to consciously work with the law of cause and effect. As we explained in the previous lecture on “Ethics, Karma, and Interdependence,” how you behave in body, speech, and mind determines the quality of your life. Disciplining the lower self, the ego, desires, or
nafs within Sufism, is the definition of the spiritual path: Nafs in Arabic means “breath, vitality, vigor, or soul.” The egos, nafs, or desires within us have trapped or conditioned our essence, our consciousness. Every ego, defect, or desire, traps the energy of the consciousness within states of suffering. Every naf, like anger, pride, fear, laziness, gluttony, etc., squanders the energies of the psyche in atomic explosions of hatred, lust, and desire.
Meditation begins when we learn how to stop wasting energy: mental, emotional, volitional, sexual. You enact the initial stages of ethical discipline when you, as a consciousness, are observing your mind, heart, and body, your egos, seeing them as something inferior and separate from your consciousness. The deeper part comes through transformation, when you consciously choose not to give your ego what it wants. It is essential to develop the sense of self-observation in a very clear and strong manner, to be able to separate from the “I” in all its tenebrous multiplicity, to see and watch our defects in action, and to not act upon their impulses no matter how strong.
Each ego is a false identity, a false sense of self, which has nothing to do with our spiritual nature. The “I” has nothing to do with the Being, as well as the unconditioned, free consciousness. Each ego or false sense of self has trapped our consciousness, and now it is our work to extract the consciousness trapped in those errors by comprehending our defects and eliminating them.
The
nafs, lower selves, or different “I’s” within us are the infidels mentioned throughout the Qur’an, Islam, and Sufism.
Samael Aun Weor wrote that we must be compassionate to all beings, even towards the sorcerers and demons of the black lodge, but merciless to our ego. If you ever give what your ego wants, you deepen your suffering. When you do not give your ego what it wants, you experience happiness. This is karma in action.
When you don’t give your anger what it wants by identifying yourself with its thoughts, desires, and impulses, you save energy; you become hermetically sealed. Remember that in any moment, a sense of self, a false identity emerges within your mind, heart, and body that wants to push you to think, feel and act a certain way. If you as a free consciousness are vigilant, watchful, you perceive these false, multifarious identities within you. The more you, as a consciousness, restrain the mind from acting in harmful ways, by learning to see the egos in action, the more psychic energy you save. Likewise, the less you identify with any ego or defect, the more energy you save, and the more serene your mind becomes.
Energy is essential for spiritual life. If you are wasting your energy through negative behaviors, thinking, and sentiments, you will never learn to meditate. But when you restrain the mind and follow the precepts of meditative discipline, you enter the doorway into genuine self-knowledge, because you have energy available to empower the consciousness and relax the body and mind.
Our asana, meditative posture, is based on how we fulfill Yama and Niyama, restraint of mind or ego, and observances. Swami Sivananda wrote that our asana should be like a mountain, immovable, firm. If your mind is restless and agitated from desire, your body will not be able to sit still. If you are constantly moving during your practice, then you are not practicing at all, because any physical movement agitates the mind and its energies, preventing you from going deep into the consciousness to receive the imagery of the internal worlds. And if you have no energy with which to meditate, you will fall asleep in your posture if you are too comfortable.
Your posture should help you relax, but to the point that you maintain conscious remembrance of what you are doing at all times. If your posture is too comfortable but your consciousness not alert enough, then laziness kicks in and you fall asleep, such as when you lie down to practice. This is not meditation, and this is why we recommend that students in the beginning practice sitting up, either in the Western style, in a chair, or on a meditation cushion in a half-lotus or full lotus, if your body is flexible enough. The point is that your posture should be relaxed and firm to the point that you are perfectly at ease and can remember what you are doing consciously, that you maintain your ability to focus and remain attentive. Your asana needs to be comfortable to the point that you can forget the body and work with the subtle energies of the mind and heart.
By fulfilling the restraints and observances of meditative discipline, and to aid in the relaxation of body and mind, we work with pranayama. By conserving our energies and transforming them, we harness the power of the soul with our breath, since the Arabic word
nafs means “soul” as well as “breath,” and is modified into different types of expression in accordance with Kabbalah.
This lecture will explain the purpose of pranayama, how to practice it, and how it is taught within the teachings of Sufism, the writings of Swami Sivananda, the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, and the doctrine of Samael Aun Weor.
Prana, Transmutation, and Brahmacharya
To control the mind, we work with its energies, which constitute different modifications of prana. Prana, in Sanskrit and hatha yoga, relates to the breath, to breathing, the air. Pranayama etymologically signifies, “to harness the wind” or “yoke” the life forces of the body.
Prana is much more profound than just breath. It is the force of “life, spirit, energy, and vitality” within air and our physical body. Prana is the life-force of divinity that we assimilate through our breathing, and which we find condensed and modified within the different elements of the cosmos and of nature.
Pranayama also is described within the gnostic tradition by the term transmutation, which is “The action of changing or the state of being changed into another form.”
Within our body is the most potent force of the universe, the sexual energy, the capacity to create life, which is found in a germinal state within the physical semen. This physical matter or semen can be used to create a physical child, but in spiritual sadhana, spiritual practice, we conserve the semen and transform this matter into energy, precisely through the exercise of controlling our breath, being fully concentrated, prayerful, and attentive, with the mind restrained.
As described in the book of Genesis, the spirit or breath of God hovered over the face of the waters. What spirit? The Ruach Elohim in Hebrew or ruh in Arabic, otherwise known as prana in Sanskrit, the divine forces that generate life. The prana, the energies of divinity, can be directed to yoke the sexual waters in our body, to transform that water into light. For as Genesis teaches us, “God said, ‘Let there be light!’ And there was light.” That light is consciousness and comprehension in meditation.
The word
trans is a prefix used with the meanings such as “across,” “beyond,” “through,” and “changing thoroughly.” Mutation comes from mutate, “to change or cause to change in form or nature.” Transmutation is the science of changing the sexual water into light, carrying it up within our spine to the brain, mutating that semen into energy. This is accomplished through yoking the vital winds, the energies of our breath, mind, body, heart, and semen.
Prana is not only in the air, but in all the elements of nature and our body, within the aerial nature of our thoughts, the fires of our emotions, and solidity of our physical earth or body, and most importantly within the waters of our sexual organs. Prana condenses into multiple forms of matter and energy, most importantly sexual, which we transmute from the physical, brute semen, to feed our consciousness with light.
It’s important to remember that it is impossible to develop the consciousness without energy, and that the most important form of energy is sexual. Sexual energy is prana, the “vitality, power, vigour, and life” that can awaken our full potential.
The word prana bears similar etymological meaning as the Arabic word for soul,
nafs, which can be lower [egotistical] or higher [conscious] depending on our work. How we harness energy is determined by the quality of practicing pranayama.
It’s interesting that the term prana can signify the sexual organs, which demonstrates that to work with pranayama is to control the creative energy and use it for our spiritual development. This is why chastity is emphasized by Patanjali, the yogis, and all genuine practitioners of every spiritual tradition. Chasity means restraint and transmutation of the sexual energy, the prana. This science has been known by the term Brahmacharya in the East, which is a Sanskrit word composed from:
Everyone in these times want to know how to meditate, but when instructed to restrain and control the sexual energy, to restrain the lower selves, egos,
nafs, or desires, they run away. This is sad, because without harnessing the vital winds, the sexual energy, without going against the grain of one’s habits, one cannot learn meditation. To feed desire, our egos, lust, through identification, produces suffering. By expelling the very energies that can give life, we hinder our spiritual life. Meditation is impossible for individuals who have no prana, no energy, in their body that can empower the consciousness.
The beginning of the path of meditation is to restrain the sexual energy, to not expel it in any form whatsoever. This energy must be conserved and transformed to give us spiritual life. Lustful people who ejaculate the sexual energy have no energy with which to calm the mind and learn meditation.
The scripture Siva Samhita describes seminal retention and transmutation as the basis of all meditative realization:
Feeding desire, lust, only agitates the mind and psyche, for as Padmasambhava explained to Lady Tsogyal:
This is of course the difficult thing, but fundamental to any progress.
The next steps include controlling lust in the heart and mind, which is of course more difficult. Students must fight against adulterous and lustful tendencies, the desire to look at the opposite sex with desire. As Jesus taught:
First we conserve the sexual energy, learn to transform it in our body. With further discipline we no longer entertain lustful thoughts and desires in the heart. Pranayama is especially important for controlling lust, because if the consciousness has no energy, it has no strength by which to work against the monsters of desire. Pranayama will help you to acquire energy by which you can comprehend and annihilate the ego. As described by the ancient teachings of Manu:
Students are therefore taught, within ethical discipline, not to fornicate, and why Buddha taught his disciples that one is no longer a disciple if they do not fulfill the observances and restraints of chastity. Pranayama and sexual purity, therefore are essential in the eightfold steps of meditation and yoga, since the subsequent principles of meditation are founded on this. Attempting to perform pranayama without fuel, without sexual energy present, is like trying to pump fuel from a gas station when there is none. No water, no fuel, no light. Yet by practicing sexual purity, one can enter very rapidly into the science of meditation.
Energy and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life
The nature of prana must be analyzed, by gnostic students, through the Kabbalah, the Tree of Life. This Tree of Life maps out for us the varying modalities and condensations of matter, consciousness, energy or prana, the Christic force, which is manifest throughout the entire cosmos, as Swami Sivananda and Samael Aun Weor have explained very well.
This map has ten spheres or Sephiroth, translated from Hebrew as “emanations,” which are organized into three trinities with a single sephirah or sphere at the bottom, named Malkuth, the physical body or kingdom.
Our body is a kingdom with many elements, forces and principles, that we must harness if we want to ascend this graphic, to perceive more refined and profound levels of consciousness, indicated by the higher spheres of this tree.
Don’t think about this glyph as something outside of you, but within. This image maps out states of perception, in more refined or gross levels, from the most subtle above to the most dense below. This has nothing to do with vertical space, in the true application of this graphic.
The Tree of Life emerges from the Abstract Absolute Space, the Unknowable Seity or Ain. From within the Ain, the Nothingness of cosmic, abstract space, is our own particular supra-divine star, the Ain Soph, the Limitless. And from the Ain Soph emerges the Ain Soph Aur, the Limitless Light, the Cosmic Khrestos or Christ.
This light manifests into the universe as the top trinity of this graphic. This undifferentiated light of the Ain Soph Aur is the Prana in its most rarified state, which, in order to be developed, needs to enter into the universe to create its diverse regions and forms, unfolding into more material states of matter, energy, and experience.
The top trinity is known as the Logoic triangle, the Christic forces of Kether, Chokmah, and Binah, or Father, Son and Holy Spirit in Christian terms. These three spheres are not people, but energies. This trinity is the power of creation, genesis, which are three aspects of one light or force; prana, in other words. Because this power is in a refined state, it is elevated, superior, rarified, yet for that power to develop, it must materialize, condense, descend to the lower regions of this tree, to be worked upon consciously.
Prana condenses into other forms of matter, energy and perception, represented by the Sephiroth below. To work with prana above, we must work with that energy below, within the lower aspects of our being. We can analyze the nature and modifications of prana in different ways, especially in accordance with the septenary constitution of the human being, which is:
Atman, Buddhi, and Superior Manas constitute the middle trinity, the Ethical triangle of the Tree of Life, relating to our genuine humanity and the spiritual principles of our inner divinity that guide us in the work. This trinity is the real Being or inner spirit [Chesed], divine soul [Geburah], and human soul [Tiphereth], the latter sometimes referred to superior manas, superior mind in Sanskrit.
Our consciousness is a fraction of the human soul, known as Tiphereth in Kabbalah. This middle sephirah in the very center of the Tree of Life is known by the term superior manas in Theosophy.
This term mind can be very vague in esoteric and spiritual circles. Superior manas, Tiphereth, is abstract, not concrete. It is our willpower. We know it’s there, but it is not materialized, visible. We can say that a person has tremendous will, because they have internal drive and a means of working, making a living, being disciplined in a specific type of endeavor, etc. Willpower is very real for us, but hard to pinpoint or concretize. It relates to a type of abstraction of the psyche, one relating to volition or will.
Our consciousness emanated from Atman-Buddhi-Manas, Chesed-Geburah-Tiphereth, and has entered the lower sephiroth: mind, heart, vitality, and physicality. This is in order to acquire knowledge and experience.
Our inner Being, spirit, Buddha, Atman, gives the consciousness intuitions and hunches, as well as inspiration to practice spirituality through learning to control the lower aspects of ourselves, the lower trinity in this glyph. Tiphereth, superior manas or willpower, must control the lower aspects of the psyche.
This is essential in pranayama, because to harness the prana, we must control our thoughts, feelings, and impulses, which are the vehicles of our ego.
The Inferior Manas is our mind [Netzach], which is more concrete. People have an easier time acknowledging thoughts than they do with comprehending will.
The Kama Rupa or desire / astral body [Hod] is the seat of emotions, which everybody acknowledges to a degree.
The Linga-sarira, or vital body [Yesod], is our vital energies that give life to our physicality. This vital body is the body of prana. It is the storehouse of all the prana that descends from the top trinity, descending through the Sephiroth and finally coalescing in our vital body, which exists in the fourth dimension. This vehicle sustains the chemical, biological, catabolic, metabolic, etheric, and vital processes of our physical body: the Sthula-sarira, Malkuth. Without the vital body and its circulation of prana throughout the physical body, we would not be alive.
These three lower spheres: Inferior Manas, Kama Rupa, and Linga-sarira, or Netzach, Hod, and Yesod, constitute the triangle of Priesthood. This triangle is the work with magic, from the Indo-European root word
mag, meaning “priest” or “magician.”
Magic is not pulling rabbits out of hats, or impressing people with clever tricks. Magic is knowing how to consciously manipulate matter and energy, prana, within our tree of life, through willpower and visualization.
Pranayama is a form of magic, whereby we manipulate creative forces within our mind, heart, and body. To control the mind, with its racing, uncontrolled thoughts, the heart, with its surging emotions, and the impulses and instincts of the body, constitute the beginning of our meditative discipline. When you experience a calm mind through pranayama, you come to realize how magical this science really is, since it produces the serenity and clarity of the soul.
The prerequisites of meditation involve stilling the body, the vital energies, the heart, the mind, and our willpower, the lower five Sephiroth of the Kabbalah. Let us be very clear: stilling the mind is not meditation; it is the beginning. Genuine meditation is about receiving internal information about ourselves and the cosmos, the science of comprehension and understanding. This is an important distinction to make, because pranayama aids the practitioner in calming the psyche so that the waters of the mind can reflect internal principles.
See here the lower five spheres of the Tree of Life? These are all different aspects of our psyche, which need to be controlled and calmed through yoking prana. Mind is a form of prana. Emotions are a form of prana. And the sexual energy is condensed prana that serves as the foundation for meditation, since prana, the Linga-sarira or vital body, is the foundation of this graphic.
The mind or body of desires are controlled using vital energy, the vital body or Linga-sarira. Notice how this vital body, Linga-sarira or sphere of Yesod is the very center of the Tree of Life, as well as at its base or foundation. Yesod literally means “foundation.” Yesod is the basis of spiritual and physical life.
The word Lingam refers to the sexual organs, specifically the phallus, hence the strong correlation between prana or Linga-sarira and the sexual glands. The yoni in Hinduism symbolizes the uterus, and its union with the lingam represents the highest consubstantiation of divine love. Prana literally means “vital organs,” and refers to semen, since in certain rituals like the puja, the Hindus pour milk over the symbol of the Lingam-Yoni as an offering to divinity. That milk is semen, transmuted sexual energy, prana, which are found within the union of the lingam-yoni.
Our physical semen is condensed prana. It is vital energy in a material state. Through the science of pranayama, we yoke, transmute, and elevate the energies of sex, so that the body, mind, heart, and will become balanced and prepared for actual meditation.
While prana means “life,” yama means “restraint” or “death.” Yama is the deity of death in esoteric Buddhism. This is very interesting linguistically.
Samael Aun Weor wrote that if the seed does not die, the plant cannot be born. If you want to experience the entirety of the Tree of Life in meditation, you must give birth to that tree through the sexual seed. When the seed dies and is transmuted, it becomes a Tree of Life. This is well known by initiates in the science of alchemy or Da’ath.
Pranayama, therefore, helps to transform the seed, by destroying the matter, to convert it into energy. By this we do not mean that one can give birth to the entirety of the soul through pranayama. The solar bodies can only be created in a marriage. Instead, pranayama aids single practitioners in circulating the energies of sexuality, to a certain degree, to stabilize one’s concentration and mind in preparation for dhyana, meditation
We reinforce the powers of the Being by working with prana. The inferior manas or mind, the emotions or body of desires, and the prana or Linga-sarira, reinforce the middle Triad through the work with sexual fire. Mind, emotions, and sexuality help to support the principles above through pranayama. Atman-Buddhi-Manas are strengthened through yoking the fires of sexuality below, which are contained within the waters of genesis, the sexual matter.
People who do not work with the creative energies have a weak connection with their inner Being. People who fornicate lose their connection with divinity. However, this connection can be re-established the more we work with transmutation. This becomes evident through internal experiences in meditation.
While pranayama works with sparks of fire, the sexual fire must be harnessed or yoked in a matrimony to fully develop the creative energies.
All this work of transmutation is performed with willpower, our human soul, the superior manas or Tiphereth. Our will must exert itself to control the sexual energy through spiritual inspiration, emanating from Atman-Buddhi. Prana then produces a profound calming effect on the mind, heart, and body below.
Pranayama, interchanging nostril breathing, requires a form of effort or will to perform. It also involves imagining the circulation of forces in your body and mind. This is the superior manas or willpower in action, in combination with our capacities for perception and imagination, known as Geburah in Kabbalah, the sphere of Buddhi, the divine consciousness.
We must perceive what we are doing in every practice, especially Pranayama and sexual transmutation. As we are going to elaborate upon in our discussion of “Spiritual Insight,” the capacity to perceive is imagination, to see internal, psychic things, the movement of energies. Pranayama involves willpower to control the energies, through our breath, serenity, and composure. We also need perception of those forces inside. These are abilities that the practitioner develops gradually through consistent discipline.
Energy, Nadis, and the Nervous Systems
We have an image here of the nervous systems of the body, which become charged with vitality when we learn how to circulate those forces with our willpower and imagination. Hinduism refers to energetic channels in the vital depth, the etheric body of Yesod, as nadis. There exist millions of nadis in our vital body, which are intimately related with the chakras of our ultra-biology, the latter composed of the internal chemistry of forces and energies that interdependently flow through our physicality and internal vehicles.
A nadi is a line or current of vital energy, and when two nadis intersect, you form a vortex, a wheel of energy, a chakra. People believe there are only seven chakras, which is wrong, because wherever two nadis join, you form a vortex or wheel of forces. While there are seven main chakras connected with the spinal medulla, we really possess hundreds of thousands of chakras throughout our body, each with their own purpose, role, and influence.
The cerebrospinal, grand sympathetic, and other nervous systems are physical conduits for etheric energies. Therefore, the nadis of the internal bodies, the vital depth, correspond to the physical, vital, and fluidic matter that circulates in our body. The nervous systems function because of the gelatinous and delicate fluids of the nerves, and it is well known in physical science that most of our body is composed of water. When we learn to conserve the vital waters of our body, the seminal matter and its concomitant energies, we can transmute those waters into another substance, into cognizance, conscious energy, and light.
Remember that we stated that our sexual waters, our semen, is a gelatinous substance or condensed prana. Prana, in its unmodified form, is light. That light descends the Tree of Life and enters Yesod, materializing to form the entity of semen. Now the work we need to do is to transform or transmute the sexual substance into cognizance, fire, and light with the sacred breath. This light saturates the brain and nervous systems, flowing within and upward to the brain up the different energetic channels.
Because the brain and spine are surrounded by nerves, it follows logically that the nadis condense and unite in innumerable spaces throughout the vital body, which penetrates within the material brain, spine, and nervous systems. Do not make the mistake of thinking that the vital body is separate from your physical body, because the vital depth gives life to your physicality, and is a biological vehicle that penetrates and co-penetrates every atom of the physical body, like a mirror image. It is made of etheric matter in the fourth dimension, matter which is pliable, elastic, and fluidic, relating intimately with the health of your brain and nervous systems. Without the vital body, we would not be able to physically exist, since it is the fourth-dimensional aspect of your material, physical, third-dimensional body, since every atom of your etheric body penetrates every atom of your physical body, giving you life. The day your vital depth disconnects from the physical body is the day you die physically, since without ether, prana, we would not have life.
Prana and the etheric body have been well documented by the Kirlian camera, a device developed by a Russian scientist that photographs the vital aura of people, plants, and even minerals. All living things have prana, even supposedly inorganic matter like metals and earth. This type of science demonstrates how the vital body of any living thing is inseparable from its material, physical form.
The Tree of Life in our physical body is our spine, so while there is a macrocosmic implication to studying the universe, our spine is how we have physical and spiritual life, especially when we learn how to circulate prana in our secondary or sexual system, as described by Master Morya in his
Dayspring of Youth.
The two main energetic channels we focus on with pranayama are Ida and Pingala, or the lunar and solar currents. By the term “lunar,” what we mean are feminine, negative, or receptive forces in the body, whether we are male or female, and by “solar,” we mean the masculine, positive, or projective forces of the body, whether we are male or female. These forces originate within our gonads, the testicles or ovaries. In the same manner that an electrical current has a positive, negative, and neutral current, our sexual system likewise has masculine, feminine, and neutral forces and nadis. Through controlling and directing prana, we circulate vital force through the nadis Ida and Pingala up the spine in the form of an eight, the caduceus of mercury with its two entwining serpents, a representation of the solar and lunar energetic currents. While Ida is feminine and Pingala is masculine, the spinal column is the neutral, grounding current by which masculine and feminine cohabit, unify, and reconcile. The energetic nadi of the spine is known as Sushumna nadi.
When we learn to harness the energies contained within our waters with our breathing, with pranayama, we can raise and circulate such vital forces from the gonads up the spine, through Ida and Pingala, to awaken sparks of a third force in the base of the spine through the Sushumna nadi. This third force is known in the East as Kundalini and the West as the fire of Pentecost.
As Samael Aun Weor indicated in his writings:
Kundalini and Pranayama
Pranayama is absolutely sexual, in the same manner that Kundalini is the sexual potency. By working with pranayama, single persons yoke their creative energies to a certain, limited degree, while prana is fully activated throughout the spine and nervous systems through sexual magic between man and woman, husband and wife, who are simultaneously working to eliminate their defects through profound comprehension in meditation.
The Kundalini is the sacred sexual fire of the Holy Spirit. Individuals can awaken sparks of Kundalini within the base of the coccyx up the spine through the exercise of pranayama. To fully awaken Kundalini, one needs to be working in a matrimony.
Let us be clear about the nature of the Kundalini. Kundalini is the power of the Divine Mother, the enlightenment of God. Many people believe that the Divine Mother, the Kundalini, is a mechanical force, one that can awaken randomly and cause numerous psychological and spiritual problems, such as rising in the wrong way, causing delusions or mental imbalances, etc. People who attribute these phenomena with Kundalini awakening ignore their own destructive habits, ignore the law of karma, cause and effect, because Devi Kundalini harms no one. What is sad is that such people ignore that the Divine Mother is the wisdom of the universe, the cosmos, which is structured and maintained by divine intelligence.
The Divine Mother does not harm Her child. People hurt themselves, not because of the Divine Mother Kundalini. Our inner goddess only rewards virtues, chastity, purity, and ethical discipline. People develop imbalances and psychological problems due to fornication, which the Divine Mother does not reward. She can only awaken within a couple that is meditating and comprehending the ego daily, working on their defects and praying for their elimination; She emerges within people who develop virtue. She awakens within a couple that not only conserves and transmutes the sexual energy, but who are following the precepts (Niyama) and ethical restraints (Yama) of religion. The Kundalini is very demanding, since She only rises within the spine of the couple in accordance with the merits and qualities of the heart. As Paul of Tarsus stated in Corinthians:
Observe your mind. Are you not filled with desire, with fornication, the lustful eye that craves sexual satisfaction with many women, with many men? Are you truly free from the adulterous eye that wants to copulate with others constantly, even if it is just in your imagination or fantasies? Are you sure that your mind is pure and filled with virtues, rather than vices? Do you abstain from alcohol, thievery of stealing of other people’s ideas, energy, belongings, money? Are you sure that you do not extort others to do what you want, even under the guise of sanctity, kindness, and generosity? Are you positive that you have never betrayed anyone, including your inner divinity?
Be sure that if you are filled with these qualities, and even when you practice sexual magic, the Divine Mother will not reward you. She only rises within the spine of the couple who are meditating every day on the ego, those who are working to eliminate the “I” first through discovery of defects in self-observation, then their judgment in meditation, followed by their execution through prayer. This is the fundamental law of action and consequence.
People have a lot of theories about the Kundalini, but none of it is factual or based on evidence, observed facts in one’s daily life. We mention this because in relation to the teachings of pranayama, ethical discipline is the same: if you want to transmute your energies through pranayama, you must be ethical, practicing restraint (Yama) and following specific observances (Niyama). While many religions have a lot of explanations about virtues and vices, the best of it all is synthesized in one simple principle: do not give the ego what it wants. Deny thyself, bear up your alchemical cross of sacrifice, and follow the example of your Intimate Christ, your real Being within you.
You learn to control prana by controlling your mind, by not feeding your egos from moment to moment. By controlling prana in its diverse modifications, we control the mind and the vital flow of energies in our etheric body.
When the Kundalini awakens, it rises within the Sushumna canal within the spinal column and awakens the main chakras of the spine. Likewise, the 72,000 nadis or circuits of the astral body, as well as the vital body, circulate. 72,000 is a symbolic number, because there exist many more nadis. 72 reminds us of the 72 sacred names of God in Kabbalah. Likewise, making the kabbalistic addition of 7+2 makes 9, the number of Yesod of Kabbalah. The ninth sephirah from the top to the bottom of the Tree of Life relates to the vital / etheric body, the linga-sarira.
Given the sexual nature of prana, it is logical that single disciples possess limited capacities for elevating the creative energies, prana, or fires of sex. A single person can awaken sparks of Kundalini through pranayama, producing certain mystical experiences, whereas married couples can awaken their full potential.
It’s important to reflect on these things and to clarify some misconceptions regarding this subject. Swami Sivananda once wrote:
Samadhi is conscious experience, in meditation, devoid of the “me,” “myself,” the ego. Many students have misinterpreted this statement of Sivananda to indicate that one cannot have any spiritual experiences without working in the perfect matrimony, which is not true. What Sivananda explained is that whether single or married, the fire of Kundalini produces ecstasy in different degrees.
Many practitioners of yoga have also mistakenly attributed their work with pranayama to the full awakening of the Kundalini, because such disciples have many intense, spiritual, conscious experiences resulting from their practice, which they do not know how to explain except that their Kundalini has fully awakened.
Having such experiences is valuable and necessary, but it is not the end goal, nor is it an indicator that one is finished in the work.
Single persons can awaken sparks of that fire, but the full manifestation of the Divine Mother is only developed amongst couples working in chastity, meditation, and selfless service for humanity.
Remember that a man has one sexual polarity dominant and a woman has the other sexual polarity dominant. If an individual wants to awaken the full potential forces of their respective sex, he or she needs a sexual compliment, the opposite sex, to awaken the reconciliating force. Man and woman, husband and wife, when sexually united and harnessing the creative energy, awaken a third power, the serpent Kundalini, which typically lies dormant in the base of the spine, in the Chakra Muladhara, coiled three and a half times and awaiting the moment of its awakening through the science of love.
This does not undervalue the work of pranayama, but puts it in context. Single disciples can work with pranayama, can maintain their chastity, through these breathing exercises. When disciples are married they can take their practice further, applying the same principles of Yama, Niyama, and Pranayama but with the tremendously added force of sexual union, which is known in the East as tantrism.
Single people can light a candle up their spine, but husband and wife can awaken the power of millions of suns. This is the literal difference. Single disciples must learn to prepare for a matrimony through pranayama, which is why in ancient schools of yoga, many masters would train their disciples in Brahmacharya before giving them the ultimate secret of sexual alchemy, tantrism, marital union. This was obviously done in secret to avoid scandals and the fears of sexually degenerate people.
Once disciples have demonstrated their sincerity, prudence, and dedication to their spiritual exercises, to pranayama, then the master would unveil the higher mysteries.
Breath, Mind, Chakras, and the Circulation of Prana
So why all this explanation about the creative energies in the context of this course of meditation? If you want to still the mind, naturally and without force, you must practice pranayama and transmutation. Your mind or mental states are determined by how you use energy. If you use energy to feed desire, then the mind becomes provoked, stimulated, and distracted. Harnessing prana helps to calm the mind, and prana is intimately related with your virya or virility. Virya simply means sexual potency, which is the root word for virile (to possess sexual potency and strength) and well as virtue, since the virtues of the soul are born through the intentional use and practice of pranayama.
By controlling the breath with willpower, by consciously visualizing the circulation of energies, the prana circulates throughout our nervous systems, stimulating the chakras, in the same manner that electricity flows through a circuit. These energies stabilize the lake of the mind in preparation for meditation. As Swami Sivananda explains in
The Science of Pranayama:
The energetic channels or nadis are typically filthy, blocked and closed in us, which is the source of many illnesses and conditions that make us suffer physically, sexually, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. The circuitry of our vital body tends to be clogged with many negative psychic elements and riddled with impurities caused by unhealthy food, negative environmental influences, and most importantly, degenerated habits in the mind, heart, and body. Many students experience problems in controlling the sexual energy because the nadis are blocked and polluted. Such blockages stimulate the creative energies in a way that force them to flow from inside out, from within to outside the body, problems exemplified as nocturnal pollutions and unwilled seminal ejaculation during the sexual act. Many practitioners, when beginning sexual magic, have difficulty controlling the creative force. This is due to the poor circulation of vital energies.
As Swami Sivananda indicated:
Just as a goldsmith removes the impurities of gold by heating it in the hot furnace, by strongly blowing the blow-pipe, so also the Yogic student removes the impurities of the body and the Indriyas [the energetic roots of sensation] by blowing his lungs, i.e., by practising Pranayama. ―Sivananda,
As we explained, many practitioners in the ancient traditions of yoga would work with Pranayama for many years before working in a matrimony, precisely because to work with sexual magic, the practitioners should be firmly grounded and knowledgeable about how to transmute their energies as bachelors. It would be absurd for people who know nothing of transmuting their energies, practicing daily meditation, and working on the ego to begin sexual magic all at once. It is best if such persons learn pranayama in preparation for the greater mysteries of the fire, because pranayama helps to cleanse the impurities of the body and help the energy circulate properly. When the nadis are clean through the exercise of pranayama, the vital forces flow and rejuvenate the body and mind. In this manner, the sexual act is easier to take advantage of without risk of spilling the semen.
The word for wind in Sanskrit is Vayu. Vayu is a term for the element air in the body. Vayu apana relates to the bodily winds that help with the processes of excretion, urination, and menstruation, associated with the functions of the lower pelvis, the intestines, and the anus. Apana also relates to this part of the body, the energy associated with the abdomen, as well as the elimination of waste products from the body. Sivananda explained that with pranayama, we are uniting the prana from without with the apana within, mixing the vital energies in our breath with the vital energies of our coccyx and lower abdomen to slowly raise it to the mind. This process awakens sparks of the sleeping Kundalini.
We’ve included in this graphic an image of the main chakras of the body. Chakra literally means “wheel,” and the fly-wheels that Swami Sivananda references are the chakras. The chakras are vortexes of forces that flow by the power of prana, the vital breath or seminal energies. Chakras literally spin, like a water mill, when there is energy available, which is why Rumi, the great Sufi poet, stated:
What waters make it possible for the chakras to spin? The sexual waters, the seminal energy. When yoked through pranayama, the chakras turn like a water mill, but if the seminal waters are ejaculated through lust, then the chakras remain dormant, asleep, incapacitated, without energy to circulate within them.
Prana, Christic energy, modifies into the tattvas, which are different condensations of this energy in the form of the main elements composing physical and spiritual nature. Through alternated breathing of our nostrils, we assimilate these modifications of energy in order to awaken consciousness.
These tattvas relate to the seven chakras in the following manner:
There is also the chakra of the lungs as well, but the seven main chakras of the spine are the ones I just listed.
The four elements relate to our mind, heart, vitality, and body, or air, fire, water, and earth, respectively. Pranayama aids us in controlling the aerial nature of thought, the igneous powers of the heart, the aqueous nature of our vital energies, and the materiality of our earth, our physicality. While the four elements relate to our three brains and body in this way, the chakras have slightly different correlations as you see in this graphic.
Akasha is the primordial fire hidden within the cosmic space. Akasha is a force in nature that is divine, and can be designated by sound, light, and cognition. The power of the Akasha manifests in the throat, the Verb, through the alchemical knowledge of Da’ath.
Adi means light, relating to the prana, the Christic energy, which condenses and accumulates in the third eye chakra, Ajna, to develop spiritual insight, the subject of a future lecture. Samadhi tattva also relates to prana, since this is the power that grants omniscience and cosmic consciousness at the top of the head.
Conscious breathing, within Sufi schools, is synonymous with light, with illuminating the mind, the creation of the true human being. Regarding the intrinsic relationship of breath with light, Al-Qushayri wrote the following in his
Risalah: Principles of Sufism:
The sexual energy creates insight, spiritual life. We create the soul through the sexual energy, a power that can produce experiences of astral projection, awakening within dreams, feats of jinn science, clarified perception, developed intuition and comprehension of problems, detachment from egotistical desires and worldliness, egotism, hatred, lightness of body and mind, health, vigor, etc. These are the different “lights” implied within Sufi language.
Pranayama and Sexual Magic in the Upanishads
The sacred Hindu scriptures, the Upanishads, also teach all this in synthesis. We are going to provide a commentary for the chapter 2, verses 6 and 8-17 from the Śvetāśvataropaniṣad, to emphasize the points we’ve previously made and to show some of the traditional basis for which this practice is elaborated.
We’ve included an image of Christ’s crucifixion in relation to this topic, because the cross is the sexual union of husband and wife through the vertical, phallic beam and the horizontal, uterine beam. Through union of masculine and feminine forces, the ego dies through the fire of the Kundalini and gives birth to the resurrected soul.
When husband and wife sexually unite, their private parts rub and produce erotic fire. When their breathing is in check, controlled, when the prana is harnessed consciously, the seminal energies are transmuted.
The word soma means many things, such as body or plant juice, the latter being traditionally used as Vedic offerings during rituals. Soma is sometimes referred to as the drink or nectar of immortality, an ambrosia or milk of the gods. This is none other than the prana, the seminal energies.
The bodies of the soul are created through the alchemical cross, when the soma is flowing within the nadis or Sushumna canal. Soma literally means body in Greek and can refer to the solar bodies of tantrism.
Rubbing the fire of sexuality applies more so to a matrimony, but can refer to how individual yogis, who practice pranayama, awaken sparks of that fire in their spine through profound concentration and deep, unwavering prayer. In the same manner that a couple controls the breath and transmutes the soma, the prana, a bachelor or bachelorette performs transmutation on their own.
Pranayama must be performed with the chest, neck, and head steady, in a good posture. You cannot circulate the prana appropriately if your body is not firm, stable, and relaxed, with your head even with your torso and your spine straight.
What are the fearful torrents we must cross through pranayama? The assaults of lust, which have polluted our nadis and sexual waters. The boat of brahman is the ark of the covenant, the ark of Noah that carries us above the waters of degeneration in the mind.
The Upanishads refer to the mind, emotions, vitality, and physical body as horses which the real Self, Atman, the Inner Buddha or charioteer, must control. He does this through the reins, his divine and human souls, through willpower. The senses also relate to the lower Sephiroth as well as how our sensual, material consciousness apprehends life.
I have known people who want to begin meditation while living in a filthy and dirty home. This is very difficult. The tidiness of our home reflects what we psychologically carry within. Your home should be your temple where you sit to practice, to devote yourself to God, your Being. Our practices are amplified when we dedicate a special room for our exercises of pranayama and meditation, since the energies we attract help to produce serenity and peace in our home. Pranayama cleans the mind and nadis, so to live in squalor will hinder our spiritual work, because the environment affects our practice, and vice versa.
Students go through many experiences when pranayama is consistently practiced, frequently, every day, for prolonged periods of time. Remember the Sufi scripture I just read, that breathing is synonymous with lights? Smoke can refer to the cloudiness of the mind, which students apprehend when they initiate pranayama. They receive experiences from the internal planes that their skies, the mind, is filled with darkness. This is a crucial step to make, because it shows us what work must be done, and that we must persist in our discipline.
Sun, fire, wind, fire-flies, lightnings, and crystal moons represent different forms of light or insights we achieve through working with the creative energy.
Remember the chakras, the four elements, and the tattvas? These become amplified through pranayama, which produce longevity, health, youth, and life. The fire of yoga can relate to Tummo Yoga or inner heat yoga in Tibetan, representative of the work with the Kundalini.
Is your mind dull, torpid, dark, hard to control or perceive? Work with pranayama. The mind and heart are a mirror that need to be polished and cleansed through prana. In the words of Prophet Muhammad:
“Guard your breaths against God Most High,” state the Sufis. When the mirror is clean, it reflects the genuine image of Atman, the Self, our Innermost God, so that we are free from pain and sorrow. Pranayama will help you with this. Practical Applications and Benefits
Learning to control our breath aids in the yoking of the vital forces, but while I mentioned to you that prana is in the air and in our semen, our physical breath is only a vehicle for the forces we seek to manipulate.
Circulating prana occurs through our willpower and imagination. Breathing is the vehicle through which we obtain the transmutation of our energies. While breath is a powerful and necessary component for our moment to moment existence, even more so are the faculties of perception, concentration, consciousness, attention, and prayer.
If you are performing pranayama but are not mindful of what you are doing, then you will not be successful. Pranayama involves working with each of the three brains of gnostic psychology, directing the energies consciously. “Wherever we direct attention, we expend creative energy” stated Samael Aun Weor. This is essential, since no practice is useful if we are not attentive of what we are doing.
Your mind, heart, and body must be relaxed and in control, which is not a state of rigidity, but calmness, composure, flexibility, and firmness. You must resolve to yourself to not needlessly move your body around during pranayama, nor let the mind wander to other things. You also must resolve to not let your heart distract you, but to devote yourself to profound prayer during your exercise. If you are thinking of other things while you are practicing, then you are not practicing. Likewise, if your heart is not at peace, if you are not praying to divinity to aid you, if your emotional center is filled with wrath, anger, or sentiment, ignoring the presence of divinity, you will find it very difficult to focus and have a good practice. Lastly, if your body can’t sit still, if it is agitated and nervous like an animal, constantly moving about, then you will not obtain stillness and the circulation of prana in your system, because the circulation of forces occurs when the waters of the body, heart, and mind are still.
Notice that when you cease throwing stones in a lake, the water gradually achieves stability and equilibrium; the surface becomes calm, whereby it can reflect the heavens above in a limpid, calm, and tranquil way. The same with pranayama and the mind. Your mind achieves stillness when you cease agitating it, by not feeding your desires. Pranayama also works to calm the mind when there is enough concentration and cognizance of what you are doing.
Here is how to perform a simple pranayama. Seated comfortably with your spine straight and neck and head relaxed, close your eyes and pray to your Divine Mother. Pray that she may help you transmute your energies to your mind and heart, to help you visualize and concentrate.
Imagine in your spine the two nadis Ida (Eve) and Pingala (Adam), connecting your gonads, testicles, or ovaries with your nostrils.
These nadis are polarized differently in men and women, as you can see in the following graphic.
In men:
• The lunar current, Ida (represented by Eve in the Bible), connects to the left nostril, characterized by lunar or silver atoms.
• The solar current, Pingala (represented by Adam in the Bible), connects to the right nostril, characterized by solar or bright, fiery yellow or golden atoms
In women this is reversed:
• The lunar current, Ida, Eve, connects to the right nostril
• The solar current, Pingala, Adam, connects to the left nostril
These polarities are switched in the different sexes because husband and wife, like positive and negative electrical currents, compliment and compensate for each other.
With your right hand, extend your forefinger and thumb while closing your other fingers into your palm. Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale air through your left nostril. Take in as much air as you can without forcing your lungs or straining yourself. Breath naturally and relaxed.
Now close your left nostril with your forefinger, still holding the right nostril closed with your thumb. Retain the air as long as possible, again without straining your breath. Imagine the energy or prana of the air ascending to the brain through the respective nadi you are breathing through, which connects your nostril with the coccyx and gonads.
After retaining the air as long as possible, remove your thumb from your right nostril and exhale slowly, imagining the prana descending through the nadis connecting your head to your heart, with one nadi on each side of your face leading down to your chest.
Close your left nostril with your forefinger and inhale through your right nostril. Repeat the process of raising the prana to the brain through your inhalation, raising the energies of that nostril and nadi to the head. Retain the breath as long as possible by closing both nostrils with thumb and forefinger. Finally, lift your forefinger from your left nostril and exhale, imagining the prana descending against to your heart through the two nadis connecting your head to your heart, which descend from the face, down the throat, to your chest.
This process constitutes one pranayama. Perform seven pranayamas total. You can do more in accordance with your needs.
Here is some more practical advice for performing pranayama at home by the Master Sivananda:
When you perform pranayama, the important aspect of your breathing is retention. With inhalation, you want your lungs to take in a profound amount of air, in a relaxed and calm way, without forcing the lungs to expand beyond its limits. Your breathing should not be forced and loud, but silent and peaceful. I’ve known many people who make a lot of noise when performing pranayama, as if they were some kind of hydraulic engine. But nowhere in the teachings of yoga do we find any support for this tendency.
Pranayama is meant to relax the mind, heart, and body. Straining oneself is counterproductive and inhibits the free circulation of energy. With exhalation, your breathing should flow through your nostrils without noise. I know some people like to perform pranayama in a loud way, which is wrong. Breathing should be calm and natural, without force. There is more strength in relaxation than there is in bodily and mental exertion. This might seem counterintuitive for people in a culture that believe that one must conquer things with force. The opposite is most true for this practice: if you want to be effective in transmutation, tranquility and control is the key.
After your inhalations, you must retain the air as long as possible, again without forcing your lungs. Retention is the most important part of Pranayama, since this is how we internalize and accumulate energy within our etheric-physical laboratory in combination with willpower and imagination, visualization.
Your life is measured by how you control your breath, and breathing relates to how we modify and use sexual energy, the source of life.
To conclude, we will end with comments by Swami Sivananda, who expressed some of the benefits of pranayama. After having explained the technique, which we will practice together today at the end of this lecture, I will conclude with some explanations for why this is beneficial, since many students often write to us asking about some tangible, concrete results for working daily in this exercise.
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warc | 202143 | I recently visited Musoma in Tanzania. The road trip there was great and I kept marveling at the people, nature, mara river – Oh my! and Lake Victoria. Being only the fifth time to Tanzania, I was feeling much more confident of handling the new grounds with regards to border politics as well as any other issues that may arise from this trip.
Despite all this preparation, there’s one thing I must confess I still haven’t got a grasp of. The money!! Once I changed dollars into Tanzanian Shillings, I really had to develop a syntax of reversing the money back to Kenya Shillings and then comparing the value of that to what I know in Kenya. If you know a thing about our world system, you will know that this really doesn’t work. VALUE in essence is the physical, spiritual or otherwise, importance, one attaches to something.
Now, follow with me, at one point, I needed to use the bathroom for a “short-call” and there I was dashing toward the sign that showed male-female. Well, as I approached the throne, I heard a “bird call” and turned around to meet eye to eye with the custodian of the male-female throne-room. “It will be two thousand shillings”, he said. And for a moment, I stopped to apply the automated syntax in my head, not withstanding the constant distraction from my bladder, owing to its desire to be free. Amidst the distraction, I managed to make the math and God, wasn’t that an expensive leak! The next fraction of seconds was to decide whether I pay for the privacy or face the bush next to the toilet, in which case I would achieve the same result, at least from my point of view. My willingness-to-pay was obviously overtaken by the consequences that would possibly result from my misdemeanor.
A simple sense of life is that we all place a value on our surrounding whether it is the street folk, the food we eat, the housemaid, electricity, work, our family, you name it! However, value and knowledge work hand in hand. The more you know about something, the more you want to know it and the more you know it, the more you value it.
Our world, the earth is moving into an unprecedented era of destruction, pain, distress and dilapidation. The cause? You and Me. Like many of our earthling friends, we are still unable to make choices that show we value nature. We still love ourselves too much, think about others less often, place little value on the grass that prevent the soil from fragmenting and being washed off our backyards, trees that keep our compound and workplaces “cucumber cool”(or not), birds that provide a fête for our beings and that secretly ensure the maize and fruits ripen in the farms and bees that provide honey relentlessly over each year. We are unable to relate to life as we know it and we are rather stuck up at the malls, surrounded by the safety of the walls, experiencing “paid-up-for” pleasures, totally ignorant of the systems our very life depends on, save for the economic system that has so entrapped us. Don’t get me wrong “sio hatia (it is not a crime) to spend your money” in Yemi Alade’s words, but even in so doing, you should make the choices that will continually reflect your love for your neighbor (first) and then yourself.
You Can Only Value What you Know, And you Can Only Know What you Value!
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warc | 202143 | How to Improve your Online Business Presence as an Entrepreneur
One sure way to lose out on potential clients in today’s business world is by not making enough effort to establish a stronger online presence. As a business owner in the 21
st century, one of your main priorities should be to set up a solid online presence for your business.
This goes beyond just setting up social media accounts, it includes efforts to establish a positive image and create a unique brand. No better way to make a name for yourself. The problem is that millions of businesses are also trying to stand out on the internet, each trying to establish a stronger brand presence on LinkedIn and Facebook. This is where you have to make the extra effort to stand out. Everyone is using the same overused social media strategies, so you have to do a lot more than the basics if you intend to be noticeable.
So, here are four simple methods that will help you improve your online presence and get more customers.
Show the face behind the brand
Gone are the days of impersonal brand presence online. There are so many businesses competing on the internet that you have to show the human side of your brand to be noticed. Show the faces behind your brand occasionally, share your interests with the audience from time to time, there is no better way to make yourself relatable. Ensure you remain transparent in all your social media dealings as social media scandals are often hard to recover from. Remember to use these accounts to network and create professional relationships that might be helpful to your business.
2. Chose Your Social Channels Wisely
The importance of a social media presence cannot be over-emphasized. However, this doesn’t mean you must be seen on every single social media platform. Focus on quality over quantity. You can focus on two or three important platforms, for instance, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. These platforms are great for marketing and keeping in touch with the client base simultaneously. Remember to create your valuable content alongside sharing others’ content occasionally. When sharing content created by others, never forget to share credit, and when creating content ensure that it adds value and would not be seen as offensive by any group.
Create a Website and Optimize It
It is unbelievable, the number of businesses that do not own websites. Customers’ minds are so much more relaxed if they can find a website for you when they Google your business. So hire someone to create you an optimized website. Learn about search engine optimization so that your website comes up top of Google results when searched. Also, optimize your site to be mobile-friendly as millions of people around the world only access the internet via their mobile phones. So make sure that when people visit your site via their mobile phones, the site remains user-friendly and generally easy to navigate. Otherwise, you lose clients.
There are so many competitors online that when customers encounter constant hitches on your site, they tend to instantly move away to other sites offering the same service. This means that your site must never take too much time to load. Make it as easy to use as you possibly can so that the user experienced is optimized.
While still on the topic of creating websites, also remember to register your business in directories. Get your brand registered on ‘Google my business, so that when people search your brand, your business, website, and contact details pop up. You’d be amazed at how many clients could find you this way.
Protect your customers’ data
We hear of cases where sites are hacked and customer data leaked to the entire world. Such incidents could lead to people not trusting your site enough to enter sensitive information, especially if these data leaks become a frequent occurrence. Long story short, make sure your website is 100% secure at all times.
More from this Platform What’s the Best Ecommerce Platform For Your Business? Here’s How To Evaluate Your Options What’s the Best Ecommerce Platform For Your Business? Here’s How To Evaluate Your Options
Launching an e-commerce business in Nigeria is an exciting venture for most entrepreneurs. This is due to the established fact that businesses which go digital have a better chance of succeeding and growing exponentially, as it employs tools provided by digital technology to amplify all aspects of business activities.
By establishing an e-commerce business, entrepreneurs can determine almost anything about the business, ranging from business name, logo, branding, to business set up. Though it feels like an early stage where entrepreneurs only consider current business needs, determining the direction which the business should go and tools needed are important.
In our technological world today, choosing a top online store is not the only factor that guarantees success for entrepreneurs. Business owners choose the top ecommerce platform which possess all necessary tools to facilitate easy integration. As a result, they have absolute control over every detail of the business, as well scaling ability to achieve growth.
Through this piece, we will have a look at the best ecommerce platform for your business, and how you can do a thorough evaluation of the platform that best support your business needs.
What are E-Commerce Platforms?
E-Commerce platform is a means through which entrepreneurs create a digital presence for their business. Through these platforms, companies can make sales and fulfill orders from wherever their customers are located. The range which an e-commerce platform operates depend on the target market of businesses located on the platform. It could be international, continental, national, or domestic level.
Although we have entrepreneurs who feel e-commerce platforms is merely a tool that allow them take orders and accept payments online, the scope of e-commerce has expanded to be more than that. E-commerce platforms today comes with all features to help it function as a command center where total control of the business from the inventory to making sales.
Good e-commerce platforms should help your business process payments in a secure manner, while also allowing you easy access to all the tools required to help you sell through your store.
What types of ecommerce platforms are there?
There are different types of e-commerce platforms in present day. These platforms offer different services and features that make them unique. To make your digital store available for access to the public, especially your target market, a hosting solution is required. Through hosting, data and information about your store are stored on a secure server. The server allows users (buyers) visit your store, view your products and services, and eventually make purchase.
Some e-commerce platforms have in-built hosting, while others use open source hosting.
Hosted E-Commerce Platform
There are e-commerce websites which offer a hosted platform. In this type, entrepreneurs do not have to deal with the self or third party hosting which usually attracts a charge. A prime example of this kind of store is Kusnap, which offer website hosting in every plan. Updates on Kusnap are automatic and seamless to help your site keep up with changes. Having a store on a hosted ecommerce platform provides entrepreneurs with greater liberty to concentrate on the business aspects of your store rather than spending precious time on fixing bugs and issues related to downtime.
Self-hosted
As opposed to hosted e-commerce platforms, Self-hosted platforms require entrepreneurs to engage in the technical aspects of website building. This includes coding, fixing bugs, downtime and other technical aspects of digital platforms. In these types of platforms, running website management is pretty intertwined and convoluted. Entrepreneurs will have to personally maintain, update, and diagnose the website within intervals.
These types of platforms are usually open source, since third parties help host the data of your platform. Fees are charged for these services, and it usually interrupt merchant’s focus on the business aspect of their store.
Types of ecommerce
There are four types of ecommerce: B2C (business-to-consumer), B2B (business-to-business), C2B (consumer-to-business), and C2C (consumer-to-consumer).
B2C – This involves selling products from a business to an individual consumer. It is also popularly referred to as DTC, or direct-to-consumer. B2B – Here, transactions are executed from business to business. It involve wholesale purchase, when the purchasing business intends to resell at a profit, as well as for business use— as in products such as office supplies and equipment. C2B – Roles are reversed in this type of business. Consumers also have selling power, in cases where they sell to businesses. Typically, these transactions are less traditional. A consumer might sell their influence in the form of a featured social post, or they might offer a five-star review in exchange for money. C2C – Consumers can also sell to one another, a trend that has emerged with the popularity of the sharing economy. Platforms like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and eBay offer a place to facilitate C2C ecommerce.
All things being equal, the type of ecommerce business entrepreneurs intend to start determines the ideal ecommerce platform that best suit your business needs.
What does a great ecommerce experience mean to you?
In cases where entrepreneurs have complete focus on checking the ideal e-commerce platform, it is easy to get lost. Reasons why you are looking for the best platform for your business can easily be forgotten over time. One simple truth which most entrepreneurs would not like to hear is that there is nothing like the best ecommerce platform.
You can only get the right platform for your business. This kind of platform allow you offer your services to customers in the best possible way. We all want an awesome shopping experience. Your e-commerce platform should offer that to customers.
Today, the most effective e-commerce platform should offer an easily integrated ecosystem which have tools such as a store, payment processor, POS, and so on. Kusnap as an example, comes with series of tools that help entrepreneurs manage business efficiently. Kusnap also features an app with tools to help merchants customize shopping experience for their customers.
The best ecommerce platforms for 2021
As expressed earlier, your business model and projections determines the ideal e-commerce solution for your business. There is a wide variety of e-commerce platforms which entrepreneurs could use in Nigeria. In recent times, the platform which has displayed efficiency in operations, ease of use, and facilitates business growth is Kusnap.
Features:
Price: Available on Request
Free trial length: 14 days
Customer support options: callback phone support; email support; support provided in major languages in Nigeria; community forum; support content.
Integrated sales channels: Facebook, Instagram, Google, and Twitter.
Mobile app features: suite of mobile tools to fully manage your online business
POS: Yes
Payment processor: Yes
Kusnap is easily the most efficient platform to set up e-commerce. Our robust platform features numerous tools that facilitate multi-channel transactions. This way, merchants can sell products through their website, physical stores, social media, and so on.
Additionally, Kusnap help take care of different aspects of your business. Designated payment methods process payments, Kusnap logistics ensure customers receive purchased products, and so on. The numerous tools on offer by Kusnap work towards a common goal as part of an ecosystem.
Through all State-of-the-art features of Kusnap, entrepreneurs can create their business digitally with minimal technical experience and budget. This helps merchants grow their online brand without any need to switch platforms along the way.
More from this Platform How Can We Help Businesses Affected by the COVID-19 crisis
How Can We Help Businesses Affected by the COVID-19 crisis
The occurrence of the Covid-19 pandemic has affected so much. From being a health crisis to an economic one, it is definitely one hard challenge for companies and entrepreneurs to scale through. Having identified the huge role and importance which MSMEs play in the growth and development of the Nigerian economy, it is imperative that these kinds of businesses are offered help and bailouts in different ways.
In the commercial industry today, most companies are still struggling to shake off the negative effects of the lockdown. As the lockdown was lifted, most businesses had no idea of the scale of damage which it had done to their business. Post-lockdown, Business owners are finally getting a full grasp of the scale of damage that has been done. After identifying numerous problems, lots of entrepreneurs have no real idea of how to recover from the terrible effects on their business, most especially on MSMEs.
Through this piece, we will have a bold look at how MSMEs can get help in recovering from the hellish business conditions created by the pandemic. Also, we will see how business can integrate strategies that will help them recover quicker than anticipated.
Adapting technical assistance to meet the challenge
With the way the pandemic slowly transformed from a health crisis to an economic one, no one could have imagined the extent of damage the pandemic will have over businesses. More importantly, how businesses stay above water to weather the storm and recover is where all efforts and strategies need to focus on.
The government in the past has worked with MSMEs in various industries across the Nigerian economy with the aim of monitoring the condition of business and how well most are performing. It is easy to recognize that other than being a driver for the Nigerian economy, MSMEs are also the biggest employer of LABOR. Atypical MSME in Nigeria operates optimally with employees ranging from 10-20. Statistically, it means MSMEs provides up to 65% of jobs which is a big deal for a developing cou try like Nigeria. Additionally, MSMEs attracts the younger population, as well as women.
Till date, a lot of businesses still find it difficult to identify the full effects which the pandemic has wrought of them. Most enterprise are already in the middle of turmoil in terms of liquidity which could potentially clear out a whole segment of the economy. Today, they all face challenges which vary in impact rates. The degree of challenges businesses face will then determine how policy makers respond.
Challenges facing MSMEs
Businesses have seen it all, the full wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The economy of all countries around the world nearly entered into a recession if we are to go by the data presented by the International Monetary Funds (IMF).
Through the data produced, we can clearly identify how some sectors were paralyzed more than others. Sectors of the industry such as Food, Travels, accommodation, tourism have bore the full brunt of the heat of Covid-19. In a bid to revive the business to its former glory, businesses have to go through four phases; from Lockdown, supply chain disruption, demand depression to recovery. The degree of issues which businesses run into during these phases had a lot to do with government policies
As they transition form lockdown to recovery, MSMEs encounter a series of threats to their survival:
Collapsing demand and access to liquidity – Demand has plunged for the businesses and entrepreneurs we support – even in commodity sectors – and some buyers are slowing payments for orders already received. MSMEs have small cash reserves, and therefore go out of business first in a liquidity shock. Businesses who trade internationally are especially vulnerable, as they depend on access to increasingly depreciating Naira to fund a variety of their costs. Accessing inputs and managing inventory – MSMEs frequently source inputs from abroad, increasingly so as supply chains have become longer and more complex. Managing the work environment – For manufacturing MSMEs in severe situations, remaining open is challenging as factory floors are not designed for social distancing. Massive outmigration from cities has meant workers have disappeared and they may be difficult to remobilize. Many countries have suspended support to farmers even as the agricultural calendar continues. Policy uncertainty and disrupted supply chains – Policies are evolving fast. MSME managers often work alone and cannot create crisis teams to track changes. Supply chain disruptions such as restricted movements create huge liabilities. Accessing emergency support: Many of the small businesses that need support are on the edge of the formal economy or trade informally. They rarely draw on government support and relatively few participate in networks of government support institutions. As governments put together emergency support, reaching these companies and finding ways to help may be difficult. Reactivating business linkages
As already established, the Nigerian government are the most capable players that can help businesses survive the negative effects of something as huge as a pandemic. As the crisis is steadily regressing, beneficiaries of government funding are to be ready to reconnect with buyers, re-hire staff and re-launch production. It is too early to draw lessons but these are our suggestions, based on early advice from the field:
Transform the playbook (and listen) – Like other technical assistance providers, many of the Federal government projects helping MSMEs have rigid targets and work plans that did not anticipate something of this scale. Businesses should modify their plans, listen closely to MSME managers and governments on what they need – and find ways to get it done. For instance, the government is already working with numerous industries in Nigeria to develop a recovery plan, with the active support of the funder. Be ready with data – International value chains account for a huge proportion of trade and connect to millions of MSMEs. The Nigerian Government is using networks within these chains to measure the impacts of the crisis and is making the analysis available to decision makers and companies. The key is to time surveys so they do not disrupt partners while they address immediate issues. Build (re-build) the ecosystem – MSMEs need business support organizations now more than ever. Governments also need an ecosystem that can deliver much needed aid to their MSMEs. Think value chains and alliances – Actors across entire value chains have to work together to restore trade. Entrepreneurs can start by working to maintain the dialogue between buyers and suppliers. Focus on finance – Because few of private beneficiary companies receive formal financing, they may be left out when governments and public lenders offer emergency liquidity. The Government is working with trade finance providers, regulators, guarantors, buyers, and suppliers to integrate MSMEs into affordable financing networks. Summary
Considering the really terrible condition which the pandemic has left the Nigerian economy, especially in the MSME sector, a lot of businesses are struggling to keep up. The most effective and credible opportunity and bailout which MSMEs can use is Government intervention. Having recognized the importance of MSMEs to the growth of Nigerian economy, it is expected that the Government rise to the occasion to help businesses thrive through funding and loans.
Fortunately, there are numerous government programs that are already established to help businesses scale through the economic effects of coronavirus pandemic. MSMEs can easily use the opportunity to seek bailout funds to help improve their business, until the market recover fully.
More from this Platform How Businesses Can Scale the Imapct of COVID-19
How Businesses Can Scale the Imapct of COVID-19
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by the lockdown, many businesses across the country endured one of the worst periods. Regardless of how a business is set up, many today need to review their operations and reevaluate how the business operates.
As things are slowly returning to normal most businesses have been unable to keep up with the new business market they find themselves. This is mostly due to inability of entrepreneurs to keep the financial wheels of their business turning during and after the lockdown.
The effects of the pandemic is much more devastating on startups and MSMEs mostly due to the fact that the financial reserve of such businesses are so small. As a result, they are unable to manage the fallout of this scale. The ripple effect of this shutdown has had a key impact on Nigeria’s economy, as all business sectors get affected resulting in low revenue generation due to an eventual halt/slump on the sale of products and/or services.
So, during such testing times, startup entrepreneurs will have to adapt to a new set of rules and be mindful of the following aspects to alleviate risks and to survive the slowdown caused by the impact of COVID19.
Tracking expenses against the revenue status
In this Post-Covid-19 period, one of the most important things to consider in business today is to carry out a thorough assessment of all forms of expenses, and also the total income generated. Doing this will provide a good estimate of the position of the company on a financial level. Knowing the financial position of the company, entrepreneurs can make proper plans until when everything is normalized.
Reviewing the feasibility of Existing business model
Since the occurrence of the pandemic, there has been a constant change in the market. And we all know it is not for good. As a result, we can all agree that it is time to review existing business model in terms of projections concerning revenue and expenses. Tracking financial metrics and cash flow cannot be lagging in this period considering how unpredictable the market has become. As such, entrepreneurs should review how much of an impact the pandemic has had on new sales, collections, debts, and so on.
Plan policies for Future
Provided it is still quite unclear how long it is going to take for the market and business industry to recover, entrepreneurs should make plans for all possible scenarios and outcomes. If we consider it as a 3-month problem, an instant halt on variable expenditures like hiring, marketing, travel, etc. can help. However, if the crisis continues for 9 months to a year, entrepreneurs will have to reconfigure their business strategy to reduce the variable expenses, renegotiate fixed expenses (rent, salaries, equipment lease payments, etc.), and focus only on the crucial essentials for survival.
Patience in securing investments
There is no business that does not require capital in one form or another to run it. One constant question which most entrepreneurs ponder on is usually where to secure enough capital to keep business afloat in these difficult times. Despite the presence of many avenues for entrepreneurs to secure funding for business, caution is taken in every step of the way.
It is important to not that investors have also been affected directly by the pandemic, and as a result, they take more caution by taking longer time to make funding decisions. One positive thing to always fall back to is the fact that in past economic meltdown, the market eventually bounce back over time. To buy enough time to keep your head over water, entrepreneurs can approach investors for more funding with a convincing plan and proof of use. Most investors would most likely take the chance since they are already within the game.
Other tips to stay connected and afloat post-lockdown includes:
Combining speed and stability
In terms of business, agility is a characteristic to be able to rapidly adapt or modify itself in a terrible business condition or market. This adaptation buy the business enough time to pass through the difficult situation with minimal damages to the company. This adaptation here focuses on both the speed and stability. Speaking of speed, it is the ability of a business to keep up with the different changes hitting the market where it operates. Entrepreneurs need to be creative and dynamic enough in creating and implementing policies that fit with the changing market.
However, for entrepreneurs to guarantee sustainable success and ability to boost operations, a set of core elements have to be considered. Thus, the latter component of stability or the solid backbone becomes crucial.
Turn digitization into an advantage
During the pandemic and as we are gradually coming out of it, most of the top officials of companies identified the need to transform their business digitally. While most of them saw the need to move business to the digital space, only a few implemented it. This led a lot of startup companies to run into issues which could have easily been avoided. Digital adoption is now and should be the new normal due to the many issues which it helps businesses avoid.
For example, during the pandemic, only businesses which have a digital presence were the only ones able to operate. Since it does not require the physical presence of people, it proved to be a great way for businesses to connect, make transactions, as well as execute them with a minimal physical effort or presence required. Kusnap is one such ecommerce platform which entrepreneurs a great deal to keep business in operation where many were locked.
Additionally, more businesses are finally recognizing the importance and benefits of digitalization. Ability to operate in physically restricted conditions, wider exposure of business to target market, better customer engagement, and so on; have made the digital space ideal for entrepreneurs.
The challenge of the pandemic for businesses has not only been to sustain productivity through digitized operations, but to refocus on new opportunities created by digitalization for their work and workforce. It is in part a cultural shift, where digitalization is seen less as an acceptable solution to a problem, and more as a catalyst to change the business model creatively for the better.
In terms of digitalization, Kusnap has been at the forefront in helping many physical businesses move to the digital space. It is a new age e-commerce platform focused on getting as much business to the online space, so they can enjoy boundless benefits which the digital space offers. While more businesses and entrepreneurs are still getting to know about Kusnap, it is important to understand how effective it has been in helping digitize businesses across Nigeria.
Drive systemic change through cooperation
During the coronavirus pandemic, one lesson we learned was that our societies are intertwined more than we can imagine. Regardless of the issues, the lockdown exposed the significance of collaboration between stakeholders within a business environment. For this to happen, there has to be a foundation based on trust between all individuals involved. Many businesses are quickly understanding the concept of trust in every unit in the supply chain, as well as employees. Cooperation is vital in helping businesses regain their capacity to operate.
Summary
The Nigerian economy is still in a terrible place due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Though most businesses have reopened for operations, many have been laid bare and forced to go into liquidation due to inefficiencies.
Though it is not really clear what the future holds, entrepreneurs need to learn vital lessons on the series of events in the past year and use them to improve in their business. It is important that business responds to changing market trends, as well as focus on how to thrive through agility, digitization and collaboration. All the ways discussed in this article ensure success in their own way.
As part of the ways which businesses in Nigeria can survive the fallout from Covid-19, Kusnap as an e-commerce platform has is providing digital solutions to help businesses thrive and grow in their market, regardless of the impacts of COVID-19. As entrepreneurs, make it a must to join Kusnap and digitize your business today.
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warc | 202143 | Unifynd is an enterprise SaaS retail-tech business that enables brands to manage their entire customer journey across offline and online channels. Working with retail businesses across India, they optimize the end-to-end customer journey by reducing friction and generating meaningful insights, helping brands serve customers more effectively.
Founded in 2018 by Anish Jain, Jash Choraria, and Avi Jain, Unifynd was a solution to two problems observed by the founding team. The first was, “Can we mitigate the reasons why people don’t like coming to brick-and-mortar stores?” The other problem was, “Can we provide in-store shoppers with the benefits they enjoy while shopping online?”
Eager to know more about their business and the benefits they’ve seen since partnering with CleverTap, we spoke to Anish Jain, Co-founder, Jash Choraria, Co-founder, and Rohan Mahajan, Lead- Key Account Management.
“Initially, we were struggling with converting data flowing through multiple user touchpoints into actionable insights,” recalled Choraria. Raw data that doesn’t help marketers recognize patterns and trends in user behavior isn’t of much value for a business.
It was important for Unifynd to have a complete understanding of every user in order to integrate technology into the offline user journey and equip customers with digital touchpoints to aid them in navigating stores.
They needed a marketing automation partner that could help them create customer cohorts, enable automated campaigns, and optimize user journeys across the entire customer lifecycle.
Their key metric is an increase in sales and revenue across retail destinations. “This can happen when users spend more time shopping in the mall and continually come back to make more purchases. Coupons play a great role in boosting footfalls and sales,” Choraria explains. Unifynd needed to track the coupon conversion rate and percentage of sales captured using coupons.
Many retailers use coupons as a means to increase their total sales volume. In Indian malls, this process is entirely manual: the mall’s management team collects retailers’ coupons, and then aggregates and distributes them to shoppers. It’s an inconvenient method for both retailers and shoppers.
To redeem coupons, shoppers have to remember to bring them to the store before the coupon expires. Because shoppers frequently forget, many coupons are never redeemed, lowering potential sales and resulting in average coupon conversion rates of less than 5%. Seeing the potential for improvements, Unifynd wanted to revamp this process and reimagine shopping for Indian mall-goers.
One of their main products is Future Retail tech, a growth marketing tool for single- and multi-brand retailers in malls, helping them create personalized offline experiences. The benefits that retailers can accrue include improved customer engagement and loyalty, richer in-store experiences, and more actionable reporting and analytics.
Choraria discovered CleverTap through a power customer who used CleverTap to drive targeted and personalized communication to users.
The intention was to drive the user journey offline beyond clicks, online interactions, and transactions. According to Mahajan, the team approaches CleverTap for three things: analytics, customer journeys, and segmentation.
CleverTap’s analytics suite helps them test various hypotheses about user behavior and reveal important behavioral trends. “It’s crucial for us to break down and uncover behavioral patterns among various cohorts of users, whether they complete the journey or not,” explains Mahajan. Using cohort analysis, they easily compare different user groups to understand how engagement differs over time. This also helps them boost loyalty and improve the onboarding experience.
As their product is meant to integrate the offline customer journey across both a multi-brand retail format and a single brand, personalizing the experience for different target groups is based on their technological affinity across various platforms.
They have four primary channels through which customers communicate: web app, mobile app, WhatsApp chatbot, and the kiosk. “Looking at the web and mobile app, it’s important for us to drive action and inaction-based communication and then curate the customer journey,” adds Mahajan.An example of an push notification informing customers about the latest coupons available from leading brands
He uses journeys to keep customers informed about the latest happenings and offers daily. Apart from that, orchestrating these journeys helps Unifynd increase engagement rates and, in turn, increase sales for their customers. Additionally, Mahajan uses campaigns to send push notifications, in-app messages, and email newsletters.
The business model of the mall is such that retailers are its primary customers and visitors are the end customer. Some retail stores have higher foot traffic, leading to more sales and revenue. On the other hand, there are stores that lag in sales. When malls run marketing campaigns to drive visitors to the mall, there is no visibility into the behavior of users once they enter the premises.
“With segmentation, we understand how users navigate their way through the mall and where they decide to shop. Most importantly, if a new store opens up, we know who we can target to drive foot traffic and sales,” explains Mahajan.
“Historically, mall destinations have only driven footfalls into the mall but with no focus on converting these visitors to customers. This is where our product coupled with CleverTap fits in: helping us convert these visitors into customers and loyalists,” says Choraria.
Unifynd’s current coupon conversion rate stands at 83%, achieved by launching coupon programs that are customized based on user preference and availability. Additionally, by sending targeted communications for coupons of certain brands, they’ve seen a 44% increase in sales in just one month. Overall, Unifynd has helped malls drive sales of $1.3 million using targeted coupons.
“We’re trying to launch a payment inclusive environment for our customers, allowing them to make payments through UPI and other such mechanisms,” says Jain about Unifynd’s next step. Partnering with Unifynd and helping them improve the coupon conversion rate for malls has been a gratifying experience for us. We are proud to be a part of their mission to redefine offline shopping for millions of Indians. | 6,623 | 2,896 | 14,730.228936 |
warc | 202143 | From the API doc: The finalize method is never invoked more than once by a Java virtual machine for any given object.
Originally posted by Bishal P:
The finalize method is invoked by the Garbage Collector when it has determined that an object is no longer used and can be garbage collected. Since one object can be garbage collected only once, the finalize method will also be invoked only once For more information check out the API
You might want to do other things in finalize() which should only be performed once - e.g. you could decrement a count of living objects, or invoke the close() method on some other resource that can only be closed once. (Though most close() methods are written so that a second close() simply has no effect.)
What is finalize( ) for?
So, if you should not use finalize( ) as a general-purpose cleanup method, what good is it? Feedback A third point to remember is: 3. Garbage collection is only about memory. That is, the sole reason for the existence of the garbage collector is to recover memory that your program is no longer using. So any activity that is associated with garbage collection, most notably your finalize( ) method, must also be only about memory and its deallocation. Feedback Does this mean that if your object contains other objects, finalize( ) should explicitly release those objects? Well, no�the garbage collector takes care of the release of all object memory regardless of how the object is created. It turns out that the need for finalize( ) is limited to special cases in which your object can allocate some storage in some way other than creating an object. But, you might observe, everything in Java is an object, so how can this be? Feedback It would seem that finalize( ) is in place because of the possibility that you�ll do something C-like by allocating memory using a mechanism other than the normal one in Java. This can happen primarily through native methods, which are a way to call non-Java code from Java. (Native methods are covered in Appendix B in the electronic 2nd edition of this book, available on this book�s CD ROM and at www.BruceEckel.com.) C and C++ are the only languages currently supported by native methods, but since they can call subprograms in other languages, you can effectively call anything. Inside the non-Java code, C�s malloc( ) family of functions might be called to allocate storage, and unless you call free( ), that storage will not be released, causing a memory leak. Of course, free( ) is a C and C++ function, so you�d need to call it in a native method inside your finalize( ). Feedback After reading this, you probably get the idea that you won�t use finalize( ) much.[22] You�re correct; it is not the appropriate place for normal cleanup to occur. So where should normal cleanup be performed? Feedback You must perform cleanup To clean up an object, the user of that object must call a cleanup method at the point the cleanup is desired. This sounds pretty straightforward, but it collides a bit with the C++ concept of the destructor. In C++, all objects are destroyed. Or rather, all objects should be destroyed. If the C++ object is created as a local (i.e., on the stack�not possible in Java), then the destruction happens at the closing curly brace of the scope in which the object was created. If the object was created using new (like in Java), the destructor is called when the programmer calls the C++ operator delete (which doesn�t exist in Java). If the C++ programmer forgets to call delete, the destructor is never called, and you have a memory leak, plus the other parts of the object never get cleaned up. This kind of bug can be very difficult to track down, and is one of the compelling reasons to move from C++ to Java. Feedback | 3,812 | 1,735 | 8,261.164265 |
warc | 202143 | COVID-19 is forcing cities and utilities to consider how they can expedite their digital transformation while still operating. A perfect storm of operational risks are on the horizon for cities and utilities as they manage -
Work from home Risk of infection taking you off schedule Phasing out old skills for new skills Moving from centralized operations to remote operations The downsizing of their workforce Institutional knowledge retiring
As the COVID-19 pandemic began to increasingly affect cities across the U.S. earlier this year, a number found they needed to quickly determine a way to provide citizens with access to key city services—and, at the same time, enable municipal employees to work remotely while sheltering in place. | 748 | 456 | 1,212.219298 |
warc | 202143 | Storm season continues in August and even into the fall months. Wind and hail can, unfortunately, be quite common this time of year. The following are steps you can take if your home sustains damage after a hailstorm:
Make note of the day and time of the hailstorm. After the storm has passed and there is no risk, inspect your dwelling for damage. Look at the roof, gutters, air conditioning unit, window screens, etc. Do not climb on the roof if it is steep and dangerous. In addition, check for any interior water leaking in any of your interior rooms. If you have any broken windows or interior water damage, contact a contractor to complete temporary repairs. Keep the invoice. You may wish to have a local, licensed contractor inspect your property and give you an estimate to determine if the repairs will exceed your deductible. You can file a claim by contacting your agent.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us and we would be happy to help you. | 973 | 548 | 1,720.505474 |
warc | 202143 | If you are a retired teacher or a stay-at-home parent, you may have thought of opening your own daycare. Well, why not? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, childcare services are expected to have an 8% increase in employment. And especially with the ongoing pandemic and the rise in on-line classes, working parents are sure trying to find a reliable, relatively in-expensive day care center for their children. So, this may be the perfect time for you to make your dream of opening a daycare come true!
However, where does one begin with starting their own daycare? What are the educational requirements? And beyond education, what about insurance and licensing? And maybe other requirements you have never even heard about? Do not worry, we have got all the answers you need!
What Specific Education Is Required? The education required to open a daycare depends solely in the state you live in. While some states require you to only have a high school diploma or equivalent, other states require further education or a combination of professional experience and education.
For example, in New York you will need one of the following:
Associates of Arts (AA) in early childhood education, childhood development, or a related field A Child Development Associate (CDA) and at least 2 years of related experience A high school diploma or equivalent and 3 years of related experience
If you are caring for children under the age of 3, you will also need 1 year of training or experience in Infant and Toddler care.
Some states may require continuing education, so that you can stay up to date with your state’s day-care regulations and learn new skills and information to provide quality childcare.
It may also be required for renewing your license and/or certifications.
While a bachelor’s may not always be required, getting your bachelor’s in a related field can make you eligible for higher-paying positions.
Childcare education classes can be taken fully online and usually cover a wide range of topics such as literature, nutrition, childhood psychology, and health and safety.
Check with your local state agencies to see their requirements here:
While education may not be required depending on where you live, getting the relevant education will still help you in the long run, in building credibility or just having knowledge in how to properly run a daycare. Moreover, the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that having an associate degree in Nursery education or Child Development helped prospective daycare owners in finding entry level jobs in the childcare industry.
After checking on your state’s educational requirements, you will want to know if you need any licensing or training.
Do I Need to Be Licensed? Most states require licensing to open a daycare, which involves passing a background check, having immunization records and training. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid training may also be required.
Licensing depends on the type of daycare you want to start. A group center-based daycare, for example, requires a permit in New York that must be renewed every 2 years. Group center-based daycares are places specifically for child-care, such as nurseries, infant/toddler programs or preschools. They cannot be in a private residence.
Small and large family daycares in New York need to be registered to operate and may be in a private residence. Further requirements may involve training or hiring additional staff. In New York, for example, there must be one staff member for every 2 children that are under the age of 2.
However, there are times where you may not need licensing. For example, in Hawaii, a relative or a friend caring for your child will not need a license.
You can check the licensing requirements for your state here:
After registering and obtaining the necessary license(s), you will next want to look into insurance.
Why Do I Need Insurance? When you own your daycare, you are responsible and liable for the children’s safety. Having insurance can protect you and cover costs, depending on your plan.
For example, if a child is injured under your care, the parent(s) may sue, and if you are found guilty without insurance, it will come out of your pocket. Insurance companies also have extensive knowledge in the field, so they can offer expert advice should an issue unfortunately arise.
When you are all ready to go, don’t just jump in yet!
Creating an effective business plan will help to guide you, and simplify the processes needed.
How Do I Create a Business Plan? After finding out your state’s requirements, you should create a business plan. You would want to outline what type of daycare you want to run, budgeting/financial costs, marketing strategies, and anything else that is included in your daycare.
Financial costs could include toys, food, or even additional staff to run your daycare. You need to also set tuition costs. Research competing daycares throughout the area to see how much they charge for tuition based on a child’s age. Try to come up with a competitive price that is lower than your competitors, but not so low that your daycare will not become profitable.
Find out how much it will cost to start up your daycare and break even. Consider the rental or purchase cost of your building (if applicable), building inspection fees, the cost of equipment, and labor costs for employee training. Despite the higher start-up costs involved, there are tax exemptions available for daycares, so your facility will not be hit hard during tax time.
Marketing strategies can help you determine how profitable your daycare can be and where to promote your daycare. Consider reaching out to small businesses in your area such as toy stores, children’s consignment shops, mommy groups, and fitness clubs to see if you can have a business flyer about your daycare posted on their bulletin board.
You may want to create an Instagram, Facebook, or other social media profile(s) to promote awareness and maintain healthy relationships with clients. Pinterest would be a great option if you want to run a blog about child care topics and teach other daycare owners how you go about educating the children in your facility.
Learn more about writing a business plan HERE! Are There Online Courses Available to Advance My Early Childhood Education Knowledge? Even beyond going to college for Early Childhood Education, you can continue expanding your knowledge on the subject and reviewing prior material by taking online courses.
Visit YouTube and just type in “Early Childhood Education webinars” to find a large variety of refresher courses by experts on the topic. Find channels that support your daycare education ideals, so that you can consult it for whenever you need guidance or ideas.
This is the most cost effective route in continuing learning Early Childhood Education without having to spend extra money on tuition costs for getting a Bachelor’s in the field. If that is what you choose to do, by all means, go for it!
Universities and community colleges have online courses for the subject. You could receive grants, scholarships and/or loans to help you through advancing your college education. Before applying to a specific university or college, research the tuition costs, so that you can save money in the long run.
Where Should I Start on My Early Childhood Education Career?
Take these steps to start your Early Childhood Education Career.
Complete at least an Associates Degree in the field at a university or community college. If you prefer not to go the college route, get your CDA and 2 years of daycare experience. If you have a high school diploma and 3 years of daycare experience, this would also help you to qualify as an educated daycare owner. If you prefer to pursue any of the other education options listed above, go for it! Continue to watch webinars about Early Childhood Education at YouTube on a daily basis to perfect your knowledge about the field. Write observations about your findings in the field. You can use these as key information for blog posts. Ta da! You now have all you need to get started on having your own daycare! While it may be daunting, it can be a great learning experience and be very profitable too! Related Questions How much does it cost to open and run a daycare?
The cost of opening and running a daycare depends on the type of daycare you decide to operate. Home-based family daycares will cost less as the owner’s home will be used as the daycare facility. A standard daycare facility for children from infancy to age 5 will cost more, since you must buy or rent a building for operation.mAverages typically go between $500-$1300 per month, depending on how many children you are supervising.
Do nannies require licensing?
Nannies usually do not require licensing. They are much like babysitters where they can be hired as independent contractors to care for a family’s young children. For parents to be the utmost comfortable with leaving their children with a nanny, she should at least be certified in CPR and have had past experience in caring for the children of that household’s age group.
Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.
To learn more on how to start your own daycare checkout my startup course and documents here. | 9,525 | 4,115 | 21,779.034022 |
warc | 202143 | Who Is Your Ideal Client?
If you’d like to build an easy, breezy business, then knowing who your ideal client is must come before anything else you do from this point forward for your business—before the photo shoot, videos, website, and overall branding. If you do not get clear on your ideal client, then you could land clients that make your life miserable and your workload much harder than it needs to be. One of the biggest mistakes I see business owners make is not defining their ideal client from the beginning. I made this mistake, and it cost me years of my time and probably gave me a few unnecessary gray hairs!
What do I mean by your ideal client, and why is it so important?
I understand that when you’re an entrepreneur, you’re focused on putting food on the table and keeping a roof over your head. Sometimes, fear takes over, and we’re so desperate that we’re happy to have any client, even if the client isn’t a good fit for us. The result? A lot of headaches and hard work that only adds undue stress to our life. Also, this added stress and burden take time and energy away from us landing more clients, including the ones that we do want to work with. In the last issue, I shared “
Defining Your Truth to Live Your Truth,” which talks about getting clear on what’s true for you to create awareness to live the life you desire to live. Part of that truth is getting clear on your ideal client and the qualities that they do or do not possess. Your ideal client is the individual or business/organization that you love, love, love to work with. They’re the clients who appreciate you and what you do, and you don’t need to twist their arm to use you or your services—they already know they need you and your services. Make a list of qualities that your ideal client possesses, and make sure the following items make the list. Your ideal client: Values you and your service Respects your time and upholds appointments Has no issue paying for your services and what you’re worth Knows they need you and your services Makes you smile to work with them Shows gratitude for all that you do Collaborates with you for the best outcome Is inspiring to work with Is coachable and willing to try new approaches Is conscious and aware Communicates with you openly and directly Has compassion and understanding Is focused on making a difference in the world, big or small Is honest and values truth Has integrity and chooses to be authentic
You can even take this list a step further by getting clear on the specifics of your ideal clients, like:
What type of business do they run? Where do they like to shop? Where would you like to run into or meet them? What type of hobbies to they enjoy?
The more detailed you are, the clearer you’ll be, which will lead to faster results.
When you get clear on your ideal client in this way, it will be much easier to attract clients that you love and enjoy working with. It will also guide you during first encounters with prospective clients, so you quickly know whether or not you want to worth with them. And it is OK if you do not want to work with some of them. I promise, by being true to yourself, it will clear the space and open the doors for the right clients to come into your life. You can’t afford to waste time on anything other than what you deserve, which includes working with your ideal client, whatever that looks life for you. | 3,484 | 1,626 | 7,272.260763 |
warc | 202143 | Height largely depends on genes, but consuming essential nutrients in your diet is necessary for the proper growth and development of your body. Although you can’t grow taller when you reach a certain age but there are foods that can help you maintain your joints, bones, and body strong and healthy.
Here is what you need to include in your diet to increase your height.
1. Leafy green vegetables:
Nuts like almonds, peanuts, and seeds like pumpkin seeds and flax seeds contain necessary vitamins and minerals that repair and build new tissues in your body. Almonds are a rich source of vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin that doubles as an antioxidant.
3. Chicken: 4. Eggs:
Eggs are considered to be the powerhouse of nutrition. Rich source of protein and in addition a wealth of other vitamins and minerals, they are essential for proper growth of your body. Also rich in Vitamin D which increases calcium absorption to maintain skeletal health.
5. Yogurt: Yogurt contains certain types of probiotics that are beneficial for improving the immune system and decreasing inflammation. Yogurt is rich in nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium which help in the bone metabolism of your body. 6. Berries:
Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries are all rich sources of essential vitamins and minerals required for the proper growth and development of your body. Berries are specifically rich in vitamin C which maintains cell growth and helps in tissue repair. Studies show that berries increase bone density and maintain bone health which could help you grow taller and maintain your height.
7. Milk:
Undoubtedly, milk is considered as the powerhouse of calcium. A key component of a well-balanced diet, milk should be a must in your daily diet plan. Milk is a rich source of protein. Consuming milk results in weight gain and muscle building which ultimately makes you look taller.
Conclusion
Including a lot of nutrients in your diet plan can not only enhance your overall health but also helps in increasing your height and maintaining it. Nutrients play an important role in the proper growth and development of your body. Ensure you’re getting the required amount of vitamins and minerals you need for your growth. | 2,280 | 1,066 | 4,827.354597 |
warc | 202143 | NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) today announced Chief of Staff Kristine Welker will present at Advertising Week New York 2021 on the DEI Track at Marketplace Stage Presented by Walmart Connect on Monday, October 18 at 3: 30pm ET, register
here.
Joining Welker on the panel will be Mindy Scheier, Founder and CEO of The Runway of Dreams Foundation and Gamut Management, and Tiffany Meehan, Vice President of Marketing for Inclusively. Scheier, Welker and Meehan will discuss how technology can be used to create inclusive employment opportunities, and lasting change for the better.
MDA has been known for its innovative approaches to fundraising ever since the organization teamed up with the media industry and made history with the first ever 24-hour televised telethon, hosted by comedic giant Jerry Lewis. The world was changed by this legendary event, which raised awareness about mission and highlighted people with disabilities – the largest group of minorities in the U.S. MDA has been working with Twitch (Amazon), and other brands such as Verizon and Unilever to increase awareness.
Today, MDA empowers people using innovative platforms such as streaming, gaming, and social media channels. Welker joined Advertising Week to shine a light on the ways brands and media are changing the narrative to be one of ability.
“Everyone has a right to feel gorgeous, which is why inclusive design is a factor manufacturers need to keep in consideration to allow access for all,” said Khadija Bari, in Women’s Health magazine. Bari is the Student Career Coordinator at VISIONS, Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Scheier, a former seasoned fashion designer, was inspired to start Runway of Dreams after her son Oliver, who has muscular dystrophy, dreamed of wearing jeans like everyone else. Following its launch, Runway of Dreams partnered with Tommy Hilfiger on the first mainstream adaptive clothing line for kids and continues to work with many mainstream brands such as Kohl’s, Target, JC Penny and Zappos. Runway of Dreams was founded on the belief that clothing is an essential human need. It develops, delivers and supports initiatives that broaden the availability of mainstream adaptive clothing and encourage people with disabilities to enter the fashion industry.
People living with disabilities represent the largest pipeline of untapped talent in the U.S. today. To bridge the gap between talent and purpose-driven organizations, innovative technology platforms are key.
About the Muscular Dystrophy AssociationFor 70 years, the (MDA) has been committed to transforming the lives of people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. We do this through Muscular Dystrophy Association innovations in science and innovations in care. As the largest source of funding for neuromuscular disease research outside of the federal government, MDA has committed more than $1 billion since our inception to accelerate the discovery of therapies and cures. Research we have supported is directly linked to life-changing therapies across multiple neuromuscular diseases. MDA’s MOVR is the first and only data hub that aggregates clinical, genetic, and patient-reported data for multiple neuromuscular diseases to improve health outcomes and accelerate drug development. MDA supports the largest network of multidisciplinary clinics providing best-in-class care at more than 150 of the nation’s top medical institutions. Our Resource Center serves the community with one-on-one specialized support, and we offer educational conferences, events, and materials for families and healthcare providers. MDA Advocacy supports equal access for our community, and each year thousands of children and young adults learn vital life skills and gain independence at summer camp and through recreational programs, at no cost to families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MDA continues to produce virtual events and programming to support our community when in-person events and activities are not possible. MDA’s COVID-19 guidelines and virtual events are posted at mda.org/COVID19. For more information, visit mda.org.
About Runway of Dreams Foundation The Runway of Dreams Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works towards a future of inclusion, acceptance, and opportunity in the fashion industry for people with disabilities. The Runway of Dreams Foundation was founded on the belief that clothing is an essential human need. It develops, delivers, and supports initiatives to increase the availability of adaptive clothing and encourage people with disabilities to wear it. The Runway of Dreams Foundation empowers people with disabilities through adaptive runway shows, awareness campaigns, wardrobe grants, scholarship programs and wardrobe grants.
About GAMUT Management GAMUT Management is a marketplace where businesses and industries can connect with people with disabilities (PWDs). GAMUT represents actors, models, athletes, and entertainers, even those without professional experience. GAMUT provides entertainment industry consulting, deploying PWDs to deliver authentic casting, messaging, and advertising as depicted in media and pop culture. GAMUT is used by companies and industries to integrate PWDs in every stage of their business, including research, design, marketing, sales, and innovation. This allows them to develop new products and increase revenue streams. GAMUT continues to support the mission of Runway of Dreams, the company’s 501c3 partner.
About InclusivelyInclusively is the technology-centered professional network and employment platform. Our modern recruitment process connects job-seekers with disabilities, mental conditions, and chronic illness to inclusive employers that provide the necessary workplace accommodations. As a matter both of human dignity and economic imperative, we are committed to promoting employment in the community with disabilities. One in four of us will experience a disability or have it during our working lives. We work with candidates who benefit from workplace accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including mobility/physical, visual, hearing, neurodivergent, cognitive, speech, chronic illnesses, mental health conditions, and intellectual disabilities.
SOURCE Muscular Dystrophy Association
Related Links
https://www.mda.org | 6,472 | 2,904 | 14,276.732782 |
warc | 202143 | The Necessity for the Implementation of a Global Environmental Policy for the Needs and Conditions and Local Communities. A Comparative Study
Volume 34, Issue 2 (2021), pp. 191–199
Pub. online: 12 July 2021 Type: Article Open Access
Published
12 July 2021
12 July 2021
Abstract
Dynamic economic development, especially of highly industrialised regions, is a real threat to the local community through the too
extensive exploitation of the natural environment. In the field of environmental protection, a global policy of sustainable development
is applied, of which numerous conventions and international agreements are the evidence. From a regional point of view,
however, the policy created by the regional authorities is of greater importance. This claim is also a research hypothesis of this research.
Hence, the subject of this study will be the analysis of environmental protection policies carried out by the authorities of two
partner municipalities, Józefów in Poland and Bitetto in Italy. The aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of the activities of
the local authorities of two partner municipalities in terms of local environmental protection, and to show that environmental policies
should take into account in global and national approaches, but they should take their real shape based on local conditions and needs.
The result of the work will be the conclusions on the effectiveness of local environmental protection policy. The study will use the
method of analysing local environmental protection strategy and statistical data analysis, and an analysis of Polish and Italian law. | 1,642 | 822 | 3,214.085158 |
warc | 202143 | Climate and human disturbance threatening carbon uptake in re-growing Amazon forest
Climate and human disturbance threatening carbon uptake in re-growing Amazon forest
Amazon forest ecosystem is the world largest carbon sink but slowly transitioning from carbon sink to carbon source as a result of human activities, which are derailing the natural regrowth of the forest. They are areas of the forest re-growing in the Amazon to help reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere that are being limited by climate change and human activities.
The researchers at the University of Bristol published their findings in Nature Communications, suggesting a need for better protection of the re-growing forests if they are to help mitigate the effects of climate change. The researchers found that the forests, which naturally regrow on previously abandoned deforested lands, are developing at different speeds.
Global forests are expected to contribute a quarter of pledged carbon emissions under the Paris Climate Accord of 2015. Countries around the world pledged to restore and increase forest land cover to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement in addressing climate change. Brazil with its large forest cover promised to restore 12 million hectares but has, however, changed its policy according to the findings.
Brazil in 2020 amended its original National Determined Contribution (NDC) pledge under the Paris Agreement such that there’s now no mention of 12 million hectares of forest restoration or elimination of illegal logging.
Forest restoration can be achieved through the natural regrowth of secondary forests which presently cover 20% of the deforested Amazon. And therefore, understanding the effects of environmental and human activities on forest regrowth will help improve estimates of the climate mitigation potential in decades to come. The lead author, Viola Heinrich said, “Our results show the strong effects of key climate and human influence on regrowth, stressing the need to safeguard and expand secondary forests areas if they are to have any significant role in the fight against climate change.”
It is estimated that secondary forests have the potential to absorb carbon emissions 11 times faster than old-growth forests.
The researchers found that the impact of disturbances such as wildfires and repeated deforestation before regrowth reduced the regrowth by 20%- 55% across different areas of Amazon. Henrich said that the models developed in the study will help scientists, policymakers, and forest managers to highlight regions that have the greatest potential for regrowth.
The research team also calculated the contribution of Amazonian Secondary Forest to Brazil’s carbon emissions and found that; preserving the current area under secondary forests can contribute to 6% of Brazil’s emission reduction targets.
Dr. Jo House, a co-author said that “The findings in our study highlight the carbon benefits of forests regrowth and negative impact of human action if these forests are not protected. In the run-up to the 26th conference of the parties, this is a time when countries should be raising their climate ambitions for protecting and restoring forest ecosystems, not lowering them as Brazil seems to have done.”
Also read, Follow us | 3,320 | 1,472 | 7,379.782609 |
warc | 202143 | Sometimes, no matter how vulnerable you want to be, there are taboo topics that just shouldn’t get brought up in your essay. While it’s important to show your most compelling side, there are a few topics that, even if you believe they are compelling, probably aren’t worth including.
Don’t politicize your essay
This is different than talking about politics. If you firmly believe your experience campaigning for a candidate or leading a political club over the past few years is important to you, that’s fine. What you don’t want to do is use your 500-650 words to defend (insert politician here).
. No one wants to read about why you think (politician) is the greatest person since Jesus and no one cares about how you believe (politician)’s policies will make your country better. Keep the focus on you, your experience, and your learning experiences. It’s your story, not (politician)’s story. This is true regardless of party affiliation Don’t brag about anything illegal or ethically questionable.
This is a little different than what most people say. Some will tell you never talk about illegal activity. I wouldn’t talk about the vehicle you stole or the credit card fraud you committed, but if you show repentance and how you’ve grown, it can work with carefully chosen words. This does not mean you should talk about crimes from your past. But if you consider them essential to your story and you’ve outgrown those moments, you can write about them—just tread carefully.
Don’t talk about your love life.
Self-explanatory.
Other than that, I don’t really have any rules for content. Common sense will help you a lot, but don’t be afraid to get personal and show vulnerability. That’s the difference between mediocre content and compelling content.
Just don’t get so vulnerable that taboo topics come up, or your reader will never get past your choice of topic.
The personal statement is usually open-ended, 500 to 650 words, and has very few other guidelines to tell your story. With all this freedom, you have the chance to write something magical.
The flip side, of course, is that with this freedom comes the burden of too many options. What do I write about? How should I write about it? Is this an appropriate topic? Is this topic too boring? Too general? Too cliche? What if I’m a terrible writer?
Here’s the funny thing about these essays. As discussed before, you don’t need to be a great writer to tell a great story. So even if you think you aren’t a great writer, don’t let that give you cause to panic. This is not an AP English essay. This is your chance to tell a story.
But what if you’re still uncertain about doing that?
Here are a few questions to ask yourself that can generate some ideas:
What moments fundamentally changed you or the path you were on over the last decade?
It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing this has to be a Hollywood-type moment where you hit the game-winning three-pointer, nailed the audition that got you a role at a professional theater, or witnessed the death of someone close. If you had such a moment, then great! But if not, don’t despair. It’s about what’s fundamental to you being able to tell your story, not what would make a great film moment.
What moments trigger strong, almost overwhelming emotions?
The way to great writing is to write the raw truth. This is an absolute whether you’re writing an essay, an online column, a confessional, or even fiction. The more vulnerable the writing, the more painfully true, the better it is.
Oftentimes, this kind of writing will revolve around a failure you experienced that you overcame. Writing about truly exhilarating moments is fun, but not many people learn from them—they just indulge in them. The darkest, saddest, most frustrating moments are the ones we most often learn from and most often make compelling.
What moments represent the core of who you are?
If you know yourself well, you know there are certain traits that you value above all others. Be it kindness, empathy, leadership, determination, anything—if you can bring it to life in a story, it can make for a great personal statement.
There are, however, some topics that you do NOT want to talk about when you tell your story. Stay tuned next week to find out what those are.
* * *
Want to know everything about writing a personal statement now? Find out everything you need to know here.
Want to have a professional take such a look at your personal statement? Let me help you get into your dream school.
When you hear the word “college application essay” or “personal statement essay,” one crucial word in those phrases may make you believe you have to be a great writer: “essay.”
Hearing the word essay likely invokes memories of reports about themes in
The Count of Monte Cristo, a historical analysis about the implication of the 1812 War, or a case study in a psychology class. All of these require strong, technical writing skills, and if you struggled in English or hated learning about the Oxford comma, there’s a great chance that hearing that may make you groan.
But there’s something crucial to know about when it comes to these essays that can make your life much, much easier.
It’s not about your writing. It’s about your story.
Necessary, Not Sufficient
To write a great story, it is necessary to have writing without grammatical errors, incorrect verbiage, or glaringly bad typos. This is true whether you’re writing fiction, a thesis paper, or a blog post. If this blog post used apostrophes incorrectly or misspelled words, it would stand out rather egregiously.
But that just sets the floor for your writing, it doesn’t actually raise it to the level you want it to.
When the admissions committee reads your story, they want to do so without getting pulled out of the story by the aforementioned mistakes. But simply avoiding these mistakes won’t make for a great essay–it’ll merely ensure that you meet the necessary requirements to avoid having a bad one.
It’s the Story
Name your favorite movie. Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Godfather, Captain America: Civil War–those are just a few for me.
Name your favorite books. The Coldfire Trilogy, American Gods, The Name of the Wind, Game of Thrones–those are also just a few.
What do all of these have in common, regardless of their medium? They’re great stories.
Explaining why these are great stories goes beyond the point of this post, but the universal acclaim they have, the repeated viewing/reading nature of these stories, and the way they have invaded modern culture says everything about the quality of those stories.
And do they have great writing? Well, some of them, yes. The Avenger films are notorious for having great humor in them, and no one would ever call Neil Gaiman or George RR Martin a bad writer.
But do you know who has been called a bad writer? Stephen King and James Patterson. Two of the greatest selling authors of the last 50 years have received critiques for poor writing quality. You can find similar, harsher criticisms for E.L. James, author of the 50 Shades series.
So if their writing is mediocre, why do they sell like fresh ice cream on a weekend in July?
Because their stories are too compelling not too read.
It’s Your Story
Everyone has a story to tell. Just because you haven’t traveled to an exotic country, won an Olympic medal, met a president, or won a national award doesn’t mean you don’t have a story to tell. My story–specifically, the one I wrote for my college applications–involved growing up and taking ownership of my life after an embarrassing story at the gym.
Another person’s story talked about overcoming their alcoholism. Another talked about starting a business off of rare shoes. Another talked about using statistics to improve their defense in high school basketball.
Some of these had great writing. Some of them had writing that was good enough.
But all of them told a story that made you want to read more, to learn more about what’s going on. Their stories sucked you in and didn’t let you go until the final period.
That is what college application essays are looking for. They are not looking for technically strong writing that makes a reader go “oh, man, their handle on metaphors is perfect.” They are not looking for an essay that you would submit to your English teacher.
They are looking for your story. What is your unique, compelling story? How do you stand out?
Those are questions for another day–but for now, just take solace in one simple fact.
You don’t have to be a great writer to write a great college application essay. You just need to have a great story.
Want to know everything about writing a personal statement now? Find out everything you need to know here.
Want to have a professional take such a look at your personal statement? Let me help you get into your dream school.
It’s April 1st, which means by now, you should have heard from all of the schools you applied to. It may sound cliche, but you deserve congratulations for getting through this stressful process! Now comes one last step–picking a school.
By now, you’re probably just ready for school to end. You’re ready to head out for spring break, if you haven’t already. If you’ve had spring break, you’re just ready for summer to come. And more than that, you’re probably ready to begin college.
What could be better than freedom from the parents, after all? (For me, at that time, the answer was simple: nothing!)
But–I know, you’ve had so many buts, you’re over it, just take this last one to heart–don’t rush into making a decision on a school. You’re not just picking a name–you’re picking your experiences for the next few years, and if you do it wrong, you’re going to wind up having mediocre experiences at best.
There are many factors that will go into play, such as the prestige, the price, the academic offerings, and so on. But there are a few other things you’ll want to keep in mind, things that may not seem so obvious but will play a major role in your happiness over the next few years.
Of course, prioritize the academics and cost. But if you’ve narrowed it down to a few schools and still can’t decide on where to go, consider the following.
Where do students live during all four years?
When I was a student at Duke, you were required to live on campus your first three years. All freshmen lived on East Campus, all sophomores lived on West Campus, and while juniors got to choose Central or West Campus, both were less than a five minute walk through the Duke Gardens away from each other.
Why does this matter? A school that requires its students to live on campus will make it much easier for you to make friends, especially if said campus is relatively small. Conversely, a school that allows you to live off-campus right off the bat will allow students to lead isolated lives, making it more difficult to establish friendships and cultivate those friendships.
Most schools will not mandate you live on campus for three years like Duke does. But if one of your goals is to make new friends or to meet people of different backgrounds, pay close attention to where those students live when you’re picking a school. It’s a lot easier to make friends when everyone in your class is within a quarter-mile radius on campus than when people are spread out through the town.
How active are alumni?
I recently went back to Duke’s campus for our rivalry men’s basketball game against UNC. It had been eight years since I graduated, and I was with a couple of other friends who graduated around the same time I did.
It was fascinating talking to students in line for the game, because we were far from the only alums who had come back to campus. In fact, one student said something to the effect of how he had run into an alum every day since he started tenting for the game.
Every school has alums that speak about “school pride.” But the more committed and passionate alums are to their school, the more likely they are to reach out and lend a helping hand. I had the good fortune of attending a school with a strong, passionate, and well-connected alumni base. You should aim for the same.
What is the parking policy on campus?
This sounds absurd, right? But here’s another point in line with the first point. The easier it is to park on campus, the more easily students can get off campus. The harder it is, the more they’ll stay on campus.
Parking at Duke drove me insane. I probably racked up more fees in parking tickets than I have in speeding tickets in my lifetime, and my sister had an even more hilariously bad experience at Auburn. But how easy would it be to get off campus if parking was easy? How easy would it be to come and go?
The easier, the worse. (Except when you get a ticket. Then you’ll curse your school’s campus security.)
How many professors teach classes?
When I got to Duke, I received a bit of a wake up call. Not every professor taught classes. Some, in fact, only conducted research, worked with grad students, or did some other sort of special projects.
Unlike the other factors above, there’s no right or wrong answer here. A school that has all or most of its professors teaching will make it easier for you to meet these professors… but on the other hand, if you work with a professor who only does research, you know that their full attention will stay on the research and, by extension, your contributions to the research.
So whether or not this matters depends on if you anticipate doing research in college. In general, you should default toward doing research–but nevertheless, this is a point to consider.
***
Again, in the grand scheme of things, these things don’t matter nearly as much as the school’s academic prestige, the cost of attendance, and your academic fit.
But when you’ve got your choices narrowed down and you truly can’t decide, compare these schools on the criteria above. You might just find your answer.
And if you still have trouble picking a school? Take visits to both and go with your gut. You generally don’t want to leave a life-altering decision up to your gut, but by that point, your gut will be so informed it could pass a final exam on the matter.
But the process of picking a school usually won’t go that far. You’ll know your answer soon enough.
And then you won’t have to think again until you begin your first college class!
Deciding between multiple schools can be quite the challenge, especially if you like both schools. Deciding between a scholarship and perhaps even a full ride at one school and paying for a more prestigious school can feel like an even tougher decision.
So how do you decide? Which one do you go with?
There’s two ways to analyze this: the mathematical way and the “gut” way.
No Matter What, Consider This
Whether you go to a school with a full ride or not can be a very brief discussion depending on your family’s financial situation. If your family can only afford the school with the full ride, you’re going to wind up at that school. On the other hand, if you can afford to go to the more prestigious school, you might do so but still take on some debt.
Let’s make it very clear that every situation is personal and that I am certainly not a financial adviser. The following information comes only once you realize that both schools are possible, if not necessarily financially easy. If your parents are paying for the school, then they have a voice in what you do. If you’re going to take on the burden yourself, you need to be fully honest on if you can take on the debt that will come.
The Mathematical Approach
This one requires a little bit of foresight and a little bit of guessing, making it a risk–especially since as an 18-year old, you may change your mind as to your future career down the line. But if you are dead set on a certain career path and have a clear vision you intend on following, it can work.
Let’s say you know you want to major in computer science and work as a software engineer. On the one hand, you have option A, which will give you a free ride, and option B, which costs $45,000 per year, coming out to $180,000 after four years of education. With a disparity that large, it would seem option A is the easy choice, right?
Well, let’s say that almost all graduates from option A wind up with a job that pays $40,000/year, while option B usually places students in jobs that make $85,000/year. (This may sound like a lot, but if you wind up working in a field like economics or computer science and wind up with a job on Wall Street or in Silicon Valley, it’s not unreasonable.) All of a sudden, within four years, you’ve already made up the difference–and that’s just strictly on a financial level.
There’s also the fact that by having the higher-paying job (and as a result probably with a more well-known company) your future earnings will look more promising, you’ll have better connections, and you’ll advance faster.
On the other hand, let’s say you plan on becoming a teacher. The costs of university are the same, but option A’s starting salary for teachers will be $35,000, while option B will be $50,000. Suddenly, it may not be worth it if you don’t want to spend over a decade making up the difference in cost–to say nothing about the psychological burden of debt.
There’s no definitive formula here, because getting precise information about the average starting salary for a graduate given their major is difficult at a lot of schools. By asking around and looking up some profiles on LinkedIn, however, you can get a pretty good ballpark of how this will play out.
The Gut Approach
For all of the math–and you’d be a fool to ignore the math–you can’t break this problem down into a simple math equation. There are real intangible values that you have to consider as you make your choice.
What do you value in a university? If it’s connections, a prestigious school is going to look a lot better. If it’s value, the free ride will matter more. If it’s research opportunities, it’s probably going to be the top-tier school.
When I had my decision come down to Duke, Notre Dame, and Michigan, Michigan was by far and away the cheapest option. Notre Dame had some money to give as my father went there, but since I had gotten into Duke, Notre Dame was never a serious consideration. Duke, however, had several things that made it worth the cost.
-The friends I made have opened up business opportunities I’m not sure I would have had if I’d gone to Michigan. These include working gigs that have led me to Elite Essay Editing.
-I met some absolutely brilliant professors who have written NYT bestselling books, appeared on national TV, and can give me invaluable feedback on just about anything I produce. Michigan could have given me this, but not as much.
-As shallow as this sounds, people really do take you more seriously (especially in business) when you say you have a degree from Duke University. It’s like the cover of a book all these years later–we know we aren’t supposed to judge, but we do.
For all I’ve written, only you can decide if the full ride is worth the dropoff. If you wind up paying for both, take the elite school. If you have a full ride to both (or even partial scholarships), go to the elite school.
If you need to debate, take everything said above into consideration and take your time–the worst thing you can do is rush your decision.
Do you have essays to write for a potential scholarship? Let me help you.
Want to know everything about writing essays for your scholarship applications? Find out everything you need to know here. | 20,354 | 8,355 | 47,594.9848 |
warc | 202143 | Everyone bleeds, but around half the population in the world bleeds regularly, on a monthly basis. Menstruation is a natural process in which a girl or a woman in her reproductive age bleeds.
An ideal menstrual cycle is of 28 days, but it can also be from 27 to 30 days. Also, depending on the menstruating individual and their body or hormonal (im)balance, it might vary.
A healthy menstrual cycle means the woman is capable of bearing a child. But, when one discusses a healthy menstrual cycle, dignified menstrual practices are a big part of the discussion. For every menstruating individual, dignified menstruation is important.
However, the awareness and discussion around it are minimal. Hence, Onlinekhabar caught up with Radha Paudel, the founder of Global South Coalition for Dignified Menstruation (GSCDM) and a lead advocate for dignified menstruation practices in Nepal.
Here, she explains key concepts you should know about dignified menstruation in 28 points:
1. Diginified menstruation is not only about the menstruation
Dignified mensuration can be defined as the state of freedom from any form of menstrual discrimination. This includes menstruators being free from stigma, taboos, abuse, and violence associated with menstruation. This needs to be ensured not just within the menstruating period but through the menstruators’ lives, from womb to tomb.
2. There are some important dates to discuss the issue
The International Day for Dignified Mensuration is observed on December 8 whereas the International Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated on May 28. As it is also related to women, International Women’s Day on March 8 is also important. Last but not the least, the period from November 25 to December 10 that is celebrated as 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is also important.
3. It is about basic human rights
Dignified mensuration ensures the right to freedom, education, food, health, mobility, housing, dignity and access to menstrual hygiene products. It also advocates and promotes an environment where people get to live without discrimination, violence, biases, prejudices, humiliation or exclusion, despite their caste, social status, and sexual orientation.
4. Dignity should be the priority
The dignity of the menstruators is the key concern here. Every menstruator should feel respected, and not be oppressed or humiliated in any way, at all times. While the rights given by the constitution and other laws should be ensured, moral values should also be practised in all situations, without excuse.
5. It is also about conscience and responsibility
Demanding rights and access to menstrual hygiene and necessary products does not mean people forget their responsibility. They need to be conscious about the practice and the product they are using, how their bodies are reacting and more importantly where they dispose of it.
6. Dignified menstruation is from womb to tomb
Dignified mensuration is crucial and should be regulated from the time of birth to death. This includes discrimination against child-bearers from conception. Dignified mensuration also strongly discourages foeticide (abortion or killing of a foetus in the mother’s womb) based on gender and the preferential (mis)treatment towards a child.
This also includes freedom from social barriers and rules imposed on women to do or not to do social and religious activities at home and outside. Not only that, but it also looks at the regulations put on women during funeral rites and rituals while performing or otherwise.
7. Education is a must
People still lack a clear awareness regarding what dignified mensuration is and what it entails, along with all the intricate correlations it holds with all aspects of society. There is a lack of efforts from individual and government sides to be aware and make people aware of this. Consequently, Nepal also lacks guidelines, laws, rules and regulations that monitor and regulate dignified mensuration practices.
8. It is not only women’s issue
When one thinks about menstruation, it is often only related to women, which is natural. But dignified menstruation practice is not just about women by birth, but also about transmen and queer communities too. So, the preferred term in related discussions is ‘menstruators’ and not ‘females’ or ‘women’.
9. Choice is crucial
If you are talking about dignified mensuration, you have to ensure menstruators get the choice. This includes knowing the importance of dignified menstrual hygiene practices and the use of menstrual hygiene products. You also need to ensure access to such options and the freedom to use or not to use them.
10. But, sanitary napkins still have 13% VAT
The government and private organisations have taken to advertise and distribute sanitary napkins to girl children, but the sanitary napkins are still charged with 13 per cent VAT. However, there are a few organisations working to eliminate this and campaigns like “RatoKarMaafGar”.
11. Chhaupadi is the biggest evil in Nepal
The lack of education about dignified menstruation practices has given rise to many social evils in the country. One of the prominent social evils is the chhaupadi system, in which menstruators are restricted in a secluded place outside their home, devoid of basic human rights (as mentioned before). Though banned by the Supreme Court in 2005 and criminalised in 2018, it is still practised in some areas of western Nepal.
12. And there are restriction beyond the shed
Those who are not in chhaupadi still face social taboos and exclusions from social and cultural gatherings and premises. Menstrual blood and menstruating people are deemed “impure”, which is why they are restricted from entering religious sites, puja rooms and kitchens within the houses. Some also bar them from seeing mirrors or coming in contact with men.
13. Concealing the matter is sin
Because people do not talk about this properly, citing social and cultural “values”, victims of undignified menstruation practices end up getting scarred for life. Menstruators suffer from this “shame” and then either endure the pain, suffer infections rather than diagnosing them medically. They also throw pads away rampantly, on the roadside or in forests, so that no one sees them. As a result, it pollutes the environment.
14. The lack of dignity in menstruation is a cause for early or child marriage
Another social evil, early or child marriage, is also a byproduct of undignified menstrual practices. As matters of menstruation are kept as a private affair and a taboo, girl children are discouraged to express their opinions and problems. This, with a lack of access and education to dignified menstruation practices, the situation also pushes them towards early or child marriage.
15. Undignified menstrual practices are also a form of gender-based violence
Most kinds of sexual violence and domestic abuse based on gender are the results of a lack of education about dignified menstruation practices. The problem is just not the physical aspect of violence, but the verbal and mental abuse too.
16. Forced menopause is also a problem
Due to undignified practices, menstruating women are subjected to forced or induced menopause too. Women either surgically (through oophorectomy) remove ovaries or chemically suppress ovulation. Other than health reasons, if a menstruating individual is coerced into getting menopause, that is against the dignified practices.
17. There is a provision of punishment
If anyone is found guilty of abusing, discriminating, or committing violence associated with menstruation, the law says they are liable to get a jail time of three months, Rs 3,000 or both. The provision was introduced in 2017 with an amendment to The National Penal (Code) Act, 2017 (section 168). But, this largely covers the issues of chhaupadi only.
18. Girls are prone to lose two months worth of education
As many girls in rural areas are devoid of access to defined menstrual hygiene products, they are discouraged to go to school. On the other hand, because of the societal taboos and girls being teased and shamed for having periods or period stains, girls prefer to skip school and stay at home. So in a year, they are more likely to lose some two months of education. As a result, they get behind their studies, their schooling is affected, and many other even drop out.
19. Men and boys can play a vital role
A man can help by not sticking to society-framed judgements. He can make women around him comfortable to talk about periods, period pain, gender issues and speaking out against discrimination or biases. The teasing in schools and passing comments over behaviours in personal and professional settings can be eliminated.
20. It needs to be a household topic
Dignified menstruation is not about keeping matters private, even if menstruators are suffering. Such matters need to be spoken and discussed among families and friends, despite their gender or sex. Only when you give women the environment at home, can they excel and feel confident in the outside world.
21. Dignified menstruation is essential for empowerment
Practising dignified menstruation means breaking the stereotypes and changing the gender roles. It promotes equity and equality. It is more than just about giving them the reservation seats like deputy positions given to many women in the local units. Men should step aside and give women the opportunity because they can.
When it comes to ensuring dignified menstruation, men cannot empower women by being leaders; rather they need to encourage and support them, endlessly.
22. Menstrual leave is irrelevant if dignified menstruation is not ensured
Many show that they are progressive, respect all genders, and understand menstruators need time-off. As a result, many have given the option for menstrual leave to women too. However, if the office and the staff working there still mistreat menstruators and judge them for bleeding, it is irrelevant.
23. Pad pollution needs to be avoided
Pad pollution is a serious issue as on average, a menstruating individual who uses pads can dispose of about one and a half quintals of pads, in her total menstruating period. As a single pad requires at least 500 to 700 years to decay, one needs to be very conscious about it. Haphazard burning of the pads can also leave an impact on the nearest individual and then the environment.
24. Dignity of labour must be ensured
Disposing of pads haphazardly does not just pollute the environment but also encroaches on the dignity of labour. A dignified practice must ensure that the dignity and rights of those cleaning the environment too.
25. The issue is linked with nine SDGs
Out of the 17 sustainable development goals, the issues of dignified menstruation are linked with nine of them: 1 [1.4], 2 [2.1, 2.2], 3 [3.1, 3.2, 3.7], 4 [4.1, 4.2], 5 [5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.5], 6 [6.1, 6.2], 8 [8.1, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7, 8.8, 8.9], 12 [12.4, 12.5], and 16 [16.1, 16.2].
26. The government has made some efforts, but they haven’t been effective
The government issued the Sanitary Pad Distribution and Management Procedure, 2019, and made efforts to provide free sanitary pads to school girls for free, but that was not implemented well.
27. Some events have also been organised
In December 2018, the MenstruAction conference was held in Kathmandu where stakeholders and advocates came together to discuss the issue. Ministry of Water Supply formed a committee to draft a policy on dignified menstruation in 2017 and organised training on it. Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen identified Dignified Menstruation Day and made efforts to eliminate menstrual huts or sheds.
28. Yet, the overall response is too little too late
An issue that affects half the population of the world is kept hush in Nepali society. Even after the leap taken into modernisation backed by education, people are not aware of talking about what dignified menstruation is. It has been too late from the public side. But, they can start now. | 12,180 | 5,293 | 27,662.153788 |
warc | 202143 | Everything is a learning opportunity, so explore new topics and activities. We are constantly growing in life and we should use that as a resource for our teaching. So, if you learn something new, if you try out something, share that with your students if that can help them with whatever you’re trying to convey to them. Use your life and the things that you learn in your classroom because that is an authentic way of teaching. When students see that the material comes from your life and how you’re sharing your knowledge with them, they will appreciate it more. Try to use these ideas from your life, use them in your teaching and that will help students to understand it from your point of view.
Use hand signals and other nonverbal communication in class. Learners will quickly get to know your eye contact and expressions. Sometimes you don’t want to talk loudly to your students rather, use hand signals or expressions if possible. For example, if you want them to quiet down, you can show them five fingers, meaning that they have five seconds to quiet down and pay attention to you. Or, you can use eye contact when someone’s doing something that they’re not supposed to, just give them ‘the look’. Students will get to know that look and realize,
“I’m going to be in trouble if I continue doing this.”
You can also use expressions. If you’re excited, if you’re interested, or if you’re displeased, students will pick up on it. Instead of being loud and using your words may be a better approach is to use nonverbal communication so that you don’t get the entire class involved and you can just work with one student or a small group.
Be consistent in everything. Be authoritative, not authoritarian. Be firm, but flexible. Students are looking up to you as a teacher to provide them with stability and, by being consistent in how you behave, in the way that you teach, and in how you treat other people, the trust in you will grow. So be an authority figure, but don’t be an authoritarian. Be firm but flexible where you can be. That way, students will trust you and do better to earn your trust. Your colleagues will trust you too.
Okay, everyone. I hope these 100 teaching tips helped you. I had a great time writing them down and sharing some ideas. Obviously, there are so many parts to being a good teacher that I might have missed. I hope these 100 ideas can help you in your road to become a better teacher. | 2,507 | 1,178 | 5,160.844652 |
warc | 202143 | It’s the clothing that you wear to follow your faith, or to wear out of the belief that you don’t have it all figured out.
It’s also a way to show that you do have a sense of faith, even if you don: you don´t think you have all the answers and you don`t know how to find the answer you seek.
I wear it to show me that I have faith in what I believe in, and that I do not need to hide it from anyone else.
If you wear it in public, you’re also wearing it to give yourself permission to say you are not a believer.
In the context of a Christian lifestyle, it’s a way for you to not hide the fact that you’re a Christian.
It is not a uniform; it’s your choice to wear the clothes that you choose.
It can be a Christian vest or it can be something else.
It doesn’t matter.
You can wear it with your pants, your shirt, your shoes or whatever you prefer.
I choose to wear my vest to my church meetings and weddings, but it is not mandatory, but I am encouraged to do so.
If someone else wants to wear it, I can wear mine too.
I believe that faith clothing can help to break down barriers to people who might not know how they feel about their faith, and it can help people understand why they feel the way they do.
What is faith footwear?
Faith footwear is a clothing that is worn to show a certain level of faith.
It does not necessarily have to be Christian-inspired, but can also be a religious-themed shoe.
There are a lot of options for faith footwear.
You could wear it as a dress, as a pair of shoes, or as a jacket or a jacket with the same logo.
How can I get started?
I have been wearing faith footwear for the past few years, and the process has been simple.
My goal is to give people who don’t want to wear faith footwear the tools to help them find a place in their life that they can feel comfortable wearing.
I use faith footwear in different ways, but my goal is always to create a place where I am able to express my faith.
If you are interested in trying a different way to wear your faith in your life, then please leave a comment or email me at [email protected] | 2,149 | 1,010 | 4,417.152475 |
warc | 202143 | “I’m depressed” is such a common phrase. We say it when a TV show we liked gets cancelled, or when we don’t quite fit into our favourite outfit, anymore. And depression isn’t just a case of feeling a bit sad. …
What does Black Dog on mean?
First coined by the Roman poet Horace and later adopted by Winston Churchill to describe his own depression, the metaphor of the “black dog” has been used for centuries. … It is easier to say you are having ‘
a black dog day‘ or ‘the black dog on my shoulder’ than it is to say you are depressed.” What does it mean if you see a big black dog?
The black dog is essentially a nocturnal being, and its appearance is regarded as
a foreshadowing of death. It is larger than a physical dog, and often has large, glowing eyes. It is often associated with electrical storms, crossroads, places of execution and ancient pathways. What does a foo dog tattoo mean? Guardian lions, also known as komainu, shishi, or foo dogs, are intimidating, mythical, lion-like creatures seen across a breath of art forms, ranging from architecture to tattoos. As they symbolize prosperity, success, and guardianship, they’re full of meaning—which has made them popular in Western art too. What does dog tattoo mean?
The meanings for dog tattoos mostly revolve around love and affection for a companion, and that is pretty cool. … Overall, a dog tattoo symbolizes
protection, guidance, loyalty, love, and fidelity. How do you help a black dog?
let them
know you care and support them. treat them with respect and dignity. talk with them about their feelings. suggest that speaking to someone they feel comfortable with, their GP or other mental health professional, may help them feel better. What does black dog help with?
Founded in 2002 and affiliated with the University of NSW and Prince of Wales Hospital, Black Dog Institute operates in the
diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. | 2,055 | 1,084 | 3,709.995387 |
warc | 202143 | article.
2019
Abstract
Microgrid deployment is growing in both industrialized and developing nationsbased on increasing recognition of microgrid benefits, such as operationalflexibility, coordinated-energy management, self-adequacy, and increasedoverall reliability of power systems. This strong market growth is also drivenby increased market penetration of distributed energy generation technologies,falling costs, a proven track record (through successful federal andprivate-sector pilot demonstrations), and technological improvements, such aspower electronics and advanced controls. In the event of macrogrid outages(especially due to a longer duration emergency), the microgrid is considered areliable backup system, providing resilience to the critical electrical loads;however, this requires that the microgrid itself is resilient enough to eitherdefend against (in case of cyberattacks) or undergo threats (physical threats),and continue to provide electrical power. Building highly resilient microgridsrequires a methodological assessment of potential threats, identification ofvulnerabilities, and design of mitigation strategies. This paper attempts toholistically describe the meaning of microgrid resilience and provide acomprehensive review of threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigation strategies anda methodology for designing resilient microgrids by answering the followingquestion: How can microgrid designers and site owners evaluate threats,vulnerabilities, and consequences to choose the microgrid features needed forbuilding required resilience for a given situation?
In text/plain format Archived Files and Locations
application/pdf 836.3 kB
file_3tsbl24hpfhsvnz27yj5yp4jwa
web.archive.org (webarchive)
arxiv.org (repository) | 1,757 | 916 | 3,350.959607 |
warc | 202143 | Intercultural Stereotyping: We Are All Guilty Of It!
There are some people who stereotype a person by virtue of his physical attributes, or dress sense. And then proceed to over-generalize the entire community that said person belongs to - which is often negative to say the least.
Regardless, such behaviour - if left unchecked - inevitably becomes prejudice; and subsequently selective discrimination and xenophobia. Not only productivity and work relations in the workplace are adversely affected, but so is the organization's reputation and credibility. Furthermore, its Competitive Advantage and Market Leadership are harmed as well.
Thus, as a Culturally Intelligent individual, we are able to adapt ourselves to a completely new cultural work environment and ethics quickly and easily. We also become tolerant of people who never, or refuse to adjust themselves accordingly. In other words, Culture Shock is not an issue that we have to cope with; as no effort is spared to facilitate a smooth transition to our new environment.
We do not expect people with prejudicial mindsets to reciprocate our actions. But we are clearly at an advantage as - besides learning each new experience encountered - we embrace it readily. That makes us the more flexible in our future dealings with more varied groups of people, as globalisation is here to stay.
Thus, it is crucial that we check ourselves when we are caught in situations that lead us to stereotype new people we meet - due to first impressions. It is inevitable, but keep in mind that we are in turn "tarred with the same brush" by these same people, if not broadly.
Related Tags:stereotyping, perceptions, counteract stereotyping, cross-cultural awareness, prejudicial behavior
Multi-ethnic and polyglot Ange Teo is the Founder-Managing Director of e2m expat etiquette mentoring, a Singapore-based Cross-Cultural Communications Solutions Provider.
Having worked with some of the world's leading Multinational Companies and Singapore-based Small Medium Enterprises for over 20 years; Ange Teo specialises in the areas of Information Technology, Secretarial/Administration, and Human Resources specifically Executive Search / Headhunting.
For more information about e2m Cultural Intelligence [CQ]-focused Communications Solutions, please visit http://e2mentoring.tripod.comYour Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category: Smile Therapy At The Front Desk Walk into any type of medical office and the first thing you should see is a smile with a warm and f What Are The Costs Of Hiring Culturally-Incompetent Staff? It may come as a surprise to the casual observer that many organizations never consider the conseque Right Choice Of Words For Effective Business Communication Communication is a process by which meanings are exchanged among people through the use of words. Bu Don't Throw The Baby Out With The Bathwater I recently read about a business philosophy that is starting to become a popular water cooler topic Improve Your Relationships by Cutting Them Off At Their Knees! Perhaps your work colleagues are causing you to experience stress through their methods of communica What's Your Communication Quotient? Workplace Communication - Your Key to Success! Forget GQ! These days it's your CQ that matters...your Communication Quotient. Degrees and awards a Not Understanding Questions - Is It Me or Is It Them? To begin with, this is a great question. Let's begin by breaking down what you've just asked me into Speaking with Your Authentic Voice Imagine a world where everyone spoke their truth.If that stirs up an, "Oh my Gosh, I couldn't do tha Is High Definition Video Conferencing Right for Your Business? If you are looking into purchasing a video conferencing solution for your business, chances are you Workplace Predators Polar bears are known for fierceness and lack of natural predators, although wolves and walruses can Most viewed articles in this category: Think Local, Act Global Any observant professional would have now been aware of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank's advertisem Communicating with Singaporeans: Understanding 6 Key Aspects To the first-time visitor, Singapore is a thoroughly Asian country with Western trappings. Not to me Listening is Loving When you really listen to other human beings you are:• honoring their unique presence in the univers 14 Work Behavior Sins You Don't Want to Make Are you a good co-worker, or are you annoying the life out of those around you? Many people claim t How To Understand Cross-Cultural Analysis Cross-cultural analysis could be a very perplexing field to understand with many different viewpoint Laughter and Fun are the Best Medicine for Companies The immune system is the body's defence mechanism to handle viruses. Laughter and fun have been he Important Uses Of Stickers And Labels In Your Business For businesses, the need to be orderly and organized when it comes to documents, files and records i Eye Protection and Safety Glasses - Workplace Safety The most common form of eye protection is safety glasses. I have always hated wearing safety glasse Creating Workplace Harmony: Discover and Release Hidden Causes of Tension There is nothing that disrupts productivity and satisfaction at the workplace as much as tension tha Voicenotes Voicenotes converting meeting notes from your mobile to a pc in minutes! With Voicenotes you can lea | 5,434 | 2,766 | 10,636.180766 |
warc | 202143 | A few days ago, I was listening to Gretchen Rubin’s podcast. Gretchen and her sister/co-host Liz Craft talked about a listener’s suggestion to try the rubber duck debugging method. The listener had written in explaining that this was a trick used by software engineers when they needed to debug code. They simply explain the problem to the rubber duck, and in the process of talking through it, line-by-line, they are able to debug the code.
The suggestion was that this is a hack us non-software engineers could borrow. That by talking through a problem, you might just arrive at a solution. And because there isn’t always someone around to listen as you babble about why something you’ve tried five times now STILL isn’t working (…or maybe there
IS someone around but you don’t want to bother them), it’s nice to have a little companion at the ready who is always willing to hear you out. And whatever frustrating situation you’re navigating, naming a problem is often the first step to solving a problem.
While I’m the furthest thing from a software engineer, the rubber duck debugging method made a lot of sense to me! So I set about searching the house for my own little companion…
Tiny Mark Twain seemed like the perfect choice!
What do you think of the rubber duck debugging method? Would you try it? Do you have a little friend on hand to talk your problems through? I’m starting to think it is a WFH must!
P.S. Here’s another post with something I learned thanks to Gretchen Rubin! | 1,563 | 812 | 2,868.066502 |
warc | 202143 | The identical growth alternatives exist for gyms that serve the other finish of the age spectrum as properly. Though millennials surpassed baby boomers as the most important technology in 2015, the inhabitants of seventy four.9 million child boomers stays a major supply of potential fitness purchasers.
With a profitable health or health franchise, you’ll acquire the satisfaction of serving to individuals enhance their our bodies and feel better about themselves. Physical modifications, whether through weight loss or rehabilitation, might help purchasers really feel more confident and cozy.
Stay-at-home orders introduced on by the outbreak of COVID-19 accelerated the virtual health and health business in a matter of weeks. During this time, we realized health Medicare Claims Address and other health programming, like diet and meditation providers, might successfully be delivered on-line.
You’ll discover numerous interesting posts that will enchantment to you, even if you’re not a mom with a quantity of youngsters. The Knocked-Up Fitness blog is the most effective place for women to learn to stay healthy and match whereas pregnant. The design is simple yet attractive, and emphasis has been positioned on the content that’s been carefully curated to fit every pregnant woman’s wants. Made for ladies who need to turn into match and healthy, this web site provides 1-on-1 coaching. It additionally supplies new content in the form of blog posts and podcasts from which you’ll achieve fresh insights. We love the trendy design, and we’re optimistic you’ll too.
As a end result, workplace wellness programs are extra important than ever. That environment of teamwork spills over into the group and reflects nicely in your complete organization. This entails specializing in fundamental risk discount ideas to scale back the risk of office transmission of COVID-19 and other communicable diseases. More and more individuals are utilizing health trackers, that monitor your coronary heart healthand energy spent, to get a greater thought of their in-gym efficiency. Assessing the components of health is foundational for designing an acceptable health and way of life program.
You’re taking control of your health and wellness journey, so take management of your data, too. Deschemin created UpNow to be a resource for anybody looking to replace their unhealthy habits with better ones — with out the necessity to decide to common visits with an in-person hypnotist. The app really permits anyone to perform self-hypnosis to leverage the mind/body connection, obtain larger wellness, and improve your physical performance. Below, we asked Deschemin to clarify exactly what hypnosis really is — and how it can help nearly anyone in making a healthier relationship to health and health. Read on if you’re curious to search out out more in regards to the comparatively new wellness practice.
— ARPTUK (@arptuk) July 6, 2021
The common American spent $95.79 on residence fitness center gear throughout quarantine — significantly less than a fitness center membership. According to a current poll of 2,000 people by OnePoll, 75{491f271c0032db22eaf2973b3456533128f9b28af568c85f3c885ad67d9157ba} of people believe it’s easier to stay match at residence Fitness Your Way. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started in early 2020, 64{491f271c0032db22eaf2973b3456533128f9b28af568c85f3c885ad67d9157ba} of respondents acknowledged that they’re more interested in at-home exercise than ever earlier than. In addition to the numerous societal adjustments of final yr, the means in which we train has changed, too.
Punch, jab, and kick your method through this straightforward to observe choreographed class. Vanessa may have you shifting to fun, energizing music using Health Literacy weighted gloves or free weights. This high-energy exercise is guaranteed to tone muscle tissue and burn calories and fats.
Ongoing charges usually embrace the cost of promoting, rent or mortgage payments, utilities, payroll and website and tools maintenance. We’re a state-of-the-art fitness & wellness heart outfitted with an array of premier amenities, and the medical experience of Main Line Health. | 4,273 | 2,212 | 8,068.861212 |
warc | 202143 | If a mismanaged park is the easiest turnaround and a park with lots of empty lots is the most difficult, where would a park with a high percentage of park owned homes fall in the spectrum? I assume it is between, but is it closer to a mismanaged park than an empty park?
It depends on the condition of the homes. We’ve acquired properties where the POHs are in really rough shape, and have required ~$5k each to rehab, and we’ve acquired properties where the POHs are in very good condition, and the renters have been eager to transition to become homeowners.
You should try and get into as many of the homes as possible. Of course at least see them from the outside and peer in the windows if you can. Also get from the seller the occupancy and lease date on all the homes. Homes that have rented in just the past few months to single guys, or roommate situations are likely to be trouble. Homes that have rented years ago to families that are still in the homes are likely to want to become owners. One final variable is the number of bedrooms. 1- and 2-bedroom homes are likely to turnover and need more rehab than 4-bedroom homes, which are harder to come by and therefore tend to have more stable tenants.
Your mileage may vary,
-Jefferson-
What kind of spread or delta do you like to see between 2 br apartment rents and either POH’s or lot rents?
Thanks!
Bert,
We like to be comfortable that 2br apartments are not in competition with our mobile homes. If you assume the average MH rents for $550 or so across America, then you would like to see a 2br rent for no less than $600-$650. There are very few areas that wouldn’t qualify on this metric. For our parks, the 2br rents are almost all above $800 in each market and it works well for us. We don’t look for this exclusively, but that’s presently how our portfolio happens to look.
I would have thought there would be a bigger spread between 2 br apartments and the average mobile home park. The bigger the difference I would think means there is potential for raising lot rents.
If you put a 2 BR mobile home in a park head-to-head with a Class C 2 BR apartment, the mobile home always wins. The mobile home offers a yard, no neighbors up banging on the walls, the ability to park by your door, and a sense of “community”. There really is no reason for the mobile home and lot rent to be less than the Class C apartment.
However, most park owners like to stay under that amount, just to make our attractiveness a perfect 10 on a 1 to 10 scale.
Once the mobile home is paid off, the difference between the apartment rent and the lot rent is around $700 to $1,000 per month in most urban markets. Mobile home park lot rent has massive room to increase – and must go up substantially in the coming years to keep many urban parks from being developed into apartments. That’s already happening in most metro markets. The choice for tenants will ultimately be higher lot rent or homelessness, as those parks that don’t make large upward movements in rents will be torn down, just as you’ve seen recently in Palo Alto, CA and Hollywood, Florida and St. Louis, Missouri.
As a sit note Sam Zell one the of largest owner of parks is spending 5.4 billion dollars I believe on 233,000 apartment units in the next 2 years. I wonders WHY he is not into more mobile home parks or is he???
Carl,
Zell is actually
selling 23,000 apartments for $5.4B, not buying them. Apparently they are all in suburban markets, and he wants to focus on the bigger core urban markets.
edit: it’s also interesting to note that he sold them at around a 5.5% cap.
Sam Zell is selling $5.4 billion of apartments he owns (roughly 25% of his portfolio). Here’s the link to the article:
Zell is claiming that he is getting rid of his suburban apartments to focus on urban apartments. But I imagine that his story fools no one, as he is well known to sell at the top and buy at the bottom, and my guess is that he thinks that apartments are overvalued right now.
He has sold none of his mobile home parks, nor does he have any on the open market to sell. He spoke at the NCC event in Chicago a couple years ago and declared that he had no interest in selling the mobile home park properties as he thought there was still plenty of room to raise rents. We could not agree with him more. We think that rents are 50% of where they should be in most U.S. markets.
Zell is currently the largest owner of mobile home parks in the U.S., through his public company ELS. They own around 140,000 lots. | 4,605 | 2,160 | 9,619.333333 |
warc | 202143 | SCOTTS VALLEY, SANTA CRUZ, CA
Do you have at least one missing tooth? If so, you may have thought about how to replace that tooth and restore your smile. Currently, a
dental implant represents the best treatment option to replace a missing tooth. An implant looks and feels more like a real tooth than any other option, should last the rest of your life with good dental hygiene, and is the only type of tooth replacement that stimulates the jawbone, avoiding bone deterioration. There are many advantages of getting a dental implant in Scotts Valley to replace your lost tooth, but implants are not for everyone. In this article, we explore why some patients are better-suited for implants than others. Are dental implants right for me?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The only way to know for sure is to schedule a consultation with your
Santa Cruz implant dentist. At Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry, consultations always come first, before treatment begins. During this meeting, your dentist will review your records as well as your overall health history to determine the best treatment options for you.
Each patient is unique.
However, a good candidate for dental implants has the following qualities and conditions: At least 18 years of age Has good overall health Has good dental hygiene Does not have gum disease
If you are a smoker and want to get dental implants, we recommend that you quit smoking first, as nicotine in any form slows the natural processes of healing, which in this case could lead to implant failure. Also, anyone receiving radiation treatments to the head and neck is advised to seek other methods of tooth replacement.
Dental conditions could impact your dental implant candidacy—gum disease or not having enough healthy jawbone. Missing teeth and gum disease often go hand in hand. At Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry, we can
treat your gum disease in Scotts Valley. Having enough jawbone density is key to provide a stable base for the implant. You may need to undergo another procedure such as a bone graft or sinus lift for your jawbone to have the strength to support your implant. Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry can refer you to an oral surgeon for this procedure before proceeding with your implant. Is a dental implant worth it?
An implant is considered the optimum method of tooth replacement for a good reason.
Here are some of the advantages to receiving an implant to replace your missing tooth: You avoid the sunken-in facial structure that many people experience after living with long-term tooth loss Restores more chewing ability than any other type of tooth replacement No worries about dietary restrictions Maintaining your implant is as easy as brushing and flossing the way you do your other natural teeth Will not exert pressure on adjacent teeth, which can happen with partial denturesor a dental bridge Dental Implants in Scotts Valley
Are you tired of living with missing teeth—the appearance issues and problems chewing, not to mention the potential long-term oral health consequences? Then you owe it to yourself to see if a dental implant is right for you. Take the next step.
Schedule your consultation at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry today by calling (831) 438-4411 if you live in the areas of Los Gatos, Scotts Valley, and Santa Cruz in California. | 3,365 | 1,578 | 7,122.370089 |
warc | 202143 | If mounting on a roof, locate one of the roof studs (using a stud finder if necessary). Attach the mounting bracket of the backboard to one of those studs. Use a pencil or marker to mark the holes into which you will drill the bolts into the studs.
How do you hang a basketball hoop in a garage?
To mount a hoop on a garage, the most important thing is to check if the surface is solid. It must be strong enough to handle and withstand physical pressure.
Make sure the surface is flat and away from the roof line. A flat surface helps make sure that the backboard is firmly attached to the wall. How do you attach a basketball hoop to concrete? How to Install a Basketball Hoop In-Ground Step 1: Choose Your Location and Call Before You Dig. … Step 2: Dig a Hole. … Step 3: Pour the Concrete. … Step 4: Raise the Pole. … Step 5: Attach the Backboard. … Step 6: Install the Rim and Net. … Step 7: Finishing Touches. Can I hang on my basketball hoop?
Almost all of the basketball hoops offered at the big box chain stores will have a sticker on the backboard saying,
“Do Not Hang On Rim”. Most kids ignore these labels and either damage the in ground basketball system or injure themselves in the process. Where do you hang a basketball hoop? Driveways are the often first choice. Normally a flat, even area, they are by their very design more than suitable. Backyards and the side areas of homes are the next likely suspects, both allowing a suitable playing surface. After measuring the area, you may be pleasantly surprised. Can you mount a basketball hoop on brick?
Determine where on your brick wall you want to mount your basketball goal. …
Drill holes through the brick with a brick drill bit. Insert anchors. With help from an assistant, attach the basketball goal to the brick wall by using a screw, such as a Tapcon concrete screw. Should I fill my basketball pole with concrete? As long as you have the post seated deep enough in firm ground with concrete . If you did not pour enough around the pole, putting it in it will not help. How many bags of concrete do I need for basketball hoop?
The recommended hole size is 16 inches in diameter and 48 inches deep. You will need
eleven 80-lb bags of concrete for the installation. | 2,292 | 1,131 | 4,531.310345 |
warc | 202143 | Lack of sleep negatively affects relationships and often leads to marital problems If people live in a relationship for a long time, interpersonal problems can arise between the partners at some point. These difficulties can continue to grow until the relationship breaks up and the person concerned finally thinks about divorce. But before you see a lawyer about marriage problems, make sure you get enough sleep. Researchers have now found that lack of sleep negatively affects human relationships.
In their investigation, Ohio State University researchers found that severe relationship problems are in some cases due to lack of sleep. The doctors published the results of their study in the journal "Psychoneuroendocrinology".
Effects of lack of sleep on the human body Researchers have previously known that persistent lack of sleep is associated with increased risks of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and premature death. A lack of sleep can also create other difficulties, such as relationship problems. Many people only sleep about six hours a night - however, seven to nine hours a night is recommended, experts say. If both spouses get too little sleep, this often leads to arguments The researchers examined a total of 43 pairs for their study. The doctors were able to determine that if both spouses slept less than seven hours a night, they argued more intensely as a result. However, if one of the two spouses got enough sleep, the problems in the relationship could be clarified more constructively and often ended with a mediating conversation. Rise in certain markers can promote inflammation The couple were invited to a laboratory and there they documented the known problems of their relationship (e.g. money, parents-in-law or communication with the partner). The scientists also measured the values of markers such as protein IL-6 and TNF-alpha. An increase in these markers can trigger inflammation in the body and thus promote the onset of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Earlier studies had shown that men were more likely to quarrel with their partners if they had slept poorly at night. Spouses who slept less than seven hours for a period of two weeks argued more violently and more frequently in their marriages. Deprivation of sleep leads to difficulty concentrating and impatience The current study shows the effects of short sleep and its effects on the development of inflammation, says author Dr. Stephanie J. Wilson. Deprivation of sleep is known to lead to difficulty concentrating and impatience, which makes it difficult for us to make the right decisions or to empathize with our partners' problems. The sense of humor, which is needed in every relationship, also suffers from sleep deprivation, according to the expert. Lack of sleep makes it difficult to solve problems Adequate sleep can certainly not solve all problems of conjugal cohabitation, but it can help to improve many relationships, say the doctors. The study only looked at heterosexual couples, but the results are likely to apply to a wider range or other forms of interpersonal relationships. Sleep influences the parts of the human brain that are involved in solving problems, and skills such as active listening and a good mood suffer from lack of sleep, the scientists explain. It is therefore no coincidence that relationship satisfaction often suffers in the first year after the birth of a baby, because during this time there is usually a significant lack of sleep. (as) | 3,504 | 1,590 | 7,708.8 |
warc | 202143 | Handyman's World is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
If you are planning to build your own house, shed, or deck and the type of engineered wood that you are using is OSB or oriented strand board, then one thing that you need to consider is its water resistance. Now, the fact of the matter is that oriented strand board is a fantastic material to use for a variety of building purposes as it is quite strong and comparatively cheap, especially when compared to plywood.
With that being said, whether or not the material is 100% waterproof is questionable, something that we will discuss below. Plus, we are going to teach you how to waterproof your OSB.
Is OSB Waterproof by Default?
One of the important things to note about OSB is the fact that it is much more resistant to water than plywood is. Now, this really has nothing to do with the type of wood that was used to create these two types of engineered wood, but rather it has to do with the materials that were used to bond them together. When oriented strand board is made, a series of wax and resins are used to hold those various pieces together, and yes, these resins and waxes are actually waterproof. Of course, this does make quite a big difference.
There is also the fact that the edges of oriented strand board are also sealed with these same materials and are therefore much more water-resistant at the edges than plywood is. At the same time, OSB tends to be denser than plywood, and it also has no gaps or voids in it. Two more factors that make it water-resistant.
However, you might have noticed that we keep saying that oriented strand board is water-resistant, but we have not said that it is waterproof, and this is simply due to the fact that while oriented strand board is very resistant to moisture, it is not 100% waterproof. With prolonged exposure to high levels of moisture, it will begin to work and degrade. The strands can swell and change shape over time.
The other important thing to know about OSB is that there are different grades of it, most of which are either grades one and two, or three and four. One and two are rated for dry conditions, whereas grades three and four are rated for humid conditions.
Now, you definitely don’t want to use interior OSB for exterior purposes because it’s just not going to last very long, but the exterior OSB, or in other words, grades three and four, are ideal for outdoor use in humid conditions. However, with that being said, exterior oriented strand board is still not 100% waterproof, and if it sits in the rain for weeks or months on end, it’s still not going to turn out very well.
How to Waterproof OSB
Alright, so now that we have established that oriented strand board is in fact not 100% waterproof, let’s figure out how to make it waterproof, or at least as waterproof as humanly possible. Keep in mind that the only real way to waterproof a piece of OSB is to paint it or seal it with some kind of waterproof sealant. Depending on your exact needs, this could be waterproof paint, lacquer, stain, or even a special waterproof sealer designed specifically for this kind of purpose.
Therefore, the first thing that you need to do is to figure out what the differences between paint, stain, lacquer, and normal sealant are, so you can figure out which one is the best for your purposes. On a side note, do keep in mind that the number one recommended paint to use for this purpose is waterproof latex paint, although the choice is yours.
Once you have chosen the specific product and type of sealant that you want to use, you can then move on to the instructions as listed below.
Step 1: Gather Your Materials
There are a few different materials and pieces of equipment that you will need for this task, so first, you will need to gather them. Refer to the list below for everything that you will need to accomplish this task.
Workbenches or sawhorses Tarps Paintbrush Paint roller Paint tray Paint, sealant, stain, or lacquer of choice Step 2: Prepare the Area
In case you are painting indoors, you may want to lay down some tarps just to protect the general area from getting paint on it. Moreover, if you want to make your life a bit easier, you should prop up the various pieces of oriented strand board on either workbenches or sawhorses so you don’t have to bend down to the ground to perform the painting.
Step 3: Prepare the OSB
Before you can start painting, you do want to prepare the OSB, by which we mean that you should just wipe it down with a slightly damp rag in order to remove any debris. Just make sure that the rag is not too wet or else you will have to wait until it totally dries before you can paint. Either way, you need to make sure that there is absolutely no debris present on the OSB when you go to paint it because that debris will get ingrained into the paint.
Step 4: Paint the Faces
All you have to do now is to take your paint roller, dip it in the paint of choice, and apply an even layer to one of the faces. Once the layer is dry enough to touch, you can then flip it over and apply a layer of paint to the other side. For the maximum amount of waterproofing power, you should apply two layers.
Step 4: Paint the Edges
Once you have painted both of the faces, you can then use your paintbrush to apply two layers of paint to all four of the edges. You don’t have to wait for the faces to try to do this, as long as you have the OSB propped up on sawhorses or workbenches. All you have to do now is to wait for the paint to dry and then the board is ready for use.
How Long Can OSB Be Exposed to Rain?
Generally speaking, depending on the exact type of OSB, it can be exposed to rain and high levels of moisture for anywhere from 20 to 40 days without being damaged or absorbing water. It may even last for a few weeks longer if the OSB is standing up or sloped, as most of the water will run off before it can be absorbed. With that being said, there are also some types of OSB, the highest quality types, that can last for up to 200 days in the rain before being damaged.
However, once OSB does absorb water, the damage is irreversible.
Mistakes to Avoid, Tips & Tricks
Lastly, here are some additional tips regarding the topic:
Do make sure that the paint you use for this purpose is indeed rated for outdoor purposes and is also waterproof. When painting OSB, make sure to do so in decent weather conditions or in other words, don’t go out and paint in the rain because it’s not going to work very well. Keep in mind that for this purpose you do want to use exterior OSB that is already rated as being water-resistant. Summary
Now that you know exactly how to waterproof oriented strand board, you can get to using this type of engineered wood for virtually any type of outdoor building purpose. | 7,011 | 2,961 | 16,432.401216 |
warc | 202143 | Many people argue providing praise and recognition has a positive impact on health and wellbeing.
The impact of giving and receiving feedback
How good does it feel to receive positive praise and recognition?
Conversely, do you gain gratitude from recognising positive performance of others?
The Health and Safety Index is an effective way to obtain feedback at scale from your entire workforce and give their voices a platform. Obtaining feedback is also a great way to recognise and acknowledge the teams who are performing well. In other words, a positive, solution focused approach.
“Find what’s working and do more of it! Because the fastest change happens from building on what’s working.”Annette Gray
The Health and Safety Index covers the following aspects:
Health and Wellbeing Safety Leadership Safety Engagement Safety Systems
Based on over 230,000 response data points, there are some obvious trends in reported feedback relating to seniority and the potential impact on health and wellbeing.
The Health and Safety Index benchmark data found employees reported receiving praise and recognition from their supervisors
7% less often compared to senior managers. Interestingly, health and wellbeing results were also consistent with this trend. “My supervisor gives team members praise and recognition for positive health and safety behaviours.” Dealing with Uncertainty
During recent times of uncertainty with the global pandemic, providing clear direction and effective feedback is critical.
Reinforcing positive behaviours with praise is not the only form or recognition. Put simply, types of feedback are often summarised as the
3R’s:
Reinforcement Reminders Redirection
““Faced with uncertainty, it is common for people to seek positive solutions”Soklaridis et al. (2020)
Personal Reflections
How often are the 3R’s applied when you are receiving and providing feedback?
Is your approach different when managing feedback with teams compared to individuals?
Does your organisation actively encourage health and safety feedback from your entire workforce?
If you or anyone you know needs help:
Lifeline 13 11 14 Beyond Blue 1300 224 636 MensLine Australia 1300 789 978 Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 Kids Helpline 1800 551 800 Headspace 1800 650 890 QLife 1800 184 527
To find out more about the Health and Safety Index and how to can obtain feedback at scale, Contact us
M: +61 417 570 143 | 2,489 | 1,228 | 4,882.736971 |
warc | 202143 | Understanding
Buying used mezzanines is not as hard as you could believe. In fact, when you most likely to the marketplace today, there are a lot more made use of mezzanines than there have actually ever before been. With this in mind, it is of not a surprise that rates have actually come to be exceptionally economical for the typical family-home customer. This is not to state, however, that you can’t locate bargains when buying used mezzanines. Let’s check out some tips on exactly how to get the most out of your acquisition of brand-new or used mezzanines. The initial point to consider when taking a look at purchasing made use of mezzanines is how it will certainly suit your existing room. While a lot of utilized mezzanines are extremely light, with a flooring room that is as large as an average-sized door, some are hefty enough that they will require a whole wall of added storage space for storage area. If your area is tiny, after that a light used mezzanine could be the best suitable for you. In larger areas, where added storage area is called for, a sturdy utilized mezzanine can be the solution. It should be noted that this is not always the situation, nonetheless, as well as the type of used mezzanine that you acquire depends greatly on your certain requirements. The price of the utilized mezzanine will certainly differ considerably depending on the make and also version, as well as the brand name. Before acquiring utilized mezzanines, take some time to contrast costs online. This will certainly allow you to see all of the different versions and also brand names as well as what they cost. You may be amazed to discover that one of the most costly models are not always one of the most trustworthy, meaning that you should pay a little much more for a trustworthy tool, however it will certainly last much longer. One of the very best things about purchasing a made use of mezzanine is that it is so low-cost. A mezzanine can provide wonderful area conserving benefits for companies as they are frequently made to change an existing skyscraper office building. Mezzanines are readily available in a wide range of dimensions so you can select one according to your current requirements. Many companies will certainly pick to set up a mezzanine over a 3rd floor office floor, meaning that they save money on renting out extra room as well as their structure comes to be extra eco-friendly. The reduced cost of the devices implies that you can save cash on rental fee and also this permits you to increase profits. Nonetheless, it is important that you do not neglect that utilizing mezzanines are still highly working machinery. Similar to the majority of things, you obtain what you pay for. When you are taking into consideration purchasing used mezzanines, constantly consider whether the vendor is honest and reputable. If you are unable to determine this via a couple of essential elements, after that you need to probably look somewhere else for your used tools. There are many unethical sellers out there that will sell a top quality product at an extremely small cost, only to vanish a couple of months later leaving you high and dry with no clients. It is essential that you take every one of the above right into consideration when you are acquiring made use of mezzanines. Although getting pre-owned equipment can conserve you money, it is vitally important that you choose credible vendors that will certainly supply you with years of reputable solution. It is also an excellent concept to take the suggestions of a skilled seller as they may have the ability to find possible problems with a certain version prior to you purchase it. By guaranteeing that you place cautious consideration into your acquisition, you can make sure that you buy the best mezzanine for your requirements and that you save cash at the same time. | 3,878 | 1,767 | 8,482.439162 |
warc | 202143 | Mango is a famous fruit around the world. There are many products contain mango extract. For many years, people are aware that there are so many health benefits of green mango. The mango tree is commonly grown in most of Asia region. Many countries in South Asia have now cultivated the green mango.
Health Benefits of Green Mango Juice: Reduces Weight: Raw mango is one of the best fruits to eat when you want to lose those calories. Good for Liver: The best health benefit of raw mango is it helps to treat liver disorders. Immune System: Eating raw mangoes help in building the immune system of the body. Treat blood disorders: Raw mangoes are extremely beneficial in treating blood disorders because of their high Vitamin C content. Prevent dehydration: Drinking unripe mango juice prevents the excessive loss of sodium chloride and iron to excessive sweating. Ingredients
Green Mango Cube 1 cup Sugar 4 Tea Spoon Fresh Coriander 1 Tea Spoon Fresh Mint Leaves 5 – 6 Peach Green Chili 2 Tea Spoon Fried Cumin Powder 1 Tea Spoon Black Salt On Taste Salt On Taste Lemon Juice 1 Tea Spoon Water 2 Cup How to make Green Mango Juice:
It’s very easy to make green mango juice. We just need to follow some steps.
At first, we will cut 2 medium size raw mangos in cube shape which we can easily blend using a blender machine. After that, we have to put all ingredients in blender jug to mix it well and at this stage, we will give a half a cup of water. Then we will give rest of the water and blend the juice again. For decoration, we can use lemon slice and Fresh Mint Leaves.
Also, you can follow the below video for making the green mango juice and please subscribe our channel & blog for getting our new recipe video and post. We are regularly posting the delicious recipe post. Kepp updating yourself and making healthy life and healthy & happy family. | 1,870 | 960 | 3,609.489583 |
warc | 202143 | ramipril hexal 2 5 mg tabletten
The results of this study suggest that the CX3CR1 gene V249I (rs3732379) SNP CC genotype is associated with increased risk of DGF. Robust spectrotemporal decomposition by iteratively reweighted least squares. Bioimpedance spectroscopy for swelling evaluation following total knee arthroplasty: a validation study. These observations may prove helpful for the future contextualization of patterns in other body habitats especially in relation to identifying generalizable trends over human lifetime. The gap between genetics and the pathophysiology of ASD remains open, in particular regarding its distinctive linguistic profile. Breath-holding spells occur disproportionately more often in children with transient erythroblastopenia. The enrichment of the physical map with novel scaffolds is in line with the efforts of the cassava genome sequencing consortium.
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The UK Health Equity Network (HEN) was established in 1999 to encourage and facilitate multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder collaboration in health inequalities research. Upscale production of ethyl (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoate by using carbonyl reductase coupled with glucose dehydrogenase in aqueous-organic solvent system. Pollutants are suspected to contribute to the etiology of obesity and related metabolic disorders. Although the mtDNA and microsatellite data sets displayed a discordant population structure, the results of an approximate Bayesian computation approach showed that these two markers revealed congruent historical signals. Report from the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Portomesenteric Vein Thrombosis After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: 3 Case Reports and a Literature Review. By combining multiple analytical techniques, we determined the glycerolipid profile of P. Thus, we decided to let each tell his or her version individually. A recent study by Cosgrove and colleagues at Harvard University investigated the relationship between prescriptions for antidepressants and breast/ovarian cancer, to determine whether such medications are associated with the development of cancer.
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The current format of the Summary-of-Findings tables for presenting risks and quality of evidence improves understanding and assists users with finding key information from the systematic review. Effect of post-encoding emotion on recollection and familiarity for pictures. To explore the association between resistin expression and the incidence of ischemic heart disease in the general population. We also conducted a blind visual assessment of the quality of the propagated segmentations. In particular, negative rejection of sodium chloride is observed (i.e., the concentration of NaCl in the solution that permeates through a mixed mosaic membrane is higher than in the initial feed solution). The study took place in a large urban community hospital with an emergency medicine residency program and a high volume of cardiac arrest patients. Evidence for a circulating islet cell growth factor in insulin-resistant states. Ethnic differences have the potential to confound associations between HIV-1 subtype and immunologic progression. Only 4 families with the syndrome have been reported, and all were white. Patients with MHE were then treated with 200 mg of rifaximin orally three times a day for a week.
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The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the bleaching efficacy of high concentration bleaching agents activated by chemical or physical catalysts. The outstanding roles of the physician in palliative medicine are as educator and as adviser, followed by that of provider of medical assistance. NOS staining was found in neuron-like cells and fibres that were confirmed as neurons in adjacent sections stained with antibodies against neuron-specific enolase. Hence, we examined the significances of the NrdR stand-alone regulator and DnaB, which is encoded by the gene located immediately downstream of nrdR in S. A tumor diameter of 6 cm should be the cutoff for deciding between liver resection and TACE. Family Medicine North residents enjoy better quality of life than their urban counterparts based on responses to a standardized questionnaire.
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The electronic case collection demonstrates a range of representative osseous CMF injuries on the basis of diagnostic images, narrative descriptions of the fracture diagnosis and their classification using the icons for illustration and coding of a dedicated software AOCOIAC (AO Comprehensive Injury Automatic Classifier). Vasoconstrictive responses by the carotid and auricular arteries in goats to ergot alkaloid exposure. Chlorotrimethylsilane is cheaper than BF3-MeOH and is likely to permit the use of different alcohols. SDLP did not differ between groups and increased slightly over time to similar degrees in both groups. Levamisole treatment had less effect on the amount of immunoglobulins in serum: the values were rarely abnormal before treatment and the changes were small, but reached statistical significance at six months. Radiographic evaluation noted an incidental right lower lobe lung mass with a 4-mm hyperdensity slightly off-center.
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The possible role of circulating soluble immune complexes and of the complement system in pancreatitis is discussed, and it is suggested on the grounds of the present data that acute pancreatitis is associated with a specific and nonspecific immune sensitization, still demonstrable in a number of cases after a few months. Pain following Nuss procedure is severe and its management is challenging. Mortality risk prediction in burn injury: Comparison of logistic regression with machine learning approaches. We present here a robust microfluidic cell perifusion device for in vitro primary tissue cell secretion studies. Development of anxiety disorders is associated with neurobiological changes in areas that are a critical part of the fear neurocircuitry. The presence of autoimmune disease in air breathing vertebrates, increased autoimmunity and the elevated risk of decompression sickness with age, as well as variable sensitivity to both diseases, can be matched with the appearance of surfactant spots. Another possible explanation for this phenomenon is aging changes in the basilar membrane, tectorial membrane and hair cells. whether single or branched), and state of permeability may confuse the issue. Disordered discourse in schizophrenia described by the Structure Building Framework.
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On the basis of literature data, and the findings presented we suggest that the kidney is at least one of the organs of CSF biosynthesis. It is essential that the latter be adhered to if subsequent scale up of the output metrics for uptake and clearance are to have appropriate (scalable) units. Polychlorinated Biphenyls in the Plasma and Preen Oil of Black-Footed Albatross (Diomedea nigripes) Chicks and Adults on Midway Atoll, North Pacific Ocean. Progressor BN rats that received 20 and 10 X 10(6) tumor cells had higher and more sustained levels of CIC, but, shortly before the hosts died, despite an increase of tumor size, there was a decline of CIC. This article reviews the vascular anatomy of the posterior circulation and the indications, preoperative evaluation, operative techniques, clinical outcomes, and alternative treatments for patients requiring posterior circulation revascularization procedures. The rad3 and rad4 mutants are shown to be defective in dimer excision whereas the rad6 and rad9 mutants are proficient in dimer excision. The algorithm outperforms the LS methods in terms of independence to the initial guess and convergence to the optimal solution, and it resolves closely spaced overlapping echoes. Increased serum BDNF is associated with reduced eGFR in type 2 diabetic subjects treated with valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide but not with amlodipine/benazepril. Electrophysiological mapping of rat sensorimotor lumbosacral spinal networks after complete paralysis. We have employed molecular dynamics (MD), alanine-scanning mutagenesis and molecular docking techniques to optimize the x-ray NDM-1 structure with 11 drugs (Tigecycline, BAL30072, D-captopril, Penicillin G, Ampicillin, Carbenicillin, Cephalexin, Cefaclor, Nitrocefin, Meropenem, and Imipenem).
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Metabolic control and chronic complications during a 3-year follow-up period in a cohort of type 2 diabetic patients attended in primary care in the Community of Madrid (Spain). Additionally, we demonstrate the potential for scaling-up of the droplet production rate, with a simultaneous two-droplet generating geometry. Syzygiumpyneei (Myrtaceae), a new critically endangered endemic species from Mauritius. Five antischistosomal compounds--hycanthone, two of its chloroindazole analogs (IA-4 and IA-4 N-oxide), oxamniquine, and metrifonate--were tested for mutagenic activity, using Salmonella typhimurium strains TA 98 and TA 100 under in vitro and in vivo (host-mediated) conditions. Our results suggest that combination treatment with PPM1D inhibitor and doxorubicin may be a potential anti-cancer treatment in PPM1D-mutated cancer cells. The subfamily Triatominae, vectors of Chagas disease, comprises 140 species characterized by a highly homogeneous chromosome number. This antagonistic effect is expected to be the result of interactions between dissolved Cu and dissolved Zn, particulate Zn and dissolved Zn, particulate Cu and dissolved Zn, and between particulate Zn and dissolved Cu. Retinal nerve fiber layer defect volume deviation analysis using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. The intraperitoneal injections of paeoniflorin and the adenosine A1 receptor antagonist 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX) significantly attenuated the deficit in retention performance caused by CPA. Proneness to social anxiety modulates neural complexity in the absence of exposure: A resting state fMRI study using Hurst exponent.
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Three strains of Haemonchus contortus susceptible or resistant to anthelmintics were studied. A total of 796 women diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, aged 15-49 years, completed the questionnaires, interviews, and medical assessments required for this study. This review also revealed total excision as the treatment of choice for BFH, with a very good prognosis and an extremely low rate of relapse. Exogenous organic psychoses and their differential diagnosis in the forensic psychiatric clinic. We also lay the foundation for model-based rehabilitation strategies for impaired walkers by presenting a mathematical model that accurately describes the relationship between the magnitude of the stiffness perturbation and the evoked muscle activity. However, photopsia associated with carotid artery occlusion is rare. NMDA receptors and metaplasticity: mechanisms and possible roles in neuropsychiatric disorders. To evaluate the efficacy of combined PDT and 4 mg intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection, performed 48-72 hours after PDT, in patients with wet form of AMD. This set of biomarkers were validated independently with excellent performance characteristics in more than 1,000 tissues in The Cancer Genome Atlas clear cell, papillary, and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma datasets. Hypermanganesemia and neurotoxicity are associated with the duration of Mn supplementation, Mn dosage, as well as pathological conditions, such as anemia or cholestasis. | 11,615 | 5,745 | 23,444.306353 |
warc | 202143 | A company’s agility trumps efficiency as today’s predictor of success.
The majority of training and performance management processes don’t lead to more skilled and productive employees. So what’s different about the ones that do?
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