Haunted Faery Drum Circle

Haunted Faery Drum Circle 2013

Halloween Musical Party in Harpers Ferry, WV

Held at the Temple of the Four Winds (or Ways), a total of 14 people came together to share good vibes in various styles. Neighbors and friends from the surrounding area met from 8pm-12 Midnight the Friday before Halloween. 3 friends from Frederick Drum Circle stayed up all night around the stone camp-fire ring. telling stories and tending the sacred flame with mighty elm, nutty walnut, and wounded willow wood.

From Frederick Drum Circle came 3 powerful magi; Bran-Don Barn-Yard, Drumwise Ousse, and Drogo Empedocles; with drums, beaters, didges, and flutes. Linda Rago attended because she was a magical neighbor, and author of ‘Blackberry Cove Herbal’. Warren Eng appeared briefly to play Chinese medicine ball chimes. 2 other neighbors across the way showed up for a bit. Princess Puchala of the dark magic band Full Blush brought 2 mighty friends. The famous guitarist Ben Harrison showed up with 2 friends as well. Lastly, the legendary John Brown Kodiak arrived in time to rap some lyrics to a bluegrass-new-age epic jam session. A type of ‘New-Grass’ sound emerged, and resonated through the week to the Holy All Souls Night.

Linda Rago held a ‘Rune Reading’ session in the Temple for half of the gathering. However the half of the gathering remained centered around the Fire Ring, despite that it remained 40 degrees all night. The primal elemental energy around the Fire Pit created a magical energy, which fed all night, resonated and flowed the following week.

Several audio recordings were made featuring various musicians during the night; uploaded to Soundcloud and Youtube. They are simply meant as memory meditation guides, because Night Magick is impossible to capture. Yet somehow we recharge our spirit energy at the Well of Mimir, and the Flame of the Four Ways! Harpers Ferry has remained a favorite haunt of faeries, and to this day you can still hear their music, if you listen for it and follow it in your dreams.

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Siphnian Treasury at Delphi

erected 530 BC

 

The road to the Oracle at Delphi and Temple of Apollo, was lined with different Greek treasuries. One of these was erected in 530 BC by the inhabitants of the Ionian island city-state of Siphnos. It has been reconstructed using fragments from the neighboring Cnidian Treasury. The pediment is supported by two caryatids instead of pilasters. Below the pediment runs a continuous frieze. Lavish sculptural décor fills the frieze, and the sections depict the Greek Gods vs. the Giants; Heracles vs. Apollo; and the Trojan War.

Starting to the extreme left, there are two lions pulling the chariot of Cybele, and mauling an anguished giant. In front of them, Apollo and Artemis advance together, shooting their arrows. A dead giant lies broken at their feet, while one flees. Three bear shields, to the right. Artful overlapping takes advantage of spacial possibilities, creating a masterful relief of dramatic atypical relationships. Siphnians were rich from gold and silver mines, and it was one of the first entirely marble structures.

Temple of Artemis Medusa at Corfu

In Ephesus, Turkey

erected 580 BC

 

This Doric Temple sculpture is similar to the more famous larger Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, in that its columns are numerous, although shorter. The actual temple walls are confined to a zone framed by two full bays of columns. The pediment acts as a shield gable for the wooden roof rafters inside. The pronounced relief sculpture in the center of the pediment, overlaps the frame and dominates the scene with bold detail, and expressive yet balanced quasi-symmetrical arrangement. The main figure is not Artemis (as we know her), but Medusa (a gorgon). Medusa and the lions by her side, ward off evil. Medusa is a frightening apotropaic hex sign indeed, with her archaic hideous grin and muscular appendages positioned athletically; as her wings fan out behind her. Greeks were able to convey movement in art, without actual locomotion. The style here also reflects an oriental scheme, inherited from ancient Mycenaean architecture. There is also an ongoing narrative represented with smaller figures presenting an uneasy balance.

Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto. Apollo was her twin brother. In Rome she was called Diana. Artemis began as a powerful Queen Goddess of Fertility; but eventually became known as the Virgin Moon Goddess of the Hunt during the Hellenic Age. She assisted child-birth, and protected young humans and animals. As Goddess of the Hunt, she is associated with animals like bears, birds, dogs, deer, and snakes. In Arcadia she was related to Demeter and Persephone, and sometimes confused with Hecate and Selene. Ephesus was the important center of her cult, with several buildings dedicated to Artemis. Artemis was originally represented as having many breasts, inherited from prehistoric fertility goddesses. Artemis was worshiped as a primary goddess in other places too, like Attica (Lady of the Labyrinth) and Aegina (Artemis Aphaia).

 

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CAHOKIA: North America’s Largest Woodhenge & Temple Mound

CAHOKIA MOUNDS PARK

Cahokia Mounds is currently a State Historic Site. Cahokia is the area of an ancient city built around 600–1400 CE. It is near present day Collinsville, Illinois across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri.

The Cahokia Mounds were named after a clan of historic Illiniwek people living in the area when the first French explorers arrived in the 17th century. As this was centuries after Cahokia was abandoned by its original inhabitants, the Cahokia were not necessarily descendants of the original Mississippian people. The city’s original name is unknown.

The 2,200 acre site originally included 120 man-made earthwork mounds over an area of six square miles, although only 80 survive. Cahokia Mounds is the largest archaeological site related to the Mississippian Late Woodland culture, which developed advanced societies in North America, centuries before the arrival of Europeans.

It is a National Historic Landmark and designated site for state protection. In addition, it is one of only twenty UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the territory of the United States. It is the largest American Indian earthen construction in the Americas north of Mexico.

They used woven baskets to move most of the earth to build the mounds and plazas. In every culture there are usual social, political, spiritual, and defense reasons to place buildings on raised bases. In the case of Cahokia, there is an added reason: the site is on a flood plain near the Mississippi River.

Monks Mound

Monks Mound is the largest structure and central focus of the city. It is a massive mound with four terraces, 10 stories tall, and the largest man-made earthen mound north of Mexico. Facing south, it is 92 feet high, 951 feet long and 836 feet wide.

Excavation on the top of Monks Mound has revealed evidence of a large building, likely a temple used by the Chief and shaman for residence and public functions. This building was about 105 feet long and 48 feet wide, and could have been as much as 50 feet high. It was about 5,000 square feet.

Cahokia Woodhenge

This woodhenge, like others found in Europe, was a circle of posts used for cosmic alignments relevant to agriculture. It stood to the west of Monk’s Mound. Archaeologists discovered Woodhenge during excavation, and noted that the placement of posts marked solstices and equinoxes. Woodhenge was rebuilt several times during the urban center’s roughly 300-year history. There were probably other woodhenges in America over the centuries, as one was discovered near Mound 72, south of Monks Mound.

A beaker found in a pit near the winter solstice post bore a circle and cross symbol that for many Native Americans symbolizes the Earth and the four cardinal directions. Radiating lines probably symbolized the sun, as they have in countless other civilizations. During excavation of Mound 72, archaeologists found a birdman burial for a leader, and 250 other skeletons from around 1000 CE. Other mounds had workshops for copper smiting and trading.

 

 

 

 

Temples of Saturn and Vespasian

Ruins of The Temples of Saturn and Vespasian

The Temple of Saturn was originally built in 501 BC for King Tarquinius Superbus. It was an early Republic Treasury for gold, silver, and archives. Saturn Cronus was the Agrarian Chief God-Titan of all Life, son of Heaven and Earth, father of Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, Ceres, etc.. The current ruins are the remains of the last reconstruction of the temple in 283 AD.
The Temple of Vespasian and his sons Titus and Domitian was built 79-87 AD. The 3 Emperors comprised the Flavian Dynasty, and the temple was used to worship them as gods. Sounds like a family museum!

Temple of Gemini Ruins

The Temple of Castor and Pollux 495-484 BC

The Spartan twin sons of Leda were transformed into the Gemini constellation by Jupiter Zeus. The pair were the patrons of sailors, to whom they appeared as St. Elmo’s fire. Their sisters were Helen and Clytemnestra.
The Romans built the temple to honor the god twins for aiding them in battle. Tiberius rebuilt the temple in 6 AD.

Ruins of the Roman Forum

Ruins of the Roman Forum

These are some of the famous ruins of the Roman Forum in Rome, Italy. I used these sketches based on my memories and personal favorites.

Here is a basic map to show their relative locations.

Only a few columns remain for some of these historic buildings, but they represent past glory and eternal nostalgia. Here are notes on each of them.

1. Senate House Curia Julia – whole

2. Arch of Septimus Severus – whole

3. Temple of Saturn – 8 columns, gable

3. Temple of Vespasian – 3 columns, corner fascia

4. Diocletian Column of Phocas – whole

5. Temple of Vesta – 3 1/2 columns, wall

6. Temple of Gemini – 3 columns, fascia