The topic of the directions in the Antipodes is one I come back to and
scratch at periodically. Aside from the winds, there are several other
issues and I'm not sure all solutions consider all the factors
involved.
# Seasons
# Cross quarter days
# Sun's daily positions (ie N. at Noon)
# Local constellations (the least considered - IMO and by my lights)
I am familiar with some ideas in current practice, but have reservations.
1. The 'Seasons', are they really Seasonal or are the Equinox and
Solstice Signs the real issue regardless of climactic differences.
That is for example, Sun in Capricorn is the real deal, not Summer or
Winter. This might make matters a good deal easier, especially for us
non-agrarian moderns.
2. These are *herders fire festivals* and simply switching them
across the axes may be simplistic. Again I'd be inclined to look at
constellations, not weather; our Northern Sabbats coincide with
important greatest declinations of Draco etc. Treating them as
abstract calendar dates and switching them over is likely missing a
good deal.
3. This is the easiest in many respects, but important not to
extrapolate across to other directional issues. Face North for Noon
adorations, doddle. In the N.hemisphere of course Sun is South at
Noon, so more Sun, but also South at Winter, less Sun. So its clear
these are entirely different issues.
4. Constellations *really* need some depth research. Some Aboriginal
lore is certainly relevant, but consider too that Meso-America has an
advanced star lore that shares some features with OZ &c not found in
Ptolemy, the Arabs etc (Southern Cross being the obvious example).
Modern occultism tends to lean on traditional ideas without fully
embracing the underlying thinking and extrapolating from them. So when
there are none from our familiar cache, it gets thin. Thus exchanging
the Maya for the Babylonians should provide a firmer base.
Sorry if this is a bit sketchy, but my instinct is to really push the
stellar rather than seasonal aspect of this question - otherwise
subsequent research may well end up colliding with early decisions
made on inadequate data.
ALWays
Jake
On 23 August 2010 11:26, Morgan Leigh <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Yes, the Felkin stuff is excellent. I have seen an original workbook
> from that group which is a detailed explanation of the pentagram ritual.
> It is the Stella Matutina formulation of the ritual, with no changes
> made on account of the move to the Southern Hemisphere. It includes
> descriptions of the winds and their charachteristics which are northern
> ones. It's 'natural position of the elements in the Zodiac' puts fire at
> East. However it does also say "The Elements vibrate between the
> cardinal points for they have not an unchanged abode therein", though
> here I think they are referring to quarter circle range of vibration of
> elements that they stipulate. This document also refers to the direction
> of the sun as being clockwise.
>
> I have often wondered why he didn't change it. Was it that he thought
> that the assignation of elements to directions was an absolute, or was
> it that the mind set of the colonists was still so firmly Northern
> Hemispheric that making the switch to Southern attributions wouldn't yet
> have meaning for them?
>
> Regards,
>
> Morgan Leigh
> PhD Candidate
> School of Sociology and Social Work
> University of Tasmania
>
> On 19/08/2010 5:16 PM, Michael Robartes wrote:
>> Islands of the Dawn: "The Story of Alternative Spirituality in New
>> Zealand" by Robert Ellwood, University of Hawaii Press, 1993 ,
>> particularly chapter six, "The Wizards of Havelock North" , may have
>> some scholarly insights that are usable to you,
>>
>> MR
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 8:25 AM, Christopher Josiffe
>> <[log in to unmask]
>> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
>>
>> Could anyone recommend a text that deals with the foundation of the
>> Golden Dawn, particularly with the way in which such rituals as the
>> Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram were composed/compiled?
>> (Westcott, Woodman and Mathers doing a lot of research in the
>> British Library?)
>>
>> I believe I saw a scholarly work on just this topic, but can't for
>> the life of me recall the title or author.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Christopher
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Michael Robartes
>
> --
>
--
Jake
http://www.underworld-apothecary.com/
--
Jake
http://www.underworld-apothecary.com/
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