The Pros and Cons of Male Circumcision: the Debate Continues

If you’re one of those who thinks the need for male circumcision is a forgone, scientific conclusion, think again.  In fact, the issue of male circumcision is as controversial as it ever was, with a wider and wider gap forming between those health professionals who advocate it and those who don’t.  And while there are well-known religious, social, and medical reasons why circumcision is often recommended, most major medical societies have now taken an impartial view of the procedure, neither recommending nor renouncing the practice.   Read more . . .

Female Herbs: Herbs Just for Her

Through the centuries, various cultures around the world have not only discovered that plants fall into categories in terms of their biological sex (with male and female plants often having completely different curative properties from one another), but that plants can also be categorized by which sex they best serve: female or male.  Thus, certain herbs are routinely designated as “female herbs.”  The following herbs have traditionally been singled out by many societies around the world as having curative and medicinal properties especially geared to a woman’s body; herbs specifically effective in treating female reproductive conditions for a wide range of women regardless of age, ethnicity, or cultural heritage.  Read more . . .

Abandoned Towns and Cities of the World

Standing as stark reminders of a people’s past endeavors and hopes for the future, thousands of abandoned towns and cities can be seen around the world–some like silent, dusty museums, some little more than the wood or stone markers placed in remembrance. Yet, each speaks volumes of another time.  War, superstition, famine, earthquakes, religion, man-made disasters, shifting values, fire, disease, failed economy, and hurricanes have all played their roles in reducing thriving, prosperous cities to mere rubble and models of waste.  From Hong Kong to France, Turkey to Chile, here are ten of the countless abandoned towns and cities that still speak loudly of the people who once called them home.  Read more . . .

The Health Benefits of Fenugreek

Fenugreek is a deep-rooted annual herb resembling hay and alfalfa whose seeds have been used both as a curative and as a spice (called methia) for at least 6000 years.  Charred fenugreek seeds have been recovered from ancient sites both in Iraq and Israel (radiocarbon dated to 4000 BCE), and dried fenugreek seeds were even discovered in the tomb of the Egyptian boy-Pharaoh Tutankhamen.  Grown in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, and China since before recorded history, fenugreek is perhaps best known today as a common ingredient in curry powder and chutney.  A dull yellow powder produced from the roasted seeds, fenugreek is readily available fresh and dried, whole and pulverized.  Read more . . .

The Life of a Hermit

From the Latin eremita, meaning “desert dweller,’ a hermit is a person who lives to some degree in seclusion from society.  Often loosely applied to anyone living a solitary life-style, and used interchangeably with misanthrope and anchorite (someone who has chosen seclusion for purely religious reasons), hermits and anchorites were historically distinguished on the basis of physical location–hermits removing themselves to the wilderness while anchorites selecting a cell attached to a church or near a populated area.  In Christianity, the term hermit was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament (the forty years wandering in the desert that was meant to bring about a change of heart).  Read more . . .

Home Remedies for Sexual Impotence

Since man first discovered the connection between an erect penis and fertility, he has persued an interest in natural substances that enhance his sexual performance.  While exploring the effects of various plants he found growing around him, he no doubt stumbled upon herbs that when chewed would cause him to have more frequent and harder erections; herbs that would allow him to maintain his erections longer.  As a result, most cultures of the world now have an assortment of herb-based home remedies for treating sexual impotence.  Read more . . .

The Terracotta Army of China's First Emperor

The Terracotta Army is a collection of life-size terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang (sometimes, QinShihuang), the first Emperor of China.  Dated to 210 BCE, the mausoleum housing the Terracotta Army, construction of which began when Huang was thirteen years of age, was discovered in 1974 by local farmers who were digging a well about 1.5 miles east of Mount Li. The mausoleum itself is associated with an especially significant historic world event, the first unification of the Chinese territory by an absolute monarch in 221 BCE–formally establishing “China.”  Read more.

The Life of Aesop, the Famous Teller of Fables

A former slave from the island of Samos (in the eastern Aegean Sea) who was owned first by a man named Xanthus and then a man named Iadmon, Aesop had already gained considerable renown as a master storyteller before he ever left his native land.  Leaving Samos, Aesop traveled to Sardis (Turkey) to join in intellectual discussions with Solon of Athens and Thales of Miletus, as well as other exiled sages and philosophers of the time. There he found favor with King Croesus because of his superior wit, considerable intelligence, and ability to spin captivating yarns–fables that instructed while entertaining.  Read more . . .

The History of Gambling: Tools and Games

Just as gambling evolved from divinatory practices of early societies, so too did the tools of gambling evolve from ritualized objects–stones, sticks, nuts, shells, and bones.  Small bones, particularly knucklebones (astragali) became the direct predecessors of modern dice.  Astragali have irregular, non-symmetrical shapes, with four large sides and two more-or-less rounded ends.  When thrown, an astragalus will land on one of its four big sides, delivering a seemingly random outcome of the throw.  Over time, the sides of an astragalus were given value and markings; the lowest value “1” assigned to the largest side of a concave shape because of a higher chance that the bone will rest on it, the highest value “6” given the smallest side of a convex shape for its greater odds–thus "Roll ‘em bones!"  Read more . . .

The History of Gambling: Ritual Beginnings

The roots of gambling can be traced back thousands of years to religious ceremonies conducted by many pre-historic societies.  Wide-spread cultural evidence indicates that early man created many rituals specifically to foretell the future or explain what was beyond mortal comprehension.  Initially involving the casting of lots–throwing a random handful of small objects such as pebbles, sticks, bones, shells, or nuts–the end results were then counted to ascertain an “odd” or “even” number; even generally equated with a positive outcome, odd a negative one.  Over time this process became more complex, also including the interpretation of the patterns various natural objects made as they appeared in the environment.  Read more . . .

Who, Exactly, was St. Patrick?

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Bannauenta, Britain, in about the year 389 (although both his place and date of birth are often disputed). Son of Potitus, a middle-class deacon and minor local official, Patrick was no doubt raised a Christian, but showed little interest in religious studies until later in life.  At the age of 16, Patrick was captured by a band of Irish raiders, quite possibly while taking part in the raid against the Irish king Niall Noigiallach who met his end in Britain in 405. Taken to Ireland to be sold as a slave, Patrick served as shepherd to a chieftain named Miliucc for six years, near the mountain called Slemish in County Antrim (Ulster). During this bleak period of time, religion became Patrick’s solace and focus in life.  Read more . . .

"Sex Pots" and the Moche Civilization

The Moche civilization, believed to have flourished in northern Peru from about 100 CE to 800 CE, is an ancient culture best known for the tens of thousands of ceramic “sex pots” they fashioned to convey what anthropologists believe was their societal view of various forms of sexual activity.  Considered by historians to be among the finest pottery of the ancient Americas, it is quite striking in its naturalistic style and refined craftsmanship.  Anthropologists believe Moche ceramics may have served as models (visual aids) for relating moral or political perspective which allowed older generations, perhaps community elders, to pass down essential knowledge. The so-called “sex pots” could have been used to teach about procreation, sexual pleasure, cultural and social norms, immortality, transfer of life and souls, or perhaps the relationship between nature and life.  Read more . . .

The Wodaabe: the Beautiful People of Northwest Africa

The Wodaabe, a subculture of the larger Fulbe-speaking Fulani, are a group of nomadic cattle-herders and traders who historically have been highly influential in politics and economics throughout western Africa.  Known to have existed for over one thousand years, the Wodaabe continue to play a significant role in furthering Fulani domination in the West African region.  Referring to themselves as Bororo, the Wodaabe migration area currently stretches from southern Niger to northern Nigeria, northeastern Cameroon to the western region of the Central African Republic.  In 1983, the number of Wodaabe was estimated at 45,000; a more current assessment virtually impossible due to geographic dispersal and cultural restrictions.  Perhaps the most visually striking culture compared to other indigenous groups of this region, the Wodaabe are known for their beauty (both men and women), elaborate attire, and rich cultural ceremonies.  Read more . . .

Angels Watching Over Us

The word angel comes from the Greek, angelo, which mean “messenger.”  For thousands of years, thousands of translations, countless written descriptions and oral accounts speak of divine winged messengers draped in pure, white robes, underscoring humankind’s ageless belief and fascination with angels.  Fundamental to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, the concept of angelic beings is very similar in all three faiths: spiritual beings created by God before the world was created, whose role is to glorify God, minister to God, and particularly, to act as God's messengers to humans in matters of great importance (such as the announcement to Mary in Christianity and the revelation of the Qur'an in Islam).  Read more . . .

The Palermo Stone: the Other Important Egyptian Stone Tablet

Though far less known than the famous Rosetta Stone, the Palermo Stone is no less significant, and in fact, reveals far more than its more celebrated stone cousin.  Essentially, the Palermo Stone is the oldest known history book of Egypt following the unification of Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt.  Named for the museum in which it is housed, the Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum in Palermo, Italy, this basalt fragment, which was engraved toward the end of the Fifth Dynasty in the 25th Century BCE, provides records of the kings of Egypt from the First Dynasty through the Fifth Dynasty, a list of what is thought to be the mythical kings prior to the dynastic era, as well as information on cult ceremonies, sculpture, taxation, buildings, and public warfare.  Read more . . .

Did Ancient Egyptians Have Technology Far Beyond What We Have Today? A Look at the Schist Disk

Since first encountered by westerners, the pyramids of Egypt seemed to many to be far beyond the technological and engineering capabilities of such a “primitive” and “less advanced” culture.  In recent years, this belief has led to a growing number who support the assumption that the ancient Egyptians must have been provided advanced technological knowledge via aliens from beyond our solar system.  While this assertion lacks any credibility with the modern scientific community, there can be no denying that the ancient Egyptians did succeed in technological accomplishments that should have been beyond their abilities–according to our modern worldview.  Although  modern theorists have offered several engineering scenarios to explain how the Egyptians may have accomplished such incredible feats as the construction of the pyramids and the Great Sphinx, other extraordinary accomplishments remain within the realm of, “How could they possibly have conceived and accomplished that?”  Case in point, the so-called “Schist Disk.”  Read more . . .

The Invention of Writing

Most historians agree that more than any other human achievement, it was the invention of writing that untimately brought the seeds of “civilization” to fruition.  The taking of this unprecedented step some 5000 years ago made it possible to preserve thoughts and experiences that had previously been entrusted to the realm of oral tradition, wisdom passed generation to generation with hopes that key elements wouldn’t be lost.  Essentially, the invention of writing provided a maintenance of social ideas that allowed complex societies to develop and empires to be built.  Read more . . .

The Rosetta Stone: the Key to Egyptian Hieroglyphs

The Rosetta Stone, an irregularly shaped slab of black basalt measuring 3’ 9” by 2’ 4 1/2", was found in the town of Rosetta on the left bank of the Nile, in August of 1799, by a Frenchman named Pierre-Francois Bouchard during the execution of repairs to the fort at St. Julian.  Subsequently passed into British ownership in 1801 during the surrender of Egypt by the French, it is currently housed in the British Museum.  Written in two languages and three scripts (Greek, hieroglyphics, and demotic), the inscription records the commemoration of the accession of the Pharaoh Ptolemy V Epiphanes to the throne of Egypt in the year 197–196 BCE, in the 9th year of his reign.  The son of Ptolemy IV Philopator and Arsinoe III of Egypt, Ptolemy V Epiphanes was the fifth ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty, becoming ruler at the age of five when his father died and his mother Sosibius was murdered.  Read more . . .

Linguistics and the Study of History

From the anthropological perspective, linguistics cannot be separated from history.  In fact, language cannot be understood to any true resolve without considering the history surrounding it.  As linguist and father of the “linguistic relativity” concept, Benjamin Whorf (1897–1941), said a century ago, “studying language and studying culture is the same thing.”  Yes, linguistics, in the broad sense of the term, does mean the physical components relating to “sound production,” i. e., place of articulation, manner of articulation, phonetics, and morphology, but none of that has real relevance without cultural context.  And since every culture is dynamic and ever changing, the past (both written and oral tradition) must be factored in.  Read more . . .

The Method of Ritual Magic(k)

For many aspirants of ritual magic(k), it is with the acquisition of ritual tools that the magic(k)al journal actually begins.  In that magic(k) requires a vast selection of highly specialized tools, each chosen specifically for one and one purpose only, this process typically takes many years to complete.  For many adepts, the acquisition of ritual tools becomes an ongoing, lifetime mission, with instruments of higher magnitude replacing lesser ones as fate provides. Thus, as any ritualist will attest, establishing the proper “thinking” behind choosing one’s magic(k)al tools cannot be simplified or overemphasized.  Read more . . .