The Posts of Christmas Past (part one)

Toy crossbow prop featured in "A Solstice Carol"

That's right folks, it's time once again to pay homage to the 1996 "Solstice Carol" episode of Xena Warrior Princess!

This is a very slightly updated version of a post I did two years ago around this time.

Linkages:

• The Complete Insanity of the 'Xena: Warrior Princess' Christmas Special (by Chris Sims - this is where the hula-hooping Gabrielle animated gif comes from)
• A nice review by Michelle Erica Green at littlereviews.com: "A Solstice Carol" Plot Summary & Analysis
• Inquiring minds want to know: Why did Xena only do one Christmas special????? 
• Whoosh.Org listing for "A Solstice Carol"
• MentalFloss: 6 Christmas Episodes Worth Mentioning (includes Green Acres, Gilligan's Island & Bewitched as well!)
• Episode Summary at TV.Com
• Another list of Christmas Specials (this one includes Dragnet, MST3K & Black Adder)
• Hallelujah, it's Xena!

(hat tip to The House of Vines)

Shit Marcus Aurelius (and Epictetus) Actually Did Say about the Gods ("Live a Good Life", Part Two)

1. We are all kinsmen because we all have "the same intelligent divine part" (not because of "blood and seed").  

Meditations, Book II, Chp. 1 (Marcus Aurelius):

"1. Say thus to thyself every morning: to day I may have to do with some intermeddler in other mens affairs, with an ungrateful man; an insolent, or a crafty, or an envious, or an unsociable selfish man. These bad qualities have befallen them through their ignorance of what things are truly good or evil. But I have fully comprehended the nature of good, as only what is beautiful and honourable; and of evil, that it is always deformed and shameful; and the nature of those persons too who mistake their aim; that they are my kinsmen, by partaking, not of the same blood or seed, but of the same intelligent divine part; and that I cannot be hurt by any of them, since none of them can involve me in any thing dishonourable or deformed. I cannot be angry at my kinsmen, or hate them. We were formed by nature for mutual assistance, as the two feet, the hands, the eye-lids, the upper and lower rows of teeth. Opposition to each other is contrary to nature: All anger and aversion is an opposition."

Discourses, Book I, Chp. 3 (Epictetus):

"IF a person could be persuaded of this principle as he ought, that we are all originally descended from Zeus, and that he is the father of men and Gods; I conceive he never would think of himself meanly or ignobly. Suppose Cæsar were to adopt you, there would be no bearing your haughty looks; and will you not feel ennobled on knowing yourself to be the son of Zeus? Yet, in fact, we are not ennobled. But having two things united in our composition, a body in common with the brutes, and reason in common with the Gods, many incline to this unhappy and mortal kindred, and only some few to that which is happy and divine. And, as of necessity every one must treat each particular thing, according to the notions he forms about it; so those few, who suppose that they are made for faith and honor, and a wise use of things, will never think meanly or ignobly concerning themselves. But with the multitude the case is contrary; 'For what am I? A poor contemptible man, with this miserable flesh of mine?' Miserable indeed. But you have likewise something better than this poor flesh. Why then, overlooking that, do you pine away in attention to this?"

2. Our place (and that of the Gods) in the cosmic order: "It is high time to understand what sort of whole you are a part of."

Meditations, Book II, Chps 3-9 (Marcus Aurelius)

"3. Whatever the Gods ordain, is full of wise providence. What we ascribe to fortune, happens not without a presiding nature, nor without a connexion and intertexture with the things ordered by providence. Thence all things flow. Consider, too, the necessity of these events; and their utility to that whole universe of which you are a part. In every regular structure, that must always be good to a part, which the nature of the whole requires, and which tends to preserve it. Now, the universe is preserved, as, by the changes of the Elements, so, by the changes of the complex forms. Let these thoughts suffise; let them be your maxims, laying aside that thirst after multitudes of books; that you may die without repining, meek, and well satisfied, and sincerely grateful to the Gods.

"4. Remember how long you have put off these things; and how often you have neglected to use the opportunities offered you by the Gods. It is high time to understand what sort of whole you are a part of; and who that President in the universe is, from whom you flowed, as a small stream from a great fountain. There is a certain time appointed for you, which, if you don’t employ in making all calm and serene within you, it will pass away, and you along with it; and never more return.

"5. Let this be your steadfast purpose to act continually, in all affairs, as becomes a Roman, and a man, with true unaffected dignity, kindness of heart, freedom, and justice; and disentangle your soul from other solicitudes. You shall thus disentangle yourself, if you perform each action as if it were your last: without temerity, or any passionate aversion to what reason approves; without hypocrisy or selfishness, or fretting at what providence appoints. You see how few these maxims are, to which, whoever adheres, may live a prosperous and divine life. If a man observe these things, the Gods require no more of him.

"6. Go on, go on, o my soul! to affront and dishonour thy self! yet a little while, and the time to honour thyself shall be gone. Each man’s life is flying away, and thine is almost gone, before thou hast paid just honour to thyself; having hitherto made thy happiness dependent on the minds and opinions of others.

"7. Let nothing which befalls thee from without distract thee; and take leisure to thy self, to learn something truly good. Wander no more to and fro; and guard also against this other wandering. For there are some too who trifle away their activity, by wearying themselves in life, without having a settled scope or mark, to which they may direct all their desires and all their projects.

"8. Seldom are any found unhappy for not observing the motions and intentions in the souls of others. But such as observe not well the motions of their own souls, or their affections, must necessarily be unhappy.

"9. Remember these things always: what the nature of the universe is: what thine own nature: and how related to the universe: What sort of part thou art, and of what sort of whole: and that no man can hinder thee to act and speak what is agreeable to that whole, of which thou art a part."

3. That "all things are mutually connected and united" and under "divine administration", and that each of us is assigned a personal daemon.

Discourses, Book I, Chp. XIV (Epictetus)

"WHEN a person asked him, how any one might be convinced that his every act is under divine supervision? Do not you think, said Epictetus, that all things are mutually connected and united?

“'I do.'

"Well; and do not you think, that things on earth feel the influence of the heavenly powers?

“'Yes.'

"Else how is it that in their season, as if by express command, the Godz bid the plants to blossom and they blossom, to bud and they bud, to bear fruit and they bear it, to ripen it and they ripen; — and when again they bids them drop their leaves, and withdrawing into themselves to rest and wait, they rest and wait? Whence again are there seen, on the increase and decrease of the moon, and the approach and departure of the sun, so great changes and transformations in earthly things? Have then the very leaves, and our own bodies, this connection and sympathy with the whole; and have not our souls much more? But our souls are thus connected and intimately joined to the Gods, as being indeed members and distinct portions of the divine essence; and must not the Gods be sensible of every movement of our souls, as belonging and connatural to them? Can even you think of the divine administration, and every other divine subject, and together with these of human affairs also; can you at once receive impressions on your senses and your understanding, from a thousand objects; at once assent to some things, deny or suspend your judgment concerning others, and preserve in your mind impressions from so many and various objects, by whose aid you can revert to ideas similar to those which first impressed you? Can you retain a variety of arts and the memorials of ten thousand things? And is not Zeus capable of surveying all things, and being present with all, and in communication with all? Is the sun capable of illuminating so great a portion of the universe, and of leaving only that small part of it unilluminated, which is covered by the shadow of the earth, — and cannot he who made and moves the sun, a small part of himself, if compared with the whole, — cannot he perceive all things?

"'But I cannot,' say you, 'attend to all things at once.'

"Who asserts that you have equal power with Zeus? Nevertheless he has assigned to each man a director, his own good daemon, and committed him to that guardianship; a director sleepless and not to be deceived. To what better and more careful guardian could he have committed each one of us? So that when you have shut your doors, and darkened your room, remember, never to say that you are alone; for you are not alone; but Zeus is within, and your daemon is within; and what need have they of light, to see what you are doing? To Zeus you likewise ought to swear such an oath as the soldiers do to Cæsar. For they, in order to receive their pay, swear to prefer before all things the safety of Cæsar; and will not you swear, who have received so many and so great favors; or, if you have sworn, will you not fulfil the oath? And what must you swear? Never to distrust, nor accuse, nor murmur at any of the things appointed by the Gods; nor to shrink from doing or enduring that which is inevitable. Is this oath like the former? In the first oath persons swear never to dishonor Cæsar; by the last, never to dishonor themselves."

"Live A Good Life": About that totally bogus Marcus Aurelius quote that has been floating around

The image is a bust of Caracalla by Bartolomeo Cavaceppi.

Anyone who is familiar with the ancient Stoic philosophers knows that they were staunch defenders of traditional religion, including especially the worship of the traditional Gods and Goddesses and the dutiful enactment of rituals and other outward expressions of the ancient Pagan cults.

In particular, central to the Stoic conception of "the good life" is piety toward the Goddesses and Gods.

This pious attitude concerning the Gods is expressed very clearly and frequently in our two most important primary sources on Stoicism: the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius and the Discourses of Epictetus, as well as in our most extensive source of information concerning Stoic views of religion: Cicero's On the Nature of the Gods (although a Platonist, Cicero is considered a very accurate source of information on Stoicism, and was especially sympathetic to Stoic views on religion).

We can also examine the works of Zeno, Cleanthes and Chrysippus, the early founders of Stoicism, thanks to the work of P.A. Meijer who has collected together, translated and commented upon the remaining fragments of their writings on religious subjects in his masterful book "Stoic Theology". Meijer makes it very clear that the earliest Stoics strongly asserted that both "veneration" (the performance of traditional worship) and "piety" (the proper attitude toward the Gods) were essential to living well.

Sources:

Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, online:
http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=2133&Itemid=27

Epictetus' Discourses, online:
http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=1477&Itemid=27

Cicero's On the Nature of the Gods (translated by P.G. Walsh):
http://www.amazon.com/Nature-Gods-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199540063/

P.A. Meijer's Stoic Theology:
http://books.google.com/books/about/Stoic_Theology.html?id=9lFlb4dn51sC

18th century bust of Caracalla by Bartolomeo Cavaceppi at the Getty Museum:
http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=1472

Various sightings of the bogus Marcus Aurelius quote from around teh internets (often found in people's "signature block"):
Oct 14th 2009
http://bibleforums.org/archive/index.php/t-194149.html

August 24, 2007

http://cyberkittenspot.blogspot.com/2007/08/quote.html

June 14, 2007

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?s=c519ff28c099e59089d09508601046d6&p=1854741#post1854741

09-29-2006

http://cellar.org/showpost.php?p=269942&postcount=8

01-17-2005 

http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?s=1c2b250e45c6b026ba54ae2cca864c3f&p=2040468&postcount=4

6 October 2003
http://www.firstones.com/forums/showpost.php?s=227a1b007a4f050a07963af0cf95f92e&p=78478&postcount=1

"I follow the Buddha and Goodness": Final messages from Tibetan self-immolators

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A thousand years from now, scholars will shake their heads knowingly and scoff at the legends of the great Bodhisattva army of Tibetan self-immolators. They will assure their colleagues and students that all such stories are just so much romaniticized nonsense.

Who could believe such things? Who could imagine such things? Who could do such things?





"There is no freedom in Tibet, His Holiness Dalai Lama is forbidden to return home. Panchen Lama [the second highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama] is in prison. Numerous Tibetan heroes have made the sacrifice of self-immolation. I don't want to live anymore, there is no meaning in living… We are the son of Snow Lion, the offspring of red face Tibetans. Please remember the dignity of Snow mountain."

"Tibet needs freedom and independence. Release Panchen and let Dalai return home. I self-immolate to protest against the Chinese government! Father, please don't be disheartened because of me. I follow the Buddha and Goodness. My wish is that six million Tibetans will learn their mother tongue, wear Tibetan clothes and be united." 

"Greetings to my dear brothers and sisters, and especially my parents, the kindest of all in this world. I am setting myself on fire for the sake of Tibet. The long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama must be assured. It is my wish that the sun of happiness may shine on the land of Tibet."

Sources:

Last Words of 19 Tibetans Who Committed Self-Immolation (fromGlobalVoicesOnline.Org).

"May the sun of happiness shine on Tibet," a self-immolator’s last words (from Phayul.Com)

does it ever end? (apparently not)

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that's right, she's a контральто:

Поющие гитары - Тачанка:

a beautiful rendition of Katyusha (Катюша):




some excellent crowd shots in this one:




a catchy tune featuring rotary dial phones and helpful subtitles in english and chinese:

"79 Tibetans have now set themselves on fire in Tibet since 2009."

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• Breaking: Tibetan teen burns self to death, Toll climbs to 79 


• Full list of self-immolations in Tibet


• Self-Immolation Fact Sheet


• Seven Self-Immolations In One Week

No True Pagan: The David Duke Litmus Test (Two Case Studies)

While some people concern themselves with the fanciful vagaries of "crypto-fascism", we here at EGREGORES prefer to focus on the real thing. It turns out that if you really want to find people who claim to be Pagans (or Heathens, or Hellenes, or Traditionalists) but who are, in fact, Fascists and/or Nazi sympathizers just looking for a new way to peddle their old poison, it's really not too hard to spot them. Just check to see whether or not they are standing next to David Duke.

Anyone who would be caught dead with David Duke is No True Pagan in my book.

But how, you ask, does one apply the much vaunted David Duke Litmus Test in practice? To answer that question, lets take a look at two case studies: Galina Lozko (leader of the pseudo-Pagan "Native Faith" movement in the Ukraine), and Greg Johnson (editor of the proudly white supremacist Counter-Currents website, and who claims to be critical of Christianity and sympathetic to Paganism).

What might happen if, for example, one were to do the simplest possible google search, and just put in two names, one of them being "david duke" (no quotes in the actual search - nothing fancy) the other being the name of the person to whom the David Duke Litmus Test is being applied? The results for "galina lozko" and "greg johnson" are given below:

The search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=galina lozko david duke

Very first hit:
http://www.icare.to/article.php?id=4859&lang=en

The search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=greg johnson david duke

Very first hit:
http://www.toqonline.com/blog/david-duke-interview-1/

Further evidence of the linkage between Galina Lozko and Daid Duke:

• David Duke's account of the 2006 international conference on "TheWhite World's Future" attended by both Duke and Lozko (Duke mentions Lozko):
  http://www.davidduke.com/?p=581
• Full pdf of the book containing the proceddings of the above conference (Lozko's contribution is on p. 99, Duke's is on p. 79):
  http://www.tulaev.info/pdf/15_P.V.Tulaev_WWF_book.pdf
• 2011 interview with Pavel Tulaev (Galina Lozko's husband) which mentions David Duke (approvingly) twice:
  http://euro-synergies.hautetfort.com/archive/2011/11/17/pavel-tulaev-responds-to-questions-by-alfred-vierling.html

Further evidence of the linkage between Greg Johnson and David Duke:

• A book by David Duke, published by Counter-Currents:
  The Little Bank That Saved Christmas

A Galloping Troika: Full Steam Ahead Into Russian Music Videos!!!!

yet another amazing russian music video round up

[pssst: here's a version with english subtitles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlQ6KqTlyfk&feature=related]









Other posts from this ongoing occasional series:

• Blaxploitation Style Soviet Funk! (from 1975) 12/4/11
• even more videos 11/22/11
• More Russian Videos That Do Not Disappoint, товарищи! 11/18/11
• Потап и Настя Каменских (Potap & Nastya) 9/30/11 
• сумасшедшие видео России 4/5/11
• Калинка 2/27/11
• Kalinka 5/24/10