Pangaea Theory

 

October 16, 2021

To understand the formation of continents, let's begin with a few geographical terms:

• Continent: The landmasses that make up nearly 30% of Earth’s surface. The seven continents are Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America, and Antarctica.

• Continental Drift: The movement of Earth's crust over the planet’s liquid core.

• Meteorology: The study of Earth’s atmosphere. People involved in weather analysis and forecasting are called meteorologists.

• Lithosphere: Earth has three main layers: the Crust (uppermost), the Mantle, and the Core (which is liquid in part). The Crust and the Upper Mantle together form the Lithosphere.

Pangaea: A Definition

Now that we’ve covered the terms, here’s the definition:

Pangaea was a supercontinent that existed around 250 million years ago, when all the continental lithospheres on Earth were joined into a single landmass.About 100 million years later, Pangaea began to break apart—eventually forming the seven (not-so-small!) continents we recognize today.

The Man Behind the Theory

A German meteorologist named Alfred Wegener proposed the Pangaea Theory in 1912. He hypothesized that continents move over time—a groundbreaking idea that introduced the concepts of continental drift and supercontinents.

Wegener offered several key pieces of evidence:

1. Fossil Evidence: Fossils of Lystrosaurus were found in India, Africa, and Antarctica. Since it’s unlikely these species swam across oceans, they must have once lived on the same landmass.

2. Matching Fossil Records: Fossils of mosasaurs were found on both the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa, suggesting the two continents were once connected.

3. Geological Similarities:

   • Identical radioactive minerals have been found in Germany and Canada.

These minerals also show similar half-life decay patterns, suggesting a shared geological history.

• Mountain structures in Western Europe and the northeastern United States are strikingly similar, indicating the regions were once part of a single landmass.

Together, these clues support Wegener’s theory.

---

Climate Change After Pangaea

The breakup of Pangaea drastically altered the Earth's climate. As the continents separated, they changed the flow of ocean currents and atmospheric winds. This shift had global consequences. The scientific explanation for these changes lies in Continental Drift—Wegener’s theory that continents move over time, affecting climate, geology, and ecosystems. For example, Wegener studied plant fossils from the frigid Arctic region of Svalbard, Norway. He found fossils of tropical plants not adapted to cold climates. Since such plants couldn’t migrate, Wegener concluded that Svalbard must have had a much warmer climate in the past.

As Pangaea split apart, new ocean basins and seaways formed, disrupting global temperature regulation. When North and South America connected, they blocked equatorial currents from flowing between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This diverted more warm currents toward Europe and strengthened the Gulf Stream. Warmer waters at high latitudes caused more evaporation, increasing atmospheric moisture and precipitation. One consequence was the development of Greenland’s ice cap, which contributed to global cooling.

More evidence of global cooling comes from the separation of Australia and Antarctica and the formation of the Southern (Antarctic) Ocean. The new ocean allowed for a circumpolar current—a powerful flow of cold water around Antarctica. This current cut off warm, tropical air and water from reaching the continent, turning Antarctica into the icy landmass it is today.

---

From Continental Drift to Plate Tectonics

Although many of Wegener’s conclusions were later confirmed, science has since evolved. His theory of Continental Drift was eventually replaced by the more comprehensive theory of plate tectonics, which better explains how Earth's crust moves and reshapes over time.

Final Thought

Modern Homo sapiens are a relatively recent species—only about 100,000 to 200,000 years old. Pangaea, by contrast, existed over 335 million years ago. So, there were definitely no humans—or even primates—on Pangaea!

There Is Hope

 

November 7, 2021

Footage shows the 18-year-old at Festival Park in Govan chanting:
"You can shove your climate crisis up your ae, you can shove your climate crisis up your ae!"

The young activist has quickly acquainted herself with the Glaswegian sense of humour as she joins one of the many protests calling out political inaction during the COP26 climate summit in the city. As you can probably tell, Thunberg isn't exactly convinced that politicians are doing enough to protect the planet.

Addressing the crowds gathered across the River Clyde from the COP26 venue, she declared:
"Change is not going to come from inside there — that is not leadership. This is leadership. We say no more blah blah blah, no more exploitation of people and nature and the planet.
No more exploitation. No more blah blah blah. No more whatever the fk they are doing inside there."**

In September, Thunberg mocked Boris Johnson by quoting parts of his speeches on climate change and adding, “blah, blah, blah.”

The Prime Minister himself referenced her remarks during his speech at the COP26 opening session earlier that day (Monday, November 1). He said:
"I was there in Paris six years ago when we agreed to net zero and to try to restrain the rise in the temperature of the planet to 1.5°C. And all those promises will be nothing but blah blah blah — to coin a phrase — and the anger and impatience of the world will be uncontainable unless we make this COP26 in Glasgow the moment when we get real about climate change."

Thunberg arrived in Glasgow the previous day (Sunday, October 31) by train and is expected to take part in two large protests through the city later in the week.

Speaking at Festival Park, she added: "This COP26 is so far just like the previous COPs — and they have led us nowhere.Inside COP, they are just politicians and people in power pretending to take our future seriously. Pretending to take the present seriously — the present of people already being affected today by the climate crisis." 

The above comes from LAD Bible, a British news source I trust.

As much as I admire Greta Thunberg and her fiery, angry spirit — and I do believe that she and every following generation has a right to be angry — I also consider her to be something of a twit. She seems to be very strong in judgment, and very weak in offering solutions. Sure, she is still young, and like most young people, she’s highly reactive.

Speaking as a concerned Canadian citizen, I am appalled at my government’s track record on climate change. I, too, am deeply concerned that we are approaching the point of no return at break-neck speed — and may have already passed it. Back in the late 1990s, I was trucking through South Dakota and had stopped on an exit ramp to relieve myself. Another truck pulled up behind me to do the same. The other driver and I chatted briefly about the thick layer of bugs on our windshields — it was awful, bugs on top of bugs. He commented that he’d never seen them so bad, and neither had I. At that time, I was starting to become aware of climate change, and beginning to wonder about the phenomenon of the sixth extinction, though I hadn’t yet connected the two.

Now, some 25 years later, I can't help but notice the die-back of insect life I warned that driver about. In Canada, during the summer months from about 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., driving becomes extremely annoying due to the swarms of bugs coating your windshield. But over the last decade, there’s been a notable drop in insect populations. What disturbs me most is the impact on pollinators — particularly bees.

The group of chemicals known as neonicotinoids is devastating to bees, as are many herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides. The obvious solution is to stop using them. However, simply halting their use won’t fix the problem. There is hope, though. In Britain, researchers at the University of York have developed a variety of switch-grass that can detoxify residues of the military explosive RDX. 

This innovation has the potential to be further engineered to neutralize other toxic substances.

Recently, the UN published a report stating that planting trees will not save us. This hit me like a gut punch. The problem is twofold:

1. Newly planted forests cannot absorb the excess CO₂ already in the atmosphere, and

2. The trees themselves are dying due to climate change.Normally, winter freezes protect trees from rot. But as winters warm, trees are no longer freezing properly and are starting to rot from the inside out during the coldest months.

   Although forests are not the "lungs of the planet" as once believed, our oceans are — and they, too, are in serious decline. The overall picture is grim, as Miss Thunberg rightly points out, yet there is still more reason for hope than despair.

   We know the planet’s two ice caps are vital to regulating global temperature because they serve two functions:

   1. They reflect sunlight and heat back into space, and

   2. Sea ice expels salt when it freezes, which creates a churning motion that helps circulate ocean currents and redistribute heat from the equator.

These ocean currents are slowing. Whether the consequences resemble those in the film, The Day After Tomorrow or unfold more gradually remains to be seen. CO² capture and sequestration — combined with some planetary engineering — may buy us enough time to redesign our economies. All three strategies are achievable with today’s technology.

In April 2021, a researcher at Purdue University developed the whitest shade of white ever created — it reflects 95.5% of all light. Originally designed as a passive cooling material, what if we repurposed it to simulate artificial ice caps? What if every balcony, rooftop, and car roof in every city, town, and village worldwide were painted with it? What if tens of thousands of square kilometers of breathable canvas, coated in this paint were laid across the Arctic tundra? Instant ice caps.

Unsurprisingly, the oil industry has tainted the idea of carbon capture. They’re using the technology to trap their emissions and store carbon underground — often in the very wells they’ve been drilling, many of which are neither sealed, nor maintained properly. This approach feels cynical and flawed. On a more hopeful note, a Swedish company, Climeworks AG, operating in Iceland, has developed a method to extract CO² directly from the air, and store it in the island’s porous volcanic basalt. This type of rock is ideal for permanent storage. Though they currently manage only 4,000 tons annually, they are scaling up rapidly.

In my view, Greta Thunberg and today's youth have every right to be angry. But rather than mourning what may have been taken from them, they should fight like hell for what remains. They must channel their passion into advocating for the technologies and solutions that can turn hope into reality.

Custody of the Holy land

 

June 6, 2021

The Custody of the Holy Land Latin Custodia Terræ Sanctæ) is a custodian priory of the Order of Friars Minor in Jerusalem founded as the Province of the Holy Land in 1217 by Saint Francis of Assisi, who had also founded the Franciscan Order in 1209. In 1342, the Franciscans were declared by two papal bulls as the official custodians of the Holy Places in the name of the Catholic Church. The Custody headquarters are located in the Monastery of Saint Savouir a 16th-century Franciscan monastery near the New Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. The office can bestow— only to those entering its office—the Jerusalem Pilgrim’s Cross upon deserving Catholic visitors to the city The Franciscans trace their presence in the Holy Land to 1217. By 1229, the friars had a small house near the fifth station of the Via Dolorosa and in 1272 were permitted to settle in the Cenacle on Mount Zion. In 1309, they also settled in Bethlehem and the Holy Sepulcher along with the Cannons Regular. After the final fall of the second Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1291, the title of Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem was vested in the Custody ex officio in Rome, while resuming its activities in the Holy Land, including surveilling the accolades of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher 1342–1489 until its Grand Ministry was vested in the papacy. Following the restoration of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem as residential episcopal see in 1847, the Patriarch henceforth additionally assumed the position of the order's ecclesiastical superior, eventually supplanting the Custody of the Holy land as Grand Prior of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher. The Custody of the Holy Land has repeatedly expressed concern about the survival of the Christians in the Holy Land, including the strained situation for Christians in the rest of the Middle East. Between 2004 and 2016, the Custodial Curia was led by Custos Fr. Pier Battista Pizzaballa. Since 2016, the chief custodian has been Francesco Patton. The mission of the Custody of the Holy Land is to guard "the grace of the Holy Places" of the Holy Land and the rest of the Middle East, "sanctified by the presence of Jesus” as well as pilgrims visiting them, on behalf of the Catholic Church.

CHL Oldest known portrait in existence of the saint who founded the Order of Friars Minor and its Custody of the Holy Land, dating back to Saint Francis' retreat to Subiaco (1223–1224); depicted without the stigmata.

 An online history, The Franciscan Presence in the Holy Land, has been prepared by the Custodian Emeritus (later Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem), Pier Battista Pizzaballa, OFM. The Franciscan presence in the Holy Land started in 1217, when the province of Syria was established, with Frater (Brother) Elias of Cortona as Minister. By 1229, the friars had a small house near the fifth station of the Via Dolorosa. In 1272, the Sultan Baibars of Egypt permitted the Franciscans to settle in the Cenacle (also called the Upper Room) on Mount Sion. Later on, in 1309, they also settled in Bethlehem and in the Holy Sepulcher, along with the Canons Regular.

Saint Francis before Sultan Al-Kamil of Egypt, witnessing the trial by fire (wall fresco, Giotto) In 1333, Robert d'Anjou, King of Naples, and his wife, Sancia of Majorca, bought the Cenacle from the Sultan of Egypt and gave it to the Franciscans. In 1342, Pope Clement VI, by the Papal bulls Gratiam agimus and Nuper charissimae declared the Franciscans as the official custodians of the Holy Places in the name of the Catholic Church A portion reads:

A short time ago, good news from the king and queen reached our Apostolic See, relating that, at great cost and following difficult negotiations, they had obtained a concession from the Sultan of Babylon [that is, Cairo]. Who, to the intense shame of Christians, occupies the Holy Sepulcher of the Lord and the other Holy Places. Beyond the sea that were sanctified by the blood of this same Redeemer. To wit that friars of your Order, may reside continuously in the church known as the Sepulcher. To celebrate their Solemn Sung Masses and the Divine Office in the manner of the several friars of this Order who are already present in this place. Moreover, this same Sultan has also conceded to the King and Queen, the Cenacle of the Lord. The chapel where the Holy Spirit was manifested to the Apostles and the other chapel in which Christ appeared to the Apostles after his resurrection, in the presence of Blessed Thomas. The news of how the Queen built a convent on Mount Zion where, as is known, the Cenacle and the said chapels are located. Where for some time she has had the intention of supporting twelve friars of your Order to assure the Divine Liturgy in the church of the Holy Sepulcher, along with three laymen charged with serving the friars and seeing to their needs. 

CHL Church of the Holy Sepulchre (1885). Other than some restoration work, its appearance has essentially not changed since 1854. The Immovable Ladder, the small ladder below the top-right window, is also visible in recent photographs; this has remained in the same position since 1754 over a disagreement to remove it.

 The Custodian was described as the "Guardian of Mount Zion in Jerusalem". Between 1342 and 1489, the Custodian was the head of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and held the ex officio title of Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. From 1374, he was based at the Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le Mura in Rome.In 1489, Pope Innocent VIII suppressed the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and ruled that it was to be merged with the Knights Hospitaller. In 1496, Pope Alexander VI, restored the Order of Holy Sepulchre to independent status, but the Custodian ceased to be the head of the Order. Instead, a Grand Master of the Order was created, and the office vested in the papacy. The Custodian continued to act as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem ex officio until 1830, and by being appointed to both offices until 1905. The office of Grand Master remained vested in the papacy until 1949.[10] On 29 August 2011, Archbishop Edwin Frederick O'Brien was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI Grand Master to succeed Cardinal John Patrick Foley, who resigned the office on 24 February 2011 due to ill health. The Order is a member of many international bodies and has observer status at others (such as the United Nations). The Grand Master is a papal viceroy who assists Vatican diplomacy with procedural support for making motions, proposing amendments and requiring votes in the sphere of international diplomacy. Franciscan friars cared for the Cenacle, restoring also the building with Gothic vaults, until 1552 when the Turks captured Jerusalem and banished all Christians. After the Franciscan friars' eviction, the Cenacle was transformed into a mosque. Christians were not allowed to use the room for prayer until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.In 1623, the Latin Province of the Holy Land was split into a number of smaller entities, called Custodies – creating Custodies of Cyprus, Syria, and the Holy Land proper. The Custody of the Holy Land included the monasteries of Saint-Jeand'Acre, Antioch, Sidon, Tyre, Jerusalem and Jaffa.In 1847, a resident Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem was restored in the Holy Land, together with the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem became the ecclesiastical superior of the Order, and eventually assumed the title Grand Prior, supplanting the Custodian. The office of Grand Master still remained vested in the papacy.In 1937, Alberto Gori was appointed Custodian of the Holy Land, an office he would occupy until 1949, when he was appointed Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, an office he held until 1970. In Gori's reports to the Vatican in the 1940s, he was critical of Jewish and later Israeli forces, whom he accused of destruction of holy places Despite repeated Israeli assurances that Israel will guarantee freedom of religion and safeguard the Holy Places of all religions, Pope Pius XII issued several encyclicals expressing concerns about the holy places as well as access. In 1949, at the time of appointing Gori to the office of Latin Patriarch, Pius XII also relinquished the title of Grand Master

CHL Franciscan monks during the procession on the Calvary in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre(2006)

 On 15 May 2004, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa was appointed Custodian of the Holy Land succeeding Giovanni Battistelli, who held the office for six years On Friday, 28 June 2013, Pope Francis confirmed that he would continue as Custodian for at least a further three years. Pierbattista Pizzaballa was born in Cologno al Serio, Italy, on 21 April 1965. He was ordained a priest in September 1990. Since 2016, the chief custodian has been Francesco Patton. The Custodian of the Holy Land, also called the International Custodian of the Holy Land, is appointed by the General Definitorium of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) of the Franciscans and approved by the Pope and the Holy See. The Custodian has the role of Minister Provincial (i.e. major superior) of the Franciscans living in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, parts of Egypt, Cyprus and Rhodes. The Custody has about 300 friars and about 100 sisters in these countries. The Franciscans serve the principal Christian shrines, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth During the later Middle Ages and early modern times the Custody was official provider of hospitality for Latin pilgrims to the Holy Land, i.e. Westerners be they Catholic or Protestant. Such facilities existed primarily at Jaffa and in Jerusalem

Palestinian Christian scouts on Christmas Eve in front of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem (2006

 The Franciscan order owns a great deal of property in the Holy Land, second only to the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem. In addition to the major shrines of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, which the Franciscans own and administer in common with the Jerusalem Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox patriarchates, the Custodian also cares for 74 shrines and sanctuaries throughout the Holy Land, including properties in Syria and Jordan. In 1909, in the territory of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, re-instituted in 1847, the Franciscans had 24 convents and 15 parishes, including numerous schools. The Custodian's offices are at the Monastery of St Saviour, a 16th-century Franciscan monastery near New Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem.Schools founded by the Franciscan friars include Terra Santa College in Nicosia, Cyprus and Magnificat Institute in Jerusalem.

List of Custodians of the Holy Land

Century	Custodians	Century	Custodians
13th	1217 – Elia da Cortona	14th	1333 – Rogero Guarini
	1219 – San Francesco d’Assisi		1337 – Giovanni di Stefano
	1247 – Giacomo (Narciso?)		1337 – Giacomo Normanno
	1266 – Giacomo da Puy		? – Nicola di Giovanni
	? – Vincentius de Burgundia		1363 – Bernardino da Padova
	1270? – Giovannino da Parma		1372 – Antonio di Giacomo
	1286 – Geleberto		1376 – Nicolò da Creta (o Candia)
	1306 – Guido		1382 – Giovanni
	1310 – Rogero Guarini		1384 – Nicolò da Venezia
	1328 – Nicolò da San Martino		1388 – Gerardo Calvetti
	1330 – Giovanni Fedanzola
15th	1400 – Nicolò Coronario	16th	1501 – Mauro da San Bernardino
	1405 – Nicolò di Pietro		1504 – Luigi da Napoli
	1421 – Giacomo di Antonio		1507 – Bernardino del Vecchio
	1424 – Giovanni Belloro		1512 – Francesco Suriano
	1430 – Luigi da Bologna		1514 – Nicolò da Tossignano
	1434 – Giacomo Delfino		1517 – Zenobio da Firenze
	1438 – Gandolfo da Sicilia		1518 – Gabriele ?
	1446 – Baldassare da Santa Maria		1519 – Angelo da Ferrara
	1455 – Antonio da Mugnano		1528 – Giovanni
	1462 – Gabriele Mezzavacca		1532 – Mario da Messina
	1464 – Paolo d’Albenga		1532 – Battista da Macerata
	1467 – Francesco da Piacenza		1535 – Tomaso da Norcia
	1472 – Andrea da Parma		1541 – Dionisio da Sarcognano
	1475 – Giacomo d’Alessandria		1544 – Giorgio Bosnese
	1478 – Giovanni de Thomacellis		1545 – Felice da Venezia
	1481 – Paolo da Canneto		1547 – Bonaventura Corsetti
	1484 – Bernardino da Parma		1551 – Bonifacio Stefani
	1487 – Francesco da Perugia		1559 – Antonio da Bergamo
	1487 – Bernardino Caimo		1560 – Aurelio da Griano
	1489 – Bartolomeo da Piacenza		1564 – Bonifacio Stefani
	1493 – Francesco Suriano		1565 – Bernardino da Collestate
	1495 – Angelo da Foligno		1566 – Girolamo da Fossato
	1496 – Bartolomeo da Piacenza		1568 – Angelo da Portomaurizio
	1499 – Antonio Gozze de Regnis		1568 – Gian Francesco d’Arsignano
			1571 – Antonio da Sant’Angelo
17th	1600 – Francesco Manerba	18th	1704 – Bonaventura da Majori
	1603 – Cesario da Trino		1704 – Benedetto da Bari
	1608 – Gaudenzio Saibanti		1705 – Costantino Ultorchi
	1612 – Angelo da Messina		1706 – Gaetano Potestà
	1616 – Basilio Basili		1710 – Lorenzo Cozza
	1619 – Francesco Dulcedo		1716 – Giuseppe Maria da Perugia
	1620 – Tommaso Obicini		1720 – Gian Filippo da Milano
	1621 – Ambrogio Pantoliano		1722 – Giacomo da Lucca
	1622 – Francesco Spinelli		1730 – Andrea da Montoro
	1625 – Sante da Messina		1735 – Angelico da Gazolo
	1628 – Diego Campanile		1740 – Paolo da Laurino
	1632 – Paolo da Lodi		1743 – Giacomo da Lucca
	1634 – Francesco da Cattaro		1744 – Desiderio da Casabasciana
	1637 – Andrea d’Arco		1751 – Prospero Zinelli
	1642 – Pietro Verniero		1754 – Pio da Mentone
	1645 – Francesco Merisi		1756 – Domenico da Venezia
	1648 – Antonio da Gaeta		1762 – Paolo da Piacenza
	1651 – Ambrogio Pantoliano		1767 – Luigi da Bastia
	1652 – Mariano Morone		1773 – Valeriano Bellandi
	1659 – Eusebio Valles		1773 – Gian Domenico da Levigliano
	1664 – Francesco M. Rhini		1795 – Placido da Roma
	1669 – Teofilo Testa		1798 – Ladislao da Viterbo
	1673 – Claudio Gavazzi
	1675 – Tomaso da Caltagirone	19th	1801 – Zenobio Puccini
	1675 – Giovanni Bonsignori		1805 – Bonaventura da Nola
	1678 – Pier Marino Sormani		1808 – Giuseppe M. Pierallini
	1683 – Pier Antonio Grassi		1815 – Girolamo da Osimo
	1686 – Angelico da Milano		1817 – Salvatore Antonio da Malta
	1689 – Gregorio da Parghelia		1820 – Ugolino Cesarini
	1691 – Gian Battista d’Atina		1822 – Gian Antonio da Rogliano
	1695 – Baldassare Caldera		1825 – Tomaso da Montasola
	1697 – Francesco da Santo Floro		1831 – Francesco di S. Lorenzo alle Grotte
			1835 – Francesco Saverio da Malta
			1838 – Perpetuo Guasco
			1841 – Cherubino Maria da Cori
			1843 – Cherubino da Civezza
			1847 – Bernardino Trionfetti
			1857 – Bonaventura Robotti
			1863 – Serafino Milani
			1874 – Gaudenzio Bonfigli
			1880 – Guido Corbelli
			1886 – Aurelio Briante
			1888 – Giacomo Ghezzi
			1894 – Aurelio Briante
20th	1900 – Frediano Giannini	21st	2004 – Pier Battista Pizzaballa
	1906 – Roberto Razzoli		2016 – Francesco Patton
	1914 – Onorato Carcaterra
	1915 – Serafino Cimino
	1918 – Ferdinando Diotallevi
	1925 – Aurelio Marotta
	1931 – Nazzareno Jacopozzi
	1937 – Alberto Gori
	1950 – Giacinto Maria Faccio
	1955 – Angelico Lazzeri
	1957 – Alfredo Polidori
	1962 – Vincenzo Cappiello
	1968 – Alfonso Calabrese
	1969 – Erminio Roncari
	1974 – Maurilio Sacchi
	1980 – Ignazio Mancini
	1986 – Carlo Cecchitelli
	1992 – Giuseppe Nazzaro
	1998 – Giovanni Battistelli

Where’d She Start?

 

October 9, 2021

There is a difference of opinion between the academic and the popular conceptions of the term Mother Goddess. The popular view—mainly driven by the Goddess Movement—holds that primitive societies were initially matriarchal, worshipping a sovereign, nurturing, motherly Earth goddess. This perspective is rooted in nineteenth-century ideas of unilineal evolution developed by Johann Jakob Bachofen.

According to the academic view, however, both Bachofen’s theories and modern goddess-centered narratives are more reflective of contemporary worldviews projected onto ancient myths, rather than true attempts to understand the mentality of those times. Often, these projections are accompanied by a longing for a lost civilization from a bygone era—one imagined as just, peaceful, and wise. However, it is highly unlikely that such a civilization ever existed.

For a time, some feminist authors claimed that these peaceful, matriarchal agrarian societies were exterminated or subjugated by nomadic, patriarchal warrior tribes. A major contribution to this narrative came from archaeologist Marija Gimbutas. Yet, even within feminist archaeology, her vision has become increasingly controversial.

Since the 1960s, especially within popular culture, the supposed worship of a mother goddess has been tied to the social position of women in prehistoric societies. This connection turned the debate into a political one. According to the Goddess Movement, contemporary male-dominated society should return to the egalitarian matriarchy of earlier times—a claim supposedly supported by numerous figurines discovered at archaeological sites.

However, in academic circles, this idea of a prehistoric matriarchy is viewed with skepticism. Firstly, the worship of a mother goddess does not necessarily imply that women ruled society. Secondly, the figurines may simply represent ordinary women or goddesses, and it remains unclear whether a singular “mother goddess” ever truly existed.

List of Mother Goddesses

Asherah	Atabey
Cybele	Doumu
Gaia	Guanyin
Heavenly Mother (Mormonism)	Hecate
Hou Tu	Izanami
Jagdamba	Maia
Mahte	Mat Zemlya
Nammu	Pachamama
Prajnaparamita
Queen Mother of the West	Queen of Heaven (antiquity)

The female energy is crucial to the balance and awareness of the collective, as well as to the growth and transcendence of the individual. Recovering the sacred feminine is essential for both women and men. Its absence is a serious issue for men, as the repression of feminine aspects reduces emotional depth and can lead to discontent, loneliness, and a sense of meaninglessness.

For women, the loss of connection with the feminine also poses deep challenges, affecting their natural way of being and their search for identity.

1. The idea of the Mother Goddess—also known as the Great Mother or Great Goddess—has long captured the imaginations of modern scholars across various fields. The image familiar to us today originated in the writings of Johann Jakob Bachofen. In 1861, Bachofen published Das Mutterrecht, in which he theorized that human society evolved from hetaerism (characterized by unrestricted sexual relations), to matriarchy (where women ruled society), and finally to patriarchy, considered the most advanced stage.

Bachofen believed that religious practice followed a similar progression—from belief in a mother goddess to the more developed belief in a father god. He associated belief in a maternal deity with an early, primitive stage of human development, writing: “Wherever we encounter matriarchy, it is bound up with the mystery of the chthonian religion, whether it invokes Demeter or is embodied by an equivalent goddess” (Bachofen, 88). He viewed matriarchal social structures as derived from maternal mystery religions (88–9).

As we see with Bachofen, modern theories of the Mother Goddess have been deeply shaped by cultural assumptions about gender. Lynn Roller notes that “many discussions of the Mother Goddess rely on modern projections of what she ought to be, rather than on ancient evidence defining what she was” (Roller, 9).

William Ramsay, a late nineteenth-century archaeologist and the first to demonstrate that the principal deity of Phrygia was a mother goddess, also drew heavily on Bachofen’s ideas (Roller, 12). Ramsay described matriarchal pre-Phrygian society using stereotypically feminine characteristics—“receptive and passive, not self-assertive and active” (12)—which he believed explained why it was conquered by masculine, warlike Phrygians and their male gods.

These portrayals are inseparable from a romantic glorification of “the female element in human life” (12), but they closely resemble modern stereotypes rather than authentic cultural attributes of ancient societies. Thus, Bachofen’s call to overcome contemporary bias in order to understand ancient societies takes on an ironic twist: his own theories—and those of Ramsay and others—are shaped by the very cultural prejudices he warned against.

Many of these ideas about the Mother Goddess derive from the Judeo-Christian image of the loving, nurturing mother—submissive to her husband and closely bonded with her children (Roller, 9). — Smith (2007)

2. At one time, scholars commonly labeled all female figurines found at archaeological sites as representations of a "Mother Goddess." This practice was based partly on the widespread belief that fertility goddess worship was central to agricultural societies around the world. It was also influenced by interpretations shaped by later-day Hinduism, in which goddess worship plays an important role.

However, scholars now recognize the stylistic and technical differences among assemblages of female figurines. They also acknowledge that not all ancient goddesses were associated with maternity, nor did they necessarily belong to a unified goddess cult.

In light of these insights, the term Mother Goddess is increasingly being replaced with the more neutral and descriptive phrase: female figurines with likely cultic significance. This change does not deny that some figurines may have had religious or votive purposes. It remains possible that certain figures were worshipped or used as offerings in domestic rituals. But not all female figurines necessarily served such functions. Their meaning and use must be inferred not just from their form, but also from the archaeological context in which they were found. — Singh (2008), p. 130

The Shelf

 

October 2, 2021

Sat on a shelf, it was quite a strange unexpected place to be. I suppose that it started after the events of 1991–92. That year a number of events took place that were both filled with joy and incredible heartbreak. You might think that the birth of my probably not daughter would have been a joyous event, however, the whore that I was married to made it obvious that the child was not mine. As heartbreaking as this should have been, it really wasn't; considering the quantity of cocks that she had been bouncing around on, the unknown father was a forgone conclusion. You might also think that the dissolution of the marriage would be heartbreaking, nope it really wasn't either; far too much damage had been done during the previous decade.

The joy and heartbreak was all about the Nanny. When we had met in high school and the first time I had wrapped my arm around her, she had snugged in to me so hard and tight that you could not have slipped a playing card between us. The sense of familiarity with her in that moment and every moment after that was phenomenal. It was extraordinarily unfortunate that we were incapable of growing the relationship from that point, we were both locked in to our own worlds of hell. We should have recognized it in the other and bonded from there, however, when fundamental trusts have been broken it is almost impossible to trust anyone.

We ended up wounding each other terribly and it would be a long seven years before we would see each other again in any meaningful way. In a stunning turn of events, she ended up under my roof as my maybe daughter’s Nanny. I was astounded that she had agreed to do this considering what my “wife” had caused to happen to her seven years earlier. I was incredibly surprised at the changes in her, she had been a pretty girl in high school, now, she was a walking orgasm. It was wonderful that as timepassed she and I were able to grow closer, both physically, and more importantly, emotionally. It was here though, that we failed each other again, though emotionally we were inseparable, neither of us was able to express this to the other. It was heartbreaking for both of us, we each needed and wanted the other yet the words would not come.

The following travesties were brought about for the both of us because of that inability to communicate. She disappeared from my life as suddenly and unexpectedly as she had reappeared. It took almost 30 years to learn what truly transpired, and those answers were hard. For those responsible they live only because I have not yet decided their fate. And yes, I have spent the last 3 years finding out where and who they are. Once that decision comes, they should run very far away and do it very fast. There, fair warning given.

In the immediate aftermath of that year 1992–1993, I went about life as normally as a divorce allows, and I maintained an unhealthy hope that the Nanny would reappear; but no she didn't. Two years were to pass before I saw her next, and to my horror, I discovered she was a mere three days from marrying this creep who would spend the next 26 years fucking her over . I had known the ass in school and it terrified me for her as to what he was going to do to her, 26 years later it broke my heart to find that I had not been wrong to be scared shitless for her.

In previous articles I have talked about how the experiences of the abuse at home and in the school yard had served two purposes, I was now about to embark on the second of those objectives. I had been very much in love with the Nanny, I had been incredibly dependent on her for my emotional needs; and the manner and seeming choices that she had made at the time of her departure was the straw that broke the camel’s back. We have spoken in previous articles about how the people in our lives serve a purpose, some have multiple roles to play. The Nanny, as it turns out, was one of those who had numerous roles to play in my life. Her first role, was to be that one piece of straw too many, the other would be discovered 26 years later.

For the following five years after her marriage, I avoided women almost completely, I could not look at them, I could not talk to any, if I absolutely had to, and I would stare over their left shoulder instead of trying to meet their eyes. There were even times when if I had no choice except to deal with a woman, I would leave exacting detailed notes as to what I wanted done simply to avoid having to deal with the person and be in the same room as her. This sad state of affairs being brought on as I desperately tried to fight off the overwhelming sense of worthlessness that a lifetime of betrayal by women had led to. You might think that I hated women and might have become capable of extremes of violence towards them, no my mother had beat that out of me decades earlier, and in fact, where I was then was worse, women just did not exist, they were no more than sometimes pleasant smelling shapes in my universe. It was an interesting time in my life, during the most extreme time of that period, if a female shape spoke to me uninvited, I was like, oh, the shape is making noises; if those noises were not immediately pertinent to my circumstance, I would simply walk away mid-sentence regardless of how rude it may have been. I was absolutely done with women, and I shelved 50% of the human genus. And so it went for almost five years, until a bowl of beef barley soup determined that it was time to re-establish a relationship with my sacred feminine.

I had been laid low by a stomach bug while at the Fifth Wheel Truckstop in Dorchester Ontario, this of course taking place before the chain imploded and went out of business. I had spent three days in the bunk of my truck afraid to move more than half an inch from my nearest barf bag. Eventually, weak and feeling like I might be able to keep something down, I cautiously approached the restaurant, and explained to the waitress shape that I had been extremely ill, and could it recommend something that was both feeding and light on my tummy. The shape recommended beef barley soup, and it was her kindness, compassion, and seeming genuine concern that began to change my perception of women.

The sacred feminine, it is not what you may think. It has almost nothing whatever to do with sexuality, and is only one part of the duality that is life.  

  

Protection Methods For Empaths

 

September 11, 2021

Empaths are emotional sponges who absorb other people's emotions into their own bodies. They have an ability to completely submerge into someone else's mind, perspective, and emotions. At the same time, that means that they also take on their stress and negativity and end up feeling exhausted.

Empaths have little to no boundaries between themselves and others. As a result, this excessive stimulation and sensory overload often overwhelms them. Being aware of empathetic abilities is not enough. Empaths need to also shield themselves with protection methods to keep their balance.

Simple Shield. Because of how Empaths are created, “normal” boundaries don't exist for Empaths.

 This method is for Empaths and sensitive people who need a quick way to block out toxic energy. Whenever a feeling of discomfort, guilt, a frustrating situation, or being around an emotional vampire arises, simply start to visualize a shield. Picture a white or other comforting color shining through from that shield and completely taking over your body.

Picture it as it expands from the shield unto you; as the moment it touches you, it protects you from any toxic or intrusive energy. Behind this shield, you are safe, you are centered, and you are loving. Focus on your breath. Slowly and deeply, inhale and exhale. Think of yourself as exhaling negative energy. Pay attention to your breath as you release it by holding it and breathing it out slowly. Once you steady your breath, repeat this mantra with confidence and authority: "Return to sender, return to sender, and return to sender."

Removing excess negative energy through controlled breathing. Chest breathing says you're in a consistent state of anxiety.

 By commanding yourself, you take control of your mind. You remind yourself that the negativity is part of someone else's journey and you use your breath to send it back into the universe. As empaths are sponges that absorb all the stimulation of their environment, they tend to let in a lot of noise. To protect their energy from over-stimulation, they need to set the intention to protect their environment. That means, for example, at work, knowing when to question authority, when to say no to a favour, and when to step out.

Empaths in particular need to learn how to set energetic boundaries.

On a physical level, that also means putting up plants or photos that provide emotional support and reminders in stressful situations. Certain sacred objects like crystals, protective stones, and the statue of Quan Yin (the goddess of compassion) might also be useful. Earthing can be a really powerful method and it is all about connecting back with nature. Nature has a grounding effect, as by literally stepping on it, especially barefoot, you feel closer to the earth. Even looking at the green and blue shades of the earth can psychologically release happy chemicals to clear out any negative energy you have taken on. Noticing the clouds pass by and the flowers blooming is an anchoring reminder of the big picture.

Its good for everyone, but Empaths in particular need alone time to ground, and re-energize directly from the Earth.

In addition, it allows you to step away from what is disturbing you. An easy way to dissolve stress and purify the mind is to completely immerse yourself in water. The water represents the Earth's energy as it flows through you and washes off all negative energy. You can take a bath with bath salts or simply shower with intention.
Lavender essential oils are also great for providing a calming energy. You can also picture yourself standing under a waterfall with water streaming down on you. This waterfall is releasing all the negative energy down and away from you as it flows. The easiest way to re-energize is to take time away from any place and any person that may affect your energy. Use your alone time to recharge and connect back with your power. Empty your cup from unwanted energy and fill it back with the space and the activities that make you feel full again.
Planning for emotional overloads, such as the night in after a big work meeting, will center you back. Think of it as a recovery plan. Use this time to journal, meditate, and stay away from your phone.

The Whore

 

September 18, 2021

J.R.R.Tolkein in his trilogy “The Lord of the Rings” begins the series with the novel “The Hobbit”. In his fictional world, he describes young people who are in their late teens to early twenties as tweens. Here in this article I am using the term in the same manner, though it is usually used to describe kids just entering their teens from childhood.

In our recently published article, “Pitfalls”, https://kris-tuzac.blogspot.com/2026/01/pitfalls.html I describe being dead spiritually. I too describe a long history of abuse at home and school, and I allude to the time spent with my first wife of whom I call... “The Whore”. It is this period that I want to talk about today. In other articles such as “PTSD”, and “Why Me?” I describe a relationship based solely in disrespect, callousness, and contempt. I also describe what the most likely reasons for those behaviors were, and why they took place, but we did not touch on what being there and trying to live those, behaviors were like.

The story of “the Whore” is a sad complex tale of a person of who has no identity, someone of who has no clue as to who she is, or was supposed to be. The last time that I had any type of dealings with her was approximately ten years ago, where she informed me quite unnecessarily; speaking about herself and I quote, “I haven’t changed”. I did not care and really did not want to know and this, “information” was still her regular attempt to fuck with me and try to get in to my head.

The whore as stupid as ever. I understood what her intent was, which was to try to rattle me. Make me believe that she, at least in her own mind, was as “dangerous” as she had been as I'd known her her in our youth. She had never struck me as being dangerous, instead possessing only a low form of cunning.

This was still her behavior after having had zero contact with me for over twenty years, I was not disappointed in her, this was what I expected from her, simply because she truly is a really shitty person. Here I could list the myriad things that I detest about her, and her whoring ways, but the things that make it clear that she has no identity are these. There are four completely different stories as to where she grew up and went to school; she scared an exchange student out of high school and back to Portugal. Her Mother gave her a “drink” made by a voodoo priest to make her vomit if she was ever poisoned, and finally, her out of control sexuality, bouncing around on the ends of no less than 200 different dicks in the last year of our marriage. Oh, and she is psychic too.

The above paints a really ugly picture of an individual who is really mixed up. But this article is not about her, it is about me and the damage done to me, and how I was made to believe that I did not deserve anything or one better. The effort to break me began when I was a toddler, there was regular physical violence, there was regular emotional neglect, there was regular spiritual abuse as well. In all of the above I fought back as best as I could, but being a child my efforts came to naught, and I was made to feel guilt and ashamed of trying to protect my boundaries. Over the course of sixteen years, this led to my having such poor self-esteem and lack of self-worth that it had become impossible for me to communicate my own needs or desires. Regardless of how mean the previous statement is, I was in a place where none of that mattered. She cared nothing for people and orchestrated the rape of a minor by an adult male; unfortunately, it would be many years before I found out about that travesty. The point being is that I was so battered that I had spent the previous ten years with her not really caring what she did, or who. By not caring, I was continuing to allow my needs to go unmet and with her, I had no expectation that they would be. During my entire time with her, I was only reinforcing the negative lessons that I had been taught growing up.

My aunt and uncle hated her and begged me to get rid of her, and as much as I knew they were right about her, I was stuck in the unenviable spot where I was just not finished hurting. At that time just a year after dad’s suicide, I could not have made a change like that anymore than I could make the sun stop shining. And there I stayed until March of 1991 when my or maybe quite possibly not daughter was born. Then my thinking was all about her in the form of a question. The question being, this beautiful little life form, this little person, how am I to raise it to be a healthy happy individual being as insanely fucked as I am? And too the other question was, how do I begin to protect her from her deranged mother? Then further complicating the situation, the Nanny reentered my life with all of the non-dealt with baggage from high school. I need her to tell this part of the story as much of it is difficult.