Oregon L.O.W.F.I

Posts Tagged ‘twilight language’

Two odd little things recently in my community concerning the swine flu. The initial hysteria and swine flu as lead news has quited awhile ago, but there is still the constant low hum of the news stream bringing us swine flu news and propaganda.

I was in line at the pharmacy the other day, and while waiting I noticed a small sign in the window about the swine flu vaccine. I’m paraphrasing but it basically looked something like this:

H1N1 Vaccines Here! No waiting! No appointment neccesary!

H1N1 Vaccinations Available For All

see if you are eligble to receive the H1N1 vaccine

Vaccine not available at this pharmacy. Please visit our Elm Street pharmacy for vaccinations.

I wondered why the vaccine is available for all, but you had to check to see if you could take it, and why the sign read that you could get it at my pharmacy, but they were out, you had to actully go a different pharmacy to get vaccinated. I took a picture of the sign with my digital. I checked my menu to make sure the image was there; it was. When I went to show the image to Jim, it was gone. We both looked but it wasn’t in the camera. No, I’m not suggesting alien reptilians were responsible, just a weird little thing. No doubt I hit the delete button or something while putting the camera away.

A few days later, Jim tells me that he saw a man in front of the Public Health Department on 6th waving a large sign. The sign read (paraphrasing again):

Come on in! Get your FREE Swine Flu vaccine here!

As Jim commented, they really want us to get vaccinated.

Residents in John Day in Eastern Oregon are fighting Aryan Nation scum who want to buy and settle in the area: Rural Ore. rises against Aryan Nations A man, Forteanly named Paul R. Mullet, says he’s the leader of the movement, which is in dispute with other PNW self-described neo-nazi Aryan Nation whatevers. But Mullet is having a hard time because no real estate agency will do business with him, according to the news item.

Russian sky and space weirdness continues. We’ve had the Blue Spiral (”failed Russian missile”), pyramid UFOs over the Kremlin, and now this: news from Russia’s space agency that it plans to:

knock a large asteroid off course and reduce the chances of earth impact, even though U.S. scientists say such a scenario is unlikely.

The asteroid is Apophis; 885 foot (give or take I’m sure) object that isn’t worrying US scientists much:

NASA had put the chances that Apophis could hit Earth in 2036 as 1-in-45,000. In October, after researchers recalculated the asteroid’s path, the agency changed its estimate to 1-in-250,000.

NASA said another close encounter in 2068 will involve a 1-in-330,000 chance of impact.

“It wasn’t anything to worry about before. Now it’s even less so,” said Steve Chesley, an astronomer with the Near Earth Object Program at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Russia sees things differently:

Without mentioning NASA’s conclusions, Perminov said that he heard from a scientist that Apophis is getting closer and may hit the planet. “I don’t remember exactly, but it seems to me it could hit the Earth by 2032,” Perminov said.

“People’s lives are at stake. We should pay several hundred million dollars and build a system that would allow us to prevent a collision, rather than sit and wait for it to happen and kill hundreds of thousands of people,” Perminov said.

Russia’s space agency feels confident they can build what they need to build in time, and successfully complete their mission. But this last statement, by the Institute of Astronomy Director Boris Shustov, is cryptic:

“Apophis is just a symbolic example, there are many other dangerous objects we know little about”

The juicy invitation to speculate that this comment hands us is too interesting to ignore … UFOs? Disclosure? War? Political posturing? Staged events: religious, alien, etc?

“Apophis” is the Egyptian:

demon serpent of darkness whom Ra, as sun god, destroys every morning at dawn

What we can’t do with that fun fact of esoteric imagery! (Remember the recent BVM apparition in Egypt earlier this month.)  In the context of the already mentioned Russian displays, the plans to plan to plan an attack on Apophis, combined with Shustov’s comment, we can expect more Fortean and generally weird things to come surrouding Russia.

Notes

Russia may send spacecraft to knock away asteroid

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_russia_asteroid_encounter

Infoplease

http://dictionary.infoplease.com/apophis

Apophis, Enemy of Re

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/apep.htm

A strange incident, that seems odder still when juxtaposed with other odd events this holiday season; the attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253 in particular.

Both incidents served to grab international attention during a time when many of us are vulnerable emotionally and spiritually; we’re amped up at this time of year on many levels. Add to this mix international travel; people dependent on the whims and fates of weather, airport security, government, flight arrivals and cancellations. . .

The Pope, during the Christmas Day blessing, was attacked by a young woman in a red hooded sweatshirt. The woman had climbed over a barrier and managed to pull the Pope to the ground; however, the Pope was unharmed. Reports say the woman was mentally unstable. Interesting for the above reasons but also in context of the attack two weeks earlier on the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Berlusconi’s attacker, it’s been reported, also has mental problems.

One of the things to emerge from these incidents –  the bombing attempt, the attacks on the Pope and Silvio Berlusconi –  is the reminder from authority of the need for tighter security. Homeland Security was lightening quick in its announcements for newer, stricter security edicts, which have already been put in place. Along with these even more restrictive rules is the urging of Homeland Security for the use of body scanners in airports.

As to the failed bombing attempt by Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, there’s further support for the sleeper agent scenario: Abdulmutallab told authorities “operatives” in Yeman gave him the explosives. The US attacked Yemen on December 19th.

Whether intentionally planned by the Global Cabal (you know, “Them,”) or the Trickster in our face, there are esoteric elements all over these events. Two mentally unstable people, a  woman in her twenties wearing a hood that’s red, (Christmas color, blood, sacrifice, wanton woman,) the inept would be airplane bomber from Nigeria, (the Nigerian e-mail spam scams,) Christmas Day, (world peace, love, goodwill to men, religion. . . ) the Pope, (authority, religion, spiritual control, sexual control, Nazis,) the Vatican,(more control and authority infrastructure, hidden treasures and secrets, power, global presence) and Kafka-esqe rules that are, we’re  told,to keep us safe, but really serve to humiliate and control.

These incidents seem unconnected and maybe they are; but they all happened on the global stage, during a time of global sharing and unity, and where travel is at its highest on a world wide level. Institutions were attacked: the Pope/Vatican, (and two weeks previously, Italy’s PM, another authority) and an airline, directly involving Homeland Security.

Notes
Detroit attack: terrorist once again confounds airport security

Christmas assault on pope in St Peter’s

United States Attacks Yemen

Reposted on my blog  Octopus Confessional

This comment, actually, just a stream of words without punctuation or coherent message, was left on my post Newport, Oregon: A “New” Port(al)? from the 17th of February today. It was left by someone with the name of “Hidereligious” at gather@sort.com.

Department Open,ignore interested church owner type for fuel persuade operate committee popular data brief relatively minister unit challenge nod maintain form western journey board experience start official convention stick round display reason attack much central steal long crime central associate afternoon unless happen impossible index shut latter sure flight contrast legal will state watch link ignore under certain lawyer more ring one strategy sector terms program write force still since field sun noise note near when language mechanism agreement lunch dry economic street band usual again blue middle test

Playing around with the words I came up with the following found poem (and some people don’t think I have a life!)

Department Open
ignore interested church owner
type for fuel, persuade, operate. . .
Committee
Popular data, brief
relatively minister
unit challenge
nod, maintain form
Western journey
board
experience start, official convention, stick: round.

Reason, attack much
central, steal long crime, central, associate
afternoon, unless happen impossible
index shut
latter, sure
flight contrast
legal, will state, watch, link, ignore under certain lawyer
more ring, one strategy
sector

Terms: program
write force, still, since field, sun, noise note
near when language mechanism
agreement
lunch, dry

Economic street band, usual
again blue
middle. . .
test.

This could be an algorithm sort computer science thingie; I don’t know anything about that except what Wikipedia came up on my Google search when I typed in “sort.com.” I don’t know if it does have something to do with that, or if there is anything I should be worried about given the content of the post. Probably just a random, no account cyberworld kind of thing.

The following item in today’s local paper (Register Guard) echoed the Bison post that appeared here the other day. Today’s item is about a proposed mobile slaughter house in Eastern Oregon with Dan Forsea, the president of Baker County’s Livestock Association, explaining the the need for a mobile slaughter house:

“Right now, the closest place for us to haul our cattle (for slaughtering) is in the Boise area,” he said.

Some of the processed meat gets hauled right back to Baker County for a “beef to schools” program.

I have no idea what “beef to schools” program means, I assume it’s selling off beef to the school districts.

There are independent slaughter people for hire who will go out and slaughter your animals; but a mobile slaughter house is a new idea:

Financial and environmental considerations have weighed against building a meat processing plant in Oregon. But Forsea said Joel Huesby, a rancher near Walla Walla, Wash., has built one of the first mobile slaughtering plants the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved.

He says that could be a model for one in Oregon. He had Huesby in Baker County recently to talk to ranchers.

According to the article, one of the goals of the mobile slaughter house is to “increase the value of his cattle and cattle raised by other ranchers around Walla Walla County and other areas.”

When writing the Bison post, (Fortean Bison: Sacrifice in South Dakota) it brought back memories of a disgusting episode experienced by friends of mine who had just bought several acres in Western Oregon, and the above news item falls into the same category. Continuing the theme of slaughter and mobility, I was reminded of a trailer left on the newly brought property friends of mine bought a few years ago. A lot of things were left behind by the previous owners, including a horse, who was sadly neglected; fortunately he now has a very happy life, thanks to my friends. One of the things they left on the property was a small trailer. I was curious about the interior of the trailer; but my friend warned me it was pretty disgusting. She said the trailer was full of Mason jars full of meat. I opened the door; the inside of the trailer was dim. There were shelves and shelves of mason jars full of greasy, white-ish gray, sometimes dark, meat type liquid stuff. Some of this stuff was oozing out around the top of the jars, there were flies buzzing around… like a scene from a horror movie. Adding to the weirdness was that the meat filled jars had been put up in the 1980s. It wasn’t that there was any smell, surprisingly, although there was a thick hint of dust and grease. It was the vibe; just a strong WHAP! of wasted life energy, of sadness and decay. And that was all just standing on the step leading to the inside of the trailer; I couldn’t bring myself to go further.
All this made me remeber a letter I found written by my grandfather, William H. Galvani (his assumed name when he left Russia and entered the U.S.) My grandfather, who died when my mother was eighteen so of course I never knew him, was an interesting man. He was a Russian Jew, having left the Ukraine in his twenties; a Buddhist, wrote a book on Theosophy and other topics, and a vegetarian. Oh, and a 32nd degree Mason. I found the following annual report on line he wrote when he president of the Oregon Vegetarian society in 1897. In this letter he mentions the Society’s success at stopping a beef killing contest (a beef killing contest!):

We prevented the two packing companies in this city and state from carrying out a most brutalizing exhibit in form of a beef killing contest for which they made all necessary arrangements, after having obtained from the constituted authorities special permission to proceed with so monstruous a show. It was a Vegetarian who first entered a protest in the columns of the local press, who interviewed the leading ministers of the principal religious denominations, obtaining a promise for a sermon on this monstrosity on the Sunday evening immediately following first protest, and who convinced the municipal authorities of the justice of his claims, so that notice was given to the packing companies. ordering them to give up the project of exhibiting butchering skill in the killing of animals more useful than themselves. Thus the hog and beef-eating heirs of immortality where given a lesson which must have set them to thinking, at least some few of them, since the vast majority, seldom, if ever, thinks. It also gave rise to a newspaper controversy on the merits of Vegetarianism, which resulted in silencing the carnivorous portion of the community, who prefer the morgue to the fields and gardens for their food supply.

The entire letter is below:

Vegetarian Federal Union 1889-1911
ANNUAL REPORT 1897
OREGON VEGETARIAN SOCIETY

The past year’s work of the Oregon Vegetarian Society has been a year of of marked progress. On January 18th, we shall celebrate the beginning of the seventh year of continuous activity. During all this time we managed to hold up high the banner of Vegetarianism by monthly meetings, press reports, controversies, and by every other method that was best calculated to advance the claims of a bloodless diet on every thinking mind. At present we can number among us eminent professional men and women skilled in arts and sciences, as well as mechanics and labourers, all of whom unite in bearing the best kind of testimony to the superiority of the products of the plant world as the source of Nature’s food supply for the human species.

My own experience, as well as that of many others whose opinion is fully deserving of serious consideration, is still on the side of maintaining at all times the principle of the sacredness of all life, including all animals, other than man, as the basic principle for our claims. Of this too we are reminded by the Son of David and King of Israel in his declaration: “A man hath no preeminence above a beast ” – Eccles. iii. 19. This ought ot be sufficient for all such as justify the slaughter of animals for food upon theological interpretations of man’s supposed right to claim special privileges above all other organized representatives throughout creation’s domains. As to those whose reasoning faculties do not always accept the interpretations of theology, this will also do, since they cannot upon any logical grounds reject the declaration just quoted.

Among our most successful efforts in Vegetarianism are:

(1) We prevented the two packing companies in this city and state from carrying out a most brutalizing exhibit in form of a beef killing contest for which they made all necessary arrangements, after having obtained from the constituted authorities special permission to proceed with so monstruous a show. It was a Vegetarian who first entered a protest in the columns of the local press, who interviewed the leading ministers of the principal religious denominations, obtaining a promise for a sermon on this monstrosity on the Sunday evening immediately following first protest, and who convinced the municipal authorities of the justice of his claims, so that notice was given to the packing companies. ordering them to give up the project of exhibiting butchering skill in the killing of animals more useful than themselves. Thus the hog and beef-eating heirs of immortality where given a lesson which must have set them to thinking, at least some few of them, since the vast majority, seldom, if ever, thinks. It also gave rise to a newspaper controversy on the merits of Vegetarianism, which resulted in silencing the carnivorous portion of the community, who prefer the morgue to the fields and gardens for their food supply.

(2) Another cause for congratulation is the establishment in this city of a medical mission under the management of Dr. W. F. Hubbard, where medical advice and medicines if necessary, will be furnished free to the poor, and where they will be provided with lodgings, baths night garments, etc., for, ten cents per night, and with meals at ONE CENT per per dish. This establishment is on absolutely Vegetarian principles, all animal foods being most positively excluded, and so stated in all advertising matter of the institution. All credit for this excellent enterprise is due to the Vegetarians from among the Seventh Day Adventist denomination who have taken upon themselves the establishment and maintenance of this institution.

I cannot bring this report to a close without expressing the grateful acknowledgment of the O.V.S. to Dr. D. W. Reed, formerly head physician of the Portland Sanitarium, and now of Colorado, and to Dr. W. F. Hubbard, his successor, for their active cooperation in maintaining our public meetings, and to Mrs. Lucy A. Mallory, at whose house the O.V.S. has had its home ever since its organization.

With greetings to all Vegetarians, wherever found, and especially to the Men and Women of England, whose Spirit of Justice and Love of Freedom – the source of all that is truly great and noble among humankind – have ever been their chief traits, I beg to close this report of our efforts for the year 1897.

WILLIAM H. GALVANI,
President, Oregon Vegetarian Society.
Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.
January 1, 1898.

Register Guard Newspaper

Image: Good Stuff!

A gruesome and sad story, with Fortean elements, from South Dakota. Bridge water South Dakota became overwhelmed by the stench of over 44 tons of rotting bison meat. The owner of the meat processing plant abandoned his business, leaving behind tons of frozen bison meat. Electricity was shut off for nonpayment, though the meat stayed frozen through the severe Dakota winters. When spring and summer arrived, the meat thawed. It didn’t just thaw; it literally “liquified.” The stink of decomposing bison flesh was worse than “rotten [human] bodies” commented mayor Barattini:

Some said the scent was like road kill. The mayor said he spent two tours of duty in Vietnam and could not recall smelling anything as bad.

“This is worse than rotten bodies,” Barattini said.

Going in a Fortean, slightly esoteric direction, we can say all those bison were sacrificed for nothing; the symbolism of the bison as an animal of strength, abundance and nurturing gift to indigenous peoples is contrasted with the legacy of man’s greed and disrespect for both non-human and human beings. Ilan Parente, the man responsible for leaving behind the rotting bison meat in Bridge water started another meat business in Minnesota called Noah’s Ark Processors. A strange name for a meat processing place. Another little Fortean item is the fact the bison meat was Kosher — and to be sold as pet food.

Days of clean-up, expenses, faulty meat processing plant with taxes owed, as well as a house, and lawsuits in the past for violations — with little word from the owner, who only had this to say:

“I feel bad for the people of Bridgewater who had to live with the smell. But that’s really where the extent of my feeling bad goes. It wasn’t ever a health hazard to anyone,” he told The Daily Republic of Mitchell in July.

Source
AOL News: 44 Tons of Rotting Meat Caused Big Stink

Image (public domain): Wildlife North America

A few years ago, it was good news among Oregon media, environmentalists, animal welfare activists, etc. that the wolf was making a comeback in Eastern Oregon. Pretty much, most people thought it neat. Not surprisingly, most ranchers didn’t think the news was neat; they quickly got on the defensive.

Well, the wolf has been making a slow comeback, and, as quickly as the wolf arrived, it’s been with equal quickness that the wolf has been assassinated.

About a year ago a wolf was found wounded on the Oregon/Idaho border. Reports of wolves being shot have been coming in; and here, sadly, is the latest story of two wolves killed.

What makes this news even sadder is that the killing of the wolves was approved by the “U.S.D.A. Wildlife Services with approval from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.” The killing of the wolves was met with both frustration and sadness:

“It saddens us that with so few wolves in the state, we lost these two animals,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species program director at the Center for Biological Diversity.”

The wolves were killing sheep and attempts to drive the wolves away with non-lethal methods were tried first, like hazing.

Wolves are not a protected species, and it’s open season on wolves in Montana and Idaho. This is tragic not only for the wolves of course but the environment, says Noah Greenwald:

“Wolves are an incredibly important part of our environment, with research in Yellowstone National Park showing that reintroduction of wolves keeps elk and other ungulates on the move, leading to increased streamside vegetation, which in turn benefits numerous other species, such as beavers and songbirds.”

source:
Killing of Wolf Pair a Serious Setback to Wolf Recovery in Oregon

An article in the Oregonian by Richard Cooke (The New Survivalists: Oregon “preppers” stockpile guns and food in fear of calamity) discusses the survivalist movement in Oregon, which, according to the article, is mostly comprised in:

As in earlier movements, survivalists are centered in conservative, rural areas such as eastern Oregon

People who are putting aside emergency rations, equipment and even guns, are considred “fearful” and that fear is stoked by many things, including Obama!:

driven by fears, stoked by Barack Obama’s presidency, that economic catastrophe, sweeping technological failure and societal upheaval are just around the corner.

And though the movement intersects with a wave of weapon and ammunition hoarding among some who fear that Obama will clamp down on gun rights, there’s little talk of forming militias as in past survivalist movements.

Oh, there’s no arguing the fact there are a plethora of good old boys in this state; paranoid, bigoted, trophy hunting, right wing, bible thumping men and women who don’t trust anyone.

The article takes a bit of a smug tone, referring to these survivalists as “scared” and why are they “scared?” Because they don’t “understand.”

“People fear change; people get angry when they don’t understand something,” said La Grande City Councilman Steve Clements, 52, who teaches finance and information systems at Eastern Oregon University. “I think there is a lot of fear associated with having the first black president.”

There’s always been fear, and mistrust, and I agree that there are many — like the gun toting crazy ass anti-health care morons — who are, simply, bigots. They’re not afraid, they’re mightily pissed that we have president who is part African American. That aside, anyone who thinks things aren’t very damn shaky right now, regardless of who is president, isn’t paying attention.

The article highlights a lot of gun loving, stock piling dudes with generators hidden away in remote locations, that kind of thing. Okay. And maybe these types are reading too much of the Rense.com variety type stuff. But the following is the other side of the gun gripping survialist fear:

All the fuss perplexes Eastern Oregon University math professor John Knudson-Martin, who said the world is probably safer than ever. He suspects people are watching too much TV news.

“If a bomb goes off in Malaysia or halfway around the world, we hear about it, and it makes us think bombs are going off all the time,” he said.

“The world is probably safer than ever???!!!”

A presentation of the strongest of contrasts: the fundamentalist bible rancher with guns, ammo and food stored away, with the naive academic who thinks the world is “safer than ever.” Bringing out the most extreme of the “preppies” makes it all seem to damn kooky. Just nut jobs in the country chewing tobacco while gripping their guns.

Oh, those types exist all right. I’ve met plenty of them. Still, things are shaky and you don’t have to be a religious right wing gun loving bigot to see the signs. Being prepared isn’t about that. But as long as the idea of “being prepared” is presented as More From Kookville in Farmland, the mainstream remains satisfied all is well, when it isn’t of course, after all, no one wants to be considered a nut.

(Inspired by the recent Vanity Fair piece by Alex Shoumatoff, and reposted on my blog Women of Esoterica.)


I recently commented in a post for my blog Octopus Confessional on Alex Shoumatoff’s excellent article, Bohemian Tragedy, in the May issue of Vanity Fair. Shoumatoff’s article reveals the secrecy and greed of Grove members who are involved in “forest management” and “fire prevention” techniques by harvesting the redwoods in the Grove. Their cutting of the redwoods and other trees affects more than just private areas in a closely guarded compound; the aftermath affects entire eco-systems, within and without the Grove, including water systems and marine life.

Regarding the effects of these practices on the rest of us I wrote:

The Grove’s arrogance, power and disregard has affected not just themselves in their inner circle, but the outside world as well; the peasants, us, the no accounts, yes, the measly proletariat. The issue of salmon is a huge one; affecting far more than the meal on our dinner plates; it affects the environment as well as economy in many ways. The Grove calls all this harvesting “forest management” but there’s far more to this than simple “fire prevention” tactics, as Shoumatoff adeptly reveals.

The elitism, arrogance and power that is the foundation of Bohemian Grove is highly secretive, extremely protective of itself, and clings to these traits with rigorous tenacity. (Shoumatoff, a journalist, was kicked out of the Grove for trespassing — the legality of his treatment is in question. Shoumatoff takes part in an ironic history: The Bohemian Grove was founded by journalists in the late 1800s; today however journalists are banned from becoming members and are considered enemies of Grovers.)

Men — mainly white, Protestant men; few Jews or blacks, for example,have been members. As Shoumatoff writes:

They see themselves as the moral underpinnings of America’s greatness, whose central tenets are the Protestant work ethic: work hard and prosper and you’ll get into that great club in the sky. The Bohemian Club is like the Opus Dei of the Protestant American establishment. Very few Jews have made it in, and even fewer blacks.

The excluded include women,there are no women members. This shouldn’t be surprising, given the purpose of the Grove, which is to maintain power among the corporate-government complex. Herbert Hoover called the yearly meeting of fellow power elites “the greatest men’s party on Earth.” Sociology Professor Peter Philliips at Sonoma State, has said “This is a place men can go and hang out with people who are similar to them.” (Unclear if he is a member; I believe he is but not sure. However, he is an apologist for the Grove.) There have been a few “honorary” female members, as well as female guests, but these women are restricted as to access and privilege. They’re allowed to visit during the day, but cannot go into buildings except the City Club, and there they are kept to the downstairs. Access to the other camps on the 2,700 acre property is prohibited. Women guests, for example, spouses, sometimes visit, such as on the annual “Ladies Hi-jinks” night.

In 1979 the Grove was sued by California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing but the Grove won. Judge Robert Kendall ruled that since men at the Grove “urinate in the open” the inclusion of women would “alter” the men’s behavior in a negative way. Pissing against trees seems to be part of the undercurrent of ritualistic behavior of Grove members. Shoumatoff makes reference to this penchant for tree pissing:

Another hallmark of the encampment is the promiscuous micturition—guys standing up to the redwoods and relieving themselves everywhere you look. Maybe they’re trying to symbolically assert their primacy over nature. But the amount of drinking that goes on, plus the fact that many members are elderly and likely have prostate problems and can’t make it back to their camp fast enough, also plays a role in what has become, if not a formal ritual, a group-reinforcing collective activity.

But back to women. While women aren’t powerful or rich enough to become members of the Grove, they are useful enough to work for the Grove. In 1981 the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, ruled that the Bohemian Grove had to start hiring women; the Grove appealed to the California Supreme Court and lost. Female employees of the Grove are restricted however; working only in a few select areas or “camps.” Presumably this excludes the rumors of prostitutes who are said to be present in the Grove during gatherings.

None of this is surprising; what else to expect from the industrial-global-banker-entertainment elite? Yet the Grove isn’t all just doddering old white men who piss against Redwoods and other plant life due mainly to alcoholic gluttony and enlarged prostates; it’s also the Fortean irony of members like ex-Grateful Dead musicians. And while women are not allowed in, is it any kind of victory if women were to become equal partners in weirdly goofy yet somber occult tinged rituals in the dead of night? It’s no comfort to me to know that there are women of power and wealth, in positions where global policies are made and implemented, that keep the rest of us hoi poli in our place, while they revel in the Grove. Those sisters would also exclude. We’d have a grove full of Margaret Thatchers; no appeasement there.

Another tidbit of irony comes to us by way of the Grove’s motto: “Weaving spiders come not here’ (see note at end of article) meaning, leave your cares behind, all you big powerful men you. Rituals invoking this intent are performed at the Grove; the “Cremation of Care” ritual symbolically burns away the burdens of the outside world. It’s tough being a member of the powers that be.

The reality is that policies and plans are put into place during these gatherings, and serious papers are presented on a variety of subjects affecting the world. For example, a list of topics presented at one Grove gathering are listed in a 2003 article by sociologist Peter Phillips for Counterpunch:

Additionally, there were daily lectures from world-class experts on global warming, war policy, school vouchers, mad deer disease, horse racing, stem cell research, terrorism, American-Russian relations, and marine ecosystem.

The paranoiac inclined Fortean can easily see the esoteric connections between those subjects.

The Grove’s two symbols, the Owl and the Spider, are both symbols of female wisdom. The Roman goddess Minerva is accompanied by an owl symbolizing the wisdom Minerva brings to the world. However, many, from the paranoid Christian anti-occultists to the unconsciously misogynist, the owl is the symbol of Lilith, which for many, represents Satan. This view ignores a more divine feminine perspective of Lilith. Regarding Spider, some Native American traditions “Grandmother Spider” weaves wisdom, bringing knowledge to others; but more importantly, Grandmother Spider is the creator! Women with Spider energy are powerful indeed.

Meanwhile, as cliché and basic Women’s Studies 101 it may sound, the fact is the men that are in power and come together at Bohemian Grove think little enough of women to include them in any meaningful — powerful enough — way. They’re useful, as servants, be they cooks, maids, clerks, hookers or wives of members but there their usefulness ends. In the Grove, what few women there are operate in a passive state, either as infrequent guests, or employees at the lowest rungs.

There are plenty of reasons to continue to rail against the Bohemian Grove meetings; for the above reasons, for the occult underpinnings, for their rape of the environment, to be a squeaky wheel. Take your pick.

“A quote from the 1st Fairy in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, act 2, scene. 2. A charm to protect the sleeping Titania from tiny creatures common in England, all harmless, though once thought to be venomous.” From: “Weaving Spiders, Come Not Here” – What Is This Bohemian Grove?” by J. Mark Sovegin, 2008.

Alex Shoumatoff: Bohemian Tragedy, in Vanity Fair, May 2009
Peter Phillips:US Elites Celebrate Patriarchy, Racism and Class Privilege, in Counterpunch on-line 2003
Images:
Minerva, public domain