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         Atham Z - Psychic News - June 2003
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          Hello and welcome to the Psychic News.
           In this edition we discuss the following:
                1. The Dreaded Doppleganger
                2. Humour Offering
                3. The FAQ
                4. Just for Fun
                5. Trivial Tidbit
>^..^< >^..^< >^..^< >^..^< >^..^< >^..^< >^..^< >^..^<
OWLS, DOPPLEGANGERS and YOU!
In an anthropomorphic fashion the face of an owl
resembles ours.  The large blinking eyes seem almost
capable of human expression.  The upright stance,
round head, high brow, and short "nose" mimic us.  Our
fascination with this bird dates back to the dawn of history
when primitive man with poor night vision longed to hunt
quietly in the dark as owls did.  Many cultures attributed
the owl's hunting prowess to powers, and felt since
our eyes resemble theirs, we could be transformed into
spirit owls.
Lilith, the Mesopotamian goddess of death and Athena the
Greek goddess of war, were both depicted as accompanied
by owls.  This led to the superstition that owls foretell death,
a belief the Romans inherited.  Horace, a Latin scholar of
the first century B.C., associated these "funeral birds" with
.  So great was their fear of owls that Romans
killed the birds on sight, cremated the remains and then threw
the ashes into the Tiber River.  When Swedish taxonomist
Carl Linnaeus named the boreal owl in 1758 he chose the
Latin term funereus, or funeral owl.  The Roman word
"striges", plural "strix", referred to both witches and owls.
Early Anglo-Saxons referred to both witches and owls as
"hags".  Owl comes from the Old English word "ule",
onomatopoetically referring to its witchlike cries.  If an owl
perched on a castle a family member was doomed.  The
barn owl was called the "death owl" in medieval Britain.
Edmund Spenser, the 26th century poet, dubbed the bird
"death's dread messenger".  Shakespeare wrote in A
Midsummer Night's Dream:
        The screech owl, screeching loud,
        Puts the wretch that lies in woe
        In remembrance of a shroud.
Interestingly parallel myths developed with some of the
North American native peoples, about owls being
harbingers of death.  Early Christian churches seized upon
the owl as a perfect symbol for demonic possession.
Religious illustrations combined owls and apes, for apes
represented the Devil himself.  Just as the Devil cunningly
trapped human souls so the ape sent the owl to possess
the unwary. In darker rituals still performed on Witches'
Sabbaths, 'sending the fetch', the fetch being an owl, is
supposedly how demoniacs perform astral projection.  The
owl is the sorcerer's Doppelganger.
Doppelganger means "double walker", a shadow or
second self that accompanies every human or counterpart
of a living person. Some believe only the owner of this
precise image can see it, otherwise it is invisible to human
eyes. Dogs and cats have been reported to have seen
doppelgangers.
A doppelganger almost always stands behind a person,
and they cast no reflection in mirrors. They are prepared to
listen and give advice to humans, either by implanting ideas
in their heads, or by way of a sort of osmosis.  It is said to
be bad luck to see one, and rarely will a doppelganger make
itself visible to friends or family, often causing great
confusion.   Doppelgangers can be mischievous and
malicious.
Another very ancient belief is that each person has an
identical "twin" somewhere, although they are probably
unrelated.  Sometimes this Doppelganger is the direct
opposite personality of the real person.  Legend says that
if the two should ever meet they will both die.
Other interpretations describe the Doppelganger as the
soul, embodied as an astral projection or aura.  This
double most often presents itself as a warning.  According
to an old superstition, anyone who wants to know who will
pass away in the coming year has only to stand vigil near
a church door on April 24th, the eve of the feast of St.
Mark.  At midnight the airy doubles of all who will die, file
in a solemn processional into the church.  If the watcher
is unlucky enough to see his or her own image there, their
time is not far off.
Some feel that the double is a second passionate self,
haunting the real self or even feel that the double is some
overlooked aspect of their self that is important to the
rational self.  Fictional examples of the doppelganger are:
Dr. Frankenstein and the monster; Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde;
and Marlow and Kurtz (Heart of Darkness).
Madame Blavatsky of the Theosophical Society
presumptuously tried to define doppelgangers at the turn
of the last century.  She claimed there were three kinds
of "doubles" and she tried to rationalize spirit mediumship
through the first two parts of her definition.

        "First, man has his original "double", a personal
        essence of self around which the physical body
        of the fetus is built. The imagination of the mother,
        or an accident which affects the unborn child, will
        also affect this astral body. The astral and the
        physical both exist before the mind has developed.
        This "double" is born with man, dies with him, and
        can never completely separate itself far from the
        body during life, and though surviving the body for
        a short time, it disintegrates, with the corpse. It is
        this double that is sometimes seen over graves like
        a luminous figure of the man that was. This double
        can be found in many forms including the
        manifestations generated by mediums. These
        manifestations, when appearing long after a death,
        are projections and adjustments of the mediums'
        own astral bodies to represent the person in question.
        The second is the "Thought" body.  During life this
        body is the vehicle both of intellectual thought and of
        the animal passions and desires, drawing from the
        lowest parts of the mind's desires. It is dual in its
        potentiality and after death it forms what is called the
        "Spook."  This is what supposedly affects the
        appearance and actions of apparitions called up by a
        medium.  (Thus a trance or being possessed when the
        living person joins his or her own astral body with
        someone else's spook.)  This double remains in the
        ether until the person completes their transition to a
        different world.
        The third "double" is the "Karmic body."  Karma, or
        action, is the cause that produces incessant rebirths
        or "reincarnations."  Similar to the Christian and other
        Trinities with "three Gods," there are three doubles.
        But in truth there is only one body under three aspects
        or phases: the most material portion disappearing with
        the physical body; the middle one surviving both as an 
independent but temporary entity in the land of
        shadows; the third, immortal unless Nirvana puts an
        end to it."

Every country in the world believes more or less in the
"double" or doppelganger. The simplest form of this is the
appearance of a man's phantom the moment after his death,
or at the instant of death, to his dearest friend. It is a double;
because it was produced by the thought of the dying man.
The dying man does not generally do it knowingly; nor is he
aware that he so appears. What happens is as follows:  If
he thinks very intently at the moment of death of the person
he either is very anxious to see, or loves best, he may appear
to that person. The thought becomes objective; the double,
or shadow of a man, being nothing but the faithful     
reproduction of him, like a reflection in a mirror. This is why
the phantoms are often seen in such cases in the clothes
they wore at the particular moment of their death, and the
image reproduces even the expression on the dying man's
face. When the dying man longs to see someone; his thought
telegraphs to his friend, consciously or unconsciously along
the wire of sympathy, and becomes recognizable. The double
can appear in several places almost simultaneously.  But it
must be understood that not the entirety of even the astral
body is present in each appearance.
From my perspective, my image in the mirror is quite
enough of a double for me and owls are merely wise and
old, not omens of death and definitely not someone's
double trying to astrally spy on me!

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                       The Humour Offering
An old man goes to the Wizard to ask him if he can
remove a "Curse" he  has been living with for the last
40 years. The Wizard says "Maybe, but you will have
to tell me the exact words that were used to put the
curse on you."
The old man says without hesitation, "I now pronounce
you man and wife."
        >^,,^<         >^,,^<         >^,,^<         >^,,^<     
                        My FAQ 
Dear Atham,
I hope you can answer a question for me. Recently, I
started attempting to get out and meet and mingle with
people. I started going to a very small metaphysical
church. Sunday I went to church, and while there I felt
like a zombie unable to interact with anyone. Almost as
if I had fallen into a deep trance. I'm not sure what was
going on. I did notice that my anxiety level was reduced
while I was there, and I'm not sure whether that is just
the vibes in the air or what does that?
Thank you for looking into this for me.
Mary
Hello,
Feeling like a zombie with reduced anxiety isn't exactly
conducive to meeting and interacting with new people.
Your question rings alarm bells for me. Any such
"church" assembly that reduces the congregation's
thinking and acting capacity is obviously being run or
directed by a very controlling or hypnotic as opposed to
soothing and encouraging person. I would avoid situations
that disempower a person in this fashion. I certainly don't
believe that simply "vibes" would be reducing your tension
in that environment. Reduced anxiety is a state that needs
to come from within, rather than from an external group
or organization affiliation. If you are so susceptible to
mood alterations, I suggest instead that you invest in some
economical white noise or natural sound relaxation audio
tapes for your home. Get your anxiety levels down safely
at home.
My best advice is to find a different group with whom to
interact, where there is a lively and easily understood
exchange and mood within the group. It is normal to be a
bit tense when actively getting to know new people at first,
and any group that sets such a gentle stultifying atmosphere
for its members is not encouraging them to interact
autonomously and get to know one another.
I hope this answer has helped you in some way.
Bests - Atham Z
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                      :::Just for Fun:::
            Do You Know Your Life Purpose?
                    by Brett Simpson
Do you know your own life purpose? In this modern age,
that is not such a simple question. Hey, let's face it, I'm
over 40 myself, and though I think In know now what
mine is, I didn't just a few years ago!
The life purpose I will show you how to calculate is
based on numerology: a science that predates astrology,
and frankly is easier to understand than such things as
planets and angles. Now, before giving up on this article,
have an open mind, and go through with this simple
calculation. What you find will amaze you, I promise!
This number is based on your birth date. Here's how
you make the simple calculation. Write down your date of
birth as numbers only, for example, October 15, 1972,
you would write 10 15 1972, now add up all of these
numbers like this (use a calculator if you need to):
1 + 0 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 9 + 7 + 2 = 26. Now, if this number
is greater than 9, add the single digits of this number
together, which would be 2 + 6 = 8 (in this example).
In this example 8 is your life purpose.
Look up your life purpose number in the brief
interpretations below to understand your life purpose and
how to follow it.
1 =
Individuality is most important to you. Being a pioneer,
a leader and making decisions for yourself is when you're
most comfortable. Your originality, ambition and
unconventional nature tell you to work as a manager,
director, lawyer, musician or as a business owner.
2 =
Cooperation with others is the key to your life purpose.
You work best in partnership or small groups. Your
sensitivity to others and desire to be diplomatic and a
caring companion mean that you should seek out a career
as a counselor, host, consultant or teacher.
3 =
Expression and communication is your true life purpose
and direction. Your gift for expression, with words,
speaking, writing, acting, or through any creative art are
what drive you. You enjoy mental work which lets you
express your inner joy such as a writer, artist, creative
advertising executive, librarian or publisher.
4 =
Practicality for yourself and others is your calling. You
have an organized and responsible nature that let others
know they can depend on you no matter what. You like
working on things intellectually and with your hands and
are a hard worker. Careers that suit you best include
organizer, engineer, doctor, accountant, shop owner, or
chemist.
5 =
Freedom is the quality you desire most. You are active,
impatient, a lover of variety and charming to others.
Routine is boring to you and you love trying new things,
and making new friends. Your personality makes you a
hit when working with others especially in fields such as
sales, travel, advertising, government, investigation or
entertainment.
6 =
Responsibility and service to others is the focus of your
career. You are driven to do good for others beyond
your own interests. Your desire for a happy family, a
comfortable and beautiful work environment in which
to work with others suit you best to work such as interior
decorator, cook, hospitality, health care or as a farmer
or zoologist.
7 =
Creativity and Wisdom are the keys to your life purpose.
You are intuitive, and a seeker always searching for
answers to the great mysteries of life. You enjoy
exploration and analytical thinking, especially when you
are alone. Your self-confidence and inner awareness
and creative powers make you valuable as a professor,
scientist, technician, film producer, or biologist.
8 =
Achievement and success are what drive you on.Your
deep sense of ambition, determination and will-power
make you a persistent and powerful leader who likes to
direct, manage, supervise and organize. You enjoy
business and executive work or educating others in
positions such as coaching, reporter, judge, superintendent,
or architect.
9 =
Compassion and selfless attention to others are the focus
of your life purpose. You seek to understand all of
humankind by giving of yourself. Your high ideals and
intense intellectual, generous and inspired ways may
create emotional experiences beyond your own
comprehension. Seek out work that lets you adapt to
others needs such as charity, nursing home, non-profit,
human resources, or in social work.
COPYRIGHT (C) 2003 Brett A. Simpson
        <brett@thedreamtime.com>
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                      Trivial Tidbit!
                 What are the Tarot Cards?
Tarot cards are believed to have originated in Italy
about 700 years ago. These cards are traditionally
the tools of the fortune teller and are used to understand
the past, decipher the present and foretell the future
through the personal significance of each individual card,
its orientation (whether the card is right side up or upside
down) as well as its location with respect to other cards.
Tarot decks consist of 78 cards containing 56 cards
known as the Minor Arcana (similar to regular playing
cards) and 22 cards known as the Major Arcana (similar
to "trump" cards).
The 22 Major Arcana consist of 21 cards numbered in
Roman numbers from I to XXI. Often times the Fool is
numbered as zero.  These trumps adequately tell the story
of every attitude and situation that can possibly be met in
life.
The Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards (sometimes called
pips) consisting of four suits. Each suit contains Ace
through King with an extra court card, the page/valet
and the knave/knight instead of simply a Jack.. The four
suits in a Tarot deck are referred to by many names.
Sometimes called Swords, Wands, Shields, and Cups or
Sabers, Sticks, Coins and Chalices or even Swords, Rods,
Pentacles and Cups.  The four suits are thought to have
represented the common professions of the Middle Ages.
The Swords were associated with nobles and military rank.
The peasants represented by the Wands, the clergy
represented by the cups and tradesmen represented by the
coins. The suits can also represent ethnicity, seasons and
directions as well as elements such as earth, air, fire and
water.  Today's modern deck of playing cards is believed to
have descended from the Tarot deck.
There is no magic or special power associated with Tarot
cards. Tarot cards are supposed to be used as a mirror of
oneself.  That is to say, the Tarot cards aid in sifting through
one's own ideas to reach a solution. It is up to each individual
to find personal meaning in the cards, to use the cards as a
medium of creativity and focus, and to finally arrive at a well
thought out solution
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