I have a bow tie, does that count? 
I haven't bowed since Chris and Emil started their Chito-ryu in Westbank.
I haven't bowed since Chris and Emil started their Chito-ryu in Westbank.
Pagan Culture
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Sorry, I'm just a dumb bushape. You shoulda said you wanted to get kinky. That's a whole different ballgame. :toothy3:
I know we're just jokin around BUT you bring up a good point (I dont mean the one in your pants ) Pagan beliefs see sex as natral and high magic. In fact Sex Magic is the most powerful, its all about creation and joy.
) Pagan beliefs see sex as natral and high magic. In fact Sex Magic is the most powerful, its all about creation and joy.
......... and fun. :toothy4:
BTW, the only other point I have is the one at the top of my noggin. Not as sharp as it used to be, though. I think it's worn down from age.
BTW, the only other point I have is the one at the top of my noggin. Not as sharp as it used to be, though. I think it's worn down from age.
Pagan culture never died. It changed, was hidden, became hushed -- but never died. We can look around and see that many Old ways are still part of everyday life. Here are a few examples.
A personal favorite is the candle-magic ritual we do once a year, celebrating one's incarnation with the chant "Happy Birthday to you." A wish is made, the candles blown out and gifts given. This custom dates back to worship of Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Moon. On Her day, cakes were baked in the shape of a crescent moon and decorated with candles. If worshipers could blow out the candles in a single breath, the Goddess would look upon them with favor. Whether ancient Greek myth, or a modern-day spell, the way we celebrate our birthday is truly magic!
"AH-CHOO!!!" Bless you. (If you lived during the time of Tiberius Caesar, you may need it.) Ancient Rome circa 150 A.D. was stricken with a deadly disease, which the first symptom was sneezing. People, including Caesar, believed that the more blessing you received from others, the more likely you would be to survive. Perhaps today's common courtesy was yesterday's healing spell? The myth of Prometheus includes him sneezing, having caught cold from stealing the fire of the Gods. (And we know what happened to him.)
Perhaps the richest remnant of Pagan culture still survives in the wedding ceremony! Terms like "giving your hand in marriage" and "tying the knot" certainly refer to handfasting. It doesn't take a Celtic scholar to recognize the word "Bride" as an Old name for the Goddess. And Groom? In matriarchal life, the man came to work in the wife's family's home. A groom is a term used to describe a laborer who cares for the horses. The term husband, meaning "bound to the house" or housebound, also dates back to such customs. The word matrimony refers to the custom of inheritances being passed down through maternal blood lines. "Matri" means mother; "mony" or monium, means money. But, in ancient Germany, carrying the bride over the threshold welcomes her into the groom's family, since his ancestors were once buried below the home!
The wedding cake was baked by the couple, as a symbol of the ingredients of their lives coming together as one. A form of sympathetic magic? And the kiss at the altar? In times of Old, the union was consummated right there in front of witnesses. Even today, a marriage can often be considered legally void if never consummated. The term honeymoon refers to the lunar cycle immediately following the wedding. For the full lunar cycle, the couple ate honey each day, believing it to be a sweet aphrodisiac! (Some couples still use honey in their bedroom revelry, but in a different way....) June weddings are still fashionable, perhaps dating back to the days where a festive Beltane celebration (late April/early May) resulted in conception! (June weddings are rooted in Spring fever.) Brides, not grooms, were also showered with wheat, so that they could bear children like wheat brings bread.
The wedding ring placed on the third finger was believed to be a direct connection to the heart. This was even called the Medical Finger, which doctors used to stir medicines. If poison were present, the doctor's heart would skip a beat. But of all places to wear wedding jewelry, the ring is likely related to handfasting. Why not a wedding necklace, brooch or tiara? Also, the action of the finger penetrating the circular ring is not all that different from other Pagan symbols of union. Likewise, wearing and throwing the "garter" seems not so distant.
Giving flowers to a loved one? Flowers are brightly colored, heavily scented reproductive organs! An agricultural society might see this. So might our deeply rooted animal instincts which relate color and scent to the courting rituals of nearly every species, including homosapiens.
Knock on wood? This probably dates back to the Druids. Opening an umbrella indoors? Umbrella comes from the Latin word for shade. The device was used as a parasol ("stop the sun") before it was used as protection from rain. Not opening it indoors showed respect for the realm of the solar deities. Tie a string on your finger to remember something? (Sounds like cord magic to me.) I wonder why sailors put so much skill into the knots they tied over the centuries? Fishermen and fisherwomen, even today, have special words they say when throwing their lines into the water.
Naming things seems rich in magic. Look at the names of farms, race horses, and even pets. Notice that boats are referred to as She and Her, probably linked back to She of the Sea. (Probably no accident when they named the greatest ship "The Queen Mary.") Even the Greek and Latin languages that descended from Pagan Europe assign gender to every person, place, or thing. Perhaps all things were linked to a God or a Goddess. Days of the week, months of the year -- some are still named after the Old Ones. Friday the 13th? (Can you get more linked to Goddess worship than that?) Perhaps it was the fairly new beliefs, from cultures who did not worship the Goddess or note her lunar cycles, that gave Friday the 13th an unlucky connotation.
We can go over hundreds of holiday customs that date back to Pagan roots. We can find Pagan traces in many practices of the newer religions. But more importantly, we can make our own new traditions every day. We are catalysts of the future, not mere conduits to the past! We are the Ancestors of tomorrow. See the magic in everyday events, like knotting your neck tie, leashing your pet, or even fastening your seat belt. Feel the sacred union when you share any event with a loved one, whether sharing a hamper or sharing a bath. Feel the sudden release of stored up energy as you uncork that special old bottle of wine, or open that priceless photo album. See all cycles as magic; use the monthly rent payment as a blessing for the home.
Doing so is the difference between a culture which has never died -- and a culture which is truly brought to life! :love9:
A personal favorite is the candle-magic ritual we do once a year, celebrating one's incarnation with the chant "Happy Birthday to you." A wish is made, the candles blown out and gifts given. This custom dates back to worship of Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Moon. On Her day, cakes were baked in the shape of a crescent moon and decorated with candles. If worshipers could blow out the candles in a single breath, the Goddess would look upon them with favor. Whether ancient Greek myth, or a modern-day spell, the way we celebrate our birthday is truly magic!
"AH-CHOO!!!" Bless you. (If you lived during the time of Tiberius Caesar, you may need it.) Ancient Rome circa 150 A.D. was stricken with a deadly disease, which the first symptom was sneezing. People, including Caesar, believed that the more blessing you received from others, the more likely you would be to survive. Perhaps today's common courtesy was yesterday's healing spell? The myth of Prometheus includes him sneezing, having caught cold from stealing the fire of the Gods. (And we know what happened to him.)
Perhaps the richest remnant of Pagan culture still survives in the wedding ceremony! Terms like "giving your hand in marriage" and "tying the knot" certainly refer to handfasting. It doesn't take a Celtic scholar to recognize the word "Bride" as an Old name for the Goddess. And Groom? In matriarchal life, the man came to work in the wife's family's home. A groom is a term used to describe a laborer who cares for the horses. The term husband, meaning "bound to the house" or housebound, also dates back to such customs. The word matrimony refers to the custom of inheritances being passed down through maternal blood lines. "Matri" means mother; "mony" or monium, means money. But, in ancient Germany, carrying the bride over the threshold welcomes her into the groom's family, since his ancestors were once buried below the home!
The wedding cake was baked by the couple, as a symbol of the ingredients of their lives coming together as one. A form of sympathetic magic? And the kiss at the altar? In times of Old, the union was consummated right there in front of witnesses. Even today, a marriage can often be considered legally void if never consummated. The term honeymoon refers to the lunar cycle immediately following the wedding. For the full lunar cycle, the couple ate honey each day, believing it to be a sweet aphrodisiac! (Some couples still use honey in their bedroom revelry, but in a different way....) June weddings are still fashionable, perhaps dating back to the days where a festive Beltane celebration (late April/early May) resulted in conception! (June weddings are rooted in Spring fever.) Brides, not grooms, were also showered with wheat, so that they could bear children like wheat brings bread.
The wedding ring placed on the third finger was believed to be a direct connection to the heart. This was even called the Medical Finger, which doctors used to stir medicines. If poison were present, the doctor's heart would skip a beat. But of all places to wear wedding jewelry, the ring is likely related to handfasting. Why not a wedding necklace, brooch or tiara? Also, the action of the finger penetrating the circular ring is not all that different from other Pagan symbols of union. Likewise, wearing and throwing the "garter" seems not so distant.
Giving flowers to a loved one? Flowers are brightly colored, heavily scented reproductive organs! An agricultural society might see this. So might our deeply rooted animal instincts which relate color and scent to the courting rituals of nearly every species, including homosapiens.
Knock on wood? This probably dates back to the Druids. Opening an umbrella indoors? Umbrella comes from the Latin word for shade. The device was used as a parasol ("stop the sun") before it was used as protection from rain. Not opening it indoors showed respect for the realm of the solar deities. Tie a string on your finger to remember something? (Sounds like cord magic to me.) I wonder why sailors put so much skill into the knots they tied over the centuries? Fishermen and fisherwomen, even today, have special words they say when throwing their lines into the water.
Naming things seems rich in magic. Look at the names of farms, race horses, and even pets. Notice that boats are referred to as She and Her, probably linked back to She of the Sea. (Probably no accident when they named the greatest ship "The Queen Mary.") Even the Greek and Latin languages that descended from Pagan Europe assign gender to every person, place, or thing. Perhaps all things were linked to a God or a Goddess. Days of the week, months of the year -- some are still named after the Old Ones. Friday the 13th? (Can you get more linked to Goddess worship than that?) Perhaps it was the fairly new beliefs, from cultures who did not worship the Goddess or note her lunar cycles, that gave Friday the 13th an unlucky connotation.
We can go over hundreds of holiday customs that date back to Pagan roots. We can find Pagan traces in many practices of the newer religions. But more importantly, we can make our own new traditions every day. We are catalysts of the future, not mere conduits to the past! We are the Ancestors of tomorrow. See the magic in everyday events, like knotting your neck tie, leashing your pet, or even fastening your seat belt. Feel the sacred union when you share any event with a loved one, whether sharing a hamper or sharing a bath. Feel the sudden release of stored up energy as you uncork that special old bottle of wine, or open that priceless photo album. See all cycles as magic; use the monthly rent payment as a blessing for the home.
Doing so is the difference between a culture which has never died -- and a culture which is truly brought to life! :love9:
You know all that and still,.............................I mean still, you believe in Jesus?
Thought I just comment on this one. I'm out of here.
Peace>>>AJ>>>:love9:
Thought I just comment on this one. I'm out of here.
Peace>>>AJ>>>:love9:
Ive been up all night reading......fasinating book.......Lamp of the Goddess by Rae Beth (an English Priestess) There so much here thats noteworthy but I wanted to share this......
Or the death of the magic art that results from to much analysis, an over illumination. As the Taoists said, any extreme becomes its own opposite, in the end. Too much light means a great darkness, whereas in deep darkness the light is born. Darkness is the rich inner realm of dream, meditation and spirit-land..........
Only poetry will really do to talk about a diety, because it is enigmatic. Poetry, or a poetic reading of an old story.
Or the death of the magic art that results from to much analysis, an over illumination. As the Taoists said, any extreme becomes its own opposite, in the end. Too much light means a great darkness, whereas in deep darkness the light is born. Darkness is the rich inner realm of dream, meditation and spirit-land..........
Only poetry will really do to talk about a diety, because it is enigmatic. Poetry, or a poetic reading of an old story.
There is allot in what I believe in that statement. But first I want to say to Vin, was that knowing about all that knowledge, of what Vin read and posted of it, still, did not dissuade him from the love for Jesus.
That’s important to me because I went through the whole gambit of learning about all the different beliefs in order to arrive at where I am now. Just had to clarify that.
Anyways, getting back to your statement Tam. I want to make several comments that reflect the same things that the Taoists said: “Too much light means a great darkness”.
Is the truth! Here is the reason why.
Going back to the story of Adam and Eve. If Adam and Eve had not partaken of the fruit of the tree, knowledge of the opposite would have never been known.
How bright is the light? If there is nothing to compare it with? It would be as if it were total darkness. Total darkness is the same as no knowledge at all.
So we go to the second quote: “whereas in deep darkness the light is born”. That again is also a true statement! When a baby is born, is it in total darkness? Meaning not knowing absolutely nothing except to suck from the mothers breasts.
Truth is born in the midst of darkness, for there we can begin to see bits and pieces of light that draws us towards it.
God is light and He draws us towards Him.
Quote: “Darkness is the rich inner realm of dream, meditation and spirit-land..........”
Now that one I have to say yes and no.
Yes, if darkness is physical reality, where dreams occur but not in the spiritual realm. In the spiritual realm it is the lack of knowledge which darkness defines.
Yes, meditation is in the spiritual realm, for God can only be worshiped in spirit and in truth.
How did I know all that? Because: God has revealed to me in my studies.
Peace>>>AJ:love9:
It will never I live for him , I dream for him and I do what is correct and required to save my self from sin in order to push my self towards Jesus ,
Jesus forgive me for my mistakes , I love you
As Ive writen a couple hundred times my belief system is wide but I consistantly practice solitary wiccan and shamanism. I am Cherokee and chawktaw on my mothers side. She was born on a Cherokee res in Oklahoma in 1944 and died in 1989 of breast cancer. Shamanism is more than just a few hundred years old
As far as the central temple at Chavín de Huantar is concerned, it was almost certainly a centre of sacred pilgrimage built up over a period of centuries into a large ceremonial complex used at appropriate calendrical intervals to focus the spiritual, political, and economic energies of a vast area (at least large enough to include a range of produce for local consumption from tropical forest, high Andean and desert coast regions). The magnificent stone temple kept growing in size until, by around 300 BC, it would have been one of the largest religious centres anywhere in the world, with some three thousand local attendants. Among the fascinating finds at Chavín there have been bone snuff-tubes, beads, pendants, needles, ceremonial spondylus shells (imported from Ecuador) and some quartz crystals associated with ritual sites. One quartz crystal, covered in red pigment, was found in a grave, placed after death in the mouth of the deceased. Contemporary anthropological evidence shows us that quartz crystals still play an important role in shamanic ceremonies in Peru, the Americas, Australia and Asia. The well-documented Desana Indians of Colombia still see crystals as a "means of communication between the visible and invisible worlds, a crystallization of solar energy, or the Sun Father's semen which can be used in esoteric undertakings".
In one stone relief on the main temple at Chavín the feline deity is depicted holding a large San Pedro cactus in his hand. A Chavín ceramic bottle has been discovered with a San Pedro cactus "growing" on it; and, on another pot, a feline sits surrounded by several San Pedros. Similar motifs and designs appear on the later Paracas and Mochica craft work, but there is no real evidence for the ritual use of hallucinogens prior to Chavín. One impressive ceramic from the Mochica culture (500 AD) depicts an owl-woman - still symbolic of the female shaman in contemporary Peru - with a slice of San Pedro cactus in her hand. Another ceramic from the later Chimu culture (around 1100 AD) shows a woman healer holding a San Pedro.
As well as coca, their "divine plant", the Incas had their own special hallucinogen: vilca (meaning "sacred" in Quechua). The vilca tree (probably Anadenanthera colubrina) grows in the cloud-forest zones on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes. The Incas used a snuff made from the seeds which was generally blown up the nostrils of the participant by a helper. Evidently the Inca priests used vilca to bring on visions and make contact with the gods and spirit world.
http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/shaman.html
The origin of Shamanism
The history of healing wizards in Peru matches that of the ritual use of hallucinogens and appears to have emerged alongside the first major temple-building culture - Chavín (1200 BC-200 AD). Agriculture, ceramics and other technical processes including some metallurgy had already been developed by 1200 BC, but Chavín demonstrates the first unified and widespread cultural movement in terms of sacred architectural style, and the forms and symbolic imagery used in pottery throughout much of Andean and coastal Peru during this era. Chavín was a religious cult which seems to have spread from the central mountains, quite possibly from the large temple complex at Chavín de Huantar near Huaraz. Taking hold along the coast, the image of the central Chavín deity was woven, moulded, and carved onto the finest funerary cloths, ceramics and stones. Generally represented as a complex and demonic-looking feline deity, the Chavín god always has fangs and a stern face. Many of the idols also show serpents radiating from the deity's head. As far as the central temple at Chavín de Huantar is concerned, it was almost certainly a centre of sacred pilgrimage built up over a period of centuries into a large ceremonial complex used at appropriate calendrical intervals to focus the spiritual, political, and economic energies of a vast area (at least large enough to include a range of produce for local consumption from tropical forest, high Andean and desert coast regions). The magnificent stone temple kept growing in size until, by around 300 BC, it would have been one of the largest religious centres anywhere in the world, with some three thousand local attendants. Among the fascinating finds at Chavín there have been bone snuff-tubes, beads, pendants, needles, ceremonial spondylus shells (imported from Ecuador) and some quartz crystals associated with ritual sites. One quartz crystal, covered in red pigment, was found in a grave, placed after death in the mouth of the deceased. Contemporary anthropological evidence shows us that quartz crystals still play an important role in shamanic ceremonies in Peru, the Americas, Australia and Asia. The well-documented Desana Indians of Colombia still see crystals as a "means of communication between the visible and invisible worlds, a crystallization of solar energy, or the Sun Father's semen which can be used in esoteric undertakings".
In one stone relief on the main temple at Chavín the feline deity is depicted holding a large San Pedro cactus in his hand. A Chavín ceramic bottle has been discovered with a San Pedro cactus "growing" on it; and, on another pot, a feline sits surrounded by several San Pedros. Similar motifs and designs appear on the later Paracas and Mochica craft work, but there is no real evidence for the ritual use of hallucinogens prior to Chavín. One impressive ceramic from the Mochica culture (500 AD) depicts an owl-woman - still symbolic of the female shaman in contemporary Peru - with a slice of San Pedro cactus in her hand. Another ceramic from the later Chimu culture (around 1100 AD) shows a woman healer holding a San Pedro.
As well as coca, their "divine plant", the Incas had their own special hallucinogen: vilca (meaning "sacred" in Quechua). The vilca tree (probably Anadenanthera colubrina) grows in the cloud-forest zones on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes. The Incas used a snuff made from the seeds which was generally blown up the nostrils of the participant by a helper. Evidently the Inca priests used vilca to bring on visions and make contact with the gods and spirit world.
http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/shaman.html
This site had a great deal of information and to be quite honest I didnt get through all of it but I will read it tomorrow.
http://www.worldspirituality.org/origin-witchcraft.html
[SIZE=+2]About Shamanism[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
Shamanism
One of the remarkable spiritual developments in our time is the growing desire among western people to explore more ancient forms of spirituality that revere the earth as a living, conscious entity. These older spiritual traditions often incorporate visionary techniques that allow us to participate with the spirits of nature on lands, at sea and in the sky. People in the western culture are feeling a deep longing in the soul to rediscover the earth-honouring values and customs of their distant tribal ancestors, whose lives were rooted in the ecological realities of the natural world.
Origins
The origins of shamanism pre-date recorded civilisation - the earliest findings date back at least forty thousand years. ‘Shaman’ means ‘the one who sees’, which means that there is a strong connection to the invisible realms, the ‘spirit world’ or, in our culture, a remembering of the power of the ‘imagination’. To value the true nature of the power of the invisible world is, indeed, the key to understanding how the universe works – through the networks of energy. Knowledge about how energy works can bring many new openings to our lives and bring us into balance with our inner and outer worlds.
What is Shamanism?
Shamanism is not a doctrine or religion. It is knowledge about our connection to this planet and the universe by understanding the way energy works. Life in western culture is often felt as being a ‘struggle’. What most of us are looking for is ‘less struggle’ and more feelings of ‘joy’ and ‘freedom’.
Access to the imagination and our dream world is an important part of shamanic practice. The shaman is a healer and often is chosen for this important work because of a life crisis or trauma that opens up the channel to the spirit world. Shamans in tribes have often been chosen as healers to work with individuals or the community, to bring knowledge and heal the ‘poor spirit’.
In western culture, the practitioner is trained to work with energy through a system of ‘journeying’ and other practices such as ‘soul retrieval’ and ‘soul remembering’. The teachings help us to ‘fine tune’ our imagination and work more closely with the spirit world. This can bring great joy in discovering that we are truly connected to all things and that we can learn to bring our ‘dreams’ into this ‘reality’ and live a more ‘creative and purposeful life’. How often do we believe that our ‘dreams’ are only ‘figments of the imagination?’ How wonderful it is to be able to bring those dreams into practical form and to start to build a life that feels more connected to everything else! We can start to experience our lives as being ‘full’ instead of ‘empty’.
Freedom
Shamanism is about ‘freedom’, not as an idea but as a living experience. Our longing for freedom asks that we reconnect with our instincts, for instincts are the voice of the multi-sensory quantum realms. In short, it asks that we come home to ourselves. A way to this homecoming is through shamanic practice, which can allow the world-view to expand until it becomes large enough to encompass the whole of reality.
This practice can help to build powerful bridges between our rich inner worlds of consciousness and our day-to-day experiences. The ‘gift’ of this connection is a deeper understanding of ourselves in relation to the wider universe. Shamanism is a link to understanding messages from our deeper selves and using this information to bring practical tools and skills into making our lives work more ‘effectively’ in this reality.
“We do not see things as they are but as we are” I though this was easy to read and concise. The quote on the bottom is one I'll be writing down[/SIZE]
http://www.worldspirituality.org/origin-witchcraft.html
[SIZE=+2]About Shamanism[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
Shamanism
One of the remarkable spiritual developments in our time is the growing desire among western people to explore more ancient forms of spirituality that revere the earth as a living, conscious entity. These older spiritual traditions often incorporate visionary techniques that allow us to participate with the spirits of nature on lands, at sea and in the sky. People in the western culture are feeling a deep longing in the soul to rediscover the earth-honouring values and customs of their distant tribal ancestors, whose lives were rooted in the ecological realities of the natural world.
Origins
The origins of shamanism pre-date recorded civilisation - the earliest findings date back at least forty thousand years. ‘Shaman’ means ‘the one who sees’, which means that there is a strong connection to the invisible realms, the ‘spirit world’ or, in our culture, a remembering of the power of the ‘imagination’. To value the true nature of the power of the invisible world is, indeed, the key to understanding how the universe works – through the networks of energy. Knowledge about how energy works can bring many new openings to our lives and bring us into balance with our inner and outer worlds.
What is Shamanism?
Shamanism is not a doctrine or religion. It is knowledge about our connection to this planet and the universe by understanding the way energy works. Life in western culture is often felt as being a ‘struggle’. What most of us are looking for is ‘less struggle’ and more feelings of ‘joy’ and ‘freedom’.
Access to the imagination and our dream world is an important part of shamanic practice. The shaman is a healer and often is chosen for this important work because of a life crisis or trauma that opens up the channel to the spirit world. Shamans in tribes have often been chosen as healers to work with individuals or the community, to bring knowledge and heal the ‘poor spirit’.
In western culture, the practitioner is trained to work with energy through a system of ‘journeying’ and other practices such as ‘soul retrieval’ and ‘soul remembering’. The teachings help us to ‘fine tune’ our imagination and work more closely with the spirit world. This can bring great joy in discovering that we are truly connected to all things and that we can learn to bring our ‘dreams’ into this ‘reality’ and live a more ‘creative and purposeful life’. How often do we believe that our ‘dreams’ are only ‘figments of the imagination?’ How wonderful it is to be able to bring those dreams into practical form and to start to build a life that feels more connected to everything else! We can start to experience our lives as being ‘full’ instead of ‘empty’.
Freedom
Shamanism is about ‘freedom’, not as an idea but as a living experience. Our longing for freedom asks that we reconnect with our instincts, for instincts are the voice of the multi-sensory quantum realms. In short, it asks that we come home to ourselves. A way to this homecoming is through shamanic practice, which can allow the world-view to expand until it becomes large enough to encompass the whole of reality.
This practice can help to build powerful bridges between our rich inner worlds of consciousness and our day-to-day experiences. The ‘gift’ of this connection is a deeper understanding of ourselves in relation to the wider universe. Shamanism is a link to understanding messages from our deeper selves and using this information to bring practical tools and skills into making our lives work more ‘effectively’ in this reality.
“We do not see things as they are but as we are” I though this was easy to read and concise. The quote on the bottom is one I'll be writing down[/SIZE]
My grandmother used to have a huge cactus that looked just like a San Pedro. I was thinking of asking her to give it to me, but while I was trying to figure out, whether it really was a San Pedro, she gave it to someone else. That was very upsetting LOL
But seriously, I wanted to ask you a question, if I may, Tam. Was, or Is your Indian heritage a serious influence on your beliefs? Did it help you to become what you are? And if it is so, could you please tell me, if this influence was always a major factor in your life, or did you start feeling it only at a certain period?