[NSFW] The Singapore Occultists Thread

[Huat Zai]

No punishment against RGS girls who ‘prayed’ to Athena statue in school

Greek goddess Athena is said to be associated with wisdom, and highly skilled in handicraft and warfare. (PHOTOS: RGS website, @ferrous_of_ink/Twitter)

 

 

SINGAPORE —No disciplinary action was meted to a group of Raffles Girls' School (RGS) students who were captured in photos allegedly "dancing, chanting and praying" to a statue of Greek goddess Athena located on the school's premises.

In response to media queries by Yahoo News Singapore, RGS principal Haslinda Zamani confirmed that an incident involving a "small group" of Year 1 students had caused some disruption to ongoing classes at the end of term 1 of the school year. The first term of the school year began on 4 January and ended on 11 March.

"Following this, the (head of year) sent an email to the Year 1 cohort on the incident, to encourage the students involved to take responsibility," Haslinda said.

The head has since spoken to the girls and listened to their explanation, the principal added.

"On the part of the girls, they reflected with maturity and have benefited from hearing from different perspectives. There was no disciplinary action meted," Haslinda added.

She also said that the school's approach has always been to have "open and honest conversations" with its girls, and to support "reflection and learning in a safe space".

Last week, screenshots of an email, as well as a photo attachment depicting the incident, purportedly circulated to all first-year RGS students and form teachers went viral on social media.

Haslinda did not confirm the content seen in the screenshots, the nature of the incident, or whether similar incidents had happened in the past.

The screenshots of the alleged correspondence – which was not dated – showed that it was signed off by a Kamsir, who identified as the school's head for first-year students, and attached with a photo of the incident. The school's website listed a "Kamsir" as its head for first-year students.

In them, the school staff member purportedly wrote that a group of students had chosen to act on their "frustrations and anxiety over the pen-and-paper assessments (PPAs) by dancing, chanting and praying" to the statue of Athena.

The "inconsiderate acts" had disturbed their seniors who were still having their PPAs, the screenshots added.

 

The alleged email continued to say the "unbecoming behaviour" had tarnished the reputation of all RGS students, noting that the group had not demonstrated the school values of "Principled" and "People Centredness" and "have instead demonstrated Self Centredness".

"'Praying' to the statue of Athena, even if done in jest, is unacceptable. If you do subscribe to a religion, let me remind you that your action is sacrilegious," it said.

"If you do not subscribe to a religion, your action is still unacceptable as it offends the school community that expects our school to be a secular environment for learning."

Athena is said to be associated with wisdom, and highly skilled in handicraft and warfare. The outdoor statue symbolises "qualities crucial for daughters of a better age", according to a blurb on the school's virtual campus tour.

The goddess is not the only symbol of Greek mythology adopted by RGS.

Its school song, "From High Olympus", is a reference to Mount Olympus, one of the most important sites in ancient Greece. Mount Olympus is said to be the home of the 12 Olympian gods, such as Zeus and Athena, and a meeting place of heaven and earth, according to Greek mythology.

Kamsir also purportedly called for the students involved in the incident to write a letter of apology explaining their actions by a deadline and why disciplinary action should not be taken against them.

The students would face an immediate booking if they did not respond to the order or if their replies were "insufficient".

"Know that pictures of your actions have gone viral online and have caused the online community to have a negative impression of all RGS girls. This is unfair to RGS girls past and present," the screenshots read.

The head also allegedly praised the students who witnessed the incident but did not join in.

"I hope that in future, you will go one step further in immediately telling off the girls who behave inappropriately. Let us help each other to be guided in behaviour that is not just acceptable but also commendable and admirable," the screenshots said.

The alleged email ended with a request to the students against circulating photos of the incident "online or otherwise" as "enough damage has been done".

 

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/no-punishment-rgs-girls-prayed-athena-statue-school-144946649.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKiDD3XhRSdoh6i8HVofL6xrzLEJa9u4RLdu25grueVAtEuxE1JF_BtvfWmJfCSWBtZAcZDiMIyFKhSUOqPVnLwpiOD8eZxaupcu7BEp_ktGgFDpA7xKk7KLmVDLdgv5MoeGQL-skTPliGNUB8l7sAALd_jCZ00asP8pEQd3melc

 

 

Sigh, it's incidents like these that remind me why I remain in the shadows.

Edited March 29, 2022 by Huat Zai

[Huat Zai]

 

Unfortunately, really common in paganism and occult circles.

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[chamfer]

 

[Huat Zai]

 

Tried Astral projection, but never manage to do it.

[chamfer]

 

 

[Huat Zai]

48 minutes ago, chamfer said:

 

 

 

One of the most important points in occult practices and studies, is balance, no matter which hand of  the path you follow.

[Huat Zai]

 

[chamfer]

 

[Huat Zai]

Photos of One of the Last Remaining Pagan Rituals in Europe

 

 

In December of 2019, I decided to travel to Bulgaria. I went there to expand my ongoing photography project about the personal journeys of young individuals who will ultimately become the ‘torch carriers’ of ancient cultures and traditions.

What caught my attention in Bulgaria was an ancient tradition known as Kukeri. An ancient ritual that many consider being one of the only remaining practiced pagan rituals in Europe today.

 

Kukeri: A Ritual to Ward Off Evil Spirits

During the Kukeri rituals, villagers cover their bodies with furs, handcrafted masks, and paint in order to transform their appearance into intimidating monsters. Then, with their monstrous appearance, the villagers will band together and chase away all the evil spirits from their villages and crop fields.

This druidic-oriented ritual was practiced initially during the shortest day of the year, as it was considered to be the birth of the following year. However, in modern times, the dates of the Kukeri ritual shifted, mainly around the time of the Christian new year or the beginning of the harvest season. Furthermore, every village has developed its own unique version of Kukeri and monster costumes, which locals often takes great pride in.

 

 

After teaming up with a local guide, we spent weeks scouting different villages across west Bulgaria, constantly on the lookout for a unique story of succession among the young practitioners of Kukeri… until one foggy morning, we met Ivana.

Ivana and her family live in a small village named Razlog. They were some of the nicest people I ever met during my travels around the world. But, what really ‘sold’ me on choosing Ivana to be the focus of this particular photography project was that, on top of her gentle and childish approach, Ivana was a total badass.

 

 

Breaking Traditional Norms

Like many ancient traditions, Kukeri was also primarily practiced by the village’s men. Traditionally women were forbidden from joining this ancient ritual. However, in recent years, with the modernization of even Europe’s most remote villages, more and more young girls like Ivana started showing interest in breaking social norms and actively joining their communities in the Kukeri rituals. This has created a new unique cultural shift that has been widely celebrated in recent years.

 

 

Ivana is an only child and the center of her parent’s world (Radoslav and Elena). During our many conversations, I learned that Ivana admires her father. With a big smile, he proudly told me that as soon as she could walk, she was unstoppable.

Ivana would follow her father all around the village, be it during his workdays at the family farm, the milk drop-off route, and of course… the legendary Kukeri ceremonies. Therefore it was no surprise that Ivana regularly joined her father at the village’s yearly Kukeri rituals, eventually even having her own little monsteress costumes to show off.

 

 

During our time together, Ivana’s original monster costume become too small and had to be readjusted to fit her size. Ivana and her dad spent countless hours working together in the family’s musky old storage space. Diligently taking apart the different layers of leather palates and white hair and sewing them back together in order to “elegantly” cover the newly added stitchings. Decorating each with a series of small bells to fit around Ivana’s belt and shoulders.

The sound and rhythm of these uniquely shaped bells are an iconic feature of Razlog village’s version of the Kukeri. Therefore, it requires a high level of accuracy and experience to correctly place the bells on Ivana’s body so they will produce that unique, distinctive sound.

 

 

 

 

A few weeks later, Ivana’s new monster costume was ready and the time of Kukeri arrived in the village. As a cultural photographer, I was very excited and looked forward to witnessing the animistic and pagan relics that the Kukeri ritual preserved.

Witnessing the Full-Day Pagan Ritual

The Kukeri celebration lasted almost a full day. Dressed up as gigantic white-haired monsters, bands of friends paraded together through the village’s streets, taking turns circling the main square. Elders stood on their porches, greeting and saluting the passing groups of monsters. Friends met and greeted each other, forming bigger and bigger bands of monsters as they continued scouring the streets together.

By mid-day, the village’s main square was packed with crowds of friends and strangers sharing food and Rakia (the local moonshine). The celebration of Kukeri brought families and neighbors to celebrate all together — a beautiful reunion of one big happy family of scary monsters.

 

 

 

 

As celebrations unfolded in the village, I began to realize that the Kukeri rituals weren’t really about ancient druidic beliefs and the villager’s war against evil spirits… This highly celebrated cultural event, which survived for thousands of years, was about something a lot older and much purer than mere tradition — it was all about community, family, and strengthening of bonds of friendships.

 

 

As Ivana and her father walked the streets of their village, wearing their monster costumes, they were greeted by everyone who crossed their paths. Over the years, Ivana has become a local celebrity with her adorable monsteress demeanor and mighty passion for joining her father in Kukeri. While she wasn’t the first girl in her village to do so, her actions and the enthusiastic support of her parents, have encouraged many other families to craft little monster costumes for their own daughters, inspiring them to join the celebrations of their local culture.

 

 

A Practice That Brings a Village Together

Before spending time with Ivana and her family, I was sure that my experience of learning about the world of Kukeri would be one of heavy mysticism and of an unbroken ancient culture. A hidden relic of the old world left unspoiled for thousands of years and practiced only in rare remote villages. However, during my time there, I came to discover a beautiful, unique, and humble culture.

It’s a culture that has endured for thousands of years, not because of its authentic purity or animistic symbolism, but because of its cherished function in strengthening the village’s community values.

 

 

Like many other powerful and unique traditions from all over the world, at the very core of the Kukeri stands the importance of bringing friends and families together within a community. Alongside allowing young individuals like Ivana to express themselves in a unique way outwards to the world and be celebrated for their spirits.

Ivana’s story shows us all how precious, unique and beautiful each child really is. While some girls might wish to become princesses just like in books or on TV, others might prefer to follow in their father’s footsteps and become monsters! Regardless, we should all celebrate and encourage them to choose their own paths as they shine.

 

 

These kinds of beautiful stories of successions are what inspired and led me to fall in love with the world of photography, travel, and storytelling. Stories like this should be a constant reminder for us all that… there is still magic in this world.

 

https://petapixel.com/2022/04/19/photos-of-one-of-the-last-remaining-pagan-rituals-in-europe/

[Huat Zai]

Gaza farmer finds 4,500-year-old statue of Canaanite goddess

The statue of Anat is now on display in one of the Gaza Strip’s few museums

A stone statue of an ancient goddess of beauty, love and war has been found in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian archaeologists say that the head of the Canaanite deity, Anat, dates back 4,500 years to the late Bronze Age.

The discovery was made by a farmer digging his land in Khan Younis, in the south of the strip.

On social media, some Gazans are making wry comments suggesting the goddess's association with war seems apt.

In recent years, they have seen a series of devastating flare-ups in the conflict between Israel and militant groups in Gaza, which is governed by Hamas.

However, the discovery of this limestone statue is a reminder of how the strip - part of an important trade route for successive ancient civilisations - was originally a Canaanite settlement.

 

The 22cm-high (8.7 in) carving clearly shows the face of the goddess wearing a serpent crown.

"We found it by chance. It was muddy and we washed it with water," said farmer Nidal Abu Eid, who came across the head while cultivating his field.

"We realised that it was a precious thing, but we didn't know it was of such great archaeological value," he told the BBC.

"We thank God, and we are proud that it stayed in our land, in Palestine, since the Canaanite times."

The statue of Anat - one of the best-known Canaanite deities - is now on display in Qasr al-Basha, a historic building that serves as one of Gaza's few museums.

Gaza, which was on important trade routes for ancient civilisations, is home to numerous ancient treasures

Unveiling the artefact at a press conference on Tuesday, Jamal Abu Rida of the Hamas-run Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said the statue was "resistant against time" and had been carefully examined by experts.

 

He said that it made a political point.

"Such discoveries prove that Palestine has civilisation and history, and no-one can deny or falsify this history," he said. "This is the Palestinian people and their ancient Canaanite civilisation."

Not all archaeological finds in Gaza have been so highly appreciated or fared so well.

Hamas - an Islamist, militant organisation - has previously been accused of destroying the remains of a large, fortified Canaanite town, Tell al-Sakan, to make way for housing and military bases south of highly populated Gaza City.

However, this year Hamas reopened the remains of a 5th Century Byzantine church after foreign donors helped pay for a years-long restoration project.

Work also stopped at a building site in northern Gaza when 31 Roman-era tombs were found there.

While such ancient sites could potentially be a draw for foreign visitors, it has virtually no tourism industry.

Israel and Egypt tightly restrict the flow of people in and out of the impoverished coastal enclave, which is home to some 2.3 million Palestinians, citing security concerns.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-61228553

 

[Huat Zai]

Just now, Huat Zai said:

He said that it made a political point.

"Such discoveries prove that Palestine has civilisation and history, and no-one can deny or falsify this history," he said. "This is the Palestinian people and their ancient Canaanite civilisation."

If you don't worship the gods of the land anymore, don't call it your own.

[Huat Zai]

 

Sigh... and this is why we don't talk about our practices in public, now the whole community sounds like a bunch of fucking weirdos...

[Huat Zai]

S'pore Primary 2 assessment book recalled for using pentagram to teach Chinese words for 'shape'

 

A Singapore assessment book for Primary 2 students has been recalled by its publisher after a bloody pentagram was found in it and used to teach the Chinese words for "shape".

 

 

 

The publisher Marlinsons has also apologised.

The pentagram was first spotted and posted on Reddit, where user Themoltenbeacon uploaded images from the textbook that confounded and tickled the other users of the forum.

The image was printed in a section to teach children how to recognise certain words.

Under the pentagram was the word "shape", and on its left was the Chinese word for it.

The four Chinese words beside the pentagram translates to, "All sorts of shapes".

The pinyin for the Chinese words were also printed.

Other words taught in that section included "triangles" and "watercolour".

 

 

Publisher's response

 

Marlinsons told Coconuts it was “unaware that this is a satanist symbol” and pledged to do better.

The publisher said: “We pledge to exercise greater care and improve our quality inspection system to prevent such mistakes from being made in the future.”

The recall will also see all existing stock disposed.

Commenters on Reddit discussed the pentagram's effectiveness in teaching children about the word "shape" in Chinese as it possessed triangles, a circle, besides a star and a pentagon.

 

https://mothership.sg/2022/04/singapore-primary-school-assessment-book-pentagram/

[chamfer]

Pentagram = satanism. What a narrow-minded view.

 

This symbol has more meaning than been a satanist symbol.

[Huat Zai]

6 hours ago, chamfer said:

Pentagram = satanism. What a narrow-minded view.

 

This symbol has more meaning than been a satanist symbol.

This is why, despite all the bullshit on freedom of religion that people in sinkingland talk about, I still insist that we need to hide in the shadows. The day Church of Satan is allowed to setup a chapter here, is the day I will step into the light.

[chamfer]

5 hours ago, Huat Zai said:

This is why, despite all the bullshit on freedom of religion that people in sinkingland talk about, I still insist that we need to hide in the shadows. The day Church of Satan is allowed to setup a chapter here, is the day I will step into the light.

I don't think sg will allow Church of Satan here. They will think satan worshippers are more evil than those 'false religions'.

[Huat Zai]

21 minutes ago, chamfer said:

I don't think sg will allow Church of Satan here. They will think satan worshippers are more evil than those 'false religions'.

Exactly why folks like us who falls under "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" have to hide till that day comes.

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

 

Sigh, ya... Hopefully this will also mean that it's getting safer for us in general.

[chamfer]

Make me wonder how to improve my relationships with my patron deities.

[Huat Zai]

13 minutes ago, chamfer said:

Make me wonder how to improve my relationships with my patron deities.

 

My personal experience is that invoking an entity regularly, through ritual, mantras, etc, causes your own vibrations to change and brings it closer to said entity. That's pretty much how I practice.

[chamfer]

 

[Huat Zai]