An examination of the sacred botany and the pagan origins and rituals of Christmas • Analyzes the symbolism of the many plants associated with Christmas • Reveals the shamanic rituals that are at the heart of the Christmas celebration The day on which many commemorate the birth of Christ has its origins in pagan rituals that center on tree worship; agriculture; magic; and social exchange. But Christmas is no ordinary folk observance. It is an evolving feast that over the centuries has absorbed elements from cultures all over the world--practices that give plants and plant spirits pride of place. In fact; the symbolic use of plants at Christmas effectively transforms the modern-day living room into a place of shamanic ritual. Christian Rätsch and Claudia Müller-Ebeling show how the ancient meaning of the botanical elements of Christmas provides a unique view of the religion that existed in Europe before the introduction of Christianity. The fir tree was originally revered as the sacred World Tree in northern Europe. When the church was unable to drive the tree cult out of people’s consciousness; it incorporated the fir tree by dedicating it to the Christ child. Father Christmas in his red-and-white suit; who flies through the sky in a sleigh drawn by reindeer; has his mythological roots in the shamanic reindeer-herding tribes of arctic Europe and Siberia. These northern shamans used the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom; which is red and white; to make their soul flights to the other world. Apples; which figure heavily in Christmas baking; are symbols of the sun god Apollo; so they find a natural place at winter solstice celebrations of the return of the sun. In fact; the authors contend that the emphasis of Christmas on green plants and the promise of the return of life in the dead of winter is just an adaptation of the pagan winter solstice celebration.
#26987 in Books ENCOUNTER 2016-01-05Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .50 x 6.00l; .0 #File Name: 1594038414216 pagesENCOUNTER
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508 of 540 people found the following review helpful. Intellectual Renegade challenges Affirmative Action and more...By AlexCan Affirmative Action and similar programs be hurting those it intends to help? To even raise this question will be puzzling to many of us; but social policies based on emotion and empathy; the ones that "feel" right; often have the worst unintended consequences. This book examines them all in detail.I would say that Riley's thesis roughly boils downs to this: Affirmative Action and other well-intended programs are essentially training wheels for blacks. They may have had their place early on; but continued reliance on them is now more harmful than helpful. He does a thorough job researching relevant data and provides a strong case for this.He reminds me of Dambisa Moyo; Zambian economist; who reveals to clueless Westerners that endless aid was actually hurting Africa by creating a culture of dependence and thwarting initiative and self-reliance. The same is true here in the US. In many large American cities; generations of black households have grown up on welfare; creating a distorted sense of expectations and entitlement. If you; your parents; and your grandparents were all substantially supported by government; why would you believe that anything else is likely; or even possible? If; on the other hand; like so many Asian-American success stories; you believe the only way to make it is study your tail off; and become self-reliant; then so many doors will be open to you in medicine; engineering; business; and more.Riley really has his work cut out for him. There are more unquestioning drones in modern America than the skies of Afghanistan. He will be called all the usual names--Uncle Tom; Self-hater--used by the Politically Correct to punish those who color outside the lines. But if he can change the minds of just a few; create a few more black superstars like Ben Carson; etc; then it will be all worth it.304 of 325 people found the following review helpful. Based on the personal experiences of a successful Black manBy Kent PriceGovernment "war on poverty" programs of the last 50 years have failed in spite of increasing expenditures. There appear to be limits on what the government can do beyond removing barriers to freedom. The focus on "equality of result" seems to be creating more barriers to progress.The book examines the track record of various laws and programs and their undesirable consequences:* Welfare programs that trap people in poverty.* Affirmative active in higher education that results in fewer black college graduates.* Minimum wage laws that price blacks out of the labor force.* Soft-on-crime laws that make black neighborhood more dangerous.* Limitations on school choice that trap students in failing schoolsThe book is well written; with many personal examples from the author's life. It reveals how black culture; more than anything; explains the continuing academic achievement gap between black and white. I highly recommend this book.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. How can I help?By L. BrehmJason Riley gives us much to think about. Those of us who want to help should read this cautionary tale. Some of what we do is possibly causing more harm than good. It reminds us that we should always be ready and willing to review reliable data and verify we are meeting our goals. If not; we need to adjust. This book is also a reminder to give everyone the dignity and respect to do for themselves what they can and thus should do for themselves.
