According to
Wikipedia, Superstition is a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge, in or of the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence, proceeding, or the like.
Superstition indicates something standing above, or set up above. The earliest English uses of the word in the modern era refer critically to Catholic practices such as censing, rosaries, holy water and other practices that Protestants believed went beyond - or were set up above - their own interpretation of the New Testament practices of Christianity. From there the uses of the term expanded to include non-Christian religious practices, and beliefs that seemed unfounded or primitive in the light of modern knowledge.
Many extant superstitions arose before and during the time of the
Black Plague that swept over Europe. During the time of the Black Plague,
Pope Gregory I the Great passed a law requiring people to say "
God bless you" when somebody sneezed; this was said to prevent the spread of the disease and to cure whoever already had it.
[1]According to Wikipedia, again,
Shamanism refers to a range of traditional beliefs and practices concerned with communication with the spirit world. There are many variations in shamanism throughout the world, though there are some beliefs that are shared by all forms of shamanism:
The spirits can play important roles in human lives.
The shaman can control and/or cooperate with the spirits for the community's benefit.
The spirits can be either good or bad.
Shamans engage various processes and techniques to incite
trance; such as: singing, dancing, taking
entheogens, meditating and drumming.
Animals play an important role, acting as omens and message-bearers, as well as representations of animal spirit guides.
The shaman's spirit leaves the body and enters into the supernatural world during certain tasks.
The shamans can treat illnesses or sickness.
Shamans are healers, gurus and magicians.
Shamans have the ability to
diagnose and cure human suffering and, in some societies, the ability to cause suffering. This is believed to be accomplished by traversing the
axis mundi and forming a special relationship with, or gaining control over,
spirits. Shamans have been credited with the ability to control the weather,
divination, the interpretation of
dreams,
astral projection, and traveling to upper and lower worlds. Shamanistic traditions have existed throughout the world since
prehistoric times.
Some
anthropologists and religious scholars define a shaman as an intermediary between the natural and spiritual world, who travels between worlds in a state of
trance. Once in the spirit world, the shaman would commune with the spirits for assistance in healing, hunting or weather management. Ripinsky-Naxon describes shamans as, “People who have a strong interest in their surrounding environment and the society of which they are a part.”
Other anthropologists critique the term "shamanism", arguing that it is a culturally specific word and institution and that by expanding it to fit any healer from any traditional society it produces a false unity between these cultures and creates a false idea of an initial human religion predating all others. However, others say that these anthropologists simply fail to recognize the commonalities between otherwise diverse traditional societies.
Shamanism is based on the premise that the visible world is pervaded by invisible forces or spirits that affect the lives of the living. In contrast to
animism and
animatism, which any and usually all members of a society practice, shamanism requires specialized knowledge or abilities. It could be said that shamans are the experts employed by animists and animist communities. Shamans are often organized into full-time ritual or spiritual associations, like
priests.
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I've never encountered so many superstitious people as I have since moving to Belize.
I find it interesting that many Christian holidays fall on the same date that traditional Pagan ceremonies would occour. The Maya believe in the old ways, and owuld be openly practicing if the Catholic missionaries hadn't come in and messed things up. You could call the old ways superstitions, or you could call it an awareness of the spirit world and how it affects the physical world. I am an inbetweener, I believe some things call down Mr. Badlucky, and some things are just human nature and not avoidable.
Obea is a form of ritual for the Garifuna people of Belize. To obea someone is to call down the bad spirits upon a person, to cause bad spirit posession. I believe you can obea someone, because your intention is wrong, you bring about all kinds of bad feelings and direct them towards a person and that can't be good. I don't believe it to the exent that some do, and they blame every random act and mishap on someone "doing them something" or rather than accept responsibility for bad decisions. Bigness laughs at Obea. He says he likes it when people try to "do him someting" it brings him more luck than ever.
What do you believe?
Art Credits: 20" x 28" hand painted silk "Smoke" $225 U.S.
This photo could be subtitled Strawberry and Chocolate. Jelly Bean and UNBaby ramp up for Jelly Bean's birthday party. They have their hair-doos from Miss Myrna's hair braiding and fresh fruit stand, their party dresses bought at the Tucan Giftshop, on and Jelly Bean found some big ole dangle earrings in my jewelry box. They are ready to par-tee. This photo was shot this summer whild Mal was visiting with baby JoJo.
Take a look at Leonardo Melendez's blog at Take Ur Vitaminz for pictures of Garifuna Settlement Day in Orange Walk Belize.
downpour which lasted into the night.
According to Wikipedia, Superstition is a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge, in or of the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence, proceeding, or the like.
Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve rings from the IPOD that we have hooked up to the old DVD/CD machine with surround sound that we used to have upstairs hooked to the TV. When the last CD player went the way of most electronic devices on Caye Caulker (the dump), Carlos from Carlos Eco Tours recommended that I load all the CDs onto an IPOD and use the DVD player as an amplifier. This discussion went on over coffee and banana cake several mornings in a row. IPOD? Amplifier? Yes, he reassured me, his friend in San Pedro sells the IPOD and the hookup and he thinks it just might work, if not we just have to get a set of new speakers.
pick it and go. She started with Revenge of the Tango by Gotan Project, first thing up in the morning to get us moving, then onto the Verve and as I’m typing its changing to Enya (A Day Without Rain), which seems appropriate for the rain which has been pounding us for hours. 
Looks like rain for the next couple of days. Bad for hanging out laundry, good for staying in and drinking coffee (hint hint).
If you are in the metro Detroit area, check out the jewelry show.
All items shown are for immediate purchase, no waiting for orders to be shipped.
This hand-painted silk painting is available through River's Edge Gallery in Wyandotte, Michigan. River's Edge Gallery was voted "Best Gallery in the Detroit Area" by the Detroit News. So, as of last month, they are representing me in the U.S. Check out my newly updated website, several peices are already in the US. and available for sale. I'm scheduled with them for a joint exhibition, that opens the 3rd Friday in May, 2008.
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