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Tarot and Astrology Travels in Italy
On February 21, 2017 By weiserbooksIn Guest Post-apalooza, Tarot, Weiser BooksLeave a comment
by Marcia Masino
There are some "must see" locations for the Tarot and Astrology enthusiast planning a trip to Italy. My suggested itinerary will take you to Florence, Milan and Bologna with a stop at Garavicchio in the Tuscan countryside to experience the world-famous Tarot sculpture garden. I've also included an excursion to the world's most famous zodiac cathedral in the hills outside Florence in the "gotta go there" category along with a Tarot themed restaurant, museum and rare bookshop.
Italy is regarded as the birthplace of the Tarot. The first recognised Tarot decks were recorded between 1430 and 1450 in Milan, Ferrara and Bologna. The oldest surviving tarot cards are from the mid 15th century and painted for the Visconti-Sforza family, the rulers of Milan. Cards are documented in a written statement in the court records in Florence, in 1440 for the first known time.
Tuscany and The Tarot Garden
The Garden of Tarot is a sculpture garden based on the 22 Major Arcana cards created by the French artist Niki de Saint Phalle. Location – In the Italian village of Capalbio located in Garavicchio in the Maremma countryside Tuscany. St Phalle, along with love and collaborator Jean Tinguely designed and produced this architectural and archetypal masterpiece.
The sculptures and dwellings are huge, modern, recognizable, trippy, thoughtful and playful. They were made from soldered steel covered with cement then decorated with mosaics of ceramic, mirror and glass. The artist resided inside and worked on her sculpture garden for over twenty years.
St. Phalle stated that her Tarot garden was inspired by a dream she had about creating a sculpture garden. Motivated by faith and her love for humanity, she saw the garden as an "esoteric stroll "and viewed the cards as philosophical trials of self awareness and connection with the Universe. For St. Phalle her large than life Tarot constructions created a direct encounter with the archetypal world and it's potential to heal and transform those who interact with it. It is truly a tour de Force and something the Tarot world has to celebrate from this incomparable Scorpio artist.
Address: Pescia Fiorentina, Capalbio (GR)Opening hours:1 April to 15 October from 2.30 to 7.30. Closed: Closed from 16 October to 31 March, one free Saturday per month in winter. Ticket Full euro 12,00, Reduced euro 7,00.
Florence – Il Tarrochi Restaurant
My favorite eatery in my neighborhood in Florence was, ironically, Il Tarocchi, or The Tarot. I received the first copy of the first Tarot book I wrote when I was living in Florence and we went there for a celebratory feast. The restaurant has Tarot card paintings on the walls above the booths and good pizzas. Very authentic and you'll find close-by Gelaterias ( Gelato joints) too. I Tarocchi I tarocchivia dei Renai 12/14r.Florence 50125.
Hillsides of Florence- San Miniato al Monte
Known as the Medieval Astrological Church, with secret symbolism and mystical healing energy. The celebrated basilica was designed with underlying astrological context in 1018 – the 13th Century and is, some believe, dedicated to esoteric sun or solar healing. Think – The Sun Card and The Hierophant when you spend time there and of course the Three of Pentacles.
San Miniato's relationship with the sun mysteries is profound and my advice is to visit with your head and your heart. The expected elements of arcane design are present in this space – the idea of the interplay of sunlight shafts that illuminate secret meaning within a sacred space through the use of occult symbolism only known to initiates, astrological characters, zodiac wheel and much more await your exploration. If you go with an open heart, you'll feel the energy of the hermetic wisdom ensconced there and be touched by it.
One is greeted by a zodiac mosaic floor in the main entranceway of the church. A Latin inscription lies on the pavement nearby and when translated it states the time, date and names of the planets involved with a rare celestial event that the astrologically informed founders used for the date to set the mosaic onto the cathedral floor. It was a rare constellational astrological event of a new crescent Moon with the planets Venus, Mercury, Jupiter with Saturn hidden behind the Sun in the constellation of Taurus in May 1207. At sunrise in May the sunlight aligns with the Taurus sector on the zodiac pavement and illuminates it. For those who love an occult mystery this church is a must see.
Bologna – Tarot Book shop and museum. Museo Dei Tarocchi – Via Arturo Palmieri, 5 40047 RIOLA di Vergato, (Bologna) Italy.
Milan – Tarot Museum Milan, il Meneghello Via Fara 12, 20124 Milano, Italy. Italian Artist Osvaldo Menegazzi has art, decks, rare items, and more at his shop. By appointment.
Best times for travel – April, May, September and October, avoid the summer months if possible. Each of the locations are places to savour so allow ample time to really engage with the energy each offers. You may find significant memories, dreams and thoughts are evoked by these very special locations and a second inspired visit may end up on the agenda.
Good Journeys or Viaggio Sicuro!
Marcia Masino is a certified Grandmaster of tarot and author of the tarot classic Easy Tarot Guide. She has lectured at numerous tarot conferences and is a popular speaker for the Lily Dale Assembly workshop program. Her articles on metaphysical subjects have appeared in Fate and on the Web at http://mmasino.wixsite.com/tarotbooks. She lives in Pickering, Ontario, Canada.
Online Dating Spell for the Perfect Partner
On February 6, 2017 By weiserbooksIn Guest Post-apalooza, Weiser BooksLeave a comment
by Lilith Dorsey
Many of us have had to kiss a lot of frogs before we found the Prince, or Princess, of our dreams. I had one friend who was out at a restaurant with her online date and he got up in the middle of things and started to proposition someone who was sitting at the bar. Did I say there are a lot of frogs out there? Keeping that in mind, there are many things you can do to help improve your chances of finding the perfect partner online as soon as possible.
There are other things to consider too before we take the plunge into the romantic internet pool. Maybe, until now, we have been working on ourselves, building our empire, raising our children, finding ourselves, healing ourselves, or otherwise too busy to start looking for the right partner. We must take all of this into account as we ready ourselves for a big step into a wider world. That is why the following spell includes elements for finding honesty, communication, healing, joy, passion, and last, but certainly not least, love in your new relationship.
Online Dating Spell Bath
Take this bath before you begin your online dating journey, if possible. It is best performed during the full moon.
3 drops carnation oil
3 drops ylang-ylang oil
3 drops rose oil
3 drops sandalwood oil
3 drops myrrh oil
3 drops gardenia oil
Pinch of dill
1 cup Spring Water
Combine all ingredients in your bathtub along with enough warm water to make you comfortable. Sit in the bath and say the following words:
I seek happiness, honesty, love and joy,
May the universe guide me to my perfect (enter here what suits you best!)
As you soak in the water, envision all the obstacles to love draining away and washing off you. Then inhale deeply, and absorb the positive energy of new beginnings created by the herbs and oils in the bath.
Best of luck and love to you on your journey!
Lilith Dorsey, MA is a magical practitioner/voodoo priestess with training in several traditions, including Celtic, Afro-Caribbean (Santeria and Vodun), and Native American spiritualties. Her traditional education focused on plant science, anthropology, and film. She owns her own magickal consulting business, Branwen's Pantry, and is editor/publisher of Oshun-African Magickal Quarterly. She is also the author of Voodoo and Afro-Caribbean Paganism and The African-American Ritual Cookbook. She has a degree in anthropology from the University of Rhode Island and an MFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
The Causes of Magickal Power: A Brief Essay
On January 20, 2017 By weiserbooksIn Guest Post-apalooza, Weiser BooksLeave a comment
by John L. Steadman
Among occultists, there is some debate about the actual causes of magickal power. There are three schools of thought in play here. First, there is the theory that the source of magickal power derives from the extra-terrestrial entities that are the target of magickal practice. This theory is certainly the earliest theory and can be considered as the "traditional" view. The rituals used by magickal practitioners prior to the twentieth century were derived from the grimoires and magickal texts of the 13th, 15th and 16th centuries in western Europe, and these practitioners commonly assumed that the extraterrestrial entities, whether invoked or evoked, as the case might be, served as the "causes" of magickal power. This is evident when we examine the texts of some of the actual grimoires, such as the Greater Key of Solomon, attributed to the historical King Solomon who lived in the 10th century B.C.E., but likely written by one of Solomon's followers in the 12th or 13th centuries.
In these prototypical rites, the magickal practitioner not only exhorted the various demons or evil spirits to bring about the results he desires, but went so far as to offer prayers and supplications to angels, archangels and even God himself to compel the demons to do so. As the medieval practitioner, did this, however, he believed that he was working with real, empirically-existent entities- as ontologically real, in fact, as he was himself. This belief in the reality of the entities was, of course, held by the early church; the Holy Roman Catholic Church cited doctrine that "proved" God, Christ, the Holy Ghost, and the various angelic and demonic entities were actually in existence; Ephesians 6; Colossians 2:17; Job 4:18; Isiah 45:7. Similarly, the Protestant sects, from the earliest times, accepted the ontological nature of angels and demons. As a case in point, the great New England divine Cotton Mather, chief apologist for the Salem Witchcraft crisis of 1692, firmly believed that the afflicted girls were possessed by actual devils, and he himself had an encounter with what he saw as a "good angel when he was in his thirties. But Mather was very careful to state that the devils which afflicted the girls in Salem, though real devils, were allowed to do so only by the permission of God himself. And likewise, Mather's contact with his own angel was allowable only through God's will.
The second school of thought about the source of magickal power is the "inner" explanation. With the advent of psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, and psychiatry in the early 1900's, many occultists shifted away from the strictly "outer" explanation towards the belief that magickal power originates in the mind and brain of human beings themselves. Accordingly, or so these occultists argue, the extraterrestrial entities are not real, objectively existing beings, but rather, personifications of specific qualities and psychic predispositions that reside within each magickal practitioner. Thus, when a magickal practitioner evokes Metatron, for example, an archangel of the sphere of Kether, who manifests in a cloud of blinding white light- much like a conventional image (caricature?) of God, the Father- this being is only a mental construct and has no reality outside the mind of the magickal practitioner. The practitioner is, in effect, "seeing things". In addition, Metatron would be entirely invisible to the physical eyes of any objective onlooker, even though the power of this entity can still be used by the practitioner for his or her own ends. Therefore, the magickal power has its source in the mental, imaginative powers of the practitioner; the devices used in the ritual, the trappings, the image of the entity itself, etc., are only symbols that allow the practitioner to access inner reservoirs of psychic energy.
The third school of thought provides a compromise between the strictly "outer" and strictly "inner" positions, arguing that magickal power has both an outer and inner dimension. Kenneth Grant, one of the proponents of this third school of thought, acknowledges that there are objectively real extraterrestrial entities present in any successful magickal rite, but he focuses his attention on the inner aspect whenever he describes the generation of magickal power. Drawing on his knowledge of the East Indian Tantric texts, particularly the texts of the Sri Vidya sect, which he adapted freely for his own use in the Typhonian O.T.O., Grant pictures the awakening of magickal power in terms of the rising of a red dragon, or fire snake, which resides inside the body of the magickal practitioner. The fire snake, also known as the Kundalini, lies coiled at the base of the spine. During the course of a given magickal working, the fire snake ascends the spine and charges the chakras, i.e. specific power zones located in the human body. As the fire snake rises, bodily secretions occur at each of the seven main chakras, the Sahasrana, Ajna, Visduha, Anahata, Manipura, Svadisthana, and Muladhara, respectively, and these secretions then manifest as magickal power once the fire snake begins its descent. If the magickal practitioner is a male and is performing an act of sex magick with a female practitioner, then there are subtle energy fields in the body of the female, known as kalas, which are also charged by the rite and contribute their own essence or effluvia to the secretions at the point of the chakras. And this, in turn, tends to intensify the magickal power generated by the rite as a whole. Grant describes the process in the following terms.
In order to transform sexual energy into magical energy (ojas), the dormant Fire Snake at the base of the spine is awakened…the chakras..the lesser lights glowing and pulsating like stars throughout the ganglionic network of nerves which constitutes the subtle anatomy of man…become fully energized only when the Fire Snake arrives at their several loci during Her ascent…When the Fire Snake emits its luminous venom, it gushes over and permeates the entire body. The overflow contains ojas, the magical current that electrifies the cerebro-spinal fluid in the region of the sushumna (spinal canal)…Finally, She attains the calm purity of Her lunar-sattvic essence as She reaches the brain, above the visuddha power-zone. It is on Her backward journey that She collects these essences into One Supreme Elixir and discharges it through the Secret Eye of the Priestess. [i]
The Elixir alluded to in this passage is the combined sexual fluids of the magickian and the priestess, and the "Secret Eye" is, of course, the vagina of the priestess. The fact that Grant's emphasis here is on sex magick, however, does not mean that the awakening of the Fire Snake and the resultant development of magickal power is confined only to sex workings. Grant, in Aleister Crowley & the Hidden God (1992), makes it clear that the Kundalini can be fully awakened by ritual magick and, interestingly enough, by other methods which may or may not have any connection with the practice of magick at all.[ii] In fact, Grant provides a list of methods for generating magickal power which includes such activities as listening to certain types of music, getting high on drugs or alcohol, and even aesthetic rapture induced by the contemplation of art objects, as viable alternatives to magickal rites.
The magickal practitioners who do not engage in sex magick and yet, adhere to the "inner/outer" theory of magickal power, hold views similar to those articulated by Grant, though they usually don't describe the generation of magick power in terms of the chakras, kalas, sexual secretions, etc. On average, magickal practitioners still accept the traditional theory that magick works on three "planes." I am not sure that I accept this theory at all; I tend to hold a Quantum Physics view of magick, which I have articulated in my two books: H. P. Lovecraft & the Black Magickal Tradition: The Master of Horror's Influence on Modern Occultism (2015) and H. P. Lovecraft's Magickal Persona: The Evolution of an Occult Archetype (2016). Nevertheless, the theory of planes stipulates that there is a physical plane, an astral plane, and a mental plane. According to this theory, human beings inhabit all three of these planes simultaneously. In effect, the planes coexist around us, and we have three "bodies" that allow us to move between the planes. These are the physical body, the astral body (which is often equated with the "soul") and the spirit itself- this "spirit", presumably, is the purified body that returns to Heaven or to God after death.
Konstantinos, magickal practitioner and well-known author on occult subjects, elaborates on how a magickal evocation is enacted, at least in terms of the three planes, and how magickal power is generated.
In a magical evocation, your calling of the entity is done on the mental plane. After it "hears" you, it either comes to the astral or physical planes, depending on the type of evocation you are performing. The calling of the entity is performed on the mental plane because all magic begins in the mind, is powered by the will, and causes change.
Why do evocations work? Why do entities feel compelled to come to the magician when called? To answer this question…. When a magician stands in the center of the circle, he or she is able to invoke the power of Divine Providence. In the Opening by Watchtower, a vortex of power descends upon the magician, which the magician can use to empower the ritual he or she is performing. Since this power comes from God, the magician can in effect command Holy Energy, granting him or her Divine Authority.[iii]
This is a very interesting statement. According to Konstantinos, the magickal practitioner calls the entity in his mind; this part of the theory conforms to the "inner" view regarding the causes of magickal power. But then, the entity answers the call; this, in turn, conforms to the "outer" view. The entity, thus, is a real entity, since it can travel on its own volition between the astral plane and the physical plane, and when the entity manifests, particularly on the physical plane, it's ontological reality is confirmed. Konstantinos' discussion of the vortex of power and the "Holy Energy" is interesting as well; here, he rather sounds like Cotton Mather, essentially arguing that the power of magick is given, or "granted", by God. The medieval magickal practitioners, mentioned previously, would certainly concur with this view.
[i] Grant, Kenneth, Cults of the Shadow, New York, Samuel Weiser, 1976, 64-95.
[ii] Grant, Kenneth, Aleister Crowley and the Hidden God, London, Skoob Books, 1992, pp.97-8.
[iii] Konstantinos. Summoning Spirits: The Art of Magical Evocation. Woodbury, Minnesota, Llewellyn Publications, 2005, 111-112.
John L. Steadman is the author of H.P. Lovecraft and the Black Magickal Tradition, a scholar of H. P. Lovecraft and western occultism and has been a magickal practitioner for more than thirty years. He is currently a college English professor at Olivet College in Michigan.
Sharing the Sun
On January 7, 2017 January 9, 2017 By weiserbooksIn Guest Post-apalooza, Weiser Books1 Comment
by Ivo Dominguez, Jr.
This past Winter Solstice I was asked to take on a central role in a ritual for the return of the light at the last moment. The person who was to embody the Sun was ill and could not attend, and of those present I was the best option available. I had just gotten over a bad cold and was not at my best, but given the stress of 2016 we all felt that the hundred or so people that would be attending really needed this ritual of hope and renewal. One of the attendees was a friend who has a profound connection to Solar Deities, Apollon in particular. She offered to give me a boost of energy which I gladly received.
We exchanged a wholehearted embrace and I felt myself fill with the power that brings the day, warms the soil, and promises Spring to come. I thanked her, though she had her doubts about whether or not she had given enough. I assured her that she had given me exactly what I needed. That evening the ritual went well, healing tears were shed, the light of the reborn Sun was spread from candle to candle, the joy of communal strength grew, and merriment followed with music and singing late into the night. I thanked my friend again for her assistance. She told me that she felt stronger and better after having shared energy with me. She was both puzzled and concerned that I had not taken enough of the energy that she'd offered. I explained what I had done, and in doing so realized that it was a technique that I should share.
The chances are that if you've had training or exposure to one of the many energy healing modalities, you know that it is better to draw upon the power of life, the universe, the Divine, or whatever else is considered a wholesome source of power rather than to drain your own reserves, your batteries. It does take a certain amount of your own power to start the process, once begun you have access to far more than you used. There are situations that do call for personal energy instead of energy drawn from greater sources, but they are few and far between. For example, sometimes if a person is in a weakened or exhausted condition, they may need an infusion of human life force so that they then have enough to begin processing more universal energies. Another example is when someone is borrowing power to do spiritual work, because the energy also contains information and guidance from the donor.
When I received the gift of energy from my friend, my focus was on getting a sample of the energy and a sense for where to look for more. Your temperament, training, and instinct guides where and how you draw energy from the universe. Over time these habits and reflexes can serve you well, but can also limit your options. There are also times when your mental or emotional state hampers your access to the familiar, but the unfamiliar sidesteps the roadblocks. Every person, even those with many similarities, has a unique set of ways in which they draw in power. By carefully observing another person raising and moving energy, you can learn where and how they draw in energy. Think of this as like getting directions to a wellspring, or a scent to follow back to the feast, or a tuning fork with the note you need to sing a song, or a temporary member's key to open the door.
When my friend gave me energy, I took in enough to sample it and followed it back to its source. Then I listened to the song of the energy and sang it in my mind as well. I drew upon the source, and the stream of power that came forth replenished both of us. That evening during our Winter Solstice ritual I had the energy and insights that I needed to do the work. By the next day the connection had begun to fade. If I wanted to keep that connection, I would also need to commit to a regular honoring of Apollon as the way that I borrowed arose from my friend's connection. Sometimes keeping a new access point to energy is simply a matter of knowing that it exists and adding it to your repertoire, and sometimes it involves making changes to your practices.
Just like sharing the Sun at the Solstice, where each receives a spark to light the way and to pass to others, the sharing of energy can lead to more for all.
Blessings, Ivo
Ivo Domínguez, Jr. has been active in the Wiccan and the pagan community since 1978 and has been teaching since 1982. He was a founding member, and past High Priest, of Keepers of the Holly Chalice, the first coven of the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel a Wiccan Tradition. Ivo is also one of the organizers for the New Alexandrian Library. You can find him at http://www.ivodominguezjr.com.
Ivo's books
Practical Astrology for Witches and Pagans | Casting Sacred Space
Sagittarius Love Spell Oil
On December 14, 2016 December 13, 2016 By weiserbooksIn Guest Post-apalooza, Spells, Weiser BooksLeave a comment
My sister is a Sagittarius, my brother-in-law is a Sagittarius, my niece is a Sagittarius … and I'm an Aries. You can see how the Holidays are a fiery and exciting time at our place. The astrological Sun sign of Sagittarius is given to those born between the dates of November 22 and December 21st.
Taken by Lilith Dorsey at the What's Your Sign? Mural Project in NYC. This project was created by Love Heals, the Allison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education.
Sagittarius is a fire sign, and in matters of love they are known for being caring and romantic, but also silly and optimistic. In a relationship they like to be casual and allowed their freedom. This fiery sign is known for it's great ego which can sometimes turn to stubbornness. Relationships if you are a Sagittarius can be hard, and dating a Sagittarius can be even harder. The following Love Spell Oil will help bring you love and joy in your relationships. The oil contains sunflower to bring you a sunshiny love and healing; rose to channel and focus your passion; bergamot to give you a sweet romantic blessings; clove for spicy sensual delights; and lavender for focus and spiritual blessings. Everyone deserves a good love story so lets get started on yours.
3 drops Sunflower (Helianthus) oil
3 drops Bergamot oil
1 drop Clove oil
1 drop Lavender oil
¼ tsp. Sweet Almond Oil
Place the Sweet Almond oil into your glass bottle it will serve as the base oil. Into the bottle place the Sunflower oil, the Rose oil, the Bergamot oil, the Lavender oil, and the Clove oil. Rub the bottle of oil between your hands to charge it with your magical energy. As the bottle goes back and forth imagine love coming towards you and blessing your life. Wear the oil daily for help with love. You can also use this oil to anoint a piece of turquoise, which is a power stone for Sagittarius. This will help to focus your love magic.
The Power of Tarot Symbolism
On December 8, 2016 November 30, 2016 By weiserbooksIn Guest Post-apalooza, Tarot, Weiser BooksLeave a comment
I recently received an inquiry from a woman who asked, "Do you have to know the Tarot to do the Ten of Wands meditation you described in your blog? A brilliant question. She'd read the visualization instructions from my June, 2016 post and felt moved to perform the meditation because she related to the ideas I presented. However, she was concerned it wouldn't be effective because she wasn't a student of the cards.
Her traditional Tarot knowledge was very limited, she could tell a Wand from a Pentacle, could identify some of the Major Arcana and understood that the cards relate to people, life circumstances, spiritual themes and past, present and future. Her concern revolved around the meditation helping her if she didn't know all the relationships between the intricate card symbolism and interpretive meanings. The woman's intuitive self recognized the significance of the visualization; she wanted to do the practice without learning the entire Tarot.
The visualization exercise I described focused on the idea of self empowered choices when handling burdens and this felt very relevant to her current life circumstances. She was unable to release the beliefs that no longer helped her and manage those that served her best and higher self. In truth is that not the challenge we all face? The opportunity to chose which burdens she carried and how to release others appealed to her. The idea of choice was revolutionary; as was engaging with the psyche aspect of the Tarot visuals as a pathway to a better life.
Yes, you can participate in creative Tarot visualization without a full understanding of the nuances of a card's symbolism. When a Tarot image "speaks to you" or resonates with you it is a sure sign that you are meant to create an imaginative dialogue with it. Another reason to contemplate a specific card is its appearance in a helping placement in a reading's layout.
I told her to go for it. What she didn't know was that the Tarot symbolism will teach her what she needs to "know" about the card via the pathway of meditation. A person may not consciously comprehend all the symbolic card meanings (who does?) However, through the contemplation practice the individual's soul will present knowledge in the best way for her to understand it's messages. This experience parallels how the cards function during a reading as well as how symbolism appears in a significant dream.
My blog's focus was on the Ten of Wands, a challenging card that depicts an overburdened figure bent with care. Who would want to meditate on that image and why? Contemplation of a perceived negative card is really the courageous ability to face a test and remove obstacles. By facing the imagery, choosing to take back her power and realigning with her best self my reader is inaugurating a positive future unencumbered from resistance and destructive beliefs.
In my book, Best Tarot Practices, I include empowering meditations for a number of the undesirable cards. This practice requires looking at the chosen card, then following my instructions to interact with the character and scene. By performing (or even reading about them) you can start the process of turning a negative into a positive. Simply focus on a negative card that appears in your spread or as in this example, your attraction to the image.
Contemplation of a negative card is less traditional than the classical utilization of positive Tarot imagery to evoke and or invoke a specific spiritual power. In the early Florentine Renaissance, a scholar named Marsilio Ficino developed a contemplation method to alleviate his own suffering of "saturnine" depression. Ficino used uplifting positive images as talismans and a therapeutic tool to "cure "his self-described melancholia. He taught the elite members of his Hermetic Academy that harmonization with the refined aspects of our spiritual nature can be achieved by viewing and interacting (creative imaging) with beautiful images.
Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli was a member of Ficino's Academy and would've understood the value of inner harmony and self cultivation when he painted his Primavera masterpiece with allegorical characters' familiar to Tarot students. He included figures of Mercury (The Magician) Venus – The Empress, The Three Graces aka the Three of Cups and also alludes to The Lovers in his painting. No doubt his intention in part, was to capture the elevated qualities of those planetary Tarot figures as both talismans and for therapeutic contemplation. I believe the influence of Ficino's esoteric teachings and the creation of the first Italian Tarot decks may have experienced some cross pollination since both happened at the same time, place and within the same elite group.
Ficino's arcane practice of utilization of images to attain spiritual knowledge and well being still exists today. Many of the early 20th Century Tarot decks as well as the modern packs have symbolism designed with this experience in mind. The technique is a threefold process; first you chose the image, then you merge with it in meditation (my Best Tarot Practices book features meditations for all the Major and selected Minor cards as well as the Court.) The third stage is when transformation occurs as the harmonious energy aligns with your nature.
The Tarot symbols are a soul sourced universal and archetypal language that connect you with the spiritual aspect of your subconscious or the Divine Mind. You do not have to know their meaning to have a meaningful meditation experience. However, as you explore symbolism and visualization you will discover significant aspects of yourself while attaining a better understanding of the Tarot. Ultimately this is a way for you to open the path to the universal mind, a plane of consciousness that once tapped facilitates soul purpose, gifts of the spirit and alignment with the Higher Power of your own understanding.
Our December Titles Are Here!
On December 2, 2016 November 30, 2016 By weiserbooksIn Hampton Roads Publishing, Weiser BooksLeave a comment
Lilith Dorsey
This is really "the big little book of love magic." Magical maven Lilith Dorsey has packed into this fun, informative, and practical book over 250 spells, potions, rituals, and recipes devoted to all facets of love and sex.
Based on years of magical experience and prodigious research, this book includes sections on such topics as self-love, marriage, fertility, erotic adventures, the ethics of love magic, and more. The spells are drawn from a wide diversity of magical traditions and focus on an equally diverse situations. There are spells for finding love, keeping love, and healing yourself so that you are ready for love. The book also includes rituals for invoking goddesses of love. Dorsey considers and discusses all facets of the romantic experience.
Let's face it we are obsessed, inspired, delighted, and in love with love. And here is the go-to book for every spell you will ever need for finding and keeping romance, passion, sex, marriage, fertility, and love in your life. Rooted in serious scholarship while still exploring the weird, wild, and wonderful side of love magic, this book provides expert advice and genuine spells that work to bring you your heart's desire.
(Weiser Books)
Numerology, Plain & Simple
Anne Christie
Using numerology to learn more about yourself and your future doesn't require any psychic ability, mathematical skills, or even any special equipment. The information is based on a series of numbers and by following systems that date back to the Greek mathematician and astrologer Pythagoras and the Hebrew Kabbalah, you'll learn the basics of how to use numbers to explain your life.
Name number
Personality number
Heart number
Destiny number
Short-term forecasts
Once you master these simple principles, you'll be able to plan your days, predict your future, and even find the most suitable mate. This is an accessible and user-friendly guide for people interested in divination systems and personality types.
Additional New Titles
The Lovecraft Code
Drawing on decades of experience, author and historian Peter Levenda turns to the novel as the best and perhaps only way to tell a story that has to be told – that hidden within the tales of America's most iconic writer of gothic horror, H.P. Lovecraft, runs a vein of actual terror.
Gregory Angell, the present-day descendant of George Angell in Lovecraft's "Call of Cthulhu," is summoned by a nameless covert agency of the US government to retrieve a sacred book from the grasp of an Islamist terror network operating out of northern Iraq, in the land of the Yezidi. Practitioners of a monotheistic religion with mystical traditions, the Yezidi are all that's left of an ancient sect that possessed the key to the origins of the human race and was in conflict with another, more ancient civilization from beyond the stars.
Hailed by author Christopher Farnsworth (Blood Oath) as a "more intelligent DaVinci Code" and by Whitley Strieber (The Key) as "a riveting work of fiction," this book will thrill Lovecraft aficionados, readers of reality-based thrillers, and conspiracy theorists alike.
(Ibis Press)
Edited by J. Douglas Kenyon
Considered by many to be the magazine of record for ancient mysteries, unexplained anomalies, and future science, Atlantis Rising® provides some of the most astounding reading to be found anywhere.
Editor J. Douglas Kenyon has culled from the pages of Atlantis Rising® magazine this collection of 36 concise and well-illustrated articles by world-class researchers and authors such as Andrew Collins, Philip Coppens, William Henry, Frank Joseph, Robert M. Schoch, and many others, who offer thought-provoking insights on a variety of topics that challenge conventional wisdom.
In these pages the latest discoveries and theories on the controversial subjects are explored and even more provocative questions are raised. What emerges is a fascinating case in support of a much greater antiquity for civilization, a well-reasoned argument for the existence of advanced technologies in prehistory, and the revelation of secret forces that have been at work throughout time and are still present today.
(Atlantis Rising)
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Rob Bell's new book, Love Wins, was released amongst quite a stir, controversy creates cash. I did my best to avoid most of it before reading the book, it arrived today, but not all of it could be avoided.
This isn't a book review, not in the traditional sense anyway, although I will make comments on the book here and there.
This is the first of several posts – neighbours, bagged & tagged, you want answers?!, & love doesn't win – where I'm more interested in sharing a few thoughts, that the events surrounding the books release provide a nice framework for.
What has intrigued me the most is people's response to it, some who've never read it have voiced strong opinions, opinions about the book & about the writer. I have read of, and I know of people who've thrown away previously treasured Bell books & dvd's.
As for the book, if you've read a Rob Bell book before you know what you're getting, Love wins is a well written easy read, which asks some great questions (Rob is good at that). Some of the ideas raised I'll have to sit with a little longer, some I'll sit with a lifetime, some I may ultimately reject.
But this isn't just about Rob Bell, what it is about will become more clear.
So apologies for those looking for a review, apologies to those looking for some anti-Rob rant or pro-Rob love letter, the blogosphere is full of them and my voice is certainly no authority in the matter.


Whole Foods is offering a coupon through livingsocial.com which lets customers buy $20 worth of products for $10. You can purchase produce, gluten-free products, prepared foods, and more. Whole Foods Market will donate 5% of the sale price to Whole Kids Foundation, an organization that promotes healthy eating and nutrition education in schools. Today is the last day to purchase the coupon and it is good until December 13, 2011. For terms and conditions and to purchase the coupon, visit the website.
These are the kinds of coupons that SAVE. Great article.


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Business News›Startups›Tailorman to enter Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi this year
Tailorman to enter Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi this year
Shonali Advani
Tailorman plans to enter Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi this year with its physical retail stores as bespoke gains consumer attention.
Tailorman, a made-to-order clothing brand for men's wear, plans to enter Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi this year with its physical retail stores as bespoke gains consumer attention.
The three-year-old company has set a target of touching 40 stores, from the current seven, during the year. It will also be introducing services for women's wear this April as well as extend the men's line to include casual shirts, cotton pants, accessories and wedding wear.
The Bengaluru-based company has a retail presence in Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata for customers to customise garments and select from a range of fabrics lining and embellishments.
3D Experience
In parallel, its website, offers a 3D experience for customers to place orders in the same format as offline stores.
Tailorman has also been launched as a brand on Amazon India with an offering spanning 19 sizes and five fits for every fabric and will be launched on fashion portal Myntra this month.
It has a repeat customer base of about 50%, said company's co-founder Vidya Nataraj, who aims to grow the online channel and make it half of the total business next year. Its other business lines include home services, where a company stylist visits the customer for a personalised experience, bulk orders for corporate
TailormanOnline apparel

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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CityWire – The independent RIA opens its ninth US location, boosting total client assets by $150 million.
Vicky Ge Huang – 26 April 2017
Independent wealth advisory firm Snowden Lane Partners has added San Antonio, Texas-based Strategic Management Group, boosting the firm's client assets by $150 million.
The addition marks the firm's first office in the southwest and ninth location in the US. The new team will be led by former Merrill Lynch senior vice president, Larry Barocas.
Barocas is joining Snowden Lane as senior partner and managing director, accompanied by Debbie Ury who worked with him at Merrill Lynch as vice president, analyst and relationship manager.
Barocas has been a financial advisor since 1998 and joined Merrill Lynch in 2009. He works primarily with high-net-worth individuals and non-profits and provides family office services.
Ury joined Merrill Lynch in 1981 and primarily focuses on bespoke, long-term financial planning. She worked for the firm in St. Croix as a financial advisor for six years before returning to the continental US and partnering with Barocas.
'The Strategic Management Group represents a key move for Snowden Lane as we continue to expand our national footprint with seasoned talent that makes our independent model as strong as it's become,' said Snowden Lane chief executive and managing partner, Rob Mooney.
'We'll add more advisors in San Antonio and Larry's team represents another step forward as we continue to execute on our plans for 2017 and beyond.'
Established in 2011, Snowden has lured recruits from Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, UBS and Wells Fargo.


The world of second-hand cars can seem like a minefield - but with a little preparation and some sound negotiation skills, you should be able to drive out of the dealer's yard feeling happy you got a good deal.
If you need a loan, be aware that finance through the car dealership may not always be the best option.
Shop around for the best interest rates on personal loans and aim to get the amount you want to spend pre-approved. This will put you in the same position as a cash buyer, which can be a real advantage.
If you're a homeowner, you may be considering extending your mortgage to borrow money for a car at a reasonable interest rate. Before you do, have a think about the loan term as well. If you pay back the extra amount quickly over say three years, as you would a personal loan, you'll make the most of a lower rate. If you end up paying the extra amount over the whole term of your mortgage you'll end up paying a lot more in interest despite the lower rate.
Read more about interest rate vs interest cost.
Though it's convenient to trade in your old car when you're buying a new one, you're likely to get much less for it than if you were to sell it privately.
If you're new to selling a car, there's plenty of good advice available online to guide you through the process. Try starting with the AA's Used Car Selling Guide.
Do everything you can to find out what is the true value of the car you want to buy. Compare similar or the same models at different dealers, and go in to negotiate with dealers armed with this information.
Also consider spending $20 on an AA vehicle valuation, which will tell you the realistic market value of the car. All you have to do is enter a few details about the car online and pay the fee.
Car dealers have monthly and quarterly sales targets to meet, so you just might get a better deal if you time your approach at the end of the month, or the end of the financial quarters (March, June, September and December).
Don't be afraid to negotiate on the price listed in the car window. It's a good idea to enter negotiations with a fixed price in mind (based on your research into the true value of the car) and stick to it.
If you can't reach an agreement with the dealer, give them your phone number and ask them to call you if anything changes. Explain that you're interested in the car but will also be looking elsewhere.
One advantage of buying through a dealer as opposed to a private seller is that you have many more consumer rights if something goes wrong. You can read more about solving issues with your car dealer on the government website, Consumer Protection.
For more advice on buying new and used cars download the Harmoney e-book An Easy Guide to Buying a New Car.


Ever thought about having your own stone monolith in your garden? Well now you can thanks to Cerrig's network of contacts with quarries across the UK – we can source and supply monoliths of all shapes and sizes. Please browse our selection of samples by clicking on the gallery images above. All images shown (with the exception of Stonehenge!) are actual projects carried out by Cerrig Granite & Slate Ltd. We specialise in monoliths from stone indigenous to the UK, including slate, Welsh granite and Preselli granite – the stone used in Stonehenge! So, contact us today to discuss your requirements and before you know it you'll have a fabulous stone monolith in your garden.
We would be happy to match or beat any like-for-like quotations, so with no obligation, why not contact us to discuss your garden stone monolith requirements in more detail.


Hey scrappers, here's a FREE Printable Birthday Labels from Studio Flergs and I'm sure you can use it on you kids' birthday parties. These days, almost all decors in a party are personalized and can be done by you already just like what I made for my sister last month. I hope I can share the labels that I made for her.
Anyway, you can download this at Studio Flergs' blog. The image is linked.
Thanks for the heads up, Ate Jen!


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/ Admin & Outreach
/ Human Resources
UofL strives to provide professional development in sustainability, compensate employees fairly, provide for basic needs, promote health & wellness and treat everyone with dignity.
UofL actively seeks to be a truly Great Place to Work, where faculty and staff are treated fairly, given a voice in governance, and encouraged to get actively involved in making the University a place of ever greater health, wellness, and sustainability.
Professional Development Training in Sustainability
Free online and in-personsustainability training is available year-round through the UofL EcoReps Program. In spring 2014, the university made free, UofL-specific, online Sustainability training available to all faculty and staff through Blackboard's University Wide Training Resources.
In April 2012, UofL launched a new Professional Development Training Program with sustainability training open to all employees at least once a semester.
Professional Development in Sustainability for all UofL Employees
This dynamic and engaging series of sessions led by experts in the field provide all employees with a helpful introduction to the basic principles of sustainability and how to apply them in professional and personal decision-making at work and at home. This on-going series of professional development sessions has been designed to offer staff and faculty at any level with a wide variety of practical tips that you can use to help UofL shift our culture towards become better stewards of the environment while saving money and helping build a brighter tomorrow for society. Attendees will better understand UofL's commitment to sustainability and learn how each step we take contributes to big results for us individually, for the university, and for the broader community. The sessions will also introduce you to UofL's Eco-Reps Program, which gives you the opportunity to go deeper with follow-up trainings online, a certification, group and individual service projects, and the empowerment of becoming a point-person for sustainability in your unit. Registration and details here.
In Fall 2012, the Sustainability Council launched an Eco-Reps program, providing in-depth campus sustainability training and certification for all students, faculty, and staff willing to become a point-person for peer-to-peer mentoring about sustainability in their building, unit, department, or residence hall. Interested persons should contact Brian Barnes <brian.barnes (at) louisville.edu>. More details here.
Sustainability in New Employee Orientation
From July 2009 to April 2016, every Monday's day-long New Employee Orientation (required for all full-time university employees) included a module on sustainability at UofL and the Partnership for a Green City. When the program was cut to a half-day, this in-person training was dropped, but all new employees are still given information in their welcome packet about sustainability at UofL. All are encouraged to sign the Cards Go Green! Pledge, committing to at least three actions to reduce their environmental impact; and encouraged to look for ways they can help the University enhance its sustainability as they settle into their new positions.
Sustainability information is also distributed during July's New Faculty Orientations, including the Cards Go Green! Pledge and details about specific projects faculty and students can get involved in to help transform UofL into a living laboratory for sustainability.
Our Get Healthy Now (GHN) program promotes university-wide wellness through a wide variety of initiatives. GHN regularly celebrates the successes of UofL employees and secures awards & recognitions for the University in many capacities. In 2010, UofL was honored as Louisville's Healthiest Employer in the 5,000+ employee category and received an award for being the Most Physically Active Worksite based on participation in Kentuckiana Metro on the Move's Fall 2010 Challenge.
University of Louisville has been officially smoke-free on all three of our campuses since November 18th, 2010. In 2017, UofL expanded the policy in scope and area to include all tobacco products and e-cigarettes, as follows:
Tobacco and Vaporizing Products Policy
This policy applies to the University Community (administrators, faculty, staff, and students) and all visitors, including contractors and event attendees.
The University desires to provide a healthy working and learning environment for its employees and students. The use of tobacco products shall be prohibited everywhere on all campuses, inside buildings and throughout the grounds on all property owned or leased by UofL. The use of tobacco is prohibited inside any vehicle owned or leased by the university at all times and in all locations; as well as inside any privately-owned vehicle located on university property. For the purpose of this policy:
Tobacco refers to any and all tobacco products, whether inhaled or ingested, as well as electronic cigarettes and vaporizers.
Tobacco products include the use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco, vaporizers, hookahs, and similar type products.
Monthly Happenings & Highlights communicate the comprehensive offerings of the GHN program. Learn more about our programs and offerings.Up-to-date information can always be found on the GHN website and via Facebook and Twitter.
In 2012, as a direct result of UofL's Train-the-Trainers Program, funded by a Paula Nye Memorial Education Grant from the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission, Get Healthy Now offered Safe Cycling Classes for all UofL employees and participants in the Get Healthy Now program:
Location: Crawford Gym, Room 15
April 3 - May 8, 2012: Fridays, 11:00 a.m.
July 6 - August 10, 2012: Wednesdays, 2:00 p.m.
August 2 - November 6, 2012: Thursdays, 12:00 p.m.
The class was designed as a guide to various aspects of safety, such as basic equipment maintenance, skills, and rules of the road. The content was based on the League of American Bicyclists' national BikeEd program. This central idea of this class was "Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles." Safe Cycling was intended to help you to become a cyclist who rides with greater safety and confidence. Get Healthy Now encourages participants to ride bicycles for fun, fitness, and transportation, leading to a happier and healthier person, planet, and safer environment for all.
These new bike safety classes were made possible by funds generated through the purchase of "Share the Road" license plates by Kentucky motorists!
UofL mandates living wage for contract workers (12/16/15)
UofL Commits to Continue Increasing Living Wage (2/26/14)
UofL first Kentucky public university to adopt living wage program (11/8/13)
In November 2013, UofL became the first public Kentucky university to establish a living wage when it increased its minimum salary for regular status staff employees from $8.67 to $10 per hour. More than 150 employees benefited from the salary increase, which represented a 15% raise for our lowest paid employees.
In February 2014, former Provost Shirley Willihnganz approved a proposal to increase UofL's minimum wage by 25 cents per hour per year for the following four years, starting July 2014 and continuing through 2017 – bringing the rate to $11 per hour by July 2017.
Defined as the minimum hourly pay necessary for employees to afford the average cost of living in their community, including housing, food and transportation, the living wage varies by location. Employees earning the minimum will be eligible for additional compensation if, in a given year, the university's total salary pool for the year exceeds the living wage adjustment for that year.
As of 2018, the Living Wage Calculator developed by MIT estimates the following as Living Wages for workers in Jefferson County, KY. The Living Wage shown is the hourly rate that an individual must earn to support their family, if they are the sole provider and are working full-time (2080 hours per year). All values are per adult in a family unless otherwise noted.
Hourly Wages
1 Adult 1 Child
2 Adults (1 Working)
2 Adults (1 Working) 1 Child
2 Adults (1 Working Part Time) 1 Child
2 Adults 1 Child
2 Adults 2 Children
Typical Expenses
These figures show the individual expenses that went into the living wage estimate. Their values vary by family size, composition, and location.
Required annual income after taxes
Required annual income before taxes
"The first public university in Kentucky to implement a living wage, UofL once again is leading the way among higher education institutions. We have been the leader in implementing Kentucky's higher education reform. We were the first to develop diversity plans, the first to provide health insurance to domestic partners, the first to follow the minority and female hiring practices of the Louisville Arena Authority and the first to partner with our local public schools and Simmons College of Kentucky to address education gaps by developing a meaningful clinical model of teacher education. The establishment of a living wage is just another reason it's great to be a Louisville Cardinal."
- President James Ramsey, Nov. 8, 2013
Equitable Compensation
"Competitive compensation to university employees is an important priority in the University of the 21st Century Initiative. Over the past several months, many groups within the university have worked to establish an equitable compensation plan to distribute funds set aside for this purpose. The priority for both staff and faculty adjustments has been to bring employees who are furthest behind their respective market salary closer to the market.
Funding in the amount of $2 million, plus additional dollars to pay salary-related benefits such as retirement contributions, is included in this year's budget to address salary equity. The funding will be split evenly between faculty and staff. Beginning January 2017, adjustments will appear in the paychecks of those affected. These adjustments reflect a continuing and recurring commitment on the part of the university. Below is a summary of the process followed to determine equity adjustments.
Staff Equity Adjustments
Human Resources completed a staff salary survey in early 2016. High quality, reliable data sources were utilized to do a competitive market analysis. This work allowed HR to identify market reference points for over 98 percent of our staff positions. In consultation with the Staff Senate Executive Committee, HR developed a plan that brings the compensation of all staff to at least 81 percent of the market reference point for their position. Just over 10 percent of staff - 399 employees - are affected, and the average salary increase is $2,469. Active employees who began on or before June 30, 2016 and who received a satisfactory or better performance review are eligible.
Faculty Equity Adjustments
The Office of Institutional Research and Planning conducted an analysis comparing faculty salaries with those at a peer group that included Atlantic Coast Conference public universities and institutions designated as benchmarks by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education who participated in Oklahoma State University's (OSU) annual faculty salary survey. The OSU survey was the source of benchmark salary information, with the exception of Libraries faculty, for whom a different data source was used. Faculty in School of Medicine clinical departments were not included in the survey. After input from faculty and deans, the provost's office, Institutional Research and the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs developed a compensation model that took into account a faculty member's academic discipline, academic rank, time in rank, highest degree earned and current salary relative to that individual's respective benchmark median salary. The provost's office used calculations from the model to determine the amount of money available for distribution in each unit. Deans then had the option of allocating funds based on other considerations - including productivity - and/or according to unit rules for salary adjustments. A total of 409 faculty are affected, and the mean salary increase is $2,445. To be eligible, a faculty member must have received satisfactory annual performance reviews in each of the last 3 years and a satisfactory periodic career review, if the latter is applicable.
The Board of Trustees has supported this initiative and the university is committed to continuing these adjustments to bring the salaries of university employees closer to their market rates."
- Acting President Neville Pinto, January 18, 2017
Living Wages for Contract Workers
The Living Wage policy adopted in 2013 did not apply to people who work on campus for contractors like food services, the UofL Bookstore, and certain custodial, security and printing services. The Sustainability Council advocated for the extension of the policy to all contract workers as well, and in fall 2015, the student group Cards United Against Sweatshops joined the struggle: Cards United Against Sweatshops meets with UofL administration to demand raising the minimum wage for all contract workers to $10.10/hour (The Louisville Cardinal, Oct. 12, 2015).
Success came in December 2015, when UofL announced that the living wage policy has been extended to all full-time contract workers at the university. UofL officials approved a requirement that companies entering contracts with the university must pay their full-time staff a minimum wage of at least $10.10 per hour. Companies currently doing business with the university will be required to meet the new guidelines when their agreements are renewed. The new policy matched one implemented by the commonwealth's executive branch in summer 2015 that mandates the higher minimum wage for many state government workers and for employees of companies doing business with the state. Universities were excluded from that policy.
"Full-time contract employees are vital to the success of many operations around the university. Establishing this policy will ensure they can meet their basic life needs and will help our contractors attract and keep outstanding employees. In short, this is simply the right thing to do."
- Harlan Sands, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration, Dec. 16, 2015
The Early Learning Campus (ELC) is part of the Gladys and Lewis "Sonny" Bass Louisville Scholar House Campus and is an exemplary pre-school for children of UofL faculty, staff and students, and residents of the Louisville Scholar House. The facility offers extended day opportunities for children aged six weeks to four years.
The ELC is located at the corner of 5th and Bloom Streets, across the street from the northwest corner of UofL's Belknap Campus. Hours of operation are 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Employee Housing Close to Campus
According to our Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, roughly 25% of UofL's carbon footprint is due solely to commuting to campus. With the vast majority of commuters driving alone to campus, this represents not only a significant carbon footprint, but a considerable waste of people's time, money, and opportunities for community-building and civic engagement. Providing and maintaining roads and parking for commuters also represents a considerable strain on the University's land and budgetary resources.
Learn how walking to campus can benefit the brain, as well as the heart and pocketbook.
At New Employee Orientation, we encourage everyone to consider living close enough to campus that they can walk or bike to work with ease.
The Edge at Liberty Green
UofL officials join private developer for HSC-area residence groundbreaking (UofL Today, March 9, 2012)
As part of our Climate Action Plan, and in line with our overarching goals of creating more vibrant, livable, walkable, bike-friendly neighborhoods around our campuses, UofL is continuing its efforts to make living close to campus an attractive option for students, faculty and staff.
The Sustainability Council is in discussion with area developers about providing mixed-use, mixed-income, environmentally-friendly housing for employees close to campus. One such project, known as The Edge at Liberty Green, will provide such housing within blocks of our Health Sciences Center and within biking distance of Belknap Campus. Development continues on hundreds of units of various green-designed housing types and sizes for both purchase or rent. The Sustainability Council invites everyone in the UofL community to explore this exciting, new option in low-impact, healthy, urban living!
A Voice in Governance
UofL encourages employees to get involved in university-wide decision-making through a variety of channels:
Staff Senate - Submit your comments.
Employee Suggestion Program - Submit a suggestion.
Socially-Responsible Retirement Funds
UofL offers employees socially responsible investment options for employee retirement plans. These options are designed to give you investment income for a secure retirement while putting money behind companies you can feel good about. Options include:
CREF Social Choice Account - Invests only in companies that are suitable from a financial perspective and whose activities are consistent with the account's social criteria. Using specific environmental, social and governance criteria, the evaluation process favors companies that are: strong stewards of the environment; committed to serving local communities where they operate and to human rights and philanthropy; devoted to higher labor standards; and those managed in an exemplary and ethical manner. Details here.
Fidelity Select Environmental Portfolio (00516) - A growth mutual fund that seeks to provide capital appreciation by primarily investing at least 80% of its assets in the common stocks of companies principally engaged in the research, development, manufacture, or distribution of products, processes, or services related to waste management, pollution control or reduction, conservation or improving the environment, or other environmental concerns. Details here.
More information about UofL's employee benefits and our human resources policies are available here.
Preferred Name Option for Inclusion
In 2017, as part of the University of Louisville's ongoing commitment to an inclusive and diverse environment, Human Resources and the LGBT Center expanded the use of a preferred name to employees. Similar to the option available to students since 2015, this new option allows employees to choose a preferred name that will appear in the staff directory, Blackboard, and on their campus ID card. A separate process for choosing a preferred email address (PEA) is also available to employees. Assistant Provost for Diversity and LGBT Center Director Brian Buford noted that a preferred name option promotes a climate of inclusion. "Transgender employees can be accidentally outed when the name in the system doesn't reflect their identity. And international employees find it easier sometimes to use a name that is easier for American peers to spell and pronounce," he said. "In both cases, it's about removing obstacles and sending a message of inclusion." Read more.


Nowadays, I have become a firm believer in positive thinking even when things go really wrong in my life or something serious in my life that could wind up with negative results. Yet I still try to maintain a positive frame of mind that things will eventually work out in my way. This positive thinking helps me to face my day with the right attitude and a better perspective. If everything seems dark, gray, full of negative energy and gloomy, you won't be able to notice the bountiful beauty, positive energy, etc. If you have set yourself to be sad and full of worries then this attitude will drag you down and you will not be able to give optimal performance. Positive attitude will help a person overcome many hurdles in life. Positive thinking gives hope for a better future and better health. If you are still in the grips of negativity, then it's time you loosened its grip by changing your attitude. Grab a few self help books and hang around people whom you consider as positive people. This will defiantly change your whole outlook in life and you will accomplish much more.


Northwest of Las Cruces includes Picacho Hills, Picacho Mountain and West Mesa neighborhoods – all of which sit on the West Mesa and offer stunning views of the Mesilla Valley and Organ Mountains by day and the "city lights" by night. Picacho Peak is the predominant landmark for the Picacho Hills area. Picacho Hills has several neighborhoods surrounding Picacho Hills Country Club and its championship golf course. Barcelona Ridge, Butterfield Ridge and Coronado Ridge are established upscale custom home communities with single-family residences, comfortable lot sizes and patio homes. The newest community, Picacho Mountain, retains the natural beauty of the gentle hills and is a mixture of single-family and patio homes. Picacho Mountain has been designated a "green build" community. The West Mesa areas are served by Doña Ana County safety departments. The developments are part of the Las Cruces Public School District with elementary and middle schools and Mayfield High School nearby. Shopping is about ten to fifteen minutes east of the West Mesa communities. The west side is near all necessities but is distanced from city center providing a bit of a rural atmosphere.


Well, the treasures are hidden!
Objects have been hidden ANYWHERE in three of our writers' suites.
~And lastly, no cheating and have fun!
QOTD: Should we host more competitions/ games like this one? If yes, do you have any suggestions?


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Q: Do we display any specific guidance to new users when their questions are closed? After seeing a new user's question closed less than two minutes after being opened for "not a real question" (when all it really needed was a reword), I can't help but wonder - do we actually give any guidance to the asker beyond just the standard:

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form.

If we don't, I think it would be a good idea to automatically display link to some SOFAQs, such as How do you reopen a closed question? or How to ask a smart question?, and possibly the style guide FAQ as well (this guidance only really needs to be shown to the asker, and only if they have low reputation). Simply closing the question with an inscrutable reason doesn't tell the OP what they need to improve, after all - and a new user may have no idea that closed questions can be reopened at all.

A: The How to Ask page is shown to every new user before they post a question.  (Log out and try to ask a question to see what I mean.)  It's also always linked in the sidebar on the Ask Question page.  I don't think people's questions are getting closed because we don't make this information available, I think they just aren't bothering to read it.

A: This is an excellent idea, in fact such a good idea it's hard to believe it's not already the case. If a post is bad but salvageable, then we want it to be salvaged. While we need to take a hard line in rejecting crap, we should also accept all the good stuff we can get. Your previous feature request seemed to indicate that posters of closed questions needed more work and help, or at least leniency, from the rest of us, with which I do not agree. They need to do the work, but they also need the information about the nature of that work.
As you say in your comment on Bill's answer, people don't read warning messages or click-throughs, unless they are motivated to do so by needing the information to get something they want. Closing questions quickly and rigorously is important for the overall quality of the site, and, importantly, it provides the motivation for askers of closed questions to clean up their problematic posts. The functionality to perform that cleanup also already exists. As the third leg, we should absolutely make it as easy as possible for an asker to obtain the knowledge of what cleanup needs to be performed.

A: I agree with you, I think in the closing statement. there should be link on how to reopen and how to ask question.   it is true there are FAQ and help reachable. but those users with closed questions usually don't bother to read before they encounter closed question. or they might have trouble reading in English.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


There are not so many hotel rooms in Tal-y-llyn, just 8, still everyone can find an offer to suit his choice. The most common offers in this city are 3 и 4 stars, they count 3 out of 8, and their prevalent location is central district. According to our practice, it is the most profitable to book a hotel in the west of Tal-y-llyn, as it is the location of the hotels with optimal cost and quality offers along with the cheap hotels. Taking into account the small size of the city, there is no need to dwell hotel reservation on the location: the road to the city center would take less then half an hour, so one can book a hotel in any district of Tal-y-llyn. The most populated with hotels district of Tal-y-llyn is the north, 54% of cheap hotel rooms are concentrated here. However, even those who want to live in the south can choose from 1 variants of hotel rooms. Tal-y-llyn is an ideal place for couple and solo, such travellers rate hotels there 9.2 out of 10 on average. The view to garden, lake and mountain from the hotel room can serve as a pleasant addition to the journey. Apart from all these, hotels in Tal-y-llyn offer their customers restaurant/cafe and bar. The staff of the most hotels is multilingual: it speaks english. The most appreciated amenities in Tal-y-llyn hotels are location and vibe. According to the visitors reviews, hotels in Tal-y-llyn has great location, fantastic service and tasty breakfast. Take a look at our selection of the cheap hotel rooms in Tal-y-llyn to make a well-informed choice for your reservation!
The hotel rates in Tal-y-llyn heavily depend on the season and may significantly change according to the selected date range. The graph below describes changes in Tal-y-llyn hotel prices throughout the year divided by months. Thus, the lowest prices can be found in January – $158 on average – while the cost of hotel reservation in Tal-y-llyn goes up and reaches $158 by September. Besides, one can book a hotel in Tal-y-llyn with a discount and save up to 32% of the price, if doing it 30 days beforehand – that is the period between reservation and check in when our users on average find the best prices. So, if you are interested in booking a cheap hotel in Tal-y-llyn, take this information into consideration and take a look at the graph below!
Do you like to eat? We, too :) So we collected hotels Tal-y-llyn with a restaurant in the same place.
Hotels in Tal-y-llyn are spread around the city within the distance of 3.4 kilometers, while 4 hotels are located directly in the city center. The most popular accommodations in Tal-y-llyn is The Old Rectory on the lake, 5 stars hotel located in a 0.4 kilometers from the city center.


text:
Q: Can't resolve dependency in Android Studio with jcenter Why my program hang on resolving dependency for appDebug in andorid studio? I can't resolve any library.
This is my root  gradle file:
buildscript {
repositories {

    jcenter()

}
dependencies {
    classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:1.5.0'

    // NOTE: Do not place your application dependencies here; they belong
    // in the individual module build.gradle files
}
}

allprojects {
repositories {
    jcenter()
}
}

and this is my app gradle :
apply plugin: 'com.android.application'

android {
compileSdkVersion 23
buildToolsVersion "23.0.2"

defaultConfig {
    applicationId "com.example.alimohammadi.myapplication"
    minSdkVersion 15
    targetSdkVersion 23
    versionCode 1
    versionName "1.0"
}
buildTypes {
    release {
        minifyEnabled false
        proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
    }
}
}

dependencies {
compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
testCompile 'junit:junit:4.12'
compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:23.1.1'
compile 'com.android.support:design:23.1.1'
}

And I can't resolve junit. And I can't access to https://jcenter.bintray.com/ with my browser (it gave me connection time out while other site return true response).

A: After one day time wasting i found that it's gift for Iranian developer :D
Finally i switch back to mavenCentral().by changing to  mavenCentral() in my root gradle . and problem solved.
My root build.gradle file turn to below code:
buildscript {
repositories {

   mavenCentral()

}
dependencies {
    classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:1.5.0'
}
}

allprojects {
repositories {
    mavenCentral()
}
}

Some library don't exist in mevenCentral so we have to add proxy to our gradle.properties file like below to access jcenter :D
systemProp.http.proxyHost=www.somehost.org
systemProp.http.proxyPort=8080
systemProp.http.proxyUser=user
systemProp.http.proxyPassword=password
systemProp.http.nonProxyHosts=localhost
systemProp.http.auth.ntlm.domain=domain

Or for https
systemProp.https.proxyHost=www.somehost.org
systemProp.https.proxyPort=8080
systemProp.https.proxyUser=user
systemProp.https.proxyPassword=password
systemProp.https.nonProxyHosts=localhost
systemProp.https.auth.ntlm.domain=domain

A: After long hours of investigation solution came to me unexpectedly. - Try building your gradle with different network or mobile hotspot. Works for me.

A: I faced the exact same issue when I tried to include in my build.gradle the following dependency
classpath 'com.google.gms:google-services:3.0.0'
in order to have
buildscript {
  repositories {
      jcenter()
  }

  dependencies {
      classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:2.3.0'
      classpath 'com.google.gms:google-services:3.0.0'
  }
}

I got Timeout on gradle resolution path. So far (when only the classpath to the gradle:2.3.0 was present), I in fact was working with my cache, so I didn't notice that my proxy was not correctly set.
So I tried to select manual proxy: Settings->Apperance&Behaviour-> System Settings ->Http Proxy with Hostname and port number.
So the associated gradle.properties was:
systemProp.http.proxyHost=proxy<blabla>.com
systemProp.http.proxyPort=123    (123 is just an example)

but I still had the problem. Caramba!! So I noticed that the files I needed are located here:
https://jcenter.bintray.com/com/android/tools/build/gradle/2.3.0/
but Android studio does not provide a UI to set the proxy on HTTPS so I manually edit the gradle.properties to duplicate the line for https
systemProp.http.proxyHost=proxy<blabla>.com
systemProp.http.proxyPort=123    (123 is just an example)
systemProp.https.proxyHost=proxy<blabla>.com
systemProp.https.proxyPort=123

And.... it works for me. Don't need to change jcenter to mavenCentral.


When looking to build a water feature the choices available might be a little overwhelming. I myself, have had over 45 years to try many of the water fountains available. Just remember all water features are in fact just an alternative to another and what may work for one person may not work as well in another landscape. Fiberglas fountains are good for short term, but they tend to crack, fade and the waterfalls sound unrealistic. Real rock features is really nothing more than using real rock to decorate or cover up rubber and cement ponds and their preformed polyethylene components. Not to mention creating a horrifying maintenance issue for the home owner. I have a sweet waterfall garden solution that can be enjoyed by everyone and that's using decorative artificial rocks by Universal Rocks.
One excellent advantage of artificial rocks is all the different backyard rock ponds & garden waterfalls that we offer in different combinations to meet your landscaping needs. Our extremely popular patio ponds are awesome when offered with our breathtaking pool waterfalls for the patio and deck setting. Here at Everything Waterfalls, we love this waterfalls idea for those who may not have a swimming pool but would like to have one of our gorgeous larger waterfalls. The large patio pond LP-003 comes in a two piece unit consisting of a super tough pond basin and a decorative rock collar for an incredible water feature pond design. Our Serenity waterfall rock formation (LEW-003) medium is impressive for backyards, gardens, swimming pools and now as phenomenal artificial waterfalls for our large patio ponds. This exceptional pond waterfalls requires no digging which is an outstanding advantage for those looking to set up a water fountain on any flat area in your yard's landscape. Our patio pond waterfalls kit will only take a short amount of time to set up which is yet another huge advantage for the homeowner in mind. In fact it could take more time to fill with water. Our rock waterfalls are perfect for decks, patios and courtyards while creating an outstanding center piece for any garden or backyard landscape setting. Also excellent for entertaining & family gatherings while perfect for meditation & yoga while relaxing to soothing and peaceful sounds of a beautiful waterfalls.


text:
Carriera
Ha giocato nella massima serie serba ed italiana, in quest'ultima con la maglia del , con cui ha esordito il 6 aprile 1997, ovvero due giorni dopo esser stato tesserato, in Perugia- (1-1), ben figurando.

Note

Collegamenti esterni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Over the past few years, there's rarely been a Bootie party where there hasn't been at least one Whitney Houston mashup dropped. We were as sad as anyone to hear of her untimely passing this past Saturday.
So in tribute to the late, great singer, we respectfully present nine of our favorite Whitney Houston mashups … plus one bonus bootleg cover, which has become the stuff of Bootie legend, and should be familiar to anyone who has stayed at a Bootie party while Adrian is DJing until the bitter end.


Modern Chilean wine is now just over 20 years old. Chilean wine spans an entire generation of European wine drinkers and is already working on a second, especial when it comes to Chilean Red and in particular Chile Red Merlot is a huge hit. The country is slowly transitioning from bargain varietal wine to quality/value wines from recognized appellations; in short, they are wines with a better story to tell. Chile's ultimate development depends upon moving beyond the value-for-money moniker that smothers its wines much the way an early morning Pacific fog blankets its coastal vineyards. The current mantra is to get to the coast or up the mountains. Neither area is cheap to farm and you expect to pay more for such wine but the quality, and more importantly the allure of Syrah, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache, Chardonnay or Riesling, well, you name the region — is so far removed from the Chilean wines of the 1990s that its transformation can, and should, provide the impetus for a major shift in the psychology of Chilean wine among retailers and consumers. Chile's strength is isolated wine regions. Naturally made wines, all of them, should be its focus for the next decade. Syrah, Pinot Noir and Merlot will likely be the stars of the next decade, along with the likes of Carignan, Riesling and more innovative and creative red blends. No one knows better what the wines of Chile have to offer than the Chileans themselves. It is time Chile decided what is best for it future. One such promising group is the Movement of Independent Vintners. Movi calls itself an association of small, quality-oriented Chilean wineries who have come together to share a common goal to make wine personally, on a human scale and to promote a passion for the endeavours of growing grapes and crafting fine wine. I'll second that. Kenny's Sipping suggestions of top notch Chilean Red Wine and Chile Red Merlot: Santa Alicia Gran Reserva Merlot Chile, £7.99 Polero Merlot Chile, £5.59 Santa Rita Honoring 120 Merlot, Chile, £6.59 Tierra Del Rey Merlot, Chile, £6.49 Santiano Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile, £5.59 Casillero del Diablo Pinot Noir 2009 Chile, £7.69 Concha y Toro Carmenere, Chile, £6.39 *These prices are correct at the time of writing.