Costumes from New Year's Eve and things I took to the museum.
Well, it was fun to see the archaeologist-lady at the museum and she was very kind to me, despite the fact that I'd basically brought in a bunch of tat. She wasn't patronising at all and looked at all my little finds with care and interest. I did actually have something as old as I'd hoped, even if it wasn't the actual object I was counting on!
Here's an updated picture of the things I found in my garden, I thought I'd include the more interesting pottery fragments this time...and my newest addition, the head of a little lead soldier!
So here we have a little black cat, which I found in my front garden when I was about ten or so, it's made of plastic (the woman actually put it on her teeth to be sure!) so it's relatively modern. I love it though, I found it at a similar time to all the other witchy stuff, so it seemed very apt! The Jewish/occult pendant is definitely my favourite thing in the collection, it wasn't as old as I'd hoped, the archaeologist said it was probably late 1800s. She also didn't rule out the occult symbolism, which is super cool! She wasn't sure what the floral thing on the left was, possibly a belt, but she thought it was probably art deco era. I didn't really show her the marble and the bead.
I found both of these bottles in my back garden. The smaller one is definitely my favourite, she thought they were probably late 1800s/1900s. And there's the little lead soldier I found in my front garden, I think he's sweet, I wonder where the rest of him is? D:
I think the fire engine/car was one of the first things I found...I pretty much found all the larger stuff when I was 12 or under, I can't imagine how excited I'd be to find something today, I think the finds in my garden have just about dried up ;__;. Anyway, yes, the little red vehicle is pretty sweet, I'm never sure if the red wheel belongs to it or not! There's also the end of a clay pipe here (my dad has found loads of these stems, but never a bowl) which I was told was impossible to date without the bowl. The most exciting thing she told me was that the two pottery fragments you can see above were really quite old! The blue and white one was found in my back garden and she dates it as possibly 1700s! The best thing, though, was the brown piece above it in the photo, she said it was the rim of a large plate or bowl dating back to the 1600s! Unfortunately I did not find this in my garden, but in a field miles and miles away whilst metal detecting - I didn't find anything with my metal detector, but at least my trip wasn't a complete waste of time! I've also taken some close-ups to show you.
So this is the back of the possible belt. I thought it was pretty modern until I turned it over, the back always looked pretty crudely made to me.
Here's a better shot of the little car/fire engine/tractor. I've always called it a fire engine, like a 1920s style one, y'know? What do you think it is?
You know what? I'm going to give you the extended history of this little pendant now, because I like thinking about the day it was found. I've told the story briefly, so I'm sorry if I'm boring anyone, feel free to scroll down :).
It was summer in about 1992 and my dad was digging over our garden, right at the back of the garage, I'd wanted to be an archaeologist for as long as I could remember (it's probably Scrooge McDuck's fault, or something, I remember he used to go treasure hunting quite a lot) and every day I used to rush home and ask him if he'd found anything. He always said "no," until this one day when he said "no...oh wait, I found this little coin!" and he handed it to me. I rushed inside to wash it and there it was, not a coin at all, but a little pendant! You can see the broken base of the loop on the right hand side of the picture.
The interesting thing was that when we were studying the era of the witch trials at primary school a few weeks later, I found this exact symbol illustrated in a book. Now, I know that childhood memories are vague at best and very prone to exaggeration, but from what I can remember it was the exact pendant, the hexagram in the circle with the little dots inside and around the star, it was noted as 'a witch or a warlock's pendant.' I remember taking the spooky little thing in to show my teacher, I must've been ten or eleven at the time. Now the title and author of the book are lost to history and I have no way of checking if what I remember is true D:!
A few years ago I decided to try and research the symbol on the internet, but the only interesting stuff I can find is generally on suspect and rather crazy websites, with bad grammar and spelling errors and rants about how America is falling to Satanism and the Nazis...but that all adds to the charm ;)! Haha! From what I can gather from the crazies, if the hexagram is placed inside a circle then it's an occult/masonic symbol. Likewise if the triangles interlock rather than just laying flat. I'll share what I've found out tonight, although I'm certainly not giving these sites any kind of credibility, that's for sure!
HEXAGRAM - [A] star enclosed in a circle and another popular symbol used by those who practice various forms of witchcraft. This symbol is not as popular with Satanist[s] and may even be used exclusively by those practicing[sic] other forms of the occult such as wicca and other forms of witchcraft. Some people confuse this symbol with the Magen David.
MAGEN DAVID - Also known as Solomon's Seal. This symbol used by the chosen race (Debarim/Deuteronomy 7:14) is often confused with the hexagram by those not familiar with symbology but the Magen David lacks the all too familiar circle associated with most other popular occultic [lol, is that a word?] symbols. Magen is the Hebrew word for shield, this is why it is called the Shield of David. Legend has it that King David's shield was shaped as such. It is likely to be associated to King Solomon as well and legend says the symbol appeared on the handle of King Solomon's Sword. [source]
HEXAGRAM or SIX-POINTED STAR: When surrounded by a circle, it represents the "divine mind" (a counterfeit of God's wisdom) to numerous occult groups through the centuries. Many still use it in occult rituals. [source]
I found this next quotation from a website about masonic symbolism. It's much more well sourced than the other sites, but, I dunno, there's something even more disturbing about it somehow. Edited for offensive passage.
THE HEXAGRAM Uniting the Water Triangle with the Fire Triangle, the Hexagram is formed. It forms a six pointed star also known as the Seal of Solomon. This symbol is a counterfeit Star of David, the national symbol of Israel(God's chosen nation). The difference between the Star of David and the occult seal is the triangles which make up the occult seal interlock and the two triangles of the Star of David lie flat against each other. Mary Ann Slipper, a Masonic author, writing in Symbolism of the Eastern Star, 1927, on page 14, makes a most telling admission, when she says, "The six pointed star is used in Masonic work and is also found in other well known secret orders." Another Eastern Star book, The Second Mile , understates the impact of the hexagram when it says, "... the six pointed star is a very ancient symbol and one of the most powerful."
The hexagram is a very powerful symbol to witches, magicians and sorcerers. It is used in different kinds of witchcraft, magic, occultism, and the casting of zodialcal[sorry, what?] horoscopes. Because it has six points, and because it contains a '666,' the hexagram is considered to be Satan's most powerful symbol. Look at the hexagram above. The first six is formed by the sides of each triangle facing the clockwise direction; the second six is formed by the sides of each triangle formed by facing the counterclockwise direction; the third six is formed by the sides of the inner hexagon.
The hexagram was used as a "stand-by for Magicians and Alchemists. The Sorcerers believed it represented the footprint of a special kind of demon called a 'trud', and used it in ceremonies both to call up demons and to keep them away." [Gary Jennings, Black Magic, White Magic, Eau Claire, WI, The Dial Press, 1964, p. 51. Also Harry E. Wedeck, Treasury of Witchcraft , New York, Philosophical Library, 1961, p. 135] The hexagram is used to conjure up demons, making them appear in this dimension to do the bidding of the witch. Doc Marquis (Former Illuminist Satanist) confirms that hexagrams are used to call forth demons to place spells and curses on the intended victim. The word, "HEX," comes from this practice.
The hexagram is also a symbol of the sex act and reproduction. Masonic author, Albert G. Mackey provides us with the occult explanation in his book, The Symbolism of Freemasonry, [p. 195, 1869 A.D.] The triangle pointing downward "is a female symbol corresponding to the 'yoni' and the upward pointing triangle is the male, the 'lingam'. When the two triangles are interlaced, it represents the union of the active and passive forces in nature; it represents the male and female elements." [Also explained in Did You Know? Vignettes in Masonry from the Royal Arch Mason Magazine , Missouri Lodge of Research, 1965, p. 132, Wes Cook, Editor] If this has not become evident to you, the occultist, the paganist, worship sex. They also worship most everything in nature, which fulfills the Biblical definition of a paganist in Romans 1:25, "Because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator ..." Speaking of the sexual connotation of the hexagram, another witch revealed, "When the male triangle penetrates the female triangle, it produces the six pointed crest of Solomon or hexagram, the most wicked symbol in witchcraft." [David J. Meyer, Dancing With Demons: The Music's Real Master ]
The hexagram is the sign used in the Royal Arch in Freemasonry. Masonic author Wes Cook, writing in Did You Know? Vignettes in Masonry from the Royal Arch Mason Magazine, [Missouri Lodge of Research, 1965, p. 132] stated that the hexagram represented "balance and harmony" in all facets of the world. Another Masonic publication links the hexagram with the infamous Chinese YANG AND YIN symbol. ["The Significant Numbers", Short Talk Bulletin , September, 1956, Vol. 34, No. 9, p. 5]
In summary, the hexagram IS the most wicked, and one of the most powerful, of all symbols in witchcraft. It is used to call forth demons into this dimension, to communicate with the dead, to describe sex acts, and to represent false and pagan gods such as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. [Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated , Dr. Cathy Burns, p. 39] [source]
I just went onto the main page of that last website and was presented with this gem " Your government is poised to inject you with a tracking chip manufactured by Applied Digital Solutions called, "Veri Chip". Don't believe me? Click below, I'll prove it to you." Hmmmm :-/.
I've also read quotations that say that it's only an occult symbol if the edges of the triangles touch the circle, which these do not. So who knows! If anyone can provide any more information or has an opinion on the thing I'd be really pleased to hear your thoughts! Anyway, be it the Star of David or a crazy occult demon trap (no really, I read that!), I'm very happy to have it and to wonder who might've owned it and if they were sorry they lost it. OMG, I just thought, maybe someone buried it because they were so afraid of it? My back garden was empty land before about 1930! D: D: D:
On a slightly lighter note...
I realised I never posted the photographs from the New Year's Eve fancy dress party, probably because they weren't very flattering in my case. Nonetheless, due to the public demand for pictures of J's Rorschach costume and as a thank you for helping me choose my own, here are the photos I promised way back in December!
MJ as Spiderman.
J as Rorschach
Me as Sheila, although you can't see the best part of my costume - the boots! Also, I hate this photo.
Uni, with Spidey and Rorschach as we await our famous guests.
The Joker, who claimed he didn't have a costume to wear and only thought of this one the day before! It's actually the suit his father got married in! We were amazed. Also, yes, that is Beverley Crusher from ST:TNG in the background, she was our guest of honour.
In fact, we had not one, but two jokers, as here we have the lovely reno_alcoholic
We also had a Batman to go with our Jokers! I am very jealous of her utility belt! Also pictured is Kyle, who did not dress up! I'm going to the con in August with him, he'd better make an effort then!
I think Lindseyanna Jones might have been my favourite guest of all.
We also had Fidel Castro,
and Napoleon Dynamite,
Alice in Wonderland (pictured with Napoleon's glasses on) and Pocahontas.
The Joker and Snow White, an odd pairing, but it might just work!
I love my reno_alcoholic! This is also probably the only decent picture of me taken that night.
I am sure Rorschach would not approve of The Joker invading his personal space like this. "Mask is fine as it is!" Beverley looms in the background.
The only surviving picture of the boots I made D: Pocahontas clearly went to Specsavers.
Rorschach's mask turned scarily into a face for this photo, I don't think I like it. Would you like me to heat up that Carlsberg for you, Rorschach ? Fine as it is.
I was clearly drunk at this point. Dan Dreiberg audition #3.
Speaking of Dan Dreiberg! I swear I didn't cheat for this one at all! I love it when that happens!
A Watchmen Meme
Which Watchmen Character Are You?
You Scored as Night Owl II
YOU ARE THE NIGHT OWL II - Having taken the moniker of his predicessor, Holis, the original Night Owl, the new one focuses on use of his technology and Airship Archie to battle crime.
Night Owl II71%Doctor Manhattan57%Ozymandias48%Rorschach43%Silk Spectre38%Night Owl29%The Commedian29%
Here's an updated picture of the things I found in my garden, I thought I'd include the more interesting pottery fragments this time...and my newest addition, the head of a little lead soldier!
So here we have a little black cat, which I found in my front garden when I was about ten or so, it's made of plastic (the woman actually put it on her teeth to be sure!) so it's relatively modern. I love it though, I found it at a similar time to all the other witchy stuff, so it seemed very apt! The Jewish/occult pendant is definitely my favourite thing in the collection, it wasn't as old as I'd hoped, the archaeologist said it was probably late 1800s. She also didn't rule out the occult symbolism, which is super cool! She wasn't sure what the floral thing on the left was, possibly a belt, but she thought it was probably art deco era. I didn't really show her the marble and the bead.
I found both of these bottles in my back garden. The smaller one is definitely my favourite, she thought they were probably late 1800s/1900s. And there's the little lead soldier I found in my front garden, I think he's sweet, I wonder where the rest of him is? D:
I think the fire engine/car was one of the first things I found...I pretty much found all the larger stuff when I was 12 or under, I can't imagine how excited I'd be to find something today, I think the finds in my garden have just about dried up ;__;. Anyway, yes, the little red vehicle is pretty sweet, I'm never sure if the red wheel belongs to it or not! There's also the end of a clay pipe here (my dad has found loads of these stems, but never a bowl) which I was told was impossible to date without the bowl. The most exciting thing she told me was that the two pottery fragments you can see above were really quite old! The blue and white one was found in my back garden and she dates it as possibly 1700s! The best thing, though, was the brown piece above it in the photo, she said it was the rim of a large plate or bowl dating back to the 1600s! Unfortunately I did not find this in my garden, but in a field miles and miles away whilst metal detecting - I didn't find anything with my metal detector, but at least my trip wasn't a complete waste of time! I've also taken some close-ups to show you.
So this is the back of the possible belt. I thought it was pretty modern until I turned it over, the back always looked pretty crudely made to me.
Here's a better shot of the little car/fire engine/tractor. I've always called it a fire engine, like a 1920s style one, y'know? What do you think it is?
You know what? I'm going to give you the extended history of this little pendant now, because I like thinking about the day it was found. I've told the story briefly, so I'm sorry if I'm boring anyone, feel free to scroll down :).
It was summer in about 1992 and my dad was digging over our garden, right at the back of the garage, I'd wanted to be an archaeologist for as long as I could remember (it's probably Scrooge McDuck's fault, or something, I remember he used to go treasure hunting quite a lot) and every day I used to rush home and ask him if he'd found anything. He always said "no," until this one day when he said "no...oh wait, I found this little coin!" and he handed it to me. I rushed inside to wash it and there it was, not a coin at all, but a little pendant! You can see the broken base of the loop on the right hand side of the picture.
The interesting thing was that when we were studying the era of the witch trials at primary school a few weeks later, I found this exact symbol illustrated in a book. Now, I know that childhood memories are vague at best and very prone to exaggeration, but from what I can remember it was the exact pendant, the hexagram in the circle with the little dots inside and around the star, it was noted as 'a witch or a warlock's pendant.' I remember taking the spooky little thing in to show my teacher, I must've been ten or eleven at the time. Now the title and author of the book are lost to history and I have no way of checking if what I remember is true D:!
A few years ago I decided to try and research the symbol on the internet, but the only interesting stuff I can find is generally on suspect and rather crazy websites, with bad grammar and spelling errors and rants about how America is falling to Satanism and the Nazis...but that all adds to the charm ;)! Haha! From what I can gather from the crazies, if the hexagram is placed inside a circle then it's an occult/masonic symbol. Likewise if the triangles interlock rather than just laying flat. I'll share what I've found out tonight, although I'm certainly not giving these sites any kind of credibility, that's for sure!
HEXAGRAM - [A] star enclosed in a circle and another popular symbol used by those who practice various forms of witchcraft. This symbol is not as popular with Satanist[s] and may even be used exclusively by those practicing[sic] other forms of the occult such as wicca and other forms of witchcraft. Some people confuse this symbol with the Magen David.
MAGEN DAVID - Also known as Solomon's Seal. This symbol used by the chosen race (Debarim/Deuteronomy 7:14) is often confused with the hexagram by those not familiar with symbology but the Magen David lacks the all too familiar circle associated with most other popular occultic [lol, is that a word?] symbols. Magen is the Hebrew word for shield, this is why it is called the Shield of David. Legend has it that King David's shield was shaped as such. It is likely to be associated to King Solomon as well and legend says the symbol appeared on the handle of King Solomon's Sword. [source]
HEXAGRAM or SIX-POINTED STAR: When surrounded by a circle, it represents the "divine mind" (a counterfeit of God's wisdom) to numerous occult groups through the centuries. Many still use it in occult rituals. [source]
I found this next quotation from a website about masonic symbolism. It's much more well sourced than the other sites, but, I dunno, there's something even more disturbing about it somehow. Edited for offensive passage.
THE HEXAGRAM Uniting the Water Triangle with the Fire Triangle, the Hexagram is formed. It forms a six pointed star also known as the Seal of Solomon. This symbol is a counterfeit Star of David, the national symbol of Israel(God's chosen nation). The difference between the Star of David and the occult seal is the triangles which make up the occult seal interlock and the two triangles of the Star of David lie flat against each other. Mary Ann Slipper, a Masonic author, writing in Symbolism of the Eastern Star, 1927, on page 14, makes a most telling admission, when she says, "The six pointed star is used in Masonic work and is also found in other well known secret orders." Another Eastern Star book, The Second Mile , understates the impact of the hexagram when it says, "... the six pointed star is a very ancient symbol and one of the most powerful."
The hexagram is a very powerful symbol to witches, magicians and sorcerers. It is used in different kinds of witchcraft, magic, occultism, and the casting of zodialcal[sorry, what?] horoscopes. Because it has six points, and because it contains a '666,' the hexagram is considered to be Satan's most powerful symbol. Look at the hexagram above. The first six is formed by the sides of each triangle facing the clockwise direction; the second six is formed by the sides of each triangle formed by facing the counterclockwise direction; the third six is formed by the sides of the inner hexagon.
The hexagram was used as a "stand-by for Magicians and Alchemists. The Sorcerers believed it represented the footprint of a special kind of demon called a 'trud', and used it in ceremonies both to call up demons and to keep them away." [Gary Jennings, Black Magic, White Magic, Eau Claire, WI, The Dial Press, 1964, p. 51. Also Harry E. Wedeck, Treasury of Witchcraft , New York, Philosophical Library, 1961, p. 135] The hexagram is used to conjure up demons, making them appear in this dimension to do the bidding of the witch. Doc Marquis (Former Illuminist Satanist) confirms that hexagrams are used to call forth demons to place spells and curses on the intended victim. The word, "HEX," comes from this practice.
The hexagram is also a symbol of the sex act and reproduction. Masonic author, Albert G. Mackey provides us with the occult explanation in his book, The Symbolism of Freemasonry, [p. 195, 1869 A.D.] The triangle pointing downward "is a female symbol corresponding to the 'yoni' and the upward pointing triangle is the male, the 'lingam'. When the two triangles are interlaced, it represents the union of the active and passive forces in nature; it represents the male and female elements." [Also explained in Did You Know? Vignettes in Masonry from the Royal Arch Mason Magazine , Missouri Lodge of Research, 1965, p. 132, Wes Cook, Editor] If this has not become evident to you, the occultist, the paganist, worship sex. They also worship most everything in nature, which fulfills the Biblical definition of a paganist in Romans 1:25, "Because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator ..." Speaking of the sexual connotation of the hexagram, another witch revealed, "When the male triangle penetrates the female triangle, it produces the six pointed crest of Solomon or hexagram, the most wicked symbol in witchcraft." [David J. Meyer, Dancing With Demons: The Music's Real Master ]
The hexagram is the sign used in the Royal Arch in Freemasonry. Masonic author Wes Cook, writing in Did You Know? Vignettes in Masonry from the Royal Arch Mason Magazine, [Missouri Lodge of Research, 1965, p. 132] stated that the hexagram represented "balance and harmony" in all facets of the world. Another Masonic publication links the hexagram with the infamous Chinese YANG AND YIN symbol. ["The Significant Numbers", Short Talk Bulletin , September, 1956, Vol. 34, No. 9, p. 5]
In summary, the hexagram IS the most wicked, and one of the most powerful, of all symbols in witchcraft. It is used to call forth demons into this dimension, to communicate with the dead, to describe sex acts, and to represent false and pagan gods such as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. [Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated , Dr. Cathy Burns, p. 39] [source]
I just went onto the main page of that last website and was presented with this gem " Your government is poised to inject you with a tracking chip manufactured by Applied Digital Solutions called, "Veri Chip". Don't believe me? Click below, I'll prove it to you." Hmmmm :-/.
I've also read quotations that say that it's only an occult symbol if the edges of the triangles touch the circle, which these do not. So who knows! If anyone can provide any more information or has an opinion on the thing I'd be really pleased to hear your thoughts! Anyway, be it the Star of David or a crazy occult demon trap (no really, I read that!), I'm very happy to have it and to wonder who might've owned it and if they were sorry they lost it. OMG, I just thought, maybe someone buried it because they were so afraid of it? My back garden was empty land before about 1930! D: D: D:
On a slightly lighter note...
I realised I never posted the photographs from the New Year's Eve fancy dress party, probably because they weren't very flattering in my case. Nonetheless, due to the public demand for pictures of J's Rorschach costume and as a thank you for helping me choose my own, here are the photos I promised way back in December!
MJ as Spiderman.
J as Rorschach
Me as Sheila, although you can't see the best part of my costume - the boots! Also, I hate this photo.
Uni, with Spidey and Rorschach as we await our famous guests.
The Joker, who claimed he didn't have a costume to wear and only thought of this one the day before! It's actually the suit his father got married in! We were amazed. Also, yes, that is Beverley Crusher from ST:TNG in the background, she was our guest of honour.
In fact, we had not one, but two jokers, as here we have the lovely reno_alcoholic
We also had a Batman to go with our Jokers! I am very jealous of her utility belt! Also pictured is Kyle, who did not dress up! I'm going to the con in August with him, he'd better make an effort then!
I think Lindseyanna Jones might have been my favourite guest of all.
We also had Fidel Castro,
and Napoleon Dynamite,
Alice in Wonderland (pictured with Napoleon's glasses on) and Pocahontas.
The Joker and Snow White, an odd pairing, but it might just work!
I love my reno_alcoholic! This is also probably the only decent picture of me taken that night.
I am sure Rorschach would not approve of The Joker invading his personal space like this. "Mask is fine as it is!" Beverley looms in the background.
The only surviving picture of the boots I made D: Pocahontas clearly went to Specsavers.
Rorschach's mask turned scarily into a face for this photo, I don't think I like it. Would you like me to heat up that Carlsberg for you, Rorschach ? Fine as it is.
I was clearly drunk at this point. Dan Dreiberg audition #3.
Speaking of Dan Dreiberg! I swear I didn't cheat for this one at all! I love it when that happens!
A Watchmen Meme
Which Watchmen Character Are You?
You Scored as Night Owl II
YOU ARE THE NIGHT OWL II - Having taken the moniker of his predicessor, Holis, the original Night Owl, the new one focuses on use of his technology and Airship Archie to battle crime.
Night Owl II71%Doctor Manhattan57%Ozymandias48%Rorschach43%Silk Spectre38%Night Owl29%The Commedian29%