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Barbelith Magical Homework

15:54 / 01.11.06

Just like Lula started in Creation here, but for Magical and Spiritual work.

So, I guess I will go first.

I would like two assignments, and I don't mind some creativity.

1. I have been looking for information on the goddess Cotytto or Cotys, for an art project I am doing. There is, unfortunately, very little available on Her. So, keeping in mind the information is for artwork, please give me an assignment whereby I can learn about Cotytto. What I need is the method of that assignment. I can follow that method and see what I come up with. There is a bit of experimentation here, I suppose.

2. More experimenting, maybe...Please give me some homework to help develop and sort empathic tendencies.

15:57 / 01.11.06

The first thing that springs to mind is automatic drawing. Maybe, in a ritual setting, you could get revoltingly drunk, sexual and debauched (with or without friends). Then, having become thoroughly drenched with the mystery, just apply pen to paper. In the morning, after wiping the vomit from your bleary eyes, you can see what turned up in the sketches and work from that.

20:02 / 01.11.06

Please give me some homework to help develop and sort empathic tendencies.

Don't do this unless you're very, very serious and committed about it:

Go to an animal shelter. Adopt a dog or cat. Care for that dog or cat.

That's it.

20:44 / 01.11.06

Electrix - the only thing I have on Cotytto is a weird trail on the Encylopaedia Mythica, related to Cottus, possibly her son, which leads to the Hecatonchires, which then leads to an, in my humble opinion, slightly odd myth involving Cronus, and Uranus's testicles.

So I think the debauched drunk drawing might in fact be the most viable way, right now!

11:29 / 02.11.06

Cottus, possibly her son, which leads to the Hecatonchires

That's strange, though, because that lists the mother of Cottus as Gaia, despite the search listing the etymology of "Cottus" as "Son of Cotytto".

This might be explained, however, by another translation that says "Kottos = Grudge, Rancour" - it may be that both the... er... monster, and the Goddess have names of similar etymology, rather than the one is descended from the other.

Cotytto Herself I easily found in a search for Cotys. But, er, only from one of the two search pages? *blinks* Something is wrong with the site...

Anyway, it said merely that Cotytto is the Thracian goddess of immodesty and debauchery, worshipped at Athens with licentious rites. Her priests were called Baptes, from the Greek verb bapto, to wash, because of the so-called ceremonies of purification connected with her rites. However, their midnight orgies were so obscene that they disgusted even the goddess herself.

From what I can find in the Sacred Text Archive, Cotys (the first?) seems also to be a relatively common Thracian name - most famously the name of the son of either Augustus or Rhescuporis (the phrasing in Tacitus makes it confusing which). The latter had him killed, as he was a rival king, benevolently controlling the outlands.

A bit more poking around also produced this.

It apparently helps to vary the spelling: Kotys Kotus Cotys Cottyto Cottytus

Also: "Bendis was the Thrakian goddess of the moon and hunting who was worshipped with Bakkhic-like revelries.

She was identified by the Greeks with Artemis, Hekate and Selene, when not regarded as a distinct goddess in her own right. She may have been the same as the Thrakian goddess Kotys.

So... um... perhaps your assignment should be to find all the Goddesses that Kotys was syncretized with in various places, and explore the common threads that bind them together?

--Ember--

12:20 / 02.11.06

I think you could do Princess homework without the debauchery. Use left hand, maybe, or a mantra. Draw with eyes closed and see what happens when you open them. I might do this.

12:22 / 02.11.06

As for empathic tendencies... simply look at strangers, try and work out what they are like, from cues like clothes, expression, body language. Then from this try and intuit what their personal agendas might be, what obstacles they face.

15:23 / 02.11.06

For empathy, you could volunteer to visit people in your local hospital. There are lonely people who are sick and afraid who are near you, and a few hours would help them and develop your empathy at the same time.

15:40 / 02.11.06

Regarding empathy, just be careful to keep it seperate from sympathy. Empathy is understanding the feelings/emotions/beliefs/thoughts of another, sypmathy is sharing them. Depending on your situation, this could be exactly what you want or something very dangerous for your emotional health.

15:51 / 02.11.06

Other way round isn't it? I thought empathy was sharing and sympathy was understanding?

15:59 / 02.11.06

Nope. Empathy is an understanding of someone elses feelings and sympathy is a mutual feeling, something you have shared.

16:02 / 02.11.06

You can really only sympathise if you have been through the same set of feelings yourself. You can only sympathise about how the death of a relative feels if one of your relatives has died. If they haven't then you can empathise with that situation, but not sympathise.

16:36 / 02.11.06

Thank you Emberleo. That was very nicew of you to put mostly all the information about Cotyttos together. It will also help anyone else who may be looking for this information via the search function.

The automatic drawing idea is fabulous, Princess. I actually did some autosketching by employing a bit of the reverse, (rather than the perverse) as Pegs suggested. I used the built up sexual energy and directed it onto the paper while in trance. I came out with this NSFW sketch. I apologize, but I spent some time doing some auto-rendering of the sketch, which was a mistake.

What happened as I was refining that sketch, I was finishing up the boots when I was knocked back into this second attention/trance where I was told in no uncertain terms that...

...(I) She doesn't need boots and this isn't (me) Her and that what I have drawn is perhaps a priestess, but certainly not (me) Her. I was told to step back and look up. I realized then I was at the feet of Cotytto and I was merely distracted by the ritual taking place.

Anyway, I pulled myself out of the trance with the promise I would go back there to recieve the Goddess and represent Cotytto properly in my artwork. So, I will attempt this again. I was clearly told off.

16:37 / 02.11.06

I will explain what I mean with the empath stuff, later.

16:55 / 02.11.06

Electrix, 'tis a lovely touch the boot heel piercing the...?

17:57 / 02.11.06

thank you xk. Although, it really isn't Cotytto and the rendering I did made it worse.

Actually, the worst part for me is that I feel the sketch may trigger justification of the "big penis" theory. When actually, as I understood the sketches and visions, the priestess is both birthing and having intercourse.

It is a fertility rite, after all.

19:54 / 02.11.06

I got the birthing intercourse thing from the image not so much any big cockness.....

Sometimes we get visions of servants because they help direct us to insights for perceiving the Divine. Steppin' stones.

23:01 / 02.11.06

I could tell it was a baby birthing. I agree the boot seems wrong.

The birth/rebirth aspect of the picture reminds me of a scene from American Gods.... *goes looking*... Ahh: "Bilquis, also called Bilqis or Balkis, was the legendary Queen of Sheba. In the Bible and the Koran, she met with King Solomon of Israel. Tradition also says that she bore his son, Menelik I. She was also believed to be half-jinn, and was reknowned for her beauty and for her wise leadership. She was called Makeda by her own people. Legend also says that she had very hairy legs, which the Bilquis of American Gods notices. (p. 22 [p. 27 in my paperback copy])

--Ember--

12:09 / 03.11.06

Right, hairy legs...that makes sense. I should have put "feet" in quotations in my other post.

My poor results are simply due to the fact that I didn't go deep enough into a trance and push my "ego" aside enough. I will try it again. I do know why I am resisting, but I have to let go of that next time.

Thank you Emberleo for the tip on Balkis.

Okay, empathic homework...

I need an assignment where I am learning to sort the signals I get from any possible projections from me.

There is a new book out by Daniel Goleman called "Social Intelligence", (to compliment his earlier work "Emotional Intelligence"). I was thinking it may be a good assignment to start with, (reading the book) since he is dealing with Social-Neuro Science. He said that, (paraphrasing) - the human brain has a built in wi-fi (his word). He compared it to that of birds flying in formation...or not.

So, do people think this is acceptable as homework? How do people feel about Daniel Goleman?

Any other suggestions are welcome, of course.

19:28 / 03.11.06

So, do people think this is acceptable as homework?

Is there such a thing as unacceptable homework?

I have seen the book, and wanted to read it, so heck, I'd love a report when you're done!

--Ember--

13:51 / 06.11.06

Princess: I tried the intercourse with the automatic drawing thing and it didn't work very well, even when I taped the paper to his chest. It resulted in a few unintentional stabbings. I think I will have to work on my automatic drawing (and writing) skills solo for now. It is a good thing for me to practice.

I stuck to journeying, or pathworking and I had visions of Cotytto as being quite tentacled or with many fluid arms. The perverse rituals were used to purge in the autumnal equinox and fertilize in the vernal, (hence the orgiastic rites that would carry on to disgust in order to purge completely or ensure abundance, respectively) by the secretions of the Goddess. Offerings of one's own sercetions are given to the Goddess in acts of outrageous and pleasurable nature, even if tht pleaure was derived through pain, of course.

To simply say she was a Goddess of Immodesty and Nocturnal sports, is simplistic and immature. She is that necessary link between mother and whore that is often ignored or outright denied. The dirty truth about life and death. She is a Goddess of this cycle. Possibly, in a similar way that Kali is, as both seem to have connections to Time/Chronos/Kalachakra.

There is a Transformative aspect to Cotytto that seems similar to Cerridwen, but skipping the symbolism of the cauldron and getting down to the heart, or rather womb, of the situation.

Okay, there is more, but details I can't really define right now in descriptive words.

13:58 / 06.11.06

Oh, I forgot to mention:

In order to achieve that state of "gnosis" solo, I used a mini-trampoline and Love & Rockets' "Express Kundalini". Maybe, that is why the Hindu Pantheon slipped in there.

14:38 / 06.11.06

It sounds like you had a really exciting experience. I can't wait to see the finished picture.

15:02 / 06.11.06

Yes, yes! Of course! Her hair is tentacled!

12:03 / 15.11.06

Bah, I am just not happy with my results. I feel like I walked through a party, was briefly introduced to the guest of honour, then I rushed out. Too shy and embarrassed to allow myself to gaze for any length of time upon the acts being performed about me. It was, quite honestly, shocking. I really didn't think that I could be shocked like this, but the few things I did see, I can barely bring myself to tell you all about. It is not just pornographic, but downright offensive. I mean things with pregnant women, not that pregnant women are offensive, but the things they were doing...it is just not right, and I am having a difficult time accepting this. I have never thought of myself as a prude before, but maybe I am. Nothing seemed off limits, and not exactly in what I would call "a good way".

Also, an association with sea anemones and Cotytto keeps popping up that I just don't understand. What is the reason for this? What is it about anemones that relate to Cotytto? Is there really this association or why I am I associating anemones with Her? Anyway, I think that the feeling of disgust is the ticket here and I am going to go with that to dig deeper and understand more.

Of course. Courting a Goddess would have to be a bit of a grind...pun not intended, (but it fits).

I have "Social Intelligence" on order.

Now, I must go shower.

16:58 / 15.11.06

I tried the intercourse with the automatic drawing thing and it didn't work very well, even when I taped the paper to his chest. It resulted in a few unintentional stabbings. I think I will have to work on my automatic drawing (and writing) skills solo for now.

Considered a tape recorder?

17:47 / 15.11.06

A tape recorder for automatic drawing? Could you explain that to me, Grant? Maybe I am lacking in imagination.

18:21 / 15.11.06

Well, if it's sound, it's usually called glossolalia, but the concept is the same. Unhinge consciousness, mutter mumble moan shout whatever comes as it comes, see if it reveals hidden meanings & juxtapositions.

Pretty much any symbol-bearing signal path can be randomized by the subconscious & used for meaningful interpretation in much the same way. Typed text -> cut-up & automatic writing. Ritual dance. Ecstatic song.

18:31 / 15.11.06

The internet is frustrating me right now, but I know I've read that the Beatles came up with backmasking after letting W.S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg & Bryon Gysin (the occulty-headed inventor of the dream machine) play around with tape loops in an Apple Records studio.

Argh! Internet! Why must you undermine my memory?

08:24 / 16.11.06

Anyway, I think that the feeling of disgust is the ticket here and I am going to go with that to dig deeper and understand more.

Is it the disgust that's significant, or the Taboo?

I admit, I'm now quite curious what was so terribly shocking (I'm hard to squick, but it's certainly not impossible - it's just my morbid curiosity tends to kick in first).

The bit about Sea Anemones - regardless of whether they're related on their own, what do you know about 'em, what do they signify to you such that they come to mind? Is it just shiny, pretty, poisonous, hungry tentacled water flowers? Is it that something as innocent as a Clown Fish can weave through them unharmed, but others get stung?

Is it just... tentacles?

(I keep being reminded of Tentacle Porn in all this - not my genre, but Wikipedia Article about Japanese art in this area is sort of interesting.

--Ember--