I am creating a blog to open people’s minds to new ideas. It will be about my many interests such as astrology, astronomy, finances, science, history, mythology, religion, etc. I will also accept ideas from other people.
What are exoplanets? How are they detected? How are they formed? Why they come in different colors? What about there magnetic fields and plate tectonics? Do some of them have rings? Do they even have an atmosphere? Could they support life? Ok, enough enough show me the list. Damnit!!!!!!
Definition
Exoplanets are planets that exist outside the solar system. Astronomers have discovered over 4,000 of them. There are super-Earths: which are planets similar to Earth but are more massive. There are also gas giants, Neptunian and terrestrial planets. Rogue planets are planets that float around in the galaxy. They don't orbit a star. Some exoplanets may contain lifeforms. I'm pretty sure of that.
Formation of Exoplanets
In a nebula some the dust and gas around a star clump together. Sometimes these clumps become planets. If this clumps are far out enough they may contain water. The gassy planets would be farther away from the star because the atoms it is made out of are light. The rocky planet would be color to the star because they have heavier atoms. This is what happen in our solar system. My assumption is it happened in others.
Meanings of Color
The color of an exoplanet is determined by the chemical composition of its sky. As well as dust, star radiation, pressure, etc. Mars is an good example of this: it has a red sky because of iron oxide in it. The electromagnetic waves and the molecules that make up the atmosphere as the biggest effect on the sky's color. A exoplanet (HD189733b) was discovered by Hubble Space Telescope, it is dark blue. It's that color because of silicate in the atmosphere. That planet was the first one astronomers figured out the color of. WASP-79 B is a yellow exoplanet. It's atmosphere don't fellow the same rules as Earth's. So astronomers don't know why it is yellow.
Force Fields
Magnetic fields (magnetosphere) can help a planet support life-forms similar to ones on Earth. They protect a planet from cosmic radiation. By doing so, organisms have a chance to evolve. Astronomers discovered 4 exoplanets that are about the size of Jupiter have very strong magnetic fields. These planets were the first exoplanets to have their magnetospheres studied.
Plate Tectonics
Astronomers discovered tectonic activity on a planet (LHS 3844b) 45 light years away. It orbits a red dwarf and it lacks an atmosphere. The orbit is only 11 hours because it is so close. The lava underground causes the plates to move. The planet doesn't rotate as it orbits, like the moon. One side of the planet is super hot and the other side is very cool. That may affect its planet tectonics.
Types of Exoplanets (talk planets with rings around them)
Super-Earths: Exoplanets similar to earth but more massive and it may have heavy water.
Gas Giants: These planets are similar to Jupiter and Saturn. But, they may be bigger and closer to the star. Disproving my assumption.
Neptunian: They are about as big as Neptune and they are icey.
Terrestrial:Terrestrial planets have similarities to other planets in the inter-solar system.
Life in Other Worlds
Some exoplanets are very similar to Earth, so they may have life forms. Planets unlike Earth may have life forms as well. But they will be harder to find out. Read the post in the alien section of my blog. I have written about many alien species. They were all from different planets. But publicly aliens are unknown, privately its classified.
List of Exoplanets
HD 189733b: It is a blue gas giant 64 light years away. It is raining molten glass, it is very hot because it is close to the star. It is losing it atmosphere somewhere between 1 million to 1 billion pounds a second.
Gliese 1132b: It's a super-earth and orbits a red dwarf. It takes less than two days to complete an orbit around its star. The surface of the planet is very hot, because they are close to the star. It has a lot of volcanoes, because it greatly impacted by its star gravity. The has released from volcanoes are creating another atmosphere.
Kepler-10b: It is closer to its star than Mercury is to our Sun. Its surface is much hotter than Gliese 1132b!!!!! There is rain there made out of iron and silicate. It atmosphere is on a decline or non-extentient. Solar winds causes it to have a tail made of fire.
OGLE-2016-BLG-1928: It is a rogue planet in our backyard.
55 Cancri e: A super-earth and diamond planet. Its orbit takes less than a Earth day, because it so close to a star. It is twice the size of Earth and 9 times as massive.
Conclusion
Exoplanets are so amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They exist outside the solar system. They formed in nebulas and their atmospheres have different compositions. The stars they orbit give off a certain type of radiation. Because of all that the planet has certain colors. They have various types of magnetospheres and plate tectonics. There is 4 types of exoplanets and aliens exist on other worlds. Astronomers have discovered over 4,000 exoplanets!!!!!!!!
Stars are spheres of plasma and mostly hydrogen. They have a mother, which they are made out of her. There are many different types of stars. Massive stars create force fields. Some stars hang around each other in big groups. There are stars that are intergalactic. Some stars are far out!!!!!
What is it?
It is made out of plasma. Plasma is ionic gas; it is the 4th state of matter. It has several layers, @ the core hydrogen atoms are turned into helium atoms. This is called nuclear fusion. Because of this stars produces light and heat. Many other electromagnetic waves are produced by it as well. They have different colors based on temperature. The hottest stars are blue. The 2nd hottest is white and the coolest is red. Some stars are very massive, while others not so much. They have absolute and apparent brightness. Absolute is how bright it would be 36 light years from Earth. Apparent is how bright it is from Earth. Most stars are binary: 2 stars orbiting each other. The elements beyond lithium was created by massive stars exploding. It is called nucleosynthesis.
Vega: It was my favorite star, because it's big and blue. It was the north star in the past and it may become that again in 12,000 years. It is 25 light years away in the Lyra constellation. It is a very young star: it is only 450 million years old. It has an asteroid belt and possibly planets.
Sirius: It has the most apparent brightness; it is 25 times brighter than the Sun. It is apart of Canis Major, which is is about 9 light years away. It has a companion or two.
Betelgeuse: It is a red supergiant star and it will go supernova soon. It is only about 637 light years away and it is apart of the Orion constellation. It is a rogue star or something like that. No one knows its birthplace.
Polaris: It is the current north star. It is a white supergiant and about 600 light years away.
Rigel: It is a blue supergiant and apart of the Orion constellation. It may have 3 companions. One day it will go supernova and become a neutron star or a black hole. It has a short lifespan because it so massive. It's a little baby: it is only 8 million years old.
Nebula
They are the mothers of stars. They come from from massive stars exploding or gases in outer space. It is made up of hydrogen, helium, dust, and plasma. Stars form when parts of the nebula collapse due to gravity and reach a very high temperature.
Horsehead: It is part of the Orion Molecular Complex. There are stars and planets that are being born there. It is only 1,375 light years away. Low-mass stars are being formed in the head.
Rosette: It is 5,000 light years away and 130 light years in diameter. This nebula is 10,00 times more massive than the Sun. It has about 2,500 baby stars.
Orion: It is the brightest nebula from Earth and 24 light years long. Planets, stars and brown dwarfs are forming in this nebula. It has about 700 stars in it.
Eagle: It has about 8100 stars and 5,700 light years away. It is 2 million light years long and 10 light years wide. There is a star there that 80 times as massive as the sun and 1 million times brighter.
Pelican: It is 1,800 light years away. There are many young stars there. It is part of North America Nebula.
Carina: It is 8,500 light years away. It has 2 open clusters and has the biggest star ever studied. Eta Carinae are 2 massive stars that orbit each other. They are 200 times more massive than the Sun and 5 million times brighter. They are the only known stars to emit ultraviolet lasers.
Tarantula: This is the greatest starburting region in the Local Group. It is in the Large Magnetic Cloud. It has a open cluster that may become a globular cluster, because it's so massive. A supernova was seen there in 1987. A neutron star was left after that.
Crab: Chinese astronomers seen the supernova that became this nebula. It has a pulsar @ the center and it is 6,500 light years away.
Main Sequence Star
They are the most common stars in the universe. The Sun is a main sequence star. The core makes the star want to explode and its gravity makes it want to implode. This balance keeps a star from dying. Eventually it runs out of fuel and becomes a black dwarf. Unless it is very massive, then it becomes a neutron star or a black hole. But before that happens it goes supernova. A supernova is a star explosion: there are 2 types. 1. A massive star blows up. 2. A big star takes material from a smaller star and then blows up. Some stars swell up later in life into a red giant. This will happen to the Sun. Stars that aren't uber massive becomes white dwarf right b4 they die.
Planetary Nebula
This comes from very massive stars when the core heats up. The energized core causes the the outer layers to expand. The various layers become like a force field. The core becomes a white dwarf star.
Ghost of Jupiter: It is 2 light years long and was formed 1,500 years ago.
Southern Owl: It is 4 light years in diameter. It is 2,030 light years away.
Blue Planetary: It is very bright and 4,900 light years away. This nebula is so bright the central star can't be seen in visible light.
Butterfly: The central star there is very hot. There is plasma on both sides of the star that look like wings. It has water ice, quartz, and crystalline silicates.
Blue Snowball: It is 1,800 light years away. The radius is about 1 light year.
Clusters
Globular: A group of sibling stars that are bound together by gravity. They are very ancient and each cluster may contain thousands or millions of stars.
Pyxis: It is about 14 billion years old and it 130,000 light years away. It may be from the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Terzan 1: It is 20,000 light years away and lives in our own backyard. It gives off a lot of X-rays.
M54: It is 87,000 light years away in the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy. It is 150 light years wide and 850,000 times brighter than the Sun. It has a black hole @ its center.
Mayall II: A cluster in the Andromeda Galaxy. It is the brightest globular cluster in the Local Group and may have a black hole @ the center. It is seen by some as the the galactic core of a dwarf galaxy that was consumed by Andromada. That's because the stars are very metallic.
NGC 1049: Located in the Fornax Dwarf Galaxy. It is 630,000 light years away. You can see it with a telescope, but you are unlikely to see the galaxy it is in.
Open: A group of hundreds or thousands of baby stars. They aren't bonded to each other, so they spread out. They tend to break up after 50 million years.
Wild Duck: It is one of the most massive open clusters. It is only 316 million years old and it is about as massive 7,500 suns. There is a lot of iron in this cluster. It has a lot of drug dealers (stars that live fast and die young) @ it's center.
Hyades: The closet cluster to the Sun. It is 153 light years away and only 650 million years old. 5 of the brightest stars are becoming giants because they used up the hydrogen @ their core. There was more stars in this cluster in the past.
Butterfly: It is 1,590 light years away and 94 million years old. It is such a baby. It has a lot young and wild blue stars, but it's brightest star is a orange giant star. 120 stars have been discovered in this cluster. It orbiting in our galaxy.
NGC 7419: It has 5 red supergiants, but no blue supergiants. It is only 15 million years old, which makes it a zygote. Is about as massive as 8,500 suns.
Jewel Box: A very young cluster with about 100 stars. It is 6,440 light years away and 16 million years old. There are bright supergiants there; some of the brightest stars in the Milky Way. Crux constellation is where it is located.
Intergalactic Star
A rogue (intergalactic) star is not bound to a galaxy. It originated in a galaxy and out knocked out of it. This could have happened because of a galaxy merger or traveling too close to a supermassive black hole. In the 90's rogue stars was discovered in the Virgo and Fornax galaxy clusters. There are 675 rogue stars @ the edge of our galaxy.
Exotic Stuff
Brown Dwarf: This is an almost star. It didn't become massive enough for it core to have nuclear fusion of ordinary hydrogen. But they are able to fuse an isotope of hydrogen or lithium. Some brown dwarfs have iron rain and older ones have methane in their atmosphere.
Neutron: This is the core of a very massive star after it went supernova. The explosion was so powerful it caused the protons and electrons to fuse together. They are as big as a city and as massive as the Sun. There are 9 types of neutron stars. I will write about some of them.
Hercules X-1: This a neutron star taking material from its companion star, because of this it emits X-rays.
The Magnificent Seven: They are 7 neutron stars that are close to each other and about 300,000 years old.
Aquila X-1: It is a low mass binary star system, that emits a lot of X-rays. The neutron star there is absorbing material from its main sequence companion.
Scorpius X-1: It emits more X-rays than the Sun. This is because it's sucking the blood of its wife.
Pulsars: Neutron stars that emit many different electromagnetic waves from their magnetic poles and they spin a lot. It is like a lighthouse; sometimes the beams are in Earth's direction, sometimes they ain't. You can think of it as a light switch someone is turning on and off very quickly.
Crab Pulsar: Located in the Crab nebula and it is very young. It comes from the supernova that was observed 1054 by a Chinese astronomers. It emits X-rays and gamma rays.
PSR J0540-6919: Located in the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud. It was the first pulsar discovered to emit gamma rays outside the of the Milky Way.
Hulse-Taylor binary: A binary star system of a regular neutron star and pulsar. It was the first binary star system with a pulsar discovered.
AR Scorpii: The only known white dwarf pulsar and it has a red dwarf companion. It is 380 light years away. The red dwarf emits radio waves, light, and ultraviolet waves.
Magnetars: Neutron stars that have a magnetic field that is 1,000 trillion times stronger than Earth's!!! If it surfaces cracks it will release an amount of energy greater than the Sun!!!!
SGR 0525-66: First magnetar discovered outside the Milky Way.
SGR 1900+14: It emits X-rays and gamma rays @ random. It formed after a recent supernova and it's 20,000 light years away. In 1998 it emitted so much energy a satellite had to be shut down, so it wouldn't get damage. That burst caused a ring of matter to form around it.
Quasars: They are bright collection of gas that orbits a supermassive black hole. They look like stars, but they aren't. They are the brightest objects in the universe.
J2157-3602: Most powerful quasar discovered next to the fastest growing black hole.
3C 147: Redshifted in a galaxy 6.4 billion light years away. It took 5.1 billion years for the light from that qausar to reach us.
J0313-1806: The most distant quasar discovered; that is next to the oldest known supermassive black holes.
Blazers: They are quasars that our beaming material and/or electromagnetic waves @ light speed in the direction of Earth.
Black Hole: It is the core of super-massive star. It has gravity so strong not even light can escape it. Most galaxies have a supermassive black hole @ their center.
GRO J0422+32: Smallest known black hole. It has a companion that is a main sequence star.
Cygnus X-1: It is a binary star system: black hole and blue supergiant. The blue supergiant is being slowly eaten by its friend.
Conclusion
Stars are amazing!!!!!!!!!!!! They are made out of plasma and come from nebula. Most are main sequence and very massive ones create planetary nebulas. They come in clusters: the very old ones are globular and the the babies are open. Some stars are outside of galaxies because they were knocked loose. There are several exotic stars.
I will explain different galaxies in great detail!!! They are made of gas and dust; they contain solar systems. There are 5 types of of galaxies: irregular, spiral, barred spiral, lenticular, and ellipticals. Irregular is the youngest galaxies. Spiral galaxies no matter what type are middle age. Lenticular ones are old like a 75 year old person. Ellipticals are ancient. If they were people they would be over 150!!!!! Some galaxies merge together. They cluster together and they have a mommy.
What is it?
Gas clouds come together in outer space. The gravity heats them up and they produce stars. The left over of stars become planets. Asteroids come from a planet breaking up or it @ least seems that way. Comets are like dirty snowballs. They form far away from stars.
Irregular
They look something like amebas and have a bunch of young stars.
Large Magellanic Cloud: It orbits the Milky Way and is connected to the Small Magellanic Cloud. It is the most star forming galaxy within the Local Group. The Milky Way and its neighbors make up the Local Group. The Local Group is a galaxy group, which is part of the Virgo Cluster. VC is part of a bigger galaxy cluster called Virgo Supercluster.
Small Magellanic Cloud: It is close to the Milky Way. People have seen it 4 centuries or millennia. It has a lot of young stars.
Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy: It has lost some of it self to the Milky Way. It has a bunch of old stars. It may be older than the Milky Way.
Spiral and Barred Spiral
These are the most common galaxies in the universe. The have old stars near the center orbiting a supermassive black hole and young stars father out. Spiral galaxies are more like a circle and barred spiral galaxies are more oval shaped.
Milky Way: Our home galaxy. It is over 100,00 light years long and 50,000 light years wide. It has over 100 billion stars! It has received a lot of material from other galaxies.
Andromeda: A neighbor of the Milky Way. One day they will kiss. It is bigger than the Milky Way. You can think of as her big brother. Andromeda snitched some young stars from a nearby galaxy 100 million years ago. It is 2 billion light years from earth. 20 smaller galaxies orbit Andromeda.
Triangulum: It is 60,000 light years wide and have 40 billion stars. It may get eaten by Andromeda one day.
Pinwheel: It is 170,000 light years long and it has 1 trillion stars. Stars are being formed in the arms away from the center. It has 20 companion galaxies orbiting it.
Whirlpool: There a starburst in its arms. One of the arms is holding on to a galaxy. It is 31 light years from earth.
Sombrero: It was my favorite galaxy when I was a teen. I use to like believe I came from there. It's is in the Virgo Supercluster and about 30% as big as the Milky Way.
Sculptor: It is a starburst galaxy. Starburst is rapid star formation. It is the third brightest galaxy from earth. It is 11 million light years away. It is called the Silver Coin.
NGC 1512: It is 70,000 light years long. It is also a starburst galaxy. One day it will consume its smaller neighbor NGC 1510.
Lenticular
These type of galaxies are in a transitional phase from spiral to elliptical. They have very old stars and more dust than elliptical galaxies. Some astronomers think they are the result of spiral galaxies merging.
Cartwheel: It is 500 million light years away. It is 150,000 light years long. There are 2 rings: Blue other ring and yellow innter ring. The outer ring is starbursting and the inner ring is full of dust. This galaxy comes from a merger. It may become a spiral galaxy again.
NGC 2787: It is 24 million light years away. There is a super massive black hole @ the center of it. Globular clusters abound in this galaxy. More that 100,000 of them!!!
NGC 4608: It has a bar in the middle with a ring around it.
NGC 5208: It is 311 million light years away.
NGC 6861: It has a lot of dust in its outer ring. The center is starbursting. It may merge with other galaxy in the near future.
NGC 4111: It's 50 million light years away and 55,000 light years long. It had eaten a smaller galaxy in the past. The remains of that galaxy is in the center. The center of the galaxy transmits long of radio waves.
NGC 1222: It is consuming 2 small galaxies @ the moment. Which causes it to become a starburst galaxies.
Elliptical
These are the the oldest galaxies and they are the oval shape. They have a lot of globular clusters and they tend to be in the center of galaxy clusters. They make up 13% of all the galaxies in the universe. There starbursting days are over, unless they merge with a younger galaxy.
3C 244.1: This is a radio galaxy and it has a supermassive black hole.
Messier 49: 'It is 56 million light years away and it has 6,000 globular clusters.' 'The globular clusters are 10 billion years old.' Some of the clusters have black holes in them. It is the brightest galaxy in the Virgo Cluster.
Messier 59: Its supermassive black hole is 270 million times the mass of the Sun!!! It has over 2,000 globular clusters. It has 3 companion galaxies.
Messier 60: There is a lot of dark matter in this galaxy. A dwarf galaxy is orbiting it.
Messier 87: This galaxy is huge!!!!! It is one of the most massive galaxy in the universe. It has over 1 trillion stars and 13,000 globular clusters. It is 53 million light years away.
IC 1101: The biggest and brightest galaxy in the universe!!!! 'It is 50 times bigger than the Milky Way and 2,000 more massive.' There are 100 trillion stars in this galaxy, they are metal rich. They are much older than the Sun. It's central black hole is uber massive!!!! More massive than any other supermassive black hole. It is my current favorite galaxy.
Maffei 1: This the closest elliptical galaxy to ours. 9 million light years is how far it is from Earth. It is hard to see because of stars and dust. If it was easy to see it would look like a full moon. There a starburst in the center. It may have 1100 globular clusters. This galaxy has a companion galaxy that has 2 companions itself.
Merge
Some galaxies crash into each other. Sometimes big galaxies eat little ones. This is going on now; even though most galaxies are moving away from each other. One day the Milky Way and Andromeda will merge. Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy is currently being munched on by the MW. The Cartwheel Galaxy is the result of 3 galaxies merging. Antennae Galaxies is an an example of 2 galaxies crashing into each other.
Cluster
Galaxy clusters are hundreds or thousands of galaxies that stick together because of gravity. They have a lot of dark matter and they emit X-rays. There is a intracluster medium, which is heated plasma. It's between the galaxies of the cluster.
Virgo: It is a collection of over 1,000 galaxies. It has about half spiral galaxies and half elliptical galaxies. The Milky Way is part of this cluster. The Virgo Supercluster contains this cluster.
Norma: It is 222 million light years away. It is over a zillion times more massive than the sun.
Bullet: This is 2 clusters merging. It has a lot of dark matter.
Abell 2142: It is 2 clusters merging. It is 6 million light years long. "It is one of the most massive objects in the universe."
Coma: There are over 1,000 galaxies in that cluster. It is 321 million light years away. It has a lot of elliptical galaxies, which means it is very ancient. Most of the mass of this cluster is dark matter. It is part of the Coma Supercluster.
El Gordo: It is the farthest galaxy cluster observed. It is over 7 billion light years away. "This cluster is the most massive, the hottest, and gives off the most X-rays of any known cluster at this distance or beyond." It is composed of 2 subclusters.
RCS2 J2327: It is the farthest cluster from earth and it is very massive. It is full of dark matter.
Pandora's: It is was created by 4 clusters coming together. It took over 350 million years to form. Dark matter and gas made up 95% of this cluster, 5% is galaxies.
Fornax: It is 62 million light years away. It is composed of 2 subclusters, eventually they will merge. There are intergalactic stars there as well.
Lyman-Alpha Blobs
They are the mothers of galaxy clusters and full of hydrogen gas. They are all red-shifted because they are so far away. They are like the fossils of the universe. Astronomers have been discovering them since 2000. They emit lyman-alphas, which is a photon coming off a electron when it moves to the lowest orbital from the 2nd lowest orbital. They don't emit other electromagnetic waves as much, because it as few if any stars.
Conclusion
Galaxies are a large collection of gas and dust that becomes stars and planets. There 5 main shapes of galaxies. Younger galaxies look more like amebas and older galaxies look more like ovals. Sometimes they crash into each other; sometimes the big ones eat the little ones. There are clusters of galaxies. They probably come from the same lyman-alpha blobs. Lyman-Alpha Blobs became galaxy clusters in the early universe. Galaxies are amazing!!!!!!!!!!!
This religion had mythology, beliefs, rituals, and priesthoods. The religion was polytheistic, which is much better than monotheism. Religion of the Celts was influenced by the Romans. This religion lasted from 500 BCE to 500 CE This religion was recreated in modern times; it's called Druidry. It had a significant impact on witchcraft.
Mythology
The various Celtic tribes had a lot of the same ideas, but there was regional diversity. Each tribe had there own deities, even though they had some in common. The Romans wrote about Celtic mythology and it was written about in the Middle Ages. Celtic writing may have been destroyed by the Romans.
The Irish believed in Tuatha De Danann. That was their pantheon. Dagda was a leader of the Tuatha De Danann. He was powerful and carried a club. There was a triple goddess named The Morrigan. She was the goddess of fate and war. She is similar to Ares and Athena. She is 3 sisters: Badb, Macha, and Nemain. Badh is a crow that frightens enemies combatants and initiates combat. Macha rules horses, land, fertility, and war. Nemain ruled over the violence of war. Lugh was one of the most important Irish gods. He was a master of art and craftsman. He had a spear of lightning and a sling stone. Lugus was the Celtic god Lugh is based on. Brigid controls poetry, wisdom, healing, protection, animals, and crafting metals. St. Brigid is based on her and so is Maman Brigid of Haitian Vodou. There was many other deities as well.
King Arthur is a part of Welsh mythology and related peoples' mythologies. They believed in giant birds and a sea monster. They called fairies Tylwyth Teg. They believed in brownies and hell hounds as well. There were lake maidens, that sometimes married men. They remind me of nymphs.
Scottish mythology has some similarities with Irish mythology. It deals with natural cycles. They had a great mother goddess named Cailleach. She is the queen of winter and the mother of the deities. She made hills and mountains; she can freeze the ground and fights the spring. Kelpies are water spirits that can take human form. Sometimes they look like a horse.
There were were other celtic tribes with their own mythology, but less is known.
Beliefs
They believed in the afterlife, reincarnation, and the immortality of the soul. They believed in a place that is similar to heaven called the Land of the Living. They were polytheists as while as pantheists. Everything in nature had a spirit in it. There deities change function depending on the situation. The spirit world is close to the physical world. There was no original sin in their religion. They loved nature and saw beauty in it.
Rituals
They had 4 major holidays for 4 seasons. They had minor ones as well. Imbolc is the start of spring. They had a feast of the goddess Brigid on this holiday. Now it's the feast of St. Brigid. Beltane was celebrated on May 1. Bonfires was made and the fire was brought to homes. The fire protect the people and the cattle. Rituals were done to appease the fairies. Lughnasadh, this holiday is the start of the fall. It is named after Lugh. People would celebrate the deceased during this time. People would feast and court each other. People played sports as well, similar to the Olympic games. This holiday is still celebrated today! Samhain was on 10/31. It was the start of winter. This is when the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds become the thinnest. So, celts would wear scary masks to scare the fairies. People would trick or treat @ this time. This is the mother of Halloween. Divination was done during this time and apples and nuts were used 4 it.
They had death rituals. The would cremate the deceased and put their ashes in an urn. Later they buried people. People were buried with possession. Such as: jewelry, swords, chariots, etc. They were buried in mounds and rocks were put around the mound to keep away negative spirits.
During the rite of passage a person had to go in the woods and find certain items. It was done by both genders, but males did it more. It was to make a warrior out of someone. They believed the child would be empowered by a deity. Once the quest was over the child became a adult.
They had their own marriage ceremony. They would do a handfasting ceremony. 13 different colored ribbons were tied between the husband and wife hand. Each color means something. This ritual was done by a druid. It is believed this where the phrase tying the knot comes from.
Human and animal sacrifice was practiced. Animals were sacrificed when offerings were given to deities. Different animals symbolized different deities. They sacrificed slaves and prisoners of war. They sacrificed humans for good luck. They believed the head contained great power. So, warriors would put the head of their enemies on poles outside their hut.
Priesthood
They were known as the Druids and it was open to both genders. They weren't only priests they were also judges, teachers, prophets, magicians, doctors, diviners, historians, singers, poets, etc. They were specialized shamans. They were @ the top of caste system. It came in to being over 2,400 years ago. Druids did rituals @ Stonehenge. But it was built b4 they got there. Julius Caesar believed druidism started in the British Isles. They had to remember a bunch of verses of their faith. JC thought it took them 20 years to remember them. The Druids were wiped out by Christianity.
Poly vs Mono(theism)
Polytheism is the belief that many deities exist. Monotheism is the belief that only one deity exist, which is insane. Why would there be such a great diversity in nature, but not in divinity? Doesn't creation reflect the creator? Polytheism predates monotheism by over 10,000 years!!!! Monotheism is great for imperialism. It is popular today because of Arabs and Europeans conquered the world. Polytheism would create a more peaceful world. Modern day monotheism is a deconstruction polytheism. The deities of various peoples became angels and demons, possibly Jinn. So monotheists are polytheist in amnesia. The hig god the of the Arabs was Allah. He became the only god of Islam. Hebrews were polytheists, you can read about it in old testament. Later on the Yahweh cult took over and the Hebrews become monotheists. A lot of polytheists were also pantheists. They believed we all were connected spiritually. Polytheism is the ancient future.
Roman Influences
Celtic tribes were conquered by the Romans. After that the Celts mixed their religion with the Romans religion. Druids had a big influence on Celtic chiefs, so the Romans tried to wipe them out. The Rs invaded Anglesey twice because they thought it was the home base of the druids. That caused the druids to lose a lot of power, but they still had some influence. The Celtic and Roman religion had a lot in common, because they were both Indo-European. The Romans introduced Christ-insanity to the Celts. One of the most god awful religions.
Longevity
The Celtic religion lasted 4 a millennium or more. It was common throughout Western Europe. The religion kept being practiced even after the Rs killed a lot of druids. Germanic tribes conquered the Celts after the Romans. The religion died out because of Christianity.
Druidry
This is the modern day version of the druids. They teach singing, shamanism, and intuition. Most of them are pantheists and polytheists. Some of them may even be monotheists. The spirit world is called otherworld. Souls reincarnate in different forms. Druids have 3 goals: widom, creativity, and love. Life is one big web of mutual dependence and interconnection. You reap what you sow. This organization has 7 gifts: philosophy, connect with nature, healing, rites of passage, experience the multidimensional reality, magick, and self development.
Impact on Witchcraft
Celtic Wicca is based on the religion of the Celts, 2 a degree. Celtic ideas are added to wiccan rituals. I believe knot magick used by witches are from Celts. Fairies are spiritual entities from Celtic mythology that are used by witches. Land spirits were important to Celts, witches work with them as well.
Conclusion
The Celts had a rich mythology. They had sweet beliefs and rituals. Polytheism is far better than monotheism. @ least when it comes to Abrahamic religions. Romans suppressed their religion and killed their priests. They existed for over 1,000 years. Druidry is the modern day version of the ancient druids. Celtic religion had a big impact on witchcraft.
They have been in the United States for centuries. The history and culture of these people are very rich. They have the their own medicine, music, language, religion, and cuisine. There is a Gullah/Geechee nation. There was a show called Gullah Gullah Island on Nickelodeon. It was based on the Gullah Geechee people.
History
They are the descendants of enslaved Niger-Congo people. Some of them mixed with (native) Americans. The people that lived on South Carolina islands were called Gullah. The people that lived on Georgia islands were called Geechee. They grew rice, indigo, and cotton on the plantation. Some of the Africans brought to South Carolina and Georgia were from rice growing civilizations. Queen Quet is the first queen of the Gullah/Geechee people. She is amazing!!!!! My mom met her.
Culture
They have a spectacular culture!!!!! Their's comes from a mixture of West African cultures. They were influenced by (native) Americans and Europeans. New art forms and music was created by them. A new language was created by them.
Medicine
A lot of herbs was used to heal. Families have healing traditions that are passed down originally. Here are some examples of remedies: penny used to cure ringworm, spider webs were used to treat cuts, sardines reduced swelling, rainwater and urine cures pink eye. Food was used to heal as well. Onions cause fever to dissipate, rock candy and alcohol killed colds, garlic lowers blood pressure, and pork placed on a wound takes poison out of the body,
Music
They sung spirituals and still do. Certain messages were given out, that only they could understand. Church service involved a lot music and singing. There is a festival on island that celebrates their culture. They are preserving their the ways of their ancestors. I bought a Gullah Geechee cd and I enjoyed it.
Language
It is a mixture of Niger-Congo languages and english. There are many African worlds it, but most of vocabulary is English. It is spoken by over 5,000 people. The New Testament was translated into Gullah in 2005. There is a Gullah/Geechee language class @ Harvard.
Religion
The Gullah Geechee had their own religions; but they became Christians because they were owned by Protestants. Remember, they are a mixture of Niger-Congo tribes with some (native) American admixture. Each tribe had it's own traditional religion. Some may have been Muslims. So, after they became Christian they mixed some of their older practices in it.
They worshiped the Yahweh/Yeshua in praise houses. They would sing and dance and it involved a lot of hand clapping. Deacons were in charge of the praise houses and women prayed. The praise house was next to the church. Praise houses were also courts. If someone have a dispute they would go there and it would be settled. Praise houses stop being used 50 years ago.
Ring shouts were common in the praise houses. The worshipers would move in circle clapping their hands and stomping their feet. But surprisingly they didn't shout much. The Gullah Geechee weren't the only people that did the ring shout. It was also done in the West Indies; which means it was a common custom among certain African tribes. Some scholars believe the ring shout is based on Muslims going around the Kaaba.
Low Country Hoodoo is the Gullah Geechee form of Hoodoo. It is magic and medicine. They would paint certain parts of buildings haint blue to ward off negative spirits. Boo hags drain people life force while they are sleeping. They are similar to a succubus and incubus. Haint Blue kept them away. Sometimes spirits of the deceased harness the living. To keep them away you can carry a sack of gunpowder and sulphur. You can kill them with a blue bottle tree. Mojo bags were used for various reasons and so were other amulets/talismans.
Cuisine
It was a mixture of West African, (native) American, and European cuisines. "Peanuts, okra, rice, yams, peas, hot peppers, sesame seeds, sorghum, and watermelons" were brought to the states by them from Africa. They ate a lot of seafood too. They slow cooked their food.
Nation
It is made of parts of Carolinas, Florida, and some islands. The nation was created in 2000. Queen Quet was elected to rule the nation. The constitution of this nation is 21 pages long. Queen Quet is a polymath. I'm so happy she is the queen of Gullah/Geechee nation.
Gullah Gullah Island
This show came on Nickelodeon when I was a kid. I watched it all the time. It is based the Gullah/Geechee people. It was an amazing show. It focused on a family. They consisted of: mother, father, son, daughter, and a giant yellow frog named Binyah Binyah.
Conclusion
The Gullah/Geechee people are amazing!!!!! They have a long and rich history and culture. They have sweet medicine, music, cuisine, and language. I love Hoodoo, because it was created by my ancestors. The Gullah/Geechee nation been around for 21 years. Gullah Gullah Island was a sweet show.
I went to my niece birthday dinner on Saturday. My mom, brother and nephew was with me. My niece came there on a party bus with her friends. Her aunt came with 3 of her kids. Her paternal grandfather came and finally her maternal grandmother.
There was another birthday dinner there roo. The birthday girl was turning 16 as well as my niece. I saw a beautiful woman outside the restaurant. She had a hard time walking in heels. I seen a weird looking lady outside after we left.
We ate @ Texas De Brazil. Their cuisine is Brazilian. They have a salad bar, soup bar and they bring meats to your table. It was my first time eating there. I thought it costed $60 per person. I was wrong; it is only $50 per person. You can tell them what meat you want and the temperature you want it @.
Meats
Pork: Herb-Marinated Loin, Brazilian Sausage, Parmesan-Crusted Loin, and BBQ Ribs
Lamb: Leg and Chops
Beef: Picanha, Filet Mignon, Beef Ribs, Flank Steak, Filet Mignon Wrapped in Bacon, and Garlic Picanha
Chicken: Breast Wrapped in Bacon, Parmesan Drumettes, and Garlic
Salad Bar
Slice Tomatoes, various dressings, Jalapeno Peppers, Green & Black Olives, Tabbouleh, Red & Yellow Peppers, Green Beans, Salami, Bacon, Spring Mix, etc.
Soup Bar
Potato, Mushroom, Black Bean, French Fries, Jasmine Rice, etc.
Deserts
Brazilian Papaya Cream and Cheesecake, Bananas Foster Pie, Chocolate Mousse Cake, Creme Brulee, Key Lime Pie, etc.
My first plate was spring mix salad with in-house dressing, jalapeno peppers, olives, salami, and bacon. Then I got a bowl of rice, black bean soup, and potato soup. I liked the milky taste of the potato soup. I ate a plantain. It was sweet. The meats I ate are as followed: bacon wrapped chicken breast, pork loin, garlic chicken, brazilian sausage, leg of lamb, lamb chop, filet mignon, garlic picanha, bbq ribs, and flank steak. The lamb chop was my favorite. I ate all the meats expect 4 beef ribs, parmesan-crusted pork loin, and picanha. I ate a slice of birthday cake b4 I left.
Arabs were pagans long b4 they became Muslims. Islam in large part is based on it. They worshiped many different deities. They were mostly based on Canaanite deities. They had various rituals.
History
In pre-Islamic Arabia there were pagans, Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians. Most Arabs were pagan and nomadic. There were 3 Jewish tribes in Medina. Zoroastrians and Christians lived in the east and south Arabia. Medina and Mecca was big on trading. The pagan Arabs made pilgrimages to Mecca. This was a time of peace. Any other times the Arab tribes were @ war with each other. The Kaaba contained 360 idols.
List of Deities
They worshipped spirits called Jinn. Today those spirits seem like magical people that live in a parallel universe. The word genie comes from Jinn. There are different types. Some people believe they built Solomon temple. Sometimes they possess people.
Allah: High god of the Arabs. Known as El Elyon by the Canaanites.
Amm: Moon god worshipped in Yemen. His wife was Asherah.
Attar: Storm god and the planet Venus.
Gad: Wealth god.
Haukim: God of justice. He was worshiped in Yemen.
Al-Lat: She was similar to Aphrodite. Daughter of Allah.
Manat: Goddess of destiny. Daughter of Allah.
Al-Uzza: Goddess of war and the evening star. Daughter of Allah.
Shams: Sun goddess of southern Arabia.
There are many more, but this will suffice.
There deities came from Canaan. A lot of Canaanite deities came from Babylonia.
Rituals (write about the pilgrimages)
Hajj: People went to Mecca to worship the 360 idols housed in the Kaaba. They would shave their heads. After Islam tookover the idos was destroyed. Muslims still make pilgrimages to the Kaaba.
Menstruation: Women would rub their period blood on certain stones.
Janazah: The burial practices of the Arabs. Goods were buried with the deceased.
Al-Naiyaha: These were the mourning practices of the Arabs. 'Women shaved their heads, ripped off their clothes, and scratched their faces.' Men wore a sackcloth and poured sand on their head.
Talbiyah: This was a special kind of prayer. People would chant around an idol, stone, or Kaaba. Muslims do this during the Hajj.
Ifada: A feast in honor of Quzah in Mecca.
Qurban: Sacrifice of the first animal during harvest to a certain deity. Other Semites did this too.
Tahannuth: Quraysh tribe did devotional practices during the Hajj or the mouth of Ramadan.
Origin of Islam
It is a mixture of Arab paganism, Judaism, and Christianity. Allah was the high god of the Arabs. Muhammad promoted the idea that Arabs should only worship Allah. B4 Islam Arab clans and tribes will battle each other. Islam brought them together, then they battled everyone else. Islam was mostly spread by conquest. I prefer Arabs to drop Islam, because I think it will make them better people. If they gave it up they would become great thinkers again. I also despise Judaism and Christ-insanity. The only good thing about Abrahamic religions is they made ritual human sacrifice less popular. Monotheism is hell.
Conclusion
Arab paganism has a sweet history. They worshipped many deities and Jinn. They practice neat rituals. It is the father of Islam.
