Omen...Locust.

Has anyone else noticed the appearance of locust (grasshoppers) all over lately?

Omens have long been a part of myth and religion, from fearful predictions in ancient times to superstitions like black cats in your path. Animals are looked at heavily in the history of omens; the interpretation depends on the type of animal and what it’s doing at the time. Perhaps the worst omen of all, however, is the appearance of locusts.

A locust swarm often signified death for an entire region, crops demolished, livestock dead—a catastrophe.

Locust is the name given to the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. The origins and apparent extinction of certain species of locust—some of which reach 6 inches in length—are unclear.

There are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory. They form bands as nymphs and swarms as adults — both of which can travel great distances, hence rapidly stripping fields and greatly damaging crops.
Examples of Locust species:

Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria)
Red locust (Nomadracis septemfasciata)
Australian plague locust (Chortoicetes terminifera)
American desert locust (Schistocerca Americana)
Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria), probably the most important in terms of its very wide distribution (North Africa, Middle East, and Indian subcontinent) and its ability to migrate very widely.
Rocky Mountain locust (Melanoplus spretus) in North America had some of the largest recorded swarms, but mysteriously died out in the late 19th century.

According to the Bible, a swarm of locusts comprised the eighth plague in the story of the plagues of Egypt. In the Book of Revelation locusts with scorpion tails and human faces are to torment unbelievers for five months when the fifth trumpet sounds. The book of Joen, Old Testament, is written in the context of a recent locust plague. Interestingly, the locusts are described in four different ways - "swarming locusts, cutting locusts, hopping locusts and destroying locusts." Although these were identified by the old Version as four different creatures, modern translations correctly identify them as four kinds of locusts. This fits with the many molts (called instars) through which locusts go. For example, the "hopper" probably denotes the nymph stage (the first instar), the wings are not developed and the nymph hops about.

The book of Exodus mentions swarms of gnats attacking people and their animals followed by a swarm of locusts that ate what was left and blanketed the country in darkness for three days…

In Plato's Phaedrus, Socrates says that locusts were once human. When the Muses first brought song into the world, the beauty so captivated some people that they forgot to eat and drink until they died. The Muses turned those unfortunate souls into locusts— singing their entire lives.

Locusts differ from grasshoppers in that they can swarm. Normally locusts are solitary insects, but under the right circumstances of rain, combined with population density, and consequent shrinking of food resources, they develop swarming behavior. Locusts lay 'egg pods' which each contain about 100 eggs. Upon hatching, in two to three weeks from the time the egg pod was laid, the flightless locusts can form hopper swarms with a density as great as 5,000 per square meter. As they reach adulthood, they develop wings, and under the right conditions, begin to swarm and can cover vast distances. These swarms can be many square kilometers in size, and the insects are able to completely devastate entire fields in only a matter of minutes. This swarming behavior is a survival strategy, since it is typically the case that locusts breed in drier regions, and swarming over vast distances ensures the survival of the species (which is dependent on rainfall, which might be erratic in these drier regions).

Luckily…it typically takes good rains, and at least four generations for the locusts to reach swarming density----we live in phoenix. If rains start to pour here…that should be sign enough alone that something isn’t right.

...peace be...i am that locus curus g.

Capoeira Angola.

One of many cultural weapons used to break the chains of enslavement in Brazil. Music was played during Capoeira sessions to teach the rhythmic heart of the art and to mask its power. In front of the enslavers it looked like playfulness, acrobatic dancing, and joking around. Eventually the enslavers realized its power and outlawed Capoeira Angola. Death was the penalty paid if you were caught during the slavery years. For almost 400 years Capoeira Angola was taught and practiced in secret. Only in the 1930's did this African martial art become legal to teach and practice.

Capoeira Angola:

Capoeira Angola is an ancient yet living tradition with roots in Africa extending to Brazil and branching throughout the world.It is a martial tradition combining music, song, movement, history, strategy, philosophy, and spirituality. Made popular by those of Brazilian heritage, Capoeira often receives the misnomer of "Brazilian" Martial Art. Capoeira is actually one of many African cultural retentions found in the African Diaspora. These traditions are credited to the nation that developed them such as Angola (Bantu), Nago (Yoruba), Gege (Dahomey), and Mandinga/Males (Mali).These nations united to fight for liberation and self-determination. This spirit of resistance against injustice and inhumanity has been an integral part of the history of Capoeira, which was an illegal activity for most of its existence in the "new world".

Capoeira Angola is steeped in ritual, prayer, and invocation. Respect for ones creator, ones guardian spirits, ones ancestors, ones family and ones community is an intergral aspect. It is a philosophy of resiliency, feeling, rhythm, respect, faith, confidence, and pride. All the participants in a roda (defined circular space in which the "game" is played) are interconnected, sharing a common purpose and energy. This oneness of music and song creates a trance-like state for those playing inside of the roda.It is a sacred space of being, awareness, and spontaneous rhythmic motion.

A Kongolese proverb states that the hands are used to create, and the feet are used to destroy. In Capoeira the hands are not used to strike, but are commonly found planted firmly on the ground, connecting one to the source of life, abundance, and the gateway to the ancestors. The music, instruments, and singing of Capoeira are not only used to weave a tapestry of sound and feeling, but also give an opportunity for the entire community to participate.

Capoeira is not a spectator sport, as all are required to sing along in a call and response fashion. It is an art that was used to unite diverse African nations, and can be used today to unite members of the global village. Capoeira teaches respect for ones creator, ones teacher, ones elders, and ones "comrades." It is grounded in a respect for the ancestors and the ethical, moral, and philosophical teachings that have been passed down and preserved in song.

Mestre João Grande is one of the foremost elders and practitioners of Capoeira de Angola and was a student of the legendary Mestre Pastinha (1898-1981). Mestre Pastinha was instructed by an African-born native of Angola named Benedito and is the patriarch of Capoeira de Angola in Brazil. Mestre João Grande is from Bahia, Brazil and currently resides and teaches in New York at the Capoeira Angola Center. He has been practicing and spreading the traditions of Capoeira for more than 50 years.

The energy, flow, and feel of Capoeira captivates and mesmerizes. The agility, creativity, and grace of this "dance" is deceptive and alluring. One quickly forgets that this deadly art was used to fight against slavery and oppression. One is quickly drawn in to oneness of the activity. The pulse of the music and response of the audience propels the movement of the players, as the traditions of ancient Africa live grow and thrive.

GRAND MESTRE PASTINHA, (1889-1982): Opened the first Capoeira Angola School, The Academia De Capoeira Angola, in 1941 in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Mestre Pastinha dedicated his school to preserving and continuing the long tradition of this African martial art. He taught Capoeira Angola as a path of self knowledge and mastery. Mestre Pastinha was the first Capoeira Mestre (master) to write a book on Capoeira's history, philosophy and practice: "Capoeira Angola" (3rd edition 1988). He went to Africa with his students to participate in the FESTAC (Festival of African Arts and Culture) activities during the 1970's and has made musical albums promoting the music of this martial art.

Mestre João Grande: One of two remaining Angoleros who were taught by the legendary Grand Mestre Pastinha. For over 40 years Mestre João Grande has dedicated his life to Capoeira Angola in Brazil as well as traveling to Africa, Europe, and North America to promote the art. Grand Mestre João Grande is now teaching at his academy in New York City, the CAPOEIRA ANGOLA CENTER OF MESTRE JOÃO GRANDE. His students learn to play the music and sing the songs of this African-Brazilian martial art along with mastering its movements and philosophy. Mestre João Grande teaches Capoeira Angola in the traditional African way, as a way of life, just as his teacher before him did.

Yoga.

Yoga Meditation Reveals Our Divine Nature
Out of the cosmic tomes of truth, India developed the Yoga system, the science of oneness — oneness of the soul with God; oneness with the principles of eternal righteousness; with the universe; and with all mankind. The sage Patanjali formulated the Yoga system into eight steps for achieving the goal:
1.
Avoid unrighteous behavior — yama.
2.
Follow certain moral and spiritual precepts — niyama.
3.
Learn to be still in body and mind, for where motion ceases, there begins the perception of God — asana.
4.
While concentrating on the state of peace, practice control of the life force in the body — pranayama.
5.
When your mind is your own, that is, under your control through pranayama, then you can give it to God — pratyahara.
6.
Then begins meditation: first, concentrate on one of God’s cosmic manifestations such as love, wisdom, joy — dharana.
7.
What follows in meditation is an expansion of the realization of God’s infinite omnipresent nature — dhyana.
8.
When the soul merges as one with God, who is ever-existing, ever-conscious, ever-new Bliss, that is the goal — samadhi.
The joy of God can never be exhausted. He is sufficient; the purpose and the aim of existence. True understanding comes when we feel God as the great bliss of meditation. And peace is the first proof of His presence.
To have peace we must love more, but we cannot love people unconditionally unless we know God. The soul is absolutely perfect, but when identified with the body as ego, its expression becomes distorted by human imperfections. If human beings were only these imperfect bodies and minds, there would be some justification for prejudices and divisions. But we are all souls, made in God’s image. So Yoga teaches us to know the divine nature in ourselves and others. Through yoga meditation we can know that we are gods.