Cover Art for *The Horned Altar*

13 [Gapnu] (month), Shanatu 84 (year)

Feast your eyes on this lovely:

Book Cover Art for *The Horned Altar* by Tess Dawson, 2013, Llewellyn Worldwide

This is the official "sneak peak" at the cover art for my new book: The Horned Altar: Rediscovering and Rekindling Canaanite Magic, published through Llewellyn Worldwide and scheduled for release in April 2013.

Join the discussion and get updates on the Facebook page for The Horned Altar. 

Why I Hate Using the Word “Energy”, from Dadaism to South Park

12 [Gapnu] (month), Shanatu 84 (year)

I have a personal vendetta against using the word “energy.” It has become meaningless for its hair-pulling ambiguity and over-use.

I know I said that the next post would be one of gobsmacking gorgeous cover art, but I couldn't resist sneaking in this one post before the scheduled post tomorrow at 1-2 pm GMT. The urge of poking at a pet-peeve was just too strong.

I’ve seen people use the word “energy” to describe any and all of these topics, in no particular order:

Potential energy, kenetic energy, electricity, vitality, appetite, soul, sexuality, strength, health, ambiance of a location whether good or bad, place memory, object memory, spirits of the dead and ghosts, leadership, divine aid, deities themselves, physical states, mental states, negative energy, positive  energy, protons or electrons, gravity, magnetic fields, force, personal magnetism, charisma, beneficence, malevolence, violence or harm, healing or restoring, orderliness, disarray or chaos, temper, humor, mood, universe, existence, non-existence, meditative states, magic, chemistry (either actual or figurative), focus, concentration, discipline, movement, ability, power, impulse, attraction, heat, vibration, light...and even more...

Just look at this amazing list of over fifty ideas!

The word “energy” has become a catch-all. I’ve noticed that in magic and in New Age spirituality, the word has come to imply a type of current, force, or vague natural resource in the universe that one can tap according to one’s will and ability. In this case, a charash, a Canaanite magician, doesn’t even use “energy” at all.

I used to employ the word “energy” to describe the forces I worked with, as well as chiefly to describe ambiance, place and object memory, physical vitality, and a few other concepts until I realized that the word itself didn’t accurately express anything.  In writing The Horned Altar: Rediscovering Canaanite Magic (due for release through Llewellyn Publications in April of 2013) I realized the word’s uselessness  for describing magical and spiritual concepts. In looking for better terminology, I realized that the word “energy” as used by New Agers in the ballpark definition above, was a different beastie altogether than the forces employed in charshu, Canaanite magic. I ended up only using the Ʃ-word about six to seven times in the entire manuscript, and only to describe why the forces a charash, a Canaanite magician, works with do not qualify as “energy” in the typical New Age sense.

Any one of these words in the list above is more descriptive, useful, and communicative. Instead of the word “energy,” you could substitute the word “dada” and be nearly as descriptive. The artists of the Dadaist movement would find that fitting. 

Duchamp’s Bicycle Wheel, 1951. An example of Dadaist art. Is it the positive “energy” (space) of the bicycle and the stool that is the art itself, or is it the negative “energy” (space) of the intricate shadows the objects cast that constitute the true art of this piece...? 

Frankly the "energy"-word is as useful for communication as a bicycle wheel on a stool is for transportation

There’s an episode of South Park that demonstrates ridiculous overuse of a word. In the episode, aliens use the word “marklar” to mean nearly any and everything, especially at the end of the episode. (And of course, one of my favorite South Park quotes comes from this episode: “No, no, no. We don’t eat the Bibles; we read them.”)

Consider this situation for a moment. You’re on a paranormal investigation. You say,“Your home has poor ambiance. I think the location here has bad place-memory: perhaps a violent event took place here.” Now try “Your house has bad energy.” Notice how the description in the first sentence immediately tells the home owner exactly what’s wrong, and by “diagnosing” and describing the situation more accurately you have empowered both yourself and the home owner to remedy the situation. To boot, the first sentence also sounds more educated, powerful, and confident. The second sentence is about as useful as saying, “Your house tastes bad.”

If you get the chance, try this exercise. List all the times you use the word “energy,” then look at the list above and see which word may more accurately describe what you’re trying to communicate. When you use the Ʃ-word, take a moment and think of which word you really mean. By using more descriptive and accurate words for “energy,” you may discover greater understanding and clarity, and more meaningful communication.

New Schedule for Posts, 1-2 pm GMT Saturdays

9 [Gapnu] month; Shanatu 84 year


May the gods watch over you; may they bless you with health and wellbeing. 
May they strengthen you for a thousand days 
And for ten thousand years 
Unto eternity. 

Ilūma taģģurrūkumū wa tushallimūkumū

taʻzuzūka alpi yāmīma

wa-rabati shanāti

biʻadi ʻelami


For about a month I've been posting on Tuesdays from around 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm GMT. 


I'm shifting the day and time and day of my posts to around 1:00-2:00 pm GMT on Saturdays, which is the same as 3:00-4:00 pm in the land of Canaan. This day and time is not set in stone, or cuneiform tablet, for that matter, but I shall try it out for a while and see how it works. If you have better suggestions for best times and days for posting, I'd like to hear from you. 


The next blog post will be this Saturday at 1-2 pm GMT and contains exciting news--for the first time ever worldwide I will release the cover art for my new book The Horned Altar: Rekindling and Rediscovering Canaanite Magic. The book itself will be released through Llewellyn Worldwide on April 2013.


Granted, I will also take the liberty of posting whenever in addition to this new schedule, so you may even get to see more than the regularly scheduled one-post-a-week. Can I get a side-dish of awesome with that? 

Dream of Babylonian Moon God during Eclipse and New Moon

2 [Gapnu] (month); Shanatu 84 (year)

This morning I dreamed of three dark moons, a cuneiform stele, and the face of Sin reflected in the moon’s shadows. I debated on releasing this dream for public perusal, but upon realizing that I had the dream on a new moon and a solar eclipse, I decided others should have the opportunity to read about it. I am a devotee of the Canaanite pantheon, and I find it odd that I should receive communication from the Babylonian moon god Sin, and the very dream itself was unusual.

I dreamed I was in a small city near the city center or a park. The entire dreamscape swept before me in subdued colors, as if a grey filter had been put over the image, when I usually dream in vivid color. It looked like a stylized modern film noir. There was a large stele in the park that either I had discovered or was brought to my attention. Someone (singular or plural) wanted me to try to read it for they knew of my familiarity with Ugaritic and I happened to be there. The stele was not in Ugaritic, but Akkadian. A crowd of curious people had gathered around. This discovery excited me and I was delighted that I should take first crack at it, though I knew I hadn’t the expertise of others. It was like getting backstage passes at a concert or being invited to a private film screening.

                Though I do not read Akkadian, I was able to read this almost fluently, as if it were in English. The stele which had lain on the ground was brought to an upright position, restored, as it were, to its former glory. But I was so engrossed in the reading that I barely noticed. Indeed, I found I was sitting in a padded waiting-room chair which had been brought out for me and the chair floated. I began to wonder how I was reading the stele’s top while sitting on a chair on the ground. I leaned back a little in the chair and sent it off-balance. I ended up on the ground very softly: it didn’t hurt and didn’t frighten me. The stele was then beneath me as a photograph-like image printed on a gargantuan cloth sheet, but it was still the same stele, and I knew to treat it with the same respect. After being on the soft stele and reading for a while, it turned back into the stone stele I had seen before: none of these changes seemed the least bit important, and I was consumed by reading the text.

                 As I read, I became aware that the stele was about a deity’s phallus, extolling its life-giving virtues, and I realized that the stele was vaguely phallic-shaped, though flat like a regular stele. It had a pair of decorative lines across near the top, perhaps indicating circumcision. Other than that, I did not see any adornment on the stele, which is odd considering it was written in Akkadian and had been completely filled with writing. Often they have some form of bas relief at the top, even if the writing goes through the art. As I read, I noted that the stele seemed for the moon-god Sin. In a brief moment of dream-lucidity, I consciously wondered why this wasn’t a dream about Yarikh. My lucid consciousness was quickly disallowed.

                I had been reading the stele’s words aloud in English, but muttering, and only the few people nearest me could really hear much of what I was saying, so I turned around and addressed the crowd and gave them a summary of the stele’s content. It was then that either someone pointed out the moon in the sky or I caught sight of it. The day was painted in the same greys as the city, and the moon was up during the day.  The moon and the sky resembled a negative photo image. The sky was pale grey and the moon was dark. I saw two other moon shapes depressed like thumbprints in clay atop the original image of the one moon, like three shadow moons:  one large and dark, the other two side-by-side across the first, but smaller and darker. It was spectacular. I assumed I was watching some sort of eclipse or astronomical phenomenon. I figured there must have been a solar eclipse going on at the same time, plus some refraction of water crystals in the air or something to produce such a strange image. The assembled crowd became still and silent, and people fidgeted.

                I looked further for the “man in the moon” shapes but instead of seeing them, I saw a head, a neck, and shoulders. The head wore a crescent atop his head or his brow, with the tips of the crescent pointing up, away from his face. I do not believe that he was bearded in this image. The image was beautiful, and I felt privileged to see it, however, I still had a feeling of academic curiosity and detachment from what I was seeing. The face looked right at me, into my eyes, and seemed serene if mildly unhappy. The unhappiness did not seem to be directed towards me, but indicated to me a current and overall state-of-being; I had gotten the feeling that I had done well. I had not seen him before and he didn’t look familiar to me, nor did he feel familiar.

                The face looked at the rest of the people and seemed downright angry: indeed the face frowned and the brow furrowed so deeply it was almost like seeing a mask. The people asked me who it was, for some of them (but I’m not sure if all of them) could see it. I told them to meet the moon god Sin who had been mentioned in the stele I had just read to them. I felt a sense of foreboding, but that I was not involved in whatever would befall.

                Even though the dream had an entire huge stele devoted to a god’s phallus, there was nothing sexual about the dream. The stele’s shape vaguely resembled a phallus, but no testicles—it may have been “phallic”-shaped, but not much more so than the shape of most other stelae: like enlarged rectangular tablets rounded at the top end. The stele indicated the life-giving properties, moisture, fertility, and virility, all of which typically come with this symbol, but it also mentioned the power and the strength. I recall the stele’s message also ventured into the absurd such as the phallus’s  fine-shapedness, and perhaps the ability to urinate while standing. However, the dream seemed centered on the god’s very personal representation of strength: a common metaphor. In the dream, he was letting me know his power, and I believe asking me to keep my eyes open and communicate his message.

                 I woke up knowing that whatever I did in the day, I must write all this down before forgetting it, for the dream seemed like a potent message; perhaps even an omen. That I had this dream on the evening of a new moon seems that much more important. Seeing three moons, or three bright moon shapes indicates rain in Canaanite omen texts, but I saw three dark moons in a Babylonian context. I burned a light benzoin-camphor incense in honor of Sin shortly after this entry.

The Palm of the Phoenix: The Kappu Symbol in Natib Qadish

24 [Ugaru] (month); Shanatu 84 (year)

Ancient Canaanite texts and material culture contain many meaningful symbols for Canaanite polytheists: Baʻal Haddi’s war-clubs, young hero Aqhat’s bow, a cup of blessing, an eight-pointed star, a four-rayed solar disk,  and more. I like the palm, both the tree and the palm of the hand, and their layers of symbolism.

The first time we see the symbol of the palm-of-hand alone inscribed is on a stele from a Canaanite stele from Bronze Age Hazor: two hands reach toward a crescent moon. This stele comes from 13th century BCE Hazor.

Around the same time, many statues of Canaanite deities display a "blessing pose" with a palm facing forward toward the viewer. (This contrasts with smiting pose where a deity stands in stride and raises a hand or a weapon overhead.) This statue comes from Late Bronze Age Canaan.

Later, we see the symbol inscribed on stele in Iron Age Israelite culture at Khirbet el-Qom,7th-8th centuries BCE .The symbol in the Khirbet el-Qom inscription appears to be used in a protective sense. The inscriptions invokes the protection of Yahweh and his Asherah.

We see the symbol again  in stelae dedicated to Tanit in Phoenician and Carthaginian cultures. 

Both the Phoenicians and the Israelites are daughter-cultures to the Canaanites; the Carthaginian culture is a daughter of the Phoenicians, and a grand-daughter of the Canaanites.

The Ugaritic word for the palm of the hand is kappu, and this is our word for this symbol. Other cultures refer to this symbol as the hamsa or khamsa, the Hand of Miriam, or the Hand of Fatima. The word "hamsa" or "khamsa" means "five" in Arabic.  If you're curious, the word for "five" in Ugaritic is "khamishu".

On a different, but related note, the date palm tree is associated with Athirat because of the tree's life-giving qualities: food, shade, and as an indication of water because they grow where water or rain is present. The fronds of the palm also resemble the palm of the hand, and hence the name “palm” in English.

The Greek name for the daughter culture of the Canaanites, the Phoenicians, is derived from a Greek word “phoinike” referring to the famed purple dye created by the Canaanites and their daughter culture, the Phoenicians. "Phoinike" and "Phoenician" are linguistically related to the scientific name for date palm: Phoenix dactylifera. “Dactylifera” means “date-bearing,” but it relates back to the Greek word for finger, and points the way back to the palm-of-hand.

The bird of splendors called Phoenix Greek tales, also relates to "phoinike" and Phoenix dactylifera:  it was thought that the bird originated in Phoenicia and had Phoenician-purple plumage. 

Thus the kappu, the palm-of-hand symbol, encompasses the ancient blessing pose, sacred stelea and iconography, Athiratu’s date palm tree, Canaanite purple dye, and a magnificent bird reborn in fire. I can think of no better symbol to represent Natib Qadish and Canaanite religion.

The modern pewter kappu below surrounds the image of a date palm tree and a pomegranate.

Twilight Shades: Hauntings from a Modern Canaanite Perspective

18 [Ugaru] (month), Shanatu (year) 84

I avoid smacking poltergeists with a flaking, aged copy of Gideon’s Bible; I shall not flash tarot cards or fumigate with sage. I won’t show up in black robes with cross or pentacle. There’s slim chance that I will ever say you’re plagued with demons or make ambiguous comments about “energy.” While many people rely on crucifixes or crystals, some situations defy understanding from within Christian, Western culture, or New Age perspectives. Knowing different spiritual models increases understanding, efficacy, and protection when confronted with the mysterious unseen world. My perspective and my tools are in keeping with a different religion.

                I practice a religion called Natib Qadish, which means “sacred path” in Ugaritic, a Canaanite language. As a polytheistic religion, Natib Qadish honors the many individual deities of Canaan. In over thirteen years’ research and experience in this religion, I have become a kahinatu and I’ve received initiation into a Lebanese prayer tradition for clearing the Evil Eye. I am a leader in the emerging Near Eastern and Middle Eastern polytheist religious movements

                Ancient Canaan encompassed parts of modern-day Syria, all of Lebanon, a tip of Jordan, Israel, and into Gaza. The Canaanites never had a cohesive nation, nor did they have one language. They shared languages that were related to each other, for instance like how English and German are related. The geographic territory contained many city-states with their own autonomy, but often subject to foreign powers such as the Hittites or Hurrians in the north, the Assyrians to the east, and the Egyptians to the south. The Canaanite culture thrived around three thousand five hundred years ago. Much of what we know about Canaanite religion comes from the city-state of Ugarit in the south of modern-day Syria: by 1929 archaeologists had unearthed a cache of cuneiform documents about religious practices.  Natib Qadish connects ancient Canaanite religion with the modern day; our information comes from these Ugaritic texts, from archaeological record, and from comparative studies with other cultures, especially Mesopotamian and early Near Eastern Jewish traditions.

                Because I practice this religion, my view on haunting differs from prevailing Christian, New Age, or modern Western cultural perspectives.

The Human Spirit

The word napshu embodies many concepts at once: soul, spirit, appetite, throat, vitality, passion, strength, charisma. A person’s napshu is connected to the throat. The Canaanites referred to the transition from life to death as the “twilight of life.” When a person dies, it releases like vapor from the nostrils. The spirit of the deceased—the napshu separated from the corpse—is usually called a rapiʼu.

                Rapi’u (singular), or rapi’ūma (plural), refers to a peacefully resting “spirit” of a person who has died. This Ugaritic word translates as “healer,” indicating this being’s role. Usually these ancestors rest in the Betu Khapthati, the House of Freedom, provided their bodies have had proper burial rites: in Canaanite legend, a man even collected his son’s remains from the vultures who had fed on the corpse. The departed’s survivors must also remember him and make offerings in his honor. These rapi’ūma have abilities and knowledge that the living do not possess and if they are treated appropriately, the living can consult them in times of need.

                There are other words for the departed, which in antiquity were associated with rapi’u. These are:

• Zhilu (zhilūma, plural) in Ugaritic: shade, shadow, spirit
• Ruachu (ruachūma, plural) in Ugaritic: wind, spirit, breath
•  Etsemmu (etsemmū, plural) in Akkadian: ghost, spirit, wandering spirit
•  ʼOb (ʼobīm, plural) in Hebrew: ghost, spirit of the dead, ancestral spirit

Although the terms interrelate, in Natib Qadish, we usually refer to a peaceful spirit as a rapiʼu, and a wandering spirit as a zhilu, ruachu, or etsemmu. In a general sense, I may use any of the above as “ghost,” however in modern parlance sometimes I will use zhilu for a spirit manifesting as a passing shadow—sometimes these beings are referred to as “shades.” Other times, I like using ruachu for one encountered as a temperature change, or etsemmu or ʼob for spirit.

                Under certain circumstances, a rapi’u can become restless and cause problems.

What Causes Unrest

• Improper burial rites
• Inappropriate or disturbed gravesite
• Lack of offerings
• Being forgotten
• Violent death, especially drowning or immolation
• Unfinished business, injustice, addiction, suicide
• Being cursed
• Dying because of misdeed or divine judgment

A visit from a  zhilu, ruachu, or etsemmu, or ʼob indicates a need for proper action so that the spirit can rest. If action is neglected, the restless one can become troublesome, much like the Chinese “hungry ghost.”

Other Spirits

Human spirits do not cause all hauntings. Sometimes hauntings result from bad magic or supernatural beings.

The Eye and Bad Sorcery

A haunting can result from simple ill-wishes to a formal curse. To this end, I take rumors of old curses seriously. The ancient Canaanites had magic which would redirect magically-inflicted harm.

                The Eye, ‘enu in Ugaritic, or known in Western culture as the Evil Eye, brings misfortune. A person can make the Eye unconsciously by looking upon another with envy; alternatively a witch or sorcerer can create the Eye intentionally. Once created, the ‘enu can take on a life—albeit not a consciousness—of its own without the aid of the person who caused it. A person can avert the Eye through amulets, phrases, gestures, and blessings. Places, objects, or people can all be affected by the ‘enu.

Amulets

• Palm of hand  (Kappu, Hand of Fatima, Khamsa, Hamsa, Hand of Miriam) - Middle East
• Blue glass eyes and eye shapes - Middle East, Mediterranean
• Blue or Red colors - Middle East and Southern Europe
• Triangles – Middle East and Southern Europe
• Sacred Images – Middle East and Southern Europe
• Animal Horns – Southern Europe, Middle East
• Vulva, Phallus – Mesopotamia, Ancient Rome
• Written holy names - Mediterranean, Middle East, Europe

Phrases

• ‘Enuna halakat, “The Eye goes away” - Ugaritic (a Canaanite language)
• Tabarak-Allah, “Blessings of Allah” - Arabic
• B’li ayin ha-raʻ,  “Without the evil eye” - Hebrew, Sephardic pronunciation
• Kein eina ha-ra,  or shortened to kennahara or kaynahorah - Yiddish
• Prayer or divine name - Mediterranean, Middle East, Europe

Gestures

• Pointing index and pinky fingers, with thumb pressing other fingers toward palm: a gesture made popular by musician Dio - Europe, especially Italy
• Spitting or imitating spitting, especially three times - Jewish, Greek, Ethiopian
•  The “fig” or “fica” gesture: in a closed fist, place thumb between index and second fingers. This gesture implies sexual intercourse. -  Italian, Roman
• Avoiding or downplaying compliments; stating a warding phrase or blessing after a compliment; or spitting three times after making a compliment – Mediterranean, Middle East
• Drawing or gesturing sacred protective symbols: the Canaanite letter cho, which symbolizes a fence, or the letter shin which signifies a composite bow. Also the cross for Christians, or the Magen David for Jews. - Mediterranean, Europe, Middle East

The Eye causes exhaustion, dizziness, weakness, bad luck, and even illness. Mystical techniques can diagnose an affliction with the ‘enu, and there are certain prayers for getting rid of it: traditionally these are administered by an initiated person. Some of these methods above can also prevent or ameliorate curses and hauntings.

Non-human Entities

Supernatural non-human beings can be good or evil, and sometimes good deities can send evil beings if a person had done something inappropriate: this is similar to Greek tales of the Furies harassing a wrongdoer. Some entities can cause illness or chaotic weather patterns.  

                However, a few entities are troublesome without having been sent by the divine. We know the Canaanites warded against Lamashtu, who originates in Mesopotamian lore. Lamashtu became known as Lilith the evil demon in later times. Lamashtu causes sexual problems, harms pregnant women and babies, and torments unmarried men. She loiters in arches, near places of illicit sex, and in some willow or poplar trees. Pazuzu often appears as a protector against Lamashtu: Mesopotamian pregnant woman often wore his image and his image has even been found at the Canaanite site of Megiddo. You will know the image of Pazuzu from his inaccurate characterization in the movie The Exorcist, the original 1973 production: in the beginning of the film, an archaeologist unearths a statuette of him. Although often indifferent to humanity, and sometimes outright evil, Pazuzu can also protect people against plague, bad luck, and the west wind. Another Mesopotamian supernatural being, a gallu, was often but not always evil. The gallū typically run in packs and lurk in the wilderness.

Ambiance

Separate from human spirits or supernatural beings, a location may have a power of its own. Certain locations in Canaan accumulated spiritual power, especially after being treated as sacred over time. Ambiance can be beneficial or detrimental, created through repeated goodness and attention or tragedy and neglect. A place of contempt, disregard, and filth takes on a poor, draining ambiance; while clean, respected and revered places become good and empowered. Jewish tradition warns against visiting ruins, wilderness, places of ill-repute and wrongdoing, or abandoned locations especially at night, because the places attract evil spirits and crime.

Spirit Possession

Disincarnate human spirits or supernatural beings can possess the living. Disgruntled dead can enter a living person through the ear, according to Mesopotamian lore. This can occur when a spirit is angry or weakened from mistreatment, or because it has a need to fulfill. This possessing spirit can bring torment, illness, injury, or bad luck to its host until the spirit’s plight is remedied. In Jewish lore, a dybbuk (Yiddish) is a human spirit that possesses the living so it can fulfill a craving, finish business, or stave off judgment in the afterlife. They exit a person through a pinky or little toe, sometimes causing a drop of blood to appear.

                Rarely a supernatural being can possess a person: this act can be benevolent or troublesome. A person may find herself guided by a benevolent supernatural being in a difficult situation. In a troublesome possession, a person may become ill or exhibit unusual behavior. Prayers, rites, and music can drive out a malevolent spirit.

Prevention

Avoid ruins, lonely places, wilderness, places of ill-repute, or places that feel wrong—especially if you are alone or it is night. If you visit a haunted place, bring offerings and pray for the spirits’ wellbeing. Remember the spirits by name, if possible. Wear protective amulets, pray and make offerings to your deities for protection.

                Good spiritual maintenance can prevent problems. Bless, cleanse, and ward your home, land, and yourself, and maintain a good relationship with the divine, your ancestors, and your community. Cleanse, bless, and ward thresholds, window sills, corners, cracks, closets, mirrors, bathrooms, and places where substances, signals or information come into the home (mailboxes, phones, radios, televisions, computers, water taps, and electrical boxes). On the property outside, mind areas that are darker, remote, lonely, or overgrown. Make offerings to the local spirits: incense, bread, salt, meat, olive oil, fruit, and wine. 

                The Mesopotamians believed conversing with zhilūma and supernatural beings was dangerous, so unless you have knowledge, resources, and skilled assistance, limit your interaction with spirits. If you suspect a zhilu, the Eye, or a supernatural being, educate yourself and get assistance from spiritual counselors, priests, and professional psychological support. If the situation is violent or untenable, remove yourself and your family until it is resolved.

Remedy

If you have an immediate problem, there are several actions you can take:

• Play music: both supernatural beings and human spirits are comforted or distracted by music
• Sound a bell or a horn: loud, piercing sounds drive away or distract some entities. Use a brass or copper bell; or a horn made from an animal’s horn. Wear small bells, put secured bells on children or pets.
• Draw a circle around an area with flour—preferably whole wheat if you have it. The circle works as long as it is complete and you are inside it. The boundary will still function for those inside even if a person chooses to walk outside by stepping over the boundary, however the boundary’s outline must remain undisturbed.
• Burn myrrh, cedar incense, or lotus. Myrrh is holy and cleansing. Cedar represents the god Baʻlu Haddi in his role as protector. The goddess ‘Athtartu is protective, but also helpful for emotional situations that require calm and equanimity: use lotus for her presence.
•  Shake a bundle of tamarisk, date palm stalk, and reed: this is an ancient Canaanite method of cleansing
•  Anoint items or places, especially doorposts, thresholds, sills, and corners with olive oil: this action cleanses and blesses.
• Add amulets, images of the divine, written holy names or verses, crosses, mezuzot, or other religious symbols, especially ones that have been blessed.
• Gather fresh oregano, mint, or marjoram, dip herbs in rose water and shake them in the area: also a cleansing rite.
• Wear amulets and keep holy texts nearby.
• Be a good person. Donate to charity, and make regular offerings to the deities or a religious organization.
• Care for the local spirits and your ancestors: this will remedy problems and circumvent future issues.
• Call in a priest or a specialist to cleanse, bless, and protect the home. Just a cleansing or just a blessing is seldom enough. Also call in a priest or holy person to ensure the proper rest of local spirits and your ancestors. Sometimes this can take many visits: it's not always a one-shot cure.
• Contact a priest or specialist if you think you’re afflicted with the Eye.
• Go to a public place or take an alternate route. If you suspect that a spirit follows you, go to a public location before returning home. In Mesopotamian lore, a person would visit a tavern: however stay alert and avoid drunkenness. Alternatively, you can take a convoluted route home, especially one with many stops on the way. Reconvening at a 24-hour diner is a good way to end paranormal investigations. 

Conclusion

Christianity and Judaism have their roots in ancient Canaanite and Mesopotamian religion; most of us have a spiritual inheritance that hearkens back into Canaan. I practice older ways, but remnants of them still exist in Jewish and Christian customs today. I am delighted to offer a different perspective because diversity enhances our understanding of each other and the unseen world around us. If you have questions, please consult the resources below or ask me.

Yishlam le-kumu, peace and wellbeing to you.

Tess Dawson

Reading List

Black, Jeremy and Anthony Green. Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia. University of Texas Press, TX, USA, 1992.

Dawson, Tess. Whisper of Stone: Natib Qadish, Modern Canaanite Religion. O-Books, UK, 2009.

-----Editor. Anointed: A Devotional Anthology for the Deities of the Near and Middle East. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, USA, 2011.

-----The Horned Altar: Rediscovering and Rekindling Canaanite Magic. Llewellyn Worldwide, Woodbury, MN, USA. Due for release summer 2013.

Pardee, Dennis. Ritual and Cult at Ugarit. Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, GA, USA, 2002.

Parker, Simon B., ed. Translated by Mark Smith, et al. Ugaritic Narrative Poetry. Society of Biblical Literature, USA, 1997.

Nakhai, Beth Alpert. Archaeology and the Religions of Canaan and Israel. The American Schools of Oriental Research, Boston, MA, USA, 2001.

Jack Sasson et al., eds. Civilizations of the Ancient Near East. Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, NY, USA, 1995.

Tubb, Jonathan N. Canaanites. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK, USA, 1998.

Van der Toorn, Karel; Bob Becking; and Pieter W. Van der Horst. Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. E.J. Brill Leiden, The Netherlands, 1995.

Web Resources

ASOR (AmericanSchools of Oriental Research), Boston University. Links for Archaeology and Ancient Civilizations. 

Biti-Anat,Lilinah. Qadash Kinahnu: A Canaanite Phoenician Temple

Dawson, Tess. NatibQadish: Modern Canaanite Religion. 

----- Kinaʻani:Impressions of Tess Dawson, Canaanite Polytheist (blog) 

----- Whisper ofStone, Natib Qadish Discussion Group on Facebook 

-----Natib Qadish Discussion Group on Yahoo!

-----Natib Qadish Group on Facebook

Siren, Chris.Canaanite/Ugaritic Mythology FAQ, ver. 1.2. 

Accept No Substitutes: Goddess Athirat's Imagery

4 [Ugaru] (month); Shanatu 84 (year)
An ancient ivory box lid from the Canaanite city of Ugarit from around 1200  BCE (3200 years ago) shows the goddess Athiratu. Here is a picture of that very artifact:

Image of Athirat, Canaanite, city of Ugarit, circa 1200 BCE

The image above is the real thing. Notice how the goddess in the image above sits on a seat and has her feet on the ground. She holds two grain sheaves or palm branches aloft over the heads of two animals. These two animals have beards and thus they are likely goats or ibex. This is likely the goddess Athiratu. There are many seals and inscriptions from all over Canaan around this time (the Late Bronze Age) and into the Iron Age which depict a tree of life flanked by two caprids in a pose similar to this, and under that tree, the ancient artisan inscribed the word "Elat" which means "goddess," a known title associated with Athiratu.

New Age shops and magic needs suppliers are starting to sell similar images, which is great! However, they often mislabel the image as "Astarte" out of ignorance or because the name Astarte is better known in New Age and Neopagan groups, and thus the name is more marketable. If you come across a similar image carefully observe it for inaccuracies. Sometimes these images are wrought by artists who do not know much about this goddess or the surrounding imagery in this era and location. The image below is inaccurate.

Inaccurate replica of the image of Athirat , modern  day.

The grain or palm branches now appear as snakes. The animals next to her are horses, not goats or ibex, ans she stands on skulls. Skulls and death imagery are not a part of Athiratu's worship. Horses are associated with the Canaanite sun goddess Shapshu and are never associated with Athiratu. Venomous snakes are the responsibility of Choronu, the mage-god who expels toxins and venom. Trying to feed snakes to the animals, or sheltering them with snakes doesn't make sense iconographically. With the deadly snakes and a goddess standing on skulls, the image becomes a tree of death instead of the tree of life.

I have also seen "Dancing Astarte" statues which mimic the original image from the Canaanite city of Ugarit, but keep in mind that in the original image she sits, not dances, and the goddess is likely Athiratu, not Astarte. And the statue misses the tree of life imagery. 

Thus ends today's Canaanite public service announcement for the informed consumer.