It was claimed Immanuel Kants routine was so predictable his neighbours could set their clocks by his daily walk.

Born in 1724 in the Prussian town of Knigsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia), Kant had a strict education and traditional Protestant upbringing. At 16, he enrolled at university to study philosophy.

After a time working as a tutor and lecturer, in 1770 Kant was appointed Professor of Logic and Metaphysics at the University of Knigsberg. He never married, and seems never to have left his home town again after 1754.

But from this small Prussian town, his ideas spread to influence science, religion, politics and art to this day.

Read more: Explainer: the ideas of Foucault

During Kants lifetime, people believed God had created us to understand the world perfectly. But the rise of modern science challenged this view.

In Critique of Pure Reason (1781), Kant argued the way the world seems is not an accurate reflection of how it really is.

He said our minds create a picture of the world based on what we perceive through our senses. Knowledge is not simply a representation of external reality: it is a construction.

This was a new and controversial idea. It implied that, since we cannot experience God through the senses, we cannot know that God exists we can only have faith in his existence.

In a still largely Christian Europe, Kant was censored for these views. In 1793, the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II threatened Kant with punishment if he published further on religion.

Despite censorship, questioning of God remained central to Kants work.

In Critique of Practical Reason (1788), Kant asked how we know what we should do. Through faith in God, he said, we have access to a moral law that tells us how to act.

At the centre of Kants ethical theory was the categorical imperative: we must always act in such a way that we believe would be just under a universal law.

Perhaps it is easiest to understand this as a version of the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Kant wanted to understand the natural world, but he was also curious about how it makes us feel. In Critique of Judgement (1790), Kant wondered why people found gardens and pastoral settings beautiful, while mountains and the night sky invoked a frightened awe he called the sublime.

Kant believed we experience terror in the face of nature when it reminds us of our own small and fleeting place on earth. Kants theory of the sublime inspired a generation of artists in awe of the mysterious powers of nature.

Many of Kants ideas are now outdated.

Kant believed that certain differences between people are innate. In On the Different Human Races (1775), he argued there is only one human species but people of different races have different inborn characteristics and abilities.

These ideas helped to establish a pseudo-scientific basis for racism, which was used to justify colonial oppression and genocide.

By considering European societies as the ideal model of human development, Kant argued that not all races were capable of achieving the same level of civilization as European ones. This aspect of Kants thinking reveals how racism has historically been deeply entangled with the concept of civilization.

Kant was a public intellectual who wrote for a broad audience. As more people became educated and literate, a public sphere emerged in which people engaged in reasoned debate: the age of Enlightenment.

The term Enlightenment was first used in 18th century France, but Kant gave us the classic definition. In An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment? (1784), Kant wrote that Enlightenment was about people thinking freely for themselves - rather than relying on authorities.

Although Kant believed in free speech, he was not a democrat. In the Enlightenment essay, he praised the institution of monarchy, and was quick to condemn the violence of revolutions.

Kant believed that political freedom would increase through gradual historical progress rather than through revolution. In Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch (1795), he imagined a future secured by an international federation of republics.

We are far from the future of perpetual peace Kant imagined, but his ideas are still relevant for thinking through modern challenges.

His theory of knowledge still broadly underpins modern science. When scientists create models, they understand that these are representations not the real thing.

Kants theory of the sublime can help us to understand why climate change provokes such strong feelings in us: it makes us reflect on our own transience.

His ideas about Enlightenment influence debates about education and free speech, and his concept of international federalism can be seen in the United Nations.

Many scholars and activists still appeal to Kant to understand the origins of some of our most faulty and deeply entrenched ideas about race.

Finally, in a time of tightening borders, Kants concepts of world citizenship and universal hospitality can provoke us to think critically about peace, migration, and international relations.

See original here:
Explainer: the ideas of Kant - The Conversation AU

This past August, the New York Times released the 1619 Project, a compendium of journalism and poetry examining the 400 years since enslaved Africans arrived on American soil.

The multimedia project has been widely lauded as the first mainstream journalism to reframe American history, centering the arrival of those first few dozens of enslaved Africans. Now, in partnership with the Pulitzer Center, the work at the core of the project is making its way into classrooms across the country including many here in the D.C. region.

But critics argue the project is biased, incomplete, or even incorrect in its thesis. You could say the same thing about the English common law, for example, or the use of the English language, argued a such critic in New York Magazine. You could say that about the Enlightenment. Or the climate. You could say that Americas unique existence as a frontier country bordered by lawlessness is felt even today in every mass shooting. You could cite the death of countless millions of Native Americans by violence and disease as something that defines all of us in America but that would be to engage in a liberal inquiry into our past, teasing out the nuances.

New York Times staff writer Nikole Hannah-Jones, who led the project, says every component was thoroughly fact-checked and verified to ensure the arguments were sound. But the core question of whether a retelling of history can ever be really complete remains especially when studies show so few American students are taught much of anything about slavery.

Well learn more about the 1619 Project and curriculum from a local journalist, then hear from a high school teacher whos used the material and a college professor who has pushed back against it.

Produced by Maura Currie

Read more here:
The 1619 Project Is Reshaping How We Teach Slavery But Is It Enough? - The Kojo Nnamdi Show

Editors note: This is part two in a series of four articles exploring the causes of and ways to combat winter blues. The focus of the series is on mental health and strategies for improving your state of mind through physical activity, spirituality, diet and community and connections.

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS Wherever you find your spirituality, research shows that finding that connection that meaning can provide a buffer against depression.

For whatever struggles or loss someone might be facing, the holidays can be an especially difficult time, said Dr. Jo Ann Grace the spiritual health care coordinator and bereavement counselor for Northwest Colorado Healths hospice program. People may inside feel really sad but are caught between everyone being joyful its a paradox of emotions that can happen at the same time.

Whether or not you worship a god or take part in an organized religion, Grace said, Its about connections, relationships, spirituality and how you are finding meaning in the midst of the holiday season.

For some, especially living in a place surrounded by spectacular natural beauty, that connection to something larger or sense of deep gratitude, awe and peace can be found on a mountaintop or at the edge of a pristine lake.

Nature is one of the most underutilized treasures in life. It has the power to unburden hearts and reconnect to that inner place of peace, wrote Dr. Janice Anderson and Kiersten Anderson in their book Off Beat Enlightenment, which focuses on different ways to find inner peace, health and happiness.

The quest for spirituality and meaning can be one that is ever-evolving, ever-growing and change throughout a persons life.

Where do you look for this hope that you know is there? Bob Dylan queried in his poem, Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie. You can either go to the church of your choice/ Or you can go to Brooklyn State Hospital.

That spiritual quest and search for meaning gets at thinking about what it means to be human, said Grace. And connection where you can make those connections that allows you to be most fully yourself.

Grace is also a neuroscientist, helping people in her private practice to understand the connections between the brain, body and spirit.

In her work, Grace has found that when people are in a period of grief, they can find relief by focusing on what they most value and where they feel free and fully engaged whether that be worshipping a god, practicing yoga, digging in the garden or riding a horse.

And in addition to the individual component, theres also a communal component, she said. Our brain needs to connect to a tribe.

In the study of the Blue Zones, the locations across the globe with the highest percentage of centenarians, several of the top keys to longevity are finding a sense of purpose, belonging to a community and the nurturing of ones religion or spirituality.

The Blue Zone research attributed physical and mental benefits to spirituality.

People who pay attention to their spiritual side have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, depression, stress and suicide, and their immune systems seem to work better. To a certain extent, adherence to a religion allows them to relinquish the stresses of everyday life to a higher power, said Dan Buettner, Blue Zones founder.

Religiosity and spirituality have been shown to cause changes in the brain, such as increasing serotonin.

There is also an increasing amount of research on the benefits of the practice of meditation and mindfulness being fully aware of the moment to both physical and mental health and combatting the blues.

Meditation trains the brain to achieve sustained focus and to return to that focus when negative thinking, emotions and physical sensations intrude which happens a lot when you feel stressed and anxious, according to Dr. John W. Denninger, director of research at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine.

On Thursday, Dec. 12, Grace is co-facilitating the Blue Christmas service at 6 p.m. at St Pauls Episcopal Church in Steamboat Springs.

It is a nondenominational service to support individuals who are grieving or feeling down this holiday season.

The service is a chance for people to gather together, write a name or message on a star and hang it on a tree, light a candle and honor a person or honor the self and recognize the transition you are going through, Grace said. And recognize you are not by yourself other people are going through similar experiences.

To reach Kari Dequine Harden, call 970-871-4205, email kharden@SteamboatPilot.com or follow her on Twitter @kariharden.

Link:
Battling the Blues Part 2: Nurture the spirit - Steamboat Pilot & Today

Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson addressed about 20 Perry-area voters Monday morning in downtown Perry.

Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson addressed about 20 Perry-area voters Monday morning in downtown Perry, bring her message of higher consciousness and peace seeking to to the campaign trail.

The event was free and open to the public as a public service by the Perry-Area Democrats.

Williamson has sold more than 3 million books worldwide, with millions of people attending her lectures over a 35-year career focused on spiritual enlightenment and well being. Her most recent works include A Politics of Love: A Handbook for a New American Revolution, published in 2019, and Tears to Triumph: The Spiritual Journey from Suffering to Enlightenment, from 2016.

One of Williamsons signature campaign promises was a call for between $100 billion and $500 billion in reparations for African-American slavery to be distributed over 10 years by a group of black leaders for economic and education projects.

My campaign for the presidency is dedicated to the search for higher wisdom, Williamsons website says. Its purpose is to create a new political possibility in America where citizens awaken, our hearts and minds are uplifted and our democracy once more becomes a thing about which we can all feel proud.

Williamsons issue statements are available online on the campaign website.

Go here to read the rest:
Williamson brings consciousness, peace to Perry message Monday - theperrynews.com

The Simon Wiesenthal Center has named Britain's Labor Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn the top anti-Semite of the year -- an honor that Corbyn enjoyed once before.

How proud his mother must be.

With the parliamentary elections scheduled for Thursday and Corbyn's Labor Party trailing Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives badly, the last thing Labor needs is to be exposed as a bunch of Hitler mini-mes. But the august Times of London has published an article detailing a massive leak of internal Labor Party documents. The article shows not only that anti-Semitism is running rampant in the party, but that Corbyn's promise that Labor is dealing with its anti-Semitism is a lie.

Times of Israel:

Jewish groups and others have rung alarm bells over the prospects of party leader Jeremy Corbyns promotion to No. 10 Downing Street with increasing distress as the December 12 British election has approached, accusing the far-left politician of allowing a massive rise in anti-Semitism within the ranks of the party, and of being anti-Semitic himself.

There are also recordings of meetings that show dozens of cases of anti-Semitism languishing for more than a year with no action being taken.

What kind of anti-Semitism are we looking at?

It reportedly took the party more than ten months to expel a staffer from Nottingham who last year said that Jews represent a viral infection that need to be completely eliminated and added that he wanted the complete extinction of all Jews.

The party refused to say whether it had referred that case to the police.

And when the party finally gets around to "disciplining" members, not much is done. The report notes that "half of 100 cases dealt with between the summer of 2018 and May, 2019 ended with no action taken or with just a warning, the report said. Some members were ordered to attend diversity training which Labour has not set up."

Guess they sort of forgot that part.

Meanwhile, the Simon Wiesenthal Center is extremely worried:

If Jeremy Corbyn wins, he will make Britain a pariah on the world stage, Hier said. To have a person seeking the highest office who ignored anti-Semitism for years, who did everything in his power to encourage it is shocking.

I always thought the motto "Never Forget" was redundant in western countries. How could educated people "forget" six million people were slaughtered?

As it turns out, it still wasn't enough for some people. It's not a question of remembering. It's a matter of hate, fear, and loathing. And when people who believe that way get in power, you get camps, persecution, and gas chambers.

The British people are about to be tested as few modern societies have ever been; whether to embrace Medieval superstition and unreasoning fear or walk in the light of enlightenment and knowledge. Ordinarily, it would be silly to dub Boris Johnson a defender of Enlightenment values. But compared to Corbyn and his Nazi wannabees? No contest.

See the rest here:
Labour's Jeremy Corbyn Lied About Purging Anti-Semitism From the Party - PJ Media

"The IVF Talks" is a patient-centered event taking place on February 9th in Los Angeles, CA.

LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) December 09, 2019

As rising numbers of couples and individuals experience infertility and undergo treatment like in-vitro fertilization (IVF), the true costs to their emotional and financial welfare are being chronicled. Industry experts are calling for emphasis on knowledge, community and enlightenment as a counterweight to the stress and unsavory practices some providers engage while marketing expensive services and medication to patients. It is time to educate and enlighten people struggling to have a family, so they can gain a sense of emotional control over their fertility. There is a tremendous need for transparency in this industry, whether it be informational, financial, or emotional. said Rozanne Sher, co-organizer of The IVF Talks, a patient-focused event scheduled for February 9 in Los Angeles, Calif. People need to feel empowered when undergoing such an emotionally draining experience. Knowledge is power. Our goal is to arm them with expert information so they will be well equipped to tackle the emotional and financial minefield along their journey to family.

According to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 12 and 13 percent of American couples will experience some difficulty starting a family [1]. This number is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, as more women delay having a child and turn to IVF when ready. Studies show that the annual IVF cycle volume in the U.S. has grown 70 percent from 2005 to 2015 [2].

The CDC reports that out of about four million births per year in the U.S., 80,000 babies are via IVF. The success rate in the U.S is as follows:

The emotional toll the process takes on couples is significant. One Harvard paper reported that a study of 200 couples seen consecutively at a fertility clinic found that half of the women and 15 percent of the men said that infertility was the most upsetting experience of their lives. Another study cited in the same paper found that women with infertility felt as anxious or depressed as those diagnosed with cancer, hypertension, or recovering from a heart attack [4]." Moreover, the medications intended to treat infertility may themselves contribute to patient despair. The same Harvard paper linked them to side effects that can include depression, mania, irritability, and thinking problems.

Financial imperatives contribute to patient stress. The average cost of a single IVF cycle in the U.S. is between $12,000 and $15,000 and on average, it costs $50,000 to conceive a child through IVF [5]. Although 16 states have passed laws that require insurers to either cover or offer coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment, most plans dont cover it.

That means most of the associated costs of infertility treatment are paid for in cash by couples desperate to start a familymaking them vulnerable to fall victim to misinformation and unnecessary add-on procedures. Researchers in Barcelona discovered that intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which is routinely sold to families undergoing IVF treatment as an expensive add-on, actually reduced success rates by 55 percent as compared to standard IVF treatment [6].

I know from my own personal experience; the IVF process can be overwhelming and confusing not only emotionally but financially. The IVF Talks aims to educate all people on navigating the IVF process and bring forward the experts from different arenas of the IVF process. These are doctors most patients arent privy too during their routine infertility care. said Adam Bloch, co-organizer of The IVF Talks.

The IVF Talks is tackling unspoken issues of the IVF Industry head on and galvanizing all white-hat doctors and clinics in the movement to inform and empower with education, he continued. Were bringing the conversation forward, out of the shadows, with trusted industry expert advice across every aspect of the IVF process.

The IVF Talks will be held at the Aratani Theatre in Los Angeles on February 9, 2020. Buy tickets here.

About The IVF Talks The IVF Talks event is a unique, first of its kind, user-focused experience that empowers couples with expert information to tackle misinformation and other struggles throughout the Infertility journey. The Talks Company LLC, DBA The IVF Talks was established in May 2019 by Rozanne Sher and Adam Bloch to deliver state-of-the-art events centered around delivering Infertility information to the masses. Visit http://www.theivftalks.com

1.National Center for Health Statistics, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, July 15, 2016 2.Family Builder Workplace Index, The Fertility IQ, 2017-2018 3.Assisted Reproductive Technology National Summary Report, Center for Disease Control, October 2017 4. The Psychological impact of infertility and its treatment, Harvard Medical School, May 2009 5.Coverage for fertility treatments often comes up short, CNBC, June 30, 2019 6.IVF Add-on sold to desperate couples may lower chances of having a baby by a third, study says, The Independent June 26, 2019

Share article on social media or email:

View post:
Exposing the Secret Cost of IVF: Heartbreak and a Second Mortgage - PR Web

The story goes back to the Buddha. He was on his way to Kapilavastu after attaining enlightenment. He crossed the Bajha jungle in the Terai region and came to a place called Mathla. Here, the villagers stopped him, asking for blessings. The Buddha took the rice he had taken in alms and gave it to them: a short grain with unusual black husk. Sow it, he said. It will have a special aroma. And that will always remind people of me.

It is not easy tracing history's footsteps. Nearly 3,000 years later, the Bajha jungle has disappeared. There is a Bajha village somewhere in southern Nepal near Kapilavastu district. Instead of Mathla, there is a Mudila village in the Siddharth Nagar district of Uttar Pradeshconsidered to be the heart of ancient Kapilavastu. But the rice continues to be sown in a handful of villages, in the Terai region. Colloquially the kalanamak for its black-salty husk, it is the hidden black pearl of Uttar Pradesh.

With Buddhism having a revival across the world, the ancient grain has regained its legend as the Buddha rice. Soft and fluffy yet firm and dry, when cooked. The grain also grows in lengtha measure of quality in the international market40 per cent more than the basmati grain. And its aroma, believed to be the gift of the Buddha, can put the basmati to shame. Whats more, it loses its aroma and quality if grown anywhere else. It has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) by the Govt. of India in 2013.

The Buddha rice is just one more of the several thousand neglected and forgotten richesnative crops, grains, seeds and fruitsthat have fed Indians for millennia, but have gone largely without scientific or development attention. Many are lost forever, but somelike the Buddha ricehave been beloved companions for thousands of years in remote rural pockets. Their latent potential lies unexplored, even as millions suffer chronic hunger and malnutrition across the country. Hence, on Bodhi Day, lets celebrate the Buddha rice, as yet another example of the nutritional wealth inherent in the full array of our indigenous platter.

Why is the Buddha rice such a treasure to cherish? One of the rare researchers on the Buddha rice, professor U.S. Singh of the Gobind Ballav Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT),Uttaranchal, explains how the Buddha rice outclasses the Dehradun basmati, and not just in aroma. Compare the two on nutrition content: for every 100 g of the Buddha rice you get about 390 kcal of energy (for basmati it is 130). Every 100 g of Buddha rice provides over nine per cent protein (2.4 g for basmati), nearly 90 per cent carbohydrates, about 2 per cent of dietary fibre, rich supply of iron, zinc, copper and magnesium, zero sugar and fat. It is much more resistant to rice diseases, bacterial blight and droughts. Water requirement is quite low, as compared to basmati. With it all, the cost of cultivating this riceincluding seed, fertiliser, manure, pesticides, power for land preparation, irrigationis exactly half that of basmati, shows Singh.

At a time the global scented-rice market is growing at a fast double-digit clip, India seems to have very few aromatic varieties to offer, beyond basmati. Thanks to the undue importance given to basmati after the onset of the Green Revolution from the 1960s, over 300 non-basmati scented rice varieties in India are now on the verge of extinction. According to GBPUAT researchers, the Uttar Pradesh region has already lost the germ-plasm of 20 non-basmati scented varieties already. Just eight such varieties still remain, thanks to scientist-farmer participation. The most prominent variety is kalanamak or the Buddha rice.

It is said that the Buddha attained enlightenment in 596 BC. On the eighth day of the 12th lunar month, the story goes, he awoke from deep meditation, looked up and saw the morning star. That was the singular moment of revelation. Buddhists celebrate the Bodhi Day between December and January: from December 8 in Japan to early January in China and India. With the sacred season taking off, why not spend some time browsing, researching and collecting information on this very special rice grain?

See original here:
The Heady Aroma Of The Ancient Buddha Rice Is Believed To Be A Gift Of The Buddha. After 3,000 Years, Scientists Are Calling It A Treasure Trove Of...

December 8 marks the 150th anniversary of the opening of the First Vatican Council. This is the final article in a series of articles on the Council, its key moments and its legacy. The first article was published here. The second article was published here.

Full in the panting heart of Rome Beneath the apostles crowning dome. From pilgrims lips that kiss the ground, Breathes in all tongues one only sound God bless our Pope, the great, the good!

In this hymn, Nicholas Patrick Wiseman, the first Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, captured the surge in devotion to the Pope that became a feature of Catholic spirituality in the 19th century and reached a crescendo during the reign of Pope Pius IX (1846-1878).

By the time the First Vatican Council opened on December 8, 1869, the papacy had survived the crisis of the French Revolution in the late 18th century and the humiliation of Napoleons invasions of Rome that led to the capture and imprisonment of Pope Pius VI and later Pope Pius VII.

Buffeted by the challenges of the Enlightenment, the unification of the Italian peninsula and virulent anti-clericalism, Pope Pius IX was devastated when the last remnant of the Papal States the city of Rome was incorporated into the new kingdom of Italy in September 1870.

Nevertheless, with the benefit of hindsight, his loss of temporal power was more than offset by the gain in spiritual authority. The political crises did, however, leave their mark.

Pius issued theSyllabus of Errorsin 1864, a document that was reactionary in tone, famously decrying among other errors the proposition that the Roman Pontiff can and should reconcile himself with progress, liberalism and recent civilisation.

The Sydney Morning Heraldpublished a letter from A Catholic (subsequently revealed to be W.A. Duncan, a former organist at the cathedral in Brisbane) that railed against two tendencies: uncritical acceptance of theSyllabuson one hand and complete denunciation of it on the other.

Duncan could see value in some of the Popes strictures, but he stressed that Catholics are not obliged to receive political fallacies even from a Pope, and even those among us who think the Pope infallible in his religious teaching may, if they please, think him a very bad authority on subjects of political government.

Duncan concluded with the hope that Pius IX would eventually develop a more positive relationship with modern civilisation. One step in that direction occurred early in his pontificate when he gave permission for railways to be constructed in the Papal States; they had been banned by his predecessor.

Pius also dramatically increased the number of papal audiences. By steam ship and steam train, countless pilgrims travelled to Rome and encountered a Pope who was, according to most reports, a warm and caring pastor of souls. He was the first Pope to be photographed and mass-produced prints were hung in Catholic homes around the world.

Australias first canonised saint, Mary MacKillop, made the long voyage from Australia in 1873, less than two years after her excommunication by Bishop Sheil in Adelaide in 1871. In a letter to her mother, Mary recounted her meeting with Pius IX: What he said and how he said it when he knew I was the Excommunicated one, are things too sacred to be spoken ofbut he let me see that the Pope has a Fathers heart.

After another meeting a few weeks later, Mary noted in her diary that the pope was so kind. The late Patrick OFarrell, in his history of the Catholic Church in Australia, asserted that to most Australian Catholics, the papacy, its politics and pronouncements seemed remote and irreverent.

Belying this judgement is the media coverage in country and city newspapers during Piuss lifetime now much more accessible than it was when OFarrell was writingThe Catholic Church and Community, as a result of the National Library of Australias digitalisation project.

Australians were well informed about the debates going on behind the scenes at the First Vatican Council.The Bendigo Advertiserobserved in February 1870 that the apple of discord has been thrown down, and we may expect what are known as stormy discussions.The Gympie TimesandMary River Mining Gazetteoffered its readers two months a translation of a letter to the Pope from a group of German-speaking bishops protesting the proposed decree.

The Protestant Standardpredictably mocked infallible nonsense, whileThe Australasianreported that the bishops had voted 400 in favour of the infallibility of the pope and 88 against, with 62 conditional votes. It was not stated, but this was a preliminary vote on the draft decree held on July 13, 1870, with 451 the real number of ayes.

The Melbourne Catholic paper,The Advocate, recognised that not all Catholics embraced the notion of infallibility, but was confident that the final decision of the Council would be accepted without demure.

After Piuss death on February 7, 1878,The Sydney Morning Heraldcommented: No one who has lived during the last half century has done more, and few have done so much, to attract or to repel mankind.

In a time of heightened sectarian tension, exacerbated by the withdrawal of government aid from Catholic schools, there would have been some Catholics embarrassed by the proclamation of the decree on papal infallibility, even in its final, nuanced form, while others clearly embraced it. For all, it was a reminder of the distinctive nature of the central government of the Roman Catholic Church.

Pride in a profound link with the Bishop of Rome went beyond doctrine and found exuberant expression in Catholic piety. An example of this from the early 20th century can be found in the diary of a young Melbourne seminarian training for the priesthood in Rome.

After attending a Eucharist celebrated by Pope Benedict XV in 1919, Matthew Beovich, the future Archbishop of Adelaide, exulted: There in the stillness we, eighty favoured ones, assisted at the Mass of the Father of Christendom, the ruler of 300 million loving hearts . . . before our eyes God and His Vicar were speaking, even as He and Moses spoke on Mount Sinai.

Back in the immediate aftermath of the First Vatican Council, a report inThe Advocatein 1871 noted the increasing popularity of Cardinal Wisemans exquisite hymn,Full in the Panting Heart of Rome. At school and in his local parish, Beovich doubtless sang it many times.

Dr Josephine Laffin is a senior lecturer in Church history at the Australian Catholic University in Adelaide.

With thanks to theACBC.

Read more here:
The Church and the Media: Vatican I and Pope Pius IX - Catholic Outlook

The last time I visited The Mandrake was back in June;I was attending the launch of their Jurema terrace and vividly recall having taken my aunt out for a day in town. Shed been going through what could only be termed a mid-life crisis, recently returned from hiking in Japan, newly divorced and wearing a miniskirt. On that summers daythe celebrated terrace had been full of West London hippie-types, swaying along to a Hawaiian drummer in a grass skirt. I lost my aunt during a cult-like ceremony involving Szechuan buttons and when I found her again she was surrounded by a table of shamans, each offering to take her on spiritual voyages to their respective retreats in Bali, Indonesia and Canning Town. So that was The Mandrake.

Anyway, after the fun of the terrace launch, Id been waiting for the right opportunity to return to this architectural gem. So I decided to take the plunge and revel in the avant-garde sexiness that is Waeska, one of the hotels two bars. To enter, you strut down a darkened passage into a foliage-filled wonderland, and the first thing I beheld was a taxidermied gazelle, dressed as a peacock wearing full-on S&M headgear, The Mandrake was straight back on form.

A fifteen drink menu is based on ethnobotany. Inventive and researched, it might well have been the product of an eccentric professor, lurking behind one of the bars tropical-print armchair.Take, for example, the Nutmeg. King of Soho gin paired with sweet potato puree and dressed with a chorizo crisp. The bar team works closely with the chef, I was told. Its bizarre, but it totally works albeit weirdly. Jalapenos (in season and fiery hot) were a warming highlight of an eponymous cocktail, paired with a carnival-esque mix of grapefruit, tequila and chipotle.

The Mandrakes ethereal vibe was reflected in each drink. A particularly memorable example is simply called Barley. Like the mandrake plant, barley was famed amongst Ancient Greeks for its hallucinogenic properties. When partnered with a healthy splash of Chivas 18 year old whiskey, a saccharine dollop of maple and an apple kick, youd be forgiven for feeling pleasantly woozy. Out of body experiences seemed to be a running theme at The Mandrake. Even the name of the bar, Waeska, alludes to the Amazonian vine ayahuasca, said to result in spiritual enlightenment (a known synonym for a sore head and the odd regret the next morning).

The team excelled. I was surprised with bar snacks and revelled in them. Octopus empanadas were rich and fishy, the pastry buttery and flaky. They arrived alongside parma ham croquettes, hearty and comforting. Parmesan and tapioca squares popped with little bursts of joy. Id return just for the food Ive never had bar food quite like it.

The Mandrake is made up of two buildings. One side is dark and the other light this is an architectural trick, designed to mirror the daily rise and fall of the sun and the concept applies throughout. While the decor may be moody, brooding and mysterious, Waeska is an enlightened dreamworld. Though it navigates a careful path between pretension and indulgence ethnobotany is, after all, the study of a people and their plants I wouldnt be surprised if it one day formed a basis for an anthropological thesis. For me, The Mandrake is the citys most hedonistic hideaway.

http://www.themandrake.com

More:
A Gazelle In A Gimp Mask? Just One Reason To Visit Waeksa - The Handbook

Wondering what to get your creative friends when the big day rolls around later this month?

From membership to the Royal Academy or Lambeth Palace's Garden Museum, to a custom-made board game or ceramics that tell a story, here are the best gifts you can give your artistic friends this Christmas.

Light of the Soul: one of Olga Frbe-Kapteyns striking prints

Look for a red-and-white barber shop sign to find brilliantly named The Gallery of Everything in Chiltern Street, Marylebone.

With prices from 500 to 35,000 and an ever-changing roster of exhibitions beyond the cultural mainstream, it has prints, drawings and sculptures for every taste and budget.

Olga Frbe-Kapteyns striking prints, such as Light of the Soul,produced between 1927 and 1934, were based on the artists search for sacred and spiritual imagery, and will intrigue anyone looking for more meaning in their art.

If you enjoy this column you might like the online videos at London Art Studies, of which I am founder.

Were delighted to announce that weve just won the Peoples Choice for Art in the Lovie Awards, which honour the best of the European internet.

London Art Studies, like Netflix for art lovers, is also for those who want to understand a bit more about art.

Membership is 8.99 a month or 88 a year.

Eames Fine Art in Bermondsey is currently holding its Christmas silent, secret auction.

Bid online for prints and lithographs, including by Chagall, Matisse and Moore, or in person at the drinks party tonight, from 6pm.

Any works in the sale that dont sell by the end of tonight stay on show at the reserve price, giving a second opportunity to bag a bargain piece of art.

One year, someone bid for and won a Matisse lithograph for 30. Hurry over now, or visit online.

The Royal Academy is set for a banner year, with Picasso prints, performance artist Marina Abramovic and Gauguin and the Impressionists.

Why not gift the art lover in your life RA membership, which includes access to the garden and bar in The Keepers House? Become a Friend for 128.

The gift shop has legendary Academician Norman Fosters stainless-steel tableware, such as this carafe, 95, and, for four to seven year-olds, the book Yves Klein Painted Everything Blue and Wasnt Sorry.

Fausto Gilbertos illustrations bring it to life.

Christmas wouldnt be Christmas without a board game or two and these are rather special.

One of British designer Alexandra Llewellyns luxurious custom-made backgammon sets, will make the perfect present if you are staying with art-loving friends and are unsure what to bring along.

Llewellyn also accepts commissions to personalise her board games and tables.

From 1,400 for a travel set.

TV's Alan Titchmarsh calls the Garden Museum at Lambeth Palace on the south bank the spiritual home of gardening.

It opened in 1977 in the grounds of deconsecrated St Mary-at-Lambeth Church, which housed the tomb of John Tradescant the Elder (1570- 1638), Britains first great gardener and plant hunter.

A fantastic season of talks and masterclasses is coming up, focusing on sustainability and the healing power of plants.

The Garden Museum is, according to Alan Titchmarsh, the "spiritual home of gardening"

Dont miss Tiny Garden Design, or Italian cookery writer Ursula Ferrignos class on cooking with oranges and lemons, also available as a one-off gift.

Membership from 36.

I'm buying this terracotta dish, made by 1690 Ceramics.

Artist Sophie Wilson says she wants to produce works that tell a story, and was inspired by English delftwares poetry and prose.

The words on this plate come from an 18th-century childs creamware mug.

Wilsons dish, 180, includes a fig, symbol of peace, abundance and enlightenment.

Pieces by 1690 Ceramics are available at cutterbrooks.com.

180: this terracotta dish which includes a fig, a symbol of peace, abundance and enlightenment

Read more from the original source:
Gifts for culture lovers:the best ideas and shops to buy from for art enthusiasts this Christmas - Homes and Property