Mystery as century-old Swiss watch discovered in ancient tomb sealed for 400 years
Archaeologists are stumped after finding a 100-year-old Swiss watch in an ancient tomb that was sealed more than 400 years ago.
They believed they were the first to visit the Ming dynasty grave in Shangsi, southern China, since its occupant’s funeral. Read more from dialymail.co.uk
Capricology: Television, Tech, and the Sacred
Television’s latest contribution to the cultural intersection of science and religion — with bonus themes to include: the body, artificial intelligence, paganism, original sin, immigration, and race. Join Diane Winston, Anthea Butler, Salman Hameed and Henry Jenkins every week as they delve into deep exegesis of Caprica. Read full story from religondispatches.org
Christian school puts financial faith in death
Richard Incandela came to Heritage Christian Schools as a smooth talker selling a creepy product.
In return for recruiting school staff and student relatives to sign up for life insurance policies, naming Heritage as beneficiary, the school was told in 2004 it could reap millions of dollars when the insured people died. The death benefits were meant to help build an endowment and lower tuition to entice more students at a time when enrollment was plummeting. Read full story from jsonline.com
Ghost hunters seek isle’s specters
Members of Southern Paranormal Investigations, equipped with an array of gadgets, went ghost hunting Saturday night in the J.D. Rogers building, 2021 The Strand, which houses Bistro Le Croy. Read full story from galvestondailynews.com
Austria’s traditional ‘Mullerlauf’ wards off winter demons
Innsbruck, Austria – Austria’s western state of Tyrol is home to the pre-Christian tradition known as the Mullerlauf when men and boys don scary masks with crooked noses and bushy beards to conduct a procession to the sound of rattles and jingle bells in the cold month of February. The Mullerlauf takes place every year in one of the Tyrollean villages of Muehlau, Arzl, Rum, Thaur or Absam close to Innsbruck. These communities are collectively known as the Martha villages and are regarded as the true home of this spectacle that takes place on the eve of Lent. Read full story from earthtimes.org
Pagan Car Protection Charm
As a modern domestic witch a large amount of time can be spent in your car. There are multiple spells for automobiles: everything from protecting your car from having issues in the snow to quick prayers to get a better parking spot. Protection spells for your car can be elaborate rituals invoking gods and goddesses, burning herbs and casting circles. There is, however, a very simple charm that you can create to invite a protective spirit to your car, much like inviting a domestic deity into your home. Read full story from examiner.com
Using religious language to fight global warming
If the case for tackling climate change is backed by science, why do so many green campaigners rely on the language of religion? Read full story from news.bbc.co.uk
