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Xipe Totec- The Pre-Hispanic God Who Preferred Wearing Sacrificed Human Skin to Regular ClothingXipe-Totec [picture postcard]Nahtual Hymn-Xippe ycuic, totec. Yoallavama.Yoalli tlavana, yztleican timonenequia, xiyaquimitlatia teucuitlaque-mitl, xicmoquentiquetl ovia.Noteua, chalchimamatlaco apanaytemoaya, ay, quetzalavevetl, ay quetzalxivicoatl. Nechiya, yquinocauhquetl, oviya.Maniyavia, niavia poliviz, niyoatzin. Achalchiuhtla noyollo; a teu-cuitlatl noyolcevizqui tlacatl achtoquetl tlaquavaya otlacatqui yautla-toaquetl oviya.Noteua, ce intlaco xayailivis conoa yyoatzin motepeyocpa mitzalitta moteua, noyolcevizquin tlacatl achtoquetl tlaquavaya, otlacatqui yau-tlatoaquetl, oviya.[1]OUR LORD THE FLAYED (THE DRINKER BY NIGHT) : HIS SONGThou, Night-drinker,Why must we beseech thee?Put on thy disguise;Thy golden garment, put it on!My god, thy jade water (word untranslated) descended.The cypress (is become) a quetzal-bird;The fire-snake (is become) a quetzal-snakeAnd has left me.It may be, it may be, that I go to destruction;I the tender maize plant,My heart is ' jade,But I shall yet see gold there.I shall rejoice if it ripen early."The war-chief is born".My god, let there be abundance of maize-plantsIn a few places at least.Thy worshipper turns his gaze to thy mountain,Toward thee.I shall rejoice if it ripen early."The war-chief is born".[2]So goes an ancient Mexican hymn to the god Xipe Totec, preserved in a manuscript of the 1580's when the memory of the old faith had not been far submerged beneath the Christian.[3] It was, however, of a far older date than the generation which saw the Conquest.Much like the ancient Greek goddess Persephone, the Popolocan deity Xipe Totec was honored as the totem of the spring harvest in modern-day Mexico during the era before the Aztecs.[4] But the offerings to this deity proved far more gruesome than one might think: Xipe Totec desired the skin of a human sacrifice.‘Our Lord the Flayed One’, in his preferred choice of attire- human skin, Xipe Totec would have been a terrifying sight. But this was an extremely important deity in the Mesoamerican pantheon, in particular for the Aztecs (no surprise given their notoriety for human sacrifice) and the Toltecs.As part of a major archaeological discovery, researchers in Mexico have unearthed the remains of the first temple dedicated to Xipe Totec, a Mesoamerican life-death-rebirth deity who was held in high regard by both the Toltecs and the Aztecs.[5] Worshipped as the god of fertility, agriculture, vegetation and spring as well as disease and war, Xipe Totec wore the skin of a sacrificed human victim, which – it was believed – was the “new skin” that covered the Earth during spring.[6]The archaeological site housing the temple complex (Archaeologists Discover Temple to Aztec 'Flayed Lord').Uncovered among the ruins of the Ndachjian-Tehuacan archaeological site in Puebla, a city in east-central Mexico, the structure is thought to be the first temple of Xipe Totec ever found.[7] According to researchers from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History, the site contains concrete evidence that points to a ritualistic practice of human sacrifice, wherein victims were slaughtered on one of the ancient temple’s two circular altars and then flayed on the other. The newly-obtained skin was then donned by the priests.Temple of the Flayed GodMexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History reported the discovery during a recent excavation of the Popoloca ruins in the central state of Puebla.[8] The temple excavation site is 12m long and 3.5m high and is a part of a compound of previously unexplored mounds from the time before the Aztecs conquered the Popoloca, somewhere between circa 1000 AD and 1260 AD.[9] The ancient complex later came under the control of the Aztecs and remained so until Spain colonized Mexico under conquistador Hernan Cortes.[10]This skinned skull, carved from volcanic stone, once covered the burial pit for the skins of human sacrifices to Xipe Totec (Xipe Totec: This Gory God Shows the Unique Way Aztecs Viewed Fertility and Renewal).Xipe Totec’s dark, cave-like temple (caves were symbolic of fertility and renewal) was called Yopico[11] (‘the place of Yopi’, Xipe Totec’s Zapotec name). The Aztecs believed in a mythical realm called Tlalocan, a great cave situated inside a mountain.[12] Tlalocan housed all important grains such as corn, chía and amaranth. It was also the home of the rain gods, or Tlaloque.[13] They decided when to bring much needed water to farmers’ crops.Yopico was seen as a shrine of fertility and growth. It was used during the months of Tlacaxipeualiztli and Tozotontli for agricultural rites.[14] Seen as an entrance into the earth, Yopico had a sunken receptacle on its floor, where offerings were laid in a gesture of ritual communication with the soil.[15] It was here that the Aztec emperor, called ‘Tlatoani’ in Náhuatl, would make an offering of his own blood when he was crowned.[16]Nevertheless, Yopico was also symbolic of war. It was in Yopico that young warriors presented their war captives in time for the spring sacrifices.[17] This was a rite of passage for them and it served to emphasise the importance the Aztecs gave to the connection between war and agriculture.The Sacred Precinct of Tenochtitlan, from Michael Coe’s “Mexico from the Olmecs to the Aztecs” (God of the month: Xipe Totec)In the ruins are two large stone altars, at the top of a flight of steps. There are also some walls remaining of the original temple and in a niche in one, experts were shocked to find a massive sculpted head.[18] It took over 30 workers to release the skull from the recess in the wall.[19] Nearby they found a staircase that led to what was once the basement of the pyramid structure. Here archaeologists unearthed a second stone skull and a large sculpted torso.[20]Mexican Institute of Anthropology and History Torso with a “second hand” attached to the intact arm (Archaeologists find Mexico temple to god of skinning sacrifices).The torso was recovered from a grotto filled with red pigment where it is believed to have been ritually “killed” or broken into pieces.[21] The torso featured an extra hand dangling off one arm which to experts suggested that the sculpture represents the god Xipe Totec, wearing the skin of a sacrificial victim.[22]The torso, University of Florida archaeologist Susan Gillespie (not involved with the project) believes, is the “most compelling evidence of the association of this practice and related deity to a particular temple. The two other sculptures depict skinned skulls, about 2.3 feet (70 centimeters) tall and weighing over 200 kilograms (440 pounds).[23]Xipe Totec, God to Many CulturesA deity of agricultural renewal, vegetation, seasons, goldsmiths and gemstone craftsmen, liberation, as well as a curer of illnesses, particularly those affecting the eyes[24] , Xipe Totec was counted among one of the major Aztec gods and goddesses.Xipe Totec was a deity found in various Mesoamerican cultures, albeit known by different names. It has been speculated that this god has its origins in either the Olmec or the Yope culture.[25] Xipe Totec’s mythological origins are rooted in the creation of the universe by the divine dual god, Ometeotl, who brought into being the first genesis of dieties, who were given the task of making the earth.[26] At this stage, Xipe Totec was identifiable as Red Tezcatlipoca, an invocation of the all-powerful creator and destroyer god of the same name.[27] Xipe Totec was one of the gods that sacrificed themselves in order to make the sun move by jumping into a raging fire in the ancient city of Teotihuacan.Symbol of the renewal of vegetation with the onset of the rainy season, Xipe was among the few Aztec gods represented in Teotihuacan during the classic period (150AD-950AD).[28] He is depicted in ‘remojada’ style ceramics from the epiclassic period (950AD-1050) in El Zapotal, Veracruz.[29] In them, he was represented as an old priest wearing a flayed captive’s skin.The 16th century friar, Bernadino de Sahagún, recorded the testimonies of Nahuas (descendants of the Aztecs), who assured him that Xipe Totec had come from a coastal area called Zapotlan, which in Náhuatl means "Between or Amongst the Zapote Trees".[30](The Xipe Totec cult – Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino)Among the clay sculptures from the central Veracruz (Gulf of Mexico) Classic Period (300-900 A.D.) are the figures of a god and a goddess dressed in the flayed skins of a man and a woman, respectively.[31] The inhabitants of Teotihuacan and Monte Alban worshipped the same god with a flayed skin, probably belonging to this cult. The deities mentioned above were ancestors of Xipe Totec (Our Flayed Lord) god of plant fertility, and of a large number of earth mother goddesses (Toci, Our Grandmother and others).[32]Xipe Totec rose to prominence in the Aztec pantheon, and was also worshipped by such cultures as the Zapotecs, Mixtecs, and Toltecs. Xipe Totec is believed to be the son of Ometeotl (meaning ‘Two Gods’), a primordial god who was both male and female.[33] The Aztecs expanded on this by stating that Xipe Totec was the brother of Tezcatlipoca, Huizilopochtli, and Quetzalcoatl, all of whom were also worshipped by them as important gods.[34]The Aztecs believed that Xipe Totec wore the skin of a human victim. This was supposed to symbolize the old layer of skin that was to be shed, so that renewal of the earth may occur. Additionally, the shedding of the skin is also meant to symbolize the shedding of the external seed covering of maize.[35] This occurs when the seeds are ready to germinate, and therefore is once again a sign of new life.Xipe Totec shown holding a bloody weapon and wearing flayed human skin as a suit (Xipe Totec - Wikipedia)And while his related concepts and powers seem fairly innocuous, the worship (and its mode) of Xipe Totec was anything but. This is somewhat discerned from his ominous name roughly meaning – ‘our lord with the flayed skin’. The Nahuatl moniker comes from the mythical narrative where the Aztec god flayed his own skin to feed humanity, thus symbolizing how maize sheds its outer skin cover before germination (‘rebirth’).[36]Xipe Totec was an important symbol of fertility, war and the coming of age of young warriors. The human skin that the god’s impersonator, otherwise known as an ‘ixiptla’ (live image), wore for twenty days during the spring festival of Tlacaxipeualiztli (March), was finally discarded during the period of Tozoztontli Xochimanaloya (April).[37] This was a gesture that signified the shedding of the earth’s dry old skin in exchange for a new, verdant one that the rains would soon let flourish.The springtime month of Tlacaxipeualiztli in the Nahua text, Primeros Memoriales (CONSTRUCTION_OF_AN_AZTEC_CALENDAR_FESTIVAL_FROM_I6TH_CENTURY_SOURCESThe Tovar Codex, attributed to the 16th-century Mexican Jesuit Juan de Tovar, contains detailed information about the rites and ceremonies of the Aztecs (also known as Mexica).[38] The codex is illustrated with 51 full-page paintings in watercolor. Strongly influenced by pre-contact pictographic manuscripts, the paintings are of exceptional artistic quality. The manuscript is divided into three sections. The first section is a history of the travels of the Aztecs prior to the arrival of the Spanish. The second section is an illustrated history of the Aztecs. The third section contains the Tovar calendar, which records a continuous Aztec calendar with months, weeks, days, dominical letters, and church festivals of a Christian 365-day year.[39](Tlacaxipehualiztli, Festival of the Flaying of Men, the Second Month of the Aztec Solar Calendar)This illustration, from the third section, depicts the god, Xipe Tótec, or his impersonator, who is shown wearing a tunic made of flayed human skin and with a protruding tongue. He wears a headdress with green feathers and sandals. In his left hand, he holds a rattle staff. In the right hand are two linked ears of maize or corn. Tied to the headband is a deer hoof. Hanging from his right earlobe is a bifurcated golden pendant. At his feet is a leaping goat or ram.[40]The rattle staff is one of the insignia of this god, as are the two linked ears of maize.[41]The deer hoof is associated with the hunting rites of the god. The golden pendant, called Teocuitlanacochtli, is also closely associated with the god.[42]Aztec Sacrifices to Appease Xipe TotecDue to this peculiar characteristic of Xipe Totec, rituals revolving around this god have the flayed skin as an important element. As an example, during Tlacaxipehualiztli (meaning the ‘Flaying of Men’), which is the second ritual month in the Aztec calendar[43] (identified as March with the astrological symbol of a ram or Aries), the priests of Xipe Totec would offer human sacrifices to appease the god, as well as to ensure that they would have a good harvest that year.[44]Another type of sacrifice offered to Xipe Totec involved tying a victim to a frame and firing arrows at him. The blood, which dripped down, was meant to symbolize the spring rains that fertilized the earth.[45]Gladiatorial Sacrifice in the Codex Tudela (God of the month: Xipe Totec)To mark the beginning of the festivities, captives of war were prepared and presented at the main Aztec temple for sacrifice. Before they died, their owners would tear off the hair at their crowns and then walk them to the temple and their fate at the sacrificial stone.[46] Those captives who resisted would be dragged up the stairs of the temple - quite a long way! The stone was high and narrow and the captive was bent over with his back against it. Five men then grasped him by his ankles, wrists and head and a priest proceeded to cut open his chest with an obsidian knife and pulled out his beating heart.[47]This over, the sacrificed man would have his blood poured into a container that was given to his owner and his body thrown over the temple steps and collected by a team of old men called ‘quaquacuiltin’.[48] Later on, the corpse would be skinned for participation in the following ritual.One of the more popular modes of sacrifice involved the mock gladiatorial combat where the prisoner (chosen on account of his bravery on the battlefield) was tied to a circular stone platform and handed a ‘fake’ macuahuitl with feathers instead of sharp obsidian blades.[49] He had to (hopelessly) fend off a fully armed and amored experienced Aztec Jaquar warrior (the elite troops of the Aztec Empire) or an Eagle warrior.[50] Despite being a ‘battle’ between two warriors, the result was a foregone conclusion, and therefore may be called an elaborate form of sacrifice. The sacrificial execution occurred on one altar and while the deceased body was then flayed on the other altar.Macuahuitl - WikipediaAnother ceremony played out a series of mock attacks between two groups of young men. One group of lads called ‘Tototecti’ dressed in the skins of flayed captives and seated themselves on mats. Within their ranks was Xipe Totec’s impersonator who was also dressed in a skin.An opposing team of youths approached the seated men and provoked them into battle with their taunting. The Tototecti, roused into fighting back, chased their opponents and both parties engaged in a staged scene of conflict. A youth who was able to catch his opponent could then put him in ‘jail’, where the price of freedom was that of handing over a personal possession.[51]These exercises were followed by a tour of the Tototecti around Tenochtitlan (the Aztec city). They would enter peoples’ houses and ask for alms in return for Xipe Totec’s blessing.[52] Invited inside, the deity’s impersonator would be asked to sit down on a mat of leaves and wear a garland of corn cobs and flowers.[53] He would be given pulque, an alcoholic beverage made from the Maguey cactus plant.[54]After his ‘glorious’ death, his skin was ritually flayed, painted yellow, and worn by reenactors of Xipe Totec (usually slaves), who were then worshipped and treated as gods by locals.[55] Annually, a quota of slaves and captured warriors were selected for sacrifice. And after their hearts were cut out, their skins were worn by Aztec priests for 20 days[56], often bedecked with bright feathers and gold jewelry. Incidentally, these dyed skins were known as ‘teocuitlaquemitl’, which meant ‘golden clothes’.[57]The flayed skins were deposited into two holes, which were found filled in with earth in front of the altars. This ritual symbolized the rebirth aspect of Xilpe Totec.[58](Unusual Aztec Statue: Xipe Totec)There is one record of an individual who actually survived the ritual. During the reign of Moctezuma Xocoyotzin (1502-1520) a man called Tlahuicole managed to survive the ceremony of Gladiatorial Sacrifice. As he had proven himself to be a deft and strong in combat, the emperor granted him his freedom. Tlahuicole, however, refused to walk away, insisting that he should have the right to a glorious death by sacrifice. He offer himself to the priest and sacrificial stone, and had his heart cut out.[59]Archaeologists reported that the temple and sculptures match ancient historical descriptions of sacrificial sites dedicated to the gruesome god from the Aztecs themselves. But these ancient depictions mentioned only the god and not the temple, which has some experts skeptical.[60]“If the Aztec sources could be relied upon, a singular temple to this deity does not necessarily indicate that this was the place of sacrifice,” University of Florida archaeologist Susan Gillespie reported. “The Aztec practice was to perform the sacrificial death in one or more places, but to ritually store the skins in another after they had been worn by living humans for some days. So it could be that this is the temple where they were kept, making it all the more sacred.”[61]Images of the DeityMexica Chinampanec Xipe Totec (our lord, the flayed one), war and harvest god,Mexica Chinampanec Xipe TotecMany representations of Xipe Totec have survived till today, as he was a popular subject in various artistic media, including figurines, portraits, and masks. The god is easily recognized, as he is normally depicted as being completely covered in the skin of one of his sacrificial victims. A gaping mouth and crescent-shaped eyes are tell-tale signs of the skin being worn by Xipe Totec.[62]Xipe was almost always depicted as a man that was encapsulated within another’s flayed hide. With stripes running down his face from the forehead to the jawbone in a smooth line, his features classically showed the ‘cut-out’ appearance of the eye, nose and mouth holes of the second skin.[63] He sported a multi coloured headdress and from it dangled tassles that reached down behind his back.[64] His hair was tied back into two plaits. His rights as a god gave him access to special accessories that brimmed in symbolism and uniqueness such as golden ear plugs and rich, green feathers. One very striking belonging of his was a long sceptre that carried flower-like shapes, likened to poppies, all along it.[65] At the top of the staff was an arrow holder.On his body, Xipe’s fetid, outer skin had visibly lumpy fat deposits forming on it. Seen from the front, it usually showed an incision where the heart of the flayed victim had been taken out, as well as an area where the penis had been.[66] This ornamental skin was elaborately tied together at the back. The Aztecs dressed both stone sculptures and priests acting as representatives of the god, in human flesh.[67] Of course, Xipe Totec appeared mostly naked and some records of him show that he was tinted both yellow and tawny.Clay depiction of flayed human skin, associated with Xipe Totec, National Anthropology Museum, Mexico City (God of the month: Xipe Totec)An 85 centimeters long ceramic sculpture with the effigy of Mexica deity Xipe Totec, 4 human burials with osseous rests and 2 offerings were found in a plot next to Tula Archaeological Zone, in Hidalgo.[68] The first representation found of the masculine deity in Hidalgo has been preliminary dated between 900 and 1150 AD.[69]In statues or portraits of the god, incredibly gory details may be shown as well. These include the hands of the flayed skin, which are draped over the hands of the god, the incision where the victim’s heart was removed, and the string at the back of the victim’s body, which served to sew the skin up.[70] Such representations of Xipe Totec may today be seen in various museums across the world.Footnotes[1] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://revistas-filologicas.unam.mx/tlalocan/index.php/tl/article/download/324/322&ved=2ahUKEwjHzqev2_jhAhUMW60KHUA4BLcQFjARegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw2qAxjW_gshO38C61HcCIe7[2] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://revistas-filologicas.unam.mx/tlalocan/index.php/tl/article/download/324/322&ved=2ahUKEwjHzqev2_jhAhUMW60KHUA4BLcQFjARegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw2qAxjW_gshO38C61HcCIe7[3] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://revistas-filologicas.unam.mx/tlalocan/index.php/tl/article/download/324/322&ved=2ahUKEwjHzqev2_jhAhUMW60KHUA4BLcQFjARegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw2qAxjW_gshO38C61HcCIe7[4] Archaeologists Find The First Ever Temple Of Xipe Totec In Mexico[5] 12 Things You Should Know About The Aztec Warrior[6] Gruesome Sacrificial Temple of the Macabre Fertility God Xipe Totec Discovered in Mexico[7] Archaeologists discover first known temple to “flayed god” Xipe Totec[8] Popoloca Language and the Popoloca Indian Tribe (Popoloco, Popoloc, Ngiwa, Ngigua, Nigwa)[9] Archaeologists discover first known temple to “flayed god” Xipe Totec[10] Archaeologists Discover Temple to Aztec 'Flayed Lord'[11] "The Storming of the Teocalli." (1848). Emmanuel Leutze.[12] History of Tláloc![13] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://sites.ewu.edu/downtowngallery/files/2016/07/The-Tlaloques-translated-in-english-web.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjIgK3Y1PrhAhXNIDQIHc-ODtwQFjAQegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw3P9N4zS4hspjyhmse74gNf[14] "The Storming of the Teocalli." (1848). Emmanuel Leutze.[15] Primeros Memoriales[16] Aztec Empire: 'Tlatoani' - The Ruler With The Ultimate Power In The Land | Ancient Pages[17] Aztec Rituals and Religious Ceremonies - History[18] Gruesome discovery at ancient temple[19] Gruesome Sacrificial Temple of the Macabre Fertility God Xipe Totec Discovered in Mexico[20] Archaeologists discover first known temple to “flayed god” Xipe Totec[21] Gruesome Sacrificial Temple of the Macabre Fertility God Xipe Totec Discovered in Mexico[22] Gruesome Sacrificial Temple of the Macabre Fertility God Xipe Totec Discovered in Mexico[23] Archaeologists discover first known temple to “flayed god” Xipe Totec[24] Inside This Cult Temple of the 'Flayed Lord,' Sacrificial Horrors Took Place[25] Tehuacalco, Mexico: Where Yope Giants Once Walked - GoNOMAD Travel[26] Ometeotl | Ancient Origins[27] Tezcatlipoca: The Aztec Lord of Smoking Mirrors[28] Archaeologists find Mexico temple to god of skinning sacrifices[29] Word Magic Spanish-English Dictionary[30] General History of the Things of New Spain by Fray Bernardino de Sahagún: The Florentine Codex. Book XII: The Conquest of Mexico[31] http://(The Xipe Totec cult – Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino[32] Toci and Xochiquetzal, Two Aztec Goddesses[33] Ometeotl, the God that Didn’t Exist[34] Huitzilopochtli: The Hummingbird War God at the Forefront of the Aztec Pantheon[35] Archaeologists Discover Temple to Aztec 'Flayed Lord'[36] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://revistas-filologicas.unam.mx/tlalocan/index.php/tl/article/download/324/322&ved=2ahUKEwjHzqev2_jhAhUMW60KHUA4BLcQFjARegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw2qAxjW_gshO38C61HcCIe7[37] The Life-cycle of a Tezcatlipoca Ixiptla; the Rendering of Teotl[38] Brown University Library Search[39] The Aztec Tonalpohualli Calendar[40] The Pan-Mesoamerican Roots of Xipe Totec, Aztec God with Flayed Skin[41] Aztec God Xipe Totec: Mythology & Sculpture | Study.com[42] https://nahuatl.uoregon.edu/content/nacochtli[43] The Aztec Calendar[44] Tlacaxipehualiztli | Aztec religion[45] Here Are Gruesome Steps That Happen During A Proper Aztec Flaying Ceremony[46] The Festival of the Flayed God | JSTOR Daily[47] Aztec Ceremonial Knife[48] Aztec Rituals of Human Sacrifice[49] The Aztec macuahuitl, a sword with obsidian blades, was sharp enough to decapitate a horse[50] Fearsome Aztec Eagle Warriors And Jaguar Warriors Of Mesoamerica | Ancient Pages[51] tlacaxi.html[52] In the Language of Kings[53] tlacaxi.html[54] The Enigma of Pulque[55] The Pan-Mesoamerican Roots of Xipe Totec, Aztec God with Flayed Skin[56] The Aztec macuahuitl, a sword with obsidian blades, was sharp enough to decapitate a horse[57] Here Are Gruesome Steps That Happen During A Proper Aztec Flaying Ceremony[58] Here Are Gruesome Steps That Happen During A Proper Aztec Flaying Ceremony[59] TLAHUICOLE[60] Archaeologists Discover Temple to Aztec 'Flayed Lord'[61] Mexico finds Flayed god temple; priests wore skins of dead[62] Mexica Chinampanec Xipe Totec[63] Xipe Totec, Our Lord the Flayed One[64] Xipe Totec | Aztec deity[65] Xipe Totec[66] Xipe Totec[67] Feeding the gods: Hundreds of skulls reveal massive scale of human sacrifice in Aztec capital[68] First Xipe Totec Sculpture found in Tolteca Capital City[69] Driving Adventure: Hidalgo, and the Ancient City of Teotihuacan[70] Xipe Totec | Kimbell Art Museum

No, no, no, no, no! The September 23 thing is complete BS promoted by a gullible author who knows nothing about astronomy and probably doesn’t even know how to use a sky chart to find the planets in the sky, or how to find the pole star, or if he does, doesn’t understand its significance.He couldn’t predict a solar or lunar eclipse except by looking it up in an astronomy website. He didn’t even find the 23rd Sept alignment himself but just reblogged the website of someone else who did it using an astronomy program called Celestia. He doesn’t check anything, just reblogs whatever he reads that catches his eye, saying things in his book that could be disproved by a one minute google search.Then there are people on YouTube who earn thousands of dollars a month ad revenue from promoting Doomsday videos to scared people. They seize on anything like this and reblog it as a way to get more views and more money.Then gullible people who have no scientific training then retweet and share the videos, and take photos of lens flares and offset lens reflections and upload them to social media and to YouTube thinking they have just photographed a “planet” or a “second sun”, and then the gutter press, always on the look out for something sensational to titillate their readers, write click bait articles saying the world is about to end. Often the pattern is something like this“WORLD ABOUT TO END TOMORROW, EXPERT PROPHET SAYS… in small print right at the end of the article:“NASA says their prediction is nonsense and prophets have said the world will end every year (actually several dates every year) and it never happens”For some reason they always cite NASA as a source for the debunking - no matter what the story even if it is nothing particularly to do with NASA activities - but don’t link to any NASA page about it. Just add the magic word “NASA” - their more gullible readers have come to disbelieve anything NASA says so this actually helps to promote fear - and there is nothing for them to click through to read and they don’t explain why it is nonsense, just say “NASA says it is nonsense”. So that’s all part of the sensationalist reporting. They probably haven’t bothered to check whether NASA has said anything on the topic as it is just boilerplate stuff they add to most of these articles.So anyway back to David Meade. Alignments are very common and are a photo opportunity but nothing more. Let’s astronomers take pretty pictures of say Mars and Jupiter next to each other in the sky, on the right day they may get Moon in the picture too, and other planets.You can predict them thousands of years in advance, and go back and work out what the alignments were thousands of years into the past.They have no effect on Earth at all - the planets are far too far away even at their closest to be more than a pinpoint in the sky - people with very keen eyes may be able to make out Venus as a tiny tiny crescent with naked eye in optimal conditions. Nobody can see any detail in any of the others even Mars at its closest. None of them have tidal effects on Earth - only the Sun and Moon do that, causing our twice daily tides (depending where you are in the world) and the Sun makes the tides higher every 14 days in the so called “Spring tides”.This is not even a photo opportunity as the planets are all close to the Sun so can’t be seen.It is not caused by the eclipse either, which some people are saying. That can’t cause hurricanes or earthquakes, wild fires or floods. It’s just a small shadow crossing over a tiny part of the world, has a temporary local effect of cooling - which also happens every night when it gets dark.Climate change - yes. Hurricane Irma is definitely wetter because of warmer oceans than it would be.Sea surface temperature - WikipediaThe Atlantic however is also affected by the multidecadal oscillation. This shows it with the climate change effects removed from the graph.Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_multidecadal_oscillation#/media/File:Atlantic_Multidecadal_Oscillation.svg)- (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_multidecadal_oscillation#/media/File:Atlantic_Multidecadal_Oscillation.svg) Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_multidecadal_oscillation#/media/File:Atlantic_Multidecadal_Oscillation.svg)Right now we are in a warm phase of that oscillation which increases the intensity of the most intense hurricanes. It is also warmer than in the past due to global warming.September is the height of the hurricane season with the 10th September being the peak normally. You don’t get the strongest hurricanes every year, sometimes its quieter than other times, but it is the normal time of the year to get intense hurricanes. This one is wetter, and probably stronger too, as a direct result of the oceans being warmer.As for the strength of the hurricanes, sometimes the global warming can make hurricanes weaker by increasing the temperature of the upper atmosphere but other times it makes them stronger because of the warmer ocean. It will always make them wetter so more flooding as you get more moisture in the atmosphere in a warmer world.The fires are also due to global warming - not individual fires, but having chances of more serious fires is a prediction. It’s the new normal.This is a peak time of year for both fires and hurricanes. And this is the new normal as a result of global warming. It’s not going to be like this every year. But it’s something that will happen from time to time in the future.You get one or two magnitude 8 or larger earthquakes per year, occasionally have a year with none.List of earthquakes in 2016 - WikipediaNone of these things can end the world. There’s a maximum magnitude of earthquake set by the size of the Earth - that a fault can’t be longer than a certain amount. So for instance, part of California ending up in the sea - that is a myth, no earthquake can be powerful enough to do anything like that.See my Debunked - California could fall into the sea or the Earth split open through earthquakes or continental driftThere is something a bit out of the ordinary going on. But it’s not world ending. It’s a local and serious impact on residents of the Caribbean and over the weekend, likely to be a serious impact on residents of Florida. It’s a natural occurrence but the winds probably made more severe through global warming and definitely wetter because of that.The fires can have a serious impact on the Yosemite forests and other forests that are susceptible to fire.The severe earthquake has an effect on Mexico.The flooding and hurricanes are something that people will have to adjust to.They will need to build stronger houses, and houses very close to the sea may eventually have to be abandoned or built on stilts, or protected with flood defenses (can’t do flood defenses in Florida though because the bedrock is porous limestone and water just goes straight through it).We can’t reverse the effects so far but we can prevent them getting significantly worse by going ahead with the Paris agreement policies which are voluntary - nobody has to do anything but just about everyone is putting some voluntary commitments into place. Including the US with many cities and such like going ahead and doing their part anyway never mind what Trump does or doesn’t do - and he won’t be president for ever and may well change his mind as he often does on key policies. He has said things occasionally that suggest he may be starting to think that climate change may be a real effect of human activity after all.So far there is nothing we can do about earthquakes - except to improve the warning systems - try to predict them early enough so that people can take measures to protect themselves, or evacuate.COINCIDENCESAs for the coincidences of all these happening at once - well this is the worst time of year for hurricanes so the hurricane is no surprise. It’s a bad time for fires, so that’s not a surprise.As for earthquakes, we get one or two of these a year, last year there were none. It's a mild coincidence that it happened at the same time as a hurricane. Coincidences happen. Perhaps a 1 in 6 to 1 in 12 chance if the average is 1 or 2 a year and main hurricane season is one month of the year. That's not even that unlikely a coincidence - it's like throwing a dice and getting a 6 and saying "Look, I got a 6!, the world is about to end".With coincidences - there are so many different natural events that could potentially coincide with others - so - it's like there are thousands of dice being thrown at once and from time to time two of them turn up sixes and even if some of them have hundreds of faces, still from time to time, if you throw enough of them. you will two that come up showing the same thing, e.g. at the same time.See alsoWhat really happens if Yellowstone erupts as a supervolcano, or if some other supervolcano erupts?Why Nibiru is as daft as a Hippo in my KitchenSee also List of the articles in my Debunking Doomsday blog to dateAlso if you want to help make a difference, you can sign and share these two petitions - and do have a look at the comments to get an idea of the scale of the problem. Click “Join Conversation” to see more of them.Petition to Youtube to Halt Ads on Doomsday Videos

RamadanFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThis article is about religious observances during the month of Ramadan. For the actual calendar month, see Ramadan (calendar month). For other uses, see Ramadan (disambiguation).RamadanرَمَضَانA crescent moon can be seen over palm trees at Manama, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan in Bahrain.Also calledAzerbaijani: RamazanBengali: রমজান, romanized: RomzanSorani Kurdish: ڕەمەزان‎, romanized: RehmehzanSomali: Rabadaan or with mPersian: Ramazan‎Turkish: RamazanZazaki: RemezanObserved byMuslimsTypeReligiousCelebrationsCommunity iftars and Community prayersObservancessawm (fasting)zakat and sadaqah (alms giving)taraweeh prayer (Sunni Muslims)Commemorating Nights of al-Qadr (Shia and Sunni Muslims)reading the Quranabstaining from all bad deeds and staying humbleEtymologyThe word Ramadan derives from the Arabic root R-M-Ḍ (ر-م-ض‎) "scorching heat".[28]Ramadan is one of the names of God in Islam, and as such it is reported in many hadiths that it is prohibited to say only "Ramadan" in reference to the calendar month and that it is necessary to say "month of Ramadan", as reported in Sunni,sources.In the Persian language, the Arabic letter ض (Ḍād) is pronounced as /z/. Some Muslim countries with historical Persian influence, such as Azerbaijan, Iran, India, Pakistan and Turkey, use the word Ramazan or Ramzan. The word Romjan is used in Bangladesh.[43]HistoryVerse 185 in Arabic.The month of Ramadan is that in which was revealed the Quran; a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, a number of other days. Allah desires for you ease; He desires not hardship for you; and that you should complete the period, and that you should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that perhaps you may be thankful.[Quran 2:185]Muslims hold that all scripture was revealed during Ramadan, the scrolls of Abraham, Torah, Psalms, Gospel, and Quran having been handed down on the first, sixth, twelfth, thirteenth (in some sources, eighteenth)Muhammed is said to have received his first quranic revelation on Laylat al-Qadr, one of five odd-numbered nights that fall during the last ten days of Ramadan.Although Muslims were first commanded to fast in the second year of Hijra (624 CE),they believe that the practice of fasting is not in fact an innovation of monotheismbut rather has always been necessary for believers to attain taqwa (the fear of God).[Quran 2:183]They point to the fact that the pre-Islamic pagans of Mecca fasted on the tenth day of Muharram to expiate sin and avoid drought.[self-published source]Philip Jenkins argues that the observance of Ramadan fasting grew out of "the strict Lenten discipline of the Syrian Churches," a postulation corroborated by other scholars, including theologian Paul-Gordon Chandler,but disputed by some Muslim academics.Important datesThe first and last dates of Ramadan are determined by the lunar Islamic calendar.EidMain articles: Eid al-Fitr and Eid prayersThe holiday of Eid al-Fitr (Arabic:عيد الفطر), which marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal, the next lunar month, is declared after a crescent new moon has been sighted or after completion of thirty days of fasting if no sighting of the moon is possible. Eid celebrates of the return to a more natural disposition (fitra) of eating, drinking, and marital intimacy.Religious practicesAzim Azimzade. Ramadan of the poor people. 1938The common practice is to fast from dawn to sunset. The pre-dawn meal before the fast is called the suhur, while the meal at sunset that breaks the fast is called iftar.Muslims devote more time to prayer and acts of charity, striving to improve their self-discipline, motivated by hadith:"When Ramadan arrives, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of hell are locked up and devils are put in chains."FastingMain article: Fasting during RamadanRamadan is a time of spiritual reflection, self-improvement, and heightened devotion and worship. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam. The fast (sawm) begins at dawn and ends at sunset. In addition to abstaining from eating and drinking during this time, Muslims abstain from sexual relationsand sinful speech and behaviour during Ramadan fasting or month. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the soul by freeing it from harmful impurities. Muslims believe that Ramadan teaches them to practice self-discipline, self-control,sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate, thus encouraging actions of generosity and compulsory charity (zakat).Muslims also believe that for the poor people who don't have enough food they should fast so that the poor can get food to eat. This would also make them realize how poor feel when they remain hungry. The aim of fasting now seems to be being compassionate towards the poor people.Exemptions to fasting include travel, menstruation, severe illness, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. However, many Muslims with medical conditionsinsist on fasting to satisfy their spiritual needs, although it is not recommended by hadith.Those unable to fast are obligated make up the missed days later.SuhoorMain article: SuhoorIftar at Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, TurkeyEach day, before dawn, Muslims observe a pre-fast meal called the suhoor. After stopping a short time before dawn, Muslims begin the first prayer of the day, Fajr.IftarMain article: IftarAt sunset, families break the fast with the iftar, traditionally opening the meal by eating dates to commemorate Muhammad's practice of breaking the fast with three dates.They then adjourn for Maghrib, the fourth of the five required daily prayers, after which the main meal is served.Social gatherings, many times in buffet style, are frequent at iftar. Traditional dishes are often highlighted, including traditional desserts, particularly those made only during Ramadan.Water is usually the beverage of choice, but juice and milk are also often available, as are soft drinks and caffeinated beverages.In the Middle East, iftar consists of water, juices, dates, salads and appetizers; one or more main dishes; and rich desserts, with dessert considered the most important aspect of the meal.Typical main dishes include lamb stewed with wheat berries, lamb kebabs with grilled vegetables, and roasted chicken served with chickpea-studded rice pilaf. Desserts may include luqaimat, baklava or kunafeh.Over time, the practice of iftar has involved into banquets that may accommodate hundreds or even thousands of diners.The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the largest mosque in the UAE, feeds up to thirty thousand people every night.Some twelve thousand people attend iftar at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.Iftar serving for fasting people in the Imam Reza shrineCharityMain articles: Zakāt and SadaqahMen praying during Ramadan at the Shrine of Ali or "Blue Mosque" in Mazar-i-Sharif, AfghanistanZakāt, often translated as "the poor-rate", is the fixed percentage of income a believer is required to give to the poor; the practice is obligatory as one of the pillars of Islam. Muslims believe that good deeds are rewarded more handsomely during Ramadan than at any other time of the year; consequently, manydonate a larger portion—or even all—of their yearly zakāt during this month.Nightly prayersMain article: TarawihTarawih (Arabic: تراويح‎) are extra nightly prayers performed during the month of Ramadan. Contrary to popular belief, they are not compulsory.Recitation of the QuranMuslims are encouraged to read the entire Quran, which comprises thirty juz' (sections), over the thirty days of Ramadan. Some Muslims incorporate a recitation of one juz' into each of the thirty tarawih sessions observed during the month.Cultural practicesIn some Islamic countries, lights are strung up in public squares and across city streets,a tradition believed to have originated during the Fatimid Caliphate, where the rule of Caliph al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah was acclaimed by people holding lanterns.On the island of Java, many believers bathe in holy springs to prepare for fasting, a ritual known as Padusan.The city of Semarang marks the beginning of Ramadan with the Dugderan carnival, which involves parading the Warak ngendog, a horse-dragon hybrid creature allegedly inspired by the Buraq.In the Chinese-influenced capital city of Jakarta, firecrackers are widely used to celebrate Ramadan, although they are officially illegal.Towards the end of Ramadan, most employees receive a one-month bonus known as Tunjangan Hari Raya.Certain kinds of food are especially popular during Ramadan, such as large beef or buffalo in Aceh and snails in Central Java.The iftar meal is announced every evening by striking the bedug, a giant drum, in the mosque.Common greetings during Ramadan include Ramadan mubarak and Ramadan kareem.During Ramadan in the Middle East, a mesaharati beats a drum across a neighbourhood to wake people up to eat the suhoor meal. Similarly in Southeast Asia, the kentongan slit drum is used for the same purpose.Striking the bedug in IndonesiaCrescent is colourfully decorated and illuminated during Ramadan in JordanRamadan in the Old City of JerusalemFanous Ramadan decorations in Cairo, EgyptObservance ratesAccording to a 2012 Pew Research Centre study, there was widespread Ramadan observance, with a median of 93 percent across the thirty-nine countries and territories studied.[92]Regions with high percentages of fasting among Muslims include Southeast Asia, South Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Horn of Africa and most of Sub-Saharan Africa.Percentages are lower in Central Asia and Southeast Europe.LawsIn some Muslim countries, eating in public during daylight hours in Ramadan is a crime.The sale of alcohol becomes prohibited during Ramadan in Egypt.The penalty for publicly eating, drinking or smoking during Ramadan can result in fines and/or incarceration in the countries of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Malaysia.In the United Arab Emirates, the punishment is community service.In some countries, the observance of Ramadan has been restricted. In the USSR, the practice of Ramadan was suppressed by officials.In Albania, Ramadan festivities were banned during the communist period.However, many Albanians continued to fast secretly during this period.China is widely reported to have banned Ramadan fasting since 2012 in Xinjiang.Those caught fasting by the government could be sent to a "re-education camp".Some countries impose modified work schedules. In the UAE, employees may work no more than six hours per day and thirty-six hours per week. Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait have similar laws.Health effectsThere are various health effects of fasting in Ramadan. Ramadan fasting is considered safe for healthy individuals; it may pose risks for individuals with certain pre-existing conditions. Most Islamic scholars hold that fasting is not required for those who are ill. Additionally, the elderly and pre-pubertal children are exempt from fasting.Pregnant or lactating women are exempt from fasting during Ramadan according to some authorities,while according to other authorities they are exempt only if they fear fasting may harm them or their babies.There are some health benefits of Ramadan including increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing insulin resistance.It has also been shown that there is a significant improvement in 10 years coronary heart disease risk score and other cardiovascular risk factors such as lipids profile, systolic blood pressure, weight, BMI and waist circumference in subjects with a previous history of cardiovascular disease.The fasting period is usually associated with modest weight loss, but weight can return afterwards.Ramadan fasting, as a time-restricted eating habit that inverts the normal human day-night-routine for the observants, can have deleterious health effects on sleep patterns and the general health. Fasting in Ramadan has been shown to alter the sleep patternsand the associated hormone production.In Islam, pregnant women and those who are breasfeeding are exempt from fasting.Fasting can be hazardous for pregnant women as it is associated with risks of inducing labour and causing gestational diabetes, although it does not appear to affect the child's weight. It is permissible to not fast if it threatens the woman's or the child's lives, however, in many instances pregnant women are normal before development of complications.If a mother fasts during pregnancy, the resulting child may have significantly lower intelligence, lower cognitive capability and be at increased risk for several chronic diseases, e.g. Type 2 diabetes.Many Islamic scholars argue it is obligatory on a pregnant woman not to fast if a doctor recommends against it.In many cultures, it is associated with heavy food and water intake during Suhur and Iftar times, which may do more harm than good.Ramadan fasting is safe for healthy people provided that overall food and water intake is adequate but those with medical conditions should seek medical advice if they encounter health problems before or during fasting.The education departments of Berlin and the United Kingdom have tried to discourage students from fasting during Ramadan, as they claim that not eating or drinking can lead to concentration problems and bad grades.A review of the literature by an Iranian group suggested fasting during Ramadan might produce renal injury in patients with moderate (GFR <60 ml/min) or severe kidney disease but was not injurious to renal transplant patients with good function or most stone-forming patients.Ramadan in Earth orbitMuslim astronauts in space schedule religious practices around the time zone of their last location on Earth. For example, this means an astronaut from Malaysia launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida would center their fast according to sunrise and sunset in Eastern Standard Time. This includes times for daily prayers, as well as sunset and sunrise for Ramadan.