CryptoTown Day 4 - Photohunting Cool Water Snake + Bonus Cat!

http://cryptotown.org
@CryptoTown
Kickstarter: http://kck.st/1ul9X8g

    /\__/\
   /`    '\
 === 0  0 ===
   \  --  /
  /        \
 /          \
|            |
 \  ||  ||  /
  \_oo__oo_/#######o 

｡＾･ｪ･＾｡

 "I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior." - Hippolyte Taine

With the image of the lion in mind, the Egyptians built the Sphinx, a huge effigy of the Sun God, with the body of a lion and the head of a Pharaoh, and they also worshipped the goddess Sekhmet, who with the head of a lion (see picture) was the goddess of war, who descended to the earth to destroy the enemies of Ra, and was known as the Eye of Ra. Amongst the list of Egyptian feline goddess we find Mau, a personification of Ra as a cat (Mau being the ancient Egyptian word for cat); Tefnut, a lion headed goddess whose name means Moisture and represents one of the most primeval forces of creation; and Mafdet, a goddess of protection. In an Ancient Egyptian spell which repels snakes, the protection of Mafdet is invoked: 'O cobra, I am the flame which shines on the brows of the Chaos-gods of the Standard of Years. Begone from me, for I am Mafdet!'

And: Bast, like Sekhmet was often said to be the daughter of Ra, and she was the protector of cats and those who took care of cats; her gifts were joy and pleasure [...] She also had an annual festival, which seems to have been one of the most popular in the whole of Egypt, accompanied by loud music and chanting. [...] Indeed, there is evidence that the Egyptians viewed them as aspects of the same divine force - Sekhmet being the violent aspect of the divine sun, and Bast being its gentler aspect.

- Cats and World Mythology,

A side note on toxoplasmosis: Often children were consecrated to Bastet - a cut was made on their arm and drops of cat blood poured into it.

Toxoplasma gondii: Infection with T. gondii has been shown to alter the behavior of mice and rats in ways thought to increase the rodents’ chances of being preyed upon by cats.[...]Rats infected with the parasite show increased levels of activity and decreased neophobic behavior.

Neophobia wiki: Robert Anton Wilson theorized, in his book Prometheus Rising, that neophobia is instinctual in people after they become parents and begin to raise children. Wilson's views on neophobia are mostly negative, believing that it is the reason human culture and ideas do not advance as quickly as our technology. [...] Neophobia, cainotophobia or cainophobia is the fear of anything new, especially a persistent and abnormal fear. In its milder form, it can manifest as the unwillingness to try new things or break from routine.

Cats: An omen of the goddess Sekhmet.

If firearms are the great equalizer in the material realm (geo/biosphere), perhaps the internet plays a similar role of equalization in the immaterial (noosphere?). It is fitting that the internet would be heralded and propelled by cat-based karma. Ra open your eyes! Mafdet release the memetic fires! Bast, let us celebrate, let us party, let there be joy!

~

Ancient Music in the Pines
An Omni Syntheist shrine to the cat goddess Bastet. 

~ 

Some good discussion continuing over on /r/PoliticalDiscussion: Is politics based on human trust of opaque hierarchies a dead-end? How do we overcome deception and exploitation when it's formalized as the profit motive which drives our overall economy?